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“It’s no problem. And no pressure, but if you do come by tomorrow, and it’s noon, you can meet everyone in town.”

“For church, you mean.” I don’t mean to curl my lip, but it happens.

The well-practiced smile is back. “No pressure.”

I hold up the bag, say, “Thank you,” one more time, and make my escape.

Back in my truck, I suddenly feel conflicted.

I really want to go to my apartment to shower and change. I barely remember it. I was only there for a few hours after I pulled into town and I spent most of that time sleeping.

And now I’m taking care of a man. A stranger I had all-night sex with, who is now sick as a dog, and might have some connection to the vampire who wants to feed off me for the rest of my life.

What I should really do is leave this place, drive sixty-seven miles in any direction, call Zusi, tell her the whole story, and find the closest Guild Lounge to crash out in until they can come get me.

But if I do that, I lose him.

Just as I think these words, I look down at the dashboard clock and see that it reads 11:11.

And… that’s not even possible. It was 11:11 at Ryet’s cottage.

I fuck with the clock controls, because this is bugging me. Like what the hell, ya know? 11:11. My new beginning.

Is someone fucking with me? Is this magic? What’s going on?

Luckily, my rational mind takes over and I realize that it’s not magic or fuckery, just some Daylight Savings Time thing.

But what are the chances that I’d look at a clock twice in the same morning and see the same time?

I look over my shoulder, feeling watched, and scan the town from the church parking lot exit. I can see most of it. A few trucks are parked at the gas station. There’s another truck in front of the gun shop. And a man is coming out of the hardware store.

I look down at the clock again, but it still says 11:11. Then I blink, and it changes to 11:12.

I have never liked watching the numbers change like that. Even if they don’t read 11:11 when they’re doing it. It feels like a countdown, even though time runs forward, not backwards.

And that must be part of it. My new beginning is Ryet. I know it is—the numbers say so. But they’re telling something else too. They’re telling me to make a decision or it will be too late.

With this realization comes another revelation.

This choice is permanent. It’s a new direction. And when you turn towards something you are turning away from something too.

If I turn towards Ryet, who will I be leaving behind?

Zusi is who comes to mind.

But would she really abandon me if I decided to help the hunter? I mean, he’s my problem, right? They’re only hunting him because he’s hunting me. But he’s not hunting me. At least, not consciously. Because I just had sex with the man and he didn’t even know I was his prey.

So if I say it’s fine, he and I are good—the Guild should be OK with that, right?

It’s not likely.

It’s also not likely that once Ryet figures out who I am, the hunt will be over.

He will probably be conflicted the way I am now, but I doubt he will give up his mission in life because of a one-night stand.

But what about the vampire?

He came to me. It was a dream, but he came to me. He told me Ryet was sick and he asked me what I was going to do about it.