Page 65 of Blood Lovers

“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.