Other than what she had seen in movies, she had little knowledge of the creatures. She found a remarkable number of books in the Mythology and Folklore department. Taking one from the shelf, she carried it to a chair in the corner and began to read.
According to the book, vampires were sexually appealing. Callie frowned. She couldn’t argue with that. Scary as he might be, Quill was sexy as hell. They had very sharp fangs. They slept by day. Coffins seemed to be the preferred resting place. Some believed they had to sleep on their native soil.
Callie grunted softly as she remembered the vampire in Dracula shipping containers of his native earth to England when he left Transylvania.
It was believed the reason they couldn’t be seen in mirrors was because they had no soul. They were said to be repelled by holy objects and garlic. They were hard to kill, with a stake through the heart or beheading being the preferred methods of destruction. Fire was also effective. They were virtually immortal. The Undead were also a popular character in horror movies, although they were frequently cast as romantic figures and occasionally appeared in comedies.
Callie snorted as she returned the book to the shelf. She didn’t see anything remotely funny about being a vampire.
Or associating with one.
Leaving the bookstore, she returned to the food court for lunch. Later, she had her nails done, then went shopping at her favorite boutique, where she bought a blue sweater and a pair of overpriced jeans before finally, reluctantly, returning home.
“Please,” she prayed as she pulled into her driveway and killed the VW’s engine. “Please let him be gone.”
But when she peeked into the guest room, he was still there.
* * *
Quill sat up when Callie opened the door. He sensed her distress at seeing him. No doubt she had hoped that he’d died in her absence or at least left the house. But, at the moment, this was the safest place for him. He had warded her home against any and all intruders. His wards, plus the inherent power of the threshold, would repel any unwanted visitors. Although he wasn’t sure if it would repel the Knights of the Dark Wood.
She stared at him from the doorway, her expression wary.
The rapid beat of her heart, the scent of her blood, called to him. He didn’t want to hurt her or frighten her. She had saved his life and for that he would be forever in her debt. He was a little surprised she hadn’t called the police, although he was grateful for her restraint. It would not have ended well for the officers.
Lifting one hand, he beckoned her.
Powerless to resist, she walked slowly toward him, her whole body trembling.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Callie,” he said quietly. “Please don’t be afraid of me.”
She recoiled when he reached for her arm.
“I’m sorry, but I need your blood.”
She nodded, resigned, as he took hold of her arm and bent his head to the vein in her wrist.
As usual, he took only a little. Releasing her arm, he looked up at her. “You have questions?”
She nodded again.
“Ask them.”
“What . . . what are you? Who were those men? Why did they attack you?”
“You know what I am.”
“That’s impossible.”
A faint smile quirked his lips. “How can it be, when I’m here?”
“Maybe I’m dreaming.”
He shook his head. “I come from a long line of beings. . . .”
“Beings?” Maybe he wasn’t a vampire, after all. “What does that mean? Like aliens from another planet?” Even that would be preferable to what he was, she thought.
“We are a type of vampire, but we are different from most.” He patted the bed beside him. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Instead of doing as he suggested, she pulled a small chair from the desk in the corner and perched on the edge. He didn’t miss the fact that she sat far enough away that he couldn’t reach her.
“As I was saying, we are different from other vampires in that we are born this way and they are turned by others of their kind. We both must have blood to survive, but my kind can also consume human food if we wish. We both spend most of our waking hours in the dark. And although my kind can function during the day, we prefer the night.”
“So that’s why those men tried to kill you? Because you’re a vampire?”
He nodded. “They are descendants of an ancient league of mystical knights who have dedicated their lives to destroying my kind.”
“Just your kind?” she asked, frowning. “What about the other ones?”
“There are those who hunt them, as well.”
“Are any of the other kind here?”
“Yes, a few. Most of them tend to stay in the mountains of Transylvania.”
Well, that was a relief. “Are there very many of them?”
“Enough.”
She looked thoughtful a moment. “Are there many like you?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Callie blinked at him as she tried to absorb everything he had told her.
After a moment, he said, “There is another major difference between the two types of vampires. Those who are made are inclined to kill their prey. Mine are not.” Although it did happen from time to time, but he saw no need to tell her that. Nor did he mention that he had intended to kill her to silence her. His reluctance had something to do with the familiarity of her blood, though he didn’t yet understand its significance.
Callie clasped her hands in her lap. She found it somewhat reassuring that he wasn’t a murderer, but couldn’t help asking, “If you don’t kill people, then I don’t understand why those knights wanted to kill you.”
His gaze moved over her, lingering on the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat, the swell of her breasts. “Because, unlike other vampires, we can breed with mortal females. Our offspring are always male. The Knights perceive our ability to reproduce as a threat to the future of humanity.”
Vampires fathering babies. Who’d have thought? A rush of heat flooded Callie’s cheeks, followed by a sharp stab of alarm. Good heavens, was that why he was here? Was he looking for a woman to have his child?
And then she frowned. “Wait a minute. If your kind comes from mating with a human female, doesn’t that make you half-human?”
“Only for a short time.”
“What does that mean?”
“We
