Keeper’s Finder

A Keeper’s Kin story

by Beth Alvarez

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real people or events is entirely coincidental.

KEEPER’S FINDER

Copyright © 2017 by Beth Alvarez.

All rights reserved.

Cover art by Steven Dixon

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

First Edition: September 2017

Table of Contents

Title Page

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Author’s Notes

About the Author

ONE

AT TWENTY-THREE YEARS of age, there were few things Joshua Rook was sure of. That he was dead was, unfortunately, one of them.

The screeching tires and shattering glass still echoed in his ears, but the only sound here was the steady tick of a dusty grandfather clock.

He sat up on a dark-upholstered chaise, rubbing the back of his neck and blinking against the disorientation spinning in his head. Musty books and stale air assaulted his nostrils as he turned his head to look around.

Aside from the tall bookshelves behind an oversized desk, the sitting room looked like part of a funeral home. He’d seen a place much like this when his grandfather passed, two years before. Red carpet and antique furniture could have been interesting anywhere else, but here it was as bland as the artificial potted greenery scattered around the room.

Only one thing about the arrangement was off: there was no casket.

Josh held out his arms and inspected himself. The dress shirt and tie he wore seemed right for funeral, but he didn’t think it common practice to lay corpses in waiting rooms before a visitation.

Or for the corpse to be moving.

Just to be sure, he pressed his fingers to his wrist and waited. Seconds ticked by.

No pulse.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Josh jumped, spinning in his seat to face the stranger in the doorway.

The old man removed his derby hat, hanging it on a rack beside the door.

He was a distinguished fellow. Tall, thin, and dressed in a full suit, complete with a narrow black tie in a Windsor knot. Josh eyed that for a long moment. He’d just taught himself that knot; he’d used it the day before, hoping to make a good impression at a job interview he’d waited too long for. It had gone well. Not that it mattered now.

Josh lowered his eyes and put his fingers to his wrist again. “Am I really...”

“Dead?” the old man asked, his face unchanging. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

Josh’s shoulders slumped. “Are you the funeral director?”

The old man’s thick white brows rose as he chuckled. “Certainly not. My name is Thaddeus, and I’ve been dead much longer than you.”

So he was here to guide him to the afterlife. Josh bowed his head. His chest ached; the lack of a heartbeat was both uncomfortable and disturbing.

“I realize this is difficult for you,” Thaddeus said, pacing across the small waiting room to take a seat behind the cherry wood desk. “It’s certainly not an ideal situation, but sometimes we make do with what we are given.”

Josh swallowed against the thick, dry feeling in his throat. It was oddly tangible; now that he thought about it, everything was tangible. If he was dead, nothing more than a spirit, why did he still feel the fabric moving over his skin?

“Regardless of the situation, I’m pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you,” Thaddeus went on in a cordial tone, sorting papers on the desk for a moment before lacing his gnarled fingers together. “Joshua, isn’t it? Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“I thought you people would know all about me,” Josh replied hesitantly.

Thaddeus appeared either surprised or amused, his brows climbing again. “Do you remember us bringing you across?”

Joshua remembered bits and pieces about his death, though trying to call them to mind made him shudder. He recalled the noise and the force of the impact, but everything after that was a haze. He shook his head.

The old man frowned. “Then what would you know about the organization?”

This wasn’t what Josh had imagined when his grandmother told him he’d be questioned outside the Pearly Gates. His brow furrowed and he shifted back, suddenly wary. “Am I going to hell?”

At that, Thaddeus burst out laughing.

Josh stifled rising irritation.

“I apologize,” the old man said, clearing his throat and smothering another laugh. “Allow me to explain, as I see you truly have no idea what is going on. We are not so dead as that, young man. I believe some would call us damned, but most prefer the term undead.”

If his heart had been beating, Josh thought it would have skipped one. His stomach heaved, proving itself fully functional. “Like zombies?”

Thaddeus snorted. “Zombies are both repugnant and fragile, and they do not retain a modicum of intelligence past death. No, young man. Nothing like zombies. Vampires.”

Josh stared back in silence for a long time. Then he rose, crossing to the window and reaching for the curtains.

“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.”

He pulled them open a sliver. Sunlight lanced over his arm, hot as a brand, scorching his flesh through the thin linen of his white dress shirt. Josh shouted, jerking backwards, letting the curtain fall back into place.

Thaddeus turned his attention back to the papers on his desk. “Imagine that.”

Biting his tongue to keep from cursing, Josh unbuttoned the cuff of his sleeve and rolled it up. A narrow stripe of blistered flesh greeted him. He released his breath in an angry hiss. “I thought vampires were nocturnal!”

“Generally speaking, yes.” Thaddeus shrugged.

“Then why is the sun up?”

“Why are you peeling back the curtains? What do you expect to see?”

Josh opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. What had he expected? Some familiar landscape to orient himself with? A mass of clouds or fiery brimstone to prove the old man was lying?

“If you’re inclined to investigate further, there’s a mirror in the hallway. It’s useless to us, but does provide the benefit of revealing if any of our kind come to visit.” The elder vampire tapped a few papers on the desk to align their edges. “I find there are two kinds of fledglings; those who panic, and those who try to rationalize their condition. Which are you, I wonder?”

Oh, he felt like panicking. He couldn’t run outside, not if the light burned him, but he might be able to figure out where he was. Or if he had a reflection. Everything inside him urged him to run to the hallway to see if his reflection was there. Instead, Josh swallowed hard, returning to the chaise. Panic wouldn’t help him. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm down.

A hint of a smile pulled at the corners of the old man’s mouth. “I see.”

A hallucination, Josh decided. It was the most likely explanation, perhaps brought on by trauma. He’d heard about those kind of things from his mother; as a nurse, she brought home all sorts of strange stories.

None so strange as the living dead, however.

“The accident,” Josh managed, dragging his tongue over his lips and wishing his mouth weren’t so dry. “I was in a car crash. That’s related to this, isn’t it?”

“After a fashion.” Thaddeus frowned now, reaching for a pen. “It was most unfortunate. You were the only casualty in an accident involving a gentleman driving under the influence. A frightful mess. You would not be here if one of us hadn’t been looking for you.”

Josh stared back at him. Why would anyone have been looking for him? Never mind a vampire. If there were vampires. “I don’t understand.”

“You were brought across at the cusp between life and death. It happened on the scene. Had a Keeper not been present before the paramedics arrived, you would have been declared dead before they ever cut your seatbelt to get you free.” There was a grim sort of amusement in the old man’s voice. “Of course, this did prevent certain protocols from being followed. Given that the alternative was a more permanent sort of death, it was decided we may as well turn you and have a chance to speak.”

“A chance to speak?” Josh scrubbed a hand through his dirty blond hair, stifling a laugh of disbelief. “Forget talking. I have to see my family!”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Neither was being a vampire. Yet here he was, rubbing the blistered skin on his forearm. It still burned, proof enough for him he was alive—whether or not he had a pulse. “Why not?”

Thaddeus grimaced, tapping his pen against the paper. “It’s been several days, Mr. Rook. Your family has already held a closed-casket visitation and—as far as they know—had you cremated.”

Josh’s shoulders sagged and he was suddenly grateful he was already sitting. So he was dead. Really dead, in more ways than one.

He raised a hand to his mouth, running a finger over his teeth. The razor tip on one of his canines slit his fingertip. He jerked, pulling his hand back. A tiny droplet of crimson welled in the cut.

Sorrow wrenched his heart and he pressed one palm to his chest, again grimacing at the aching lack of a heartbeat.

“Why?” he asked in a whisper when he finally found his voice. “Why would you do this to me?”

Bobbing one bony finger at him, Thaddeus returned to his former good cheer. “As I said, you were changed so I might be afforded an opportunity to speak to you. You see, my colleagues and I happened across your resumé on the Internet. I understand you are looking for clerical work?”

All Josh could do was gape.

He’d died and been brought back to life, made undead, and now he sat in the dusty parlor of a funeral home with an elder vampire who wanted to talk about his resumé?

He couldn’t hold back his disbelief. “You brought me back to life to offer me a job?”

“Better late than never, wouldn’t you agree?” Thaddeus grinned at him. The sight of the old man’s elongated, yellowed fangs made him shudder.

“No, I don’t agree!” Josh leaped from the chaise, raking his hands through his hair. “What about my friends? My parents? What about my brother? My girlfriend?”

Oh, Lord, his girlfriend. Just thinking of Charlotte made his stomach roll over and before he knew it, Josh was on his hands and knees on the floor, gasping for breath that couldn’t satisfy his lungs.

Charlotte. He’d been on his way to see her. She thought he was dead.

“Halfway between panic and rationality,” Thaddeus mused. “Interesting.”

If it weren’t for the bands of anxiety squeezing the air out of his chest, Josh would have raised his head and snapped at the old man. Instead, he just wheezed, his arms trembling beneath him.

A gentle hand touched his back. “Deep breaths. Remember it won’t help you, it’s just to calm your nerves. You don’t need air for anything other than speech.”

Josh squeezed his eyes closed, focusing on filling his lungs.

Thaddeus frowned and shifted back, remaining crouched beside him. “Perhaps you need more time before we discuss this.”

This time, Josh did lift his head. “I just found out I’m dead, and all you want to talk about is a job?”

“Undead,” Thaddeus corrected dryly. “And if you’re not interested, you’re welcome to commit suicide by sunlight. You seemed rather concerned about the state of your immortal soul. You’ll be happy to know subjecting yourself willingly to death within the light will spare you damnation.”

As panicked as he was, that didn’t seem like a reasonable option.

The old vampire smirked. “You hesitated. Very well, then. We’ll talk about the job first, then you can make your decision.”

That was harder to object to. No matter how distressing the situation, it had to be worth at least considering. It could be worse; he could be regular dead. As long as he was moving, breathing and thinking, there was a possibility to do something fruitful.

If nothing else, he could wrap up loose ends and offer his family closure before truly settling into his grave.

Swallowing and willing his breath to even out, Josh nodded. “All right... Let’s talk.”

“Excellent.” That cordial note returned to the old man’s voice. Thaddeus stood, somewhat stiffly, and returned to his place behind the desk. “Now, why don’t you tell me a bit about your work history?”

Almost unable to believe it, Josh climbed back onto the chaise and readied himself for one last job interview.

TWO

THE LIGHT SNAPPED on overhead, jarring Josh out of slumber and sending him crashing to the floor.

“Rise and shine,” Thaddeus chuckled mirthlessly, stalking past him without offering assistance. He plucked a folder off the cherry wood desk, tucking it into his plain black leather briefcase.

All the disorientation was back. Josh sat up, rubbing the back of his neck as he took in the parlor—the office, as he knew now—and the old man behind it. “What’s going on?” His voice was hoarse, his throat dryer than ever before.

“We may be vampires, young man, but we are not nocturnal. Our day begins at sunrise and ends well after dark.”

Josh resisted a groan, scrubbing his face with both hands.

Their interview had lasted close to two hours, though a good deal of the conversation had revolved around being a vampire and the questions he had, rather than the job. He still had little idea what said job entailed, though Thaddeus promised he’d understand soon. It was office work; he knew that much.

It had been early evening when they concluded. Thaddeus had invited him to see the organization’s office then, but mental exhaustion got the better of him. Josh didn’t remember falling asleep on the chaise but, apparently, he’d slept all night. The tall grandfather clock beside the door said it was almost six thirty, and the tiniest gleam of sunlight glittered where the curtains didn’t quite meet.

Thaddeus snapped his briefcase closed, towering over him with a frown. “I suppose you’ll have to make do with what you’re wearing. The organization hasn’t sent any more clothing for you. However, you may wish to comb your hair before we make our way to the office.”

“Sure,” Josh croaked. “I’ll get right on that.” He climbed to his feet, surprised to find his body ached. He’d thought death would get rid of problems like those.

“Left when you step into the hall,” Thaddeus said. “The washroom is at the far end, past the stairs, on the right.”

“Washroom?” Josh repeated, unable to keep the sarcastic lilt out of his voice.

The old man didn’t appear amused, but he went on as if Josh hadn’t spoken. “Clean up and meet me at the front door in ten minutes.”

Josh rolled his eyes when the elder vampire turned his back, slipping out into the hall behind him. He cut toward the left when Thaddeus went right, trudging toward the open staircase with its dark wood railing.

He hadn’t set foot outside the office before now and discovering he was in a house, rather than a funeral home, came as a surprise. All the furnishings were old-fashioned, though the house was in good repair. Even the bathroom past the foot of the staircase was old-fashioned, with a pedestal sink and claw-footed tub. A shower head had been added over the tub. As the only sleek and chrome thing present, it looked wildly out of place.

Josh flicked on the light switch, almost jumping out of his skin when he found the mirror empty.

It had to be a trick. Some kind of wicked joke. Vampire or not, that didn’t seem possible. He leaned forward, pressing his hand to the glass. It felt normal, cold and smooth. It looked normal, too, spattered with water marks and toothpaste above the faucet.

Stepping back, he ran a hand over the shower curtain hung beside the tub.

It rippled in the mirror and he flew back against the wall, spitting curses and raking his hands through his hair.

Slowly, the curtain settled, but his nerves didn’t. Josh stared at the mirror with a lump in his throat and bands of constriction around his chest. If his heart were still beating, he thought it’d be hammering its way out of his ribcage right now.

“Four minutes,” Thaddeus called from down the hall.

Josh gulped, pushing himself off the wall.

He splashed cool water on his face and rinsed his mouth. The sharp bite of chlorine in the water made him grimace. He spat with a shudder, drawing his tongue over his teeth, lingering on the pointed tips of his new fangs. There weren’t any extra toothbrushes in the holder on the counter and he wasn’t planning on sharing with the old man. His hands still shook when he ran more water over them, then smoothed his wet fingers through his hair. That would have to do. How was he supposed to have any idea what he looked like?

“Mr. Rook, if you cannot even prepare yourself in a timely fashion-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Josh grumbled, slinking around the corner to join Thaddeus at the front door. “I’m done.”

Thaddeus gave him a long, appraising look, his mouth tightening. “Either you’ll need to grow a beard, or we’ll have to teach you how to shave. The organization will likely be lenient today, as you are potentially our newest addition, but it is a business environment and you will be expected to look the part.”

Josh jammed his hands into his pockets, letting his eyes slide down the tall vampire and his crisp suit. “Like you?”

“Indeed.” Thaddeus held out a black umbrella. Josh blinked in confusion.

The old man pushed it toward him again. “My vehicle’s windows are heavily tinted, but it is daylight. Unless you wish to repeat your adventures with the sun from yesterday, I suggest you carry one of these.”

Sheepish, Josh took the umbrella and undid the strap holding it shut while Thaddeus took another from the rack beside the door.

“So where are we going?” Josh asked, following Thaddeus out onto the porch. He popped his umbrella, angling it over his head.

“The local office,” the old man replied, leading the way to a sleek black sedan in the driveway. “Nearly every major city has a Keeper’s office.”

“And where are we?” Josh rested his umbrella against his shoulder, twirling it by the curved handle as he turned to look up at the stately Victorian house.

“My residence. You will be staying with me until you are assigned elsewhere.”

“Great. I’m sure you’ll be a real exciting roommate.”

Thaddeus gave him an unimpressed frown before opening his car door. “Get in. It’s unlocked.”

Josh rounded the car and opened the door, angling his umbrella to block the morning sun as he climbed in. Then he sat, staring at the umbrella and the open door, unsure how to proceed.

Thaddeus watched in silence as he struggled with them, awkwardly moving the umbrella with his hands and trying to pull the door shut with his foot. Neither effort proved effective.

Gritting his teeth, Josh tried to collapse the umbrella and pull the door shut at the same time. He pinched his fingers in the umbrella twice and shut his foot in the door once before he finally worked it out, snapping the umbrella closed and slamming the car door, sunlight blistering his arm in the process.

Hissing in pain and frustration, Josh flung the folded umbrella into the floorboard and glared at the old man in the driver’s seat. “What?”

“Nothing,” Thaddeus said, putting the car in gear. “That was actually quite good, for a first try.”

Dumbfounded, Josh stared in silence as the old man drove.

Josh had been through downtown Nashville a million times, but he’d never imagined they’d stop there. He’d expected something unusual, maybe hidden underground. The plain, two-story, red brick building they parked behind was nothing of the sort. It was so ordinary he never would have given it a second glance.

“Has it always been like this?” he asked in a low voice, studying the darkened glass windows on the unremarkable building. “Vampires hiding in plain sight?”

Thaddeus smirked. “You learn quickly.”

Josh started to reply, pausing when he saw the old man pick up his umbrella.

Popping the door without letting it open, Thaddeus wedged the tip of the umbrella in between the car’s frame and door, sliding it upward until he could press the button at the top of the shepherd’s crook handle. The door opened just enough to let the automatic umbrella push through and spring open, then he pushed the door open wide and stood beneath the umbrella’s shade.

Josh took his own umbrella from the floor and mimicked the process.

“Don’t lose that umbrella,” Thaddeus said gruffly, evidently no longer impressed by how quickly he caught on. “Most retailers don’t sell automatic umbrellas with a curved handle. All of mine are custom-made and rather expensive.”

“What difference does the shape of the handle make?”Josh leaned the umbrella against his shoulder again, trailing behind Thaddeus on the way to the door.

“The crook handle is clearly superior. You can hook it beneath your forearm while retrieving things out of the car, and the wind will be unable to snatch it away. You’ll find most of us favor them for that reason.” Thaddeus pulled open one of the glass doors, motioning Josh inside. “We’ve been burned quite enough.”

The reception desk just inside the foyer looked like any other, the middle-aged woman behind it offering a stiff nod to Thaddeus before giving Josh a curious look.

“Good morning, Matilda.” Leave it to Thaddeus to make it sound like anything but a good morning. He folded his umbrella. “This is Joshua Rook. He will be training with me today.”

“Ah... the Rook boy. I heard about your case,” Matilda said, pity shadowing her eyes. “My condolences.”

Uncondoled, Josh responded with an unconvincing smile.

“Come along, then,” Thaddeus said with considerably more cheer, starting down a hallway to the left of the desk with a surprising spring in his step.

They passed dozens of cubicles and offices, all containing men and women of varying ages and appearances, but all of them revealing fangs as they chatted with coworkers or spoke into phones.

Josh cleared his throat, jogging a few steps to close the distance between them. “So, I don’t mean to be rude, but... What exactly is this place? What are these people doing?” All they’d spoken of during their interview was the extent of his skills and what would be expected of him as far as clerical duties went.

“I’m glad you asked. These people,” Thaddeus said with a yellow-fanged grin, “are Keepers. You said before that you thought vampires were nocturnal. They are, which is one of the reasons we are not. A legion of undead hides among the living, and the only reason you don’t know they’re there is us. Keepers are the linchpin that holds our societies together.”

He pushed open the door to an office and Josh stopped to read the plaque. It was a simple thing, reading Thaddeus Birch, Keeper, but that it was on an office door instead of a cubicle desk made a big difference. It seemed Thaddeus held considerable clout.

“To remain undetected, vampires require bank accounts, driver’s licenses, mortgages, cell phone providers, the list goes on and on.” Thaddeus sat down behind the large desk in the middle of the office, hanging his umbrella from its edge. “The Keepers manage all of this, acting as a middle man to negotiate with companies and governments both, giving our wards the best existence possible. We help them live as if they’re still alive.”

“And what about us?” Josh asked, unable to restrain himself. “How much living do we get to do?”

Thaddeus eyed him, his gaze darkening.

Josh stared back for as long as he could, though he felt his resolve wavering. He blinked twice, then looked away.

“I understand your longing for adventure,” the old man said eventually, laying his briefcase on the desk and sorting through the papers stashed inside. “I do not share it, but I have trained many who have. Rest easy. There’s more to this job than paperwork. After all, there are two reasons we bear the title of Keeper.”

“Yeah, explain that. You didn’t talk much yesterday.” Josh paced around the office, tugging on drawers in the many file cabinets. Most were locked, but one slid out, revealing a neat row of manila folders inside. He cocked his head as he read some of the labels. All the folders bore the names of nearby cities.

Thaddeus shrugged, sorting his papers into three piles. “As Keepers, we have two jobs. One, we look after our charges. Each Keeper is given a handful of vampires to oversee. We are the shepherds and they are our flock.”

“Sounds like you’re a real hero.”

“The other reason,” Thaddeus went on without rising to the jibe, “is because we are dedicated to keeping the peace by keeping the supernatural under control. If it’s adventure you want, you will be pleased. Every Keeper is allowed to recruit one hunter. If you do your job well, you’ll have your own within a year.”

Josh turned enough to cast the old vampire a shaded glance.

Thaddeus smirked. “I see that caught your attention.”

Trying not to seem too interested, Josh flipped through the folders. “What do hunters do?”

“Precisely what their name implies. They hunt. Mine is in Montana right now, looking for a Shunka Warak’in.”

“A what?”

The old man gave him a deep frown. Then, sighing, he drew a ring of keys from his desk. “Third cabinet from the left, second drawer from the bottom.” He tossed the keys without looking.

Josh barely caught them. The ring was weighty, bearing at least a dozen keys. He bounced them in his palm for a minute before turning toward the file cabinets. “You know, if I had a cell phone, I could just look it up.”

“And call any number of people who believe you are dead, I’m sure,” Thaddeus muttered.

Stifling a grumble, Josh fumbled with the keys for several minutes before finding the right one.

Though some files were both familiar and an inch thick, more folders bore odd names. “Sim... Simurgh? What is that?”

“Not typically found outside of Iran. Closer to the front, boy. H comes before I.”

Biting his tongue to keep from snapping, Josh pushed the folders at the front back to view their labels. More familiar names stood out. “Siren? Are these mythological creatures?”

“Supernatural creatures,” Thaddeus corrected. “And so they fall within our jurisdiction.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Deadpan, the old man stared. “Do I look like the sort of man who enjoys jokes, Mr. Rook?”

Had he not heard Thaddeus’s dry chuckle several times, Josh would have suspected the man incapable of laughter. Thinking better of answering, he looked back to the files. “Your hunter is out killing these things?”

“When necessary. Some of them are intelligent enough to reason with. If that’s the case, we Keepers handle the issue ourselves. Although we are certainly allowed to use force if...” Thaddeus paused, licking his fangs as he searched for the word. “...necessary.”

“Then I want to be a hunter.”

Thaddeus burst into laughter, the sound dry and scraping and reminding Josh of a rake against concrete. “Oh, no, dear boy. Your options are Keeper or nothing. Take it or leave it.”

Glowering, Josh leaped to his feet. “What if I don’t want to be a Keeper?”

“Then go give yourself to the sun. No one is stopping you.”

“No one asked me if I wanted to be a vampire!”

“You should be grateful for a second chance at existence,” the old vampire snarled. “No one had to risk themselves to bring you across on the scene of the accident, either! Yet here you are, because your skill set and university grades made you worthwhile. Do you wish to die? Or do you wish to learn?”

Josh didn’t know how to answer. His mouth worked without producing words.

“Then close your mouth and file these papers.” Thaddeus shoved a stack toward the edge of his desk and turned away.

As desperately as he wished he could fire back some wicked retort, his mind emptied in the face of confrontation. Josh snatched the papers off the desk without speaking again, sitting in the middle of the floor.

It was better that way, he decided after a few moments of silence to cool him off. If he was going to get back to his family—and Charlotte—he’d need the old vampire on his side.

“So how often do you leave the office to deal with these... things?” he asked after his temper subsided. He picked up a stapled sheaf of papers in either hand, giving the front pages a once-over. They appeared to be legal documents, each stamped with a large black ’complete’ at the top of the first page. “Finished contracts?”

“Fifth cabinet, ordered by completion date, most recent toward the top and front.” Thaddeus pulled a pair of small, round spectacles from the breast pocket of his jacket, settling them on his nose. “And not often. I am fond of my current hunter and prefer to let him handle as much as possible. I am of more use here.”

“Current hunter? How many have you had?” Josh unlocked the drawer, blinking at the folders inside. The newest was dated two years prior.

“More than my fair share, but mine are effective. We are preferred for difficult tasks.” A hint of pride colored the old man’s voice.

“All these contracts are old.”

“Hmm?” Thaddeus lifted his head. “Oh, yes. Start with the box here behind my desk.”

Josh stood to look, then fought a groan. Four boxes sat behind the large desk, overflowing with a jumble of stamped contracts. He didn’t have to look to know they’d take him hours to sort. Stifling his irritation, he tried to keep the conversation going. “So you have more than one hunter?”

“Only one, and he is quite enough. Only one is permitted. It keeps things balanced, and we are sticklers for rules.”

“What if I’m not?” Josh heaved a box off the stack with a grunt, dropping it next to the open cabinet.

“Then you will learn or you will die.”

“I can’t relocate to another job?”

Thaddeus shook his head. “Once you know what Keepers know, there is no going back. As I said, you take the job, or take the sun. There are no other options.”

“And you don’t think that’s problematic?” Or dramatic, at the very least.

The old vampire grinned, though the gleam in his eyes was unnerving. “Certainly not. After all, ours is the best job the organization has to offer.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re quite full of questions, aren’t you?”

“Considering I woke up dead and get to pick between literal eternity stuck in a dark office or a more serious kind of death, I’d think having questions is a reasonable response.”

Thaddeus made a small sound of agreement in his throat, shaking a pen and scribbling circles against a scrap of paper before tossing it at a wire trash basket beside the door. It missed by several inches. “You are handling the whole situation rather well.”

“Yeah, well, right now I’m just kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Josh laid several contracts on the coarse carpet, starting piles for each month.

“You may be waiting for some time.”

Josh paused with a contract in midair. “What does that mean?”

“We will speak later,” Thaddeus murmured. “For now, work.”

* * *

Sorting the contracts in the boxes took most of the day. Josh expected as much, given the sheer number of them, but he’d also expected his training to include more actual training.

Thaddeus answered phone calls, printed and copied paperwork, filled out forms, and spoke to people in his office—both vampires and humans. He had introduced Josh to each new visitor as his apprentice, but carefully excluded him from any and all conversation.

Frustrated but unsure how to express it, Josh resorted to asking even more questions when they had the office to themselves.

“So what if I don’t want to work in the office during the day like this? Are there night positions?” He stuffed the last of the sorted contracts into their place, both relieved and somewhat satisfied. The boxes on the floor behind him were now filled with files destined for the archives, according to Thaddeus.

“There are some, but generally speaking, Keepers are expected to be available for at least some daytime hours. Our charges are nocturnal, so we cannot be. We are the bridge between them and the modern world, remember.” The old man cleaned his desk thoroughly after the last of the day’s work, leaving not so much as a paperclip out of place.

“Then if I’m going to be up and around during daylight, why can’t I see my family?” His frustrations bubbled up as he spoke, choking his words. “Why can’t I at least pretend to have a normal life?”

Sighing, Thaddeus leaned back in his chair and removed his spectacles. “We’ve been over this. Your family held a funeral-”

“And I’m alive!” Josh pressed his hands to his chest, silently cursing the lack of a heartbeat beneath his fingertips. “How am I supposed to stay here, living and working in the same city I grew up in, thinking I’ll never cross paths with my relatives? My parents, my aunts and uncles, cousins, my brother-” His voice failed him before Charlotte’s name could leave his lips. He swallowed hard to restore it.

“What about my girlfriend?” he went on, subdued. “I’m just supposed to sit back and watch her move on?”

“There are no other choices, Mr. Rook. I understand your difficulties, but there are the rules to contend with. Aside from acting within the capacity of work, where such interactions may be required, Keepers are forbidden from fraternization with humans. A romantic relationship between a Keeper and a human simply could not be allowed.”

“Well, I’m not a Keeper,” Josh spat back.

Thaddeus raised a finger. “Not yet.”

Smothering a cry of frustration, Josh threw his hands in the air and stormed out of the office.

He half expected the old Keeper to come after him, prattling on about how he couldn’t leave the building, but he didn’t. A few vampires cast him curious looks as he hurried back to the front door, but even Matilda at the front desk said nothing.

Josh thrust the door open, sucking in a deep breath as he stepped out into the twilight. Thaddeus told him twice that the Keepers worked long hours. He hadn’t imagined it as a blessing until now, stalking across the parking lot without the sun overhead.

The whole situation was absurd.

Stealing a man back from the brink of death, only to plunge him into immortality and an eternity of loneliness. And for what? A job. A stupid, insignificant job. Josh barked a laugh, scrubbing a hand through his short crop of blond hair. The only reason he’d chased a better job was so he could provide for Charlotte! Something solid, something that would let them start a family together, that would pay for a decent ring.

That ring was what had gotten him in trouble to begin with. She’d posted it on one of her social media accounts and tagged all her girlfriends in what he assumed was a not-so-subtle hint. They’d all gushed about the classically ornate Edwardian styling and how unique it was, being a one-of-a-kind deal from some local artisan jeweler. He’d set his mind on it then, stashing a screenshot of the unreasonable price in his phone to keep him motivated.

He’d had that ring on his mind every time he submitted his resume to a potential employer. He’d had it on his mind when that drunk driver plowed into him head-on.

Now it felt like the breaking point, the wedge driven into his life just a moment before a hammer blow split it into fragments.

Josh walked without seeing, his hands jammed to the bottoms of his pockets, his shoulders stiff. The late September air wasn’t unpleasant, but there was a cool edge to the breeze that bit to his bones.

Until that moment, he hadn’t realized he was cold. He rubbed his hands against his thighs through the thin fabric lining of his pockets, but his legs were just as cold as his fingers.

No heartbeat. No heat. No one who knew he was alive.

Was this all that was left for him? Choosing between death and an eternal life without the only people who would have made it worth living?

Josh had visited the coffee shop so often he didn’t realize that was where he was headed until he was a block away. Some ounce of sense roared in the back of his head, warning him it was a bad idea, but he was cold and frustrated. Nothing sounded better than a cup of hot coffee in his hands, something to lend a soothing aroma and some trace of warmth. He didn’t know if he could drink it. It didn’t really matter. Right now, it seemed like the perfect comfort for his aching soul.

There was only one small problem he’d overlooked in his rush to justify the decision.

He froze on the sidewalk as his eyes locked with Charlotte’s through the front window.

A glass coffee pot fell from her hand and shattered on the floor.

THREE

IN THE THREE years she’d worked as a barista, Charlotte Wright had missed work a total of four times. Twice when she’d been too sick to stand, once when they buried her grandfather, and the last time two days ago, when they’d buried her boyfriend as well.

Her friends praised her strength, swearing they envied her work ethic and her ability to cope. They didn’t realize work was what she used to cope, burying herself in the job—however menial it may be—and letting it wash everything else away.

It had never failed her before.

“Jeez, Charlotte! Don’t just stand there!” Addy’s sharp voice cut through the haze, snapping her back to reality.

Charlotte jerked and turned crimson, staring down at the shards of glass swimming in a pool of coffee on the floor. “I’m sorry, I just...” She trailed off without knowing how she was supposed to finish. One day of mourning should have been enough.

That was before she saw her dead boyfriend standing outside.

“I need to go home.” The words surprised her almost as much as they surprised her coworker.

Addy looked up, the towel in her hand poised over the mess. “You what?”

“I need to go home.” Charlotte squared her shoulders as she repeated the words, hoping they sounded more convincing than she felt.

“Oh, honey, that ain’t like you.” Addy pushed a second towel into Charlotte’s hands before catching her by the wrist and pulling her to the floor. “What’s wrong?”

Tossing a few larger pieces of glass into the remnant of the coffee pot, Charlotte flicked her auburn ponytail back over her shoulder before pressing the towel to the puddle of steaming brown liquid. “Josh. I-”

“You should have listened when we told you not to come in,” Addy interrupted. “I knew it was a bad idea, but Shawna said you did fine yesterday, so I caved. You better go home and sleep, honey. I think you’ve done enough.”

“At least let me help you clean this up.” Charlotte scooped up the dripping towel with one hand cupped beneath it, transporting it to the sink.

Nudging her side with an elbow, Addy dropped her towel into the sink, too. “You think I’d let you leave without cleaning up your mess?”

Charlotte couldn’t manage a smile. She stared into the sink, rinsing the towels until the water ran clear. She ran water over a fresh one and used that to wipe the floor, thinking better of trying to wring out something that might have slivers of glass caught in the fabric.

Addy let her work, though she took the towel from Charlotte’s hand once the floor was clean. “All right, now get out of here.”

Swallowing hard, Charlotte nodded, shedding her apron on her way to the back room.

Her hands trembled as she got her keys out of her purse and put her apron and name tag away. It shouldn’t have shaken her so much. It was just her mind playing tricks on her. It must have been some stranger who looked enough like Josh to throw her off; her head did the rest, pulling from the nightmares she’d battled the night before.

His funeral hadn’t offered any closure. The mortician and funeral director both recommended a closed-casket funeral, and Josh’s parents had agreed. Charlotte didn’t want to see the aftermath of the accident, but the fact she hadn’t seen him—hadn’t really gotten to say goodbye—sent her otherwise logical mind into a tailspin.

Logically, she knew it wasn’t him. He was ashes in a jar by now, probably displayed on Gerald and Elaine Rook’s mantel. Yet every nuance of his face had been right. His blond hair freshly cut but a little untamed, his jaw just a little scruffy. He’d seen her—really seen her—when she met his blue eyes through the window. And when she dropped that coffee pot, he’d grimaced just the way she remembered; that silly one-eyed cringe with his nose crinkling only on the left side.

Charlotte dropped into the driver’s seat of her little gray sedan, burying her face in her hands. She was a rational person. She didn’t know what came after death, but she didn’t believe in ghosts. Even if she had, it wouldn’t bring him back.

Like it or not, Josh—her sweet Josh, her boyfriend since high school—was gone.

Tormented as she was, she did the only thing she could think of.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Charlotte tapped out a quick text message and sent it to the only phone number she still had memorized.

Thought I saw you tonight. Wish you were here.

* * *

The sleek black car was back in the driveway when Josh found himself at the front step of the stuffy old Victorian house. Dim light glowed in the front windows, making the place almost inviting in the dark.

Thaddeus had said Josh was supposed to stay there, but after storming out of the office, he didn’t know if he was welcome. It wasn’t like he had a key, either, but he didn’t have many other options. He could trek back to the office building, maybe; a building full of vampires had to be open all night. But he’d walked all the way here already, and he was tired and cross. And something else he couldn’t put his finger on, but it soured his mood as sure as anything.

Grudging every step, Josh trudged to the front door. He’d expected it to be locked, but that was one more added frustration, and he had to swallow his pride before he could make himself knock.

A shadow stirred near one of the windows to his left. In the office he’d slept in the night before, he figured; he didn’t have much of the house’s floor plan figured out, but the old man was as stuffy as the house and Josh didn’t think he’d be anywhere else in the evening.

The lock groaned and the hinges creaked as the door opened. Incandescent light bathed the porch, outlining the tall, spindly man on the other side of the door.

Josh stared up at him, shifting on his feet, his skin crawling.

Thaddeus stared back, stone faced and unmoving.

Too tired to hold on to his stubbornness, Josh dragged his tongue over his lips and drew a long, rasping breath before forcing himself to speak. “I made a mistake.”

Not even batting an eye, the old vampire pushed the door wider. “Come inside.”

Josh slunk in with his head down and his tail between his legs. The door closed behind him, the deadbolt clacking shut with the finality of a prison cell.

Thaddeus studied him for a moment, then turned. “Follow me.”

He led Josh to a kitchen clean enough it could have doubled as a hospital. The stainless steel appliances appeared out of place, but although the fixtures looked outdated at first glance, a longer look revealed they were only styled that way. The porcelain-front sink and high-arched faucet were both clearly new and barely used, and the wear on the white cabinets was so uniform and precise it was obviously factory-distressed. A small table and two chairs sat in the middle of the room, plain enough to be unremarkable. Thaddeus pulled back one chair, leaving it that way as he crossed to the fridge.

Following the silent order, Josh sat.

“Errors in judgment are common immediately after embracing the change,” the old vampire said, carrying a dark wine bottle and pair of glasses back to the table. “The change we undergo is a form of trauma. It isn’t reasonable to expect all fledgling vampires to be on perfect behavior from the moment they wake. Especially not when they’re hungry.”

He pried the cork from the top of the bottle with yellowed fingernails before letting the bottle clink against the rim of a glass. A thick, deep red liquid flowed out.

Josh’s senses sharpened the moment the iron scent hit his nostrils. He breathed deep, his mouth watering at the same time his stomach turned somersaults.

Thaddeus pushed the glass across the table before filling his own. “Drink.”

With shaking hands, Josh took the cold glass and pulled it close. Now that he actually faced it, drinking blood sounded like the least pleasant thing in the world. Nausea mixed with a deep, unpleasant desire, creating a sickening combination.

“You’ll have to get used to taking your meals cold,” Thaddeus said. “Due to the nature of our careers, we’re not often afforded the opportunity to hunt fresh prey. Better to begin with this and never know what you’re missing.”

Dizziness roared in his head, but Josh fought the urge to drink. “Where does it come from?”

“We Keepers employ a large network of donors. They believe they are contributing blood for research purposes, but considering they are more than fairly compensated for their efforts, none of them ask questions. A number of our charges feed this way, as well.” The old man sipped from his glass like he drank a fine wine, a small sigh of contentment escaping him.

Squeezing the glass until his knuckles turned white, Josh threw the drink back like a shot, gulping it down in hopes he wouldn’t taste it.

The moment it hit his tongue, his reservations disappeared.

Relief flowed through him like a river, a deep pleasure welling up in his chest. It was nothing like the butterflies or passions he’d shared with Charlotte; more like the deep satisfaction that came with the taste of the most expensive chocolate.

A moment later, the real hunger hit.

It clawed at his guts, tearing his insides to shreds. His lungs seized up and his chest spasmed, a desperate need for more crackling through his veins. Josh guzzled the contents of his cup, licking every last coppery drop from the glass before dropping it and lunging across the table to grab the bottle.

Thaddeus watched, raising one thick white brow.

Josh cradled the bottle in both hands, sucking frantically at its mouth for the nourishment he hadn’t known he so desperately needed. Only when it was empty did he finally relax, sagging against the table and gasping for breath that did him no good, but eased the tightness in his chest.

“Are you done?” Thaddeus asked, his gravelly voice even dryer than usual.

Satisfaction like he’d never experienced rolling over him in waves, Josh lapped the last few drops from the bottle before pushing it away and cradling his head in his hands.

“You will become used to it as you become accustomed to your body’s changes. You will need to feed once or twice a week at most. We are not active enough to demand anything else.” Thaddeus took the bottle, lifting it to peer inside. A small sound of amusement, not quite a chuckle, rolled in his throat. Then he stood, carrying the bottle to the sink to rinse it and set it aside.

“I don’t feel right,” Josh groaned.

“No, I don’t suppose you do. You’ve just eaten for the first time since regaining your senses. Did you think it would be easy?”

Squeezing his head a little tighter, Josh didn’t reply.

“Your behavior is not unusual, you know. I’ve seen enough young vampires to say that with certainty.” Thaddeus wiped his hands on a towel before hanging it on the oven handle to dry and returning to his chair. “Every generation has its own misconceptions about our kind, fueled by myth or media, and it takes some time to sort out truth from fiction. But on top of that, that you would run away to see your loved ones is so common as to be predictable.”

“Then why didn’t you stop me?”

“Some lessons are better learned hard. Besides, such mistakes are what helps separate the wheat from the chaff. Those who cannot take it surrender themselves to the sun the following morning. Who am I to rob you of that decision? Not everyone is cut out for immortality.”

Josh snorted, turning away. “It sounds like you don’t even care.”

“I don’t,” Thaddeus replied calmly. “Why would I? I am your assigned mentor. I did not create you, nor did I choose to interview you, though I will agree you have a fine resumé. If you decide to destroy yourself, it makes no difference to me. My hunter, yes. I would certainly mourn him. I have had time to grow fond of him. But you? There will be other apprentices.”

Far from reassured, Josh closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Is there punishment for it? Seeing them?”

“That depends.” The old vampire steepled his bony fingers together. “Tell me about your visit.”

“I didn’t plan it,” Josh said. “I just wasn’t thinking. I thought some coffee, something to help me feel normal... I didn’t think she’d be working after...”

Thaddeus chuckled at that. “Ah, so half of it is wounded pride. You expected more grief over your passing. Your mother? Girlfriend?”

“Charlotte. My...” Girlfriend didn’t feel like a strong enough word. Before this, in his head, he’d already thought of her as his fiancée. He didn’t finish the thought.

Thaddeus nodded. “I do know what it is like to lose loved ones, believe it or not. Although it’s been so long I hardly remember any pain. I have fond memories, nothing more.”

“How did you handle it? Leaving your family?”

“Me?” The old man pressed his fingers to his chest as if surprised by the question. “I didn’t. They left me. I wasn’t born this age, boy. Nor do vampires grow any older after they are turned. You see me as I was. An old man, alone in the world.”

Josh’s brow furrowed. “Why would you change as an old man?”

Thaddeus shrugged. “Because I was not prepared to die. Because I felt I still had something to offer the world. What I am, what I do... as a Keeper, I have the power to make the world a safer, more orderly place. Should we not all aspire to such?”

“I guess,” Josh murmured. “I just never thought I’d be doing it alone.”

A long silence drew past, punctuated only by the quiet tap of one long, bony finger on the tabletop. Thaddeus pursed his lips, his eyes weighing on Josh until it felt like they would burn a hole through him.

At last, he spoke. “Under normal circumstances, the organization would wait five to ten years after your employment to give you this information. Given the circumstances of your death and turning are considerably abnormal, it may benefit you more to know this now.”

Josh straightened in his chair, something odd sparking in his chest. A small warmth, lending him a moment of strength. Curiosity. Hope.

“As I’ve told you, fraternization between a Keeper and a human is simply not allowed. We deal in too much sensitive information, and we do realize our people are fallible. Beyond business connections, we do not deal with mortals. However...” Thaddeus paused, leaning forward as if relating something conspiratorial. “Each Keeper is allowed to petition for the right to turn one human outside of business purposes. A close companion, or a loved one. Our numbers are tightly controlled, so approval is not guaranteed, but it is possible.”

His heart wasn’t beating, but Josh still felt a distinctive leap in his chest. “You mean-”

“If this woman—Charlotte, you said?—proves herself as a person who would be useful to our numbers, you would be allowed to bring her across. Typically, we do not allow petitions until our Keepers are established, but typically, those joining us were given a chance to consent to their turning.”

Visions of that artisan-made white sapphire engagement ring flashed in his head, and Josh grabbed the edge of the table to keep from leaping out of his chair. “What do I have to do?”

“Fill out paperwork for your request,” Thaddeus said patiently, “and discover whether or not she is willing to consent to the change.”

“I thought Keepers weren’t allowed to fraternize with humans?”

“Technically speaking, you are not yet a Keeper. You are merely a Keeper-in-training until you sign the contract for employment. What you do with your time until then...” Thaddeus trailed off, spreading his hands wide to emphasize his helpless shrug.

Josh bounded to his feet with a whoop.

The Keeper raised one finger. “But be aware that your time is limited. The process was initiated today. You will be expected to either sign the contract or surrender yourself to the sun within three days, and you will be expected to attend training in the office every day until that decision is made.”

His enthusiasm slightly fettered, Josh returned to his chair. “I’ll do it. I’ll train during the day, but my nights are my own. I have to have time to talk to her.”

“Agreed,” Thaddeus said slowly, though a hint of displeasure curled the corners of his mouth. “But not tonight.”

“What?” Josh cried. “Why?”

The old man gave him a skeptical look. “You’ve just fed.”

Josh didn’t follow until Thaddeus let his eyes drift down to his shirt.

Blood soaked the whole front of his white dress shirt, the collar sticking to his throat. He’d been so preoccupied with feeding and then the conversation. He hadn’t realized he’d spilled anything—or how much.

“The laundry area is upstairs,” Thaddeus said. “Next to what will be your room, in fact. I suggest you start there.”

Nodding, Josh pushed himself up and turned toward the door, reaching to undo his tie.

“Oh, and, Joshua? I believe you will want this.”

Josh turned back, blinking in surprise.

In the old man’s upraised hand was a familiar cell phone, its illuminated screen showing one text message.

FOUR

A GENTLE TAPPING roused Charlotte from her fitful sleep. Groggy, she lifted her head enough to squint at the alarm clock on the other side of the room.

It was just after midnight, and her room was dark and quiet. Nothing looked out of place; whatever the noise was, she didn’t think it was inside. Her door was shut. Maybe the cat wanted in.

Rolling over in bed, she tried to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep.

Again, a quiet taping begged for her attention.

Charlotte sat up, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. That wasn’t the cat. It came from the window, not the door. A distinct uneasiness lodged itself in the pit of her stomach and she gathered her blankets to her chest, reaching for her phone.

It buzzed with a text message in her hand and she jumped, clapping her free hand to her chest.

The message on the screen made her head spin.

Open the window. Need to talk.

Josh.

The message she’d sent the night before hovered just above the reply from his number.

Heart thundering against her ribs and anger boiling in her gut, she moved a shaking hand over the screen to tap out a reply.

Do you think this is some kind of joke?

Outside her window, a phone beeped with a message chime she knew too well.

Dropping her cell phone to her blankets, Charlotte flew across the room and flung open the curtains.

His head snapped up from the message on his phone and Josh’s blue eyes met hers.

There he was, sitting on the sloped roof outside her bedroom window like he’d done a thousand times.

Except he was supposed to be dead. He even wore a well-fitted suit and black tie, as if he’d crawled right out of the casket and up to her window for a chat.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Charlotte staggered backwards.

Josh raised a hand in silent plea for her to stop, his brow knitting in concern. He jammed his phone into his pocket and inched closer to the window.

Did she scream? Fall in the floor crying? Call for help and ask her parents to have her admitted? Her dead boyfriend was prying at the bottom of the window, trying to get it open. She could have figured it a stress-induced hallucination, but she backed up against the door and it was too solid behind her. The window grated against its casing as it came open. The night air was cool and fresh, the smell of impending rain chasing the last vestiges of sleepiness from her mind.

“Charlie,” Josh whispered, and the moment she heard that hated nickname, all her reservations—and good sense—evaporated.

Charlotte bolted across the room, flung herself halfway out the window and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He held her fast, squeezing tight, tangling his fingers in her hair and hushing her gently when the first sobs racked her body. His lips pressed against her temple, cold as ice.

“You left me!” she gasped, clawing at the lapels of his suit and burying her face in his shoulder. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

“I know.” Josh kissed her face, forcing her back enough to wipe her tears with his thumbs. “I’m sorry. None of this was supposed to happen, but I’m here now, and I need to talk to you.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

When he didn’t reply right away, Charlotte pulled back. “You’re not... are you?”

He sobered. “I’ll explain everything I can. Can we go inside?”

Nodding, she wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm and retreated back through the window. “Yeah. Sure. Come in.”

Josh crawled in after her, standing and pushing the window almost closed. “There’s so much to tell you. I don’t even know where to start.”

“The part about me attending your funeral might be a good place!”

He grimaced, that precious half-faced scrunch she’d grown to love. “I’m still trying to figure that part out, myself.”

She backed to her bed, sitting down with her arms crossed. Her whole body felt encased in ice, so chilled she wasn’t sure she’d ever be warm again. “Do your parents know?”

Josh hesitated, his shoulders sagging. “No. I haven’t talked to anyone but you. I thought... I thought it was better that way.”

An awkward silence fell when he didn’t elaborate. Squirming in her seat, Charlotte trained her eyes on the Windsor knot tied at his throat. “What’s with the suit?”

He touched his tie as if unused to it. “I came straight here. From the office, I mean,” he added with a wince, accurately assessing that she must’ve thought he meant from the grave. “I got a job. It’s a really good one. I just didn’t know it was going to involve me dying.”

Irritation prickled up her spine and she tightened her arms across her chest. “You faked your death for a job?”

“No! I didn’t... I mean, I didn’t have anything to do with... I was just as surprised as anyone else, okay? The old man showed up to interview me and told me my family had held a closed-casket funeral after the accident and I couldn’t go home.”

“The accident?” Her eyes narrowed. “I saw your car, Josh. I saw the mess left behind before your family had it towed. They wouldn’t let your mother into the ambulance.” Annoyance bubbled beneath her skin, quickly brewing into fury. “Were you even in there? Do you have any idea what this did to us?”

He raked both hands through his hair, exasperated. “Just... Let me talk, okay? Give me a minute. Sit down, I’ll start over.”

Charlotte scowled, motioning to the bed beneath her.

Squeezing his eyes closed, Josh exhaled hard and set to pacing. “The accident happened. It was bad. I barely remember it, but I almost died in the wreck. Someone pulled me out. Someone from the organization I’m going to be working with now.”

She swallowed back her disbelief and forced herself to speak. “Your car was crushed like a tin can. How could you just walk away from that?”

“I didn’t.” He shrugged. “I died.”

Again, silence fell.

He was right in front of her. Solid, physical and real. She’d held him in her arms, breathed in his scent. He paced her room like a caged animal, tense and ready to spring.

Eventually, he stopped by the window, his back toward her. “Do you remember when you were obsessed with those vampire books in high school? You used to joke about how you’d leave me for a vampire of your own in a heartbeat.”

A lump lodged itself in her throat. “Josh-”

“You used to believe in that stuff. Do you remember?”

Charlotte nodded. “I remember.”

“I used to think it was stupid. I’m sorry for that.” He bowed his head. “Turns out you were right.”

She stared at his back for a long time before standing. Still hugging herself, she padded across the room to step between him and the window. He wouldn’t look at her, turning his head away, but when she lifted her hand to cradle his cheek, he leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

He was cold beneath her palm, but just as tangible as ever. His breath stirred against her wrist, cooler than it should have been, sending a chill down her spine. She lingered, torn between relief he was alive, confidence he wasn’t, and the tiny, niggling fear she was losing her mind. Her thumb rested on his chin, her fingers sliding down to his neck, subtly searching.

His blue eyes lifted, as cold as the rest of him and deep with intensity. “Don’t scream,” he whispered, seeing right through her.

Her fingers pressed firmly to the tender pulse point in his neck.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Josh opened his mouth to speak and her eyes quested up to meet his, instead snagging on the long, theatrically sharp fangs that were so woefully out of place in his otherwise perfect smile.

She didn’t scream.

She fainted, instead.

* * *

When her eyes opened, Charlotte was in bed with pillows stuffed under her feet. Josh sat on the floor at her bedside, hunched over his phone. In the midnight dark, it seemed bright as a beacon, illuminating his whole face. His expression was pinched with worry, his lower lip caught beneath one of his fangs.

She shifted and he turned in a flash, holding his free hand out to stop her.

“Take it easy,” Josh murmured.

Charlotte cocked her head, squinting at his phone.

He lifted it with a sheepish grin, sitting back on the floor before putting it away. “I was looking up what to do when somebody faints. How do you feel?”

“Like my dead boyfriend just crawled through my bedroom window and told me he’s a vampire.” She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to sit up. Her head spun and she abandoned the attempt.

“Well, that’s good. Considering that all just happened.” Josh reached for her hand and she suppressed a shiver when his frigid fingers laced with hers.

She squeezed his hand, turning onto her side to face him. “So what does it mean?”

He grew solemn, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. “That I have to make a choice. I’m in a mess, Charlie. I don’t know what to do. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen and now I have to pick between disappearing forever or dying like I was supposed to in that wreck.”

“Don’t call me that,” she grumbled.

Josh half smiled. “How else will you know it’s really me, if I don’t drive you a little bit crazy?” He smoothed her hair away from her face, his expression fading back to a frown. “How am I supposed to live forever knowing I don’t have you with me?”

She frowned, too. “Are those really the only options? Die or disappear?”

Nodding, he stroked the furrow between her eyebrows with a fingertip, as if to smooth it away. “This job—these people—it’s a chance to be involved in something amazing, but they have strict rules. I can take the job and exist among them, but I won’t be allowed to be involved with humans. Not my family or friends... Not you.”

“Doesn’t sound like a tough decision to me,” Charlotte murmured. “Haven’t we all had times we just wanted to disappear forever?”

“Yeah, but that always came with the assumption we could come back.”

She tried again to sit up. This time, her head didn’t spin. She shifted to the edge of the bed, holding her arms out to him.

He didn’t move. “I have two more nights where I’m allowed to be out in the world like my life is my own to live. After that, I’ll be gone, one way or another.”

Charlotte’s throat tightened, panic cracking over her like a whiplash. She’d already said goodbye to him once. Was he really telling her she’d have to do it a second time in the span of a week? And she wasn’t the only one. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of the Sunday dinner with his parents she’d promised to attend. “What about your family?”

Josh shifted uneasily. “What about them?”

“You’re not going to tell them any of this?”

His face fell. “No. I don’t think so. I think... I think it’s better if I just go, and let them think I’ve been gone the whole time. I think it’d be easier for them that way.”

A new wave of anger nettled at her, making the hair on the back of her neck prickle. “And you think this is okay to do to me? To come waltzing back into my life a few days after they call me at work to tell me you’re dead?”

Josh’s mouth fell open. “No! It’s not like that.”

“What did you think was going to come of this?” she snapped, blinking back tears. “How can you think it’s fair to do this to me?”

“Charlotte.” He inched forward on his knees, reaching for her hand. She didn’t fight him. “I’m here because I have two nights left that are my own, where I can do whatever I want to do before I have to give them an answer. If I have two nights left to live, then I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to spend them with.”

She searched his gaze, wanting to find something to be angry at, seeing only hope and sincerity.

“I’m here because I’m choosing you, Charlotte.” His hands tightened on hers. “Because if these are my last days, I want to spend them with you.”

For a moment, she focused on the feeling of his hands. They were warmer, almost lifelike, but that could have been her warmth seeping into him.

“What do you say?” Josh coaxed, his eyes pleading. “You and me, tomorrow night, as soon as I get off work?”

A thousand hurt and angry responses bounced to the tip of her tongue, yet when she opened her mouth to speak, only a single word escaped.

“Okay.”

FIVE

“CAN I HAVE an advance?”

Thaddeus lifted his head so slowly that Josh dreaded his response. Instead of speaking, the old man just stared at him over the rim of his glasses, his craggy face as sour as ever.

Josh shifted his weight to one foot, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. “I have a date tonight and I don’t have any money. Unless you got my wallet along with my phone.”

The old vampire stared at him without blinking.

“I’m gonna need about a month’s pay by...” His voice caught in his throat and Josh turned his head to cough into one hand. “Um, by tonight.”

Removing his small, round-framed glasses, Thaddeus tilted his head to one side. “I’ve already told you how I feel about humor, Mr. Rook.”

There were some obvious benefits to being undead, Josh decided. If he’d tried to have this conversation a week before, his heart would have been beating out of his chest and he would have been sweating bullets. Instead, he stood there as cool and collected as if they spoke of the weather. Aside from the knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach, anyway—and that was invisible.

He shrugged. “I’m going to need that paperwork, too. The stuff to approve bringing Charlotte across, just in case she agrees. Can I get it reviewed before I have to sign my job contract?”

“Are you truly standing in front of me, asking if I can see paperwork that commonly takes six months to review approved in two days?”

“Are we counting today? Tomorrow night’s my last free night, then I have to make my decision the next morning, right?” Josh scratched his chin, pretending to be more confident than he felt.

Thaddeus replaced his glasses, sighing and turning to the next page of the contract in front of him. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re important, boy. The VR department was pleased with your resumé, but there were a hundred more that pleased them just as much.”

Josh hesitated. “VR?”

The Keeper didn’t look up again, gliding his pen down the side of the page to mark his place as he read. “Please don’t tell me you’re foolish enough to forget we couldn’t possibly have a human resources department.”

Though he didn’t think vampires could blush, Josh felt a definitive creep of heat up his neck. He inhaled, adjusting his tie and collar to improve the air flow. “Well, no, I just thought it might be called that for simplicity’s sake. Anyway, I know I’m not officially a Keeper or anything yet, but I’m already one of you, so I’m halfway there.”

“And your assets have not been established yet.” Though his voice was dry and coarse as ever, Thaddeus sounded patient. The man showed little emotion, really; aside from a few outbursts of wheezing laughter, Josh hadn’t seen him show more than mild amusement or annoyance. He seemed impossible to ruffle, exactly the sort of mild-mannered behavior someone might expect from a suit-clad gentleman.

Professional. That was the word Josh was looking for.

The old man clicked his pen, scratching a few words into the contract’s margin. “Even if the organization did agree to give you such a hefty advance, your bank accounts have not yet been established. You have no driver’s license or ID, no record of address or legal residency, no proof of employment, or anything else out of the myriad documentation required before you can join our ranks. All you have is a certificate of death and an identity that ceased to exist the moment it was issued. I’m sure you see the dilemma.”

“Can’t they speed it up a little?”

“We are efficient, but these things typically take one to two weeks to establish. Considerably better than the months it would take the local government, you’ll agree?” Thaddeus paused with his pen poised over the contract, then shook his head. “Giving you time to finish your personal business before you begin your training as a Keeper is generous enough.”

Josh could have thrown something. Instead he nodded as calmly as he could, turning back to the endless drawers of files he’d been put in charge of organizing.

He was furious and frustrated, but so far, Thaddeus was the only ally he had. He didn’t want to risk angering the old man. There was little chance of retaliation or violence, given the vampire’s quiet disposition, but he couldn’t afford to eliminate the possibility of help.

Reining in a sigh, Josh stared at the files without seeing. “Thaddeus?”

The scratching of the pen behind him stopped, a subtle indication the old man was listening.

Josh closed his eyes. “Who Keeps the Keepers?”

A long, weighted silence followed. Finally, the high-backed office chair creaked as the old man pushed himself back from his desk and stood, exiting his office without a word.

Cursing himself for opening his mouth again, Josh hung his head.

So much for allies.

* * *

Thaddeus did not return to his office.

Josh kicked himself all afternoon. He’d been too pushy and aggressive much too soon. The Keeper was right; who was he to make demands? A nobody 23-year-old new vampire, who couldn’t even figure out how he was supposed to shave without a reflection.

He kept working, not knowing what to do, until the sun set and the rest of the office workers started packing up and heading for home. Some of them gave him curious glances as they passed Thaddeus’s private office where he’d hidden all day, sorting and re-labeling files. He caught the word ’intern’ in their quiet conversations more than once and he didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended.

Vampire interns. Who would have thought?

Shaking his head, Josh retrieved his suit jacket and headed out into the dusk, figuring he’d wait for the old man by the car.

Except the black sedan wasn’t in the parking lot.

His assigned mentor had left him.

Biting back complaints and reminding himself he only had himself to blame, Josh stuffed his hands in his pockets and started the hour-plus trek back to the big Victorian house.

Running late, he texted to Charlotte a quarter of the way into the trip. Will text when I’m on my way.

Not that he knew how he was supposed to get there without a car. As far as it was back to Thaddeus’s house, at least he could make it on foot. Charlotte’s parents lived on the other side of the city, and he had precious few hours before the sun rose. He’d just have to hope he could steal the keys when Thaddeus wasn’t looking.

If only he’d been turned into something with super powers. Being a vampire didn’t seem to offer many benefits, actually; with all the books and movies, he’d expected something more. But all he seemed to have was immortality, according to Thaddeus. No enhanced strength. No super speed. No ability to leap to rooftops. In fact, the climb onto Charlotte’s roof had been even harder than he remembered, though Josh chalked that up to the fact he’d made the climb in a suit.

When he finally reached the place he was supposed to call home, the black sedan was in the driveway and the light in the front office was on.

Josh gulped back bitterness, hiking up the steps and checking the door. It was unlocked and creaked open with a gentle nudge. So he hadn’t behaved badly enough to warrant being locked out. At least there was that.

He stopped inside the hallway, eyeing the office door a few paces away. Whether or not the place was a funeral home, it was quiet enough to host the dead. Although in some ways, Josh supposed it did.

Opting for cold silence, he shut the front door and trudged up the stairs.

Though the Keepers and their nameless organization had provided him with clothing, they hadn’t seen fit to give him anything other than formal business attire. The closet was hung with a week’s supply of white dress shirts and undershirts to match, black slacks, black silk neck ties, and black suit jackets. The only variation was a pair of suspenders, belts in two different styles hung on the back of the door, and suit jackets providing the choice of single- or double-breasted.

“First thing on the shopping list is some jeans,” Josh grumbled, smoothing a hand through his hair. He took a clean white shirt before shutting the closet door. There was a mirror on the other side, and like he did every time he saw it, he jumped. Either the place had come pre-furnished, or that was some sort of cruel joke. As soon as he had a minute to spare, that mirror would go.

He stripped his jacket and tie, changing into the freshly-pressed white shirt and tossing the old one onto his bed. He would have preferred something casual, but if he had to wear something formal, he didn’t want it to come with a full day’s worth of archive dust and questionably rust-colored dirt. Changing into something fresh at least showed he was putting in effort.

Bounding back down the stairs, Josh slipped into the kitchen for a drink—just water, as he’d found it was as refreshing as when he’d been alive—and paused just inside the door.

On the kitchen table, a tidy stack of hundred dollar bills waited beside a small black card and a note weighted down by the sedan’s keys.

Creeping forward, he leaned over the table to read the note without touching anything.

Mr. Rook,

One month’s cash advance, which shall be docked from your next paycheck.

The car is needed back by 5:30.

If you are stopped or disrupted by officials, call the number on the card.

-T.

Josh picked up the card first. He’d expected it to belong to Thaddeus, but it bore a name he didn’t recognize and a number he hoped he’d never have to call. He slipped it into his pocket, then took the money in one hand and the keys in the other.

He didn’t have a wallet yet, but most of the cash wouldn’t be necessary until tomorrow. He made a second trip to his room to leave the majority of it on the bedside table, tucking just a few bills into his pocket with the card. Then he crept back downstairs, jingling the car keys in his hand.

He almost walked past the office door, stopping and backing up a step before he’d gone too far. He knocked.

No answer came.

“Thaddeus?” Josh called through the door, listening close but unable to discern any sign the old man was listening. Checking his phone for the time, he decided not to dally.

He cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he offered in a more subdued voice, then hurried out to the car.

Traffic was light and it wasn’t long before Josh pulled up in front of Charlotte’s house. She stood by the window of her upstairs bedroom and motioned frantically when he stepped out of the car, jerking her window open and leaning out. “Wait there.”

Josh frowned, casting a glance toward the front door. He’d planned on knocking. In retrospect, he realized how bad of an idea that was. She still lived with her parents.

A minute later, she tip-toed out from behind the house, evidently having slipped out the back door. She pressed a finger to her lips, darting across the lawn on the balls of her feet so her heels wouldn’t sink in the grass.

He didn’t need a heartbeat to feel a swell of admiration when he saw her, her pretty auburn hair pulled up into a bun, save for a few curls that tumbled in front of her ears. She’d put on the knee-length blue dress he’d always liked, a gauzy thing that looked ruffled to him but she’d always sworn was ruched. Whatever that meant.

A grin split his features as he took her in, and he held out his hand.

Charlotte ducked her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks in the moonlight as she took it. “I thought I’d never wear this again. I thought it would hurt too much.”

“You didn’t have to dress up. I mean, I’m glad you did. I don’t feel so over-dressed now, but you didn’t have to.” He opened the car door and settled her inside, one of the gentlemanly gestures his mother had hammered into him that Charlotte always said was romantic.

“So where are we going?” she asked when he climbed behind the wheel.

Josh cast her a sidewise smirk. “You’ll see.”

He had two nights. Two chances to put together perfect dates. Yet, despite what Charlotte said about the car door thing, he’d never had a romantic bone in his body. A hundred years might not be enough time to do what he had to.

SIX

CHARLOTTE COULDN’T REMEMBER more ups and downs in a single week, nor any so dramatic. As soon as she sat down in the glossy new luxury vehicle, she regretted having agreed to this.

She should have made him leave. No matter how her heart leaped at knowing Josh was alive—in a manner of speaking—and no matter how good it had felt to have him back in her arms, she couldn’t help the small seeds of resentment that sprouted thorny vines and tangled her insides.

Her clammy fingers stuck to the polyurethane exterior of her designer knockoff clutch. That death grip was all that kept her hands from shaking.

“You okay?” Josh reached across to lay a hand on her thigh, rubbing gently. It was simple, affectionate, reassuring, and only made things worse.

“I didn’t really want a vampire for a boyfriend.” The words escaped before she could stop them and heat crept into her cheeks. She turned away. “I was just kidding.”

He chuckled, patting her thigh. “I never thought you were serious. I was just trying to find a way to break the ice. I realize this is difficult.”

Difficult didn’t cover half of it.

They’d stayed up talking until the small hours of the morning, only stopping when he insisted he had to leave or he wouldn’t make it home before sunrise. He’d filled her in on everything that had happened after the accident that—as far as anyone else knew—had resulted in his death.

The rational side of her knew she wasn’t coping with this. She could deal with that later, when she had time to herself and nobody expected her to be strong. For now, she’d accepted it blindly and refused to think about it any further, knowing that trying to make heads or tails of the situation would probably lead to hysteria.

Hysteria wouldn’t help anything. It wouldn’t change that he was back from the dead, that he was a creature that shouldn’t exist, or that she was stupid enough to climb into a car with him without letting anyone know where she was going.

Charlotte closed her eyes, trying to shut out those thoughts. More than anything, she needed the logical part of her to shut up. There was nothing logical about anything that had just happened, and though her mind was rational, it wasn’t necessarily calm. It had been screaming since she’d seen him outside the coffee shop, and unless she forcibly stifled it, it wasn’t about to pipe down.

“So how have you been?” It was a feeble, awkward attempt to start conversation, but at least he tried.

Shrugging, Charlotte eyed his hand on her thigh. “I missed work. Went home early, the other day. That’s not like me.” It was the best explanation she could give.

From the way Josh withdrew his hand, replacing it on the steering wheel, it was adequate enough. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s been hard for all of us, Josh,” she murmured. “My parents don’t know what to do to help. I’ve kind of been avoiding them. Your mom’s done nothing but cook, like she always does when she’s upset. But nobody wants to eat. Your dad isn’t really talking to anyone. And Julian...”

Josh grimaced at mention of his younger brother.

“Yeah.” She turned back to the window. “It’s kinda like that.”

She couldn’t count the number of times she’d comforted Josh while he beat himself up over his younger brother’s struggles. He’d always blamed himself, claiming everything would have been better if he’d managed to be a better role model. Charlotte thought it ridiculous. Julian’s problems were Julian’s problems, and Josh had done everything in his power to keep his wayward brother on an even keel.

“How is he?” Josh asked after a moment, his voice choked.

“Well, he’s been drinking, but I guess we all saw that coming.”

Josh grunted in displeasure, his hands tightening on the wheel.

She sighed. “Your parents are doing everything they can, Josh. What can you do? You weren’t even supposed to come see me.” That knowledge stung more than anything else, but she couldn’t decide if it hurt because she saw the wisdom in loved ones being left in the dark, or because he’d loved her so much he broke the very first rule he was given.

She didn’t hold any illusions over how this would end. He’d made it clear enough. A few more nights to live his life, then his newfound unlife would tear them apart.

Once again, she regretted climbing into the car.

Josh cleared his throat, changing the subject. “Have you eaten?”

“No. Have you?” She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth.

He laughed, finding humor in the question she certainly didn’t. “I’m good,” he replied, flashing her a sidewise grin.

Her eyes locked onto his fangs. “You sure about that?”

“I’m fine. Promise. Had my breakfast out of a bottle Thaddeus keeps in the fridge. He says I won’t need to eat more than once a week or so.” The corner of his mouth twitched and she knew he didn’t believe it, which wasn’t exactly comforting.

Charlotte bit her lip, looking out the passenger window as the city lights went by.

His cheer faded. “He also said that Keepers don’t feed directly from people. Our food supply comes from donors. Nobody gets hurt.”

“And what about the vampires you’re supposed to take care of? What do they eat?”

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I just want you to know I’m not going to be like them. I’m not dangerous, Charlie. I’m still me. A... well, maybe not a good person, but a moderately okay kind of person.”

She snorted a laugh in spite of herself.

Josh spun the wheel, squeezing the sedan into a tight parking space. “Ta-da. We’re here.” He slipped out of the car before she could respond, circling around to open her door for her and offer his hand.

Accepting the help up, Charlotte leaned sideways to look past him, a flutter of delight stirring in her chest at sight of her favorite restaurant. “But you hate sushi!”

“Doesn’t matter what I like,” he chuckled, settling her hand on the crook of his elbow and hitting the remote to lock the car. “Tonight’s about you, and I want to do anything in my power to make sure I get to see you smile again.”

Despite the way that warmed her heart, she didn’t feel much like smiling. She forced one anyway, knowing it didn’t reach her eyes, letting him lead her to the restaurant without another word.

“You can get anything you want,” Josh said as they settled at a table.

Charlotte managed to murmur her appreciation, but there was an ache growing in her middle that she feared would make it hard to eat.

Was this going to be their last meal together? Technically, she supposed they’d already shared that, laughing and snacking on fries out of the same container the night before he’d died. This time, he just ordered a glass of water and sat, watching her eat and making small talk about the house he was staying in and what his office building looked like.

She ate as much as she could with her failing appetite, replying when she could find words, staying away from the painful subjects that hovered in her thoughts.

If she showed up at his doorstep, would she be turned away? How was she supposed to go on living, knowing the other half of her heart was right there in the same city yet so far out of reach?

“I hope you’re saving room for dessert,” Josh teased, propping his elbow on the table and resting his cheek against his fist.

Charlotte ducked her eyes, staring at the California roll she’d spent the last minute pushing back and forth on her plate. “I’m sorry, I just-”

“I’m serious,” he interrupted, leaning closer. “We’re going for dessert next. Maybe you’ll like it better. Are you finished?”

She nodded, folding her napkin and tucking it underneath the edge of her plate.

Flagging down their server, he fished money out of his pocket while waiting for the check.

Charlotte raised a brow. “What’s with the cash?” Few people carried it anymore—she couldn’t recall ever seeing Josh use cash. Especially not such large bills.

“Red tape,” he grumbled, tucking a bill into the slim black folder with the check. “Still waiting for my new debit card.”

“What happened to your old one?”

Josh hesitated. “I guess my parents have it. They can keep it. There wasn’t a lot of money in that account, anyway.”

And it would be too difficult to cover his tracks if he tried to retrieve it now, she assumed.

“Come on. Let’s go get some dessert.” He stood and held out his hand, inviting her to rise.

She gave the sushi on her plate one last look before abandoning her seat. Doubt bubbled inside her as she laced her fingers with his, letting him draw her out from behind the table. “Aren’t you going to wait for your change?”

“Nah. The organization pays most expenses. Our pay is for incidentals and if we elect to live outside organization-sponsored residences.” He pulled her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before leading her back out to the car.

Her footsteps faltered. She could stop him now and ask him to let her go home. She could lock her doors and close her curtains, refuse to answer his texts and calls and wait for him to disappear. There was only one day left to struggle through. Then he’d be gone, his absence tearing her apart once more.

As if sensing her thoughts, Josh stopped beside the passenger side of the car, pulling her into his arms instead of getting the door.

“I’m not letting you go,” he murmured against her temple, nuzzling her hair. “Just trust me, all right? I’m gonna figure this out.”

Reflexively wrapping her arms around him, Charlotte buried her face in his chest. The thousand tangled thoughts in her head stilled, his words a balm to her hurting soul. “I can’t lose you again,” she whispered.

He squeezed her shoulders. “You won’t.”

Nodding, she stepped back so he could open the door, climbing into the passenger seat when he motioned her in. She slid a finger between her heel and shoe, wiggling her toes and silently regretting her choice to wear heels.

The car stopped unexpectedly outside a Mexican popsicle shop. Charlotte sat up, blinking out the window. “Hey!”

Josh grinned. “First date. Remember?”

She laughed aloud. “I’d never forget. It’s so late, I thought they’d be closed by now.”

“Normally, they would be. Come on.” He offered his arm again to help her out of the car, wrapping his arm around her waist to lead her to the door. “Do you remember what flavor you got?”

“No, but I remember you didn’t realize yours had strawberries in it.” She nudged his ribs with a giggle. “Your face was all broken out for days.”

“I was sixteen, my face was broken out anyway!” He rubbed the corners of his mouth, smirking at the memory. “Ah, man. It itched so bad, too. Hey, don’t get anything with strawberries, all right? I don’t really feel like risking that again.”

“Oh, and what difference does it make what I get?” She smirked, slipping through the door when he held it open.

Josh offered a sly smile, following her to the counter. “Just making sure I don’t get exposed.”

He ordered a watermelon popsicle while she stared into the deep glass case of frozen treats, eventually settling on raspberry cream for herself.

“I half expected you to get strawberry just to get back at me,” he teased, sliding cash over the counter. It was folded so the numbers didn’t show, but the girl behind the counter tucked it into her pocket with enough speed for Charlotte to be sure it was another hundred.

She tamped down a swell of irritation, unwrapping her popsicle on the way back out. “So is that your new solution to everything? Throw money at it?”

Josh held the door for her, trailing along at her heels. “Here, yes. I had to call and make sure they’d stay open late enough for us to get here. They expected incentive for that. At the restaurant, I just didn’t want to wait. It felt like time to go. You were upset with me.”

She considered that for a moment, sucking the top corner of her popsicle. Her first impulse was to say she was, but she knew that wasn’t the truth. As desperately as she wanted to be mad at him for everything he’d put her through, the only feeling that kept coming back was pure, sweet relief at being with him again. As well as fear it would end.

Deciding she didn’t want to have that talk just yet, she nodded toward his popsicle. “You should have gotten blood orange.”

He perked up. “Did they have orange?”

Charlotte raised a brow, feeling a tingle of amusement as the joke dawned on him. His eyes widened, and she laughed.

“Ah, man,” he sighed “That sounds good.”

“What does?”

“You laughing. I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear that again.”

Her cheer faded, though she held on to a genuine smile. Whether or not she’d admit it, he did a good job of melting the ice block that encased her heart. “It’s hard not to be happy when you have paletas.”

“Yeah, and I should have taken Spanish instead of French. I feel like I can’t entirely appreciate a good popsicle without knowing its proper name.” He rolled his eyes, biting a chunk from the end of his treat.

All the patio chairs outside the shop had been put up already, so they got back in the car to eat. She licked a stray drop of melting raspberry cream from her fingers. “I’m surprised you like it, to be honest. The pop, I mean.”

“Not gonna lie, it’s not as good as I remember.” Josh shrugged, passing her a napkin. “It kind of feels like I’ve lost more than I’ve gained.” Bitterness seeped into his voice.

She wiped her fingers, trying not to look at him. “You got a second chance at living, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” He paused, the air weighted with the words he wanted to say. But he swallowed them back, forcing himself to smile again. “We can talk about that later. I know it’s really late, and you probably work tomorrow. There’s just one more thing I want to do before I take you home, if that’s okay?”

Charlotte eyed the clock in the dashboard. It was already creeping toward midnight; hers wasn’t an opening shift, but it was early enough. Still, the thought of parting again made her heart ache. “Well, we did skip out on the restaurant pretty early. I think we’ve got time to make it more than just a dinner date.”

“Okay.” Josh bit the last of his popsicle off its stick, licking his fingers clean and then wiping them dry with his napkin. “But as soon as you’re done with that pallet or whatever you called it, you’d better close your eyes.”

She raised a brow and started to protest, thinking better of it before she’d done more than draw breath. He’d asked her to trust him. Maybe it was a good time to start.

Nibbling the last of her popsicle free and letting it melt on her tongue, she folded the wooden stick into her napkin and closed her eyes.

The light from the streetlamps flowed over her face like a caress, not warm enough to replicate the sun, but desperately trying. She thought of the daylight, the sunshine, the clear blue skies over the rolling green hills that hinted at the Appalachians farther east. They’d often talked about the mountains, daydreaming about day trips to Gatlinburg when he found a stable job and they could spare the money.

Her phone vibrated in her clutch before she could find more than a second to regret that they’d never gone. Her hands tightened, waiting for a second buzz to see if it was a call. It didn’t come.

“No peeking,” Josh chided.

“No promises.”

He chuckled. “You remember when I asked you to prom?”

“Hard to forget it. I was washing glitter out of my hair for a week. Pretty sure it’s still in my car’s carpeting.” Charlotte grinned at the memory of finding her car filled to the brim with white balloons. The ribbons and confetti inside made her think she was supposed to pop them to look for the invitation. She’d jabbed a dozen with her keys before discovering the one and only balloon in the mess that was filled with helium, its string looped around the emergency brake to keep it from escaping. At the end of its tail had been a card with a hand-written formal invitation, complete with RSVP and a stamped envelope with his address inside.

“Hey, I swear I thought all those other balloons would fall out and just leave the one. I promise.” The defensiveness in his voice made her laugh.

“Don’t apologize. It was funny.” She reached blindly across the car to touch his leg. “I just wish you could have followed through on the invitation.”

Josh sighed, squeezing her hand. “Me too.”

“You always spent so much time looking after Julian. I respected that. It never bothered me that you skipped prom to go get him.”

“Well it bothered me,” he replied dryly. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to look after him now. Mom and Dad do their best, but...”

“But he’ll never trust them like he trusts you. I know.” Charlotte tucked her chin into her chest, smiling sadly. “You also have to remember he’s not a kid anymore, Josh. He’s twenty-one. More than old enough to be responsible for his own actions.”

“And old enough to buy his own liquor, which is what always gets him into those messes to begin with.” He squeezed her fingers again. “I don’t think I’ll ever let him live that one down, though. I mean, seriously! Of all the nights to get caught with booze, he had to pick my senior prom? Really?”

“He didn’t do it on purpose.”

“But he still did it. Either way, I’m sorry it happened. I know I always said I’d make it up to you and take you to some kind of fancy party, but on short notice, this is the best I can do.”

The car stopped and Charlotte peeked between her fingers as Josh climbed out, leaving the lights on and shining across a familiar high school football field.

“What is this?” she laughed as he helped her out.

“Turns out I couldn’t bribe any of the school security to decorate up the gym and let us in, but they did agree to let us spend some time out here.” He nudged her foot. “Might want to take those off, though.”

She dropped back into her seat and pulled off her heels, tossing them into the floor of the car while Josh plugged his phone into the stereo and turned it up.

“So many memories here,” she murmured. She could almost see her older brother on the field again, playing one of the countless games she’d been there to watch.

“I know. You were sitting right there when I met you.” Josh closed one eye and squinted with the other, pointing out one exact spot in the bleachers. Then he dragged her close to his chest, catching her right hand to pull her into a slow dance.

Fire lit her cheeks and Charlotte bit her lower lip, watching his polished shoes as one of her favorite ’80s rock ballads floated into the night air. The cold turf tickled her toes, beads of dew slick under her feet. Though she knew better, she lifted her head to look at him.

His blue eyes caught hers and held them fast, drowning her in the depths of an affection she was too scared to call love anymore.

In the warm glow of the headlights, he looked as alive as ever. The light washed away the pallor of undeath, bringing out the ruddy tones of his skin, glinting on the hints of red in his messy blond hair and the stubble on his jaw.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Her chest tightened. “For what?”

“For always putting off the little things. Always assuming I had more time to do the special stuff that would show you how much you really meant to me. For always thinking I needed to be something else. Something better than who I was.”

“I was in love with you, Josh. Just the way you were.”

“I know that now.” He cupped her face in his hand, searching her eyes. “That’s what makes me afraid you’ll never love me again.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she froze in place. “Stop. You’re scaring me.”

His brows knit together. “How?”

“Because this—all of this—is like you’re saying goodbye. I can’t lose you, Josh. Not again.”

“Charlotte-”

She leaned up on tip-toe, interrupting him with a kiss. His lips were cool, but soft and responsive, and his arms closed reflexively around her.

All the fear she’d been fighting welled up to the surface, her heart pounding in her chest and tears brimming in her eyes. She raked her fingers through his hair, pulling him down to kiss him harder.

He responded in kind, his lips crushing against hers, stirring a warmth she’d never expected to feel again in the pit of her belly. His hands trailed down her sides to latch onto her hips, inching her backwards until her back pressed to the side of the car. Sparks shot through her as he trapped her against the cold metal, the sweet flavor of his kisses lighting a fire that consumed her with a singular need.

She groped for the side of the car, popping the back door open and almost falling inside.

Josh followed, shifting her into the vehicle, draping her across the back seat.

The keening wail of a guitar solo grew distracting and Charlotte growled, evading kisses just long enough to lunge into the front seat and punch the knob to turn off the stereo. Josh retreated for a moment, regaining enough presence of mind to close the car doors. Then he slid over her again, catching her mouth and teasing her lips apart. His cold fingers skimmed her thighs, pushing her dress up and tugging her lace panties down.

Her body ached with desire, her hips arching toward him even as she tried to free him of his belt. He helped her undress him one-handed, peppering kisses across her jaw and down her neck. Something pricked at her throat and she froze.

“Josh...”

He turned away, drawing back and cursing.

Foolishly, she’d never considered he might want to feed on her. Her heart fluttered, hovering on the edge of panic.

Sitting back, he closed his eyes and breathed deep, the muscles in his jaw tensing as he worked to get hold of himself.

So he wasn’t like the others. He was still there, still present, still clinging to all the responsibility that had attracted her in the first place.

She swallowed, sitting up and sliding closer.

“I’m sorry. I just need a minute. I didn’t mean...” He didn’t finish. Didn’t look at her, either.

“Josh.” Charlotte cradled his jaw in her palm, stroking his cheek with her thumb until he opened his eyes.

“I know it’s hard, but I trust you.” She put a finger over his lips when he started to protest, giving him a level, no-nonsense stare.

“I trust you,” she repeated, drawing her fingertip down his chin as she straddled his lap, the skirt of her blue dress bunching up around her hips.

He marveled at her, moving obediently when she picked up his hands and put them on her waist. Then she leaned forward, kissing him again, slow and sensual.

Tension leaked out of him, replaced with a different kind. She cradled his chin, letting the tip of her tongue flirt with his. His fingertips traveled around to the small of her back, stroking downward until his hands skimmed over her rumpled dress and cupped her soft backside.

His hands were strong, grounding, sliding down her thighs.

She held his eyes as she moved over him. He felt only a little cool between her legs, nestled at her slick entrance.

“You don’t have to do this,” he breathed, his fingers tracing circles on her skin.

“I think I need it as much as you do,” she whispered, resting her hands on his shoulders as she sank, moaning softly as he filled her. Warmth and satisfaction blossomed in her core, a quiet sigh escaping her lips as her body adjusted to his presence.

His breath hitched and his eyes drifted closed. He shifted forward, giving her more room to move, leaning back into the cool leather.

Charlotte lingered for a long moment. Then she rolled her hips, gasping softly as he ground deeper into her. She’d expected it to feel different. If anything, the pleasure was greater now. Heat flowed through her veins, promising fulfillment. She threaded her fingers through his hair and leaned forward, resting her forehead against his and setting a slow rhythm.

He rose to meet each downward push, gripping her hips and gently guiding her motions. He stole kisses from her lips and the corners of her mouth, trailing down her throat to let his tongue lave the hollow just above her collarbone. Her body reacted with pure arousal, and she whimpered softly in response. His lips closed against her skin and he sucked without biting, making her shudder.

That tremor set him off. His fingers dug into her thighs and he rocked her harder, taking control, driving himself as deep as he could. Her body hummed with need, every muscle coiling like tight-wound springs.

“Just a taste,” he pleaded, his lips catching her ear. A shiver of pleasure rolled down her spine and she bucked hard against him, pressing her throat to his lips to beg for kisses.

He answered with the lightest skim of his fangs against her flesh. “Just a taste, just once,” he groaned, his mouth feathering against her skin in a rhythm discordant to the movement of her hips. “Please.”

Every rational part of her was gone. “Yes,” she gasped, clawing at his chest, teetering at the verge of losing control. “Yes!”

Pain shot through her chest and shoulder as his fangs pierced her neck, pleasure like nothing she could recall exploding in white lights behind her eyes. She shrieked, her whole body racked by the pulsing climax that pushed him over the edge.

Josh moaned deeply as he fed, thrusting upward, his sudden release a cool burst in her core that only drove her higher. Her nails dug into his chest, breath escaping her completely as the crashing waves subsided and she sank against him, barely aware of the soft strokes of his tongue that lapped the last droplets of blood from her shoulder.

They lingered there a long time, perfectly still, bodies joined and both of them working to catch their breath.

“God,” Josh said finally, twisting his fingers in the strands of hair that had escaped her bun. “I thought it was good before.”

Chuckling softly, Charlotte rested her forehead against his once more. She traced the curve of his lips with her finger, studying the crimson stains marring the collar of his white shirt. “Guess it’s true what they say about vampires.”

He looked at her through heavy-lidded eyes, his brows lifting. “What’s that?”

She kissed his nose, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “You’re pretty dead sexy.”

SEVEN

“SO I’LL GET to see you tomorrow night, right?” Josh reclined against the rear windshield of the car, watching Charlotte from the corner of his eye and grinning to himself when she blushed. That was one place his senses did seem to have improved; he saw better in the dark. He hadn’t realized it until he’d watched Charlotte grope around in the dark for her panties. He’d laughed at her inability to see, then retrieved them for her.

“I’d like that.” Her cheeks glowed in his enhanced vision. Her pulse sang, too, clueing him in to more abilities.

He could sense her heartbeat and her blood smelled sweet, even with a space between them. His eyes fell to the marks he’d left at the base of her neck. The craving abated after just a taste; now her blood only appealed to him like a fresh-baked cake after he’d already had a slice. It still looked good, smelled good, but he had no desire to eat any more. Either he hadn’t been that hungry to begin with, or it was an impulse connected to the act of making love.

That thought led him to scratch at least one awkward conversation off the list of them he’d need to have with Thaddeus. Knowing intimacy was still possible without a pulse left him puzzled, but pleased. In more ways than one.

“Though I guess it’ll be tonight, technically, won’t it?” Charlotte shook out her hair, then wiggled backwards on the trunk to lay beside him and stare up at the stars. It felt good to have her there, nestled against his shoulder.

“Nah. Tomorrow doesn’t start until the sun comes up.”

She raised a brow at him, though her brown eyes sparkled. “Just because you’re going to be nocturnal doesn’t mean all of us can be.”

“Hey, I’m not nocturnal. I have a day job, remember?” He nudged her gently, though he sighed. “And I have to work tomorrow, too. I’ve got to be up at the crack of dawn.”

“So you still sleep, huh?”

Josh grinned. “Not as soundly as I’d sleep with you beside me.”

She rolled her eyes, sitting up and sliding off the car. “All right. Let’s get out of here. You’d better be on time to pick me up next time, though.”

“I told you, that was not my fault.” He feigned hurt, his fingertips resting against his chest. “I even planned on walking to meet you at your house, if I had to.”

They climbed into the car and Josh adjusted the rearview mirror before backing out, doing a double-take when he caught Charlotte staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” she murmured, turning away.

He frowned, reaching to nudge the mirror up a little more, pausing when he didn’t see his hand in the reflection. Oh. He tried to go on as if he hadn’t noticed, returning his eyes to the road.

The ride back to her house was silent, both of them content but apprehensive, not knowing what came next. Another date, sure, but that was the end of the line. After tomorrow, Josh had to make his decision. Or announce it, anyway; between life and death, there wasn’t much of a decision to make. He’d cling to life, to the hope of everything working out, of getting his happy ending even with one foot in the grave.

“Who is that?” Charlotte murmured as Josh pulled to the curb in front of her house. She craned her neck, eyeing a shadowy figure sitting on the front step. “Oh, no.”

Josh bit back a curse.

His brother sat on the top stair, watching the sedan with such intensity, Josh thought for a moment he might see through the darkly tinted windows.

Josh put the car in park, his hand tightening on the gearshift. Fighting another curse, he reached for the keys.

Charlotte put out a hand to stop him. “Don’t. I’ll take care of it. You go home.”

“Why is he here?” he growled through clenched teeth.

“Because he doesn’t have anyone else, Josh. I told him I’d help if he needed anything. You should be grateful he’s here instead of getting into trouble somewhere else. Go home, all right? I’ll see you tomorrow night.” She leaned forward to plant a chaste kiss on his lips, grabbing her clutch and sliding out of the car.

His throat tightened as he watched her go.

Julian stood to greet her, the two of them standing at the foot of the stairs as they spoke.

For a moment, Josh considered getting out of the car to join them. Everything he’d never said to his younger brother burned on his tongue, desperate to escape. All the chastisement he’d held at bay, for fear it would make things worse; all the things he’d bottled up when he put his life aside to fix Julian’s mistakes.

Yet even now, on what should have been one of the best nights of his life, the urge to compensate for his brother’s faults needled at him until he thought he might go mad.

Charlotte motioned up the stairs and the two of them climbed to the porch.

Josh forced the words back, gritting his teeth and tearing his eyes away. “Go home,” he told himself, echoing Charlotte’s words. “Just let it go, Josh.”

He shifted into drive, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

“Let it go.”

* * *

Charlotte put on a brave face, smiling as she picked her way up the cracked concrete sidewalk. She wanted to turn and wave, maybe encourage Josh to carry on, but she resisted when she saw the shadowed look in Julian’s eyes.

Though the two brothers looked enough alike to be recognizable, Josh had always been the one smiling and Julian always frowning. His gray eyes were a contrast to Josh’s bright blue, but they were befitting of his disposition. He was dark and serious, often burdened, and usually in trouble.

He stared past her, watching the car. His face betrayed nothing, but she recognized the spark in his eyes that said his mind was at work.

“Hey.” She tried to sound friendly, refusing to let herself begrudge his presence, no matter the damper it might put on the evening. After all, she’d been the one who insisted he come to her with problems. She stopped a bit more than an arm’s length away from the stairs. “What are you doing here?”

“I texted you to say I’d be here,” Julian replied, his tone relaxed but his gaze sharp. “Didn’t get it?”

Charlotte grimaced. She had gotten it. She’d just forgotten to look and see what it was. “I’m sorry. I got so caught up in the conversation that I forgot my phone was in my purse. Want to go inside?”

He grunted softly, pacing up the steps and turning back. His head turned as the sedan pulled away, not an ounce of subtlety in the way he watched it. “Where’ve you been?”

Defensiveness spiked within her and she tucked in her chin, striding to the door. “I went out with a friend. I thought it would do me some good to be able to talk to someone about... about what happened.” She didn’t know how to talk about it anymore, knowing Josh was still alive. Well, not alive, she thought with a frown. But he was all right, and that was a considerable step up.

“Dressed like that?” Julian tilted his head, one skeptical brow creeping upward.

She fought the urge to slap him, but couldn’t fight the sudden surge of fury that went with it. “How dare you? I’m out here trying to make heads or tails of the way my life’s fallen apart, and you have the nerve to imply-”

“What are you accusing me of? I’m not the one out with some unnamed stranger in a brand new luxury vehicle, not answering my phone and coming home in a wrinkled dress.” His voice stayed as cool as ever.

Charlotte gaped. Not only because he would claim such a thing, but because she couldn’t deny it. She’d done exactly what he suspected, but she’d done it with his brother, her boyfriend of nearly seven years. “I cannot believe you!” she cried at last. “You think I’m not suffering? You aren’t the only one who lost him, Julian!”

He shrugged as if it were of no consequence. “We all deal with grief in different ways. Yours is...” His eyes raked down her with such heat that she crossed her arms out of reflex. Then he shrugged again. “You already know what mine is. That’s why I’m here.”

She shivered, suddenly glad she’d let her hair down. With it tumbling loose around her shoulders, she didn’t have to worry about him seeing the mark on her neck. “Is that why you texted me? Because you wanted a drink?” She tamped down her irritation, forcing herself to be calm. Julian trusted her almost as much as he’d trusted Josh. His presence was a good thing, a responsible choice, like they’d always urged him to make. She should be happy he’d made the right decision.

“No,” he growled, “because I already had one.”

“Oh.” Charlotte fidgeted in place, then turned to unlock the front door. “Give me a minute to change my shoes and I can take you home.”

He shook his head. “Not home. A friend’s house.”

She hesitated, holding her house keys poised in front of the lock. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Your parents will-”

“My parents couldn’t care less,” Julian spat. “They’re too distraught over losing Josh to care what happens to me.”

“Julian!” she cried. “You know that’s not true. If you don’t come home tonight, your mother will-”

He raised a hand, cutting her off. “You know what? Never mind. I should have turned around as soon as I saw you get out of your sugar daddy’s car.”

Anger flared in her chest, lighting her cheeks afire. She dropped her hand to her side, curling her fingers around her keys and squeezing them tight. The metal bit into the soft flesh of her palm, grounding her. She wouldn’t rise to the bait.

Breathing deep and slowly exhaling, she tried again. “Let me take you home, Julian. If he were here, Josh would-”

“It doesn’t matter what Josh would say,” he interrupted, thumping back down the steps. “He’s dead. And you know what my mother said?”

Helpless to do anything else, Charlotte turned to watch him.

Julian paused on the sidewalk, turning his head as if meaning to look at her but stopping halfway. “She said it should have been me.”

She covered her lips, blinking hard as her heart broke. Tears brimmed on her eyelashes as the words sank in, changing the stoop of his shoulders and the look in his eyes from judgment to shadows of sorrow. Her mouth worked without words, her throat too thick to let any escape.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, stalking into the night with his head bowed. Nothing she said would have brought him back or turned him around, though he needed it in more ways than one.

Charlotte pressed a hand to her heart, watching until he disappeared around a street corner, then staring for a long time after.

Calling Josh sprang to mind but, as he was, there was nothing he could do. Still, he’d always been the only one who could talk sense into his brother. If there was anyone who would know the right thing to say, it was him.

The only problem was he’d want to say it himself.

Torn, she forced herself to slide into the house. She didn’t have her car keys, anyway; just the house keys. She’d left the other set on the hook so her parents would know—if they noticed she was gone—that she hadn’t gone far.

She could go after Julian now, but it would only make him angry.

Instead, she sat on the side of her bed, warring with herself for what felt like eternity.

She’d promised to look after Julian. Not just to his parents, but to herself. Josh had spent so much of his life fighting to keep his brother on track, she couldn’t bear to see him derailed now. He’d been better in the days before the car accident, but Josh had been his anchor. Without that tether, Julian was caught in the undertow.

Yet he was an adult, whether he acted like it or not. Too often, Charlotte had suspected he relied too heavily on his brother to keep him in line. Seeing the way he reacted to Josh’s death proved her right. He’d have to grow up eventually, take responsibility for his own actions and behave of his own accord.

It wasn’t her battle, she decided at last, peeling off her dress and sliding beneath the covers in her underwear. Julian had done the right thing. He was on foot instead of driving, and if he’d been waiting on her porch as long as he’d indicated, he was probably sober by now.

She’d talk to Josh about what had happened and see what he thought they should do, but tonight was not the night.

* * *

Josh bounded down the stairs, whistling cheerily as he tightened his tie and strolled toward the kitchen. The blinds were slanted to keep direct sunlight out while still allowing a glimpse of the clear morning outside. He opened the cabinets one after another, looking for a cup.

Thaddeus sat at the kitchen table with the morning’s newspaper open in front of him. “You’re remarkably transparent, Mr. Rook.” He never looked up, sipping chilled blood from a mug as if it were coffee.

Pausing, Josh glanced over his shoulder. “Where are the coffee cups?”

Pointing wordlessly, Thaddeus took another sip. He turned the page, shaking the paper smooth with one hand. “I hope you used protection.”

Josh snorted a laugh. “I’m dead, old man, not dumb. You expect me to believe vampires can have kids?”

“Oh, an expert on vampires are we, now?” A small hint of amusement colored the Keeper’s words.

“No, but I did notice there was a file on our kind in the cabinets you had me sort, so I read a little bit. Vampires don’t procreate.” Josh put his cup on the counter, turning to the fridge.

“We certainly don’t,” Thaddeus agreed. “But you’ve been undead for less than a week, which is why you ought to be concerned.”

Josh hesitated, staring at the glass bottles of blood in the refrigerator.

Thaddeus shook his paper again. “Unless you’ve experienced nocturnal emission or that brought about by manual stimulation since turning, it’s entirely possible you may have had some live sperm. You would have had an appointment about that this afternoon, of course, freezing a sample as a required part of your transition into undeath, but it seems that will no longer be necessary.” He paused, smirking over the top edge of the paper. “Best hope it wasn’t wasted.”

Slamming the fridge shut without getting anything out, Josh spun to face him. “And you didn’t think that was important enough to tell me sooner?!”

“Generally speaking, new turns consult their elders with questions about sexual activity before attempting it. I assumed the conversation would happen then, if it came before the transitionary appointments where they’d attempt to preserve your genetic future.”

“My genetic future? Why is that even a thing? It has nothing to do with being a vampire!” Josh closed his eyes after the words escaped, trying to bridle his emotions. He should have been appreciative of the warning. If it was even a slim possibility, he needed to tell Charlotte. Buying condoms before their date had never crossed his mind, not only because he’d thought he was already sterile. He’d never expected things to go so far, no matter how serious their relationship had been before his death.

“It has everything to do with protocol. As a Keeper, that is my responsibility. And as a Keeper-in-training, it will be yours.” Thaddeus folded the newspaper, giving him a level look. “I am pleased your intended took the news of your condition so well. I apologize we did not discuss the matter sooner but, given the gravity of your situation, it did not seem you were ready to discuss the full extent of your remaining bodily functions.”

Shaking his head, Josh scrubbed a hand through his hair, not caring that it made a mess of it. Then he wiped his face, pausing when he touched the patchy scruff he couldn’t yet call a beard. “I’ve figured out most of it, I think. Still want my apartment to have a nice bathroom, hair and fingernails still grow, Charlotte and I can still...” He cleared his throat. “Anything else you want to clue me in on?”

“Most of us cannot consume human foods. Our bodies no longer process them correctly. Some liquids are tolerable, but anything you cannot digest will cause vomiting until it has left your system.” The old man didn’t bat an eye, draining the last of the blood from his cup.

“Great,” Josh muttered. “Anything else?”

“You’ll likely want to invest in an electric razor, if you don’t intend to wear a beard. With a week’s growth, you look rather like an animal with mange.”

“Perfect. Thanks.” Josh gritted his teeth to keep from sighing, opening the fridge again and taking out a half-emptied bottle of blood. He filled his cup halfway, replaced the cork and put the rest back. Then he trudged to the table and sat down.

Thaddeus turned the paper over to read the back page.

“You really think it’s possible?” Josh asked. “For Charlotte to... I mean, the odds of her getting pregnant even if I weren’t dead are slim, statistically speaking.”

“Quite slim,” Thaddeus agreed, carrying his cup to the sink to wash it. “But slimmer still are the odds of becoming a vampire.”

“Point taken,” Josh muttered.

The elder vampire tidied the kitchen before retrieving his suit jacket from the back of his chair.

Josh drank his breakfast, staring at the table. He didn’t know whether to hope for or against the possibility of parenthood. Before changing, the idea would have terrified him. Now it bounced around in his skull like a rubber ball, building momentum.

Would it be so bad? He’d always expected to become a father. Now, nothing he did could bring back that option. Adoption was always possible; he knew that, rationally, but it couldn’t compare to the visions he’d had in his head since his teenage years. Children that looked like him, that looked like Charlotte, a pretty blend of her eyes and his hair.

“Did you have children?” Josh asked eventually, training his eyes on the handle of a drawer across the room. Anything to keep from looking at the blood in his cup or the Keeper adjusting his tie.

“I did,” Thaddeus said with a tinge of pride. “Five of my own. Fourteen grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren, twenty great-great-grandchildren, and twenty-one thrice-great. I am uncertain whether any of them have borne offspring of their own.”

Josh blinked. “You kept track?”

“For curiosity’s sake. I left behind a considerable amount of money and property and wanted to be certain it ended up in the correct hands.”

“How old are you?”

“A proper vampire never reveals their age,” the Keeper replied curtly. “We are immortal beings and ought to act the part.”

Finishing the last of his breakfast in one gulp, Josh moved to the sink to clean his cup. “Do you miss them?”

“No.”

Shaking his head, Josh dried his hands. “That’s harsh, old man.”

“Is there a reason to? I lived a long and fulfilling life. I knew my children and grandchildren, and all of them are gone. I may live as a memory in my descendants. I may not. It doesn’t matter. What matters is my work continues to improve the world and provide a better place for those of my blood.” Thaddeus smiled grimly, taking his bowler hat from the table and settling it atop his head. “If you are fortunate, perhaps you will come to understand. Finish cleaning up after your breakfast, boy. I will see you at the car in five minutes.”

“Yeah,” Josh said. He lingered at the sink with everything he had to tell Charlotte rattling in his skull.

EIGHT

“HOW WAS YOUR appointment?” Thaddeus sounded so downright cheerful that Josh suspected he was fond of schadenfreude.

He hung up his jacket, avoiding having to meet the old man’s eye. “They didn’t tell me anything new, but I feel like we accomplished a lot. I have a driver’s license again, so that’s a start.” He had learned it was still possible to have photos taken of him, which came as something of a relief. The explanation had been complicated, something about mirrors and silver and all sorts of camera and film terminology he didn’t understand, but discovering the digital camera on his phone could capture his image was a comfort. He had every intention of using that information that night.

“And how did the other appointment go?”

This time, Josh had to stifle annoyance. “Fine.” He’d had every intention of keeping his other expedition a secret, but Thaddeus refused to give him the car keys until he’d explained exactly where he was headed. “You’re still okay with me taking the car tonight, right?”

“Considering you intend to leave in fifteen minutes, I don’t see how my opinion would change things.” The Keeper tapped his pen against the paper in front of him, frowning.

“Is that a no?”

“It will be if you decide to eat in my vehicle again. Do you realize how difficult it is to clean that out of leather?”

Josh snorted a laugh. “What? They were just popsicles. Wipe it down with a damp cloth, it’ll be fine.”

“I wasn’t speaking of the popsicles,” Thaddeus said. “The smell of blood was strong this morning. To my senses, at least. I shall refrain from telling you that you are too young to feed without supervision, as it seems you were able to maintain control of yourself, but do not do it in my car again. Am I clear?”

He thought it was meant as a compliment, but the wording made Josh uncomfortable. “What do you mean, maintain control?”

“When you are young, a new vampire, you are ravenous. You don’t recall the first two days after your death but, suffice to say, you were mad with hunger. Your girlfriend is fortunate you ate before your visit. Having freshly fed meant your cravings were minimal. If you’d gone on an empty stomach, I doubt she would have survived.”

Josh put a hand on the door frame, a pang of dread hitting his gut like a lead weight. “I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“Not intentionally, I’m sure. That said, perhaps you might wish to have a snack before you go out?” Thaddeus raised a brow at him before returning his attention to his work. “Be careful with my vehicle. And do tell Albert I said hello.”

“Albert,” Josh mumbled, shaking his head. He’d always expected vampires to have more prestigious names. Thaddeus was a perfectly classy name; Joshua Rook had a certain air of dignity to it, as well. But Albert? Josh spared a moment of pity for the man, then bounced the keys in his hand and made for the door.

“Oh, and one last thing,” Thaddeus called.

Rolling his eyes, Josh turned back to the office.

The old man picked up a single paper from the edge of his desk, holding it out. “This came from the VR department while you were out. Before you go, I thought you ought to see it. And report for the subsequent training, just in case. It doesn’t take long, perhaps half an hour.”

Josh frowned, creeping forward to take the paper. He glanced over it, stopped, then reread the whole thing. “The Nashville Department of Vampire Resources hereby approves Mr. Joshua Alexander Rook’s request to turn... anyone?” He lowered the paper, staring across the desk. “Anyone?”

“Any further investigation into who you wished to turn would have delayed the approval by several weeks, at least.” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes. “I sincerely hope you realize what you are holding. It takes a considerable amount of clout to sway the department in any direction, never mind with speed. You do not know difficulty until you’ve dealt with VR. Universal approval? They won’t issue that for just anyone.”

Disbelief made his limbs numb and Josh stared at the old man. “You’re full of surprises, Thaddeus.”

“A thank-you would suffice.”

Instead, Josh stepped around the desk and swept the Keeper into a hug.

Thaddeus snarled in displeasure and Josh released him with a laugh.

“Thank you,” he called, waving the paper as he bolted out of the office.

Grunting, Thaddeus straightened his tie.

* * *

The sun was still up when the black sedan parked in front of the coffee shop. Charlotte did a double-take, grinning when she was sure.

“See something you like?” Addy teased, following her glance out the window. She turned her head, looking for somebody on the sidewalk, frowning when she didn’t see anyone.

“My friend’s here to pick me up.” Charlotte untied her apron, slipping into the back room to put it away. Then she let her hair down, finger-combing her auburn curls. “Thanks for helping me find someone to trade shifts with, too. I was just wiped out this morning.”

Addy grinned. “Hey, don’t mention it. You’ve done the same for me a dozen times. Good to see you smiling, honey. Just don’t rush things, okay?”

“I’m not,” Charlotte said. “Promise.”

Addy waved her away and she smiled, darting out of the shop and hurrying to the car. The passenger door popped open when Charlotte approached and Josh leaned back, avoiding the beam of sunlight that spilled in when she opened it.

“Sorry, I can’t get it from the other side. I haven’t mastered the car-umbrella transitions yet.” Josh waited until she closed the door behind her to steal a kiss. “Ready?”

“As I ever will be. I see you shaved. You look good. I missed seeing that baby face.” She buckled in, dropping her purse to the floor.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to put up with me looking like a dead animal.” He rubbed his smooth jaw, looking sheepish. “How’s your neck?”

“Caked in makeup. Nobody will ever know.” She tilted her head so he could inspect it, smiling shyly. Had she been in her right mind, she never would have allowed him to bite her. But in the throes of passion, it had been unbelievable, intimate and satisfying in ways she’d never imagined. She didn’t know if it would feel the same outside of sex. Although, with that incredible first experience lodged in the back of her mind, she wasn’t opposed to trying.

“I asked Thaddeus about it. He said it’ll heal faster than normal injuries, so it should be gone in a few days.”

Charlotte nodded. “Another couple weeks and I can wear turtlenecks. It’ll be easier to hide, then.”

Josh gave her a worried look, opening his mouth to speak and then closing it again.

She mentally kicked herself.

This was their last night together. Unless he had some kind of grand master plan worked out, he had to step out of her life tomorrow to begin his training. She bowed her head, trying not to grimace. How could she start their night out that way?

“So are you gonna tell me where we’re going?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.

Josh relaxed a little, appreciative of the opportunity. “Nope. I’m glad you wore comfortable shoes, though, because there’s gonna be a lot of walking.”

She laughed. “I didn’t have a choice, you picked me up from work. Thanks for being okay with that, by the way. I was just so tired after Julian left that I didn’t have the energy to get going this morning.”

He sobered. “I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”

She kicked herself again. She’d meant to text him about that in the morning, but she’d gone back to bed after finding someone to trade shifts with. She’d slept late, barely made it to work on time, and forgot.

“He’s having a hard time,” she said softly, unsure what else to tell him. “He misses you.”

“We’re all having a hard time. This hasn’t been very easy on me, either. Knowing I’m still here, that I can’t do anything to keep him straight or comfort my family...” He shook his head. “It’s rough, you know?”

“I know.” She rested a hand on his thigh, rubbing gently. “I’m just worried. It sounds like your mom isn’t being... Well...” She stopped there. How did you repeat something like what Julian told her?

“I wouldn’t take it to heart,” Josh said. “He misunderstands things sometimes and takes away only what he feels, not really what was said. Mom’s crazy about him. I’m sure right now, she’s just scared he’ll end up the like me. Or like she thinks I am, anyway.”

Which was to say dead. Charlotte nodded, leaving it at that. Dragging Josh into it wasn’t going to help anything, anyway. Even she would lose him soon enough. She bowed her head, watching her hands in silence as he drove.

The sun dipped behind the horizon, the light over the landscape cooling as he turned, the car gliding past the country club. “Here we go.”

Charlotte glanced from the fading reds and purples in the sky to the clock in the dashboard. “What-”

He parked right beside the gatehouse, rolling down the window.

She frowned. They’d come to Cheekwood a dozen times. “It’s way past closing, Josh.”

“And every time we ever came here, you said it would be neat to have the place to ourselves. What do you say?”

“I’m not jumping any fences with you.”

“You don’t have to.” He grinned, knocking on the gatehouse window.

A security guard pulled it open, nodding with a smile. “Sir. Ma’am.”

“Evening, Albert,” Josh said cheerily, passing the guard a strip of paper. “We’ll be a bit, but here’s my number. Call if there’s an emergency and we’ll get out of your hair.”

“No problem at all. Enjoy your visit.” Albert lifted the gate and waved them on.

“You know him?” Charlotte asked in a murmur.

“He’s one of us,” Josh whispered back, starting to roll up the window before pausing. “Oh, and Thaddeus said to tell you hello.”

“Ah, you’re working with Birch?” The guard tucked the paper into the pocket of his shirt, resting his elbows on the windowsill. “He was my Keeper for a good fifteen years, you know. I only changed Keepers because I relocated before he transferred to Nashville. I needed someone a little closer. Lucky to be working with him.”

“Thank you. He’s been a good mentor so far.” Josh nodded politely, then put the car back in gear and eased up the hill.

“Are you seriously telling me that guy’s a vampire?” Charlotte hissed in a whisper.

Josh chuckled, parking beside the visitor’s center. “Didn’t you hear what he just said?”

She nodded, then shook her head, disbelieving. “But he’s a regular security guard!” It made logical sense that vampires would hold normal jobs and blend in, but actually encountering one left her shaken. If he hadn’t told her, she never would have known.

“And I’m a regular office worker,” he teased. “See? I’m even still wearing the tie.”

Rolling her eyes, she caught him by said tie and hauled him close enough to plant a kiss on his cheek. “At least you took off the jacket. Look at me, wearing a tee and jeans. I look so underdressed compared to you.”

“You’re fine. Come on.” He slid out of the car and opened her door for her with a gentlemanly bow. Then he laced his fingers with hers, drawing her toward the winding trail that meandered around the estate. “Look at that, the moon’s coming up.”

Charlotte paused, craning her neck to see. It cast a cool light across the sprawling gardens, though it didn’t bear the same gloom it had the night before. It was comforting, this time, welcoming and soothing.

“It’s beautiful. I guess this is going to be like your sun now, huh?” She tried to keep her voice from quavering, but the reality was harsh. She squeezed his hand, suddenly afraid to let go, lest the future take him too soon.

“Kind of,” he agreed. “I mean, I’m not going to be nocturnal so long as I’m a Keeper, but I’ll only ever spend time outside after sundown. I’ve already been burned enough to last me a lifetime.”

“And... do you think you’ll ever be anywhere I’ll see you?” The question wasn’t even veiled. Her cheeks burned, but there was no taking it back now.

Josh paused, looking at her a moment. Then he started walking again, still holding her hand. He led her under a wide arbor, past manicured hedges and neat flower beds. “I need to talk to you, Charlotte. About something important.”

Her stomach turned. If he’d called her Charlie, she might have expected pleasant conversation. That he used her name, instead of that infernal nickname, meant it was going to be heavy. Already, tears pricked her eyes and her heart ached. How could he be gearing up to say goodbye so soon? She wasn’t ready!

“Last night...” He cleared his throat, pulling her closer, holding her hand so tightly she thought her fingers might go numb. “When we made love, I made a mistake. I mean, not that being with you was a mistake, it was one of the best nights of my life. But I never thought we’d go that far again, and I didn’t prepare for it like I should have. What I mean is, we weren’t... safe.”

Charlotte blinked at him, understanding the words but not quite grasping what he was trying to say. “What do you mean, we weren’t safe?”

He made a small sound of exasperation, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “We didn’t take any precautions. Vampires can’t have kids. But I haven’t been one very long, and that means there’s always a possibility you might... That we might...” He trailed off, his meaning sinking in crystal clear.

“Oh... Oh, Josh.” Her hand fluttered toward her stomach before she caught herself and pulled it to her mouth, instead.

“If it happens, I swear I’ll take care of you.” There was a fervent heat in his words, a cold intensity in his blue eyes. “No matter what the rules are, I’m not going to let it keep me from being sure you’re provided for. But I don’t know how I could be there, Charlotte. How could I? Even if being with you wasn’t forbidden, how am I supposed to explain to a kid why Dad’s got a bottle of blood next to his apple juice in the fridge?”

Charlotte swallowed hard. “I don’t know, Josh. I don’t know. But I don’t care. We’d figure it out.” And no matter the difficulty, she knew without having to think about it that she’d want to keep a baby. They’d always agreed on wanting kids. If there was any chance of reclaiming some sliver of the life they thought they’d have, she’d take it.

“I know it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to do it alone.” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “I just don’t know what else I can do. The organization is designed for outcasts, not families. For people escaping the world, not trying to stay a part of it.”

“It doesn’t sound like you would have been able to do much anyway,” she murmured, softening her words with a sad smile. “It’s not like I’d be able to see you after tonight.”

“I had a plan for that.” He shrugged, stifling a chuckle. “But you’re always talking about the best laid plans of mice and men. I should have expected it wouldn’t go exactly as I envisioned.”

“Oh?” She raised a brow, challenging him to go on.

He didn’t. Instead he led her through a bamboo grove and past a chattering brook, silent for some time. The click of his dress shoes echoed in the night and he slipped his hand away, pacing up the stairs by the corner of the mansion and toward the end of the wisteria-hung arbor above the terrace. “I had this all worked out in my head. We’d have a few days apart, then you’d come with me. They’d give us a house. Our own place, somewhere private. You could finish your degree and get a job as a therapist, working with people like me. It was going to be perfect.”

Her pulse quickened and Charlotte crept closer, unsure what to say. The fountains behind them were still, leaving nothing to break the silence.

His blue eyes followed the moon’s creep through the sky, reflective as mirrors but just as empty as if he’d tried to see himself now. “Then I started thinking about last night. I thought about how many times you’ve said you couldn’t wait to be a mother. And I realized it wasn’t fair of me to ask you to give it up. Even if we could be together, you as you are and me as I am, I’d be asking you to give up the things you want—the things that make you happy—to benefit me.”

“Joshua Rook, I swear, if you are about to break up with me-”

“Shouldn’t I?” He turned toward her, his expression calm and almost wistful. “Wouldn’t it be better for both of us if I was capable of just letting you go? You were so angry at me for coming back, for being unable to let you move on.”

“I never wanted to move on. I never wanted to picture a life without you in it. But that was what I thought I had.” She reached out, taking his face in both hands. “I can never tell you how lost I was without you, Josh. How hard I cried when your parents called me and said you were gone. What it felt like to be that empty, trying and failing to fill the space with work. And then seeing you outside, and feeling—against all reason—hope.”

Josh caressed her face with the backs of his fingers. “Hope is all that’s kept me going since I woke up this way.”

Hot tears spilled over her eyelashes. “Then don’t let go.”

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. “I can’t, Charlie. God help me, I can’t, even when I know I should.”

She kissed his hair, sniffling as he pulled away from her.

Composing himself, he braved a smile and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. “I wish I’d asked you this a long time ago. The question’s a little different now.”

Charlotte’s heart skipped, then leaped and drummed against her ribs.

He slid backwards, sinking to one knee. “Charlotte Wright,” he began, drawing a tiny box from his pocket and presenting it to her in the moonlight. “Will you be a vampire with me?”

The velvet box split, revealing the ring she’d always dreamed of. A large white sapphire in place of a diamond, the stone nestled in an intricately shaped, Edwardian-inspired setting, the design hand-sculpted and cast by a local metalsmith.

Tears filled her eyes anew, blurring her vision, turning the glittering jewel in front of her into a gleaming star. She covered her mouth with both hands and blinked hard.

A chance to stay together. A chance for a happily-ever-after with him, her high school sweetheart, whose ashes supposedly sat on his mother’s mantel.

She choked on a sob and, for an instant, panic filled his eyes.

Unable to speak, she nodded.

Josh released the breath he’d been holding with a laugh, grinning up at her with all the boyish charm she’d always loved. “It’s white gold. I know you wanted silver, but I can’t touch it, and if you said yes, you wouldn’t have been able to wear it after changing.” He tugged the ring free of its box, awkwardly slipping it onto her finger.

The white sapphire glinted and gleamed in the whiter moonlight. Charlotte wiggled her fingers to see it sparkle as he stood. “I don’t care what it is anymore. I thought you were leaving me!” She hiccuped with the last word and he swept her into his arms.

“Hey. I came back undead to do this, all right?” He nudged her ribs with a teasing smile. “I can’t promise we’ll be able to have a lot of contact before you change. The rules are still there. But we can have a wedding, so long as it’s not in a church. And your parents can come, as long as they’re willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement to legally prohibit them from discussing the existence of the supernatural.”

She giggled behind her fingers, nestling into his hug.

Josh pulled back enough to frown at her. “I’m serious. You have no idea the amount of paperwork that goes along with being one of us.”

Leaning up, she pressed a firm kiss to his lips. “I don’t care, Josh. We’ll do it.”

Just not yet, she reminded herself, holding him tight.

Not until they knew the outcome of last night.

* * *

“So are you going to invite your parents?”

Josh almost cringed at the question, tapping a rhythm against the steering wheel with his fingertips as he drove. “I don’t know. I thought about it, but I don’t know. I’ll be a full Keeper by then. Even if I got permission for them to attend the wedding, they wouldn’t be able to see me again afterward.” As far as he knew, the same restriction wouldn’t apply to Charlotte. He was the one becoming a Keeper. She’d be a normal vampire, one of their charges. He wouldn’t be allowed to share the fine details of his job with her, but they’d be together, and that was good enough. No different than if he’d gotten a job as a government contractor.

Charlotte nodded. “I understand. I think you should, though. Even if they never get to see you again, just imagine how happy they’d be knowing that you’re okay. That you’re happy.”

That thought had run through his head a thousand times. “I just don’t know. Half of me wants to give them a chance to just let go. The other half wishes I could have a chance to say goodbye.”

“Well, you’ll have a little time to think about it. It’s not like you have to make a decision tonight. Oh my gosh, Josh, I’m gonna need a dress!” She squeaked, hiding her face in her hands.

He couldn’t help laughing. “Just try to include me in some of the planning. I’ll pay for most of it. And don’t forget we can’t have it in a church, I think I’d catch on fire.” Though he was only half kidding, he was glad to hear her giggling again.

“Well, why don’t we have it there?” She jerked her head back the way they’d come. “At the gardens? We can get married under a full moon, right where you proposed to me. How romantic would that be?”

Josh glimpsed her face under the glow of the streetlights, feeling a warm swell in his chest. It was good to know even in death, love felt the same. “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

She blushed, ducking her head, and he turned back to the road.

Headlights blazed in his eyes.

He spat a curse, slamming on the brakes and spinning the wheel, veering away from the car shooting up the wrong lane. They hit the curb hard, bounced over it and stopped in the grass. Glass shattered in an impact behind them and memories came rushing back. Screeching tires and fracturing glass, the impact and blinding pain.

Josh gasped, clawing at the steering wheel, gulping for useless air as waves of panic crashed over him.

Charlotte jammed the gear shift into park. She said something, shaking him by the shoulder, but he couldn’t hear her.

“Josh!” Suddenly she was on the other side of him, the car door open, her hands on both sides of his face.

Reality hit him in one frigid burst and he let go of the wheel, his hands shaking too hard to get his seatbelt undone. She leaned across and undid it for him, helping him turn in his seat.

“Lean forward, head between your knees. Deep breaths. It’s okay. We’re okay.” She rubbed his back, her voice soothing in his ears. Her hand slid into his, warm and solid and grounding. His breath evened out, and he lifted his head.

Behind them, he heard the streetlight sparking and sputtering. Beneath the stench of burning oil, the smell of coolant floated sickly-sweet in the air. Trying not to gag, Josh made himself get up and look at the car that ran them off the road.

His stomach dropped.

Julian.

“No. No, no, no!” He sprinted across the road, squinting against the eye-watering smoke pouring from the engine. He coughed once before remembering he didn’t need to breathe anymore, then held his breath as he ducked next to the car and tried to open the door.

Locked.

“Back up!” Charlotte shouted and he barely had time to step back before she swung a tire iron full-force at the back window.

Josh cursed as the glass shattered and Charlotte reached in, unlocking the front door. Then she moved back, covering her mouth and nose with the crook of her elbow, coughing.

Jerking the door open, Josh scooped the limp driver’s bloodied head off the air bag. “Jul!”

His brother’s eyelids fluttered open just long enough to see him, then they closed again and his head lolled. Above the stench of smoke and antifreeze, the acrid burn of alcohol tinged the air.

Josh couldn’t get past the airbag to get to the belt. He hit the power lock, thinking to go in through the other side. Nothing happened. Biting back profanity, he looked for something to cut with.

He’d kept a seatbelt cutter in the cup holder of his own car for just this reason, but his car was long gone. The rear window had shattered into tiny, useless cubes of safety glass. Nothing. He had nothing.

Charlotte knelt beside him. “Josh, we gotta get him out!”

The smoke billowing from beneath the crumpled hood was growing thicker by the second.

“I know, I know! I don’t have anything sharp enough to-” He stopped, staring at the belt. Then he lunged forward, baring his teeth, snagging the edge of the belt with his fangs.

The fibers popped and tore, a little at a time, before the belt finally snapped and went limp.

“Help me,” Josh grunted, trying to heave his brother out of the car.

Charlotte caught hold of one of Julian’s arms. They pulled him free, dragging him away from the vehicle as the first flames licked up over the hood.

“Is he breathing?” She turned Julian’s head, pressing her fingers beneath his jaw.

“C’mon, Jul, don’t do this.” Josh caught his brother’s wrist. The heartbeat there was weak, fluttering. His hand flew to his pocket. Empty. “Go get a phone, we need an ambulance now.”

“He’s bleeding bad, Josh. His pulse-”

“I know!” His brother’s heartbeat failed beneath his fingers. “No, no, no, no! Charlie, CPR. You’re certified. I’ll call-”

“He won’t make it!”

Josh squeezed his eyes closed.

“I’m not strong enough to keep him going until an ambulance gets here.” Nonetheless, Charlotte put her hands against Julian’s chest, one atop the other, starting compressions.

Leaping to his feet, Josh ran. He could have sworn his phone was in his pocket. It wasn’t in his seat, not in the floorboard, not in the back.

“Josh!”

He spun back.

Charlotte shook her head, still doing compressions, tears leaving glistening tracks down her cheeks. “Josh, you can save him. Do what they did to you.”

His knees went weak beneath him.

The words he’d read aloud in Thaddeus’s office that afternoon echoed in his head. The Nashville Department of Vampire Resources hereby approves Mr. Joshua Alexander Rook’s request to turn...

He couldn’t choose between Charlotte and his brother. Not again.

“Josh, he’s almost gone! It’s the only way!”

His eyes stung, his shoulders sinking. “But I can only turn one.”

Charlotte met his eyes as he knelt beside them. For one fleeting instant, her eyes showed everything behind her tears. Sorrow, heartbreak, hopelessness. Loss. Then she closed them, nodding without a word.

Every ounce of strength left him and Josh almost collapsed, his heart shattering in his chest.

Charlotte backed away and everything he’d fought for, everything he’d hoped for, everything he’d almost had slipped beyond his fingers.

Shutting out all the misery that welled up inside him, Josh turned his thoughts to the brief training session that followed him signing the approval papers, and buried his fangs in his dying brother’s flesh.

NINE

THE KEEPER’S OATH was sworn with the left hand resting atop a thick tome. It was too reminiscent of a Holy Bible for Josh to miss it, though the front was emblazoned with The Keeper’s Code in gold lettering. He’d been told to read it prior to his swearing in, after he’d signed the contract. He’d done his best, reading endless pages over the past six weeks of training. Most nights, the words blurred in front of his eyes and he went to bed without understanding much.

One oath was like any other. Vows of secrecy, of honesty and integrity, of loyalty. He would have sworn something similar to Charlotte, if getting married were still a possibility. His eyes drifted closed as he recited his pledge.

The somber affair didn’t last long, little more than polite applause greeting his commencement as a full-fledged Keeper. Then the small gathering dispersed, leaving Josh with nothing but a signed and sealed certificate to hang on his office wall.

His office was smaller than the one Thaddeus occupied, though he counted himself fortunate to have a window. Thick tinting kept the sunlight at bay, but seeing the day outside was comfort enough. He’d take what comforts he could get.

Mounting the certificate on a lonely nail protruding from the wall above his desk, Josh sat down and stared at the mountain of paperwork he needed to fill out for his new charges.

“Hey.”

Josh lifted his head, staring at his brother in the doorway for a long moment. Then he cast a glance to the certificate on the wall. “You missed it.” He didn’t know what else to say. Aside from formalities around the office building, they did not speak. Josh worked ceaselessly, and Julian gave him space.

All things considered, it was probably for the best.

“I know.” Julian leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “I’m sorry. Training just let out a few minutes ago.”

“I figured.” Josh leaned back in his chair. “Matilda brought me your paperwork earlier. A hunter, huh.”

Nodding, Julian glanced away. “They figure I’m too impulsive to be a paper-pusher like you.”

“And what do you think?”

“I think...” Julian licked his lips, then shrugged. “I think I’m too reckless to be trusted with this kind of work. But they don’t know what else to do with me. I think they’re putting me in the hunting division because it’ll be an easy way to get rid of me.”

“Well, they’re assigning you to me, so I’ll make sure you get to cut your teeth on the easy stuff.” Josh hoped the lie wasn’t transparent. He hadn’t had time to review any of the potential hunt contracts they’d included with Julian’s assignment, but he’d glanced through them, and none seemed particularly easy.

“And how do you feel about that?” Julian asked, watching the floor. “Me being assigned to you, that is.”

Josh couldn’t restrain a laugh. “Kind of fitting, I guess. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to crack jokes about being my brother’s Keeper.”

Julian smiled and, for a moment, Josh saw a glimpse of the pleasant kid he remembered, rather than the troubled young man he’d grown into. “Listen, Josh...”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“Yes I do.” Pushing himself off the doorframe, Julian paced into the office and stood beside the window. “I didn’t mention it before. You joke about being my Keeper, but... I saw you at the crash, Josh. When you picked me up off that air bag. I saw you. I thought I was dead. And for a second, I thought that... even with all the angels they could’ve sent to take me to the other side, I wasn’t surprised to see the one who came for me was you.”

His throat constricted and Josh forced a smile. “Well, I couldn’t just leave you like that. Mom would have killed me. I think I’m dead enough already.”

Julian gave him a disapproving look. “I’m being serious.”

“I am, too,” Josh retorted. “Now get out of my office. I have work I need to do, and you’re distracting me.”

Snorting in mock annoyance, Julian waved a hand at him and stalked out into the hallway.

Josh put his head down to look over the paperwork in front of him. It blurred in his vision and he planted his elbows on his desk, burying his face in his hands.

“It’s been six weeks, Mr. Rook. I’d expect you to be moving past the brooding part.”

Josh glowered at the doorway from between his fingers.

Thaddeus stood with an umbrella hung over his arm and a coffee cup in his hand. He raised a brow as if in challenge, sipping his drink. Blood, from the smell of it. The old man never drank anything else. After the first month, Josh had reacquired his taste for coffee. He could have gone for a cup now.

“What do you want, old man?”

“I thought you’d like to know that the VR department has finally decided to excuse your deviation from your initial request.” The elder Keeper shrugged, his cup hovering just beneath his lower lip. “I suspect your brother’s placement in the hunting program being made official this morning had something to do with it. They no longer feel you’ve wasted their generosity.”

“Well, if they didn’t mean anyone, they shouldn’t have given me paperwork that said I was allowed to turn anyone.” It took effort not to yell. Of anything they could discuss, Thaddeus had chosen the one thing Josh was still sore over. He was starting to think he’d never get over it.

Thaddeus chuckled, the look on his face indicating he’d expected to get a rise out of him. “Out of curiosity... I’ve wondered. What would you have done if you’d turned your girlfriend that night, before encountering your brother?”

“I wouldn’t have been there when he crashed. If a single thing had been different, I wouldn’t have been there and he would have died.” And had Julian had even a single beer less, perhaps it wouldn’t have happened at all.

They hadn’t discussed the accident. They hadn’t discussed anything, really. Julian had been assigned to another Keeper at the beginning, stayed in a different house and underwent different training. Josh thought that wise.

He still seethed with anger every time he thought of what he’d lost.

“I suppose we should consider everyone fortunate that such a situation didn’t arise. The organization does not take kindly to those who deviate from the rules. You’ll be wise to remember that, Mr. Rook.”

Josh gritted his teeth, dropping a fist to his desk. “What do you want, Thaddeus?”

The old man didn’t even flinch. “Simply making sure you remember there are rules. Especially for Keepers. We are the enforcers of the rules. To be caught breaking them would be quite grim indeed.” He emptied his coffee mug, then wrapped the gnarled fingers of both hands around it.

“You are to accompany me today,” Thaddeus said, finally answering the question. “I am going to refine a contract with a new vendor on the mortal side of our affairs. Now that you are officially a Keeper, you are to observe and learn, as this will be one of the vendors you must work with.”

“Great. Field trip on the first day.” Josh rolled his eyes, standing up. “Let me get my umbrella.”

Thaddeus nodded curtly. “I shall wait at the car.” Then he disappeared around the corner, presumably to leave his empty cup in his office.

An excursion was the last thing Josh felt like dealing with, but he was learning his feelings didn’t matter. He’d signed them away with his contract, giving up what last scraps of happiness he might have had in order to take responsibility for bringing Julian across.

His brother’s Keeper indeed, he thought with a snort, closing his office door on the way out.

Though they’d missed the collision, the black sedan had sustained damage in jumping the curb. It had been replaced by an SUV, also black, and equally sleek.

If Thaddeus had been bothered by the change, he didn’t show it. He climbed into the vehicle without a word, watching—as always—to see how Josh handled his umbrella. With weeks of practice now under his belt, Josh didn’t have much difficulty. He slid into the passenger seat and leaned away from the open door, closing the umbrella and then catching the door handle with the umbrella’s crook to pull it shut.

“Nimble,” the old man said, offering the closest thing to praise Josh thought he’d ever get.

Nodding stiffly, Josh slouched in the leather seat and watched the city rush by.

They stopped outside a high rise building, one of several banks that occupied the skyline. Josh squinted up at it with a frown. “Vampires and leeches. Seems like an ideal business agreement.”

“I’m sure you think you’re quite clever, but neither our clients nor our contacts within the financial institute would appreciate such statements. Come along.” The elder vampire slid out of the SUV with his umbrella ready, and Josh followed.

The interior was well-lit, fluorescents instead of daylight, and Thaddeus led the way to the elevators with practiced ease. The elevator stopped twice to let passengers on and off on their way up.

“I did what I could, you know,” Thaddeus remarked, gazing at the brushed steel doors where their reflections would have been, had they been living.

Josh turned his head, listening.

“You asked me once, early on, who keeps the Keepers. The answer is nobody.” The tip of the old Keeper’s umbrella tapped the tiled floor. “As an organization, we establish the rules, then require ourselves to follow them. While you were within my jurisdiction, I strove to make your transition into this life as easy as possible. More than once, I pressed my authority to its limits. Had I more time, perhaps something more could have been done. But you’re a full Keeper now. I can do no more.”

“I appreciate that you tried at all,” Josh said. “But be careful, old man. That sounded dangerously close to a confession.”

Thaddeus adjusted his black bowler hat with one hand, a wry almost-smile twisting his lips.

The elevator dinged, its doors opening to their floor.

“Been here a lot?” It looked like any other office building to Josh, but Thaddeus trailed down the corridor to the right, passing cubicles without a glance.

“Several times, through the years. The agent we need to speak with has held the same office for as long as we’ve done business with this financial institution. Or, as long as this particular building has existed.”

Not that long ago, Josh would have balked at the idea of vampire society being integrated with his modern world, clinging to the fragile notions of dark castles and wooden coffins he’d seen in movies. Now he merely nodded, following at his mentor’s heels.

Whether or not he was a full-fledged Keeper, Josh suspected he’d think of Thaddeus as his mentor for some time. There was a pecking order among the Keepers, whether or not they admitted it, and it wasn’t hard to tell the old man was near the top.

Thaddeus paused to knock on the frame of an open office door at the edge of the room, then stepped inside.

Josh followed and froze in the doorway, inwardly groaning. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“Mr. Rook, this is Miss Wright, apprentice to one of our agents.” Thaddeus motioned toward her with an upturned palm. “Our usual agent, Mrs. Moor, is retiring from her position soon, so Miss Wright has been filling in.”

“Interesting occupation,” Josh remarked dryly, closing the door and struggling to stifle his surging emotions.

“It’s not what I saw myself doing, but it’s a stable job and offers a lot of special opportunities.” Charlotte smiled up at him, polite, but all business. “It’s good to see you, Mr. Rook.”

Thaddeus raised a brow, pulling back a chair and making himself comfortable. “Have you met?”

“We went to high school together,” Josh replied, taking the other chair. A thousand questions bubbled on the tip of his tongue, his skin crawling with the need to feel her against him.

“Ah. I should have suspected. The two of you do seem to be near in age. Fancy that.” Thaddeus opened his briefcase on his lap, thumbing through a variety of paperwork.

Josh watched him out of the corner of his eye, suspecting with every ounce of his being that the old man had done this on purpose, unable to find so much as a hint he had.

“Miss Wright is familiar with the... shall we say... unique condition of our clients. You may speak to her of our business as if she were one of us.” Thaddeus pulled neatly labeled documents from his paperwork, adjusting the paperclips on their tops before passing them across the desk. “Before we discuss the contracts, our accountants found the following discrepancies for the year’s reports. We will need you to cross-reference the errors against your records for these accounts.”

“Of course. Mrs. Moor and I have gone over the new account requests for this week already, too, if you’d like me to pull those files?” The way Charlotte’s eyes darted toward a pile of folders on the desk indicated she already had.

“Please. I have a handful of new account applications I’ll need you to see to, as well.” The old vampire peered into his briefcase, making a small sound of displeasure. “It seems I left it in the car. Will you excuse me for a moment? I’m sure Mr. Rook can answer any questions you might have in the meantime.”

Josh’s jaw dropped and he spun in his seat as the old man hopped up and turned for the door. “You son of a-”

“Mind your language,” Thaddeus interrupted, raising one finger. “We are in the presence of a lady.” He closed the door behind him, leaving Josh fuming.

Charlotte chuckled. “So that’s Thaddeus, huh?”

Swallowing hard, Josh gripped the back of his chair and tried to make himself turn to face her. He couldn’t. “Yeah. That’s him.” And though the old man could play innocent well enough to convince most, it was crystal clear that Thaddeus had brought him here with the sole intent of putting his dedication to his oath to the test. Nothing like trial by fire on the first day.

“Well, it is good to see you, Josh.” Charlotte put her head down, sorting documents into piles and then tucking them into manila folders, labeling each one. “I heard you’re a full Keeper now.”

He nodded, forcing himself to return to his chair. “First day. Surprised they’d talk to you about that.”

“So long as you’re polite, they’re not opposed to answering a few questions.” She shrugged.

He watched her open the stack of files on her desk, her nimble fingers rearranging a few sheets of paper before stapling it all together. He pictured her fingers playing with his hair or the collar of his shirt instead. The thought was unbearable. He closed his eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

She seemed surprised, regarding him thoughtfully for a moment before she replied. “I said we’d figure it out, Josh. I meant that. Haven’t you been trying?”

A surge of guilt filled him and he tamped it down. He had; he’d investigated every avenue he could think of, then thought up more. The biggest hindrance was contact. Even if any of his half-dozen plans did work, there was still the clause against communication with humans outside of work.

“I didn’t know how to get word to you,” he said at last. “Julian is in the hunter training program. As soon as he graduates, he’ll be able to move around among people like normal. I figured once he graduated, maybe he could find you.”

“Well, it seems like this job takes care of that, doesn’t it?” She tried to smile, thought it faltered. “Ani—Mrs. Moor, I mean—told me about the communication rules Keepers have to follow. She told me what the punishment for breaking them was. I was so scared you’d get impatient, try to reach me anyway-”

“I’m not that stupid,” Josh put in. “I don’t like the time apart, but a couple weeks for Jul to graduate wasn’t going to kill me.” Whereas violating the Keeper’s Oath—or just the contract he’d signed when he began training—would.

“You can’t blame me for wanting to be sure.” A weak sparkle lit her brown eyes. “Anyway, we can talk here. And I have a lot to tell you. Mrs. Moor isn’t retiring because she’s old, she’s transferring to the VR department. Turning.”

His breath caught, admiration filling his expression at the same time it warmed his chest. “You found a way in.”

Charlotte nodded. “It turns out name-dropping Keepers gets you places quick. I only knew Thaddeus, but that was enough to get me where I needed to go. I asked to be turned right away, but there are a few catches. A Keeper helped connect me to this job in the meantime.”

“Keepers are pretty fond of their paperwork. I’m not surprised they’d give you a headache.” Just thinking of the papers waiting on his desk made him shudder.

“It’s not the paperwork, it’s the-” The door opened and she stopped short.

Thaddeus glanced between them. “Have I interrupted something?”

Josh raised a finger, asking him to wait, leaning forward in his chair. The flutter of hope in his chest felt eerily similar to a heartbeat.

He didn’t need her to say the words he’d dreamed of, the same way he didn’t need to ask to be sure they were thinking the same thing.

Charlotte blushed and nodded, and that single, simple confirmation unleashed a torrent of something Josh had thought he’d never feel again.

He leaped from his chair with a whoop of joy.

* * *

He still got out of breath when he ran.

Josh hadn’t needed to breathe for three-quarters of a year. He still caught himself doing it, especially when he ran. It didn’t hurt anything, but it was a distraction, a weakness he hadn’t yet been able to shake.

He breathed anyway; deep, gasping breaths that didn’t make him feel any less fatigued. Or panicked.

Julian caught him in the hallway. “Where have you been?” he snarled in a whisper, grabbing Josh by the arm.

Josh shook him off, gesturing for him to lead. “I came as fast as I could, but I still had to get permission for this. Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“Hey, I called you as soon as I knew!” Julian stopped at one of a hundred identical doors in the hallway, where voices clamored inside.

Josh burst through the door, tie and suit tails flying. “Charlotte!”

His fiancée’s mother spun toward him. All the blood drained from her face, a wild scream of shock spilling from her lips.

Josh couldn’t blame her. Nine months after his funeral, she was face to face with a dead man.

Ignoring the glares from the nurses and the doctor’s angry shouts for things to settle, Josh shoved his way to the hospital bed and nestled close to Charlotte’s ear, taking her hand. “I’m here,” he whispered, wiping strands of auburn hair from her sweating brow. “I’m here.”

Her hand closed on his like a vise and he gritted his teeth, braving a bare-fanged smile. “You’ve got this, Charlie.”

The baby’s first cry split the air and she collapsed against him, relief mingling with joy and exhaustion on her face.

“Oh, that’s a strong one,” the doctor laughed. “Congratulations. It’s a boy.”

Josh stood, still holding Charlotte’s hand as she sank into the bed and the nurses measured and weighed the baby in their arms.

“Seven pounds, fourteen ounces,” the doctor said. “Does he have a name?”

“Liam,” Charlotte gasped.

Josh’s eyes snapped back to her. “Liam?”

She smiled, nodding and opening her arms to accept the blanket-wrapped bundle.

“What do you think, Dad?” one of the nurses asked. “Is that a keeper?”

“Yeah,” Josh managed, still panting, smiling at the joke they didn’t know they’d made. “That sounds good.”

* * *

Author’s Notes

I’ve always loved vampires, but I was never a fan of horror. In my own world, vampires weren’t just monsters—they were people with a complicated society of their own. You can see this in the Keeper’s Kin series, which this book is a part of. We’re just getting started, but they’re a mix of novellas like this, full-length standalone novels, and a couple trilogies set in the Keeper’s Kin universe, to boot.

I hope you enjoyed Keeper’s Finder. It’s a short ride, but there’s a lot more story to tell. Josh and Charlotte got their happy ending, but Julian... well, his tale is yet to come. In the meantime, you can get started with the first full-length novel.

Ready to meet Thaddeus’s hunter? Kade’s story begins in Her Midnight Cowboy.

Click here to learn more, and don’t forget to sign up for my e-mail newsletter so you won’t miss any future installments in the series!

* * *

Other Titles by Beth Alvarez

PARANORMAL

Death of the Sun

Born of the Moon

Her Midnight Cowboy

The First Hunt (Newsletter Exclusive)

FANTASY

Gale’s Gift

Of Blood and Rain

About the Author

Beth Alvarez has enjoyed writing since childhood and is a ravenous reader.

Having studied fine arts in college, Alvarez has worked as a freelance web designer, graphic designer and illustrator. When not writing, she enjoys drawing, playing video games, driving, and sewing for her unusual collection of Asian ball-jointed dolls.

Raised in southern Illinois, she now resides in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and daughter, their Siberian husky, and a very mean cat.

If you enjoyed this story, consider signing up for Beth’s email newsletter so you’ll never miss a future release: http://www.bethalvarez.com/newsletter.html

Or for the latest updates, blog posts, and free stories, visit her homepage: http://www.bethalvarez.com