weren't suited for walking in snow, but wet socks and wet pants didn't bother him. Following the miners was a slow business; the leader kept them more or less together, but their progress was hampered by slips, stumbles, and the occasional quarrel.
After a long walk, they made their way onto the front porch of a building, arguing over who would go first. The vampire grinned again as he looked up at the painted sign of the Purdy brothel. Mortals were so predictable. His unwitting guides struggled through the front door, one of them getting shut out in the process. The straggler hit his head on the closing door and collapsed in a cursing heap. Glava watched the man try to pull himself back up, almost feeling moved to pity. A shadow of a thought to help him flickered through the vampire's mind. Before he could refuse it, a hand reached out into the cold night and pulled the miner inside.
Glava relished the chill of the air for a moment longer before letting himself in. The gaudy lights winked at him as he removed his gloves. A porter moved to greet him.
"Good evening, sir," the man said with a slight bow.
"And to you," Glava replied, offering the man a smile.
"What can I do for you?"
The vampire reached into his pocket and produced a number of bills. "One of your nicer accommodations, if you would be so kind."
"Of course, sir," the porter said, bowing again. "Have you a preference?"
"Something light, I believe."
The young man grinned and turned, leading Glava up the staircase. The vampire followed in silence, reveling in the feeling of so many warm bodies so near to his own. This brothel teemed with life at its most intense, sweaty and passionate, each door glowing with the energy of the men and women within. It was all he could do to keep himself from tearing into his guide as a prelude to a symphony of bloody revelry. All in good time, he reminded himself. Once he'd dealt with the hunter and her smarmy British pet, he would have his pick of the finest morsels this town had to offer.
The porter led him to a door on the second floor, bowed, and returned the way he had come. Glava's eyes lingered on the man's neck for a moment before he opened the door. The walk through the brothel, short though it had been, had worked him into a blood craze.
And there in the room was his first taste. The young woman stood next to a wash tub, her body wrapped in a towel. She glanced up and smiled when he entered. She tossed the towel aside and walked over to him, her body gleaming in the soft light.
"Well, ain't you a fancy one?" she said, running her fingers over his suit. "I reckon you don't even need me to wash you up."
"I do try to keep myself polished," Glava said. The heat from her body called to him. "We can proceed directly to the boudoir if you prefer."
"I just may," she said, lowering her hand to curl around his. When their skin touched, she took a deep breath. "My, but ain't you frozen to the bone! Ain't you got no gloves?"
"My hands prefer their freedom," Glava said.
She giggled. "Well, I hope the rest of you ain't so chilly, or we might have us a problem."
She led him through the archway into the bedroom. Candlelight played on the frosty windows as she laid herself out on the bed. Glava remained on his feet, his skin aflame with lust. She opened her legs slowly, teasing him, but his golden eyes lingered on her neck.
"What are you waiting for, honey?" she asked.
"Just enjoying the moment, my dear," Glava said. "What is your name?"
"Annabelle Rose."
He smiled. "A name as beautiful as its owner."
"Clean, handsome, and sweet," she said. "No wonder I ain't never seen you here before. Your wife probably never lets you out of her sight."
"I doubt she would, if she were alive."
Fine brows arched above her blue eyes. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drudge up the past."
"There is much to uncover," he said, his smile never wavering, "but it is of no concern. She has been gone a long time now."
Annabelle's smile returned. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. No trouble with a jealous old lady, then."
"None at all." Glava lowered himself onto the bed. Annabelle curled up next to him, wrapping a long white leg around both of his. Her