of my bags in and set them down at the foot of the bed so I wouldn’t have to drag anything out of my car. The scent of vampire was nigh overpowering in the room, though, and I was a bit annoyed that there were no windows—not even in the bathroom—to vent the place.
The whole household would know we were here by nightfall. There were a few people I wouldn’t mind seeing again, but getting reacquainted with them was going to be interesting with Sara here. Royce would undoubtedly stick to his word and let all of his vampires know she was off-limits but, until he did, I’d have to keep a very close eye on her.
Chapter 31
I did manage to get some rest before nightfall. The constant stress had exhausted me more than I’d realized until my head hit the pillow. Waking up smothered by the smell of vampire wasn’t pleasant, but the high thread count sheets and cushy mattress did a lot to soothe my ruffled feathers. The scent of food gradually penetrated my sleep-fuddled haze, drawing me out from under the covers. I threw on some fresh clothes and shambled out into the living room.
Sara was talking quietly but animatedly with Clarisse, Mouse, and a couple other people I recognized, but couldn’t remember the names of. They gestured me over with welcoming smiles, and I was very pleased to see the pizza boxes on the table between them. After snagging a slice, I settled down on the arm of the nearest couch, inclining my head to our visitors.
The girl was one of the two Asian donors who lived in the building, though I couldn’t remember if this one was Ivy or Joy. The big guy seated next to Mouse was someone I’d met once, briefly, when I was under particularly heavy strain of the bond to Royce. All I remembered about him was that he’d also appeared pretty stressed at the time; now he seemed more relaxed, sprawled in his chair like he owned the place.
Sara, perhaps recognizing the way my eyes crinkled as I tried and failed to remember the names, smoothly filled me in.
“Hey, Shia, you’ve met Mouse, Christoph, and Ivy, right? Now that you’re here, Ivy’s supposed to give us the lowdown on how things work around here.”
“Good to see you again,” Ivy said, smiling brightly at me. I returned the expression, if a bit more wanly, and she hooked a thumb at the kitchen. “There’s a notepad and pens on your fridge. We get groceries delivered once a week. Write down anything you need, and turn it over to Timothy by Thursday night, and he’ll place the order in the morning. Mouse can introduce you if you haven’t met him yet. He’s a bit shy.
“I’m sure you noticed we don’t have windows. The vent systems are good, but if you smoke, take it outside. Use the fire escape at the end of the hall to chill in the courtyard. We barbeque out there in the summer, too. Let’s see, what else …”
Christoph spoke up, scratching the back of his neck. “If you don’t want everyone and their brother trying to bite you, make sure someone claims you fast.”
Mouse and Clarisse gave him disapproving looks. He shrugged. “What? It’s true.”
Ivy rolled her eyes then continued, ticking off each rule on her fingers as she went. “Right. Anyway, no visitors without clearing it through whoever’s on guard duty first. That includes pizza and other food deliveries. If you’re on the roster to work, you’ll find your name posted on the notice board in the gym on the second floor. Never leave the house through the front door without a partner; if you can, restrict your movements to the tunnel system in the basement. Someone will get you keys later. If you need a tour of the tunnels, ask Mouse or Ken; they know the place better than anyone. Oh, laundry’s done in the basement, too. Give dry cleaning to Ken on Mondays.
“Since you’ve got dogs, if you want to walk them, don’t take them to Central Park. It’s restricted to the werewolves, so we’re not supposed to bug them. Territory issues or something.”
“That’s very important, you know,” Christoph said, in the tones of one deeply offended.
“Pipe down, lovey; no one’s going to bother the Moonwalkers,” Clarisse said.
Mouse started to scribble something down on a notepad she’d brought, but threw her hands up when Ivy continued on a completely different topic.