The difference being, of course, his eyes glowed amber. What color mine glowed, I hadn’t a clue, since I hadn’t seen them in nine years. My sister had told me that my eyes had turned a darkish brown, almost black. They had once been blue. I sighed at that all over again.
When I was finished, Kingsley pushed off the desk and walked over to the wet bar, where he poured himself a finger or two of Crystal Skull vodka, which seemed fitting under the circumstances.
“Some werewolves hunger for fresh blood,” he said. “Or live food.”
“You don’t,” I said, and it was a memory I would rather forget. The one time Kingsley had escaped his own “safe room,” which was deep under his estate home, he had gone straight to a local cemetery...and dug up a freshly buried body. That he had consumed it was something that should have been a dealbreaker for me. Luckily, Kingsley didn’t have much control over himself when he was in his changeling state.
Still...so gross. And I kiss that mouth.
“No, Sam. I don’t hunger for fresh blood. But many do. In fact, we’re very nearly divided down the middle.”
“Half prefer corpses, half prefer the living.”
He winced a little. “Right.”
We both knew what the wince meant...and we both let it go. I doubted Kingsley was proud of his actions. Then again, he had very little control of his actions, either, although he had ended up in my hotel room...and had restrained himself from attacking me. Somehow.
I said, “Well, there’s a chance he’s killed many.”
“I don’t doubt it, Sam. Not all werewolves are responsible, Sam. Nor are all vampires. Some kill. Some love to kill. But, like you and me, many of us take precautions against our true natures.”
My precaution was feeding regularly from Allison—and, if desperate enough, from the packs of cow and pig blood in my refrigerator in the garage. Kingsley had a holding cell beneath his house. A safe room.
I said, “Well, he’s taking precautions, too. Except he’s locking up hikers with him.”
Food, although I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
The entity within me was enjoying this conversation very much. I felt her rise up through my consciousness so that she wouldn’t miss a word. Crazy bitch.
“Some people are killers before they turn, Sam,” said Kingsley. “And some of us give in to the darkness within us.”
“And feed the demons within us,” I said.
“Right. It takes willpower and fortitude to stay true to ourselves.”
“Tell me about it,” I said, and sighed.
As he drank, I considered having a finger or two of vodka myself, but I had to pick up the kids soon, and, although alcohol had no effect on me, it wouldn’t be a good thing picking up the kids with vodka breath. The principal already didn’t like me as it was.
Instead, I folded my arms over my own chest and drummed my pointed fingernails along my upper arm. “He’s going to have to be stopped.”
“I agree,” said Kingsley. “Let me ask around, see what I can find out on the guy.”
“Thank you.”
“And Sam?”
“Yes?”
He sighed loudly. “Please be careful.”
I stood on my tippy-toes and ruffled his thick mane of hair...and planted a big kiss on his thick lips.
“Always,” I said, and left.
Chapter Seven
It was late.