“Live bodies?”
“Yes.”
“But how...”
“Hikers mostly. Kidnapped, drugged, locked up in his cabin’s basement. Where he, in turn, locks himself up each full moon.”
“And then what?” asked Allison, eyes wide. “Wait, I don’t wanna—”
“He feasts on them, of course.”
“...know,” she finished, turning a little green.
The waitress came by with our bill. I thought paying was the least I could do, since Allison suddenly looked traumatized. Hearing about a werewolf exploring his true nature—his powerful nature—and feasting on weakling humans, didn’t quite haunt me the same way it did Allison. I also knew this was the demon inside me. Or, rather, her influence on me. Or was it? These days, I wasn’t quite sure. This should have concerned me more than it did.
“Well, it concerns me, Sam,” she said. “And thanks for lunch. I think.”
“Oh, cheer up,” I said.
“You sound oddly perky for someone who just told me that a local werewolf has a kill room up in Arrowhead.”
“Not perky...intrigued.”
“Okay, that might be even worse. And he confessed to all of this while asleep?”
“Apparently so.”
“What are you going to do next?”
I looked at the time on my cell. “Meet with Kingsley. You know, my first choice.” I winked as we stood.
“I hate you, Samantha Moon.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You’re right, I don’t...but don’t be surprised if you push me away someday into the arms of another bestie.”
“One can hope,” I said, and nudged her with my elbow as we left the café.
The red-haired girl watched me the whole way.
Chapter Six
I was in Kingsley’s office, waiting.
These days, Kingsley employs male receptionists and secretaries. I might have had something to do with that. Kingsley, a known playboy, didn’t need the temptation. Did I trust him these days? Mostly. Did he need a blond bimbo leaning over his desk with her cleavage showing, looking to move up in the world of paralegals? Hell, no.
I knew he loved me, and I seriously doubted he would do anything to screw this up again. Then again...
“Once a cheater, always a cheater,” or so my sister liked to tell me.
Except I knew that Kingsley was looking for something more, something real, and something with another immortal. Truth was, my own choices were quite limited, since I tended to turn mortals into love slaves. Not a bad idea in theory, but in practice, it was miserable. Try getting through your day when another is literally waiting on you hand and foot, and mostly underfoot.
Yesss, came a voice deep within me.
Of course, she would approve. For all I knew, she was instrumental in creating the love slave bond-thing. Which made sense, since she wanted to enslave me, too. To control me completely and totally.
I continued walking through Kingsley’s spacious office. The hairy oaf was still into his moons. Everywhere I looked was another full moon. In fact, he had some new additions since the last time I’d been here. The moon globe was new, as was the moon mouse pad and, yes, there was an actual moon rock fragment sitting inside a glass case next to his wet bar. A single spotlight shone down on the rock, which itself was encased in a domed glass. How the man had acquired it, I didn’t know. Could you buy moon rocks on eBay?