The vampire had given up his business suit.
Like most of the vampires I'd met, he was more comfortable in clothing of other eras.
Werewolves learn to go with the times so they don't fall into the temptation of living in the past.
I can place women's fashions of the past hundred years within about ten years, and before that to the nearest century.
Men's clothing not so much, especially when they are not formal clothes.
The button fly on his cotton pants told me it was before zippers were used much.
His shirt was dark brown with a tunic neck that would allow it to be pulled over his head, so there were no buttons on it.
Know your prey, Bran had told us.
Observe.
"James Blackwood," I said.
"You know, when Corban introduced us, I couldn't believe my ears." He smiled, pleased.
"I scared you." But then he frowned.
"You are not frightened now." Rabbit, I thought hard.
And made the mistake of meeting his eyes the way I had that little bunny's so long ago--as I had Aurielle's last night.
But neither Aurielle nor the bunny had been a vampire.
I WOKE UP TUCKED INTO A TWIN-SIZED BED, AND, NO MATTER how hard I tried, I couldn't see beyond that moment when he'd met my eyes.
The room was mostly dark, with no sign of a window to be seen.
The only light came from a night-light plugged into a wall socket next to a door.
I threw back the covers and saw that he'd stripped me to my panties.
Shuddering, I dropped to my knees ...
remembering ...
remembering other things.
"Tim is dead," I said, and the sound came out in a growl worthy of Adam.
And once I'd heard it and knew it for a fact, I realized I didn't smell of sex the way that Amber had.
I did, however, smell of blood.
I reached up to my neck and found the first set of bite marks, the second, and a new third just a centimeter to the left of the second.
Stefan's had healed.
I shook a little in relief that it wasn't worse, then a little more in anger that didn't quite hide how frightened I was.
But relief and anger wouldn't leave me helpless in the middle of a panic attack.
The door was locked, and he had left me with nothing to pick it with.