the Master Vampire had entered their residence without his guards. They’d brought him in, helped him out of the light-proof bag, and gone back outside. Eunice wouldn’t have allowed his client to do so, though he acknowledged that sometimes clients went against direct orders designed to keep them safe. It was likely his guards weren’t happy with him going off on his own.
Still, Marco had felt confident that the three shapeshifters didn’t present a danger to him. Was this due to politics, or his power?
Likely a combination of both.
Eunice and his housemates were under a tight NDA restricting them from sharing any details about vampires they learned as a result of Kelsey living with them, but Eunice had already known some of the strongest, oldest vampires could feed off of emotions. He didn’t know, however, how old they usually were when the ability came to them. Was it normal for it to show up so soon? Had it been there all along for Kelsey, but she’d been with other vampires more than shapeshifters, so no one had picked up on it?
Or perhaps it’d been there in a small way, but this power jump made it a big enough deal it could finally be noticed.
He parked, centered and grounded himself, and walked to the limo. The driver and another guard exited the front. The guard opened a door, the driver walked to the front-right corner of the limo and faced forward. The first guard out walked to the back-right corner and faced back. Other guards took up positions to watch the surroundings as well, and Eunice noticed two seemed to be watching the skies.
Abbott had been able to fly, but he was in Alaska. Who else were they watching for? It was interesting to watch other security teams work, and in this case, reassuring, since the vampires had to be doubly protected during daylight hours.
Three body bags were removed, and were carried inside the back door and down the steps.
A slim, pale female vampire with dark hair climbed from her bag without help, and a chill went through him. This one needed watching.
When Marco and Kelsey were out and standing, Eunice joined Fabio and their girl, walking with her between them. Kelsey was afraid, and Eunice wanted to help keep her fear at bay, but all he could do was offer his physical presence.
It turned out the office was primarily used by Etta, the female vampire who’d set Eunice’s teeth on edge. She walked Kelsey into the adjoining bedroom, and closed and locked the door.
Eunice stood at the entrance to the office, Fabio stood at the entrance to the bedroom. Marco sat behind the desk, and an eagle stood between Marco and Fabio.
The wolves had stayed upstairs.
Eunice felt power being thrown around in the other room. The hair on his arms stood up. His spine tingled.
For an hour.
No one spoke in the office. Marco seemed to be looking through invoices and comparing them to something on the computer monitor while Eunice and Fabio stood as bodyguards — despite the fact there was nothing to guard except the doors.
When the inner door finally opened, Etta came out, her arm around Kelsey, who had red eyes and a tear streaked face. The scent of decomposing flesh and death came to him out of the room, as well as the stench of fear and dread. Someone had been terrified in that room.
“She’ll need to feed,” the female vampire said.
Fabio scooped Kelsey up, walked to the sofa, and sat with her in his lap, her head in the crook of his neck. “Take what you need, Cupcake. I have you.”
Marco didn’t seem to react to the nickname, but he was clearly interested in the power moving between the two of them.
“I’m afraid that isn’t a good idea just yet,” he told them, and he motioned to the door.
A duck shifter walked in, and Eunice immediately understood what they intended to do. The duck’s arm was held by the Slayer, and the energy between the two of them told him the larger duck was prisoner of the smaller Slayer.
Ducks are the rapists of the animal kingdom, and duck shifters are... well, frequently in need of brutal punishment.
Kelsey scented the Slayer and tried to run, but Fabio held her. “He’s okay. He isn’t here to hurt you.”
Ryan’s grasp on the duck’s arm seemed to tighten, and he walked the shifter past them, into the bedroom. Marco stood and walked around the desk.
“Come along, Kelsey. Now that you