Boston Tea Party, but I think he’s lying. He’s been with Alec for about 40 years now.
Alec used to travel a lot, like Max, and for a while he spent time in Ireland and Scotland. Another vampire turned Angus against his will and was using him and his warriors to set up his own fiefdom, with Angus as his pawn. When Alec got there, there were too many vampires, not enough humans to support them all. They were surviving by raiding nearby villages and other lords’ manors. Alec heard because someone he did business with had come to hardship over the losses of his serfs.
By the time Alec tracked down the culprit, most of Angus’s people were already dead, and what was left were pale shadows. Alec slew the one who turned Angus, but his people were already scattered or destroyed. Angus chose to stay with Alec and, like me, has supported him ever since.
Clarisse is from Ireland. She’s never told me her story, so I don’t know who turned her or why. I know she’s at least as old as Angus.
Lisa is also from Ireland. Angus turned her a long time ago. He found her when Alec was passing through on business, decided to keep her.
Wesley tells everybody he’s from England, but he’s not. His accent is faked, and he speaks some other language when he’s angry. Alec met him in Morocco, ask him to tell you the story sometime. Very funny!
Ken is from San Francisco. He’s only been a vampire for 20-some years. Don’t know why Alec picked him, except his killer (haha) fashion sense. Reece is from New York. Ken manages the clubs, and Reece handles choreography for the entertainment.
I think I already told you about Alec. Very old. Aside from Max, I think he’s the oldest in the U.S. right now.
Christoph grinned at the notes. He thought for a second.
“I know Ashi is from Korea. His real name is Dae-something. His family owns some kind of huge company in Singapore. No one knows much about him, except that if you call him by his real name, he’ll do his best to kill you.
“Analie was born into Goliath. Her mom... well, her mom was turned Were at eighteen or so and promptly slept with every willing guy in the pack. Got knocked up. Two weeks after Analie was born, her mom crossed a street against the light and misjudged how fast the cars were going. Gavin’s an official pack caretaker and he took her in.”
Mouse nodded again, considering this.
I know Analie misses Gavin. She talks about him a lot.
“What do you do in your off time? You go to the movies or anything?”
She nodded and started writing.
I like going to the movies. Snuck into the zoo a couple times after hours. Moonwalkers didn’t like that.
She smiled slyly as she wrote that last.
I read a lot. I sometimes go out with Clarisse or Jessica or one of my donors. Last week, I went to a Broadway show with Timothy. The week before that, I went to an arcade with Mark and discovered I am not very good at skeeball.
What about you?
Christoph laughed.
“I go running with the guys. We have fake fights and go into the hills to chase coyotes. When I’m pink I watch sports or play cards. Mostly I’m fuzzy in my free time. When Amelia—the other caretaker—had this three-year-old named Danica, she’d ride me around when I ran in the hills. I was mostly doing it for respect to gain rank, but she was a cute kid.”
Mouse smiled at the image that conjured. Shaking her head, she sighed, then frowned, reaching out to lightly touch the collar. It tingled unpleasantly under her fingertips, and she swiftly withdrew. She jotted down a few words.
I’m sorry Alec did this to you. I’d take it off if I could.
Christoph shrugged. “Maybe I can get it taken off now and then. Let out for good behavior and all that.” He smirked. “I have to say, I’ve never played by the rules of the pack. Goliaths push and break their own rules all the time. I have no idea how Analie is holding up so well. Gavin taught her to be the biggest upstart in history.”
Just then, Analie entered the apartment, hunkered over and her head lowered. She closed the door behind her and rushed to her room.
“Hello to you, too,” Christoph called. “What’s going on?”
“Cramps,” Analie muttered, then slammed the bedroom door behind herself.
Christoph blinked. “Well... you... have fun... with