The Vampire's Surprise - Stormy Glenn Page 0,23

the vampire in the throat with one hand and punched him in the balls with the other. When the vampire bent over, Etienne brought his knee up, nailing the vampire in the face. The vampire crumbled to the ground in a heap.

"Holy shit," Quinn whispered.

Louis chuckled. "My rajaaka says a vampire bleeds just as easily as a human."

This was true.

"I'm sure Hogan will wish he was going another round with Etienne once Prince Nikolas learns of his bad attitude. The prince doesn't suffer fools easily, and he can't stand those who believe they are better than humans."

Quinn frowned as he thought about the vampire's words and then turned toward him. "If that's true, then why does he charge so much for synthetic blood? Do you know how hard it is on those of us trying to provide for vampires you all deem rogues? Half the time, I've got some many needle marks in my arms I look like a heroin addict."

Louis's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Dmitri. "What is he talking about?"

"Quinn has been donating the blood for the kids every week."

Louis's gaze dropped to the kids. "They're not human?"

"They are half human, half vampire," Quinn said. "Our mother is a vampire."

Dmitri turned to look at him. "These are your siblings?"

Quinn nodded.

"I thought they were your kids."

"No, they're my brothers and sister."

"Then where are your parents?" Dmitri asked. "Why aren't they helping you out? Why do you have to raise them all on your own?" Dmitri blinked for a moment. "Why are you even raising them? Why are they being raised by your parents?"

"Our fathers were all human, and they passed away a long time ago. Our mother is a rogue vampire."

"And you didn't think to mention that before now?" Dmitri snapped. "Did you think that maybe that's why the rogues are after you?"

But that didn't make sense.

"Why would they be coming after me? They've never bothered me in the past."

"We discussed this, Quinn," Dmitri said. "We don't know if that bomb was meant for me, you, or the kids."

"It was in your car, so I suspect it was meant for you and your men."

"Maybe, but how do you explain the men who broke into your house?"

Quinn winced. "I can't."

"What do you know about the rogues?" Louis asked.

Quinn's nostrils flared with renewed anger. "I know most of them are just trying to get by. They don't bother anyone. They just want to live their lives."

"Do you even know what a rogue is?"

"A vampire who doesn't belong to one of your tribes."

"A rogue is a vampire who refuses to submit to the rules set down by our council to keep us hidden from human eyes, and to keep our kind safe and keep the humans safe from us. Most rogues don't care if humans are hurt or killed. Our council has very strict rules about how humans are treated."

Quinn glanced at the guard who still lay on the ground. "Apparently, not all your tribe vampires follow those rules."

Louis grimaced. "Some of our vampires are a little more…hostile than others."

"So are some of the rogues, but a majority of them just want to live their lives in peace."

"Then they need to join a tribe."

"And what happens when you can't join a tribe?" Quinn bristled under the man's intense stare. "What happens when you're denied membership into one of your illustrious vampire tribes because you're only a half-breed? What are you supposed to do then?"

"Now, look—"

"I'll tell you what you do. You go rogue. You donate blood every week so those you love can feed without attacking someone or you beg, borrow, and steal so you can afford your expensive synthetic blood. You learn to avoid tribe vampires because they want nothing more than to kill you because you've been labeled as a rogue, even if you have no other choice."

Louis's brow furrowed. He glanced at Dmitri. "Is any of this true?"

"He's my rajaaka." Dmitri shrugged. "I believe him."

Chapter Nine

Dmitri barely kept the smile from his face when Quinn's hand settled in the middle of his back. He didn't know if it came from the bond he already had with Quinn or the anticipation of the one to come, but he really did believe him.

He turned and picked Hannah up, cradling her to his chest. "This is one of your rogues, Louis. Not because she wants to be, but because every tribe Quinn went to turned him down. They denied him entrance into their tribes because Hannah's mother is a vampire and