The Vampire's Surprise - Stormy Glenn Page 0,24

her father was human."

"Right after Arthur was born, I approached several of your tribe members and inquired about joining," Quinn said. "I knew I couldn't feed three kids. I needed help. Each and every one of them turned me away. Some even warned me not to come back. It was the same with every other tribe I went to. I had no choice but to go rogue. How many others are there out there that are just like me? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? How many are just trying to get by because they were denied the right you seem to think they have to join a tribe?"

Some of the fight seemed to seep out of Louis as his shoulders slumped. "You get it that it's not supposed to be that way, right?"

"I get that your system was set up to keep people safe, humans and vampires, but it doesn't seem to me to be any checks and balances. Once you're labeled a rogue, you stay a rogue. There's no questions about what made you a rogue."

"Rogues are usually vampires who refuse to follow the rules about not feeding from humans. That's why we have synthetic blood."

"No one can afford your synthetic blood. It's too freaking expensive."

Louis's frown was immediate. "That's not right. While each tribe around the world contributes to a fund, bags of synthetic blood are free to individual members."

"Members of vampire tribes?"

"Yes."

"That's your problem right there."

Louis glanced between Quinn and Dmitri. "I don't understand."

"I've tried several times to buy bags of your synthetic blood. I'd have an easier time buying a Rolex watch. I can't afford a hundred dollars a bag when I need blood for three kids."

Louis's eyebrows shot up. "A hundred dollars a bag?"

"That's the going price," Quinn said. "But I've seen it go as high as three hundred dollars a bag. The price changes according to supply and demand."

Louis's lips thinned as he pressed them together. "Would you be willing to speak to Prince Nikolas about this? I can guarantee you that he does not know this is going on or he would have put a stop to it long ago."

Dmitri smiled and nodded when Quinn glanced at him. "The decision is yours, Quinn, but Prince Nikolas is a good man. And remember, his mate is human. He doesn't feel about them the same way that that ass on the ground does."

"I guess, but can it we find some place to lay the kids down first? They're exhausted. They should be sleeping right now, and they've been woken up over and over again."

"We have a guest suite upstairs," Etienne said as he walked over. "You can lay the kids down there, and then the prince came come talk to you there so you don't have to leave them. I can even call Mateo and see if he'll whip us up something to eat."

"That would be great. I haven't had a chance to get anything to eat since I gave blood earlier this evening."

"Here, let me take those." Etienne grabbed the bags from Quinn. "How often do you have to give blood?" he asked as he started walking toward the front door.

"Usually only once a week," Quinn replied, walking beside him, still holding Robby's hand, "but if they kids get sick or injured, I have to give a little more."

Louis waited until they passed through the doors before turning to look at Dmitri. "Do you think what he said about the rogues ties into the trouble we've been having with them lately?"

"Yes." Dmitri had no doubt that it did. "I'm just trying to figure out how Councilman Chambers plays into it."

Louis's eyebrows lifted. "You think he's involved in this mess?"

"You know he wanted to basically take over the world with vampires as the masters and humans as our blood slaves. He'd consider a half blood vampire to be a defect and not worthy of being one of his elite vampires. Kind of makes you wonder just how many other half vampire children are out there or how many vampires have gone rogue because their human mates wouldn't be accepted into a tribe."

Dmitri readjusted Hannah in his arms when her head went down on his shoulder. He patted her back for a moment until she went boneless in his arms. "It also kind of makes you wonder who is in charge of distribution of the synthetic blood."

"Prince Nikolas."

"No, I mean, who's in charge at the distribution center? Who makes sure that the synthetic blood goes where