Sara Humphreys: Tall, Dark, and Vampire

“What?” Olivia shook her head, squatted next to the enormous dog, and rubbed his brown and black coat. “I know, I know. I should’ve seen the Maya thing coming. She’s still a youngling and has a hearty appetite for screwing around with the boys. Maybe I’m showing my age, or maybe I just don’t give a shit anymore? Either way, it’s sloppy, and when the Presidium gets wind of this, there’s going to be hell to pay. Not to mention Vincent’s impending visit. Shit.”

Van Helsing licked her face and put his large paw on her knee in his own version of a hug.

“Hey!” Olivia laughed. “I just got this suit.”

Van Helsing growled and dropped his paw.

“But I appreciate the gesture.”

She scratched his ears before making her way to her desk. Olivia sat in the large leather chair, and Van immediately lay at her feet, as he was prone to do.

“If Maya killed that kid and made this mess, then we’re in some deep shit, my friend. You know how the Presidium feels about messy and public human killings.”

Van Helsing lifted his head and watched her intently. She spoke to him as if he could actually understand her, and sometimes she was convinced he did.

She didn’t want to scare Maya or the others, but the severity of the crime was not one to take lightly. The only disruption the vampire government hated more than messy human killings were unregistered new vampires—that was the biggest indiscretion as far as the elders were concerned. All seasoned vampires were limited to two vampires per year, and they had to be registered with the Presidium records keeper in their district immediately.

Olivia held up the white business card and read his name over and over.

Doug Paxton.

Her lips lifted as she switched on the computer. Not only did he look and sound exactly like her young lover from her human life, but he also had the same first name. Even though it had been close to three centuries since she’d laid eyes on him in the flesh, she’d never forget that silky smooth voice or those piercing blue eyes.

Douglas was killed the same night she was turned, and the memory of it still stung.

Shaking off the unpleasant memories, she did a quick search online and found a considerable amount of information on the detective. Apparently, he arrested a serial killer who had been hacking up hookers in the city.

He was about thirty years old, had been raised in a series of foster homes, and once on the force, he climbed quickly to the rank of detective. There was no mention of family, and he seemed married to his job.

However, another name in the article captured her attention—Pete Castro.

Pete was a newly turned vampire and currently worked as a sentry for the Presidium. The emperor appointed Pete to the position within a couple of months of being turned, and in true Emperor Zhao fashion, he didn’t explain why. He simply did it. Pete now reported to the Czar of New York, Augustus. He and his senators lorded over this district with the kind of decadent laziness that many ancient vampires succumbed to after centuries of existence.

Pete was the last vampire Olivia turned, and she only did it as a favor for her friend, Marianna. She may not have a beating heart, but Olivia wasn’t heartless. Marianna had finally found her life mate, and Olivia could not bear the idea of her friend suffering the same lonely existence that she had, so she turned Pete before he died. Marianna was an Amoveo, a shapeshifter, and having a vampire for a mate was a first for the shifters, but Marianna didn’t care. The implications their mating might have did not even cross her mind; she simply could not live without Pete.

Olivia let out a sigh and kept her gaze fixed on the black-and-white photo of Doug that glowed brightly on the screen. The serious, brooding eyes looked back with gut-wrenching familiarity.

Marianna could have lived without Pete—Olivia knew that better than anyone—but she did not have to .

According to this article, Pete was Doug’s former partner and helped him crack this case, among others. Olivia smirked at the interesting connection. She knew Pete had been a cop, but what were the odds that he was Doug’s former partner? She should be able to get the inside scoop on Doug from her latest progeny, a bright light in a quickly darkening situation.

A knock at her office door ripped her from her thoughts and had her abruptly closing the browser window on her computer. Van Helsing hopped to his feet and trotted to the door with his long tail wagging behind him.

It was Pete. Van loved Pete almost as much as he loved her. She sensed him immediately, as she would with any of her progeny, but Pete’s presence was stronger than the others due to his unusual heritage.

“Come in, Pete,” Olivia said as she sat back in the leather desk chair.

The door swung open, and to her surprise the entrance was empty, but seconds later, Pete’s smiling face peered around the corner. “Is it safe to come in?”

Van barked, which immediately elicited scratches behind the ears from Pete. Satisfied with the greeting, Van returned to his spot by Olivia’s feet.

“What are you talking about?” Olivia tried to sound blasé, but her frustration got the better of her.

Pete shook his head and shut the door.

“I heard your meeting request .”

He leaned against the wall next to the door and removed his leather gloves, before stuffing them into the pockets of his long black leather coat. Dressed in the standard paramilitary sentry uniform, he cut an imposing figure as a human or a vampire. His weapons, an arsenal of guns, silver ninja stars, and knives, were hidden discreetly beneath his coat, yet remained easily accessible.

“I know I don’t live here. However, I am part of the coven, so I still heard you loud and clear. One benefit of being your progeny, correct? This special meeting wouldn’t have anything to do with that guy who turned up in a dumpster here in the Village, would it?”

“Shit.” Her green eyes flicked to Pete’s. “The Presidium already got wind of this?”

“Nope.” He shrugged. “Old habits die hard. I listen to the police scanner from time to time and keep an eye out for Doug. I saw him here earlier with his partner.”

Relief washed over her because she needed to get ahead of this mess. Ideally, she would squash it before they even heard about it, and at the very least, she needed more information in case they called her to task.

Olivia narrowed her eyes and wagged a scolding finger. “I can’t imagine that the czar would take kindly to you spending your time and energy looking after human affairs. I’m sure Augustus has far more important jobs for you to do in the district.”

“Like I give a crap,” Pete scoffed loudly. “They don’t own me, and I’ll look after whoever I want. If they don’t like it, they can kiss my vampire-demon ass. Besides, you’re my maker, and my mate’s best friend. As far as I’m concerned, your opinion is the only one that matters.” He grinned. “Boss lady.”

Olivia laughed at his ridiculous nickname for her and smiled with pride. She secretly adored the fact that he was a bit of a rebel because he threw off the Presidium’s pomp and circumstance, like she did when she was a sentry. Her maker, Vincent, never had the same appreciation for that kind of rebellious nature; instead, it served as a source of embarrassment for him.

“I knew I liked you.” Her brow knitted with concern. “How’s it going, by the way? Any other side effects from your demon lineage, or is daywalking the main consequence?”

Pete shifted his feet and looked away. Olivia knew how uncomfortable he was discussing his demon bloodline. The poor guy had only found out a few days before he was turned into a vampire, but he had adapted surprisingly well. The fact that he was already mated to a shapeshifter likely helped him adjust faster than a human who had no knowledge of the supernatural creatures who lived in their midst. Most vamps had a hard time accepting their new life at first.