My eyes opened to what at first appeared to be the sunshine. I blinked in confusion until my vision cleared. I knew that I wasn't in my bed though I didn't immediately remember why.My fingers brushed the soft fur of the comforter, and I remembered the events of the previous night. Tony Yates. This was his house. I sat up and allowed my legs to swing over the side of the most comfortable bed I had ever slept in.I dressed and examined myself in one of the many mirrors. My eyes weren't as vibrantly gold as the night before, but nothing else about my look had changed. I puffed my hair. Damn, but I was loving this two-toned gold hair. My skin had even taken a slight golden sheen. I didn't need even a touch of makeup. I rubbed my hands down my toned belly and thighs. I did a little spin to admire the shape of my butt.A woman cleared her throat behind me. How the hell didn't I hear that with my new hearing?It was the Asian Council woman, the one who had called me out for using the wor

He smiled. "First things first." He offered me his hand. "We're going shopping."I wanted to protest but couldn't. I really wanted to go shopping because I wasn't rolling in spare clothes.He led me outside to a waiting black Mercedes-Benz in the driveway. "You drive?""Of course. I'm not so far gone that I can't appreciate nice things." His eyes appraised me. He was flirting again. Hmmph. I wasn't going to bite. He led me to the car and I saw Mei Wah behind the wheel waiting. When I got in, Mei Wah gave me a look that seemed full of shame. "I'm sorry, Miss Kim. Tony told me about Kaniji sneaking into the house."I noticed he referred to me as Miss, but there was nothing in front of Kaniji's name. "Believe me, if I had known she was in the vicinity," Mei Wah said, "I would have made certain that she would have never entered the lower level.""Thanks, Mei Wah. I appreciate that."Once we were settled in, Mei Wah turned on the CD player and some gentle jazz wafted through the s

"So, why wasn't I offered his seat on the Council?""Because ... you're a Third. No Third has ever been strong enough to defeat a Council member, so we deemed it an accidental killing, which allowed for Johan's Second to take his place. I'm so sorry."I waved away his apology. "So what am I if not a Council member? I mean, what will be my role in this … Vampire nation?"Tony's eyes hooded. "The lowest ranked on the totem pole."I frowned feeling slightly ill. "Tell me what it means to be the lowest on the totem pole, and please be completely honest.""It would mean that you are the last to be considered and the first to be sacrificed. You have no voice in disputes. A Second will always be above you. You would be watched to make sure you don't mingle too closely with the humans because Thirds with no memories of our history are our biggest threat. Thirds handle all of our dirtiest jobs from killing humans who are undesirable to testing metal to see if it's silver. And being a Thir

I could see every window on three sides. They were floor-to-ceiling and gave the impression that we were a part of the outside.I turned slowly. Everything was done in black. Black bed, black slate floor, black wool rugs, black wood and glass tables, black flat screen television suspended from the ceiling, black fireplace, black component system. He turned on a light switch, and though we had been in total darkness, I had no problem seeing anything. When the lights came on it looked as if stars were imbedded in the ceiling. The distant cityscape and natural starlight from outside seemed to meld as one with his room."Tony, I can't believe this room." He picked up a remote control, and the sounds of Billy Holiday came from the speakers. "Do you like Billy Holiday?" "I love Billy Holiday." He smiled. "Kaniji hated jazz. She could only listen to Japanese music. And she hated this room because of the windows. She was thought that at some point the sun would weaken the protective ba

When I opened my mind, things got weird. I could hear people talking even though I knew that no one else was in the house other than Tony and Mei Wah. I could hear cars and telephones ringing. I was hearing the nearby neighborhood. I could smell things, too. Mei Wah had eaten some type of pork for his evening meal. Tony... I could smell him! I remembered his smell from last night. It was akin to fresh-baked bread. I knew it wasn't his true smell, but I knew his smell because he was my kin, my liege.I reached out with my mind to locate that connection between us. It felt like a line.Funny, but there were two of them. I didn't have time to explore further because Tony was standing in front of me. "Did you do that on purpose?" he asked."What?" I asked. My eyes scanned his form in appreciation. Damn, he was one sexy man. He was wearing black jeans and a dark shirt with the cuffs rolled up. The shirt was loosely untucked, but I could still see the broadness in his chest and arms. Whil