Claimed by the Immortal

ensured it was locked up. The only mystery was that when the cops arrived, the door chain was still hooked up.”

“Really.” Caro sat on the chair beside Chloe’s desk. “No disturbed windows? Nothing?”

Garner shrugged. “I couldn’t get near the place. The only thing I was interested in was that this guy was related to the Pritchett family.”

Damien spoke. “Did you sense anything?”

“I sense things all over this town. There are enough nuts to supply a factory. All that matters is a scent I’m supposed to pick out. This one might have had the lingering odor of whatever was around Caro the other night.”

“Was?” Damien repeated. “Is it gone now?”

“It’s not here. That’s all I can tell you.”

Damien held up the small pouch. “Maybe it is protective.” Then he frowned. “And if so, how would Alika know exactly what you needed to be protected against?”

“It was clear she’s sensitive,” Caro reminded him. “She knew when trouble was approaching and shooed us out.”

“So logical,” he remarked, but there was a gleam in his eyes that said he knew when she could be utterly illogical. She glanced away, hoping she didn’t blush.

That was a memory she wanted to bury in a deep hole. Of course, memory was never that cooperative. Nothing like saying, “Don’t think about an elephant.”

Jude arrived at last, bringing cold air into the room with him. It clung to him as if he were frozen, sucking heat from around the room. Caro pulled her jacket over her shoulders, wondering how long it took a vampire to reach the ambient temperature. She hadn’t noticed it with Damien, most likely because she’d been nearly as cold herself upon their return.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Jude remarked. “But I got the important information, at least what’s available for now. Terri says the guy’s heart exploded. She was quite clear he didn’t have a vessel rupture or a collapse in the cardiac wall. His heart literally exploded.”

Caro felt tension squeeze her own heart. “That’s not possible.”

“In theory. There wasn’t a mark on him either, and the rictus of his face could be either pain or terror. No way to tell.”

He popped into his office and returned with two bags of blood. He tossed one to Damien, then bit into his own and began drinking. For the first time, Caro noticed that their eyes changed color as they fed—from black as night to golden.

A few minutes later, when they were done feeding, Jude took the bags into his office, then returned without them. “Okay, we missed something in the background check. I’m not going to call this a coincidence. No way. Not from Terri’s description of the guy’s heart. We now have six impossible murders, and every one of the victims was related to the rest.”

Caro’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out. “Pat texted the case-file number.”

“Forward it to me,” Jude said. “I’m going to spend the rest of tonight researching.” Then he looked at Damien. “Take Caro home until dawn. This place is about to become a beehive, and she looks exhausted.”

“I can help,” she objected.

“Tomorrow. When you have some rest. I need everyone in top shape. That means you, too, Garner. You get back here in the morning to help Caro and Chloe. I’ll leave a list of what I learn and questions to be pursued.”

* * *

They took Jude’s car and Caro was grateful not to be out in the biting wind, moving at nearly supersonic speeds. Damien rolled down his own window a few inches, but this time it amused her because she understood why. Her scents drove him crazy. She’d never enjoyed driving a man crazy before, and she rather liked the illusory sense of power it gave her. She knew it was illusory, though, because she had no doubt this vampire could overpower her in an instant if he chose.

“Are you scared?” he asked.

“Do you care?”

“Actually, yes. There’s a great deal I can protect you from, but unless I figure this out I may be no protection at all. And that scares me.”

“I’m touched.”

He snorted. “Seriously, Caro, you ought to be afraid.”

“I don’t seem to scare easily. I have to be in a situation, not thinking about one. And then after the first burst of fear comes, adrenaline kicks in and I’m one of those people who gets the fight rather than flight response.”

“Just as well. From this thing there is no flight.”

“But Garner said he couldn’t sense it around me. So I don’t need protection, do I?” Although, strange as it would have seemed only a couple of days ago, she didn’t want this vampire to leave her alone.

“I take Garner with a grain of salt. He’s not perfect. And not sensing that thing around you at that moment doesn’t mean it won’t come back.”

She felt a trickle of uneasiness then. She really didn’t want to feel that thing watching her ever again. Think of something else. Like her irritation at not being able to work the case because Jude had sent her home to rest. Like whether Damien had any feelings beyond lust.

She turned a little in her seat, studying him as light from streetlamps flashed across his face. “Does anything frighten you?”

“Something bad happening to you on my watch.” He pulled into a parking place near her building and switched off the ignition.

“Cut the crap, Damien. I mean what really frightens you?”

“That was it.” He turned, putting his arm over the back of the seat. “As for other things...” He shrugged. “I don’t fear death. A vampire dies every morning. I don’t fear never resurrecting, because I’ll never know. I don’t fear pain because I heal so fast.”

“What about other things? What about your heart?”

“You mean my feelings?”

“Yes.”

He hesitated. “Long, long ago, after I entered the priesthood, I had to make a choice. I chose to serve even though it cost me the woman I loved. I was never permitted to see her again. It was a long time ago.”

“I guess. So you never loved again?” That seemed sad, but then she reminded herself that she’d given up such things for her job, too. At least for now.

“I never permitted myself to. Look at the way I live, Caro, and ask yourself how many would want to share my life except briefly.”

Before she could answer, he climbed out of the car and came around to open her door for her. One look at his face was enough to tell her that the subject was closed.

All the way up to her apartment, she puzzled the question. He seemed content enough with his life. In fact, he had told her it had benefits that made up for the sacrifices. So why did he feel it was so unlikely that anyone would want to share life with him?

“What about other vampires?” she demanded when they were inside her apartment. “Couldn’t you find someone who already lives your life?”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “We’re territorial. Finding two of us together is rare. That includes males and females. A few manage, and all of us can manage for brief periods. But for eternity? That’s rare indeed.”

She guessed she could understand that. “I’ve read that many human marriages start falling apart by the eighteenth year.”

“Thus you make my point. And for us there’s an additional complication.”

“What’s that?”

“Just get your sleep. I’ll wake you before dawn and we’ll go back to Jude’s.”

But she stood stubbornly still. “Are you saying you can’t divorce? Why would that be?”

“It’s not about divorce.” He sighed, and for the first time she saw him run his fingers through his hair in a sign of true exasperation. “Maybe you should know,” he said finally. “I keep telling you we’re playing with fire but