DIMITRI FINISHED STACKING the pile of fallen branches into the firepit, his spirit not into the bonfire that night. One week ago, two people had died right there near the circle of stones he bought as a ring of protection around the giant blaze. Dimitri couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he was being silly having another bonfire so soon after the fight last week. He sighed as he tossed another log into the pile. Who would show up? Alanna was gone, helping Josh bring Lainie to Bull Creek, and last week, she was the driving force of bringing the others to his gathering, just in time to keep him from getting killed, actually. Now, who would help him bring people to the bonfire?
He stood, stretching, his hands pressing on his lower back. He also needed Josh back to help him with all the heavy lifting. He chuckled to himself as he shook his head. When the hell did I start feeling older than I actually am?
“You know, they say laughing to yourself is the first sign of senility,” Nathan Landry said as he entered the clearing, camp chair in one hand and a cooler in the other.
“Funny,” Dimitri said, still chuckling, “considering I was just thinking about feeling older than I am. Maybe it’s striking early.” He glanced around, taking in the quietness of the evening. “I’m actually surprised you came out. I didn’t think anyone would show up after what happened last week.” He glanced back over to Nathan who was already setting up his camp chair and placing his cooler on the ground beside it. “I kind of figured I’d be drinking alone.”
Nathan sat down, reaching into his cooler for a beer. “Oh, there will be others. I know Ash is planning on being here, and I would wager Eve will drop by as well. I’m sure there will be others as word gets out.” Nathan twisted the cap off his beer, dropping the cap in his cooler before taking a swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he lowered the bottle. “You’ve got a good thing going here. The people here needed something like this after Bane’s bullshit.”
Dimitri lit the logs, starting the fire, and then grabbed his own chair and dragged it over to Nathan. “To be honest, I needed it as well. This was a little more intense than I expected. Nothing like Draven Falls.”
Nathan chuckled, his gaze fixed on the logs, the flames flickering into the air, licking around the logs with crackling tongues. “No, Bull Creek is nothing like Draven Falls, which is one of the reasons I left. Arlin loves it there, though, so I go back on occasion to visit him, our parents, and our sister, Leesha.” He shrugged. “Draven Falls is quiet, but Bull Creek is quieter. At least, it was before Bane arrived.” He glanced over at Dimitri. “You know he’s not gone, right? He’ll be back and more than likely with more men. He’s a determined bastard on a twisted mission.” He shrugged. “Those people never give up or go away.”
Dimitri nodded as he stared at the flames as they began to swallow more and more of the branches. “I know.” He shook his head. “I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about him, but I know I have to figure out something. I met with the sheriff the other day, and I’m not sure how much he can do about what’s happening over here. It’s a worldwide problem, true, but it’s got a shifter bent to it. We need to handle it.”
Nathan sipped some more of his beer. When he finished, he suggested, “Maybe you need to form something like they have back in Draven Falls, a Paranormal Council of your own.”
“I find that unnecessary,” a female’s voice sounded from the edge of the woods.
Turning, Dimitri noticed a slender, dark-skinned lady ease from the woods into the clearing. His panther tensed within him as he scented the telltale signature of a vampire. She kept her hair cut short along her scalp, and she wore tight-fitting jeans and a dark shirt that hugged her ample breasts, the tops of which spilled over the low-cut neckline. Dimitri knew vampires dwelt on the fringe of Bull Creek, but he had yet to meet any of them. If they were all as gorgeous as this one, he definitely needed to make it out there soon.
He stood to his feet, Nathan following suit, as he extended his arm to shake her hand. “And why do you think its unnecessary?” Dimitri asked.
The woman took his hand in hers, shaking it, her grip strong and sure, but not challenging. She shrugged once they finished their greetings. “Because you should be enough,” she said simply. “You are the alpha, are you not? As I understand it, the residents of our town already support you. That should be enough for you to lead. The Council doesn’t want a group running things here.” She stared at Dimitri, her gold eyes stern. “They want you.”
Dimitri heard more rustling as Eve and Ash turned the corner and entered the small clearing, both carrying chairs and coolers. Dimitri gave them a smile before turning back to… “I’m sorry, but what is your name? I apologize for not making it out to your area sooner and introducing myself.”
The vampire shrugged again. “You’ve been busy with people dying. I understand.” She glanced over at the other two women entering the clearing, not bothering to smile. Turning back to Dimitri, she said. “You are not the only one who has never come out to the fringe to introduce themselves, but then again, we have not ventured in to do it, either.” She tilted her head, studying Dimitri, the flames flickering in her gold eyes. “Perhaps, you and I shall change that, no?” She stood straighter, her visage softening a little, the flames reflecting off her dark skin. “I am Karena Hahn.”
Dimitri smiled, still unsure of the vampire in front of him. “I’m Dimitri Everest.” He then pointed to the others. “This is Nathan Landry, Ash Merickle, and Eve Hartlow.” He turned back to Karena. “Pleased to meet you. I’m glad you joined us.” He gestured to the table off to the side with a couple of coolers underneath. “Can I offer you a drink? Something to eat?”
The corner of Karena’s lips twisted up in a smirk. “Are you offering yourself?” Her eyes sparkled, and at first, Dimitri didn’t know if the vampire was serious or joking. He glanced at the others, noticing Ash had paled and Eve had dropped her hand to the hilt of her knife. He took a deep breath and turned back to Karena. She winked at him as she shifted into a soft smile. “I think a beer will be nice. Thank you.”
Dimitri grinned as the tension eased from his body like a soft sigh. “A beer it is,” he said, turning to fetch the drink. “Please, help yourself to a chair.”
Within a couple of minutes, the five of them sat around the fire, drinks in hand as they stared at the flickering flames, enjoying the quietness of the night. Wes Stapleton worked the bar, so he wouldn’t make it this week, and with Alanna and Josh gone, Dimitri assumed the five of them were all who would make it to the second bonfire. Intimate, but then again, the smaller group would allow him to get to know the others better.
Dimitri turned to Karena, his brows bunched together. “How many vampires are out at the fringe if I may ask?”
Karena shrugged. “You are alpha of Bull Creek. You may ask whatever you wish. There are about twenty of us who dwell there, at the edges of town, and away from the rest.”
Dimitri noticed Nathan’s eyebrow arch at her last statement. The way she spoke seemed…old…and definitely not from the States. He wondered if she would find it rude if he inquired as to where she was from and her age.
“Why don’t you want to be around the rest of us?” Eve asked before Dimitri could ask his own question.
Karena stared at the sandy-haired woman, her head cocked to the side a little as she gave Eve a questioning look. They were both roughly the same size, except Karena’s…endowments…were a little more amplified. “I would think that would be obvious,” she said. “We do not want to risk the temptation of feeding off our neighbors.” She straightened her head again. “We want the sanctuary of Bull Creek, but we cannot deny who we are.” She shrugged, her thin shoulders rising and falling almost faster than Dimitri could notice. “So, we stay at the fringe to avoid risking surrendering to the temptation that the rest of you provide.”
Dimitri noticed Eve and Ash shuffle slightly in their seats, straightening as they leaned a little further away from the vampire. If they could leave without seeming rude, right then, Dimitri knew they would. Nathan just stared at the woman, his lips curved in a smirk. He thinks that’s funny? Dimitri turned back to Karena, not sure what to say to her admission. However, one question kept repeating in his mind. Where does she feed?