Free Chasing Shadows (A Shadow Chronicles Novel) by Christina Moore

his blood would be even more powerful now that he’s older.”
    “Or it could have lost its potency, like a prescription does,” I countered.
    She conceded my point with a nod. “I’ve also just realized that his working here alone puts him at risk, as does his being bonded to you—not that I’m saying it’s your fault,” she added quickly. “I’m just beginning to realize that his finding out is inevitable. Probably always has been.”
    Looking at the clock on the wall, Juliette stood. “I better go before Mark gets suspicious,” she said, then looked down at me. “Thank you for the food—and for your honesty.”
    I stood as well. “Thank you for yours. I can’t believe I never knew that about dhunphyr blood. I’m glad you told me. I’ll be keeping an even closer eye on Mark now, but other than my brother, I rarely get vampire visitors. My sister hates me, so she only comes if Diarmid makes her.”
    “What about this brother of yours? Can he be trusted to keep Mark’s secret?” she asked.
    “Lochlan is a good guy, for a vampire,” I replied. “I think once I tell him that Mark is my bondmate, he’ll keep his secret. He loves me as if I really was his sister, and he’d know that anything happening to Mark would hurt me.”
    Juliette looked at me. “I hope you’re right,” she said, then shucked the robe and handed it to me. In the next instant, she was dropping down to the floor in her dog form.
    “Come on, I’ll let you out the front door so he doesn’t see you,” I said, and when she nodded, I led her into the living room. Moe and Cissy, of course, wanted to play with their new friend, but I shooed them away from her as I opened the door to let her out. Angel looked up at me, nodded once, and trotted out onto the porch.
    I went to bed that night with my mind whirling. How could I possibly not have known that dhunphyr blood was a narcotic to vampires? Was it really just because I had not completed my Coming of Age ceremony? Would I have learned this information from Diarmid had I the stomach to keep drinking after having seen the truth about his feelings for my mother? Could I have learned it some other way had I not been so foolish as to sever all but a few ties to that world?
    I wondered as I settled between the sheets of my bed whether or not Lochlan knew what dhunphyr blood did to vampires. I wondered if he would tell me if I were to ask. I wondered how he would react to Mark’s scent—would it be so powerful to a full vampire that it would be impossible to resist? Would I have to fight my brother to save my future lover? Though I truly loved Lochlan as my brother and wanted to believe so, I even wondered if—were he able to control himself—he really would keep Mark’s secret for me. I felt pretty confident that he would not go blabbing the information to other vampires, but would he be able to keep from telling Diarmid or Evangeline, who were family?
    As I struggled in vain to go to sleep, I also could not help but wonder if Mark’s coming here meant that his life was in danger. Sure, as I’d told Juliette, I didn’t really associate with vampires—but as Vangie’s visit was proof of, it didn’t mean never. I might not seek them out, but vampires did occasionally seek me out. I had a small handful of associates of the vampire persuasion who had done as I did and sworn off human blood. Though it wasn’t often, they did come by to visit, and it was usually during these visits that we ventured into my woods for large game to hunt. Would my friends be able to resist the draw of Mark’s blood?
    Did my being bonded to an immortal human mean that I was being drawn once again into the vampire world? Did it mean that they would become a larger part of my life now because I would see more of them? And would I be seeing more of them because of Mark’s presence in my life, or was that just a coincidence? Did being bonded to a half-vampire mean that Mark was being drawn into the