Free A Hunt Among Vampires (The Angel Series) by M. Cheykota

to help.”
    “Why?” I walk into the living room, but sit on the table in front of him.
    He smirks at my defiance. “I care for you, chatte . Anything you do is a concern to me. I may not like your chosen profession, but I understand why you do.”
    “You hardly know me.”
    “And that is my fault? I have tried to get to know you better Jessica. Give me a chance and I will see that you will not be disappointed.” He leans back on the couch. “Tell me about this job you have and why you have blood all over your clothes.”
    Grumbling, I reluctantly tell him about my afternoon. Starting with the first phone call, I continue with the story, finishing with the last phone call. As the story continues, Christien’s body nearly vibrates with tension. He takes a deep, unnecessary breath to calm his temper before speaking.
    “This dangerous life you live, is it worth it?” He asks, shaking his head in disbelief.
    I think about his question. “I have never had any other options. This is all I know how to do. It’s not as if I can get a 9 to 5 job anywhere. I don’t exist. I have no job skills.”
    Christien runs his fingers through his hair in thought. “Maybe other options will present themselves to you in the future.”
    I shrug. “Whatever. Can I have my keys now?”
    “I wonder which vampires your client is working with.” He ignores my question. “Now that I will be establishing myself in this area for a while, perhaps I should let the local masters become aware of my presence.”
    I am about to ask for my keys again when his rambling stops me. “What do you mean by ‘let the local masters become aware of my presence’? How can they not know you are here? Isn’t that one of the vampire rules or something? I remember Austin telling me that vampires are strict about vampire etiquette.”
    He casually shrugs and reaches beside me for a drink that has been sitting on the table since before I arrived. “I was not planning to stay long. I am only renting this house. My vampires and I do not wander through the city or interact with other vampires. We do not even hunt to feed. We are careful to stay unseen unless we choose not to be. Now that I am staying, I have decided to buy this land, expanding my compound to accommodate my new additions. With over 100 vampires in my get, it would be prudent for me to introduce myself to the local master.”
    “Won’t he feel like you are trying to take over his territory?”
    “I will make sure that he will not feel that way. I do not wish to cause a war. I only want to stay close to you, ma chatte petite .” He confesses.
    My heart pounds loudly in my chest. Shocked by his confession, I slide off the table and sit next to him on the couch. “Really? You want to stay here because of me?”
    He smiles, kicking my heart rate up another notch. This vampire is truly breathtaking.
    He leans closer to me, brushing his lips against mine. “Yes. I will admit it is much sunnier here than I like, but life, such as mine is, would be unbearable without you. I have already informed my vampires that we are staying here as long as you choose.”
    “What do they say about that?” I ask curiously.
    “I have had less than a handful of vampires choose to leave my get when they have matured enough to have their own. They are still loyal to me; they just have their own territory they are responsible for defending. Even though they may not want to stay in this hot and sunny place, they will do so because they enjoy being part of my get.”
    “Wow, to have that kind of loyalty must mean you are a great master.” I reluctantly admit. “Some might consider you weak to be adored by your vampires instead of feared.”
    “I do hope so.” He replies, shocking me. “If they felt we were a threat in any way, we would always be under attack anywhere we stopped for any length of time. My only true territory is in France. Anywhere else, they would consider us visitors or enemies. We never cause