Page 33 of Vampire's Cupcake
"Pfff."Romeo ran a hand through his hair."Variation I guess, but I'm sure you can find something about nutrition in a recipe book, maybe even the gardening book.Leafy greens, meat, nuts, and seeds are good for iron, I think.I'm not a food expert, though.I've always tried to eat as varied as I can when there are options, when there aren't, you eat what you have."
Eggs.Eggs were what Eli had at the moment, and eggs were what he ate.
Thano clapped Romeo's shoulder."Thank you."He'd check the cooking books tomorrow.Now he needed to get to Grave Ville."Can you keep this bag until tomorrow?Don't peek inside.It's part of the surprise."
Romeo shook his head, but he was smiling and accepted the bag.
"Thank you.See you tomorrow."Thano gathered the shadows around him before Romeo could say anything else and traveled through the air to the shadows farthest away.He moved unseen, jumping three to four hundred feet between each touch point.
Soon the familiar area of the ranch was behind him, and he followed a track he didn't travel often.The darkness was thick around him, but he didn't mind.At one point, he landed right next to a roe deer curled up to sleep.It spooked, but since it couldn't see him, it soon settled again, and he continued forward.
When he neared the border of their territory, he dropped the shadows and whistled.It only took a few seconds before a wolf stalked out between the tree trunks."I wish to speak to Samir."
The wolf met his gaze, then melted into the shadows again.Thano waited.He might have a peaceful relationship with Samir, but he didn't want to get caught trespassing.
Samir lived with his coven on Big Oak Ranch not far from here.Thano had only been there once, and it was similar to The Moonlight Ranch, but in better shape.
A couple of minutes later, the shadows shimmered and Samir appeared.His black hair was messy, the nose piercing glinted in the moonlight, and he was dressed in ripped jeans and a black T-shirt clinging to a lean but powerful torso.
"Coming directly from the office, Thano?"He gave him a once-over, and Thano straightened the collar of his shirt and tugged at his suit sleeves.
"The kitchen."
Samir's eyes widened."The kitchen?Did you get lost?"
Thano took a moment and tried to figure out if there was a way to say what he needed to say without sounding insane.Most likely not."I'm helping the crows in my territory--" Samir's lips twitched in an attempt to withhold a grin, but he gave up the fight a second later."--and I need some baking powder."
Samir gave a small chuckle that quickly grew into a loud laugh."You're...helping the crows?"
Thano waved a hand.It wasn't funny."They want to trade cupcakes for story night."
Samir quieted."What?"
"I want permission to go onto your land and visit one of the grocery stores."There were two in Grave Ville if things hadn't changed in the last couple of decades."I need baking powder, so the crows can bake cupcakes to give to Romeo for story night."And Thano wanted to give some to Eli.
Confusion overtook Samir's face."I still don't understand.What the hell are cupcakes and what do you mean by story night?"
Thano took a deep breath."We have a human--"
"I never took you for someone who had a blood slave, Thano.Don't you know they're forbidden?"
Thano scowled at Samir."I'm well aware, thank you."
A smile tugged at Samir's mouth again."But you said you kept a human."
"No, I never said kept.Do you remember the lion on The Moonlight Ranch?"Samir hadn't been the leader when Leo Gallo had still been alive, but he was sure he'd at least heard some of the stories.
"The human who was killed by other invading humans?"
"Exactly.We made a deal before he passed.His kin, if they had the key to the property, was allowed to stay."
Samir nodded, his eyes never leaving Thano's.
"Romeo came last year, with the key, and he's been living with us ever since.He's mated to Ciar."
"The panther?A human and a panther?"
Thano waved a hand.It was unconventional, but no one at the ranch cared.Or the wolves had, but they'd left."In the house, the lion had collected books."
