Night Unbound [Claiming series, #1]

- 2 -

Asher stood and started pacing. Night was drawing to a close, and being this far away from his lair at this time always made him uncomfortable, even when he knew for a fact that he could make it back in time.

Finally, as the minutes ticked by, with Julie telling her story in detail and Mackenzie offering the information she had gathered on the Sam guy, he could take it no longer. It wasn't as if he absolutely had to be there, a situation which would help him overcome his growing discomfort. No, was basically a fifth wheel, and he'd already told Burke everything he knew.

"I've got to go. If you need me to sign anything or answer any more questions, I can come back tonight."

The detective hesitated only a moment. "All right. I'll let Mac know if I need more."

"Thanks, good night. Oh, Mackenzie? I'll leave you the car." He tossed her the keys and strode out.

Twenty minutes later, back at his office, he locked his own office door, three dead bolts and a key-code entry. But his bedroom was something else. Getting it built without arousing interest or suspicion or creating talk had been quite an achievement.

It was basically an oversize vault, with a time lock that would not open until after sunset unless he opened it from the inside. The room itself had been decorated to look like an ordinary bedroom, in case someone happened on it when it was unlocked. But since he was nearly defenseless in the sleep of death, the price of this kind of protective hadn't mattered. Not since the night forty years ago when he had been discovered in sleep by accident and had awakened in a morgue with a tag around his toe.

Once he was locked in his vault, however, the building could burn down around him, a bomb could fall, and nobody would get in. at least not before he woke up and was ready to emerge, in charge of himself and the situation.

Quite an improvement over a few hundred years ago.

He had even managed to make it a little homey, while revealing nothing about himself. Not that he spent much waking time in here.

It was, really, a crypt and he knew it. Occasionally, he fantasized about being able to share it with someone, but he knew that would never happen. He'd never turn anyone into what he was, and no human could ever endure this life for long.

Not even Mackenzie, who had, for a while, had a crush on him. He'd saved her, too, one dark night, and like a puppy she had followed him alone. And she had noticed during that awful scene to figure out what he was.

Amazing. Most humans wouldn't believe it even when they saw it, not these days. They always thought it must be some gag. Or that they were imagining things, because everyone knew vampires were myth.

Except Mackenzie, and a few others he trusted enough. And most of those others...well, he could bet most thought he was just a member of a vampire cult, the way they were. He doubted many of them though he was the real thing.

He felt the sun's rising, though he could not see it. It prickled along the back of his neck, and told him it was time. He stripped quickly and slipped between silk sheets. Not because he would be aware of anything between now and sunset, but because when he awoke he wanted to be comfortable.

His head hit the pillow. The prickling strengthened. And then with a sigh, he died.

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"God, he's weird," Burke said after Asher departed. "He always tears out of here like he has a rocket on his tail, especially in the early morning."

"He can't help it," Mackenzie said. "He's got a disease."

Burke arched her brows. "What disease?"