Hunting Death

Chapter 22

Yeah, she didn't see the conversation going too well. Heck, even if they gave her the benefit of the doubt, how would they deal with it? Would they want to run some sort of tests or something on him? Would they try to exterminate him for being a bloodsucking killer?

Gosh, had Keith killed someone?

It brought forth a whole new avenue she hadn't even considered exploring. The blood in his fridge, was it pig's blood? Or human? No, no, she pictured the bill from the butcher in her mind, Keith regularly ordered gallons of pig's blood. It definitely wasn't human. Did it make him some sort of... wow, she didn't even know what to call it! Did they consider vampires who drank animal blood vegetarians? She shook her head, that didn't seem right.

But she began to wonder if he'd ever killed someone, if he'd killed Danielle himself and if her father then covered it up with the whole dog story. She remembered her first interaction with the detective, and how he'd been asking about Keith's date with a woman.

His date.

Is that what he did on his "dates?" He went out with women and drank their blood? Was it a way to quench his thirst for human blood so he would be able to maintain an animal diet? Were the women willing participants? She didn't think so, not if one of them complained to the police. So how did he do it?

A knock on the door to the powder room startled her. She'd spoken to Molly earlier in the afternoon when she'd finally gotten out of bed. Molly made plans with a friend of hers she called Ace, they were going into the city together, and everyone else would be busy taking care of things in Keith's absence. She'd even told Tom to tend to the wolves so she could selfishly delve into her obsessive research, desperate to understand what was going on.

Did someone other than Keith know about the safe room? Maybe someone saw her go into the powder room and wanted to check up on her? Madison stepped through the small opening she'd made, having not completely removed the false panels and crept closer to the door.

"Who is it?" She called out hesitantly.

"It's Keith, can you unlock the door?"

Madison felt so relieved to hear his voice she completely forgot the possible implications of him being a vampire and threw the door open, practically jumping into his arms.

"You're alright!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

Keith, completely caught off guard, found himself reciprocating the hug as he looked past her into the safe room and noticed the screen of the laptop. Madison was researching vampires, and he instantly stiffened in her arms.

Madison recoiled slowly, her senses finally getting the better of her, and realizing Keith had an idea as to what she'd been doing in the safe room, she backed up a couple of steps and allowed him enough space to enter the room.

"What is all this?" Keith asked hesitantly as he picked up a couple papers she'd printed out.

Madison leaned back against the wall, "I hoped you'd tell me." She remarked.

Keith let out a long sigh before sitting down in one of the two chairs and picking up another paper. "You're a smart girl, Madison. I'm sure you've finally figured it out."

"So it's true? You're a... a..."

"Vampire?"

Madison gulped audibly, and Keith sensed the shift in her emotions. He smelled her fear and hesitation along with the confusion and anxiety. Precisely the reaction he'd been expecting from her.

"And my father...?"

"Robert knew."

"And he was okay with it?"