“I considered approaching the police with a human trafficking case,” I say.
Rafe touches my arm and motions to the door. He walks me out into the hall and whispers, “Give what we’ve said to her time to sink in. Come back in two days.”
Frustration at my own inability to do anything snaps my mouth shut. Can he really talk her into helping me? And why would he? I nod, grateful for his assistance and reluctantly leave.
I’ve said everything I can to convince her. There’s no amount of money I could pay her that she couldn’t just take from anyone if she wanted it. I’ve got to figure out something to offer this vampire for her help, some type of payment. Something she needs that would sway her. Question is, what do you offer a creature that can take whatever they want?
I pace the floor of my hotel room for hours, wondering what the options are. I need to talk to someone who knows more about the supernatural world than I do.
Romeo and Elsa, my old alphas, are the first to pop into my mind. Yes, they refused to put their pack at risk to help, but they might have answers.
I call the pack house, using the new cell I picked up in Maryland. Much to my relief it’s Elsa who answers this line, too.
“Why are you calling this time, Jon?”
“I need some advice. Are you willing to hear me out?”
A sigh comes over the phone. “Okay, go ahead.”
“A couple of questions first—why do vampires like werewolf blood so much, is it tastier or something?”
“Kind of, but my understanding is it’s the power in our blood they want.”
“Power?”
“Yeah, something about our blood is almost like an adrenaline rush of long-lasting strength. Like humans on PCP without the high and hallucinations.”
“I see why that would be addicting.”
“Not all vamps get addicted.”
“Really? Why not?”
“Romeo and I talked about this once. We think it’s akin to people who become addicts. For some, dependence comes quickly—whether it’s cigarettes, caffeine, alcohol, drugs...whatever. They have an addictive personality or character flaw, I’ve even heard it called a genetic weakness. Makes them more susceptible to any kind of addiction. What if those same people become vampires? Wouldn’t their addictive traits still be there?”
“So you’re comparing a vampire drinking Were blood to drug addiction and how some people can become addicted to substances easier than others?”
“Yes, that’s the closest analogy we’ve come up with. It’s the only thing that explains why some vamps become ruled by their cravings and others don’t.”
“Interesting.”
“Why? What are you planning, Jon?”
“You know what I’m doing—what you two refused to do. I’m trying to save a pack of wolves. Anything I learn about their predicament might help with finding a solution.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Aside from finding a bigger, badder vamp to shut down the place, I don’t know what you can do.”
I have no idea if Dria is bigger or badder, but her husband’s deference and respect make me think she might be. “The real question, Elsa, is when you find that vamp, how do you persuade them to help?”
“Simple—offer something they don’t have.”
“You make it sound easy, but seriously, woman. How am I going to figure out what the powerful vampire doesn’t already have?”
“Start with what you have to offer. Does she have a werewolf servant at her side?”
“A servant? Like a bellman or valet or something?”
“No, Jon. Vampires usually have an entourage. The more powerful, the more people surround them.”
“Damn, this one only has one person with her.”
“Are they traveling? Vamps might travel light to avoid being noticed.”
The thought amuses me, vampires being inconspicuous and not bringing many “bags” with them. “She’s here with her husband.”
“Whoa. Did you say husband?”
“Yeah, why?”
“That means he’s her bonded mate. I’ve known over two dozen vampires and only three had mates. The others had devoted servants, meaning plural. Depending on their relationship, she might not have any servants in order to keep him happy. He might be the jealous type.”
Rafe didn’t seem like the jealous type to me, but what the hell do I know from a few minutes in his company? It’s not like I was stupid enough to hit on his wife, for crying out loud. Or that I’d want to given the fact she’s happily married. And she could drain me dry on a whim. Yeah, that last thing really is the clincher.
We wrap up our call and I sit in the growing darkness of my hotel room. A vampire’s servant. Would I be required to do her bidding and wear some stupid outfit like a chauffeur? Somehow, trailing behind her in a black suit would be even more humiliating then just doing her bidding.