“It’s perfect,” she said. “I love it.” She pulled his collar and kissed him, claiming his mouth, claiming everything he was for her own. Her body hummed in awareness of his. Weeks recuperating had led to one very frustrated Natalie. She didn’t want to go to a meeting; she wanted him alone. Her body missed his, and she was not very good at being patient.

“Natalie,” he growled, pulling away with regret. “Soon.”

“Soon.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing they could escape as she gathered her nerves and said, “Okay, let’s go meet the new vampire.”

He stood and started pushing her chair again. “You’ll be fine. Just be polite. Respectful. Don’t interrogate.”

“I told you—” She broke off when Brigid pushed the door open, obviously hearing them in the hall. When Natalie entered, she was surprised by how young the powerful Katya looked. The vampire looked as if she’d been turned when she was around eighteen. She was small, blond, and lovely, with warm brown eyes and angelic features. Despite her seeming innocence, Natalie could spot the keen intelligence behind her gaze.

“Natalie, Baojia,” she said, rising to her feet. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater nd a swethat seemed at odds with the formal room, but somehow, she still commanded it. “May I be the first to offer my congratulations?”

“Oh, right.” Natalie realized Katya had heard everything from down the hall and tried to remember if she’d said anything adoringly stupid. “Thanks.”

“Thank you, Katya,” Baojia said more formally. “It is very nice to see you. I hope your visit to Los Angeles has been productive.”

Her eyes sparkled with interest. “Very. So many interesting things have been happening lately. I almost feel as if I’ve missed out on the fun.”

Baojia wheeled Natalie over next to an armchair and everyone sat at once. Carwyn and Brigid were on the sofa, facing the fireplace. Katya sat casually across from Baojia and Natalie.

“Baojia, I want to offer you a job,” she said directly. “I think you have been underutilized, and I have a particular position I think you’d be perfect for.”

After a few shocked seconds, he spoke. “May I ask what it is?”

Katya looked to Carwyn, who had been silent up till then.

“The girls…,” he said. “The ones affected by the Elixir—we’ve been debating what to do with them. There are eleven still alive. They can’t go home and risk poisoning another human or a vampire, but we don’t want to kill them, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Natalie muttered.

“I have called in a favor,” Katya said with a smile. “Several, actually. Lucien Thrax has agreed to come to a facility I own in Northern California, only an hour from San Francisco. He has agreed to work with my pharmaceutical company to discover more about this Elixir. If we can discover a cure, it would be beneficial for everyone.”

“And profitable,” Natalie said quietly.

Katya smiled at her. “Of course. Profitable as well.” She returned her attention to Baojia. “The girls will live there. We are building a comfortable house right now. A home where they can live and be looked after. They will be prisoners, of a sort. That is unavoidable. But their time is limited, and we will offer as much protection and treatment as we can. We have decided this is best for them.”

The superior tone put Natalie’s instincts on edge. “Who has decided?”

“I have,” Carwyn said. “And Brigid. This was our idea, Nat. We’ve seen what humans go through with this illness. Unless we find a cure, it’s a slow and painful death.”

Brigid said, “My closest human friend died of Elixir poisoning.” Her strange eyes met Natalie’s. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. And we don’t know who might come after these girls. Whoever Ivan was working with—whoever is making this drug—would kill them without a thought.”

“If you take my offer, I don’t believe it will come to that,” Katya said. “Lucien is brilliant, but he is a man of science. And these girls will be targets. They’re loose ends that need to be protected.” She looked at Baojia. “That is what I want you to do. I want to hire you to run the security for this facility and everyone—human or vampire—who works there.”

Natalie looked at Baojia, then at Katya, then back to Baojia. He wanted to say yes, she could tell. But he didn’t want to answer without asking her. She could tell by the way his grip on her hand tightened.

“Yes,” she said quietly, looking at him. “It’s too important to let anyone else handle it. Yes.”

He turned toward her and murmured, “I said I would follow you. You don’t have to—”

“There is a job waiting for Natalie as well,” Katya said. “If she’d like to work for the Chronicle. I have been assured they would be very flexible about her schedule and most happy to have her on staff or as a contributor.”

Natalie turned toward Katya, lifting her chin. “Are you offering this just so he’ll come work for you?”

The vampire cocked her pretty blond head. “Yes. But you’ll only keep the job if you’re good.” Then she smiled at Carwyn. “I like her.”

Natalie let out a burst of sharp laughter, trying to come up with an objection. She still had questions—plenty of them—but as far as plans went, it seemed like a good one. She looked at Baojia, recognizing the gleam of anticipation in his eyes. She thought about the girls who were sick and would only grow sicker without help. No one would protect them like he could.