I was arranging dried herbs in the kitchen when I felt it, that distinct shift in the air that meant vampires were nearby. Not just Lucien, whose presence had become as familiar to me as my own shadow, but others. My hands froze mid-task, lavender sprigs scattering across the worn wooden counter.
"Lucien," I called out, knowing he'd hear me no matter where he was in the old plantation house.
He appeared in the doorway seconds later, his expression confirming what I already sensed. "We have company."
"Friendly?" I asked, already knowing the answer from the tension in his shoulders.
"Family," he replied with a grimace that told me everything I needed to know.
I barely had time to smooth down my t-shirt and jeans before the sound of car tires on gravel announced our visitors' arrival. Lu
