Surprise Mating by Jana Leigh Page A

doing what many of the people are right now, looking for answers.”
    “ You are a vampire?” Kiki whispered and hit Thomas on the arm a few times as if it was as secret or something.
    The tall dark haired man nodded and said, “ And you are?”
    “ I am Thomas Grate and this is my mate, Kiki ‘Christopher’ La Rue,” Thomas said and held out his hand.  The vampire shook it and stepped back looking at them curiously.
    “ Giovanni came to us last week searching for anyone who could tell them where the Drekinn were,” the older man said.
    “ Why are you looking?” Thomas said suspiciously.
    “ Simple, we want to help.  My clan is in Europe and they are beginning to feel the pressure like the magical people over here.  The Prentiss have instituted many of the same policies there that they have here.  We are losing people who are being captured in the name of peace, saying they are dangerous.  They are not.  Many of the vampires are being taken to secure locations and being tested on,” Giovanni said.
    “ Please come and sit, we can have some of the fine wine that Giovanni brought us as a gift,” Breitney said and motioned toward the table.  “There's a lot of things the Drekinn doesn’t know, things that have been going on for the last few months before the Prentiss took over.  They have been covered up well, but we have pieced together a few things.”
    Thomas and Kiki nodded and allowed themselves to be led farther into the building where there was a full dining room and kitchen set up, there were several members already preparing food and Kiki asked, “ When did you build all of this?”
    “ It was already here, we stumbled upon it when we were searching for a way to get into NYC, it was an old hunting lodge, and we just converted it to a safe haven for those who needed it.  If someone is seeking help, they will be able to enter.  If the Ulfer are close, they will be steered around our little haven.  So far it has seemed to work.”
    “ Have there been many Ulfer out here? As far as we knew they were in the city keeping the shifters in control there,” Thomas argued.
    “ Oh no, they have more than you think and they are looking for anyone who would hide or help the Drekinn.  My own brother has been taken just because he said he would welcome any of the Drekinn into his house or at a pub,” the older man said.
    “ Good God,” Kiki muttered.
    “ It has gotten worse than even I can remember.  Before the war, we at least were allowed to live in peace without any interference.  They are talking about putting tags on us like cattle so they can find us,” Breitney said.
    “ I know you have limited information where you are, but things have gotten so much worse since you have been forced from the city.  It is going to only get worse if they find what they are looking for as well,” Giovanni said and put a bottle of wine on the table. 
    Kiki glanced at it and recognized a nice year, and vintage from a well know winery in Italy.  He sipped the fruity red Ambrosetti wine and sighed.  At least some people still had taste.
    “ So what were you planning on doing?” Thomas asked.
    “ If I can get into contact with the leaders of the Drekinn, I would pledge my support and those who are in my clan.  I would also aid in trying to figure out who or what the Prentiss is trying to find,” Giovanni said.
    “ How do you know they are trying to find something?” Kiki asked and wished the girls had made the trek with them for this.  It would make it so much easier to relay all that was being said.
    Most of the people in the room looked at Kiki with an incredulous look on their faces.  “ Really?”  A small woman in the back of the room asked.  She reminded Kiki of Syd for a minute. 
    “ I mean beside the obvious of them looking for something.”  Kiki rolled his eyes.
    “ Looking for something?  They are torturing people to find the location of some book or something,” the older man