3. My good looks are obvious, so I won’t expound on them.

“This is possibly the worst ‘courtship’ in history,” she muttered. “I don’t really think it’s supposed to work this way, Carwyn.”

4. A thousand years. That’s a lot to make up for. My enthusiasm for certain activities will be rather boundless, and I can promise neither of us will go unsatisfied. Please, use your imagination to fill in the rest. (Then tell me about it later.) By the way, your mouth is glorious. I’m thinking about kissing you right now. And Gio is watching me. Awkward. Best leave the room.

She bit back a laugh and kept reading.

5. And I’m back. The last thing I’ll mention is just this: I love you. I’ve lived as an immortal for a thousand years and I’ve never met a woman who warmed my heart, my body, and my soul the way you have. I admired the woman you were as a human, and I’m even more excited to see who you become in this new life. I think you’re extraordinary.

Love to you, Carwyn

Trust him to leave her a bit weepy right before she was supposed to go out on patrol with Declan.

P.S. The collar is optional, you know.

Brigid stood up suddenly, shouting, “What the hell does that mean?” Declan and Tom turned to her, both looking as if she’d just slapped a nun. “Sorry… just something unexpected.”

“Everything all right back in Wicklow?” Tom asked.

She nodded with a tight smile, folding the letter in half. “Yes. Fine.” She folded it again. “Just fine. Just…” She folded the letter again. It was around the size of a business card. She tucked it in her pocket and walked from the room. “It’s all just… fine. Let me grab a quick bite and I’ll be ready to go.”

An hour later, Brigid and Declan were leaning against the back wall of The Abbey, a club in town that catered to vampires and their human guests. Murphy was out of the office that night, so Brigid had eagerly volunteered to join Declan as he monitored Dublin’s newest hotspot.

It was a new club, one that Murphy hadn’t approved before it was built, but once the owners made their very generous tribute to the leader of Dublin, allowances were made and the club remained in business. They had a man stationed there every night who reported in. Jack had argued that shutting it down would just force the club underground, and Brigid had to agree.

But she still didn’t trust the owners. They were two Norwegian humans who had letters of introduction from the immortal leader in Oslo. Murphy was being cautious, but politically smart by allowing the club to remain open as a favor to the other vampire, who had powerful connections in shipping that he wanted to exploit. The political considerations grated on Brigid, who was sure the club was funneling drugs. She just wasn’t sure through whom.

“Where the hell is Jack?” she muttered, kicking a loose pebble in the street.

“He probably found a sweet-smelling girl and is taking a nip.”

“He was supposed to meet us half an hour ago.”

Declan shrugged. “It’s Jack.”

“Does that vampire understand the concept of ‘on time?’”

“What do you think?”

Just then, the alley door opened and a body was tossed out into the road. Brigid smirked. Stupid, drunk human…

“Jack?” she gasped when she recognized the mussed hair and torn shirt. She rushed over. Declan was just behind her. “Jack, what the hell?”

Declan flipped him over. “He’s… passed out? It’s nowhere near dawn, how can he be—”

“Feel him.” Brigid put both hands on his face. One on his neck. “Feel his amnis. It’s all…”

“Scrambled,” Declan mumbled. “It’s like it’s coming in short bursts. What the hell is this?”

It was unlike anything Brigid had ever felt before. Jack’s amnis was still there, still a current running under his skin, but it jumped and died under her hands, as if an electrical surge had knocked out the power and his computer was restarting.

“Have you ever felt anything like this?” she whispered.

“Never,” Declan said. “Jack?” He patted his friend’s cheek. “Jack, wake up.”

“I’ve never seen one of us passed out before.”

“It must have something to do with his amnis. We need to call Murphy.”

“As soon as he’s awake.” Brigid was trying not to panic. “I don’t even know what to tell him.”

The starts and stops were evening out and she could see Jack’s eyes fluttering open. His pupils were dilated and he was… wet. Soaking wet, she’d just noticed. As if someone had thrown him in the bath with his clothes still on. Worry gave way to irritation. What the hell had the vampire gotten himself into now?

“Jack!” Brigid slapped him. Just to wake him up. Mostly.

He groaned. “Feck, Brigid, stop hitting me. I promised to stop making passes at your friend.”

She glanced at Declan. “Doesn’t seem to have scrambled his brain any more than it was already.”

“Jack.” Declan pulled at one of his eyelids, checking his pupils as Jack tried to bat him away. “What happened?”

“Well, there was this girl…”

“How did I know it was going to start out that way?” Brigid muttered.

“Shut up, Brigid. I’m not afraid of your fire-y, fang-y ways. I hate that you have such a great ass, though. Makes it hard to keep focus sometimes.”