“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Judas howled, the breeze carrying his voice away.

If only the coolness of the air would soothe his problems. At least it wasn’t so boring tonight, but now he had serious issues he didn’t knowhow to take care of. All he wanted was answers, and stupid-ass him didn’t have anything new—but a drunken human ready for his...

“Damn, I hope Dregan can help,” he whispered.

“I’m sure he can. Think we should be going there?” Demetrius asked.

Judas needed the sound of the water and the cool night air to calm him, so he decided to take the long way around to Dregan’s mansion.

“Yeah, I think we can go now.”

“About time.” Demetrius led the way. “You know, I don’t understand why you didn’t just take him. Okay, he’s a psychic. It doesn’t mean you needed to feed from him, too. I mean, I would, but we’re totally different.”

Suppose Judas had fucked Angel, then what? Would that have stopped whatever was in the bottle from affecting him, or would it have made the situation even worse? If it was really blood? That type of connection could have done anything like created some weird blood bond or something. He wasn’t about to do that.

“I can’t even imagine having someone that... Damn, he was sexy, you know?” Demetrius rambled on. “You sure you don’t want me to take over for you? I know I can give him exactly what he wants.”

“I’m sure.”

“Or maybe Cal would probably be pissed if he caught you with someone else again, huh? He was really fucking mad the other day,” Demetrius said, then suddenly stopped in his tracks. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Judas looked out ahead of them near the edge of the lake.

A suspicious man dressed in black stalked across the grass. In the moonlight, the skin on his hands was tainted a grayish pale, and he staggered like a zombie or…

“Who’s that?” Judas asked.

“That’s what I was wondering.” Demetrius took a weary step. “I’m going to go see if he’s vamp or not.”

“Wait!”

Damn that Demetrius, but it was foolish for Judas to think he could stop him. That was Demetrius’ nature after all. His friend coolly danced up to the stranger and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You there.”

The man turned around swiftly, catching Demetrius’ hand and pulling it back. “Leave me,” he grunted, and Judas took a good look at the man’s face.

Scars banded down his cheeks to his lips. A red eye peeked out from long, thick black bangs. His face, too, as pale as his hands. A vampire?

Demetrius struggled out of the man’s grip, preparing to punch him.

“Stop!” Judas called out, darting towards them.

The stranger grabbed at Demetrius. Unsure of his intentions, Judas picked up a large rock, flinging it at the man’s head. Clump! The rock bounced off the back of the man’s skull.

Red eyes glared back at Judas. “You...”

But before Judas could make another move, the man landed flat on his face in the grass. Demetrius standing behind him.

“What—“ Judas gasped. “Happened?

“What an evil looking bastard,” Demetrius said, standing over the man and looking down on him. “I’ve never seen him before. You?”

Judas shook his head. “What do we do with him?”

“I have an idea.” Demetrius stepped over the man, standing nearby his feet. “You grab his head.”

“We’re not dumping him in the lake!”