Albert Manlii has walked this earth for more than two thousand years, but survival on his own was never easy. Now he leads a faction of highly organized vampires who carefully guard the secret of their existence. Unlike the old days, potential recruits are carefully selected and presented with an offer.<br><br>Phillip Brewer has weeks to live -- if he lets his disease run its course. He doesn’t want to die, but given a choice, will his desire to live outweigh his concerns about the vampires’ ethics?<br><br>When the new recruit’s missteps are cause for concern, can Albert control the fallout, or will Phillip’s life once again be torn apart?

The Recruit

“I suggest we kiss,” Albert said. “That wouldn’t appear out of place on a park bench. I’ll extend my teeth and nick your lip. We’ll give it a few moments for your blood to permeate through me to the cellular level, then I’ll puncture my own lip. You’ll need to be quick, sucking it out before the wound heals itself. Your own wound will be minor and will heal fairly quickly after you’ve absorbed my blood.”


A delicious shiver rippled through Phillip. Sad timing to discover he had a kinky streak if this really was a hoax. Too bad the cancer had stolen his libido, so he wouldn’t be able to better appreciate the moment. Would he get that back? Did vampires have sex, or was that another myth for racy books and movies?


Or would Albert’s razor reemerge once he was in the man’s arms? Maybe this whole setup was for an underground snuff film. That would justify the lengths these people were taking to gain his cooperation.


Chapter 10