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

Albert’s brows turned down, and his eyes glistened. Then he dropped Neil’s arms, walked into their bedroom, and shut the door.


Neil trembled, staring at the closed door. Maybe that had been insulting in this instance, but dammit, if Erica had given Neil more information about what Cam had said or done, or what remedies were on the table, it would have gone a long way to easing his mind. And it wasa measure the vampires resorted to at times, so it had been a legit concern.


He paced for half an hour before stalking into the kitchen to check the refrigerator. Sure enough, half a bag of blood was inside. Apparently, Albert had consumed his share before leaving for his emergency meeting. Neil leaned against the counter, connected the adapter, and sucked it down like an old pro, fangs and all, without spilling a drop.


Chapter 25