sized. They were both a bit loose and she worried about losing them down the open tub drain when she showered so took them off before getting in. The problem was she kept forgetting to put them back on afterward, which meant she was ringless almost as often as she wore them.
Ah well, she knew she was married, so supposed it was fine. Holly moved back to the bedroom and dropped to sit on the side of the bed. She just couldnât believe James hadnât even noticed she had been missing. If the situation had been reversed, she certainly would have noticed his absence. Wouldnât she?
Suddenly terribly depressed . . . and exhausted, Holly glanced toward the open bedroom door and the bathroom beyond. Sheâd left her borrowed clothes on the floor and should really go collect them. She should dress and eat and check her blood too. But all of that seemed like too much effort. Sheâd just rest first, Holly decided and swung her feet up on the bed as she reclined. A little nap and sheâd feel better.
Justin watched until Holly lay down and closed her eyes. He then settled to sit on the roof of the back porch. It was directly outside the bedroom window, resting about three feet below the window ledge. It had given him a perfect view into the room.
Lucian had said he was to watch over her. It would have been easier had Justin been able to read and control her. He could have waited inside then. This way he had to stay outside, on the roof, and hope none of her neighbors noticed. The thought made him glance around at the neighboring houses. Most of the upstairs lights werenât on yet. It was early enough that the inhabitants were relaxing after dinner, settling in front of the television or curled up with a good book. Most wouldnât be heading upstairs until bedtime. That was lucky for him. It was mid-Âspring. The days were getting longer and the nights starting later which meant that while the sun was setting, the night sky was still light. He would be noticed here if anyone looked.
Justin scanned the houses again, aware that heâd have to keep a sharp eye out until it grew dark, then he would disappear into the shadows. Until then, he probably stuck out like a sore thumb. Movement drew his gaze to the house directly behind Hollyâs and he spotted a wide-Âeyed teenage girl staring out at him from an upstairs window. He met her gaze, slipping into her thoughts just as she opened her mouth, probably to call out to her parents. A moment later the teenager turned away and went about her business. She wouldnât recall seeing him. Nor would she look out the window again. Heâd seen to that.
Sighing, he scanned the other windows in the house and then glanced over the neighboring houses again. The next hour would be taken up with doing that over and over . . . unless Holly woke up and moved downstairs. If that happened, heâd have to move to a window on the lower floor.
Justin knew he didnât really have to watch this closely. There was no one in the house with her so no risk that sheâd bite anyone, but he wanted to watch her. He enjoyed watching her. Besides, who knew when her hunger would kick in? Theyâd been giving her blood right up until about five minutes before sheâd woken up. But she was a new turn. Hunger might claim her at any moment, or might not arrive for hours. The amount of blood a new turn needed was always more than a mature immortal, but it could vary widely depending on the physical well-Âbeing of the one turned. Justin had spotted an insulin pen and blood tester in her purse as heâd looked for her keys and knew Holly had been a diabetic before the turn. But he wasnât sure how much damage her body had incurred over the years from the ailment. That would affect her need for blood, though he wasnât sure by how much.
He supposed heâd just have to wait to see.
Â
Four
âH olly? Holly! You slept through your
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