The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost Read Free Book Online

“It’s why most older immortals gravitate there, and a lot have settled there over the decades.”
    â€œReally?” he asked curiously, waiting as she shifted her load and tugged the tarp back into place.
    Katricia nodded. “New York and Los Angeles are the most popular places for our kind in the States, and Toronto and Montreal hold the most immortals in Canada.”
    â€œThe most populated cities,” Teddy murmured as they started back toward the cottage.
    Katricia nodded. “The more people there are, the later things stay open and the more things there are to do to entertain yourself . . . and, of course, back when we had to feed off the hoof, the more possible donors there were around to choose from.”
    Teddy grimaced at the reminder that immortals had at one time fed off his people. Now that there were blood banks, they were restricted only to bagged blood and had laws against biting mortals except in cases of emergency. Katricia had been alive long enough to have had to feed off the hoof at one time, he realized and glanced at her curiously, imagining her roaming the streets of New York in search of victims.
    â€œStop that,” she said on a laugh.
    â€œWhat?” he asked, forcing his gaze away as they mounted the stairs to the cottage.
    â€œStop looking at me like you expect my fangs to sprout and me to fall on your throat at any moment,” she said dryly. “We don’t do that anymore.”
    Teddy remained silent as they entered the cottage and shed their boots to carry the wood to the stack beside the fireplace, but once they’d laid down their burden, he asked, “So you moved to New York for the excitement, but don’t enjoy it anymore?”
    She shrugged and turned to walk back to their boots. “New York has its charms. I like the theater, and it has some great clubs, but there are just some things it doesn’t have.” She started to undo her coat, and then paused and asked, “Do you want to walk up to the road and see if the snow removers have arrived yet?”
    â€œSure,” he agreed easily. It was better than sitting around inside, he supposed as he joined her to redon his boots. Once they were headed out of the cottage again, he asked, “So what are the things New York doesn’t have?”
    â€œStars at night,” she said at once. “I couldn’t believe it when I got up here and saw all the stars in the sky. I’d forgotten there were so many.”
    Teddy nodded in understanding. The closer you were to a city the fewer stars there appeared to be in the sky. You saw a lot of stars in the sky down in Port Henry, but even there you didn’t see as many as up here. They were too close to London, he supposed.
    â€œAnd the fresh air,” Katricia added solemnly. “Sometimes it feels like you’re sucking on a muffler in New York.”
    Teddy chuckled at the image that put in his head.
    â€œAnd the peace and quiet. I mean just listen.” She suddenly paused, closed her eyes, and raised her head in a listening attitude, and Teddy did the same. Silence immediately surrounded him and then he became aware of his breathing, hers, the soft sounds of small creatures moving through the snowy woods, the soft thud of snow sliding off a branch or something else nearby and hitting the snow-covered ground. It was as close to absolute silence as a body could get, he acknowledged.
    Katricia sighed almost blissfully. “No traffic, no hum of engines or factories, no chatter of people. Nothing. You can never find silence in New York.”
    Teddy opened his eyes and nodded solemnly. Even in Port Henry it was rare, though not impossible to find. They began to walk again, as if by agreement, and he asked, “So why don’t you move?”
    â€œI just might,” she said lightly. “Are there any openings for law enforcement in Port Henry?”
    Teddy chuckled at the question.