“So he doesn’t bite people?” She thought of all the vampire movies and TV shows she’d watched that made vampires biting women seem erotic or vampires biting men downright vicious.
“No. The blood banks eliminated the need for that.”
“And before the blood banks?”
He swore. “Yes. He bit people. All the immortals did because they need frequent blood infusions to survive. But immortals are stand-up guys, Kayla. For a long time, they worried that the church might be right, that they were evil or damned or would become monsters like the vampires who turned them. So they avoided feeding from people who were kind and giving and basically just fed from the assholes. And, before you ask me, yes, they sometimes killed those they bit if the man or woman in question was a criminal. Hell, Bastien even convinced an entire army of vampires to only drain pedophiles.”
“I thought immortals killed vampires.”
“They do. Usually. But Bastien is the black sheep of the Immortal Guardians family and sort of has a history with vampires.”
It was a lot to take in. Again. “I wouldn’t think coming and going only at night would draw as much attention today as it did in the past since there are so many twenty-four-hour stores and fast-food chains.”
He smiled. “It doesn’t in the larger cities that have those, but still does in smaller communities.”
She turned into the dentist’s parking lot, unwilling to voice the next question that came to mind. She didn’t want to offend Oliver.
He laughed. “It’s okay. You can ask.”
“Ask what?”
“You’re wondering why Nick needs me around when he can keep bagged blood on hand and tell his neighbors he works the night shift, right?”
“Mmmmaybe.” She sent him a quick look.
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m not offended. It’s a valid question. The role of Seconds has evolved quite a bit over the past century.”
“How so?”
“You turned thirty-eight this year, right?”
She frowned. “How did you know that?”
“Becca let it slip.” He laughed when she made a grumbly noise in her throat. “Are any of your grandparents still living?”
“Two are.”
“How old are they?”
“One is ninety-one and one is ninety-seven.”
“How comfortable are they with smart phones and smart watches and laptops and all the wireless shit that’s available today?”
“Not comfortable at all.”
“Mine aren’t either. Nana calls me at least once a month, asking why her satellite remote won’t work. Grandpa thinks cell phones are the root of all evil. And Gram only uses her iPad to play solitaire and take pictures.”
Kayla smiled. “And that relates to Seconds how?”
“An overwhelming majority of Immortal Guardians are older than your grandparents. Like a lot older. In some cases, thousands of years older. If these guys didn’t have Seconds—and the network—to help clue them in to modern technology, how it works, and the danger some of it poses to them, society would’ve long since discovered their existence and hunted them to near-extinction… keeping a few alive to study like lab rats.”
Only one parking space remained in the small garage, way at the end. Swinging into it, Kayla cut the engine. “So you Seconds basically drag immortals into the present?”
“Kicking and screaming all the way.”
She laughed. “I did notice that Nick doesn’t like to text.”
Oliver sent her a wry smile. “Most immortals don’t. Having been born in times when there wasn’t even a telegraph with which they could send a message, they tend to think texting is too impersonal. Some even hate talking on the phone. They prefer face-to-face conversations.”
Kayla couldn’t imagine living in a time with no phones.
“It isn’t always an unwillingness to learn something new or a lack of interest though. Spending his nights hunting and slaying vampires to keep their numbers down doesn’t really leave Nick with an abundance of free time in which he can explore every new piece of technology that arises… particularly when he’d rather spend that free time painting.”
A cool breeze swept through the parking garage as she and Oliver strolled toward the building.
Kayla offered him a smile. “Thank you.”
His eyebrows rose. “For what?”
She shrugged. “Explaining what you do for Nick. Helping me understand a little more of his world. Coming here with me. Although I still don’t think the latter was necessary.”
He opened the door and held it for her. “Honestly, I don’t think it was either. But I hope you’ll cut Nick some slack. I’m pretty sure this is the first time he’s fallen in love.”
Her steps slowed to a halt as she stared at him in astonishment. “Really?” She had loved her ex until she’d discovered his perfidy. Since Nick had lived a lot longer, she had just assumed he had loved other women in the past.
Oliver tucked his hands in his pockets and nodded. “The last mortals Nick revealed his immortality to were the Iroquois who took him in after his family tried to kill him. When you had your accident, he could’ve easily had Seth alter your memories and kept things the way they were between you. But instead he risked everything by telling you what he is. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t love you. And he’s never shared the reality of his existence with a woman before. He would’ve told me if he had.” His features scrunched up in a comical wince. “He also probably would’ve been a little better at it if he’d had any practice. So I hope you’ll cut him some slack for that as well.”
Nick had never loved a woman enough to share as much of himself as he had with her.
“I haven’t done it either,” Oliver added.
Emerging from her reverie, Kayla bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. “You haven’t done what?”
“Told a woman what I do for a living. Since joining the network, I haven’t found a woman I care for enough to risk it.” He sent her a small smile. “I admit I envy Nick. I’m glad you two finally got together.”
“I am, too.”
If Oliver hadn’t found a woman he loved, it certainly wasn’t from a lack of charisma. Every employee in her dentist’s office was female. And Oliver charmed them all. So much so that Kayla didn’t worry about him being bored while she had her teeth cleaned and asked her dentist about the back tooth that had been bothering her. Oliver’s deep voice was a near-constant rumble in the background, accompanied by feminine responses and laughter.
“Nothing is showing up on the X-rays,” Dr. Fisher murmured. “You’ve had that crown for a while now. So it shouldn’t be the bite. Let me check it though.” Kayla opened, then bit down on whatever Dr. Fisher held in her mouth. “Nope. The bite looks good. Have you been clenching or grinding your teeth? I’ve been seeing that more and more with patients lately. Even some of the children. These are stressful times.”
“I do tend to clench them unintentionally when I get migraines,” Kayla admitted.
“Then you might want to consider a mouth guard to protect your teeth if you grind them in your sleep and also to wear during the day when you catch yourself clenching. That might be what’s going on.”