Previously: Newly-turned vampire Elliot Marshall has been challenged by Vladislaus Straud to build a clan consisting of the most powerful families around before his rival, Miss H can do the same. But just when their battle seems to come to a complete draw, Vladislaus appears and reveals that Miss H is none other than Elliot’s old girlfriend, whom he had presumed dead after a tragic encounter with a cowplant. Now the clans plan to merge, but will the celebration go smoothly?

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As the sun set the following evening, Elliot waited nervously inside the Vatore mansion for Lexi to arrive. He presumed she would be empty-handed. He had asked plenty of people if he could please have just a tiny sip of their plasma, and they had always turned him down. Usually on the basis that his only conversation with them had been a greeting, followed by some vague comment about the weather.

A groan on hinges echoed down the hall. Everyone gathered as the front door of the Vatore mansion swung slowly open. In walked Lexi…with four humans behind her. The humans all appeared to be young adults—a perky woman in a yellow dress, a stylish dark-haired guy who rubbed his chin and grinned at the air, an easy-going sort of guy with the start of a beard, and a bespectacled young man who looked curious, if not respectably uneasy about his situation.

“Everyone, these are the Roomies. Roomies, meet everyone!”

There was a surprised muttering all around as everyone exchanged greetings. Kyle walked in sheepishly behind Lexi, and Elliot hurried over to discover how he had accomplished this strange feat. Kyle had pulled off some odd stunts before, but this was impressively unprecedented.

Vlad soon cut off the conversation by inviting everyone, vampires and human snacks alike, to the during room. There he poured a large number of expensive alcoholic beverages, which Lilith quickly passed around to the group.

While Allie, Caleb, and Kyle stood quietly off to the side enjoying their plasma packs (a delicacy Kyle had been unaware of before now), the remaining members of the clans gathered in the center of the foyer, with its the dark wooden walls and impressively red carpet.

The Roomies stood one to each vampire, and Lexi signaled the beginning of the meal.

The sounds of wet coughing and gasping echoed all around the chambers of the great vampire mansion. One by one, as each vampire partook of the plasma from a volunteer roomy, their faces and bodies contorted in all sorts of strange and uncomfortable angles. Expressions of unnatural glee blossomed on their faces; their awareness of the world and all they had cared about a few moments prior vanished.

This understandably left those who had only sipped from plasma pouches–specifically Caleb, Kyle, and Allie–feeling rather concerned.

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