"No fair," Sam said, offering her a quick quirk in the corners of her mouth. "I thought I was the village recluse. Haven't you read crappy teen vampire fiction? Brooding and lamenting and all that shit."

It still amazed Sam--truly and deeply amazed Sam--that everyone in the village was just okay with the fact that they were living with a vampire. She'd advocated heavily for the drop of the Masquerade, back home. But she'd never expected it to go like this. She supposed the extenuating circumstances were the extenuating circumstances. But still.

No one had come after her with a stake yet.

She offered Steph her hand. "Hi."