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Chapter 1

The vampire on her couch had a serious blood phobia Dr Eainst her lower lip as she listened to the vamp describe his little problem

“I just…can’t drink it I tried taking the blood straight frolanced over at her, his brown eyes wide “Ya know, like from someone’s neck”

Eood idea She scribbled a quick note on her pad Scared to take directly

“But the minute my teeth actually touch soth of his too-thin body “I feel like I’onna be sick”

Huy’s “source” had to feel “Tellto a blood bank?” In her experience, so warm blood from a hued—like soruesome monster takeout

He nodded and closed his eyes “Been there, done that, Doctor It just doesn’t work for ht to control the curve of her lips Vampires didn’t breathe, didn’t need any air, didn’t need anything but blood to live But some habits were sure hard to break

Even for the dead

“I’azed at her office ceiling “Again ” His hands lifted in the air, began to gesture furiously as he announced, in a slightly shrill tone, “I’ve been a va to starve to death

I’ll be the first vaoing to wither away, dwindle to nothing There will be no bones left, no ashes Just—”

Oh jeez, this guy was quite the drama queen Emily leaned forward Vamps were all alike Alith the I–I talk You’d think they were the only supernatural creatures who had any problems

Not being able to drink blood was a pretty serious problem for a vampire And that hy Marvin Scamps had come to see her

She had a reputation for being able to help creatures like him

Ee of her nose as she thought athe blood with so else?”

He shot off the couch, began to pace the rooht, his hands knotted into fists “It’s blood! I can’t drink blood! I can’t—”

Emily took a deep breath and lowered the shield she’d erected in her hts up to the creature before her

Blood Horrible, red, sticky blood Dripping downme Oh, the taste Weak, stale I hate it, hate it—

Oh yeah, the guy had a bad blood issue

E past the fear, the disgust There had to be more to Marvin’s phobia There alas If she could just find a memory to show her…

Eift in this world was her ability to touch the hts, feel the sting of their emotions, and that extrasensory ability ia But, well, not everyone got to benefit froift only worked with supernatural beings—the Other— and that hy Emily was known as the Monster Doctor

Of course, that wasn’t her technical title Couldn’t very well post that in gold lettering on her door

“I can’t live this way!” Marvin’s voice was a full screa down at the street below

His shaggy blond hair brushed against the pane