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This romantic urban fantasy follows Connie Bence, aka vampire bait, on her adventures in the alluring world of her prey.
Mysterious deaths have occurred in Budapest and vampires are suspected. Connie Bence fits the victim profile perfectly so her slayer boss sends her to draw out the vampires responsible, except when the bait is taken, the vampires escape with her as a hostage. She’s hurled into vampire society, where she must face her greatest fear—her undeniable attraction to the vampire overlord Rurik. After her husband’s death, Connie thought her heart too broken to ever love again, but the lure of an immortal man is strong.
The body count keeps rising, the pressure is on, and the slayers want a stake through Rurik’s heart. Is he guilty? Connie doesn’t think so, but if not him, then who? If she doesn’t find out soon, the people she cares about stand to become collateral damage.
The first heart stopping installment of Connie Bence’s adventures.
Boredom shouldn’t be something to long for, but as I hung from our room balcony by my fingertips, blinded by Christmas lights, I dreamed of a day where I could do nothing.
“Let go. I’ll catch you.” Rurik’s harsh whisper grated on my nerves. We’d only been together a few weeks and this was the second time an old jilted lover of his tried to kill me.Vampires had long memories and their broken hearts didn’t mend. Of course, I’d have to be dating the most notorious heartbreaker in the northern hemisphere.
Sweat coated my skin. Don’t look down. Don’t look down! Our room was on the eighth floor. If he missed, I be a Connie shaped Picasso on the hotel’s pool deck. I looked down between my dangling legs. My heart stopped. I never said I was smart.
Rurik appeared small with his arms held out. “Come on, baby,” he whispered again.
“Don’t baby me.” My words came out as a furious hiss. I wanted to shout but the vampires who wanted to chop me into pieces were in the building trying to find our room. They didn’t need me making it easier for them. Why did I think things would go well dating Rurik? Really, did I believe we’d buy a house with a picket fence and no one would ever bother us?
The lock to our hotel room clicked open, the sound audible in Iceland’s quiet pre-dawn. After leaving Budapest, Rurik offered to show me the world. This was one of many ports we had traveled, and the second where one of his ex-lovers had tried to kill me.
Magdalena had sent Rurik an invitation to visit when we first arrived in the country and hadn’t taken it well when he had brought a date—me. We hadn’t stopped running since and we were on a freaking island. Not like we could just drive off into the moonlight, and she had all the airports watched tight.
I pried my gaze from the ground and listened to the room door crack open. Ah hell, I’ll only live once. Being caught by bad vampires up here or the bad vamp below, I’ll choose below. He, at least, loved me. Releasing my death grip on the balcony, I fell so fast I didn’t have time to utter a sound before landing with an oomph into Rurik’s solid arms.
He clutched me to his chest then ran with vampire speed from the hotel. The third place we’d hidden in as many days. “I had hoped Magdalena’s scorn would fade by now.”
“You must have made quite an impression on her.” I could comprehend her infatuation since I was under a similar spell. Rurik oozed sexual magnetism. With one glance, anyone who spotted him just knew in their gut he was a god in bed. Some men were just born gifted and Rurik had had centuries to hon his skills.
A smug smile was his response. Yeah, I thought so.
“Are any of your ex-lovers sane?” Spending the rest of my life looking over my shoulder sounded like a horrid future. I had run away with Rurik to find happiness, not to grow into Mrs. Paranoid.
“You can’t judge a vampire’s sanity by human standards.” He ran through the dark streets of Reykjavik toward the ocean. “She sees you as an obstacle. By destroying you, she thinks she can reclaim my affection.” He scowled. “Yes, she’s insane.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. Blaming Rurik wouldn’t help our situation. He didn’t break hearts on purpose. Or at least, I hope he didn’t…
In the distance, car engines sped closer. “Hurry,” I spoke into his ear. Rurik would do his best to protect me. He’d done it in Budapest, but one vampire against many didn’t offer me much defense. In their world, I was the equivalent of a kid’s juice box. Just one poke and they’d suck me dry. The added benefit of being Rurik’s blood slave only meant I didn’t age or sicken. I could still die, say by, being hit by a speeding vehicle.
“Look out!” I gripped his shoulders as a red sports car swerved around a corner and aimed in our direction.
Rurik leaped straight up in the air, and the car raced under us. He used the momentum of his leap to push against the building we’d been running next to, sending us over a stone wall. He landed, knees bent to the ground, taking the brunt of the impact. He raised his chin, his gaze riveted on the harbor. “Have you ever taken a cruise?”
I twisted around. A commercial cruise ship, lights dimly sparkling against the water, was moored to the dock. “No.” Until I had started working for slayers, I’d barely had enough money to feed myself let alone go on vacation.
“It’s time we changed that.” He carried me to the dock where he finally set me on my bare feet.
I tugged on my t-shirt, trying to cover my panties. There hadn’t been time to dress before leaping over the balcony. “I can’t board wearing this, and we don’t have our passports.” Or money.
What Rurik wore was no better. He’d hiked on a pair of jeans from the floor when he heard the bloodsuckers roaming the halls of the hotel. I’m not sure how he could tell the difference between them and humans, but he could. Good thing we’d just crawled into bed and hadn’t been asleep yet.
Resting his arm across my shoulders, he led me to the gangway. “I’ve got this covered. Watch.” The turn of phrase made me smile. It was something I said frequently. Seemed like I was rubbing off on him.
“How do you plan on getting us on board?” I leaned against his solid frame. Exhaustion pulled at my limbs. We’d been at this for days and unlike Rurik, I needed more than a couple of hours of sleep a day.
“Follow my lead, Rabbit.” He used my pet name. I’d stab anyone else who called me a rabbit, but Rurik had won the right. He’d given it to me since my job required me to run for my life often. We hurried onto the ship where we were met by a sleepy security crew of two. Rurik caught their gazes with his vampiric powers. “Do you have any empty suites?”
The guards’ dreamy stares moved to the computer screens. “This shows that the Tiny Dancer, the Solarium, and the Show Stopper are not in use.”
Rurik gave him a slow blink and glanced at me.
I shrugged. This was his idea. I hadn’t a clue what those names meant. “Not the Solarium.”
He chuckled. “We’ll take the Show Stopper. Log us in as if we boarded on the departing port as Mr. and Mrs. Miller.” Rurik held out his hand as the officer offered the keycards and gave us directions.
“That’s a neat trick.” I followed Rurik through the empty halls decorated for the holidays complete with massive Christmas tree as a center piece. With our constant moving, I hadn’t had time to buy Rurik a present. What a sucky first Christmas together. “How long will the effects last?”
“They won’t fade. They’ll remember us as the Millers who boarded on the original departure date. There are limitations though. Other crew might question our presence or ask for papers. We should keep a low profile.” He took us to an elevator to the top floor. “So room service only and no extravagant charges.” He glanced at my outfit. “Except some clothes.”
“No vampire attacks either.”
He shot me an annoyed look. “No.” The elevator opened and he stormed ahead to unlock our suite. “After you.” He bowed.
I swept into the room and stalled just over the threshold. The stars twinkled in the vast night sky, mirrored by the vast calm ocean. Huge windows lined all the walls, leaving little room to hide from the on-coming dawn. “Umm…where will you sleep?” The curtains didn’t look thick enough to block sunlight.
From behind, he wrapped his arms around me. “The bathroom. Wouldn’t be the first time, I’ve spent the day hiding in a tub.” He sighed. Sleeping in a cold tub was not comfortable.
I leaned against him, scanning the king sized bed and elegant living room space. “We stowed away in style.”
“Only the best for you.” He kissed the top of my head.
“Will we be safe here?” Magdalena’s vampires had tracked us across the country. Relentless in their effort, they found us in each hiding spot after a few days. Even the airports had been guarded so why hadn’t there been vampires at the dock?
He shrugged. “I thought we would be safe at the last hotel but look how that turned out. Magdalena’s spies are very thorough.”
“We didn’t leave her any credit cards or names to trace this time.” The edge of the horizon became more defined as we watched the approaching dawn. “We should get off at the next port and fly a good distance in any direction. Is there any country where I won’t be hunted by an ex-lover?”
He stayed silent, holding me in his steel grip.
I glanced over my shoulder.
He aimed another smug smile in my direction. “I doubt it.”
I elbowed him in the stomach and pointed to the bathroom. “Off you go before you get sun kissed.” Or booted in the ass.
“I didn’t know Magdalena had moved to Iceland or that she still carried feelings for me. It’s been decades since we’d been together and we had lived in present day Turkey.”
“I know, I know. It’s not your fault women trip over themselves to stab me in the back to get to you.” Yet I couldn’t help but feel betrayed. I turned away from him. Come on, this was the second time in less than three months. His track record sucked. What did that mean for our future?
“Order yourself some breakfast and clothes.” He kissed my cheek before retreating into the windowless bathroom.
Shoulders slumped, I sat on the edge of the bed. I didn’t want to join Rurik’s crazy ex-lovers fan club. Was this his hobby? Woo some lovesick girl then dump her when things go serious? Nausea rolled in my gut, or maybe I was hungry. I rubbed my stomach and curled into a ball on the bed. I didn’t have the energy to order room service. Sunlight crested over the water in a beautiful display of oranges and pinks.
The world had once been so big. Sometimes I missed being naïve about the existence of vampires. I wasn’t sure how long I stared out the window, but when I blinked, the sun hovered in the sky. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up and stretched. I was tired but I’d grown accustomed to sharing my bed.
A grunt came from the bathroom followed by Rurik shifting position in the tub.
I pulled the curtains closed but, as I had suspected, too much light filtered through. He would have to dodge sunbeams like security lasers. We couldn’t risk him getting burned when vampires hunted us. So I grabbed a blanket off the bed and knocked on the bathroom door. “Are you awake?”
“Yes.” He sounded miserable.
“Close the shower curtain so I can come in.” They should block any stray beam when I slipped inside.
“Done.”
I entered the bathroom with the blanket, shutting the door behind me. “Move over.”
He yanked the shower curtain open, his eyebrow quirked in a silent question as he scooted in the cramped tub.
I crawled into the narrow space—my body pretty much draped over his—and pulled the blanket over us. “Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I was going to ask you the same.” He held out a toilet paper flower. “I made you something. Merry Christmas.”
I laughed and set it in my hair. “You have many hidden talents.” I rested my head on his shoulder, ignoring the ache in my chest.
“Tell me.”
“What?” I sucked at hiding my feelings. I wore my emotions on my sleeve. Not to mention, Rurik could sense my thoughts when I didn’t shield my mind well. Being tired made me sloppy.
“Your whole profession before meeting me was being hunted by vampires. This Magdalena thing is bugging you more than it should. Why?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth, wishing I had brushed them before crawling in so close to Rurik. We’d promised each other no more secrets. This technically wasn’t one but he asked for my honesty. “How much longer before I become like her? Five years? Ten? One?”
“Never.” He answered so fast it gave me whiplash.
“What happened between you and her? And with—”
With his thumb under my chin, he tilted my face so our gazes met. “I never loved them and never uttered those words. Especially to Magdalena. She was a means to an ends at the time. I love you with all my heart and wonder how long before some other vampire will lure you from me.”
I snorted, but he didn’t laugh. “You’re serious?”
“I count myself lucky that I don’t have to share you with anyone.”
The Nosferatu clan is hot on Connie Bence’s trail and will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Rurik dead.
He’s evolving. Into what? Hell, if she knew. The Nosferatu accuse Tane, the vampire king, into changing Rurik into one of them, but that’s not true. On the run, she and Rurik embark on a cross country race that takes their relationship into uncharted waters.
His life is at stake. If she want to save Rurik, she needs to find a cure and time is ticking.
She’s now blood bound to a vampire. Nobody from the slayer community will give her the time of day.
Or so she thought.
A serial killer is stalking Rio, the victims are young women, and they have been drained of blood. Connie’s old team reaches out to her for help. While investigating the murders, she uncovers a sinister plot to assassinate the new vampire king. The one she hates, but if he dies, so does she, because he’s the jerk who saved her life and bound her with his blood. She’s forced to enter the royal vampire court and follow the trail of bodies because she can’t deny the dead their justice.
Gwen met her match a year ago. Like most wolf shapeshifters, they knew upon contact they were mates but Colby hadn’t stuck around to bond. He’d dumped her and her whole pack knew it. Never one to cry surrender, Gwen goes on the hunt to find out exactly what sent him running. Hopping from country to country, she chases him until she loses his scent. Unable to return home with her tail between her legs, she takes a job guarding the newest member of the Nosferatu vampire clan in New York City to keep him out of trouble.
Colby is hunting the vampire who kidnapped Red, a member of his slayer team, but every turn he takes leads him back to the one person he’s been trying to avoid. Gwen.
Time moved faster now that I was mortal. After centuries of being a vampire it took the courage of one delicate human heart to give me a second chance at living.
And to be a father…
I kept to the shadows outside my daughter’s nursery, not wanting to disturb the monster hovering over her crib. Fisting my hands, I held my breath. The King of vampires could slaughter the island population, where I and Connie had made our home, with just a thought. Yet, a tiny infant girl held his heart so tight in her grasp it pained me to see him so vulnerable. Who knew how long Tane had been watching Margaret sleep? He hadn’t been in the house two hours ago when Connie had put her to bed.
The urge to protect her flowed so strong in my blood that sometimes I wondered if it gave my heart the strength to beat. Technically, I was a miracle. A vampire turned human. What did make my daughter?
“You’re thinking too hard.” In a blink of an eye, Tane stood in the doorway. His gaze grew heated, undressing me in a single glance. Power radiated from my lover and intoxicated me. Anticipation left me dizzy as my cock thickened.
I snorted. “It’s part of my allure.” I should have known he would sense my presence, no matter how quiet I tried to move in this new body. The link between us was strong ever since he’d saved my life with his blood. Like Connie, I now belonged to him. Though, I wouldn’t say that to her face. Connie doesn’t think she belongs to anyone and that we all belong to her.
“What’s taking Tane so long to get…” Speaking of the she-devil, Connie stormed down the hall of our small home and paused as her gaze dagger through both of us. “”I swear, if either of you wake her, there will be no hole deep enough to hide from me.” Her cloud curly hair seemed even wilder since Maggie was born. The bruised tender skin under her eyes came from lack of sleep and not abuse. She couldn’t have been more beautiful.
Gathering her in my wake, I guided her back to family room where Christmas had exploded on every surface over the last week. “Drink.” I set my hot apple cider in her hand. She had it shipped in yesterday in memory of her grandmother. “Sit.” I pushed her into a plush chair. “You’re doing too much.”
Tane wandered into room and poured himself a cup. “I can assure you Maggie will sleep.”
“Did you do something to her?” Her voice rose and she held her cup more like a weapon than a drinking vessel. I couldn’t have picked a better mother for my child.
I rested my hip on the arm of the chair and kissed the top of her head. She tasted of cinnamon and walnuts. She’d been baking all afternoon and it seemed she’d doused herself with the ingredients. It took all my control not to laugh. I didn’t want her directing that sharp tongue in my direction.
“I’d never do anything harmful to our daughter. I merely peeked in her dreams.” He sipped his cider and stared at the Christmas tree.
Connie went very still and quiet. Never a good combination.
I glimpsed the sheen of tears in eyes. “Hey, what’s this?” With my thumb, I lifted her chin so she couldn’t hide.
She jerked her chin away. “It’s nothing.”
Tane frowned. He set his cup on the counter and knelt in front of her. “You know I’d never harm her.”
She nodded and wiped her cheeks. “I’m hormonal, not homicidal.”
Meeting my stare over her head, he asked. There’s a difference? Using our mind link.
I shrugged. Apparently.
“Stop talking about me.” She gave my thigh a painful squeeze but caressed his cheek. “That’s the first time you called her your daughter, Tane.”
He blinked. “Out loud, maybe, but I’ve always considered her mine.”
Connie visibly relaxed and took a long swig from my cup. “Okay, I need a shower. I won’t be long.”
“Famous last words.” I slapped her ass as she scooted between us. The pregnancy had enhanced her curves and it had been too long since we’d had time to let me explore them.
She vanished into our bedroom. I loved that word. Ours. It had made a world of difference when I’d abducted Connie all those years ago and added it to my vocabulary. Seemed like Tane was trying this word.
The ancient vampire strolled back into the kitchen assessing the plates piled high in various foods. “Are we expecting guests?”
“No.” I chuckled. “Connie is learning to cook.”
He picked up a piece of walnut cake, a local Christmas traditional dessert, and sniffed. “Is she any good?”
“No, but if you tell her I said that, I will deny it until I’m in my grave.”
“Smart man.” He grimaced. “Don’t joke about your grave. How are you adjusting?”
I shrugged again. “I like the sunshine.” This was Tane’s first visit to our Greek home since my transformation back to human. He needed to keep his distance from Connie as not to attract attention to her new human lover. If word spread that I still lived, the Nosferatu would rectify their error. Let alone the fact that Connie and Tane had made me human by sheer chance. “I hate being weak or needing to breath.” I popped a piece of cake in my mouth and grimaced. “I love the eating.”
Connie strolled out of our bedroom wrapped in a towel. Steam rose from her rosy skin. “He hates having to work out to keep the pounds off though.” She poked my stomach and I flexed so she would only sense the hard muscles. She was right. If not for the long hours swimming, I’d be twice my size.
“It would help if you’d stop baking.” I tugged at her towel, tired of playing nice. Maggie was asleep and I finally had both my lovers under the same roof. Tomorrow was Christmas and it would all be about family. Tonight, though, would be about remembering where the three of us had started.
She laughed and tugged the towel from my grasp. There had been a time she’d never have been fast enough to escape my advances. She leaned against Tane. “No matter how I try he’s still incorrigible.”
“I’d expect no less.” The vampire seemed more somber than usual. I didn’t need a mind link to sense his worry.
Returning to the family room, I settled on the chair Connie had vacated. I couldn’t reach out to my sources for information on the Vampire Nation. I’d been declared dead. My resurrection would be a death sentence to the three people I loved the most. The most difficult thing in my new life was not being the real me—the politician, the spy, the informant to most powerful creature on the planet.
Tane bent closer to Connie and inhaled. I remembered how she smelled when I’d been vampire. A deep well of dark emotions ran through my wife and drew vampires. It made her perfect bait. I made it my goal to fight off her ghosts by brightening her life with positive things. Had Maggie’s birth changed Connie’s scent? I made note to ask Tane in private.
“I thought we’d be in bed by now.” I gave them a wicked smile. The three of us shared dreams but nothing beat reality and Tane hadn’t tasted either of us in months. This alone would have concerned me, let alone the vampire’s grim mood. “What’s bothering you?”
Giving me a sharp look, Tane’s expression hardened. He straightened and set his cup on the counter.
Connie frowned in my direction, clearly not amused by directness. “Can’t this wait until after the holidays?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Are we in danger?”
Tane drew Connie into his arms and led her to the love couch across from me. He sat with her cuddled within his strong arms. “You’ve never been safe.” Seeing these once-enemies so close warmed my heart but his words sent the cold claws of fear into my spine. “Or I should say, not safe enough. It’s only a matter of time that my enemies discover Maggie’s existence.”
Connie closed her eyes, her jaw tightening with determination. “I thought this island was secure.”
“It is as secure as I can make except for one thing.” Tane’s gaze never left mine. “You’d be safer with a vampire living here.”
“Absolutely not.” I slashed my hand through the air to help make my point. “I would be found out.”
“I know.” Tane let those words hang in the air.
I blinked as the meaning sank in. “You want to make me vampire again?”
Connie opened her mouth as if to protest then clamped her lips closed so hard I heard her teeth clank. She stared at her hands clasped on her lap, knuckles white.
Tane stroked her hair. “Maggie would be safer with a vampire protector. I’ve come to make you the offer. I can send for a trusted friend to change you.”
“Why not me?” Connie’s quiet question caught me off guard. She’d never expressed the desire to become vampire. Suddenly, I didn’t want to see her as anything but human.
“Because Maggie will need one of you as human. Someone to meet her teachers and bring her to parties during the day.” Tane rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Rurik is the better choice. He’s been vampire. He knows the life and is the trained warrior.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I caught her gaze with mine. “What do want me to do?”
She shook her head slowly. “I can’t make this decision. It’s your life. No matter what, I’ll still love you.”
I sighed and turned my stare to Tane. I wasn’t lying when I’d told Tane that I loved the sun. I worshipped the scorching heat and blue skies of our island home. The beat within my chest thrilled me and the daughter this new body had allowed us to create was the center of my universe. “We wouldn’t be able to have more children.” The realization weighed heavy on my shoulders. “What would you do?” I aimed my question at Tane.
He tilted his head to side. “You want more children?”
I nodded and Connie laughed.
The ancient vampire rubbed his chin. “I think we should leave this offer open. When you decide if it is best to become vampire again, I will make the arrangements. In the meantime, I think you should consider allowing a vampire to live among you. Someone tested and trusted.”
“Like who?” Connie rose from the love seat.
“I have someone in mind. I think we have spent enough time worrying.” Tane tugged her towel and it fell to the floor. “I agree with Rurik. We should be naked and fucking already.”
She gave us a salacious grin and strolled to the bedroom. “Who am I to disagree with such sag advice?”
The local elementary school on our adopted Greek island of Alonissos held a yearly Christmas concert. All the music students from grade four through six would perform traditional Christmas carols tonight.
This would be Maggie’s first time performing. I squatted in front of my ten year old daughter, no easy feat in my heels. Smoothing her inky black hair, I stared in her ice blue eyes. She inherited Rurik’s colors but the rest was all me, including her temper. “Your dads are on their way and they assure me they won’t be late.” They’d better not be. I didn’t care if the vampire nation was in an up-roar. Family came first. Yes, two husbands. One human, one the vampire king. Lucky, lucky me. I owned a huge bottle of Tylenol.
Maggie shrugged and blew a test note on her oboe. The sharp noise it made scrapped my eardrums like cat claws. My daughter’s eyes grew wide with alarm.
I stuck my finger in my ear and checked for blood. “Nervous?” She usually played very well and was one of the advanced students in the band.
Pulling apart the mouth piece, Maggie examined her reed. She grasped the splintered, thin sliver of wood that should have been whole. “Mom?” Her voice held an edge of panic.
“I’m sure your teacher has an extra one.” I rose and searched the stage for said instructor. We arrived early with the other students to set the stage.
Maggie grabbed my hand and pulled. “This way.” She mobilized through the crowd of parents and children, parting them like a linebacker. “Miss Kasko!” she shouted.
An elderly woman with a beak of a nose stared over her glasses as our rushed approached.
“My reed broke.” Maggie held out her open hand to show her the evidence. She breathed hard and clutched my hand tight.
“Oh no.” The teacher met my concerned gaze. “I gave my last one to Theo. I don’t have any other spares.” With a shake of her head, she patted Maggie’s head. “I’m sorry. You can sit on the stage and pretend to play?” She turned away to scold a set of boys using their clarinets as swords.
Maggie blinked rapidly and her face flushed. “Daddy Tane’s never heard me play.” Her voice shook. Maggie spent a few weeks every summer with Tane at his Brazil home. I’d been exiled from the vampire nation for fifty years, which meant limited and secreted visits from my vampire husband. I wouldn’t let that stop him from having an active role in Maggie’s life. From what I’ve heard of their adventures, he crammed a year’s worth of fatherhood in that short amount of time. My heart ached. I wish somehow we could all be together as a family. I missed the asshole.
I clenched my jaw and cursed silently at my daughter’s broken heart. “I can fix this.”
She wiped her eyes before any tears fell. My daughter rarely cried and the sight killed me.
“We have reeds at home, right?” Now panic edged my voice.
She nodded. “In the kitchen drawer where you keep your crap.”
“Yeah, the crap drawer. Got it.” I turned to Miss Kasko. “How much time do I have?”
She glanced at her watch. “Thirty minutes.”
“Good. Daddy Rurik can pick it up on his way here.” Rurik, m y human husband and Maggie’s biological father, had gone to Patitri port on the other side of the narrow island to meet Tane’s private yacht. They should be in the car returning by now.
Maggie leaned against me, resting her head on my chest as I called Rurik. I absently stroked her soft hair as the phone rang.
“Oui, ma cher?” His tone was deep and smooth as silk. It sent a shiver down my spine. He’d started speaking French to me in hopes I’d pick up the language. I could say a lot of naughty things.
“Maggie’s reed broke. Can you stop at home for a spare?” Silence filled the air space between our cells. “Rurik?”
“There’s been an accident,” he answered.
The general noise of children and instruments being tuned faded from my attention. I grasped the phone closer to my mouth and spoke softly so Maggie wouldn’t hear the fear in my tone. “Is everyone all right?” My heart pounded. This would be the first Christmas since Maggie was born that we were all together. Ten freaking years was a long time.
Maggie lifted her chin, concern painted on her face. She was too perceptive.
“We’re fine. Can’t tell you about the goats though. The tow truck is ready to pull the goat truck out of the ditch so I think we should get to the concert in time without any pit stops. Can’t she play without it?”
I rested my forehead in my hand. “You took the back roads again?”
“They’re faster.” Sure they were if he didn’t hit a stray animal, get a flat or stuck behind another fool driving those dirt paths crisscrossing the hills of the island.
“Fine, just get here on time.” I hung up and met Maggie’s desperate stare. “I can fix this.”
Miss Kasko raised an eyebrow. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Better hurry.”
“Ok.” I kissed Maggie on the forehead and pushed my way through the on-coming crowd to my car. The night was darker due to a storm. I pulled my hood over my head and ran through the pouring rain. Thirty minutes, I could do this if I make every green light in the small town and bend the speed limit a little. We lived on the other side of the hill and I had to circle the base to reach our small villa by the sea.
Once I was out of the school zone, I pushed the old car faster. The hunk of junk belonged to Rurik who tinkered with it as an ongoing hobby. He swore one day I would love it. That day had not arrived yet. He took the good car, my car, to retrieve Tane. Leaving me with the Frankenmobile. It rattled and wheezed as I just squeezed past the first yellow light. At the next light, I had to make a sharp left. Through the headlights and windshield wipers, I spotted the green arrow change to yellow so I pushed the accelerator. As I made the turn, the car leaned far to the right and the engine hiccupped.
The Frankenmobile stalled and rolled back into the middle of the intersection. I watched the headlights draw close. Horns blared as cars weaved around mine from both directions. I was going to die if stayed here. Exiting the car, I slammed the door shut and scanned the area for help. The garages would be closed at this time of night. The cars whizzing past me wouldn’t see me in my dark jacket standing in a rain storm. I had to get out of the road.
I’d better call Rurik and Tane. Maybe they could magic me a tow truck. I searched my purse for my phone but came up empty. I must have left it on the passenger seat in my haste. I pulled the door handle. Nothing happened.
No. I. Didn’t.
I wiped the raindrops on the window and pressed my face to it. Oh yes, I did. The keys hung in the ignition and I had locked my doors by habit. I banged my head against the window. What now? Leave the car blocking the intersection until some yahoo smashed it to bits and possibly killed themselves before Christmas? Abandon my daughter at her first concert without a reed? I could fix this. I knew I could. I just need time and a crane.
“Come, we push the car.” A man’s voice yanked me from my misery. After ten years on this island, I could grasp basic Greek. He set his hands on the slick trunk and pushed.
Hurrying to his side, I helped move the car out of traffic. Rain soaked trough my jacket and trickled down my back. We managed to move it to the side of the road next to a moped rental shop. I handed him twenty Euros for helping me and raced into the shop.
He followed me. “Do you need a phone?”
“You work here?” I pulled back my hood. When I spoke Greek, I still had a strong New York accent.
“You’re Rurik’s wife?”
I nodded. “How did you guess?”
“Not too many blondes with American accents on the island in winter.” He grinned. “I’ve fished with your husband.”
“I need to get home fast. How much paperwork do I have to get through before I can rent a moped?” I explained my desperate situation.
“You going to drive in a rain storm on a moped for your kid?” He tossed me a key. “First one on your right outside the door. Bring it back in the morning. We can settle things then.”
The door slammed behind me before he finished speaking. I jumped on the moped and it purred to life as I turned the key. I’d driven one a couple of times around the island, playing tourist. Pulling onto the road, I squinted to see through the rain. Next time, I pack goggles in my purse for these types of emergencies.
I’d lost too much time. The road meandered around the hill and I needed to be on the other side ASAP. I had no choice. I’d have to take one of Rurik’s short cuts. Turning onto a dirt—road seemed like a poor description of what I drove on—more like a wide path that one vehicle could access at time. It cut across the vineyard Rurik financed and why he knew so many of these routes.
The back wheel of the moped spun in the mud and fishtailed, sending a spray of mud against my jacket. I gritted my teeth and wrestled with the handlebars to maintain my control. Five minutes later, I pulled through the private gate onto my driveway. We owned a white villa, complete with plastered high walls surrounding an inner garden with our own olive tree. I parked by the front entrance and wiped the mud splatter off my face. I couldn’t even tell how much time I had left. My phone was in the car and I didn’t own a watch. Oh, for a tardis. I’d have to take the dirt road on the return trip to make it time. Mud be damned.
I searched my purse for my keys to unlock the house door. The bottom dropped out from my stomach as the image of my keys dangling from the ignition of my car popped into my head.
No.
I paced, pulling my wet curly hair. Stupid. I hadn’t occurred to me that I needed the keys to get inside my house until now. How was I supposed to save Maggie’s day?
A rock in the flower garden caught my attention. I could break a window and climb inside. I took a step toward the projectile.
Whoa. The alarm system would go off and I pictured explaining the situation to the police. I hung my head. I didn’t have time to deal with cops. There had to be another way. My gaze landed on smaller stone at the edge of the stairs. The rain beaded on the fake plastic surface. The key hider!
Rurik had purchased this for me, knowing one day I’d be in such a predicament. He was so going to get a long, sweaty thank you. I unlocked the house, raced to the kitchen, retrieved the reed from the drawer, and hopped back onto the muddy moped. Revving the motor, I rolled off my property and headed up the short cut over the hill toward Maggie’s school. I would make it if I had to stop time itself.
Wiping the rain from my face, I scooted past my car parked on the side of the road. The tow truck driver was attaching his chains. Rurik would kill me.
I stopped at the entrance to the school, parking illegally. Running in my water logged heels and muddy clothes, I past a group of well-groomed mothers who sneered as my appearance. I hurried into the gymnasium.
Rurik and Tane stood by the stage with Maggie. She had her little arms wrapped around Tane’s muscled leg while he stroked her hair and Rurik knelt next to them while speaking quietly to her. Maggie’s eyes went wide as her gaze met mine and recognition finally dawned in them. “Mom?” she asked.
“Here you go, sweetie.” I handed her the reed. “Knock’em dead.” I could barely speak while trying to catch my breath. I really needed to start exercising again. There was a time I could almost out run a vampire. Now, I’d be lucking to beat a fat beagle.
Both my husbands stared, Rurik rising to stand and Tane set his hands on his hips while shaking his fedora covered head. It wasn’t to hide his baldness but to keep the locals from seeing his pointed ears. Vampires were still the world’s best kept secret.
“Thanks, mom.” She skipped onto the stage to join the band, settling on her chair and trying her new reed.
Rurik thumbed my cheek, coming away with mud. “I can’t leave you alone.”
“It’s a long story.” I wanted to puddle on the ground in relief. Mission accomplished. My daughter would play with the school, my husbands were in attendance, and we’d spend Christmas together. I’d done it.
Tane wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his hard body. Boy, I missed him. He entered my dream nightly from his home on the other side of the world with his special mental abilities, but that would never make up for the real deal. Bending me back, he claimed a kiss. His full lips soft and demanding. He pierced my bottom lip with his fang and sipped.
I melted in his arms, letting him use his unnatural strength to support my weight.
Rurik chuckled. “Patience you two. That can wait until later, when there are no children to witness.”
Tane pulled away enough for our gazes to lock and he plucked a leaf from my hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Connie Bence has retired from being vampire bait to raise her daughter, but the price was exile from the vampire court and her husband, Tane. Now, he’s shown up on her doorstep on a secret mission to take her out on a date.
Things changed. I missed sleepless, sweaty nights trapped between my then-boyfriends and now-husbands. In recent years, my sleepless nights were due to fever checks, glasses of water, and battling the boogie man. I’d been many things in my life—granddaughter, wife, vampire bait, blood slave. Being a mother topped them all.
Tonight would be different. I placed my lipstick in my clutch and snapped it closed with a satisfying click. Tane, my vampire counterpart, wanted to wine and dine Rurik and me on his private yacht. He’d even hired a local popular chef and musicians. My heart fluttered in anticipation. Yes, I had two husbands—one a human blood slave like me and the other our vampire king.
Date night. It had only taken us ten years to get our act together for one.
Maggie, our daughter, sat on the edge of the bathtub, watching me do my hair and make-up. “Why do make yourself look different when Dad Tane visits?”
I paused in applying my mascara. God knew how old it was but it didn’t clump on my eyelashes so yay! “I want to look pretty for him.” I wanted to knock his socks off and remind him that he was my vampire just as much as I was his blood slave. No bond was stronger. If he died so would I. Our lives were entwined. So it was for Tane and Rurik as well. Luckily our vampire husband held enough power to keep us both young and strong. ‘Til death do us part. Literally.
“You don’t put on makeup for Dad Rurik.” My ten-year-old daughter was learning to push my buttons and she loved to poke at them. Too much. Rurik was her biological father and lived with us full time. She viewed him…differently than her part-time father. She seemed almost protective.
I gave her a secretive smile. I could be covered in ocean muck and Rurik would still be trying to take off my clothes if we had a moment alone. I knew this from experience. “Your father gets to see us all the time. And who says I’m not getting pretty for him as well, Miss Smartypants?” Our relationship was rock solid. Tane on the other hand…
As vampire king, he had access to anything he desired. My smile faded and I put my mascara away. I’d been exiled from his court for a mistake I’d made. On top of it, everyone thought Rurik was dead. The three of us couldn’t be seen together. Not yet. My chest felt hollow. Maybe never. It wasn’t fair to Tane to expect him to remain monogamous. Mask his emotions however he liked with his vampire superpowers, I could sense his loneliness whenever our gazes locked.
“Mom?” Maggie’s voice quivered. “It’s okay that you want to look pretty. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
My focus went from internal to the reflection in the mirror. A tear had spilled down my cheek and I wiped it clean. I held out my hand and Maggie grasped it. “I expect you to give Kam a hard time. He’s way underworked and should earn his keep.” Kam was our werewolf bodyguard. He didn’t live here permanently. The pack traded the guards off every few weeks. Tane wanted us to have a vampire guard as well, but they were limited to night activities. It didn’t fit our new life.
She sighed as if put out. “Fine. He’ll force me to play video games.”
I rested my arm on her thin shoulders. “Think of it as a challenge.”
“He let’s me win.”
How dare he. I restrained a laugh. “Then beat him at his own game.” I wish Maggie came with a pause button. She grew up too fast.
She gave me the side-eye. “If I could, I would.”
“There’s always a way to win. Most of the time it’s not obvious how.” I gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Think about it.” I wished my daughter could live a normal life with no supernatural creatures lurking in the dark, but nothing in our family fell under the normal umbrella. We lived out of the way, on a small island off of Greece, so most big bad vampires wouldn’t bother us. The travel didn’t deter some so our werewolf security were kept on their toes. So far Maggie still remained unaware of how precarious our life was to the edge of chaos and everyone was determined to keep it that way.
Unlike most children, she knew of the existence of vampires but only what was necessary so we could include Tane in her upbringing.
We paused at entrance of the family room where Kam connected his Xbox to the television.
Maggie sighed.
“Werewolves are easily distracted by food.” I whispered in her ear and steered her to the kitchen.
Kam glanced at me from the wires. “We also have excellent hearing. You look good enough to eat.” He grinned, exposing his wolfish canines.
I smoothed my midnight blue silk dress over my hips. “You think?” I had enough time to change one more time. Maybe something in red?
“If I said hot both of your husbands would be tracking my movements over the next month.” He straightened and knuckled his lower back. “They’re on the beach.”
“Oh!” I rushed outside, my heels clicking on the tiled floor, and ignored Kam’s deep chuckle. Nothing wrong with being eager to be alone with my honeys. I stepped out onto patio and stopped in my tracks.
They hung out by the edge of the water, standing close, face-to-face. Rurik in casual khakis and a crisp white shirt that contrasted with his dark tan. His black hair had grown longer and rested on his collar in sexy curls. Tane filled his tailored chocolate brown suit, but no amount of civilized clothing could hide the raw power of his body.
My breath caught in my throat. They were so beautiful. Need ached in my chest. It never ceased to amaze me that they had chosen to be with me, of all people. Orphaned, poor, temper, and all. Damaged goods, as my grandma would say.
Their lips met and time paused. Tane slipped his hand behind Rurik’s head, holding from as their mouths explored each other with a hunger so fierce it weakened my knees. I reached for a chair and missed. I stumbled and caught the edge of the table before lowering myself onto the chair’s cushion. Maybe I had time for a cold shower because I was ready for us to strip before we even left the property.
Rurik slid his palm over the front of Tane’s pants, stroking slowly.
I crossed my legs, trying to ease my own urgent desires, and kicked the table leg. The metal clanged like a warped bell.
Both men jumped apart breathless.
Damn. I folded my hands on my lap to hide my trembling. Sitting through dinner after watching this would be torture. “Please, don’t let me stop you. Pretend I’m not here.” I winked. Public affection was rare between them. They’d both suffered from it in the past. Rurik had almost died because of his relationship with Tane. Twice, if I recalled properly. The world still thought he was dead and that I blamed Tane for his death. We were supposed to be estranged except for Maggie, the daughter Tane adopted and doted on.
Most people would wonder why we didn’t hide her from the vampire court. Those people obviously had never dealt with them. The secret would be found out and exploited. By claiming Maggie, Tane took control of the situation and she had his full open protection. It also meant he could be part of her life.
The vampire kind strolled from the beach, hands in pockets, with a chagrinned look on his face. “You never expressed a voyeur’s interest before.”
“Oh honey, I’m much more of a hands-on kind of girl, but I wouldn’t mind a show with dinner.”
Rurik dangled his boat key from his finger. “What are we waiting for?” We had to take our motor boat to the anchored yacht. He strode around the table, trailing his fingers over my shoulders and back. His finger hooked my spaghetti strap as if by accident, letting it fall and exposing the top half of my breast.
“Sorry.” His voice held no remorse.
I replaced my strap where it belonged and rose to follow him to the boathouse where he kept his precious fishing boat. “You could at least take a moment to appreciate the effort I went through to look nice.” You know, before he stripped me and smeared my makeup. I trailed a hot gaze over his hard form. When women looked at Rurik only one thing came to mind.
Sex.
Some men were born to be lusted after. Rurik considered it a curse. He’d been enslaved for his good looks at a young age. This was the first time in centuries he had the freedom to pick and I was honored to be chosen.
Strong hands circled my waist before trailing over my generous ass. Pregnancy had left its mark in that department. “I appreciate it.” Tane let his hands rove slowly up and down my back as we made our way down the gentle slope, leaving my skin tingling and dying for more.
Rurik had already unlocked the door and had entered the building. Someone was in a hurry.
I giggled and leaned against Tane. “This is nice. Just the three of us like this again.”
He kissed the top of my head, his hand tracing a path along my bare thigh and under the hem of my dress. “I always visit your dreams.” Yes, he did. He had the power to enter our minds from across the ocean. Day sleep for him and night sleep for us. The brush of his lips over my earlobes as he spoke had me clutching the lapels of his jacket.
“Nothing compares to flesh and blood.” I pushed his hand from under my dress. The heat of a blush scorched my cheeks and I fought off the urge to fan myself. The ocean breeze should cool me off once we left the boat house. We all needed to cool off so we could reach the yacht and have a nice family dinner like normal people.
“Bashful?” He blinked. “I haven’t met this side of you before.” He stared after me as I pushed past him. He stalked after me with a puzzled look.
“It’s new.” Rurik straddled the boat’s side and offered his hand so I could climb aboard. Not an easy feat on heels. “She thinks a mother shouldn’t be so—” He gripped my other hand and trapped them to his lap, forcing me to bend in half over the low side of the boat. “—Naughty.”
I tried to jerk my hands free. Not going to happen. “That’s not what I meant. I just think that I should have more discretion…”
Tane braced my hips from behind and my jaw clicked shut. He made a surprised noise as he raised my dress and traced what Rurik termed my granny panties. They weren’t that bad. I’d chosen a matching set made of black satin with lace trim. There had been a time when I hadn’t bothered with underwear. My men preferred quick access and I tired of ripped lingerie. This was when quick and easy existed in our relationship.
The vampire gripped the thin material and tore them as if they were made of paper.
I gasped at the sudden exposure, bent over and vulnerable. Trust was a foundation we had developed over the years. Otherwise I’d have been kicking and screaming at being restrained. I’d had bad experience with vampires and manacles. I took a deep slow breath. If I asked them to let me go they would, but did I really want a tame night? They were both offering my heart’s desire.
He caressed my flesh. “Better.” I heard the rustle of material then watched Tane’s jacket and shirt land in the boat.
I tossed him a look over my shoulder. “Here?” The night deepened the cut of his muscled shoulders and chest. I’d never wanted him more. With his strong hands, he spread my legs wider then knelt.
Rurik turned my face so our gazes locked. “That’s a yes.” He teased my mouth with sharp nips. Rurik liked biting as both giver and recipient. Control was his turn on. After decades of abuse, how could I blame him?
Liquid pooled between my legs. I wanted us together like we used to be. There’d been a time the three of us had traveled the world inseparable. The last ten years had changed our relationship and we had to find our way back.
Tane’s tongue slid between my folds and he licked me. Long, slow, delicate licks as if he planned to eat me all night.
Rurik’s kiss grew more demanding, claiming my mouth, delving his tongue deeper. He clasped me against his chest as the boat rocked under our weight. Thank God for mooring or we’d all have fallen into the sea.
I couldn’t move. Hell, I couldn’t breathe.
One big hand pushed my leg, encouraging me to open even wider.
I did. All my protests forgotten.
Tane licked me again, his tongue grazing my clit. An undignified cry erupted from me at the intense zing that curled my toes. They wanted this to happen here and now? Then I was down with it. I clawed at the fasteners of Rurik’s pants.
He broke our kiss and stood, removing his clothes with sharp desperate jerks. One button pinged off the edge of the boat and into the water. His hard cock pressed against his six pack abs as he leaned back and watched Tane’s skills between my legs. Rurik stroked his cock slowly, his heated gazed traveled back to mine, making my heart pump even faster. He knew how much I always wanted him, with all his lean muscles kept taut from long swims in the ocean and days working the vineyards. “You’re overdressed, Rabbit.” He still used my pet name after all these years even though I couldn’t out run a ten-year-old let alone a vampire. Caressing my bare ass with his calloused hands, he snagged the edge of my dress and pulled it over my head.
He made a possessive noise deep in his throat.
Something vulnerable unknotted in my chest. To know he still found me desirable and beautiful after all these years.
Sharp fangs scraped over the tender skin of my inner thigh and I startled. It had been a long time since I’d been fed upon. What once had been a daily thing had become a rare occurrence, a coveted encounter. Tane withdrew his teeth—what a tease—and rubbed his thumb over the hood of my clit.
I remained perfectly still.
He muttered something under his breath and then flipped me around with his supernatural strength.
Rurik cradled me in his arms. “Let’s take this aboard.” He set me on his lap, my back pressed to his chest, his cock trapped between our bodies.
Tane climbed onto the boat, a storm of yearning on his face. He unzipped his pants, releasing his thick cock. He was built more muscular than Rurik. A force of vampire strength and grace.
I ran my palm over his hard shaft and he shivered. All that power, and access to anyone he wanted, yet he responded to my touch with such potency. This wasn’t a vampire glutted on casual sex and blood. This was my husband who missed me. Missed us.
“Take him in your mouth,” Rurik urged, his voice coarse.
I leaned forward, kissing the tip of Tane’s cock. A bead of pre-cum formed and I licked it clean.
Tane inched closer. He ran his thumb over my bottom lip, dragging it open so he could glide inside. He held my gaze as he slid back and forth tenderly, going deeper each time. His mouth parted and his chest heaved with a shaky breath. He tangled his fingers in my hair. “More.” He ground out the word as if struggling with language.
I tilted my head so he could go even further. He was still mine. I could sense his desperation, his loneliness, from our shared bond. He tried so hard to shield me, to make himself seem indestructible, but his longing for us was so strong it bled between the fine cracks of his power.
Rurik lifted my hips, guiding them until his cock pressed at the entrance of my pussy. He thrust from below, moving my body with his hands in time his until the three of us found a familiar rhythm. I guess sex really was like riding a bicycle.
The only sounds in the silent boat house was our heavy breathing and occasional grunt.
Rurik tore at the clasps of my bra, setting the girls free at last. He cupped them, letting my hard nipples slide over the rough surface of his palms as I rocked back and forth. “Oh fuck.” He shifted his position, resting his knees on the seat, gripping my hips, he shoved deeper inside of me. “I’m close.” His movements grew more erratic.
I released my hold on Tane and bucked against Rurik, his cock filling me. So hard and forceful. He was my safe place. Always there, always understanding, always loving my crazy. “Yes!” I cried out. I loved how he took me with the confidence of a man who knew his way around a bed. Or in our case, the bottom of a fishing boat. My pussy clenched around him as an orgasm crashed over me, locking my body as I shouted a silent scream.
Rurik climaxed, his head thrown back as he cried out my name. He sagged and slid to the floor, dragging me on top of his chest.
Tane crawled between my legs like a panther, his pants off, and claimed a kiss. Demanding and passionate, his lips explored mine. Rurik’s arms surrounded us, stroking our bodies. “Fuck her,” he ordered Tane. “Make her scream.”
The vampire king, the person who commanded thousands, always listened to Rurik for some reason. He bent my knees, exposing my pussy as he pushed his cock into my entrance with one firm stroke.
Breathless, I dug my nails in his back, feeling his muscles clench and release. I’d been worried that we’d grown too distant. What a fool I’d been.
He moved over me, his whole body involved in fucking, pushing me into Rurik.
My human husband kneaded my breasts and whispered naughty suggestions for later this evening. Tane slowed his pace as if listening, but Rurik slapped his ass.
The vampire bared his teeth and snapped at him.
“There he is.” I could feel Rurik’s grin against my head.
Tane gripped me by hair and sank his fangs into my neck. The pain sharp and devastating. He thrust harder and moaned as he drank my blood.
I clawed his back and creamed my pleasure as he stroked inside me over and over. Rurik clutched Tane’s ass as if helping him to fuck me. “Come,” he commanded.
I came apart. Trapped between my lovers, I shouted and cried. Boneless and weak, I still came. My legs quivered and yet he still thrust into me wild and untamed.
Tane released his bite and reared back, blooded fangs exposed as an orgasm gripped him by the spine. I could feel him pulse inside of me as he spilled his seed. His growl of pleasure rolled in his chest as his fingers dug into my hips. Harder faster, he kept moving until he wrung another orgasm out of me. He collapsed on top of us, like a big muscled blanket.
We laid in the boat, unmoving. The waves licked the dock and rocked us into a lull. I caught my breath and my brain rebooted. Good thing because that last orgasm was stroke-worthy. I sighed and sank deeper between my husbands. “Date night was a good idea.”
I didn’t come from a normal family. My friends didn’t have werewolf bodyguards, learn weapons craft, or have a vampire for an adopted father. Or have two fathers, for that matter. Yep, every teenage girl’s nightmare. I’d be a virgin forever.
My parents’ biggest rule was not to keep secrets, yet my life was filled with them. Things I couldn’t share with anyone except my family. Vampires existing was not common knowledge and my adopted father was their king. I understood not telling others our secrets but I always assumed they didn’t hide things from me until now.
I knelt by the trashcan holding an empty box of hair dye. So what? A lot of people dyed their hair, except the color this box had contained was grey. Why would my human dad dye his hair grey? I knew it wasn’t my mom. Hers had a touch of white in her curls and at the temples. Or did she dye her hair white? I shook my head. I’ve been hanging out with my vampire father, Papa Tane, too much and seeing conspiracies in every corner.
I returned the box in the trash and picked up the earring that had fallen in the can. This shouldn’t bother me. So my parents wanted to look older. Maybe it was a fashion statement…or maybe they were keeping something from me. Did I really want to know the truth? For a thirteen year old, I sure felt like I knew too much already.
Vampires and werewolves were real. The fact they allowed me to know this should ease my worry about their trust, but it only made me feel more vulnerable. Like I’d accidentally let the cat out of the bag by telling a friend. Though, I’d have to admit, they probably would never believe me.
“Maggie!” Rurik, my human dad, my blood related dad, shouted from outside. He still spoke with a hint of Hungarian accent. When he was tired or angry it got thicker to the point I could barely understand his English.
“Coming,” I shouted back and set my earring on the counter with its partner. No jewelry during sword practice. It increased the chances of accidently having the tip snag on something. Wouldn’t want my earlobes torn.
Dad paced around the hard-packed dirt ring he’d created in the yard. He held his sword, the bright morning sunlight glinting off the sharp steel edge.
I pulled mine out of its scabbard and gave a practice swing. My parents’ gift on my tenth birthday. All my friends received Barbie or ponies while I learned the finer points of killing a man. My gaze traveled to the grey highlighting my dad’s sideburns and the streak in his bangs. He joked I was
responsible for his greys, but it was all a lie. Clairol gave him those. Scowling, I stepped into the ring.
“Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” He took position across from me. No instructions today. We only sparred on school mornings before classes. Weekend mornings he would teach me new skills. This weekend we would work with knives. Yay…
I took a ready stance, ignoring his question. Secrets upon secrets. I sacrificed so much—sleepovers, parties, days at the beach with my friends—to keep our family safe. I did this without question.
My gaze darted back to his grey hairs.
Dad raised his sword.
Before he grounded his weight, I struck. Whip fast the swords rung in the silence as he parried each of my attacks. I moved forward, pushing him toward the edge of the ring. I ground my teeth, determined…to what? Strike him? I didn’t want to hurt him. I retreated, breathing hard, and ran the back of my hand over my forehead while glaring at him.
Sweat beaded his forehead, but he breathed normally. For a man with a thirteen year old daughter, he didn’t show any signs of tiring. If anything, Dad seemed leaner and faster than other fathers I had met.
He returned the sword to his scabbard. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” I turned my back on him so he wouldn’t see the tears flooding my eyes. Mom I could forgive. She still treated me like I was five, but Dad? He was my best friend. He understood me. He had even told me the story of how he and mom had met. How their secrets had almost killed them both. He had been working for Papa Tane as a blood slave and mom for a vampire slayer. They’d been pitted against each other until he won her over. If he could trust me with that, why secretly change his hair color? It made me doubt everything.
“That means something. Don’t forget I’m well versed in pissed-woman speak. I’ve been with your mother for a very long time.”
“Don’t compare me to her!” I loved mom, but we were so not alike. We may as well be different species.
He held up his hands in surrender. “I think we’ll skip practice this morning.”
“No.” I held up my sword.
“I’d rather not be stabbed. I have lunch plans with a pretty blonde.” He meant my mom, but the quip only tossed fuel on my temper.
I tossed my sword to the ground. “You want to know what’s wrong?” I raced inside our home and pulled the empty box of dye from the trash. Upon returning to the yard, I tossed it at him.
The box bounced off his chest and landed at his feet. He toed it. “Why were you digging in the trash?”
“I dropped my earring inside. Why do you dye your hair?”
He ran his fingers through his thick raven locks that matched my own. My friend’s fathers were balding or grey naturally. “It makes me look more distinguished.”
I approached him and touched the grey strand that fell over his eyes. “That makes no sense. You always tell me secrets are the root of all evil.”
He closed his eyes. “You wouldn’t want to talk about the birds and bees instead?”
“Mom covered that a few years ago. She even drew pictures. Some things just can’t be unseen.”
Dad’s eyes popped open. “That must have been scarring.” He sighed and gestured to the shade under our orange tree. He sat on the grass and waited for me to join him. He gave me a sad smile. “You’re growing up so fast.”
A flood of anxiety washed away my anger. What if the secret would change everything? Maybe I really didn’t want to know. I glanced at the box lying in the dirt. There would be no rest until I knew. My imagination was ten times worse than reality.
“You’ve heard me use the term blood slave before?”
I nodded and fiddled with a blade of grass I had plucked from our lawn. “It means a human affiliated to a certain vampire.” I wasn’t sure how it all worked just that both my parents were blood slaves to Papa Tane.
“Simply put, yes, but it’s more than a title. There’s a process that makes a human a blood slave. Changes us.”
I gave him a slow blink. “So you and mom are not human.”
“We’re human, just different. Have you ever seen either of us sick?”
I shook my head. Thinking about it, I’d never been sick either. It never occurred to me as strange. We were just healthy.
He touched his hair. “We don’t age either.”
My eyebrows rose. “Ever?”
“Ever.”
“You won’t die?” My heart raced as an ancient weight lifted. Every child feared the day their parents would die. Apparently, mine wouldn’t. They’d be around to take care of me.
“I can’t promise that. We heal fast and stay healthy, but a car accident could kill us like any other person.”
“Oh…” My balloon of joy popped. I tossed the blade of grass into the wind and watched it twirl to the ground. “How come I age? Doesn’t this make me a blood slave too?”
He scratched his chin. “I don’t know. There aren’t many blood slaves. You have to be a strong vampire to make one. I’ve never heard of any having kids with another blood slave. It’s a touchy situation mixing blood slaves with different loyalties.”
“Politics.” I knew a lot about that as well. I spent my summers with Papa at his court in Rio. He taught me about ruling people. How to listen to what’s not being said as well as what is spoken. “Papa made both of you?”
“Yes, he’s very powerful.”
“So, he could make me one.”
He smiled softly. “That’s our hope. We have to see if he’s strong enough. Worst case scenario, we find another vampire for you.”
I made a revolted face. “No. I don’t like any of the others I’ve met.” They made my skin crawl and eyed me like a prize cow. Their human princess.
He quirked an eyebrow. “The vampire doesn’t need to be from your father’s court.” He waved his hand as if dismissing the idea. “Anyways, we have years before that day comes.” He slung an arm around my shoulders and hugged me close. “Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up.”
I leaned against him and kept my opinion of vampires to myself. Excluding Papa, I think the world would be a better place without them. “You were pretending to grow old for me?”
“Well, not just for you. We’ve lived here all your life. Someone was bound to notice we weren’t aging. Dying our hair seemed the easiest solution.”
Sadness weighed heavy on my heart. My parents wouldn’t age like others. They wouldn’t grow old together in this villa where I could visit with their future grandchildren. My gaze wandered over the familiar yard. My children wouldn’t know this place because my parents would have to leave to avoid discovery. Grey or white hair wouldn’t hide the lack of wrinkles or their youthful gait. They’d have to leave once I finished school.
“Wait, if you don’t age, how old are you really?”
He tilted his head and gave me a piercing stare. “How old do you think I am?”
“Dad.”
“Let’s go wake your mother and ask.” He jumped to his feet. “I know she’d love to be part of this conversation.”
“Dad!”
He ignored me and slipped inside the villa.
I didn’t follow. Instead, I stared over the Mediterranean Sea westward, toward Rio. I opened my mind to Papa and poked his busy thoughts. Dad told me about him and mom not aging.
Hmm…that’s nice. Being so old, he didn’t need to sleep like
most vampires during the day, but it should be evening in Rio by now.
What secrets are you keeping from me?
The vampire king chuckled. So many, but one day I promise
to tell all of them to you.
Not today?
You’ll be late for school and your mother would be very
cross.
You’re her king.
I’d like to see you tell her that.
I snorted. I’ll pass.
You are wise beyond your years. Have a good day, princess.
Newly appointed vampire overlord, Mutt’s top responsibility is to keep the existence of his kind secret. The human to vampire ration in New York is unbalanced, and he’s up to his pointed ears in blood right disputes. On top of that, strangers are crossing his borders. Vampire bounty hunters.
Maggie is on the run and her family is missing. No money, no passport, no weapons, but she did have a huge bounty on her head. Every vampire in the world is hunting her. Her mother had roots in New York, old slayer friends, and that’s where Maggie is headed. Well, until she runs into the overlord of New York.
The world’s youngest Nosferatu warrior meets Connie Bence’s daughter. Let the fun begin.
Island living in Greece is a far cry from Connie’s NYC roots. She’s gone from vampire bait to their king’s consort. She’s found love, a home, and started a family with Rurik—and their lover, Tane. But as the king’s power has grown, so has the caliber of his enemies, and there are those eager to dethrone him.
When vampires attack their home, Connie is stripped of everything. Now she’s on her own, a soccer mom with rusty slayer skills, a city girl lost in the Carpathian Mountains. With both of her lovers MIA, she has no choice but to mount a rescue with the aid of the unlikeliest of partners.
She knows there’s little chance she’ll survive, but family is everything, and she would risk it all for her men and their daughter.
