Pandemic Passion

by Amanda Kimberly

  “Okay. I guess that makes sense.” Dixie said as she scratched her head.

  “It makes more sense than you all know.” Verena announced as she crossed the threshold of the doorway. “Not only are you immune to the werewolf’s bite, but it also appears that you are immune to this Covid illness that all the humans are getting because you technically are one of us now and we are immune to the disease. If we can find a way to replicate what is in your bloodstream, we can put that into the hands of the right people to cure this pandemic. Your blood is definitely the key because you are human enough. And honestly, the quicker we do find a vaccine, the better off this world will be. We may have stopped Dustin, but that doesn’t mean that others won’t try to follow in his footsteps to overtake the Earth.”

  “You have a point,” Lorring said as rubbed his lower chin with his index finger. “Perhaps we should take a further look into this whole immunity thing.”

  “If our top shifter doctors can formulate something which won’t make these humans become shifters, but cure this Covid, then I’m all for it! Best place to start with this research is on Effeminate. Dixie, would you mind if I drew some blood so my team of doctors can analyze it?”

  “Go right ahead, Verena! The quicker we can get rid of this Covid crap—the better!”

  “Honestly, Verena? I don’t think we will have to worry so much about the humans turning into shifters. I mean if my blood couldn’t make her shift then no human would either—right?”

  “In theory. But I am not sure what would happen if they were bitten. So, I think it’s better we find a way to replicate it. We wouldn’t want any planet knowing that shifter blood is running through every humans’ veins. Might make them more vulnerable to attacks from my solar system. Lupine isn’t the only planet with a primitive shifter race.”

  “Yeah, and I for one don’t want to be handling all of that here on Earth.” Said Ciro.

  “Verena, see to it that Tilda gets the best scientists working on it.”

  Verena smiled at Ciro and kissed him on the cheek as she walked out the door with a vial of Dixie’s blood.

  8

  It didn’t take long for Verena’s team of doctors and scientists to analyze the blood and come up with a feasible vaccine for the human population. There wasn’t a 100 percent chance that the humans wouldn’t become shifters should they be bitten, but the Effeminates assured us there was a next to nothing chance of them becoming one from only the vaccine alone. Since there is always a risk that a human can become a shifter from a bite, they were willing to take the risk so Earth would be safe.

  Ciro made sure that the vaccine got into Dr. Petit’s hands and he in turn got the credit for creating the vaccine so as not to alert the humans that aliens and magicals lived among them. The vaccine was simply made but none of the human race’s minds could duplicate a similar vaccine. That helped to lower the chance of the humans using something inferior on their DNA makeup.

  The pandemic did wear on for another couple of months because not everyone had gotten the vaccine all at once. Bureaucrats of some nations wanted to capitalize on the financial uptick the vaccine might give their economy if they came up with their own version. Of course, the vaccine couldn’t be duplicated since some of the properties were not found naturally occurring on Earth, and therefore, Petit’s was the only one that proven to stave off the virus. The world had no choice but to use his version for their populations.

  While the Earth was recovering, Cherry, Lorring, and Dixie stayed on Keme’s compound as one large pack. Cherry needed help controlling her wolf, and once Lorring had laid reclaim on Dixie, she too was asked to stay.

  However, Dixie didn’t need all that much help, another interesting side effect of the transfusion. Keme and Ciro were surprised at the result and wanted to observe her for a little while to gather information about this anomaly no magical had considered before. Sure, there was an ancient spell in one or two of Dracula’s Books of Shadows, but no one ever considered a mixing of the races could happen without the aid of the gods before.

  “When do you think Cherry and I can get out of this compound, Lorring? I mean, Keme is nice and all, but I’d like to get back to my old life.” Dixie asked him when they woke in the morning.

  They had been living on the compound for two full months now, and Dixie was getting antsy to get back to Paris. That weekend she spent there may not have not the greatest since Dustin and his packmates ruined the reunion but finding Lorring again made up for all of that. It also made her realize just how much she missed Paris. She wanted to move back home.

  “I was planning on us leaving sometime today. But where do you want to go? Back to Cali? Because given that bite,” Lorring said as he traced circles around the bite scar on Dixie’s left shoulder, “it should prove to you that I’m coming with you no matter where you go.”

  “I was tossing around the idea of moving back to Paris in a few months. That is if you’re willing to come back home with me. Or I can come with you to New York? Honestly, I’ll go anywhere as long as you are with me.” She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “My home is with you.” She kissed the top of his shoulder.

  He cupped her cheek.

  “My home is with you too. And it’s funny you should say this. I’ve been talking to Ciro about managing the company in Paris. I was figuring you’d want to go back. How about this, how about we go to your place in Cali and get things squared away there? We will eventually figure out the other logistics. No need to rush things. The important part is that we will be together from here on out.”

  “I like that idea!” She said to him as she rose from the bed and stretched her arms.

  “What do you think Cherry will do?”

  “I don’t know. She honestly seems pretty happy here.”

  “I am pretty certain her happiness stems solely on the fact that she’s head-over-heels for Cheveyo.”

  “Yeah, that might have something to do with it.” Lorring chuckled. “I’m really glad that they found each other. Cheveyo deserves to be happy.”

  “How long has it been since he’s been mateless?”

  “It’s been a few centuries. I think he met Nadine before the Were Rebellion—the first one.”

  “Wow! So, like the 14th century, huh?”

  “Yeah, thereabout.”

  “Well, let’s get breakfast! I’m hungry!” Dixie said as she reached for her robe and shrugged it on over her naked body.

  “In a minute.”

  “What do you mean—in a minute?”

  “I’m hungry too, but it isn’t for food.” He said as he reached for her hand and pulled her body onto his.

  He kissed her lips attentively as he cupped her backside.

  “Oh? And exactly how hungry are you?”

  “Famished!” He said as his lips trailed down to her neck.

  He untied the robe and tossed it onto the floor. Her breasts swelled as he took each one of them in the palms of his hands. The nipples peaked with desire as he rubbed circles around them with his thumbs.

  His mouth trailed down to her collarbone and down the soft part of her breast before he took the tip in and flitted the nipple with his tongue.

  Dixie let out a soft moan of pleasure as he removed his boxers and placed her on her back to straddle her. His shaft was mere inches from her inviting bud, tempting her entrance with the slightest touch from his shaft.

  “I need to be inside you.” He said as he rubbed his thickening rod over her wet center and plunged himself deep within her core.

  He cupped each of her breasts as he ground his hips into her slick folds. They wrapped themselves tightly around his shaft and her back arched to take in his girth; the sensation electrified him. She let out another soft moan as her lips pulsated around his rod. She began to writhe beneath him, lost in the pleasure of his pleasing her.

  “Oh baby, that’s it! Come for me.”

  She let out a loud moan this time as she cupped his backside and massaged
each cheek in time with her gyrations. Now full of need himself, he filled her with his own wet desire until he collapsed on top of her with heavy breaths.

  “Was it good for you?” Dixie said with a laugh.

  “Outstanding.” He said caressing her cheek. “Now I’m ready for breakfast.”

  They both dressed in some sweats and headed downstairs to hunt for some food. Cherry and Cheveyo were in the kitchen feeding each other.

  “I could die from all this cuteness,” Dixie said to the two of them when she entered the room.

  “Babe, you want a full English? I’m dying for some bacon and eggs!”

  “Sure. I could go for that. How about I cook the bacon while you cook the eggs?”

  “Sounds fine to me.”

  “As if you aren’t less nauseating in the cute department?” Cherry said to Dixie with a chuckle.

  “I’m just playing with ya!” Dixie retorted as she grabbed the carton of eggs and some milk. “So, what are your plans? Are you going back to France?”

  “In a week or so. Cheveyo is coming with me.” Cherry said with a smile. “What are you two going to do.”

  “Eventually we are moving back to France. Maybe in a month.”

  Cherry started jumping up and down in place.

  “Squee! You mean I get my bestie back again on a full-time basis?”

  “I think so! Ciro has agreed to let Lorring take over the offices in Paris, France. It’s pretty much a lock.”

  “This is actually a good thing. Ciro and Keme were hoping you’d move back and not decide to stay in Cali or New York—not that they’d mind if you did, of course! It’s just it will help Chance and Annabel out with all of the nasties in France. America isn’t the only country that’s seen its fair share of rebellions.” Cheveyo said with a knowing nod.

  The four of them all gathered around the kitchen island as they ate in relative silence.

  Dixie and Lorring left the compound shortly after breakfast to head to the airport for their flight to California. Once they got to the terminal, he handed Dixie her ticket along with a passport. She glanced at the ticket and her eyes widened.

  “Lorring! This is a first-class ticket! And it’s not going to Cali, it’s going to France.”

  “Yes. It is.”

  “But why?”

  He cupped her cheek.

  “Because I like pampering my babe. I have business to attend to for Ciro that will keep me there for a little over a week. I figured we deserved a vacation after all that has happened and what better way to relax than to be in Paris and hunting for a chateau of our own.”

  Dixie smiled.

  They headed into the cabin of the plane and Lorring let Dixie sit while he placed their carry-ons into the compartments above them. He then slid into the seat next to her and patted her on the thigh.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not looking forward to this flight. The forecast wasn’t all that good so I’m sure the turbulence won’t be smooth sailing.”

  “It’s okay, just squeeze my hand when you need to. But first, I’d like to ask you something.” He said as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny box. “I was going to wait until Valentine’s to give this to you. It’s not that far off, but I just can’t wait any longer. Dixie, you are my everything. You always have been, you always will be. Loving you is my extreme pleasure in life and I’d like nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with you. Will you marry me?”

  He popped open the box and a beautiful solitaire sparkled facets of blue, yellow, and red on her face. The size was so enormous that Dixie wondered if it would fit on her delicate hand. She cupped her mouth with her right hand.

  “Oh, Lorring,” she managed to squeak out before tears started to roll down her eyes, “yes. Yes, I will marry you! But on one condition. We must marry in the city of love!”

  “I think that can be arranged,” Lorring said as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit as perfectly as she dreamed it would.

  Dixie looked up and noticed that none of the other passengers had boarded yet. Her brows narrowed.

  “Okay, why is no one else on the plane yet?”

  “I may have asked the pilot and stewardesses to hold all of the passengers until I proposed.” He said with a smile.

  Suddenly a woman bubbling with delight asked if Lorring wanted the bottle of champagne and strawberries he ordered. Lorring smiled and nodded. She proceeded to hand over the strawberries and poured out two glasses of champagne. She then started ushering the other passengers onto the plane. Once everyone was settled, the pilot got onto the loudspeaker.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to welcome you to this flight to Paris, France from Manchester, New Hampshire. This will be a 14 hour and 57-minute flight with one layover in Boston, Massachusetts. There is a bit of bad weather in Boston, so we may experience a bit of turbulence. At that time, I’ll ask you to fasten your seatbelts. Before I play a brief video on airplane safety and what to do in case an emergency should arise, I’d like to be the first to congratulate Lorring Laurent and Dixie Martin on their engagement. She said yes!”

  A cheer from the cabin of the airplane roars over the captain. Lorring cups Dixie’s cheek.

  “I love you with all of my breath, future Mrs. Laurent.”

  Dixie palmed his hand and smiled.

  “And I love you too!”

  The End

  About the Author

  Amanda Kimberley is in a love triangle with paranormal romance and chocolate. It’s complicated.

  Award-winning and best-selling national and international author Amanda Kimberley has written in various genres in the course of almost four decades.

  Her nonfiction blog, which focuses on the chronic disease fibromyalgia, has garnered recognition from various organizations, including Health Magazine. Naming her blog, Fibro and Fabulous, as a top blog for fibro sufferers.

  Amanda has also written for medical magazines and sites like FM Aware, The National Fibromyalgia Association’s magazine and ProHealth.

  When Kimberley is not writing nonfiction, she enjoys penning romance. Her fiction works have garnered her the 2020 Summer Splash Book Awards of Ink and Scratches for Best Romance for The Turtle and the Hair. The Forever Series was featured for part of 2015 and all of 2016 on the BookCountry website, a division of Penguin/Random House. She’s been featured as a “USA Today Happy Ever After Hot List Indie Author”, a “Best Poet of the 90’s”, has had a #1 PNR ranking on iTunes, as well as, a #1 Amazon category ranking internationally in Canada.

  Amanda Kimberley is a Connecticut native that now lives in the warmth of Northern Texas with her zoo consisting of her husky and cocker spaniel dogs, her tuxedo cat, two hamsters, a rabbit, a tank of fish, two daughters, and a husband. When she is not writing you can find her cooking whole foods for her pack. She also enjoys reading, hiking, and gaming.

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  Other Books by Amanda Kimberley

  The Forever Series

  Forever Friends

  Forever Tied

  Forever Cherished

  Forever Bound

  Forever Immortal

  Coming Soon

  Forever Blood

  The Witch Journals Series

  Salem’s Trial by Judge

  Salem’s Trial by Township

  Coming Soo
n

  Salem’s Trial by Birth

  Colonial Witch Trials

  The Gypsy Witch Trials

  Purely Paranormal Pleasures Series

  The Lion Witch

  Pride’s Legacy

  Absolute Pride

  Forget Me Not

  Leader of the Pack

  Santa’s Little Helper

  Stand Alone Paranormal Romance

  Manifestations

  The Cure

  Uncharted

  The Pride Within

  The Chronic Collection Series

  (Contemporary Romance Stand Alone Collection)

  Down by the Willow Tree

  To Hell With Carpets

  Coming Soon a New Series Spinoff of The Chronic Collection!

  Just Breathe

  Just Be

  Just Believe

  Poetry

  The Fast Still Life

  The Puzzle Called Life

  Blue Water Baptism

  From EveL Worlds

  The Turtle and the Hare