Love at First Bite Bundle

by Kimberly Raye

  The way he’d felt during those few weeks when he’d been with Viv.

  But then she’d walked away.

  That’s what had destroyed him. Not losing his humanity, but losing her. He hadn’t spent the past century regretting what he’d become. Other than not being able to tell his folks goodbye, he’d actually been content being a vampire. Sure, he wasn’t too keen on the yearly turning, but he’d learned how to control it, with the exception of Jake and Dillon. And while he regretted biting them, he couldn’t regret the bond they’d forged.

  They were his friends.

  His family.

  No, he’d come to appreciate the perks of being a vampire. He liked being strong. Reading minds. Being great in bed.

  Until he’d watched Jake fall in love with Nikki. Then he’d remembered what it was like to be in love himself—really and truly in love—and he’d missed it.

  He’d missed Viv.

  She’d come back to him now and given him the most precious gift of all—her love—and he owed her.

  His love.

  His protection.

  He’d already eliminated the vampires threatening her existence. All except for one.

  Jake had fought too hard, too long to simply give up the search for his humanity now, not with Nikki still human. Sure, they could go after Viv’s father, but he could be halfway around the world for all they knew. They had no clues. And even if they did manage to track him down, Viv would never let them destroy him.

  She would sacrifice herself first to save all of them, if for no other reason than to prove that she wasn’t like the man who’d made her childhood a living hell.

  Vampire or not, she would never willingly hurt anyone.

  He knew that now. He knew her.

  Her head.

  Her heart.

  He also knew that he would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

  He’d eliminated the two vampires who’d threatened her existence, and now it was time to take care of the last and final threat.

  He walked several more feet until he reached a far tree near the edge of the pasture. It was the same tree he’d camped out at that night so long ago when he’d been attacked and left to die.

  Viv had saved him, and now it was his turn to repay the favor. He would give Jake and Dillon their humanity back, and the hunt for the Ancient One would end right now.

  Sitting down, he leaned back against the tree, his legs stretched out in front of him.

  And then he fixed his gaze on the eastern horizon and waited for the sun to rise.

  “GARRET.” THE NAME whispered on the wind, and Garret thought for a split-second that it was his imagination. Until he felt a nudge against his leg.

  He opened his eyes to see Jake standing in front of him. Orange tinged the horizon behind him, and a faint stream of smoke whispered around the vampire. It was almost time now. He could feel it in the lull of his muscles and the weariness that pulled at his eyelids. They drifted shut again, and he felt the nudge of a boot against his leg.

  “You stupid sonofabitch.” It was Jake’s voice again, pulling him from the exhaustion and the dream he was having.

  He and Viv were together. She loved him and he loved her and all was right with the world.

  “Come on. Get up.” Jake’s voice grew stronger, reminding Garret that it was just his wishful thinking.

  Nothing was right and there would be no happily ever after. Not for him.

  But that was okay. She would be safe. Alive.

  “Leave me alone,” he told Jake when the vampire nudged him again.

  “And let you fry for some woman? What the hell is wrong with you?”

  He opened his eyes then and stared up at his friend. “She’s the Ancient One.” He shook his head. “This is the only way.”

  “Do you love her?” Jake demanded.

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Do you?”

  “I’ve always loved her.”

  “Then forget this self-sacrifice crap, get the hell up and do something about it.”

  “But you and Dillon—”

  “—aren’t going to last two days without your sorry ass to boss us around.” Jake hunkered down in front of Garret. “We need you, man.”

  “You need your humanity.”

  “I always thought so.” Jake shook his head. “I thought if I could just go back and erase the past hundred or so years, then I would feel different. I would feel hopeful, optimistic, free. I’ve spent so long being a slave to the hunger, and I just wanted to be free. But then I found Nikki.”

  “And you wanted it even more.”

  “Only because I thought it was what she wanted. But she loves me, even if I never become human again. She loves me just the way I am. And she’ll keep loving me, for a lifetime or an eternity. Meg feels the same about Dillon.” His gaze caught and held Garret’s. “And Viv feels the same about you. She loves you, man. Don’t blow this.” He pushed to his feet. “Get your ass up, and let me take you home.”

  But Garret couldn’t because he knew what Jake was thinking. They would just go after Viv’s sire.

  “I know about her father,” Jake said, as if reading Garret’s thoughts. “She told me.”

  “You talked to her?”

  “She came to me and offered herself. She wanted to take the decision away from you. So she told me who she was, and then asked me to kill her.” Before Garret could move, Jake held up a hand. “Calm down. I didn’t touch her.”

  “Why not?”

  “For the same reason that you’re sitting here right now, ready to fry. We’re friends, Garret. Now and always. If you love her, that’s good enough for me.”

  “And me.” Dillon stepped up behind Jake.

  “Ditto for me.” It was Nikki’s turn. She slid an arm around Jake’s waist.

  “And me,” added Meg as she came up beside Dillon.

  “But it’s not good enough for me.” Viv’s sweet voice slid into his ears, and he watched as she stepped from behind the group and walked over to him.

  He pushed to his feet then, despite the fatigue that bound his muscles. Suddenly, he didn’t feel half as drained as he had a few minutes ago. Not with Viv here. Now.

  She fed his strength in a way that went way beyond blood and sex. She fed his soul. With her smiles and her laughter.

  “I want more than your love,” she told him as she stopped just inches away, determination etching her beautiful features. “I want to fall asleep in your arms and wake up to you every evening. I want you. Every moment of every day. Every day from now until forever. You.” She touched him, her fingertips brushing his jaw as she reached out. Her eyes glimmered with emotion and his chest tightened. “Please don’t do this.”

  Garret sighed. It looked as if he had no choice, even if he’d wanted it. And he didn’t. “Then we all agree it stops here.” He glanced around the small group. “No more searching for the Ancient One. It’s over right here and now.”

  “Right here,” Jake added.

  “Right now,” came Dillon’s solemn agreement.

  “Besides, I hear that fangs are the new thing this year,” Nikki added.

  “It’s what all of Skull Creek’s finest are wearing,” said Meg.

  Garret grinned and turned back to Viv. His expression faded as he stared at the woman he loved. The vampire he’d always loved.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” he murmured. And then he pulled her into his arms and held on tight.

  Epilogue

  HIS HEAD HURT like a sonofabitch.

  Sheriff Matt Keller forced his eyes open to the blinding morning sunlight that pushed past the drapes. He rolled over onto his back and winced against the pain that beat at his temples.

  He felt as if he’d drank the night away and passed out in an alley somewhere. His entire body felt stiff, his muscles tight. A groan worked its way up his throat as he pushed into a sitting position.

  He blinked and focused on his
surroundings.

  And then he blinked again because nothing was the way he remembered when he’d first crawled between the sheets last night.

  The door hung from one hinge, and every piece of furniture except the bed had been smashed to bits. There was a sizeable dent in one wall and a litter of sheetrock on the floor. It looked as if Godzilla had faced off with King Kong, and neither had won.

  What the hell…?

  He closed his eyes and tried to remember. He’d checked the parking lot for Viv Darland’s car one more time, then he’d crawled into bed and flipped on the TV to pass the time and wait for her to come in. He’d wanted to talk to her. To get her to confess.

  He’d done just that, but only after she’d come knocking on his door. He remembered her accusations, her revelation. The attack.

  Holy shit.

  He’d been bitten by a vampire.

  As if he didn’t have enough friggin’problems of his own.

  He touched a hand to his neck, but the wound had already healed thanks to his werewolf DNA. The only lingering reminders of last night were the very real images in his head and the Metallica solo that pounded in his head.

  Oh, and the little old woman standing in the doorway. Towels overflowed her arms and a disapproving expression etched her face.

  She eyed the surrounding mess and arched one eyebrow. “I hope you know this means you ain’t getting your deposit back.”

  He shrugged. “I sort of figured.”

  She took another look before her gaze zeroed in on him again and dropped to his lap. “You always sleep in your birthday suit?”

  He glanced down and sure enough, he was buck- naked. “I like to be comfortable.”

  “Me, too. Say, you’re not a bad-looking fella. If you’re interested in a date, I might be able to help you out.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

  “Let me know if you change your mind. There’s lots of pretty girls around here.”

  His body seemed to come alive just at the thought. His gut tightened and his groin stirred. He snatched up a nearby pillow just before the old woman got an eyeful.

  “I’ve got a really busy job. Maybe next time.”

  “Suit yourself.” She shrugged and waddled past his doorway, her orthopedic shoes slapping the pavement outside.

  He moved the pillow and stared down at his lap. At the monster that had once been his penis. He’d never been short on equipment. He was a werewolf, after all, which meant he had the whole survival of the fittest thing going on—primitive alpha male, leader of the pack, the whole nine yards.

  But this…

  This gave new meaning to the word “enormous” and made him wonder what other not-so-little changes lay in store for him now that he’d been bitten by a vampire.

  Only time would tell.

  ONCE UPON A BITE

  Kimberly Raye

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Prologue

  “THERE ARE ONE HUNDRED and seventy million, seven hundred and fifty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty-three people having sex at this exact moment,” Burt reported.

  Burt was a short, bald guy, who fidgeted as he stood in the middle of LB Patterson’s office. The man wore his usual blue leisure suit, a dozen chains around his neck and a look that said How’s it hanging, baby? “That’s not counting several thousand ménage à trois, a few hundred group orgies and a woman up in Jersey getting up close and personal with an authentic African python named Daisy. Needless to say, I’ve got animal control on stand-by,” he added.

  “Not bad.” LB—known affectionately as Lover Boy and officially as Cupid—punched a few buttons on his state-of-the-art computer and pulled up a spreadsheet. Based on last year’s statistics, the sex was up by over a million. A grin tugged at his lips. “We’re definitely doing something right.”

  “I wouldn’t pop open the champagne yet,” Burt continued. “The number of people doing it is definitely on the rise, but less than one third are actually in love. Except the Jersey lady. She’s definitely head-over-heels for Daisy.”

  LB’s gaze swiveled to the Love category and a bolt of panic went through him. When it came to amore, he was the head honcho. The big cheese. The MIC. “But that’s down by half.”

  “I told you not to crack open the bottle. Then again, you could probably use a drink right about now. Venus isn’t going to be too happy.”

  Venus headed the Interaction division for Humans, Inc., a worldwide conglomerate that micromanaged the human race. She was just one of a handful of upper-tier management, but she was no one to mess with. There was also Jupiter, CEO and mega control freak. Mars was in charge of war and domestic conflicts. Vesta ran morality. Juno monitored reality TV (rumor had it that her two- timing hubby, Jupiter, had a thing for the newest Bachelorette and she was determined to catch him screwing around). Bacchus handled addiction. Mercury headed up postal workers. And then there were a half dozen others who managed various aspects of human existence.

  LB stared at the numbers again and the Starbucks special blend he’d sucked down earlier started to churn in his stomach.

  Contrary to popular myth, Venus wasn’t warm or elegant or Miss Touchy-Feely. She was cold, stuck-up and a certifiable ball- buster when she didn’t get her way. And her way was dominating the top statistical tier of the organization.

  Even more, she wasn’t just LB’s boss. She was the woman who’d endured hours and hours of labor, a fat backside and swollen ankles—all on his behalf.

  “Holy shit,” LB muttered. “Mom’s going to fry my ass faster than I can say ‘till death do us part.’”

  Literally.

  In addition to being blessed with ethereal beauty,Venus was notorious for borrowing Jupiter’s lightning bolt. She also had a black belt in guilt. If the fire didn’t end his miserable existence, the mega-dose of “I can’t believe my own son is stabbing me in the back and making me the laughingstock of the company” was sure to do the trick.

  “Nice knowing you, buddy.” Burt shrugged. His gold chains caught the early-morning light that pushed through the wall-to-wall windows. Light danced across the ceiling. “Listen, do you think you might put in a good word for me before she smokes you?” He glanced at the window. “I’m the only sex manager in history who isn’t a member of the mile high club because I’m afraid to fly.” He glanced at the window that overlooked Chicago (it was a far cry from Rome and an up-close view of the Colosseum, but hey, we’re talking the twenty-first century). “This isn’t the top floor, but I could make it work.”

  “Get out.”

  He shrugged. “You need some quiet time to reflect before you bite the bullet. I understand. Think about the office. I could hook you up with that cute little receptionist down in addiction. She’s been wanting to do you for ages.”

  “Out.”

  The door closed and LB shifted his attention to the numbers scrolling across his computer screen.

  Sex? Way, way up.

  Conversation? Not as sky-high, but still higher than last year.

  Internet chat? Always on the rise.

  Hell, even cuddling was holding its own.

  But his baby, his pride and joy, his livelihood, had taken a nosedive straight to the bottom of the list. And he was responsible.

  People just didn’t believe anymore, and he couldn’t say he blamed them. They lived in an era of instant, effortless gratification. From food to shopping, applying for a mortgage to sex. It was all just a mouse-click away. A person could order a pizza, buy the latest bestseller, pay bills and jack off, all without leaving his or her chair.

  Love was different. Love required time. Energy. Effort. Even more, love required faith.

  That was the real problem. Pe
ople just didn’t believe. They were disheartened, disillusioned and just plain pissed. Which explained the newest What the hell is this? memo he’d received yesterday from his dear mother.

  He keyed in the Web address referenced on the note. His screen shimmered and flashed as the Web site loaded.

  A split-second later, kissmyasscupid.com blazed in black letters across the header, along with a flashing red heart. “Love Stinks” started to play and the heart cracked in two.

  Ouch.

  He scrolled down to the three video finalists for the site’s current anti-Valentine’s Day contest. They featured three women—the worst of the worst when it came to non-believers—who despised V-day. They bashed. They scoffed. They bitched about bad dates and loser boyfriends and meaningless one night stands. One even pitched a few handfuls of spaghetti and some gonzo meatballs at the guy doing the video.

  They were a prime example of why his numbers were way down.

  And…the fastest way to convince Venus to give him a second chance.

  The moment the idea waltzed into his head, he should have pushed it back out. Really. It was hard enough helping out the ones who actually wanted to find the big L.

  At the same time, if he could work his magic with this trio of die-hard disbelievers and give them their very own happily-everafters, then he could prove his worth to the company. Even more, he could convince his mother that the apple didn’t fall that far from the tree. Then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to pop a valium before the next Sunday dinner.

  If not?

  LB forced the thought aside. His numbers might be down, but his faith wasn’t. While 99.99 percent of the world categorized love as the stuff of fairy tales and cheesy chick flicks, he knew better. Love was real. Powerful. Magical.