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  I opened my eyes. The bright, afternoon sun was setting and swaths of oranges and reds were painted across the Texas sky. My gaze flitted from the window to the rest of his bedroom searching for a clock, but I didn’t see one. I had to have slept for several hours. It’d only been midday when we made love.

  I turned onto my stomach and drank in the faint peppermint scent on the pillow where he’d been sleeping beside me. “Erick?”

  He was at the bedside in a second, startling me. I still wasn’t used to how quickly he could move.

  “Do you feel okay?” he asked.

  I stretched and let out a soft moan. “Pleasantly sore.” I grinned and sat up, letting the sheet fall away from my breasts.

  His eyes darkened, but just for a moment. If I hadn’t been watching him, I wouldn’t have noticed. It felt good to know that just a glance aroused him, especially after everything we’d done. After he’d seen … all of me.

  “You are beautiful, Bailey. As I have already said, your scars are nothing more than badges of honor. I find them as beautiful as the rest of you.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Look up at me,” he said.

  I did as he said, pulling my gaze from the jagged white line running across my left breast.

  He was perfection defined. His sexy, golden mop of hair was sufficiently mussed, so that anyone who saw him would likely know what we’d done for several hours this afternoon. His chest and shoulders were muscular and defined, but not bulky. A tapered waist teased my eyes and a light trail of blond hair drew my gaze downward, where I focused on his groin, hidden once again beneath a pair of perfectly fitting jeans. I traced my lips with my tongue, hungrily wondering when I would get to see him naked again.

  “Bailey,” he chuckled.

  I glanced up, seeing amusement in his smile. He had the most adorable dimples. My heart did a flip-flop. How had I ended up in this man’s bed? In his universe at all?

  Stripping him naked and coaxing him back into bed crossed my mind, but my thoughts were interrupted by a loud rumble from my stomach that ruined the moment.

  “You must be starving. Gods, I fed from you, too. You need to eat—now.”

  His exasperation tickled me. A thousand-year-old vampire worrying that I needed to eat something.

  He moved swiftly across the room and picked up several things from the large chaise near the window. They were my clothes from earlier—jeans, t-shirt, bra, and panties. Everything looked perfect. Not a wrinkle to be seen … as if they hadn’t been worn at all. Major score for enchanted clothes!

  I slipped from beneath the covers, wriggling my toes in the plush carpet. He walked back to my side and handed me one piece of clothing at a time, watching me put it on. If he’d been a dog, his tongue would have been dragging the floor as he panted. A grin spread across my face at the thought. I took the last garment, a t-shirt, and pulled it over my head.

  “If my hair looks anything like yours, I need a brush,” I said.

  He feigned a look of offense and then smiled, running his fingers through his wayward hair. “You don’t like my sexy, bed hair?”

  “I would rather others not see it.” I coughed out a laugh and scurried into the bathroom. Picking through the pile of toiletries he’d brought me, I found a brush and some leave-in conditioner. Hallelujah! I would have to thank Calliope later. I spritzed some on and worked the brush through my tangles. He’d followed me into the bathroom, waiting in the doorway until I finished. He took the brush and ran it through his hair a couple of times until it was back in place and sexy as hell.

  “Better?” He questioned me with a teasing grin.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Let’s head over to Rose’s and get you some food.”

  “Is that where everyone eats … every meal?” I followed him through the bedroom, slipping into my shoes on the way.

  “No.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But, I don’t have food in the house, so until I take you to the market, you will.”

  “Oh.” Facepalm. Of course he didn’t have food in the house. He did, however, have beer. His friends had been drinking it. “You drink alcohol, though?”

  He unlocked the front door and gestured for me to exit first. “I enjoy alcohol. It takes the edge off my hunger and helps me relax a little. I can eat food, but it is unnecessary.”

  Interesting.

  I walked down his front steps and waited for him on the sidewalk as he locked his front door. I looked up and down the street that was lined with brownstone-style apartments on each side. They looked so out of place in this tiny western town, like a whale would look in the middle of the desert.

  “Who else lives here?” I waved down the street.

  “Vampires live on this street,” he answered, and slipped an arm around my waist. “Rose brought together many different types of supernatural beings, but most of us still prefer to live close to our own kind.”

  “Pack mentality?”

  “You could call it that, but the wolves are the only ones who consider themselves a pack.”

  “How many vampires live here?” I glanced up and down the street, trying to count entryways.

  “Four.” We turned the corner and were quickly back on the main circle. “All of us were picked by the House of Lamidae to be Protectors.”

  “So where does everyone else live?” For some reason, I thought there would be more. But maybe vampires weren’t that social. I certainly wasn’t an expert.

  “There are groups of flats like this in other areas of town and there are also several small neighborhoods. Some of the citizens don’t mind being neighbors, but there are some who just prefer their own space.”

  We turned the corner from his street and walked along behind the apartments until we came out on the main circle again, just down from Rose’s Café. The smell of barbecue hung in the air and my mouth watered.

  Directly across the circle, the Castle bustled with people moving in and out of the front gates by the dozens. Most were dressed in scraps of leather or skintight costumes. There were a couple of women I would have technically called naked, except for a few strategically placed straps. One of the men standing at the gate waved.

  Erick raised his hand in acknowledgement and hurried me toward the door of the café. He pulled the door open and I stepped into a crowd of laughing, happy people. A pink-haired woman grabbed my hand a second later and pulled me away from Erick.

  I stiffened and pulled back, but a backward glance at him assured me that I was perfectly safe with the unfamiliar woman.

  “Rose wants to talk to you for a moment before you sit down for dinner.” She tugged again and I followed compliantly this time.

  “I-is something wrong?” We went behind the café counter and through the swinging door into the kitchen.

  “Nope.”

  That was all I got? Just nope?

  The kitchen was much larger than I thought it would be. Huge, stainless steel prep counters ran the length of the room’s center. Glistening stovetops, ovens, a brick pizza oven, refrigerators, and evenly spaced sinks decorated the outside walls. It was something I would have expected to see in a swanky, five-star restaurant, but not in a West Texas café. This town was full of surprises.

  Several women were kneading dough on one end of the long prep counter and several others were tending to large pots on the various stovetops. A large, silver door at the end of the room opened and Rose walked out. A white apron was tied around her waist and traces of flour clung to her cheeks. Nothing about her said, ‘I run this town.’ At the same time, I could feel the respect everyone else in the room had for her. Subtle nods as she walked by. The way they made eye contact. It wasn’t fear … more like adoration.

  “Bailey.” Rose’s voice carried across the clatter of the kitchen as if it was a library. She made her way to my side.

  “Your kitchen is amazing.”

  “Thank you, darling. I can’t imagine trying to feed this town with anything else. But,
truly, I couldn’t do it without the brownies and the pixies. They are the heart of this place.”

  A brownie? Nobody in the kitchen looked like they were made out of my favorite chocolate dessert. I must’ve made a face because she laughed right at me.

  “The pixies are easy to spot. They like to have bright colors in their hair. Raven and Maven help run the café and their friends cooking the pizzas also run our market.” She pointed to the rainbow-haired group by the large pizza oven.

  “I’ll see you later, hon,” the pink-haired pixie who’d stolen me from Erick’s side grinned and trotted across the room.

  I nodded. I didn’t even know her name.

  “The ladies cooking on the stoves and kneading the dough for tomorrow are some of the brownies in town. Corinne, do you mind?”

  One particularly tall brunette looked up from her work and smiled. Her skin shimmered and glistened, darkening from a natural human ivory color to luminescent sparkling bronze. Her hair turned black and her eyes changed from brown to a bright green. Then the transformation faded as quickly as it had appeared.

  I swallowed and turned to meet Rose’s gaze. “Why are you showing me all of this?”

  “You’re more important than you know.” She shook her head. “And there’s a lot more to this town than you realize.”

  Yeah. No kidding, but why was I important? As far as I could tell, I was the only human visitor outside of the Castle guests. I shifted on my feet and wiped my sweaty hands on the sides of my jeans. A second later, Erick stood next to me. His big hands rubbed up and down my bare arms and his peppermint scent drifted into my nostrils as he nuzzled my neck. The tension in my muscles eased and I leaned into his caress.

  “Are you okay, kjaere?”

  “I’m fine, really. I just saw a brownie.”

  Corinne chuckled from across the room.

  “I wouldn’t have thought a brownie would upset you.”

  “She didn’t.”

  Questions swam in my mind and a newfound excitement tingled across my skin. The riots had brought with them a new world order based on fear, but I was being shown much more. It was a huge leap of faith for them to share their secrets with me.

  But why me? I kept coming back to that.

  He kissed my neck.

  Rose stepped in front of us. Her gaze focused on me, but she spoke to Erick. “Arlea needs to meet her. It’s imperative.” Her tone had switched from friendly and casual to deadly serious, sending a chill down my spine. Who was Arlea? Why did she need to see me?

  “She’s not ready.” Erick’s voice rumbled behind me.

  “For what?” I asked, but neither answered me.

  “We can’t afford to wait. If she’s the one, another point on the star can be filled. We need to know—for the Sisters’ protection and her own.” Rose’s eyes darkened, her honey-brown irises becoming a dark merlot color.

  “I know,” Erick hissed. “But not today.”

  I tried to step from between the two semi-snarling beings, but Erick’s hands latched onto my hips and held me against his body. The kitchen noise had quieted and all eyes were on the three of us. For several seconds, I don’t think anyone even breathed.

  “Tomorrow morning,” Rose countered.

  “Fine.” The mumble was barely audible. I felt it more than heard it. In seconds, he’d swept me out of the kitchen and into the dining room. We took a seat at an empty booth and Erick slid in beside me instead of across the table. I pulled a menu from the stand at the end of the table and glanced over it. Eggs and bacon sounded pretty good to me right now. Maybe some fruit. Anything to distract me from the tension stiffening Erick’s body.

  “I’m sorry if we frightened you.” His voice was soft again, the way I preferred. I had yet to see him truly angry, but if that little spat with Rose was any indication, I could wait.

  “I don’t want to cause a problem. If I need to meet this woman, Arlea. I can.”

  “It can wait, kjaere.” His gaze softened and he kissed me gently, his lips lulling me into a contented bliss. Whatever he wanted, I would do.

  “What was Rose talking about? A point on a star —what does that mean? Why am I important to the town?”

  It might not be urgent, but it certainly piqued my curiosity. Why would some powerful supernatural think I was supposed to complete anything? I didn’t belong in their world. I’d just tumbled in haphazardly.

  Erick sighed. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to tell me. Indecision was written in the furrowed lines on his forehead and his gaze stayed glued to the table. “Why don’t you order something for dinner? I’ll tell you about it later.

  “Viking,” a deep, male voice boomed from across the room. Miles’ giant body slid into the seat across from us. “Bailey.” He nodded toward me and smiled. I squirmed just a little when his knee brushed mine. Damn, he was a big man. Erick was tall and muscular, but this guy was built like a brick house. “Have you eaten yet?”

  I shook my head.

  He raised his hand and the same pink-haired pixie sidled over to the table.

  “Hey, Miles.” Her smile curved mischievously and a certain twinkle in her eye made it clear she had the hots for dragon-guy Miles. “Hi, Erick. Bailey, right?”

  I nodded again, still unable to make sound come out of my mouth.

  “Sweetheart, can you bring us out the house special for tonight? Bailey looks like she could use some protein.” Miles caught my darting gaze and winked.

  A low rumble started in Erick’s chest. He rubbed his palm up and down my thigh and heat rushed to my sex and then ricocheted through my whole body. Flames licked at my skin. Food sounded good, but really all I could think about was getting back into bed with him. What was wrong with me?

  “Do you like barbecue?” Erick asked.

  The question jarred me from my naughty thoughts. “Yes,” I managed to squeak.

  “Good,” he squeezed my thigh and slid his hand farther up.

  Heat rose in my cheeks. If the blush wasn’t a tell-all, Miles’ and Erick’s flaring nostrils were a dead giveaway that my arousal was being broadcast to the entire room. I wanted to crawl under the table. Only that wouldn’t help either, because it was a maze of masculine legs. Why couldn’t I just have dinner without feeling like I was going to be the dessert? I wasn’t under the impression that Erick had any intention of sharing me. He’d said as much already. But the dragon’s obvious interest was difficult to ignore.

  “So when are you bringing her over to the Castle? I bet she would look just scrumptious on one of our St. Andrew’s crosses. You’ve got to be itching for a good session. It’s been weeks since you dropped in.”

  A cross? What? No way. I’m not interested in kink. I like Erick’s big, fluffy bed, maybe his big shower, but that’s it. I don’t want to be strung out on anything. My mind raced in time with my heartbeat and my breathing sped up, too.

  Both men’s gazes zeroed in on me. I could feel their questions without looking up from the spot on the table I was trying to set ablaze with my laser vision. The table was silent.

  “Bailey, I apologize.” Miles’ comment seemed genuine. “I read into your arousal and went too far. Please don’t be frightened.”

  “It’s okay, kjaere. Miles is notorious for teasing.”

  Really? I wouldn’t have thought that at all from the dragon’s stoic, stony expression.

  My racing heartbeat slowed just a hair and the arrival of our food helped break the uncomfortable tension. Several racks of ribs, fries, celery sticks, and ranch dressing. The barbecue smelled divine. I couldn’t wait to taste it.

  The bell on the door rang and I caught a glimpse of Garrett. Crap. Like it wasn’t bad enough to have a vampire and a dragon sniffing at my pheromones, now there would be a wolf listening to my actual thoughts.

  I starting saying the alphabet in my head. Maybe I could make my thoughts so annoying that he wouldn’t even try.

  “Help yourself, darl’n. I won’t bite.” Miles chuckled and
grabbed a celery stick. “Unlike the Viking sitting next to you, staring longingly at your carotid artery.”

  “He already —” I slapped my hand over my mouth. Heat rushed to my face again, turning it dark crimson for sure.

  Erick and Miles laughed together and Erick leaned over and placed a reassuring kiss on the top of my head. “Don’t worry. He baited you on purpose to find out if I had fed from you.”

  I took a deep breath and released another long sigh. If they were both laughing, I should be able to find a way to relax a little, too. They were friends. Maybe I could eventually count Miles as a friend, too. I wasn’t very good at socializing, mostly from lack of practice. Keeping to myself and hiding had become an art form for me.

  Taking a rib from the plate, I bit into the sauce-slathered meat and moaned. I hadn’t eaten anything so good in years. “This is amazing.” I ditched the cleaned bone and grabbed another piece from the plate in the middle.

  “She’s too skinny. You need to feed her more.” Miles tossed a couple more ribs onto my plate.

  “She’s been on her own a long time. Give her a break,” Erick shot back, leaning back in the booth.

  “Uh, sitting right here,” I said, waving my hand. I dropped another bone on my plate and went straight for more meat. I didn’t usually eat this much, but maybe Erick’s feeding had made a difference. He’d acted like it would.

  “Miles,” I started, feeling a little more confident, “Why do you sound like a native Texan, but Erick still has a little bit of an accent?”

  He tossed down a bone and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “He does not care to hide his accent. I, however, do.” The style of his voice morphed instantly from a laid-back Texas drawl to a British accent. “I like everyone thinking I’m from around here. Simplifies life.”

  I smiled. Blending in was definitely something I understood.

  After finishing a couple more ribs, not willing to let the ones he’d tossed my direction go to waste, I cleaned my fingers with a little towelette from the container at the end of the table. I wanted to lick my fingers clean. The sweet, tangy bite of the barbecue sauce was so good, but I’d had enough teasing for one day. Licking my fingers at the table with two men staring at me was not an option.