Once Bitten: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (Arcane City Book 1)

by Tilly Hart

  ‘I love you,’ I said, as he kissed my neck, tendrils of desire sprouting from his lips.

  ‘And I, you, my love.’

  With that, he dragged us back into the bedroom, ready to ravish one another, yet again.

  Twenty

  EPILOGUE

  Calvin waited by the fuel pump, decked in leather and leaning casually with a foot resting against the side. We pulled up beside him, Jed waiting patiently while I got off of the bike and stretched my legs. It would be a long night. Adjusting to life without my left hand had been a long and frustrating challenge, but at last my new normal was feeling, well, normal. It was hard not to be reminded of that night and what could have been whenever I saw my injury, but I learned to deal with it by being thankful that it hadn’t been the end of our lives and our city. It nearly was.

  ‘All right, meat lump? Calvin said, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me into a hug.

  ‘Yeah, we’re good.’ I smiled at Jed as he filled up the bike. ‘Better than good, we’re great.’

  ‘How’s things as the alpha dog?’ Jed said while looping an arm around my waist.

  ‘We’re starting to find our way as a group again. There was a lot of division over Greyson’s death, and some members left to start their own club elsewhere. I dread every full moon, sure there will be reports of killings, but so far, they must be laying low. So where are you two off too at this time of night?’

  ‘Vegas,’ we answered in unison before grinning at each other.

  ‘No shit?!’

  ‘Yep, he’s going to make an honest woman of me.’ I laughed at the prospect.

  ‘I don’t want nothing to do with an honest woman, I like you the way you are, a little filth bag in the sack.’ Jed smirked and grabbed my ass.

  ‘Oh, dude. Too much info.’ Calvin screwed up his face. He held out a hand and dropped the tooth necklace into my palm. ‘For you. We found it in the cleanup, and I didn’t know what to do with it. Maybe your witch friend can fix it for you.’

  Jed’s face darkened as his arms tensed around me. ‘We still haven’t located her. But when I do, she’ll burn for giving up Rebecca and breaking the spell.’

  ‘Jed,’ I breathed, laying a hand on his arm and looking into his green eyes. ‘She did what she had to do to help me and save herself. She didn’t have to give me the charm, and she doesn’t deserve to die for what she did.’

  ‘She gave you up for gold.’

  ‘They’d have killed her. She had no choice. Please, Jed, for me?’ I kissed the base of his neck and felt the tension release in his tight muscles.

  ‘Okay, you win. I won’t burn her. But I won’t forgive her either.’

  Calvin snorted. ‘She’s got fucking magic. I don’t think she’ll be all too worried.’

  Jed scowled as he paid for his gas, nudging his friend as he passed to enter the shop.

  ‘Thank you for sliding the gun to me Calvin, I know it must have hurt you to take them with you. None of us would be here if you hadn’t.’

  Calvin shrugged and looked at his shoes. ‘I had to do it. I picked it up thinking Jed would need it, but you were the one in the position to fire. I’m impressed you didn’t wimp out to be honest. You’d barely known we existed for a week, and there you were tearing into a werewolf den like a pro.’

  ‘Love will make you do insane shit.’

  ‘That it will,’ Calvin said, while getting on his bike. ‘Look after him all right? As much as he’s a foul-mouthed blood sucker, I’ve grown kind of fond of him.’ The beam of light from his bike illuminated Jed as he stood waiting by the store.

  ‘I’ll do my best.’ I had a feeling, wherever Jed went, trouble soon followed.

  I joined Jed at the fuel station store and we went inside, hand in hand. The sun had only recently settled, so it would be hours of riding ahead before we’d stop somewhere to sleep the daylight hours away. It was a good job the chapels stayed open 24/7 in sin city.

  As we passed the aisle containing the pregnancy tests and condoms, I realised how far I’d come. It had been a few months since I’d been in the store alone, praying my life would change. Praying for a man who wanted to be with me.

  I’d never expected it to be a vampire.

  Jed saw me staring at the blue and white packets and raised his eyebrows. ‘Do you need one? I was sure that vampires couldn’t… not without a demon’s help.’

  ‘No,’ I said, smiling at Jed. ‘They just reminded me of an old life. I used to come to the store at night, so I’d feel less lonely. During the day families and couples would surround me, and Ben never came with me. Did nothing with me. The night we first spoke in Louis’ place, I’d been on my own again, buying that last test which would launch my life down this whole new path. I remember watching a couple together, and jealousy burning in the pit of my stomach that I didn’t have that connection. I was in a relationship, but lonelier than I had ever been single. And now here we are, together.’

  Jed pushed me against the shelf, sending the pregnancy tests scattering over the floor and pressed his mouth to mine, his groin to mine, his heart to mine. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow, like everything in his life depended on that one hunger filled kiss.

  I groaned as his body lit mine up with an array of fire filling every inch of me. His fingers gripped my chin as he tilted my face up to him, and with the disgruntled throat clearing from the checkout guy ringing in my ears, I wrapped my arms around Jed’s neck and kissed him back with fervour.

  ‘We need to get to that motel already…’ I murmured, tempted to just let him ravish me on the spot, checkout guy watching or not.

  ‘Go get your ass on that bike. We’ll make her sing as we ride, I know how much you love it.’

  And with butterflies in my stomach and vibrations in my pants, we sped into the star-filled night to begin our lives.

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you so much for reading ‘Once Bitten’, my first foray into the paranormal side of romance (bar a brief dalliance with possession in ‘The wicked Prince’). I hope you loved it!

  If you’d like to keep in touch, please head over to my FACEBOOK page and join my reader group. I host contest, hunt for beta readers and am available to chat to in there.

  I’d really appreciate a review if you loved the book, and feel free to pick up one of my others if you are searching for your next read.

  Much love,

  Tilly x