by Rayna Vause
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
More from Rayna Vause
Readers love Rayna Vause
About the Author
By Rayna Vause
Visit Dreamspinner Press
Copyright
Twice Bitten
By Rayna Vause
With a new species of vampire stalking the streets, the stakes are high. But that’s not the only reason hearts are on the line.
Danny Reynolds thought Kieran McCade was the one—true love and hot lust forever—until Danny found out Kier’s bloody secret and ran away screaming. Months later, Danny is facing his own paranormal crisis, and he needs Kieran’s help, but are there enough ways to apologize for breaking a vampire’s heart?
Nothing about Danny’s transformation is normal—not the attack that led to it, and not the symptoms Danny’s plagued with—but being in close proximity to Kieran is even worse than becoming a thing that goes bump in the night. Danny and Kieran aren’t the only things threatening to bump each other off, though. Secret organizations and clashing vigilante agendas want to get their hands on Danny. His only hope is to find a fix for his problem before he’s either captured or his abnormal transition starves him to death.
Danny and Kieran might have a real chance to repair their broken romance… but only if they keep Danny alive!
To Kate McMurray with my sincerest gratitude for her help. And, as always, to my mom.
Chapter 1
“CRAP. IT’S after seven.” Danny Reynolds flicked a glance at the wall clock before switching off the last of the fluorescent lights inside the library. He could have kicked himself for losing track of time, but he always got caught up when putting together new exhibits for the library. He still hadn’t settled on next month’s theme, hence the little piles of paper and collections of Post-its all over his office. And maybe he also got a little distracted reading when he should have been working. Still, when you lived in an area trafficked by things that went bump in the night—and not all of them friendly, as evidenced by the latest rash of attacks—you needed to be more vigilant about the time. Most sane people made damn sure they were indoors before nightfall these days, and at this time of year, the nights were entirely too long.
Grabbing his coat, he rushed from his office, flipping up his collar as he prepared to face the colder than usual October temperatures. He rubbed at the knots in his stomach as he reached the door. You’ll be fine, Danny. Keep your eyes sharp and move fast. He hesitated, leaving his hand resting on the cold metal for a long moment. Then he blew out a slow breath, clenched his keys in his fist prepared to gouge any would-be attacker, and pushed open the door that led to the employee parking lot. He stepped out into the windless night, the cold air nipping at his cheeks. Out of habit, he scanned the parking lot and street beyond. Empty. The library hadn’t gotten around to replacing the single floodlight that illuminated the tiny gated lot yet, so he appreciated the meager light the crescent moon offered. Better than walking home in the pitch-black.
Danny shivered, and goose bumps rose on his neck. The cold seeped through his clothes even as the quiet stillness of the night unsettled him. He almost screamed when something thumped in the nearby dumpster. He stared at it, heart pounding for a long moment before yellow glowing eyes stared back at him. He pressed his hand to his stomach. Damn raccoon. He fought back the nervous laugh that wanted to escape. I need to get the hell out of here and head home now before I make myself so paranoid I wind up doing something ridiculous, like spending the night locked in my office, curled up under my desk. He turned to ensure the door had closed and locked behind him. He jerked on the handle once, then started to step away. A body slammed into him from behind, and stars exploded behind his eyes when his head smacked the door. Thin, wiry arms wrapped around him like bands, and his attacker pinned him to the wall. Adrenaline surged through Danny. His body all but buzzed with terrified energy. His breath rasped in and out as he jerked against his captor, struggling in earnest. He couldn’t compete with the inhuman strength of the arm trapping him or wrench free of the hand clamped over his mouth, muffling his scream. Fear knotted his gut as a male voice growled in his ear.
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to roam the streets alone at night?”
He suppressed a shudder as the fetid heat of his assailant’s breath wafted over his skin.
“What’s a pretty thing like you doing out after dark?” His attacker chuckled, a dark, ugly sound, as he pressed Danny even harder against the door. Danny struggled to breathe past the crushing pressure.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Again, Danny tried to kick and fight, but damn, this thing was strong.
“Nothing to say?”
Pain shot through him when his assailant wrenched his head to the side, exposing his neck. He drew his tongue along the path of Danny’s carotid artery. Danny gagged, his eyes watering from the pain of having his hair pulled. Trying to tug free sent lightning bolts of agony through his scalp.
“No matter, sometimes a nice quiet meal is just what one needs.”
Just when he thought his heart would pound out of his chest, the creature struck. Sharp fangs pierced Danny’s skin, penetrating deep. Waves of pain racked him. He went deaf to all but the blood roaring in his ear, breath hissing out of his nose. The vampire moaned in delight as though sampling the finest wine.
I will not die this way. Not at the hands of some psycho vamp.
That one thought resounded in Danny’s mind as he redoubled his efforts, struggling as hard as he could, praying for even the smallest of opportunities to break free. The hand covering his mouth slipped lower, giving Danny the chance he needed. With no hesitation, he clamped his teeth on the exposed flesh, breaking the skin; the coppery taste of the vampire’s blood flooded his mouth. A howl of pain and rage all but deafened him. The viselike grip of the vamp’s arms loosened, but instead of hitting the pavement, Danny found himself airborne as his assailant flung him away. He slammed into the dumpster, both knees buckled, and he slid down into a pile of debris.
Gathering his strength, Danny scrambled to his feet. For the first time since the assault began, he saw his assailant’s face. He was pale, even for a vampire, tall, and gaunt. His sick, skeletal appearance belied his strength. The deep red glow in the depths of his eyes, the wisps of foam about his mouth, and the snarl on his face made him look like a rabid animal.
Please God, get me out of this alive.
“Look, I don’t want to fight you,” Danny said, bracing for a second attack from his wild-eyed opponent, backing away while searching for anything he could use as a weapon. “I just want to go home.”
The vampire’s dark rumble of amusement sent an icy chill down Danny’s spine. “Don’t bank on doing either. You fight like a fucking girl, scratching and biting. You’re pathetic.” The vampire sneered. “I’m going to put you out of your misery.”
Oh shit, oh shit. Think, Danny, think. He scanned for an escape route, or possibly the cavalry riding to his rescue, all the while keeping his eye on the creature who wanted to kill him for food and sport. There was no one in sight. Nowhere to run. Where the hell are the Purity patrols when you need them?
He glanced at the library door. He hadn’t locked it, but there was no way he could outrun this thing. It moved too damn fast.
He saw the creature’s shift out of the corner of his eye, the v
ampire’s muscles bunching just before he sprang at Danny. He tried to scramble away, but the tackle caught him in the chest, taking Danny to the ground. The vampire knelt, placing his full weight on Danny’s arms. Though he bucked and twisted, he couldn’t budge the demented vamp.
“Now, where were we before you bit me like a fucking pansy? Oh yes, you seemed to want to get a taste of me. Why not have a little more?”
The creature slit his own wrist with one long nail. Then he gripped Danny’s jaw, forcing his mouth open. He cackled as blood poured from his veins into Danny. Though he gagged, spit, and sputtered, Danny couldn’t prevent some of the coppery liquid from sliding down his throat.
“Do you see why we love this? The flavors, the sensations, the power, it’s a real rush,” the vampire said, quirking a dark eyebrow at him and then leaning closer.
“Get off me, asshole,” Danny gasped.
“Dirty talk makes me horny.” The vamp laughed and ground his crotch against Danny.
Danny could feel his erection pressing against him and had to stifle a shudder.
The vampire licked at his still-oozing wrist. “Had enough?” He loomed over Danny, his hot, rank breath huffing in his face. Danny bucked and fought, even knowing the futility of his efforts.
“Doesn’t matter, it’s my turn, anyway.” In a blink, the vampire shifted his weight and struck again, sinking his fangs into Danny’s neck.
The change in position gave Danny the opportunity he needed. Bending his knees and tucking his feet close to his butt, he bridged up, unbalancing the vampire as he rolled, reversing their positions. Danny hissed at the pain of sharp fangs tearing through his flesh, but he kept moving, scrambling to his feet. Momentary excitement at a year’s worth of jiujitsu lessons finally paying off flashed through him and then vanished when the vamp grabbed him from behind and flung him to the ground. He saw stars when he hit the blacktop, but he shook it off and tried to scuttle away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of a broken cargo pallet just out of reach. He lunged for it, grabbing it just as the vampire launched at Danny. Danny twisted back, armed and prepared to defend himself. Clasping the broken piece of wood, he held it out in front of him like a stake.
Danny saw the vampire’s eyes flare wide with the knowledge that he couldn’t stop his momentum. A wild scream rang out as the vampire impaled himself on the makeshift weapon. With a gasping gurgle and a stunned expression on his face, the life left the vampire’s eyes as his limp form fell on Danny.
Danny lay under the heavy body, breathing hard for a moment before shoving it aside and pushing to his feet. He reached up and touched the torn flesh of his neck. Blood trickled through his fingers as he applied pressure to the wound.
He could only assume the creature was dead, but he didn’t want to take any chances of having to go another round with him. Danny gave the body a final glance, grabbed his stuff, and raced the few blocks home.
DANNY SHOT up in bed, snatched from sleep by a burning pain radiating up his arm. He cradled his arm to his body, his hand throbbing in agony as though he’d been scalded. He flexed his hand to inspect it and blinked, unable to believe his eyes. A reddened, blistered strip of skin ran from the back of his hand almost to his elbow. What the hell?
He swung a leg over the side of the bed. He jerked back when pain like a red-hot needle being shoved in his calf shot through him. His chest tightened. Acid churned in his stomach. He stared at the thin strip of sunlight that snuck through a gap in his blinds and angled across the side of his bed.
Not possible. Danny slid a finger into the beam of light. Again, smoldering pain. Danny gritted his teeth and continued to hold his finger in the light. In seconds his skin began to smoke like paper under a magnifying glass, and the faintest scent of burned hair teased his nose. He snatched his hand back, jamming the finger in his mouth. What the ever-loving fuck is happening to me? His heart pounded and bile rose in his throat, leaving an acrid taste in his mouth.
He reached up to touch the bandage on his neck. Breath dammed in his lungs. “No.” He rolled off the opposite side of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. He turned the tap on full blast and thrust his hand under it, letting the cool water ease the lingering ache.
He glanced in the mirror, and his pale, haggard reflection stared back at him. The gauze taped to his neck was not quite as stark as it had been last night. My God, I’m a hot mess and all because I didn’t pay attention to the stupid clock. He pulled his arm from the water, dried it, and tossed the towel on the counter. His skin remained an irritated pink, but he’d otherwise healed. The angry blisters had disappeared. Impossible. He glanced back in the mirror and again eyed the bandage on his neck. He sucked in a deep breath, reached up, and peeled back the edge of the tape. He hesitated a moment before lifting away the entire covering. His mouth fell open, and his heart sped up.
“No freaking way.” The flesh of his throat, while still angry and red, had almost completely healed. He struggled to pull in a full breath, and he braced himself against the vanity. “It’s fine. I’m fine. The triple antibiotic worked super fast. That’s all.” Yeah, right. The memory of that damn vampire’s blood slipping into his mouth and down his throat rushed through his mind so strong he could almost taste the coppery liquid.
He rushed from the bathroom to the kitchen mumbling to himself. “I need coffee or vodka, maybe both.”
He headed straight for his coffeepot. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air and for some bizarre reason made him a touch queasy. No. This cannot be happening. That fucking vamp did not turn me. He balled his hands into fists, determined to do one damn normal thing today. He poured himself a cup and got halfway through when his french roast made a break for the exit. Danny lunged for the kitchen sink.
“Milk must have been bad.” His stomach cramped. No, it isn’t. You know damn good and well what’s happening to you. Danny shook his head. Not possible. Not from just a little blood. It didn’t work like that. At least he didn’t think it did.
Still, he went back to the fridge, pulled out the carton, opened it, and sniffed. Not spoiled. With a shrug he took a testing sip straight from the carton and then gagged. He made a dash for the sink and spit out the swallow of milk as his throat revolted against accepting the liquid.
He coughed and sputtered, then sucked down a deep gulp of air. Bracing his hands on the edge of the sink, he locked out his elbows to keep his arms from shaking. He hung his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and continued to draw in long shuddering breaths.
“No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening.” Even as he fought to deny what he knew, his body trembled and his lungs fought to take a full breath. When darkness crept in around the edges of his vision, he slammed a fist down on the counter. He focused on the pain singing up his arm and used it to fend off a full-blown panic attack.
He whirled, determined to do something productive, but what? He couldn’t go see his doctor or to the emergency room. Vampires were treated like monsters. Humans that got turned were treated like lepers. He could lose everything if word got out.
He glanced down at his hand and studied the pink, raw skin on the back. It looked better than it had fifteen minutes ago. He shook his head. Turning didn’t happen like this, not as far as he knew. Turning took longer than this and took more blood than he’d ingested, but he could be wrong. He’d never really looked into it before.
Calm came over him. Research. This he knew how to do. He walked into his bedroom, made sure the blinds were shut, and pulled the curtains closed over them. He grabbed his laptop off his desk and climbed onto his bed. Settling in, he opened then booted the computer. He had access to the library databases and Google to help him. Hopefully he could find answers there, but if he couldn’t….
He blew out a breath and dragged a hand through his hair. If research got him nowhere, well, he knew someone who might have some answers. That is if Kieran didn’t boot him out the door on sight.
“YOU MUST consume
the heart of the vampire who turned you? Yuck!” Danny shut his laptop and released a heavy sigh. He’d spent the better part of the day going through site after site, database after database, researching blood disorders, stomach disorders, and anything he could find on vampirism. The pickings on that last topic sucked. Few clear facts about vampires existed. Most of the data he found consisted of myths, lore, and wild speculations. After hours of digging, he knew little more than when he’d started.
He glanced up to find that the bright yellow tendrils of sunlight that kept trying to creep around his blinds had faded, muted. He looked up at his clock 5:30. Wow. Talk about disappearing down the rabbit hole.
He rubbed at his dry, strained eyes and rolled his shoulders, attempting to relax tight, tensed muscles. His stomach grumbled and a gnawing ache settled in, equal parts hunger and worry. He could eat enough to bankrupt a buffet right about now, but he doubted he’d be able to keep it down.
Nothing in his research had even remotely mentioned anything that sounded like his current collection of symptoms. What if there’s no fix for this? What the hell am I gonna do? He shook his head. He knew exactly what he had to do. It’s what he’d wanted to do for a while now, but he’d been stalling. How do you walk back into someone’s life after all but running screaming from them? No choice now. If he had fangs and red glowing eyes in his future, he needed all the information he could get, and he only knew one expert on the subject.
He shoved his feet into sneakers, rose, and then headed for the door. He dragged on his coat and grabbed his keys, but this time when he clasped the doorknob, his hand showed no evidence of injury. Even the faintest trace of redness had disappeared.
He closed his eyes, drew in a breath as he pulled open the door, and prayed that he wouldn’t combust the second he set foot into even the tiniest bit of daylight. He eased his hand into the stream of sunlight. Nothing. He swayed with relief. Finally, something is going right today. He pulled the door open, stepped out into the fading light, and headed for his car and a very uncertain reception.