It’s release day! Sassy Sunflowers, Within the Walls Book 8, is out!  

Drystan has been trying to get out of Oakmouth for years. He didn’t think he’d have to almost die to make it happen. Now, he’s in Myrfolk and is trying to figure out how to start a flower farm. 

Jacon has always had a thing for vampires, so when he’s called in to feed an injured one, he says yes. He believed it would be like feeding a vampire at a nightclub – it was not. Now his worldview is shaken, and he doesn’t know if he ever wants to see Drystan again. 

Read the first chapter below! 

Sassy Sunflowers

Jacob has always had a thing for vampires, but he never realized how dangerous they can be.  

When Jacob Litwin is called to the community in Myrfolk to feed an injured vampire, he jumps at the opportunity. It isn’t until it’s too late, he realizes there is a difference between a sexy nibble in a dark corner of a nightclub and being handed over to a severely hurt vampire.  

Drystan Sorge has lost everything – his house, his job, everything. He’s been beaten black and blue and is out of his mind from pain. His friend manages to get him to the community in Myrfolk in the nick of time. They’ve left everything behind apart from a bag of clothes and twelve hundred sunflower seedlings. What had he been thinking? Sunflowers aren’t the solution to his problems.  

Buy Links:

Paranormal Gay Romance: 64,787 words

JMS Books :: Amazon

Chapter 1

May  

Drystan Sorge stared around the unfamiliar kitchen, unsure if he was dreaming or not. He was afraid to move. His ass had gone numb, but he remained seated on the kitchen chair, his hands clasped together on the table to keep from shaking, and he took careful breaths to not expand his ribcage more than necessary. 

The skin on his back was stretching uncomfortably and itching, but he believed he had healed enough. 

Last night, Czar, the leader of the Oakmouth community, had whipped him. In front of everyone. 

The pain had been overwhelming, and he wasn’t sure he dared trust anything that had happened since then. What if he were trapped in a pain-induced hallucination? What if he was still resting on the cold cobblestoned ground of the square? 

He shifted his weight, clamping down on a hiss. 

He needed to change clothes. His shirt was soaked with blood and sweat, and he could smell the stink coming off him. Pain. Adrenaline. Fear. But he couldn’t make himself move. 

Looking around, he tried to clear his mind. Daylight was streaming in from the windows, and there were people. Jinx and Leonard he knew from before, but the lithe dark-haired man who kept on talking wasn’t anyone he’d recognized. 

He’d seen Gertrude before. She’d come to the community once while Jinx still lived there. He hadn’t spoken to her, but he’d never forget what she looked like. 

They talked and talked, but he couldn’t make sense of what they were saying. Jinx had placed a cup of coffee in front of him, and he reached for it and sipped in an attempt to get his brain to switch on. It was cold. 

If this wasn’t a dream, he should pay attention to what the people around him were saying. 

“When you get a text saying it’s crate day, you take this crate—” The dark-haired man tapped the corner of a wooden crate he’d placed in front of Drystan. “—and show up at the house. You hand the empty crate to the person behind the counter, most often me, but sometimes Noah is there, or it’s happened Jasper has been, Chaton is there on occasion. In exchange for the empty crate, you’ll get one with some veggies in.” He paused and looked between Leonard and Drystan. “Questions?” 

Drystan blinked, looked at the crate, then at the man. What was he talking about? Leonard said something, but Drystan couldn’t think past the roar in his ears. 

“Good. Drystan, questions?” 

Question about what? What had he said? “Eh… veggies?” 

“Yes, did you see the garden next door?” 

Garden? He remembered Leonard more or less dragging him past some houses, but he’d been too focused on breathing through the pain to look around. He shook his head. “No, sorry, I was a bit… out of it.” 

The dark-haired man winced. “Okay. Next door is a big garden. We have two magic users in the community with plant-related affinities, so we grow a lot of food. The produce is divided into the now one hundred and two crates, and everyone gets one.” 

Drystan studied his mouth to make sure he didn’t miss any words. Magic users who grew veggies. He wanted to nod but was afraid doing so would stretch the skin on his back. Did he mean Drystan could get veggies from the magic users? 

“What’s the cost?” 

The man shook his head. “No, every member of the community gets one.” 

Everyone gets one? One what? 

Gertrude took a step forward. “You’re both now residents of the Myrfolk community, which means you get a crate.” She waved at Leonard, who was hovering in the doorway to the kitchen. Drystan calmed a fraction at the sight of him. He wasn’t alone in this fever dream or hallucination or whatever. Leonard was here. He trusted Leonard. 

Gertrude continued. “You will also have guard duty twice a week, working the walls, The Lighthouse, or The Garage.” 

He tried to make sense of her words. He was familiar with guard duty, but did she mean he’d guard the Myrfolk community? She couldn’t mean Oakmouth, could she? 

“Drystan, you’re excused this week since you’re still recovering, but Leonard—” Leonard nodded when Gertrude focused on him. “Asher can show you where the schedule is. I don’t think Lynx knows.” 

Asher? 

“Sure thing.” The dark-haired man grinned. Ah, Asher. Drystan winced. He had introduced himself before, but Drystan forgot. Shit, did he have a brain injury? There were many gaps in his memory from the night before. Maybe he’d hit his head. 

When Gertrude spoke again, he jerked in his seat, then forced his lips shut not to allow a hiss to slip out. “The community pays for everything apart from your food, clothes, and entertainment. In return, Leonard will give half of his honey to Chaton, so it’ll end up in the crates once you have one hundred and two jars, and once your flower farm is up and running, Drystan, you’ll give the community fifty percent of what you make. It’ll go toward the electricity bill.” She grimaced. 

Drystan gave her a careful nod. He couldn’t make sense of half of what she was saying, but he didn’t want to question the community leader. He’d learned his lesson when it came to community leaders. 

When she looked at him expectantly, he forced himself to speak. “Fifty percent?” 

Fifty percent of what? Icy cold swept through him. Did she mean she wanted fifty percent of what he owned? Maybe it was what everyone paid to become a member of the Myrfolk community. “What’s the tithe?” 

How would he pay tithe? He had nothing. How much was it? In Oakmouth, the tithe wasn’t ten percent of what you made. Czar had settled on a sum he deemed good, and it was what everyone had to pay. 

“No tithe. You use your fifty percent to buy food, clothes, and so on.” She sighed. “And I’ll pay for your seeds since I pay for the seeds for the garden next door.” 

Drystan blinked a few times, gave another hesitant nod, then looked around. Nothing made sense. Could he run? He didn’t want to get trapped the way he had in Oakmouth. Maybe it was better to leave. Except, he wasn’t strong enough to leave right now. He needed to recuperate, and Leonard and Jinx were both here. They wouldn’t have stayed if it was bad, would they? 

He glanced at Jinx. He hadn’t seen him in a long time, but he looked good. Carefree. Healthy. He focused on Gertrude again. “But… how much is the house?” 

She gave him a soft smile. “Nothing. You have no expenses other than your personal ones. The community pays for the rest.” 

Was he dreaming? “So I give you fifty percent of what I make, but don’t pay for anything else?” 

It couldn’t be right. He didn’t have an income unless he went back to Oakmouth and did his job, and he wouldn’t. Czar would kill him. 

“Your food, clothes, Netflix, and so on.” 

She had to be lying. He’d ask Jinx later. “Okay.” 

“You’ll understand soon enough.” Asher crossed his arms over his chest. “I hope the garden is big enough.” 

Drystan stretched to look out the window. He couldn’t see much, and he wasn’t sure what they wanted him to do with the garden. “I… eh… will do the best I can.” 

“May I suggest spreading tarps as Leonard did instead of asking us to roll off the lawn?” Asher bumped Gertrude with his elbow. “Remember when Rue asked us to roll off the lawn?” 

Drystan glanced at Leonard. What the hell was he talking about? 

Gertrude sighed loudly. “Yes, Asher, I remember. Hard to forget.” 

Asher made wide eyes and met their eyes one at a time in a dramatic fashion. “We found a head, and then Gertrude was sent to prison. Good times.” 

What? 

“So go with tarp.” Asher nodded enthusiastically. 

Leonard met his gaze, confusion written all over his face. Good, so it wasn’t only Drystan then. 

“It takes about four weeks with tarps. I don’t know how much time we have before we need to transplant the seedlings.” 

The seedlings? His seedlings? Exhaustion tugged at him. He’d been so naive to think flowers would help anything. 

“Eh…” He rubbed his forehead in an attempt to clear his thoughts. “I don’t know.” Where were his seedlings? Were they in his car? They’d come here in his car, right? A foggy memory of having been slumped over the passenger backrest with his nose near a tray of seedlings took form in his mind. 

Asher shrugged. “We can deal with it tomorrow. Oh, and one more thing. If you get a jar in the crate, you wash it and then hand it back when you’ve eaten the contents. We try to reuse as many jars as possible.” 

Drystan nodded since it looked like Asher expected him to. Jars? Hopefully, it would all make sense later. 

“Great! Shall we have a look at the guard schedule then?” Asher focused on Leonard. 

“Sure, let me…” Leonard gestured at the ceiling, but before he could do anything, the dark-haired man he’d arrived with neared the kitchen. 

“How is he?” Leonard smiled at him in a way Drystan had never seen him do before. 

“He’ll live. He’s on his way down. Someone had called from work, so he needs to go somewhere.” 

Memories bombarded Drystan of the man he’d fed from. Jacob. He was almost sure his name was Jacob. 

He’d taken a lot. Fuck, had he hurt him? He hadn’t meant to. Jinx and another man had been there, and they’d told him time and time again to let go. Once he had, Jacob had wanted to leave, but it wouldn’t have been safe. Drystan had enough sense to insist he rested before he went anywhere. 

He shouldn’t be up and about. He had to eat, to rest, to… Fuck, how much blood had Drystan taken? He remembered exchanging a few words with him before the bite, but then blood lust had taken over. 

“Isn’t he better off staying?” He gave Leonard a pleading look. Someone had to make sure he was okay. He could understand if Jacob didn’t want it to be Drystan after last night, but someone should sit with him, feed him, and make sure he rested. 

Leonard’s man shrugged. “He said he was fine.” 

Drystan’s lips flattened. He wasn’t fine. Drystan might not remember exactly how it all had gone down, but he would bet Jacob wasn’t fine. Fuck. It made him wince. He had to make it up to him somehow. “I think it’s better he rests.” 

There were steps on the stairs, then a pale Jacob in a wrinkled suit came into view. Leonard’s man smiled. “Drystan thinks you should rest more.” 

Jacob gave the room a barely-there smile but avoided looking at Drystan. It made him want to hiss. 

“No can do. Duty calls.” 

Drystan dragged himself to his feet. This time, the hiss wouldn’t be stopped. His entire body cramped, and his head swam. “Jacob.” He took a careful step forward, and Leonard stepped out of his way so he could see Jacob better. 

“I’m fine. Good luck with… everything.” He gestured nervously, still not meeting Drystan’s gaze, then he wrinkled his nose. “I have to run, sorry.” He more or less ran toward the door. “Bye.” 

The sound of the door closing echoed in the house. 

Drystan groaned. “Fuck.” Someone had to make sure he was okay. He looked at Leonard. “Can I have his number?” 

Leonard nodded. “I’ll text it to you.” Then he turned to his… boyfriend? “Asher will take me to see the guard schedule, then we should grab the stuff from Drystan’s car.” 

His car. How far was it? He wanted to change clothes. 

“I’ll call a meeting tonight to explain the situation to everyone.” Gertrude looked at them one at a time. Did she mean he should attend the meeting? 

“How likely is it Czar will send someone after the two of you?” She gestured between Leonard and him. 

Leonard shrugged. “I’m not important. I don’t work for the company, and I don’t have a position in the community.” 

Drystan fumbled to reach the closest chair. He needed to sit. “I did deliveries, but anyone can do that. It’s nothing important.” Would Czar care he’d left? He didn’t think so. He’d have whipped him to death in the square if he’d felt like it. People died left and right around Czar. 

Jinx cleared his throat. “I don’t think there will be a problem, but if he learns we’re all here, he might react badly.” 

Drystan glanced at Jinx. He’d know. He’d been close to Czar once. It had shocked him greatly when Jinx had left, but once he had a moment to think about it, it wasn’t shocking at all. If he could have done anything to save his children, he would have, and it was what Jinx had done. 

There was something different about Ximena, and Czar didn’t allow anyone to be different. Jinx had done what he could to keep his daughter safe, and Drystan respected him for it. 

It made him look at Gertrude again. She’d given Jinx and Ximena sanctuary. 

Gertrude nodded at Jinx’s words. “Let’s try not to draw any attention to ourselves then.” 

There were a few nods around the room as if they’d agreed on something. Drystan wasn’t sure what, but maybe he’d missed an earlier discussion. 

“Let’s go.” Asher headed for the door. 

Leonard, his boyfriend, and Asher left, which left him alone with Jinx and Gertrude. 

Gertrude pulled out the chair next to him. “How are you feeling?” 

He shook his head, then cleared his throat. “I’m a little fuzzy on the details.” 

She nodded, a grim look taking over her face. “Stay here for a few days. I’ll inform everyone tonight about what happened, though I suspect rumors have already traveled around the community.” 

For a few days? Where was he to go after? “Eh… where am I to go after a few days?” 

She looked surprised, then she huffed a laugh. “No, dear. I only meant you should rest for a few days. You don’t need to attend the meeting, and you don’t have guard duty. I’ll make sure there is some food, though I think Lynx said he’d left some for you.” 

Lynx. He berated himself for not remembering the name. Leonard had spoken to him in the car. 

Was this real? Maybe he was dreaming? 

He looked around the kitchen again. It was a good-sized one. He hadn’t left it, but he’d looked out through the doorway, into the hallway, and across it into what he assumed was a living room. Big and airy. 

“Do you have a credit card?” Gertrude’s voice was soft, as if she could read the inner turmoil in him. 

“Yes. I think both my phone and my wallet are in the car.” 

“Good. Jinx can show you how to order groceries, and in a day or two, when you’re up for a walk, he can show you where they are delivered, so you know where to go.” 

Drystan nodded. 

Gertrude patted his hand. “I’ll leave you to get settled, but I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you, okay? We’ll deal with guard duty when you’re back to normal.” 

“Thank you.” His voice shook, and part of him was embarrassed by it, but no one had done anything for him in many, many years, and if this was real, and she’d opened the gate of the community for him, he’d be forever grateful. 

* * * * 

Jacob Litwin drove a little too fast toward his house. His hands shook, and his breaths came too rapidly. How could he have been so naive? He’d believed he liked vampires biting him. Had sought it out. Had gone to vampire bars. Had been convinced he needed it so much he’d endured being the pathetic man in his mid-forties nursing a drink in a dark corner while watching young people dance—only he’d watched the vampires, not the young people on the dance floor. 

When Jasper had called him and asked if he would be willing to feed an injured vampire, he hadn’t hesitated. He’d been happy. 

Fucking happy. 

So ridiculous. 

He’d hurried over to the community, thrilled at the prospect of being allowed in there again. He imagined life within the walls like a rose-tinted dream. A place where people accepted each other, where they all worked for the greater good, where greed didn’t exist, where people took care of each other. A different world right in the middle of the one he was living in. Shifters, magic users, and vampires living together, building something beautiful. So many interesting lives. Living, breathing beings who’ve seen the world, who’d lived through good and bad times. So much knowledge. 

He gripped the steering wheel tighter and blew out a breath. 

Ever since he first crossed the threshold to The Virgin Drop, the vampire bar in town, several years ago, he believed he’d found his place. He might be old and pathetic, the crow’s feet around his eyes deepening every year, and if he allowed his beard to grow out, there were gray strands, but the vampires… Beautiful beings, strong and fascinating. They’d seen him. 

They might not have talked much to him, and none of them had asked for his phone number, but if he had a beer by the bar, they’d chatted with him. And the first time one of them had hinted at wanting to bite him, his mind had been blown. 

So fucking hot. 

He’d loved it. 

Until yesterday. 

Now he knew why there were people who wanted the supernaturals gone. 

He’d gone to the community thinking he’d meet a new vampire, one who needed him. As fucked up as it was, he got off on knowing someone was feeding from him, that his blood sustained them, that he was important to their well-being. 

But a little nibble in a dark corner with a vampire he trusted was nothing like being held in a vice and brutally drained. 

He didn’t really think it lived up to the criteria of being brutally drained—for one, he hadn’t been drained, and he wasn’t bleeding anywhere other than where the fangs had sliced his skin—but it hadn’t been pleasant. 

A shudder traveled through him. 

Before, he’d gotten off on the knowledge he was with someone much stronger than him, but it was different when they demonstrated it. 

Jacob had wanted to get away, and there was no way he could. 

Drystan had held him as if he didn’t realize he was struggling. When Jacob pushed and shoved, he’d only tightened his hold. His mouth had never left his neck. 

It made him realize exactly how much of a fool he was. He’d been playing with fire for years. Had gone to a bar, ordered a few drinks, and then he’d allowed a stranger to eat him. 

Gilbert had always been gentle with him. The strength had been there. He was big and rugged, and he had easily pressed Jacob against a wall and taken what he needed. 

Except, if yesterday was anything to go by, Gilbert never had. He’d been careful, had given Jacob what he believed Jacob wanted in exchange for a meal. 

It embarrassed him to remember. He’d believed Gilbert had… not lost control with him exactly, but let loose a little. It was clear now he hadn’t. 

He’d always known Gilbert didn’t want him for anything more than his blood, and he’d accepted it. He might have dreamed at times, and his body might have tingled when he’d seen him, but part of him had always known there never would be anything deeper between them. 

It was fine, he’d accepted it, and he was glad for the outlet Gilbert had given him. He’d lived out his fantasies. 

Fuck, he was stupid. 

Flicking the indicator, he turned toward his house. He’d call in sick today. His legs were wobbly, he was shaking, and he didn’t think he’d be able to think. 

When Lynx had come to check on him, he’d panicked. He hadn’t been able to sleep all night, afraid Drystan would come feed from him again, so when Lynx had arrived, he’d said he had a call from work and had to go, thinking Lynx would help him get out of there. 

He wasn’t sure anyone had believed he was fine, but he’d kept it together until he’d reached his car. 

He parked outside his small one-story house. The grass was turning yellow from lack of rain, and he had yet to weed this year. Inside, he had pots with mixed-color dahlias meant to go in at the front of the house. Jessica, his sister, gave him a few plants every year. He never dug up the tubers in the fall, so she gave him new ones. 

They should be past their last frost, so he should harden them off and get them in the ground. 

Not today. 

A sigh left him as he watched a bumblebee flutter past the windshield. 

Walking inside was a herculean task, but he made it. He dropped his keys in the small bowl on the console table in the hallway and palmed his pocket for his phone while he staggered to his bedroom. 

He called work, lied about a fever, and said he’d work from home for the coming couple of days. Zora, his boss, didn’t ask any questions. He got free rein for the most part, so he hadn’t anticipated any problems, and he never got sick, so he didn’t think she’d suspect he was lying. 

Melting onto the bed, he undressed without getting up. He winced as he took in the bruises on his arms. 

Lynx had told him not to struggle, but when panic set in, he hadn’t been able to stop himself. 

He groaned, and the sound echoed in the empty house. 

 

The Vampire Prince is out! We’re celebrating Invisible Day. 

Dor is a precog. He’s only able to see a few seconds ahead of time, and the things he sees are mostly accidents and dangerous situations. For years, he’s been in love with Dante, the vampire prince, and someone is trying to kill him.  

The problem is no matter how many times he saves Dante’s life, he doesn’t recognize him.  

It’s a standalone novella, and you can read the first chapter below! 

The Vampire Prince

People with magic powers don’t have fated mates, nor do vampires, and yet Dor knows he and Dante are meant to be. The problem is that Dante doesn’t see him. He could just as well have been invisible. 

Dante didn’t know someone was trying to kill him until an angry woman gives him a piece of her mind. Apparently, her best friend, Dor, has premonitions and has saved his life several times already. There is something familiar about him, but Dante can’t recall ever seeing him before. He must have if he keeps saving his life, right? 

When the queen, Dante’s maker, learns about Dor’s ability, she wants to hire him to be part of Dante’s guard, and Dante doesn’t mind. He’s intrigued by the quiet man with the fascinating skill and wouldn’t mind having him around. Dor doesn’t think he can protect Dante from anything, but wouldn’t passing up a chance to be close to the love of his life be incredibly stupid? 

Buy Links:

Gay Paranormal Romance: 25,742 words

JMS Book :: Amazon

Chapter 1

Dor Zaman stumbled to a stop on the busy sidewalk. Someone bumped into him from behind and cursed, but Dor couldn’t move, and he couldn’t blink away the vision taking over his awareness. 

Someone would shoot the love of his life, send a stake no bigger than a toothpick through his heart. 

Icy fear gripped him. 

He hadn’t had a vision of his beloved in years. He’d left town, and Dor had been sure he’d never see him again. 

He didn’t know his name, but the connection had been there since the first time Dor saw him when he’d been nothing but an awkward teenage boy. Sadly, his darling hadn’t seen him. Not then, nor any of the other times Dor had been near him. 

He’d saved his life four times, but his beloved had only grunted exasperatedly or cursed at him without remembering they’d met before. Without realizing he’d be dead or seriously injured if it hadn’t been for Dor. 

And Dor didn’t know how to tell him. There had never been a way to say: I saved your life. 

Since Dor hadn’t grown out of the awkwardness when he left his teens behind, he always got tongue-tied in the presence of his darling… and most other people. 

In the past, Dor had pushed him out of harm’s way three times and blocked his way once when he’d been about to get run over by a car. 

Being run over by a car wouldn’t kill a vampire, but the plan hadn’t ended there. The plan had been to ram something through his love’s heart while pretending to check on him. 

Dor couldn’t have allowed it to happen to anyone, but least of all his soulmate. 

As the premonition blocked out the reality around him, his brain whirred. Never before had he had a vision about someone he wasn’t physically close to, so when the vision of the toothpick piercing his love’s heart wound down, Dor looked around. 

He only had seconds. 

His foresight was pretty useless since it only gave him a short duration of time, rarely more than thirty seconds, so he could never warn people about natural disasters or accidents likely to occur if they traveled somewhere. 

Seconds. It was all he was given. 

He scanned the crowd. 

There were vampires, like his love, shifters, and people of elemental power, and then there was him. 

Time. 

Time wasn’t an element. 

Both his parents had earth magic. Their disappointment in how he came out knew no bounds. 

His dad had demanded a paternity test because no son of his could possibly be as flighty as Dor. Those of earth power didn’t get flaky children. And having visions of the future… It wasn’t unheard of, but more myth than reality. 

Dor scanned the throng of people. Was his love here? There was no use in having a vision if he couldn’t do anything about it. 

His mother hadn’t taken the demand of a paternity test well—how could Dor’s dad accuse her of cheating? 

Their union hadn’t survived the conflict, but they both agreed on it being Dor’s fault. 

He didn’t have much contact with either of his parents these days. Some years, one of them remembered his birthday and either sent a happy birthday text or called. It always surprised him when they did. 

There! 

He spotted his love across the street outside the ice cream parlor. Dor hadn’t seen him in years, but he looked the same. Breathtaking. Or maybe it was only Dor’s breath that got stolen at the sight of him. People didn’t appear to stop in their tracks to stare adoringly at his beloved. 

They must be blind. 

His better half had left town, along with most vampires. Dor didn’t know why, but he’d mourned the loss. 

He sprinted out into the street. Cars honked as they hit the brakes, but Dor didn’t care. He only had seconds. If he hesitated, it would be too late. 

His love was deep in conversation with the man by his side—the same man who always was by his side. Both of them held cones with ice cream scoops piled high. 

Dor tackled his love into the guy right as pain bloomed in his upper arm. He grunted as he fell to the ground. 

His darling straightened and glared at Dor as the ice cream splashed on the sidewalk. Some of it landed on Dor’s hand. The cold momentarily distracted him from the stabbing in his arm. 

“For fuck’s sake.” Dark, dark eyes bore into his. There was no sparkling of amusement or signs of concern. Annoyance. It was an emotion Dor was familiar with, but for some reason, it hurt more than it normally did. 

“Sorry.” Dor winced as he pushed to his feet. His knees stung, but it was nothing compared to the throbbing in his arm. He wouldn’t check, but he believed he had a toothpick piercing into his shoulder. He didn’t like blood, so he’d pretend it wasn’t there for as long as possible. 

“Gun!” A woman’s scream sounded from farther down the street, and the guy his love had been talking to grabbed his arm and tugged. 

His darling’s eyes narrowed, and he inhaled deeply. “You’re bleeding.” Fangs peeked out from underneath his upper lip. 

Dor had assumed as much but didn’t dare look yet. He’d hoped his black T-shirt would conceal it, but he could sense a trickle along his arm. 

“I’m fine.” 

Hopefully, the woman who’d noticed the gun prevented the would-be assassin from trying again. Since no new vision swamped his awareness, he believed his love was safe for now. 

“Dante, come on.” 

Dante. Dor gazed tenderly at him. It fit. He looked like a Dante. Dark eyes, dark hair, sun-kissed skin. 

Then cracks spread through his heart. Dante? Not Dante Silversti. Please say it wasn’t so. 

Dante Silversti was the vampire prince, the one meant to rule this city once his mother—maker?—passed on the crown. 

There had been a lot of speculation when the vampires had left, but since no one had taken over the throne, and everyone knew the wolf shifters wanted to, someone must’ve remained in the queen’s place. 

He sighed and watched as Dante’s friend pulled him away. Neither one of them spared him a second glance. 

This was the fifth time he’d saved Dante’s life, and he still didn’t recognize him. Most people treated him as if he were invisible. He was used to it, but it still stung. 

With a deep sigh, he got moving. His arm hurt, and he modified his route to go by Sirona’s place. 

* * * * 

Dor knocked on Sirona’s door. She lived in a lovely cottage-style house in the old part of town. He leaned against the wall next to the door while he waited, careful not to get blood anywhere. 

The door opened, and her frown was instant. “Dor?” 

If he ever wanted proof he wasn’t invisible, all he had to do was go see Sirona. 

“I got shot with a toothpick.” 

She growled. She was a short, curvy, water woman—not a mermaid; she had water magic. Her long dark hair fell in messy waves, and she had flour on the front of her dark blue linen dress. 

She was a nurse, a common profession among those with water affinities. Something about water being the healing element, though his parents would argue earth was the healing element. 

He didn’t much care; he’d have gone to her had she been nothing but a normal human whose job had nothing to do with healing. Her best power, in his opinion, was that she noticed him. 

She sighed, grabbed his unhurt arm, and pulled him inside the house. “What happened?” 

“I was in town when I had a vision about him.” 

“Who?” Her frown was instant, but he could tell she only listened with half an ear. Her focus was on the bathroom, where she kept a first-aid kit. 

“My love.” 

She gave him a quick glance before flicking the light switch on the bathroom wall and guiding him to sit on the toilet lid. “You didn’t tell me you’d met someone new.” 

He winced. He’d tried dating, had been dating, but it never worked out. They’d go on a few dates, hook up a few times, then they grew bored with him. He didn’t mind much since by then he was daydreaming about all the things his true love would do differently from how they did it. 

He was well aware he didn’t know Dante, and maybe this infatuation would go away if he were to spend an hour in his company, but it had been there since he was little more than a child. 

It was different. 

He was pretty sure it wasn’t only in his head. His entire being was tuned to Dante. Despite not having seen him in years, his vision had been about him. And sure, he was the intended victim, but it didn’t mean the people near him on the sidewalk had been safe. 

“Dor?” Sirona shook his shoulder. “Are you having a vision or simply spacing out?” 

“Spacing out. Sorry.” 

She huffed. “Tell me what happened.” She rolled up the sleeve of his T-shirt and made a noise at the back of her throat. “If you wanted a piercing, there are better ways to go about it than to shove a piece of wood through your deltoid muscle.” 

Dor glanced at where his shoulder met his arm and hissed. It hurt more when he saw it. There was a long toothpick still stuck in him. 

“It wasn’t intentional.” He looked away. “Let’s leave it there.” Would it have been stuck in Dante’s heart if it had hit its target? 

Sirona barked a laugh. “Sorry, darling. We have no way of knowing what germs are crawling around this stick. I will not leave it.” 

And then she pulled. 

Dor might have hissed and cursed at her, but then she was cleaning his wound and he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want a piercing in his shoulder, arm, or whichever body part the area belonged to. 

“Now tell me what happened.” She slapped on a huge band-aid and went to wash her hands again. 

He slumped against the water tank. “I was on Station Street when I had a premonition. My darling was to be assassinated. I haven’t seen him in years, so at first I believed my powers had developed, and I was seeing visions of people at greater distance.” Though, for a short blink-of-an-eye moment, he might have believed it was because they were soulmates, and he’d know if his better half was in danger. 

Sirona sighed. “Sweetie, you’re thirty-six. I’d say any hopes of your skill developing sailed away about sixteen years ago.” 

She was right, of course, no one developed past their teens, but was this all he was meant to be? He might as well have been born powerless. 

As if she could read his mind, she patted his hand in consolation. “Then what happened?” 

He took a deep breath. “I searched the crowd and spotted him across the street. I only had seconds, so I ran—” She winced. “—and pushed him out of the way.” 

“Could you please stop putting yourself in danger to save others. You ran across the street? There is a lot of traffic on Station Street.” 

He stared at her. “He was on the other side.” 

A nod. “What did he say?” 

Dor thought back. “For fuck’s sake.” 

She tried not to grin. “Okay, then what?” 

“He glared, told me I was bleeding, and ran off with the guy he was with.” 

Anger made her normally pale blue eyes turn into stormy oceans. “What?” 

“It was good. The shooter was still around, so it was for the best.” 

“The hell it was! Didn’t he at least say thank you?” 

Thank you? Dor stared at her. “I pushed him and made him drop his ice cream.” 

She huffed. “Let him die next time.” 

Dor made a wounded sound. “I don’t think there will be a next time. I suspect he’s Dante Silversti.” 

Her eyes, still stormy oceans, went wide. “Dante Silversti? Is he back in town?” 

Dor winced. “He’s a vampire, has been away for years, and his friend called him Dante.” 

She rubbed her forehead. “Okay. That’s… I don’t know if it’s good or bad.” 

“Bad. It means I can never have him.” He’d have to continue to date idiots or be alone for the rest of his life. 

“So dramatic.” She laughed low. “You don’t know him. It’s a childhood infatuation. I bet he snores, drops dirty underwear on the floor, and spends hours admiring himself in the mirror.” 

Dor frowned at her. “Why?” 

“Because men are slobs. Seriously, what’s so hard about putting your dirty laundry in the hamper?” 

Dor was confused. “I do.” 

She patted his arm. “I know, honey, but you’re an exception. If all men were like you, we wouldn’t have any problems in the world.” 

He highly doubted she was right. 

“Come on, let’s have some ice cream. I bought a new flavor I’ve never had before.” 

“Weren’t you baking?” There was still flour on her dress. She brushed a hand over her stomach and frowned. If he wasn’t afraid it would be interpreted wrong, he’d buy her an apron. She often spilled things on herself when she was in the kitchen. Though he assumed she already owned an apron but didn’t use it. 

“Sourdough, I’ve put it in the fridge to rise until tomorrow.” 

He nodded while following her into the kitchen. He’d never understand baking. 

Some days ago, The Vampire’s Honey, Within the Walls Book 7, was released. It celebrates National Pollinator Week, and is about Leonard, a vampire from the Oakmouth community. He’s tried to get out for years and hopes he can find a place in the Myrfolk community. 

Lynx is a former blood slave who was rescued last year. He’s mostly hidden inside the Myrfolk walls since then, but when he figures out Gertrude is taking advantage of Leonard’s situation, he’s furious. He might not like vampires, but he’s had it with people exploiting other people’s fears. 

Like all previous stories in the Within the Walls series, it’s about a new couple, but they’re best read in order. 

Read the first chapter below! 

The Vampire’s Honey

What price does a vampire have to pay to feel safe?   

All Leonard Badrick wants is to get out of Oakmouth and find a place where he doesn’t have to fear for his life every single day. Somewhere he can live without the threat of his neighbors telling on him. He hopes that place is the community in Myrfolk, if only he can get Gertrude to agree to take him in.   

Lynx Kot is a former blood slave. Last summer, the Myrfolk community saved him from the cage he and three other shifters were kept in. He’s been living with them since then, but he isn’t sure community life is for him. He’s contemplating hitting the road when a vampire he’s never seen before places beehives near his favorite tree.   

Leonard is willing to do whatever it takes for a ticket out of Oakmouth, but when Lynx realizes Gertrude is taking advantage of his desperation, something ignites inside of him. He might not be a fan of vampires, but he knows what it’s like to live in fear, and if Leonard isn’t going to stand up for himself, then Lynx will. Someone has to, right?

Buy links:

Paranormal Gay Romance: 60,255 words

JMS Book :: Amazon

Chapter 1

February 

Leonard Badrick wiped a palm on his thigh and gripped the phone in a tight grip. The darkness was thick outside the window, a layer of snow was on the ground, and the stars were starting to come out. 

He scrolled through his contacts until he found Gertrude Pechtold’s number. 

His heart was beating hard, but he had to try. 

In July, Leonard ran into some people from Myrfolk while leaving the Oakmouth community to find someone to feed from. Finding feeding partners had become harder for vampires, and leaving was now more dangerous, but everyone had to eat. 

Back then, he’d gone to a newly opened blood bar in Wanford. He’d been relieved when it had opened. He’d only been there a few times, but knowing there was a place he could go where he could be pretty sure no one would attack or arrest him was comforting. 

What he’d believed would be a calm night, one he’d hoped to come back from sated and ready to go for another week, had turned into a battle. 

There had been blood slaves hidden in the basement of the bar, and Leonard had helped the Myrfolk residents to free them. He’d hoped it would lead to closer contact, had dreamed that risking his life for their community’s cause would earn him a place there, or at least a plan for how to get out of Oakmouth. 

It hadn’t. 

He’d risked his life but got nothing more than Gertrude’s number, and the bar closed after Dov and Julian, two Myrfolk bear shifters, killed the owner. 

Leonard wasn’t saying the man didn’t deserve to die—he did—but now there was no bar for him to go to when he needed to feed, and the majority of the Oakmouth community were vampires. Which meant everyone was looking for someone to feed from, and Leonard wasn’t the most charming and forward vampire in the world. 

Far from. 

So he dreamed about a life in Myrfolk. From what little he’d seen, the climate there was more harmonious. 

He was sure there were conflicts and problems too, but no one had been rude to him. They hadn’t chased him away with pitchforks or anything, but once he was good to drive back, they’d waved him off without so much as an offer to connect again. 

He’d hoped, still hoped, they’d welcome him there one day. 

He wasn’t certain the Myrfolk community was better, but Jinx had fled from Oakmouth to Myrfolk to keep his daughter safe, and he didn’t appear to be regretting his decision. 

Leonard had to get out of here. 

It wasn’t safe. 

When he’d bought his house, it had been a small community with potential. It had been before the humans’ war on supernaturals had started—it hadn’t been problem-free, but he could go into town without risking his life. Then, as the climate had hardened, more and more shifters had moved away. 

Leonard wasn’t sure why. 

It wasn’t until Czar, their current leader, took over that he felt the need to move on, but then it was too late. Czar didn’t allow anyone to leave. He surveyed everyone, and if he suspected, only for a moment, someone going against him, he dealt with them. 

Oakmouth had become a place where everyone monitored everyone and reported back to Czar. One wrong move, and your life turned to hell. 

Which was why his heart threatened to escape his body as he dialed Gertrude’s number. If Czar knew he called another community leader, he’d most likely be killed in the square as an example of what happened if you went behind his back. 

Several signals rang through, then the call connected. He sucked in a breath as he waited. 

“Gertrude speaking.” 

Leonard cleared his throat. “Eh… hello, Gertrude, it’s Leonard Badrick from Oakmouth.” He winced at his stilted words. 

“Leonard, how are you?” She didn’t sound annoyed, which allowed him to take a breath. Czar could get annoyed simply by someone interrupting him, but then he’d get angry if someone failed to report something too, so there was no winning. 

“I’m… eh… okay.” 

“Yeah?” She sounded amused. “Are you sure?” 

His heart raced in his chest. From what he’d seen, Gertrude was different from Czar, but he wasn’t sure he could trust a community leader to joke with him. 

“Yes.” He straightened his back and wiped his free hand on his jeans. “I… eh…” 

Silence fell. He didn’t know how to continue. 

“What can I do for you?” Gertrude’s voice was hesitant, and he didn’t blame her. 

He took another deep breath and steeled himself. She couldn’t hurt him from where she sat, unless she called Czar and told him Leonard had reached out to her, but he doubted she would. They weren’t on speaking terms as far as he was aware. 

“I have a few bee hives, but I suspect all but one colony has died.” 

“Oh.” 

“I fear there isn’t enough to feed them here. I’ve fed them extra, of course, but last season I couldn’t harvest any honey, and I think it’s because there are no flowers for them to feed from, or few flowers, I should say. Bees are phenomenal at finding flowers, but…” He rubbed his forehead. 

Oakmouth mostly consisted of paved surfaces and lawns. There was little to no diversity. There were some trees, but those that bloomed only did so for a short period, not the entire season. 

Gertrude most likely didn’t want to hear about bees, though. Whenever he started talking about them, people looked around as if they were waiting for someone to come save them. 

Gertrude waited. 

“The cabin I stayed in back in July, is it still empty?” Maybe one of the blood slaves they’d saved had moved in or planned on moving in. 

“It is.” Her voice gave nothing away. 

“I knocked on the hives today, and I only heard a buzz in one of them. I hope I’m wrong, but I suspect it means only one colony has survived the winter, and I was thinking…” Here came the tricky part. “You have a lot of plants within your walls. If I could put a hive by the house I was staying at, it would be away from where people move around, but the bees would still find their way to Rue and Chaton’s garden.” And there was a small forest and a meadow along the wall. He hadn’t seen it, but Gilbert had told him there was a meadow they never cut, which hopefully meant it had loads of native flowers for pollinators to feed from. 

“You want to place a beehive in Myrfolk?” Her tone still didn’t reveal any emotions. 

“Yes.” He squeezed his eyes shut and waited. 

“Isn’t it a lot of work to move bees? And then you have to drive for four hours, one way, every time you need to tend to them. Don’t they need looking after regularly during summer?” 

They did, or there was a risk they’d swarm, and he’d lose them all, or half of the bees and most of his harvest. 

“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate. Driving four hours and then four hours back simply to check on them was insanity. The gas money would eat up any profit he’d get from the honey, but it was a price he was willing to pay if it allowed him a chance, however slim, to strengthen his relationship with the Myrfolk community. 

They might not allow him to join them this year, but if he were there frequently enough, they’d hopefully soon begin to see him as part of them, and maybe, he’d be able to transfer at some time in the future. 

The people in Myrfolk faced the same hardships they did in Oakmouth—more hardships when it came to food, since Oakmouth always had access to meat. But he’d give up meat in exchange for being able to go outside without looking over his shoulder to see who was watching him. He’d be willing to starve a little if it meant he wouldn’t have to fear getting killed and tortured on a whim. 

Czar wasn’t sane, but sadly, the majority of the people living there supported him. Leonard didn’t believe there would be any change coming in a long time. 

“What do I get?” 

He jumped at Gertrude’s voice. His mind had run away with him before he’d managed to implement the first step of his plan—to gain access to the Myrfolk community. 

“What do you want?” 

“How much honey does one hive generate?” There was a rustle, as if she was curling up on a couch or something. He could picture it. He’d been in her living room. She’d served tea. It had been so at odds with how Czar acted, he hadn’t been sure it hadn’t been a dream. 

“These last few years, next to none.” 

“But you want to move them here because you believe the bees will do better within the walls.” 

“Have you seen Oakmouth?” 

She huffed. “It’s not a place I frequent often, for obvious reasons.” 

He found himself smiling. “No one keeps a garden here, and there isn’t much point in keeping bees when I have to feed them all the time to keep them alive.” 

“So because we have gardens, you believe they’ll do better?” 

He nodded despite her being unable to see it. “A normal yield is forty to sixty pounds of honey, but eighty to a hundred isn’t unheard of. It all depends on the health of the colony.” 

She was silent, and he waited while his heartbeats thudded in his ears. 

“Okay, I want twenty-five pounds of honey for every hive you put on community land.” 

His heart somersaulted. “What?” 

“If you have a low yield of forty, you still get some honey for yourself, and if you have a high-yield, you’re still doing better than you have these last few years.” 

“I need money to pay my bills and the tithe to Czar.” His house was paid off. He’d bought it a long time ago when the world had been a better place. 

“Are you a full-time beekeeper or do you have another income?” 

He rubbed his forehead. Could it be called full-time when it didn’t generate any money? “I fill in at times when they need someone to deliver meat, but yes, it’s my full-time…occupation.” He gave a mental cackle. A full-time beekeeper with one hive. Pathetic. 

“How have you paid your bills and the tithe? Or is the tithe ten percent of what you make?” 

“It’s a set number, ten percent of the average monthly salary.” How much was the tithe in Myrfolk? Was it ten percent of every person’s salary? It was favorable to Oakmouth, but maybe he wouldn’t be able to afford to live there even if his bees thrived, and he somehow managed to get out. 

Jinx hadn’t said anything about how the community worked. Leonard didn’t blame him. They both knew he risked his life simply by talking to Jinx, and now that he was firmly out of Oakmouth, they had no reason to. It was he who sometimes called Jinx when he needed a reminder of there being a world outside the community, but he never asked Jinx to risk his or Ximena’s safety by asking questions that could get them in trouble. 

Gertrude was quiet for a few seconds. “How have you been able to pay the tithe?” 

He didn’t want to talk about this. “I had some money saved.” 

“Had, as in it’s gone now?” 

“I’m sure you’re aware of how expensive everything has grown lately.” 

She made a snuffling sound. “I have a community to feed. I’m well aware of the prices.” 

Leonard almost laughed. A community to feed? She had a community to feed her. He didn’t think any community leaders suffered greatly. But from what he’d seen, Myrfolk was still the better option. 

“I need my hives to make a profit this year, or I’ll be in trouble.” Ice filled his veins. He wasn’t lying. He might have some money tucked away, but it was dwindling fast, and without a steady income, he wouldn’t last much longer. 

There was no help to be had in Oakmouth. Czar wouldn’t take pity on him if he couldn’t pay his way, and no one would feed him if he couldn’t afford groceries. 

“Me having my bees there will help you. I’m sure Rue’s magic makes the plants thrive, but bees will help with the pollination and increase his yield.” He didn’t know if the other magic user they’d saved back in July had stayed in the community. If she had, they had two magic users who could make things grow. Still, pollinators would help. 

“How much?” 

He couldn’t tell if she was curious or if this was part of their negotiation. “Studies show an increase of thirty to sixty percent in crop yields.” 

“That might be, but is it our kind of crops? As you said, the land within the walls is diverse. I’m sure we already have plenty of wild pollinators around.” 

Most likely. “When it comes to berries, the increase is much larger. Some studies show a three hundred percent increase.” He didn’t know if it was true, but he’d read it was. Did they have many berries within the walls? He’d walked past Rue and Chaton’s garden a few times, and there had been beans and tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchinis, leafy greens and cabbages, but had there been berries? He hadn’t walked around the house to the back. Maybe there were berry bushes there. 

“Three hundred? Can something increase by three hundred percent?” 

“It’s what I’ve read.” 

“Hmm.” 

He waited. “Okay, twenty pounds of honey per hive.” 

He gritted his teeth. “Then I get to keep my beekeeping equipment in the house.” 

She was quiet for some time, his heart blocking his throat, then she huffed. “Deal.” 

His breath stuttered. “Deal?” He couldn’t believe it. 

“Yes, deal. You’ll give Rue and Chaton twenty pounds of honey when it’s harvesting time, and you’re allowed to utilize the house when tending to the bees.” 

Leonard was light-headed. It wasn’t the same as allowing him to stay, but it was huge. “Can I move the hives tomorrow?” 

“In the middle of winter?” 

Spring was approaching. “They’re not leaving the hives at the moment, it’s too cold, and I can’t open the silent ones to check if there is life, because then they’ll freeze. But come March, they’ll start flying around. I want them situated before then.” 

“All right. Give me a call when you’re at the gate.” 

Leonard nodded. “Will do.” 

“Okay, see you tomorrow.” 

“Yes, tomorrow. Thank you.” 

“Bye, Leonard.” He didn’t dare trust the warmth in her voice. 

* * * * 

Leonard hitched his trailer to his car and stared at his hives. He’d only had three colonies back in the fall, and now he feared he only had one. He’d move them all anyway. 

The sun had yet to rise, and he hoped he’d get out of here before anyone spotted him. He didn’t want to explain what he was doing. 

As quickly as he could, he got the honey extractor, his beekeeping suit, frames, and other equipment into the car. It wasn’t all he owned, but he didn’t think he could explain moving the honey extractor without people getting suspicious, so he wanted it out of here before anyone took notice. 

They believed him crazy to keep bees, and few took any interest, but if someone spotted him moving equipment, they’d report it to Czar. 

The fear of being caught left him weak-kneed, but he moved as fast as he could. 

He grabbed the closest hive, thankful for vampire strength as he carried it toward the trailer. He then loaded the other two as well, grabbed the stands they were on, and contemplated bringing honey supers from inside the house. 

“Are you moving?” Agatha, his next-door neighbor, was glaring at him from the edge of his driveway. 

They’d never been close, hardly ever spoke. 

Leonard did his best to conceal his fear. He would not grab anything from the house, not with her watching. “Moving the hives before they wake up for the spring.” 

“Move them to where?” 

Fuck. “To where there are more plants.” 

Her eyes narrowed, but he did his best to ignore her and reached for a ratchet strap to secure the hives. He should bring extra feed for them. 

Agatha studied him without saying a word. She looked like she planned to stand there and watch him, but he prayed she had to run off to work soon. If she peeked inside his car and saw all the stuff he’d shoved in there, he’d be in trouble. 

Once he was satisfied with how he’d secured the hives, he looked at her. He should go inside and grab sugar fondant for the still living bees, but he didn’t know if he dared to while she was watching. He couldn’t leave her near his car where she could peek in through the windows. There might be some feed in one of the boxes he’d already put in the car. Hopefully. 

Thank heavens it was still dark. He hoped it meant she wouldn’t be able to see all the things he’d packed. 

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a challenging look. Nope, he wouldn’t grab any sugar fondant. He needed to go, now, before she called attention to what he was doing. He’d have to go back to Myrfolk in a few days if he couldn’t find sugar among the things he’d packed. 

The most important thing was to get out of here before anyone could think of stopping him. The rest would have to come later. He’d grabbed the big things. 

He hoped Gertrude wouldn’t get annoyed with him showing up too frequently. He had to keep it at a good level. Not too often, but not so seldom people forgot about him, or the bees got out of hand. 

“Have a nice day.” He opened the door to the driver’s seat and slipped in without giving Agatha a second look. He needed a believable story in case she reported him to Czar. 

Where could he say he’d moved the hives? 

So far, Czar hadn’t cared what he did with them. As long as he paid the tithe, he didn’t care, but if he moved them outside the community, he might. He didn’t like anyone being where he couldn’t keep an eye on them. 

His hands trembled as he drove toward the gate. The Oakmouth community wasn’t surrounded by a wall like Myrfolk, but all roads had boom barriers operated by guards. They hadn’t before, but Czar had installed them after the whole Jinx debacle. 

He slowed as he neared the barrier. Drystan, a fellow vampire who always wore black clothes and sported a scowl along with several scars both on his hands and arms, walked up to his window. He might have scars in other places too, but Leonard had never seen him without clothes. A black T-shirt was the most undressed state he’d seen him in. 

Drystan looked at the trailer with narrowed eyes. “Where are you going?” 

“I’m moving my hives to their summer placement before they wake up for the spring.” He kept his face blank. Normally, he liked talking about bees, but now he hoped he’d be waved forward. 

Drystan frowned, then he shrugged and pressed a button to open the boom blocking the road. Leonard didn’t waste any time. He got the car rolling while his heart banged frantically in his chest and drove toward Myrfolk. 

He’d been too nervous to eat any breakfast, and when he reached Wanford, which was about halfway, his stomach was growling. He didn’t want to waste money on fast food, and he didn’t dare walk into a grocery store. He did in Oakmouth, but there he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be attacked. Here, he didn’t know how people would react. Wanford didn’t have a community, so people weren’t as used to supernaturals. 

He didn’t think anyone would know he was a vampire on sight, but once he’d used his card, they’d be able to see since he was registered. 

He might as well get used to starving, with Gertrude demanding twenty pounds of honey. He went cold. He hoped she wouldn’t demand sixty. What had she said? Would he owe her sixty pounds if he put all three hives in Myrfolk, even if only one colony was alive? 

Fuck, he’d been too nervous to think straight. 

The gnawing hunger in his gut was replaced by worry. 

Maybe he should turn around. 

No. If he owed her sixty pounds, he’d simply have to give her sixty pounds. If he could scrape sixty pounds together. 

This was a long-term plan. He’d survive until he could get out of Oakmouth. 

About two and a half hours later, he could glimpse the walls of the Myrfolk community and called Gertrude. 

“Good morning, Leonard.” 

He was surprised by the amused tone. “Eh… good morning. I’m outside.” 

“Already? You must’ve driven in the middle of the night.” 

“Early morning.” 

She snorted. “I’ll meet you at the gate. Bye.” She hung up before he could reply, and he blew out a shaky breath. Calm down. He didn’t want to walk out there smelling of nerves. 

He parked outside the gate, doing his best not to block anyone’s way. 

When he got out, he stretched and winced. 

“Hey, man!” Arnou, a wolf shifter he’d gotten to know a little back in July, waved at him from the other side of the gate. 

“Hey.” 

“What’s going on?” He neared the gate but made no move to open it. Gabriel, one of the few vampires in the community, watched them from on top of the wall but didn’t make any motion of wanting to join the conversation. Leonard gave him a wave anyway. He hadn’t spoken to him, but he too had been there when they’d freed the blood slaves. 

“I’m moving my bee hives here.” 

Arnou widened his eyes. “Bees? Are you insane?” 

Maybe. Before he had time to answer, Gertrude came walking. She looked at the trailer and nodded. 

“Three?” 

“I think there is life in only one, but one can dream, right?” And if they thrived here, he might be able to get a nucleus hive, though he didn’t dare hope for it yet. 

Should he ask Gertrude if his having three hives meant sixty pounds of honey? No, not when there was an audience. 

“Okay. There are no vehicles inside the walls, so…” She pursed her lips. “Are they heavy?” 

“Eh… they’re not light. Can I unhook the trailer from the car and pull it with me?” 

She looked at the gate. There was a door in the iron fence meant for people to walk through, but he believed the entire section could be opened. 

“Sure, let’s open it and we’ll pull the trailer.” 

While Arnou got started on the gate, Leonard opened the car and placed the honey extractor and the other things he’d hidden in the trunk and backseat on the trailer. 

“Wow, that’s a lot of things.” Gertrude walked closer to him. 

“I have more left in Oakmouth. I didn’t bring any honey supers, and I have more frames and things, but I didn’t want anyone to get suspicious, so I’ll simply have to sneak out a few things at a time.” 

Gertrude narrowed her eyes. “I see why you wanted use of the house.” 

He forced himself to appear relaxed. If she had any idea of why he wanted access to the cabin, she most likely wouldn’t be as accommodating. 

He wanted that cabin, didn’t see how he’d ever afford to buy it since he didn’t think he’d be able to sell his house in Oakmouth, but he wanted it. Jinx’s house was still untouched from when he’d moved out over a year ago, and Czar wouldn’t allow anyone to go near it. He was pretty sure he’d suffer the same fate if he ever managed to leave, but he wanted the cabin here. 

There were no visible neighbors. Julian, Dov, and Gilbert lived nearby, but their houses were hidden behind trees. It was a slice of paradise as far as Leonard was concerned. 

If it were his, he’d fill the garden with flowers for the bees. Or maybe he would grow vegetables like Rue and Chaton and have something to eat during summer, since he soon would be out of money. 

Vampires could survive without solid food. It wasn’t pleasant, and it wasn’t pretty, but he didn’t need to eat to exist. 

He’d be a danger to everyone around him, but he’d survive. 

Arnou appeared by the side of the trailer. “What’s that big thing?” He pointed at the honey extractor. 

“It’s to get the honey out of the frames. You fasten them inside and spin them, so the honey is forced out. Then you pour it from the tap.” 

He nodded but looked a little confused. “Are you sure they won’t sting you?” 

“They’re locked inside the hive at the moment, but I have the beekeeping suit on when I mess around with them.” He gestured at the suit he’d placed next to the extractor. “They don’t want to sting you. A bee dies after having stung someone, so it’s not like they’ll attack without reason.” 

Arnou snorted. “My experience is they’ll attack.” Then he shrugged. “All right, so where are we taking this?” 

“You’re on guard duty.” Gertrude sounded exasperated. 

Arnou whined like a discontent child, which had Leonard staring. Had someone done that around Czar, they would likely lose a limb… or their head. 

Leonard grabbed the handle by the coupler and carefully pulled the trailer with him. Better to get moving before any blood flowed. 

Gertrude fell into step next to him, and together they walked through the open gate. 

“So they’ll wake up soon?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, they’ll normally start flying on the first warm days in March.” 

She nodded. “And what will they eat then? There are no flowering plants in Rue and Chaton’s garden right now.” 

“Any early spring bulbs?” 

“Maybe a few crocuses and snowdrops, but not much until there are daffodils.” 

“Alder and hazel?” 

She gave him a clipped nod. “I’m bad at trees, but I know there are a few hazel trees. Chaton picked nuts last year.” 

“Good, they bloom now and will provide early food for the bees.” 

It was strange to walk through the community with Gertrude by his side. A few people peeked out their windows at them, but it was a cold, gray day, so there wasn’t much activity. He wondered what they did all day. In Oakmouth, people worked in the meat industry. Myrfolk had always had restaurants and nightclubs, but they’d been forced to close all but a few, so what did people do? No one hired supernaturals these days, so unless they had some business Leonard didn’t know about, he suspected the unemployment percentage was high. 

They passed Namir’s and Jinx’s house, and Leonard looked longingly toward it. Jinx had gotten out. He was sure Czar would kill him if he ever got close to Oakmouth, but he was safe while inside the walls. 

He glanced at Gertrude. He didn’t think Gertrude had it in her to hurt a child, and Jinx had Ximena. Czar had no qualms about using children, but he didn’t think Gertrude would. 

They came up to Rue’s garden, and Leonard wanted to linger and look around, but Gertrude kept going. He spotted cabbages and kale, but nothing flowered. He couldn’t see any berry bushes either. 

“Do they have berry bushes?” 

She shook her head. “I think there might be a current bush or two toward the edge of the property. Jagger might have some, though I think there are mostly fruit trees in his and Ty’s garden.” 

Leonard nodded. “Bees like fruit trees.” He didn’t know Jagger or Ty, and he didn’t know where they lived. Next door, maybe? The house ahead of them looked deserted, so most likely not there. 

They passed a few more houses, then the square, and then they entered the small forest. Soon, the cabin came into view. 

“Still here.” Gertrude smiled at him, but it looked a little forced. 

He pulled the trailer over the frozen grass before letting go of the handle and looking around. It looked like he remembered it. A slice of land framed by trees. Perfect. 

“They want the entrance facing south or southeast to get morning sun.” He grabbed his phone and opened a compass. “So facing this direction.” He pointed south-south-east. 

“Okay.” She nodded. 

Leonard grabbed the stands and placed them in a row. Some people kept colorful hives, but his were made of cedar wood. He found them prettier, they looked more like they belonged in nature than something red or blue or yellow. 

He undid the ratchet straps and reached for the first hive. Was there a faint buzz? He leaned closer. Vampire hearing was good, but he didn’t dare believe what he was hearing. He’d been sure this colony was dead. 

“How’s your hearing?” Did tigers have better hearing than vampires? 

Gertrude walked closer. “What are we listening for?” 

“A buzz.” 

She too, leaned closer. “I think there is a low buzz.” 

He let go of the hive and knocked on the one he knew there was life in. 

“Much louder there.” 

Hope still sparked. “Do you have any insulation, Styrofoam, something?” He couldn’t open the hive; it was too cold, but if he could save the ones still alive, it would help a lot. 

Gertrude stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Why?” 

“If the queen is still alive, they can recover, but with few bees, they won’t be able to keep warm enough.” 

“Huh. We can… Jasper might have something. He often builds things.” 

Leonard was aware there were wrappings one could buy to keep on hives during winter, but he didn’t have any. 

He carried the hives to the stands, checked so everything looked okay, and made sure the small entrances to the hives were open in case any bees wanted to get out. It was too early, but soon. 

“Is Jasper home?” He looked at Gertrude and prayed they’d come up with some solution. If the queen were dead in the hive, there wasn’t much he could do, but if she was still alive and some of the worker bees were too, then maybe he could save them. 

“Let’s check.” Gertrude turned to walk back the same way they’d come, and he hurried to follow.