A few days ago, Holly’s Vampire’s Cupcake was released. It’s the second story in the Off the Paved Road series. 

The first story is Panther’s Luck, which I wrote back in 2023. The plan was always to turn it into a series, or maybe not when I started to write it, but once I had an idea of where it was going, I planned for it to be a series. Then other things happened, and I felt pressured to continue writing on the series I’d already started. 

Over and over again, I pushed this world back on the release schedule. I needed more dragons, more squirrels, more stories from Within the Walls, but Last Hope never let me go. I wanted to go back there. So I did. 

The second story is out now, yay! While it’s a new couple in this one, I think it’s best to read Panther’s Luck first. You’re probably fine with skipping it, but I think you’ll understand the world better if you read it.  

Below you can read the first chapter of Vampire’s Cupcake! 

Vampire’s Cupcake

Humans off the paved road are nothing but vampire food.

Eli Stark owns the only grocery store in Last Hope, and he does what he can to feed the people in the human settlement, but the food scarcity is real and most don’t have money to spend. When there is a change of members on the town board, things get even worse.

Thano Moonlight is the leader of the supernatural beings ruling the area around Last Hope. For the last ten months, they’ve ruled the human settlement as well, but it’s time to hand over the reins. If the humans want to make their lives harder, they should have the power to do so, but he’s reluctant to leave Eli behind.

When things turn critical in the town, Thano takes Eli to The Moonlight Ranch, but Eli can’t just abandon the people in Last Hope. They rely on him to make sure there is food to buy. If he has to choose between being with Thano or saving an entire village from starving, he should choose the village, right?

Buy links:

Gay Paranormal Romance: 62,047 words

JMS Books :: Amazon

Chapter 1

Eli looked out over the shelves in his shop in Last Hope and sighed. May was always a hard month. Every year, he believed he’d have things to sell, fooled himself into thinking the harvests would have started, and there would be vegetables in abundance, but there weren’t. Some produce should’ve come in, but the spring had been colder than normal.

Luckily, he had eggs. The chickens were laying. He wouldn’t have survived if they hadn’t been, but by God, he was sick of eggs. He ate them every day in every way he could think of.

The door opened, and Elijah Lucas, the hotel owner, stepped inside. Eli didn’t know what they’d do with a hotel in Last Hope, but Elijah had put a lot of effort into making the old one livable again. Humans weren’t allowed off the paved roads, and while there was one paved road going through Last Hope, no one was stupid enough to travel it unless they had to.

Wild country surrounded the once mid-sized city, and the others ruled there. Humans wandering off never came back.

The others had taken over before Eli was born. He’d never lived any other reality than of humans being prey and the others dictating the rules, but he’d heard the elderly talk about the before times. Times when humans had ruled—or had fooled themselves into believing they did. Times when there hadn’t been food scarcity and when culture had thrived and science had driven development.

Then humans had grown greedy, had wanted more and more and more. Megalomania had taken hold of the world leaders, and the others had had enough.

Between one day and the next, they’d wiped out all larger cities, and within a week, humans, the few who were still alive, were only allowed a few scattered settlements.

Eli had no way of knowing what was true and not. He’d grown up believing everything he’d been told, but for the last ten months, he’d been doing business with Ciar and Draven Moonlight. A panther and an eagle-owl shifter. And if it hadn’t been for them, Eli would be much worse off than he was.

“Do you have anything…” Elijah’s voice trailed off.

“Anything?”

He shrugged. “Edible.”

Elijah was on the small side. Thin—everyone was—but Eli believed he would’ve been slim even if he’d had an unlimited supply of food. It was the way he was built. The opposite of Eli who was tall and broad-shouldered and would’ve weighed a lot more if he’d had enough food.

His stomach growled. It would get better soon. The farmers in Fisherman’s Lake would soon have produce to sell him.

“What are you looking for?” Eli stroked his beard. It needed a trim, but it was a hassle, so he did it as seldom as possible. Sometimes he considered shaving it all off like Elijah did, but…

“I have a booking at the hotel, but I have nothing to feed them.”

A booking? As in someone coming to stay in Last Hope? Voluntarily? “What are they doing here?”

“I don’t know. A middle-aged man named Jack Ambrose. He didn’t tell me what brought him here.” Elijah gave him a hollow-eyed look, and something squeezed in Eli’s chest. He had never been close to Elijah. They’d lived all their lives in Last Hope, so they’d always known of each other, but Eli had made sure to keep his distance. It wasn’t safe, and he feared if he spent time with him, someone would notice the way his eyes tended to linger on Elijah’s plush lips and sparkling eyes. Except his eyes weren’t sparkling now, and the lips were chapped and pressed thin.

“Are you okay, Elijah?” Eli took a step closer, then glanced through the shop window out to the street and stilled.

“Yes, of course.” He plastered on a smile, but Eli didn’t reciprocate. Elijah sighed. “It’s a bit… I don’t have a lot of food. Or any, to be honest, but with the booking, I can…” He looked around the tiny shop.

“What do you need?”

“I need to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and preferably eat myself.”

“I’ll give you a good deal on eggs.” It was what he had, and he’d replace the shop eggs with some of his own if he needed to. It was a good month to have chickens.

Elijah nodded and went to grab some eggs.

“I’m running low on everything other than eggs and meat, sorry.”

“At least you have something.” Some of Elijah’s spark was back.

“When do you need the food?” Eli eyed the meat display. He believed Ciar and Draven would deliver something soon.

“He’ll be arriving this afternoon, so I need to serve dinner today, then breakfast and lunch tomorrow.”

“And for how long is he staying?”

“He’s only booked one night so far, but he said he might prolong the stay if things went his way.”

Eli frowned. “He called you on the phone?”

The hotel had the only working phone in the settlement. Elijah had worked hard to get it up and running. Not all settlements had a working phone. It was hard to repair wires, and it all depended on what the others in the area allowed.

In Last Hope the other’s representative had always been Thano, the vampire leader from Moonlight Ranch. Eli shivered as he pictured him. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, danger in an immaculate suit.

About ten months ago, the sheriff and some locals had shot one of the vampires, and later that night, the others had swept through Last Hope, killing everyone who’d been on the town board. Everyone but Thano, of course.

Now half the board was made up by others and half by humans, but the humans kept switching their representatives, so Eli had no idea what was going on. He did not want to be on the board if it meant he’d be killed if someone acted irrationally. He shook his hand to rid it of the tension that had crept in. Nope, better to keep away from the others as best he could. He dealt with Ciar and Draven, most often through Romeo, Ciar’s human mate, which suited him fine. He trusted Romeo to do what he could to keep him safe.

“Yes, called from New Town.”

New Town was one of the bigger settlements, and he believed it was where Romeo was from.

Elijah looked around. “Potatoes?”

“I have some, but not much, and they’re not in the best shape.”

“Any canned?” Elijah studied the sprouting potatoes.

Canned? “No, sorry. Do you can potatoes?”

Elijah grimaced. “Mom used to. It changes the texture some, but at least they don’t go bad.”

But to do it, Eli would need jars. Containers of any kind were hard to come by, which was why he gave people a discount if they returned milk bottles and jars. Most people brought baskets or bags when they went shopping, but not everyone had something for flour or milk.

Elijah picked a handful of potatoes from the wicker basket Eli had put them in. Normally, he sewed potatoes into fabric bags, but with so many of them going bad, he couldn’t.

A few more weeks, and he was sure someone in Fisherman’s Lake would be able to sell him fresh ones. June was normally when the earliest came in. Hopefully, they would this year too. He relied on potatoes.

The door to the shop opened again, and both Eli and Elijah turned toward it. Danger dressed in a pristine black suit. Eli forgot how to breathe when Thano’s piercing eyes met his. Ice shot through him, and he swallowed hard, barely registering how Elijah moved toward the dairy section, farthest away from the entrance.

“Mr. Moonlight.” Eli dipped his head and noted a crow sitting on his shoulder. Shit. “Is there a problem?” others didn’t come in here, none other than Ciar and Draven. If the board forbade him to run his business, he’d die within a couple of months. He had his chickens and a few rabbits he kept for meat but with no income…

Thano rounded the counter and stood before him. He was shorter than Eli, reaching his chin, but it didn’t take away from the powerful impression. He looked straight into Eli’s eyes. “Cupcakes.”

Eli stared. “Sorry?” Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Elijah walking straight for the door now when Thano wasn’t blocking it and slipping out onto the sidewalk. Thano never looked away from Eli, and he nervously met his gaze. He’d met Thano before, but it was easier when Romeo was present. They respected Romeo despite him being human, but Eli was nothing more than living, breathing meat to them. Or he didn’t think Thano ate meat. He drank blood.

Thano glanced at the crow, his face still unmoving. “Romeo is reading us a book—” Eli did his best not to flinch. Books were forbidden. The human government had banned all pens and papers, banned all culture. There were no books, no music, no theatre—nothing to feed the soul or provoke thoughts. A thinking population was a dangerous population. “—about a witch who owns a bakery, and she’s making cupcakes. The crows want to give Romeo cupcakes as payment for the reading.”

Eli couldn’t find his voice. Romeo was reading to the crows? From a book? He’d be killed if someone found out. On the other hand, he was living together with a man, panther, whatever. He was with someone of the same sex as he was, which should’ve gotten him killed a long time ago.

Had Eli landed himself a boyfriend, he’d be dead the moment he stepped out of his house. Or maybe before. He held no illusions of the walls of his home keeping him safe.

The only reason Romeo was still alive was because no one dared to do anything for fear of what Ciar would do if someone touched his mate. Some days Eli envied Romeo. On other days—he met Thano’s gaze—he was glad he didn’t have to deal with the others more than he did.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

“What are you sorry for?” The softness in Thano’s tone had him fighting a blush. What the fuck?

“I’ve never seen a cupcake in my entire life.”

The crow hopped off Thano’s shoulder and landed on the floor where it transformed into a naked woman with long tousled hair. Eli quickly looked away. Shit, he’d never seen a naked woman up close in his entire life, and he didn’t want to now either. What if someone entered the shop? He looked through the window, but no one was moving on the sidewalk outside.

“Have you never seen a cupcake?”

He kept his eyes glued to the crow’s eyes as he looked at her. She tilted her head as if she was still a bird, and he guessed she was. Only her form had changed.

“Not in reality. I’ve seen pictures.”

Excitement sparked in her eyes. “Do you have the pictures?”

“No, sorry. It was in a magazine I found when I was a kid.” He’d snuck out to the abandoned houses in the area between the settlement and the wild country. It belonged to the others, but he’d been curious. Some older boys had seen him with the magazine when he’d come back into Last Hope, had beaten the crap out of him and taken it from him, but for a short while, he’d held a treasure. He remembered the photos vividly, there had been a recipe and several different toppings shown in the image.

“A magazine.” She looked between Eli and Thano. “Where do I find a magazine?”

Eli chanced a glance at Thano. “They’re forbidden.”

“I’m breed. Your laws do not apply.”

His laws? He didn’t make the law. He’d been thrilled if books and magazines had been legal.

Her dark eyes pinned him in place. “Where did you find the magazine?”

“In one of the abandoned houses.” He’d never go into one now, but he’d been young and stupid.

She nodded and a black wave of feathers washed over her before she shrank and flew up to sit on Thano’s shoulder anew. Eli stared. He couldn’t help it. He’d seen Draven shift once, and it had blown his mind. How could a human body transform into a bird or the other way around?

“Most houses have been searched. When the paper ban came into effect, they raided all buildings. Should they have missed something, I fear the elements have gotten to it. Magazines don’t last long if they get wet.”

Thano gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Eli waited. Waited for them to leave or to ask something else, but they simply stood there watching him. He fidgeted, his gaze jumped from Thano to something in the shop, then back to Thano again. He was striking but oh-so-dangerous, and Eli didn’t want any trouble. He’d turned forty-one back in January, and the only reason he’d made it this far was because he’d been careful and done his best to avoid conflict. There had been moments in his youth when he’d been reckless, but not anymore. He cherished his life, however crappy it might be.

“What do you need to make cupcakes?”

Eli jumped when Thano finally spoke, then did his best to conceal it. “Oh… I’m not entirely sure, but you’ll need eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder or baking soda, and whatever you’ll flavor it with. The hard part will be the frosting.” Baking powder wasn’t easy to get hold of.

“What’s in the frosting?”

“I think it can be different things.”

“Then it can’t be too hard.”

Maybe not. Maybe it would work with simple whipped cream, though he believed it should be with cream cheese or buttercream or something. No reason to argue with a vampire, though. “You’re right, my bad.”

Thano’s eyes narrowed, and Eli took a step back.

“We’ll be back.” He walked toward the door.

“You’re welcome any day.” Eli dipped his head and got another narrow-eyed look in return. Fuck. Displeasing Thano could cost him his life.

* * * *

Thano Moonlight walked into the meeting room they used whenever the board was gathering. He’d disliked the meetings before when he’d been the only breed present, but now he detested them. All they did was discuss trivial things. They had before too, but then he’d only had to observe, and if it didn’t have any impact on The Moonlight Ranch, he’d disregard it.

When they had taken out the board ten months ago after they’d come for Romeo and had shot Emeric, he’d believed his life would get easier. They’d be a majority of breed, five compared to four humans. Whenever they voted about something, they’d be the majority. He hadn’t foreseen how flaky humans were. They were worse than crows. And they wanted rules for everything. Instead of having a leader who set the rules, they were squabbling about every little thing.

They’d spent weeks arguing about a phone. Who cared about a phone? Thano had never made a phone call in his entire life, and he wasn’t planning on starting now. The stupid thing was all the humans were in favor of Last Hope having a phone, but they’d bickered about where it should be. As it was now, it was at the hotel, but some found it unfair. Why should whoever owned the hotel, Thano never learned his name, have access to a phone when no one else did?

Considering he had paid the fee to have the wire or whatever connected, and was paying for all the other fees—there were always fees with humans—Thano didn’t understand what they were fighting about. It was the hotel owner’s phone. He’d never met him, or maybe he had, but he didn’t remember meeting him. The whole argument was silly, and it put him in a bad mood.

Fala walked in, dressed for once. She didn’t like to be in human form for long, and when she was, she seldom dressed, but Thano had explained how everyone needed to be in human form and dressed when they had a meeting.

Next Mabel Mallon entered. She was an annoying human who wanted to be able to tell everyone what to do. She’d been on the board for the last ten months while the other three humans had come and gone. Thano didn’t much care, but it was annoying to have to learn new names and try to remember what they looked like.

“Where is everyone?” Mabel glared at Thano and Fala before sitting as far away from Thano as she could. He’d realized they became nervous when he switched places, so he tried to do it every time. It was the only fun he had these days.

“I don’t know. Where are they, Mabel?” He gave her a blank look. It was another thing that made humans nervous—when he showed no expression and looked them in the eye.

Charles Riggle entered next. He’d only been on the board for a couple of weeks, and Thano hadn’t been able to determine if he was an annoying human or only a stupid one.

Next, Raven entered, and Thano nodded in greeting. He wasn’t pleased they had two birds on the board, but both Raven and Fala had wanted a spot and few others did, so… Ravens weren’t as easily distracted as crows, but Thano still didn’t like it.

Conal and Tuur entered next. Conal was the only wolf they had left. After Tatwulf had tried to get rid of Romeo last year, the wolves had left. First, about half of them had stalked away during the night without a word, then the rest in the following days. Conal was the only one who’d remained.

It worried Thano a little. They didn’t need wolves at The Moonlight Ranch, but the wolf pack had been second only to the crows in number, and they’d been in contact with humans. Without the wolves, some things got harder. And for Conal personally… Wolves were pack animals, and he was the only one who’d remained. He wasn’t as happy nowadays as he’d been before.

Tuur was a bear, massive and quiet. Thano didn’t know him well, but Armelle, the leader of the bears, trusted him, so Thano believed he was a good fit for the board.

Last to arrive were George Hillburn and Theodore Carner who came together. They were rough-looking men, both of them. Their clothes were worn thin, and their bodies looked like they were used to hard work. Both of them had cold, unflinching eyes. Thano was sure these were men Romeo would avoid.

Romeo knew humans. He could often tell if someone was dangerous or not simply by looking at them. Thano had tried to catalog things about the people that made Romeo stiffen when they were in town, but he still hadn’t mastered the skill. Maybe he should bring Romeo to a meeting simply to see his reaction, but it wasn’t important right now.

“Are we ready to start?” He looked around the table once everyone was seated.

There was a murmur, and Mabel brought out a notepad. It always surprised Thano when she did. Pens and papers were forbidden, but she had some, and she did nothing to hide them. It was something about her being the secretary and therefore having the right to make notes for the sake of the settlement, but where did she get them? If one human could get them, surely the rest could too.

“Last week, we discussed having the people from Fisherman’s Lake pay a fee to moor at the dock.” She tapped her pen.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Charles glanced at Thano only to quickly look away.

“We need the money.” Mabel stopped tapping.

“We also need to eat.”

“With a better economy, we can make Last Hope better. If the city core is in better shape, people might want to come here—”

And off they went. Thano tuned them out and looked out the window. Why humans couldn’t trade favors like normal individuals, he didn’t know. He could see the lake between two buildings. He’d only been to Fisherman’s Lake a few times, and it had been many years ago. It wasn’t big. A few farms and a cluster of smaller houses near the lakeside. Thano believed about fifty people were living there.

“Let’s vote.” Mabel’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Thano caught Raven’s gaze, and she gave him a barely-there shake of her head. What had he missed?

“Vote about what?”

Mabel huffed. “The toll.”

“What would the consequences be?”

Charles nodded and gestured at Thano only to then pale as if Thano would bite his hand. “Exactly. Consequences.”

“We’ve discussed it—”

Thano cut Mabel off. “Who would be affected by this?”

“Everyone!” Charles curled his hands into fists. “Since a great portion of our food comes from Fisherman’s Lake, Eli would have to pay more to get it into his shop—”

“No, they’re paying the toll, not Eli.” Mabel sounded angry now.

“Don’t be naive. They have to live just as much as we do. If they need to pay a toll, they’ll raise their prices so the profit is the same, then Eli has to raise the prices so his profit is the same, and then we have to pay more for food. Unless they take their products somewhere else altogether. Then we’ll starve.”

Thano nodded. It sounded logical. He might not know a lot about the human system, but if the people of Fisherman’s Lake could make more of a profit by selling their products elsewhere, then it made sense for them to do so. “Has anyone asked Eli?”

“Asked Eli what?” George was annoyed.

“What it would mean for the shop if there was a toll for everyone coming over the lake? What would it mean for his business?”

“He’ll adjust.”

Adjust. Was it a matter of adjusting? He looked at Tuur, Fala, Conal, and Raven. “I don’t think this is something that will affect us. If they starve to death, nothing will change for us.”

Mabel all but snarled, but Thano ignored her and focused on Conal. He was usually the one who could predict the humans’ behavior the best. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re right. It won’t affect The Moonlight Ranch unless Eli starves to death. Then Ciar and Draven will be… displeased.”

“No one will starve! It’s to get more money to Last Hope. The board gets the money, and we’ll invest it in… the sheriff’s office or something. We still don’t have a sheriff. It’s been ten months, and we don’t have anyone making sure the law is followed.” Mabel’s cheeks were flushed. Maybe Thano should help her get rid of some blood. He was hungry.

There was money in the budget for a sheriff already. Thano had hoped Emeric would take the position, and there was a glimmer of interest in his eyes every time he mentioned it, but he always declined.

“Talking about the sheriff.” Theodore cleared his throat and looked around the table. “I have a suggestion for the position.”

Mabel visibly brightened. “You do?”

“An acquaintance of mine, Jack Ambrose, is in town looking for a job. He worked law enforcement in New Town for many years.”

Thano didn’t want a human sheriff, but since no one had asked for the position, it might be a good idea to hire someone. They could always eat him if he misbehaved.

A few days ago, A Vampire Named Otta was released 🥳 

It’s a short story about Zephan, who can turn invisible at will, and Otto, who is a vampire. Zephan finds himself in a spot of trouble. He’s been kidnapped by werewolves, but since he can turn invisible, he escapes pretty easily. He can’t mask his scent, though, so they track him.  

To get away, he runs, but wolves are fast. He finds a house and thinks he’s saved. Turns out the grumpy vamp who lives there is more concerned about his lawn than he is Zephan’s wellbeing. Naturally, Zephan does his best to bribe him. 

This is a short story, so if you’re in the mood for a quick and easy read, check it out. It celebrates Keep Off the Grass Day. 

A Vampire Named Otto

Zephan Amon is a psychic on the run. He comes from a powerful family famous for their wealth, but he cut ties with them over a decade ago. He’s not nearly as powerful as they are, and they want him to either hide his existence or change his name, so he doesn’t sully their reputation.    

Zephan refuses, and he’s been perfectly happy living as a human far away from his family, but a series of events have left him jobless and homeless. He’s about to work up the courage to ask his sister for help when he’s kidnapped by werewolves.   

A stroke of luck allows him to escape, but he runs straight into a vampire’s garden. The vampire is far more concerned about Zephan trampling on his lawn than he is about kidnappings and werewolves. He demands Zephan pay a toll of blood for the state of his poor, abused grass. A few swallows of blood can’t be worse than being recaptured by werewolves, can it?  

Buy links:

Paranormal gay romance: 12,815 words

JMS Books :: Amazon

Chapter 1

Zephan Amon ran. He ran between trees, jumped over creeks, and hid behind boulders. He didn’t know how he’d ended up in the situation he had. He’d been in Ulledo—less than half an hour’s drive from Bridget’s quaint house in Foolshope.

He’d stopped for some Dutch courage. Begging the sister you hadn’t seen or spoken to for seven years to take you in wasn’t something Zephan had ever imagined himself doing. Better his sister than his parents though, which was why he was there.

His parents lived in Silvermoor, a psychic community where they were, if possible, more stuck up than they were in Foolshope. Or, he believed his parents still lived in Silvermoor. He hadn’t spoken to them for over fifteen years.

He was an invisible in a family of fire gods. They weren’t gods, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way they acted.

Anyway, Zephan had lost his job, had been unable to get a new one, and was therefore unable to pay his rent. The only way out of homelessness he could come up with was if Bridget agreed to let him stay with her for a bit.

He’d packed everything he could fit into his car, got rid of the rest of his belongings, and steered toward Foolshope.

The closer he got, the more nervous he’d grown.

When he’d been shaking and close to throwing up, he’d stopped in Ulledo to have a drink. Worst case scenario, he could sleep in his old Toyota and go to Bridget the day after. April was chilly, but he was sure he would survive a night in the wild.

It was not what had happened.

He had no idea where his car was or if any of his things remained in it. He had the key, which had to count for something, right? Or not. If there was no car, he had no use for the key.

A howl cut through the dusk, and Zephan pushed himself to run faster. He didn’t stand a chance against shifters. They were faster, stronger, and way more deadly than he was.

Another howl split the air, but this came from another direction, and while Zephan was no expert on shifter sounds, he believed it sounded differently.

Everything stilled. For a second, Zephan did too. Were they watching him? He looked around, but he saw nothing. He erected his shield, the bubble that made him invisible to anyone who looked in his direction.

It was a pretty useless skill since it didn’t hide scent, and should someone touch him, they were able to feel him.

As a child, he’d wondered if he’d been adopted since everyone else in his family were fire gods, but nope. He looked like a younger version of his father, so there would be no long-lost parents coming to save him from being the dynasty’s embarrassment.

He ran with his shield up. It wouldn’t help when chased by monsters who had an excellent sense of smell, but it was the best he could do.

He was so close now. Foolshope had to be around here somewhere. He only had to find some houses, and he was sure he’d be able to find Bridget’s house. Maybe. Hopefully. He’d only been there once right after she’d moved in close to ten years ago. It was when he’d still been in contact with her before she tried to get him to move back to Silvermoor, so he wouldn’t soil the family name.

In Silvermoor, they could keep him unseen. No one needed to know he existed there. They could hide him away. Deny he’d ever been born.

These thoughts made his hopelessness well up. She wouldn’t take him in. And if she did, it would come at a price he wasn’t sure he was willing to pay.

All he wanted was to be free and live a normal, human life. His skill was useless. It didn’t earn him any respect or money. Most people didn’t know he wasn’t human, and it was how he liked it.

He didn’t give a damn about psychics and their leading families, he didn’t care about names, or who should continue the lineage with whom. He would never have children, not children he fathered at least. He wasn’t opposed to having kids if he met the right man to raise them with, but there would be no wife, no arranged marriage, and no planned breeding.

No one wanted him anyway.

He was a disgrace to the Amon family, which was the main reason he’d refused to change his last name when they’d suggested it. It had been his and Bridge’s last argument, the one where he’d cut all contact. If he refused to go back to Silvermoor and hide from the world, she—and he was sure their parents were whispering in her ear—demanded he change his name, so there was no visible connection to them.

Fat chance! He hoped he’d meet a guy one day who wanted to marry him and take his name.

He would make sure the news reached Silvermoor.

The air was knocked out of him as he tripped over a branch and landed on the damp ground with a thud. Damn.

Looking around, he could see no wolves. It didn’t mean they weren’t there. The beasts, giant as they were, were experts at melting into the shadows.

He wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in their care. He’d gone into a seedy bar, ordered a beer and a shot, and it was the last thing he remembered before waking up in a dank basement. Maybe they knew who he was. Maybe they believed his parents would pay a ransom. The Amon family was known for their wealth, but they’d picked the wrong Amon. No one would pay for him.

Eaten by wolves was a neat way to make someone disappear, but he couldn’t see his mother hiring a wolf to take him out. Maybe. He’d underestimated her before.

He wasn’t sure werewolves ate psychics, though. There were stories, of course, but he found them hard to believe.

Getting to his feet, he took off running again.

A snarl sounded a little too close to comfort, and it was followed by a loud whine. Were they fighting? Zephan ran in the opposite direction.

He ran and ran and ran. His lungs burned, and he tasted blood at the back of his throat.

The trees grew sparser and hope woke in his chest. He’d seen a sign hours ago pointing toward Foolshope. He hadn’t dared stay on the road where he was easily visible, so he’d dipped into the forest, but he had to be in Foolshope now.

He tumbled out between the tall beech trees and almost crashed into a white picket fence. He dropped his shield in surprise.

In front of him was the cutest little square whitewashed brick house he’d seen outside a fairy tale.

Another snarl came from in the forest, and he rushed toward the gate.

“Keep off my lawn!”

Zephan ground to a halt. On the doorstep was a huge man, tall and broad, and fangs dented his lower lip. Holy shit, was he a vampire? Zephan had never met one. They were rare, myths almost.

“I need help.”

The door was open behind the man, but it didn’t look as if he would step aside to invite Zephan inside.

“Get off the grass!”

Zephan looked at his feet. He was on the gravel walkway, not on any grass, and this time of year, there wasn’t much grass to speak of anyway. It was coming, the spring green was about to take over.

“Please. I was kidnapped, and then I—”

“Get off my property!”

A branch snapped behind him, and Zephan cursed. He erected his invisibility shield and waited. When the man on the doorstep didn’t say anything and didn’t move, he carefully stepped to the side, and swung his leg over the picket fence, praying he wouldn’t impale himself as he tried to find traction on the bottom rail. He was too short to reach the lawn without castrating himself, and it wasn’t something he wanted to try when he had to be quiet—or any time, if he was being honest.

His damp sneaker slipped a few times, and he winced at the dirty smear he left on the white fence, but finally he managed to get over it. Walking a few steps, he grimaced as his feet left indents on the muddy grass.

He stopped and did his best not to breathe as he waited.

It didn’t take many seconds before three massive men scrambled out of the woods. Claws adorned their fingers, and there was a wild look in their amber eyes. Zephan shuddered.

“Get off my lawn!”

He looked back at the vampire. Was he talking to him?

“We’re looking for a guy—” One of the wolves held out a hand indicating a small person, and Zephan almost snorted. He might not be related to giants as the shifters appeared to be, but he wasn’t small. He was average. Average all over. “—lean, dark hair, flamethrower.”

The last bit had Zephan widen his eyes. He had no fire skills, none.

“Leave my property!” The vampire was glaring at them.

“Have you seen him?”

The vampire didn’t answer.

“Have you? We won’t bother you if you tell us where he went.”

Shit. Zephan took a step closer to the house. He didn’t think the vampire would protect him, but he believed he was safer near him. Or not. What did vampires eat? Did they eat psychics?

Most likely.

A low growl making the hairs stand on end sounded from behind Zephan, and he whirled around. Another huge man neared the picket fence from a different direction. It wasn’t someone Zephan had seen before, but he had no idea how many individuals there were in a pack, so maybe he was part of the gang that chased him.

There was an air of dominance around him, and he dipped his head in a short greeting to the vampire on the doorstep. “Sorry for the disturbance, Otto.”

Otto? A vampire named Otto.

“They’re trespassing.” Otto’s fangs were on full display, and Zephan shivered. They looked sharp.

“They sure are.” The new wolf flashed teeth at the three lingering by the gate. “What are you doing here?”

The one who’d spoken to Otto sneered. “None of your business.”

“You’re on my land, so it’s my business.”

“It’s my land.” Otto walked down the two steps and stood on the walkway. Zephan’s gaze jumped between him and the open door. Could he? Would Otto kill him if he tried?

“True, but surrounding your land is our land, and they’ve entered it without permission.”

Zephan ignored what they were saying—though a part of him realized he’d run across shifter country without permission too—and crept closer to the house. He took one slow step after the other, making sure his invisibility shield stayed in place. When he neared Otto, he held his breath.

Could he do this?

“Have them removed.” Otto’s voice made him jump. Fuck. Zephan chanced a glance over his shoulder. The man was grinning.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of them.”

“It doesn’t make us even, Averett.”

The man, presumably Averett, sighed loudly. “It was years ago!”

“You wrecked my zinnias.”

Averett threw his hands in the air. “Fine. I’ll get you new zinnias.”

“I have zinnias.”

Motion caught Zephan’s attention. One of the wolves who’d chased him was slowly edging away from the fence and toward the forest. If Zephan’s life hadn’t depended on being invisible, he’d have dropped his shield to point it out to the idiots fighting over zinnias, but he stepped forward instead.

If the wolf could take advantage of Otto and Averett being caught up in some old grievance, then so could he.

He slipped past Otto and walked up the two steps to the landing.

“Remove your shoes.”

Zephan jumped.

“What? You want me to remove my shoes?” Averett sounded confused.

“No. I want the ghost to remove his shoes. I don’t want footprints on my floors.”

Shit. Zephan sighed as low as he could, hoping the wolves wouldn’t be able to hear him.

Silence followed for a second or two, then Averett made a sound of disbelief. “Whatever, dude. I’ll take these clowns with me now.”

“Good.” Otto went up one step, and Zephan hurried forward. He toed off his wet sneakers, but since his socks were wet too, he feared he’d leave footprints anyway.

He scurried into the house and leaned against the wall, hoping Otto wouldn’t walk into him.

* * * *

The door closed, and Zephan slowly let out a breath. He didn’t remove the invisibility shield.

“You can stay for ten minutes, then you have to leave.” Otto looked in his direction but not directly at him.

Zephan dropped the shield. “But your land is surrounded by wolf land. I’ll be trespassing.”

Otto’s gaze slid over him. He was sure he looked terrible. Dirty and tousled, and starving. Though he most likely didn’t look like he was starving, but he hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and he was starving.

“You are trespassing, and I think you should pay.”

“Pay?” Zephan huffed. “Pay for what?”

“A toll. For walking on my lawn.”

Zephan studied his face to see if he was serious. He looked serious. The fangs were no longer on display, but there was no warmth in his eyes, no sign of a smile, and he looked haggard. Not ill, but not well either.

“Lawns are made for walking on.”

“Not my lawn. And since it’s mine, I get to decide.”

Rolling his eyes, Zephan rubbed his neck. “I don’t have any money, so I can’t pay you.”

“I have money, I don’t want yours.”

A shiver worked its way up Zephan’s spine to his neck where it lingered. “What do you want then?” He quickly held up a hand. “I’m not saying I agree!”

“You don’t get a say.”

“My body, my choice.” He was tired of not having a say. The last twenty-four hours had not been fun.

“I’m hungry.” Otto looked straight into his eyes.

“I’m hungry too, but it doesn’t give me the right to demand things of you.”

“One bite, and you’re off the hook for the dented lawn and the trespassing on my land.”

Zephan’s mouth dropped open. “One bite? One bite of what?”

“One bite of you, and your debt is paid.”

“Hell no!” Did vampires drain their victims? “I’ll pay you. I only need to find Foolshope and talk to my sister.” Bridget would never pay to save him from a vampire bite, and he had no idea where his wallet or phone had gone. Fucking wolves. “Then I have to find my car in Ulledo. I’m sure there is something I can sell to get you the money.”

“I already have money. What I don’t have is fresh blood.”

“Three swallows!” It wouldn’t kill him, right? Three mouthfuls of blood weren’t too bad.

A sharp smile took over Otto’s face for one second and was gone the next. “Three swallows? You think you can stop me after three?”

Fear shot through him. Had he been a fire god, he could’ve burned him, but an invisibility shield wouldn’t help much when Otto was holding onto him.

“I trust you not to violate our agreement.” He straightened his back and gave Otto a harsh look. “I’m Zephan Amon.”

There was no recognition in Otto’s gaze. “I’m Otto Jones, but I’m not sure what our names have to do with my meal.”

“Jones? A vampire named Otto Jones?”

“Jones is a perfectly normal name.”

“Exactly!” Zephan threw his hands in the air. “Shouldn’t you be called Laveau or something?”

“I should be named after a New Orleans voodoo queen?”

Zephan shrugged. He’d been sure she’d had something to do with vampires, but maybe he was wrong.

“Okay, so three swallows.” He held out his arm, offering his wrist.

Otto’s eyebrows traveled his forehead in an almost comical way. “You want me to bite your arm?”

“I was thinking wrist.” He pushed up the sleeve a fraction. It was how they did it in the books, wasn’t it?

Otto grimaced. “The wrist is pretty painful.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not letting you near my throat.” His heart sped up. “Wait!” He pulled his arm back despite Otto not having moved so much as an inch. “How painful?”

Otto shrugged.

“What does that mean?” And he’d agreed pretty readily, hadn’t he? Maybe three swallows were grossly overpriced for trespassing and lawn-walking. “How much do you normally charge someone for stepping on your lawn?”

For a second, Zephan believed Otto would laugh, but it had to have been an illusion.

“I don’t allow people to step on my lawn.”

“What about the guy with the zinnias?”

“Averett. We have an understanding.”

“Hmm. What do you normally pay for blood?”

Otto scoffed but didn’t reply.

“How often do you drink blood?” Did vampires have to drink every day?

“About once a month, every third week if I’m stressed.”

Once a month? “You don’t need to feed more often?” He’d believed they needed to feed more often, but he was no expert on vampires.

“Most vampires feed once a week, but I don’t like people, so I postpone.”

Zephan mock gasped. “You don’t like people? I never would’ve guessed. You’re so friendly.” But if his blood would keep Otto going for three weeks, surely, he could get more out of this deal. “Since I’ll feed you—”

“Three swallows.”

“Yes, three swallows.” How much did he normally drink? “But since I’ll be feeding you, I think it’s more than right that you feed me too.” Did vampires eat solid food? They had to, right?

“I should feed you and allow you to trample on my grass?”

“Yes.” Zephan gave a curt nod.

“Okay. I’ll bite you, take three swallows, then I’ll feed you something.”

“Deal.” He held out his arm again.

“Come. Sit in the kitchen.” Otto walked through the doorway to his right, and Zephan followed while trying to get his heart to calm down. How bad could it be? It couldn’t be as bad as being kidnapped by werewolves, right? Shit, he couldn’t go out there again. He’d either run into the pack who owned the land or the pack who was chasing him.

“Sit.” Otto pulled out a chair, and Zephan made a quick scan of the kitchen—small but cute, with rustic wood and a gray brick wall behind the stove.

Zephan sat on the chair and Otto, despite his size, gracefully sank to his knees in front of him.

“Okay, three swallows.” Otto looked up to meet Zephan’s gaze.

“Can vampires eat psychics?”

A smile. It wasn’t big, but damn.

“Maybe I’m poisonous.”

“I doubt it.” Otto gently cradled his right hand in his bigger one and pushed up the sleeve of Zephan’s shirt to his elbow. There was a bruise around his wrist he hadn’t known he’d had. Otto stared at it for a second too long, a small frown settling between his brows. Then he lowered his head.

“Wait!”

Otto froze and looked up at him.

“How much pain are we talking?”

“Scared?”

“Hell yeah!” His heart was trying to escape his ribcage and ice was filling his belly.

“Close your eyes and think of flowers.”

“Flowers? Why flowers?”

Otto gave an impatient huff and tightened his hold on his hand a fraction. “Think about whatever calms you down. I like flowers. If you like… chocolate, then think of chocolate.”

“Flowers.”

Otto pressed his lips together but his mouth looked a little weird. Fangs. “It was an example. Think about whatever you want. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath.”

“Have you ever had a psychic before?”

Otto met his gaze again. His eyes were beautiful, a mix of gray and brown, too light for his tan skin and dark hair.

“Ready?”

“You didn’t answer.”

“No, I’ve never bitten a psychic before, I always pick humans, but you’re not poisonous. Vampires can feed from all species apart from other vampires.”

“Animals?”

“No, all humanoid species.”

“So if aliens invade—”

“Take a deep breath and close your eyes.”

Zephan did as told. “But if aliens were to—” His words cut off with a hiss. There was a stinging pain on the inside of his arm, close to the elbow. He jerked and looked down at Otto.

His eyes were closed, his lips sealed over his skin, and there was a blissful, almost euphoric look on his face. For a moment Zephan was stunned, then Otto met his gaze and sucked in a shuddering breath. This was hot in some weird, messed-up way.

The pain was almost gone, and when Otto swallowed, heat rushed through Zephan and settled in his groin. Oh, hell no, he would not get hard from having some weirdo suck on his arm.

Otto swallowed again, and Zephan had a silly notion of reaching out and touching his hair. He squirmed on the chair, trying to rid his head of all stupid thoughts.

Otto was a stranger, not a lover he should caress.

A small sound escaped Otto. It resembled a moan, but it couldn’t be, could it? Sucking on someone’s arm wasn’t moan-worthy.

Otto being on his knees making sexy sounds messed with Zephan’s mind. When he swallowed for the third time, Zephan let out a breath. “There.” His voice sounded shaky.

Otto closed his eyes, and Zephan had to bite back a groan when his tongue swept over the skin on his arm. He lifted his mouth off him and licked over the punctures. He did it again and again, and Zephan moved in his seat. This was weird. And hot. And bizarre. And… fuck.

He cleared his throat and pulled at his arm. Otto let him go and rose to his feet, graceful as a cat.

The wound was gone. There were two red dots where he assumed the fangs had gone in, but it was the only sign. How the hell had he done that?

“If you fall down dead now, I won’t try to resurrect you.” Zephan’s voice had dropped, and he sounded huskier than he’d meant to.

“Don’t worry, little witch.” Otto winked at him and opened the refrigerator. “What are you in the mood for? I was gonna make honey garlic chicken with potato wedges. You okay with that? No allergies?”

Zephan couldn’t find his voice. Otto was… lighter. He was pretty sure he wasn’t, but he moved with ease, almost floating.

“Chicken is fine. I’d eat roadkill at this point.”

“Classy.” Otto pulled things out of the refrigerator. “If you want, you can rest for a bit. This will take some time.”

“Rest?”

“There is a couch in the living room, it’s pretty comfy. There are no sheets in the guest room, but I could grab some if you want a bed.”

Zephan frowned at his back. What happened to the ten minutes he was allowed to stay? Though, since the deal was dinner now, he guessed the time had been prolonged. He hadn’t expected to be offered the guest room though.

“Couch is fine.” And he was tired. So tired. “How much did you drink?”

“Three swallows. It was the deal.”

“How much do you normally drink?”

Otto looked at him over his shoulder, a knife in his hand and an onion on a cutting board. Damn, when had he gotten them? “About three swallows.” He grinned, the tip of a fang peeking out from underneath his upper lip.

“So I gave you a month’s worth of food?”

Shrugging, he cut the onion in half. “It feels like your blood is more potent than a human’s.”

“So more than a month?”

“Most vampires feed once a week.”

“Right, but still. I gave you more than—” He gestured at the stove. “—one chicken dinner.”

“You paid for trespassing and ruining my lawn.”

“I didn’t ruin your lawn, idiot! Lawns are made for walking.”

“No, that’s boots.”

Zephan gaped at him. “What?”

“These boots are made for walking…” He hummed a tune, and Zephan sighed.

“I think you should add breakfast to the deal.”

Slowly, Otto turned around. “Excuse me?”

“Breakfast, and a night in your guest room. You didn’t know how potent my blood was, it’s only fair you reevaluate and sweeten the deal.”

“Sweeten the deal?”

“Yup.” Please. Please. Please. Zephan would trade breakfast tomorrow for another feeding without blinking. The bite had hurt initially, but it hadn’t been too bad, and now he couldn’t feel it at all. “Breakfast in bed.”

“Not in bed. Only heathens eat in bed.”

Zephan chuckled. “Heathens do?”

“Those and idiots. Sane people don’t want crumbs in their beds.”

“Fine. Breakfast in the kitchen then.” Zephan gestured around the room.

“Fine, breakfast in the kitchen.”

“Really?” Zephan hadn’t meant to speak so loudly, but hope had given the word a boost.

Otto frowned at him. “One night. And you’re not allowed to be annoying.”

“What counts as annoying?”

“What you’re doing now. Go stretch out on the couch and allow me to do this in peace.”

Zephan nodded. “Would a shower be too much to ask?”

Otto sighed. “There are clean towels on the shelf right inside the bathroom door.”

“Thank you.” Zephan hurried out of the kitchen. He wasn’t sure where the bathroom was, but it was a small house, so he’d find it.