Bad Vampire by Lauren Dawes (read aloud books txt) 📕

a nod. “That is true. Although, I’m not sure your necklace would’ve worked.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve noticed it glows sometimes.”

I wrapped my hand around it protectively. I’d been told by my father never to take it off, that it would protect me as long as I was wearing it. “What’s the theory?”

“I think it’s been bespelled already.” I digested his words, nodding to indicate he should go on. “Every time there’s a supernatural around using their gifts, it glows. I noticed it when you were in Wonderland fighting Baba Yaga. Did it also happen in the coffee shop?”

I tried to piece it all together in my head, getting the timeline straight. “That was the first time it flared to life. Before that, I guess I never came into contact with anything supernatural…” I clutched at the stone a little more tightly, choosing to omit all the truth about all the other times it had glowed in warning after that. Had it really been bespelled? There was only one person I could think to ask, and that was Mrs. Brown. The only problem was, I had no idea where to find her. I frowned. I also couldn’t remember what she looked like.

Sawyer stood up and stretched, the bottom of his sweater riding up with the movement. Unashamedly, I stared at the strip of skin he flashed. When he caught me staring, he gave me a lazy grin, then kissed me on the top of my head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, pussy cat. Get some rest.”

Fifteen

The next day was uneventful. All I did was go through voice clips and write reports. I had a sneaking suspicion Sawyer was taking it easy on me. I was good with that. My arm still throbbed from where the witch had taken her blood, and I wasn’t sure my nerves could handle being on the back of Sawyer’s bike again so soon.

I’d planned on getting a new truck over the weekend.

If the damn thing ever got here.

“Does time move differently in this department?” I asked Sawyer as he busied himself with something I couldn’t see.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how is it only Thursday? I feel like I’ve been working here a year already.”

Across the room, Faline laughed. She’d returned to her desk after being out in the field for most of the day. “You think we have our own measurement of time? Our own supernatural Gregorian calendar?” It wasn’t my most outlandish idea. She got up from her chair and sauntered over to me, her hips moving with serpentine grace.

“What are you doing tonight?”

I glanced over at Sawyer, who kept his eyes on his work, but tilted his head a little to the side to show he was listening. “Why?”

I had planned on seeing my therapist. After Sawyer had left last night, I’d kind of reached my breaking point. There was only so much supernatural horseshit I could shovel at a time, and my cart was full.

“It’s my birthday. We’re,” she gestured to the whole room, “going out tonight to celebrate. I would like to you come.”

I narrowed my eyes, asking, “Why?” again.

Faline perched on the edge of my desk and stared at me. “Because I like you, and I think we’re friends?”

“What constitutes being a friend with a succubus?”

Pressing her abnormally long tongue between her teeth, she tapped her chin with a long-fingered nail in thought. “Being cool with me feeding off sexual energy while in my presence. Being okay with the fangs.” She pointed at the dental hardware. “Being okay with what I am, and what my nature is.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but then shut it. She was right. I was okay with all those things. When had that happened? I looked back over at Sawyer to find him actively listening now.

“Are you going?”

He shrugged, which could’ve meant yes or no.

“Sawyer can even pick you up if you want,” Faline kindly offered, blowing my partner a kiss.

He growled but didn’t deny it.

“Where are you going?”

“Slayke. Have you heard of it?”

“The supe club?”

“It’s actually a supernatural sex club,” Brax added helpfully from behind his desk.

I turned in his direction. “Are you going?”

He shook his head. “Nah. My mate would kill me if I left her alone all night with four kids and a newborn.”

“You have kids?”

His responding grin practically lit up the room. “I do. Drae and I had another baby girl just over a month ago. We named her Willow.”

Okay, so my heart went a little mushy with that declaration. I turned back to Faline. “Okay. What should I wear?”

“Something that’ll bring all the boys to the yard,” she purred. “Maybe you should come and get ready at my place.”

“Gah. No. I am perfectly capable of choosing my own clothes.”

The succubus pouted. “But it’s my birthday, and you haven’t gotten me anything.”

“I’ve just given you airtime,” I shot back, then sighed. “Fine. But this is it. No more freebies from Cat. Oh! And no leather, whips, chains, gimp masks, ball gags, or pink.”

She threw her hands up into the air. “Well there goes my idea to put you in a cute pink pant suit ala Legally Blonde.”

“That’s not funny.” Beside me, Sawyer chuckled. “Traitor,” I muttered.

Faline patted the top of my head before she walked away. “You can come home with me.”

“I’m already shaking in my boots,” I said to myself as I got back to work.

Faline’s apartment was not what I was expecting. In fact, I didn’t know what I was expecting, but an open-planned, light-filled, and Hampton’s style decor was not it.

“Don’t you have any demon-y things?” I walked around the room, touching the shells and vintage nautical paraphernalia dotted around the walls. The rug beneath my bare feet felt expensive…and freaking amazing.

“Define demon-y things.” Faline was in the galley kitchen, pulling some wine from the fridge. “Like torture devices?”

“Maybe.” I spun to face her. “Or, I don’t know… brimstone?”

She scrunched up her delicate nose. “Brimstone is disgusting. It stains the rugs, and that smell? Can’t get