Ordinary Vamp

Ordinary Vamp Copyright © March 2007, A.J. Cove Cover art by Yvette A. Lynn © March 2007 Amira Press Baltimore, MD 21216 www.amirapress.com No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Amira Press. “Jessie! Jessie, wait up. I’ll ride up with you,” Kevin called as he attempted to guide his bike around co-workers chatting in the lobby. From the dark looks cast his way, he knew he wasn’t very successful in avoiding their toes. But he couldn’t pause for the niceties. He needed to catch her. He reached the elevator in time for the doors to slide neatly closed, the rigid, intolerant expression on Jessie’s face in place as it always was. He shrugged, twisting slightly to press the up button. He wasn’t fazed. If he had to face Jessie’s cold shoulder, so be it. No censure was too much if it meant he had a chance of making the woman he loved his own. And he’d get her if it was the last thing he did. “Kevin!” He stiffened, then swung on his heels to face his boss. Would he get another lecture about scuffing the polished floors with his tires?

Sam Jacobs, his suit jacket tugging against the lone button holding it closed, bore down on Kevin with determination in his eyes. Great, he grunted silently. Here it comes. “Kevin, I have someone I want you to meet.” A meaty hand pounded his shoulder, sending shocks of pain jarring through his body. “This is Lloyd, the new guy. Show him around. Get him acclimated.” Seconds later, Sam was gone. Get him acclimated? That was it? What the hell was he supposed to get him acclimated to? What was his job? What unit did he belong to? Kevin sighed and stuck out a sweaty palm. “Hey.” Lloyd seemed cool--moussed hair, stylish clothes. He wore a suit and tie for his first day on the job. Kevin glanced down at his own attire of a wrinkled collared shirt and slacks that showed the sheen of being hand ironed one too many times. He still had the rubber bands around his ankles, knowing the wrinkles there wouldn’t fall out before the end of the work day. It couldn’t be helped. His new co-worker offered a friendly smile in return. It was rare for him. “Hi, Kevin. I’m Lloyd Gunther. I’m your new bunk mate.” “Sweet! So you took the dreaded collections job. That’s so awesome. I know we’re going to be good friends.” The elevator doors slid open and Kevin stepped in dragging his new buddy with him. “I have your cube all ready for you, right by me.” On his own floor, Kevin breathed in the scent of tension, the essence of why he liked to come to work every day. His entire floor was nothing but customer service reps for a small printer manufacturer. They weaved through low walled cubes and lethargic bodies hanging in the aisles, attempting to avoid getting back on the phones. As much as every one of them hated their jobs, Kevin loved it. Talking to customers needing help in installing their equipment or having technical issues with the software, was the best that life could get. Well, aside from scoring with his love. With Lloyd in tow, he finally reached his destination. The gaudy orange and yellow sign blaring ‘I live for tech support’ pasted in several places around his cube had earned him resentment from more than one of his co-workers, but he wouldn’t give up on winning them over to seeing it his way. “Dude, this is us.” Kevin indicated the bare six and half feet of space next to him. “That’s you and this is me here. Park your stuff ‘cause I’m taking you around to meet the gang. You’ll love it here.” He ignored the doubtful look on Lloyd’s face as he propped his bike in the narrow aisle and headed toward the managers’ side of the floor. Lloyd stepped in behind him. “So, since Sam stuck me with you, I figure you’re the guy with ins and outs of these printers, huh? The nerd, as it were? No offense,” Lloyd blurted. Kevin laughed, “Me a nerd? No way. I don’t know a hard drive from a memory stick. I just flip through my screens and ask questions. They got us set up easy here. I mean I’ve learned a lot about the P1000 and the X200, but really it’s the manuals. No, there’s plenty of eggheads around here.” He stopped walking and walloped his new friend across the chest. “Like them.” Chills prickled his scalp and ran down his back as he watched the only two female managers in the tech support unit. He watched one in particular. Her long red hair--crinkly and full-bodied--needed only a breeze to lift it, giving her the appearance of strolling in from a fresh summer day. He couldn’t take his eyes away. “Hey, Jessie,” he called desperately. “So you want her, huh?” Lloyd spoke beside him. “Is it obvious? She’s so hot. You do see that, right?” Kevin started walking again. He felt Lloyd shrug more than saw him. “If you like the cold blue eyes, the arrogant nose and pursed lips look. Stick up her ass or something?”

Kevin guffawed, “No, dude. That’s Jessie. I mean Anna. She’s the one.” “What? But you were chasing after Jessie when I walked up with Sam. And you just called her again.” Kevin pitched his voice low as they neared the ladies, “That’s because the beautiful, serene Anna doesn’t know I’m alive. I figure if I can get Jessie to put in a good word for me, I’ll be all set.” “Oh.” The response was again doubtful. **** “Shit!” “What’s wrong, Jessica?” Anna asked, looking up. “It’s the pest.” Jessica rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her call reports. “Coming straight toward us. I wish he’d find a new hobby.” Anna glanced up, gentle green eyes dancing. “Who? Oh, Keith?” Jessica laughed, “Poor Kevin.” “I thought you said he was annoying. Now you feel sorry for him?” Anna’s brow wrinkled. Jessica nodded, “Well somewhat. You know he’s in love with you, Anna, and you can barely remember his name from one day to the next.” “Is it important?” Jessica laughed again. She knew her friend wasn’t deliberately being mean. Anna was all that was friendly and gentle. Jessica could see why the socially inept Kevin had fallen for the girl. But her friend had no idea of how many hearts she’d broken just by being clueless of a man’s affections for her. Kevin had been harboring such feelings for Anna for the last year and a half, and making Jessica’s life at work that much more complicated by thinking she would be his advocate in winning Anna’s attention. She sighed. It was so good to know it would all be over soon. Anna changed the subject, “Did you find a caterer?” A surge of excitement coursed through Jessica at the words, “Yes! I’m going with Antoine’s. Every last dish he gave me to sample was so delicious. I may have chosen him, but I can’t decide on what to serve or what cake I want.” Anna giggled, “You’re running out of time.” “I know. The wedding’s just four months away. Oh how I can’t wait. Did I tell you we’re going to Costa Rica on our honeymoon?” “Repeatedly,” Anna giggled. “Ladies!” Kevin rushed upon them with a flourish. “Let me introduce you to my new bud, Lloyd. Lloyd these lovely cauliflowers are Jessie and Anna.” Jessica stiffened, her gaze narrowing on Kevin, sweeping him from head to toe. He was still wearing the ridiculous rubber bands he used to keep his pants from catching in his bike chain, his shirt was wrinkled and his hair, as usual, looked uncombed and greasy. “Hello, Lloyd,” she turned to the other man, “I’m Jessica.” “Jessica.” Lloyd’s handshake was firm, his clothes modish. “I’m pleased to meet you. And Anna is it?”

Jessica was shocked to see her friend blush and take the offered hand shyly. What was this? The cloud-walker was aware of a man? Jessica turned back to Lloyd, studying him for any hint of why he would cause Anna to notice him. Her fellow manager was sweet and seemingly empty-headed because of her ethereal beauty, to those who didn’t know her well. But Jessica knew that looks were indeed just skin deep. Anna was a rarity in that she was a beautiful nerd. Her masters in computer science was not earned by her looks. Lloyd’s neat sandy brown hair, moderate looks and wiry frame were nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, Jessica thought he looked like a thinner copy of Kevin, except for the decent clothes and washed hair. The two men could be brothers, with similar height and coloring. What had caused Anna to blush and simper the way she was doing now? Jessica wrinkled her nose and moved to excuse herself. “Jessie!” How did she know that was coming? Anna was standing right there. Couldn’t he just try to get her attention on his own? Lloyd wasn’t doing too badly. Jessica watched the two quietly conversing as if they’d known each other their whole lives. She smiled. Was this love at first sight? Her vision was blocked, “Jessie, look, I have something special for Anna. I need your help to get her to meet me somewhere special tomorrow night and—“ She cut him off, “Have I helped you all this time you’ve been bugging me, Kevin? I don’t have time for you. I have important matters of my own to work out.” She stepped away from him, heading back to her office. “And I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to call me Jessie. I’ve made it clear too many times that I don’t like nicknames, especially not one for myself. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” He fell into step beside her, a difficult task in the narrow lane. “So tomorrow being the big V-day, I figure I’ll give her some chocolate and flowers, the usual. No!” He snapped his fingers. “Every guy does that stuff. Maybe she’d like something different. I’m thinking a fish.” Oh my God! How dense could this guy be? “Have a good day, Kevin.” She turned into her office and slammed the door behind her. ***** Kevin bent over the fish tank, staring inside at the tropical varieties available to purchase. It was a good idea, getting Anna a fish. He knew she had a giant tank at her home, filled with beautifully colored fish. The brilliant colors and the way she had stared at them with that usual serene expression in her eyes at the party she’d thrown last summer, was enough to convince him that his idea was a good one. He pointed out one to the clerk and straightened, grinning. He wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew full well that Jessie hated being called anything other than Jessica. Hell, she even made her fiancé call her that instead of endearments like honey or cuddlecakes. He chuckled. But Jessie looked like a Jessie, not a Jessica. She was stiff and always had herself in hand, with her thick raven hair pulled back away from her face and her silver eyes cut to slits of aggravation when he was anywhere near her. But he saw beneath all of that to the person she could be, that is if she weren’t head over heels with a stick in his butt lawyer type. He still couldn’t believe she was leaving the company to work with the guy in his practice after they were married. They had it all figured out—every detail. Then who would help him win Anna? He needed to push things along. Just one night. He knew that was all it would take for Anna to really see him for the good person he was. He’d make her happy. He’d never cheat and he wouldn’t hang out with the guys all the time. Wasn’t that what women wanted, a faithful and loving man? Well, tomorrow night would have to be it. He’d make his move, with or without Jessie’s help. Anna would finally be his. Wednesday dawned sunny and unseasonably warm. Kevin woke a full three minutes before his alarm clock sounded and bolted for the shower. After hastily washing, he brushed his teeth, dragged a comb through his hair and considered shaving.

He peered in the mirror to study his chin. Facial hair grew very slowly on him. He could probably skip another day or two before he was forced to do it. He nodded, his eyes drifting back toward his head. Another drag of the comb wouldn’t hurt. Ten minutes later, his mop of hair looked no better and he let it be. Besides, if one didn’t look too closely, he could have that tousled uncombed look women found so hot on men lately. He winked and turned back into his bedroom to dress. The baby blue shirt he’d chosen had an iron burn just over the left shoulder from his attempt to iron out the wrinkles and he made a mental note to avoid removing his jacket. “I look pretty good today, a little more dressy. That should please Anna.” Forty-five minutes later, he walked into the office. A jolt of anticipation flowed through him at the thought of seeing Anna’s face when he bypassed the stale gestures of affection for something fresh and new. Just as he lifted his hand to wrap on her office door, someone called to him from a few cubes away. “Oh she’s not in.” He turned, “What?” Stan ambled up to him, scratching his belly, “I said Anna’s not in today.” Kevin blinked. No, that wasn’t right. It couldn’t be true. This was his day to win her attention and love. “Um, maybe she’s coming in late.” Stand shook his head, to Kevin’s annoyance. “Nope. Called in. Said she was sick.” He rolled his eyes and wagged his head. “Rumor has it she’s,” he made symbols of quotes in the air with his first two fingers, “sick with the new guy.” A ringing sounded in Kevin’s ears, clouding his hearing. He must have missed what Stan had just said. He didn’t say new guy. He said…what? “Huh?” Stan was only too pleased, being the self-professed male gossip of tech support, “I said, rumor has it that Anna and the new guy hooked up faster than horny monkeys. He’s not in today either—his second day on the job—and neither is Anna.” “That doesn’t prove anything.” Kevin was well aware that his voice had gone up a few too many octaves. He cleared his throat. “It’s just a coincidence.” Stan shrugged and turned to stroll away, probably to destroy someone else’s day, Kevin thought dejectedly. Before he could make it to his cube, all but forgetting the fish sloshing water on his pressed shirt, Sam found him. “Kevin!” He braced himself for the pounding on the back. “Look, I know you’re a team player, right?” Sam bellowed. Kevin remained silent. “Good. Well I need you to work a double today, take Lloyd’s place. He’s out sick. Kind of inconvenient, but what can ya do? Thanks, buddy.” He was gone before Kevin could protest and he dropped into his chair. He placed the fish on the desk and buried his head in his arms. Nothing. Absolutely nothing had deterred him in his quest in the last year or more—not Anna’s ignorance of his existence, not Jessie’s intolerance, not even that Italian guy she’d picked up in Maui during a company conference a few months ago. He had never once considered that she woudn’t eventually come to him. Now some guy, who even he could see, looked so much like him they could be twins, came along and swept her off her feet. He was probably sharing her bed right now. But why? What did Lloyd have that he didn’t have? Stylish clothes? Hair that laid

where his comb commanded it to? Damn it, this wasn’t fair! Damn it all! ***** Jessica searched her pockets for her car keys as she toggled her cell from her left ear to her right, “No, Cam, it’s not a problem. I know how important your work is to you.” She paused to listen. “Listen, I had to work late too. It’s not a big deal. I grabbed a quick drink and now I’m headed back to my car. I’ll call you tomorrow. Yes, I will. Bye.” She smiled and tapped the release for the alarm, reaching for the car handle. That feeling of happiness stole over her. Her life could not be more satisfying than it was right now. She was marrying the man of her dreams and in three and a half years, she’d be pregnant with his baby. They’d have two, a boy and a girl and she’d hire a nanny to help with the kids while she continued helping to build Cam’s practice. She slid inside her car, laughing. So, they’d planned every detail. It was not unheard of. Better to be prepared then be caught unaware. She yawned, noting it was twelve minutes to midnight and lifted a hand to adjust her rearview mirror. It was flipped toward the ceiling and she wondered briefly when she’d hit her head on it, which was usually the case when it was misaligned. As the rear window came into view, so did a man’s head and Jessica screamed. Her hands instantly trembling, she fumbled to get the door open to escape her would be attacker. A hand came down on her shoulder and pulled her backward toward the seat with such force, it knocked the wind out of her. She sat for some minutes gasping for air. A hoarse voice sounded next to her as wet lips pressed against her ear. She recoiled in disgust, trying again to escape. “Jessica, wait. Please.” She stopped and turned to face him in the dim light, “Wh-who are you?” “Kevin.” She swallowed hard and reached for the overhead light. He stopped her, the same sticky substance she’d felt on his lips was on his hands. “Don’t turn on the light,” he whispered. “I don’t want you to be afraid.” Now she was angry. His voice returning to normalcy let her know it really was Kevin. He’d gone too far this time, breaking in her car and scaring her. “Look Kevin, this obsession you have with Anna has got to stop. Breaking in my car is against the law and let me tell you, I fully intend to report it to the authorities. I will not help a criminal get a date with my friend.” His low chuckle was bitter. “Don’t worry. I’m not chasing after her any more.” She shrunk away, “I’m engaged.” “Don’t flatter yourself.” Her eyes widened. This was not the Kevin she knew. Something was definitely wrong. “What’s going on? What are you doing here? How did you get in without setting off the alarm?” He sighed and sat back against the seat. “I’d love to know that myself.” She waited for him to continue. “I thought this day would be the best day of my life. I finally had the courage to approach Anna on my own. I thought I had the perfect gift that she couldn’t help but notice.” She sneered, “The fish?”

“May I continue?” She held up a hand, indicating consent. “I found out Anna may be having a thing with the new guy, like two seconds after he arrives.” He grunted, “I see by your expression that I’m right. She turned away. “How can you possibly see my expression when it’s so dark?” She glanced around the dimly lit parking lot. It had not been the smartest move to park out here, but then she thought she would be meeting her muscled fiancé and would be safe. “How indeed,” he answered. “Anyway, I came out about eight to grab some dinner. I like Dim Sum’s down on First, so I went there. On the way back, I had the brilliant idea to take a short cut down an alley.” She frowned at him in the rearview mirror, “That was stupid. This may be downtown, Kevin, but some parts are still not the safest.” “This from the lady who parks in a dark lot with no one around?” “There were people when I went in. Besides, Cam was meeting me for dinner.” “And he stood you up.” She crossed her arms, refusing to get into debate about the merits of her husband-to-be. She had no doubts about Cam’s love for her, nor hers for him. “You were saying?” He ran a hand through his hair, which, though Jessica couldn’t see it clearly, seemed thicker “Someone jumped me from behind, cut me.” She gasped, “What? Kevin we need to get you to the hospital.” She started the car and threw it into gear. He reached over the seat and stayed her hand. “No.” He threw the car in park again and killed the engine. “I’m fine. I-I can’t go to the hospital.” “Why? Kevin, don’t be pig-headed. The blade the guy cut you with could have been dirty. You could get an infection. Anything.” He sighed and ruffled his hair again. He reached up and flicked on the overhead light. “Jessie, I have much bigger problems than an infection.” Almost too scared to look at him, she twisted slowly to glance over her shoulder at the man who’d annoyed her every single day since she’d met him. Kevin, who was all that was ordinary in Jessica’s book and every other woman’s, she had no doubt, sat against her back seat with blood coated hands staining the cushions on either side of him. Blood spatters were almost in a pattern across his now wrinkled shirt. More smudges of blood were on his right cheek, over one eye and drying on his bottom lip. Yet, in spite of all of that horror, Jessica only focused on one thing. The every day Joe that Kevin was seemed to be a memory. He still had the sandy brown hair and the brown eyes to match. A five o’clock shadow grazed beneath the blood, testimony to his avoidance of shaving, but there was something different. His skin was paler, his hair thicker and richer. His full masculine lips, though stained were somehow more sensual. His brown eyes fairly glowed with an enticement that seemed almost to tug on her physically. She pressed hands against the back of her seat to keep herself in place. This was tiredness. She was overworked and needed to get home. So did he. Maybe things would be different in the morning, after the overdose she’d had in eating all the candy from Cam’s earlier delivery to her office.

“This…I…” she mumbled. He nodded. “I know. I look like death, don’t I? Maybe I’ve lost too much blood. When my body makes more, I’ll get my color back. But no hospital. I don’t feel too bad, except for this stupid hunger. Maybe if I get a cheeseburger in me, I’ll be ok.” “Kevin, your fear of doctors is ridiculous. I’m taking you whether you like it or not. And we have to report what happened to you. That guy could be out there hurting someone else right now.” He shook his head. “No can do.” “God, you’re a baby. Even after you broke your wrist at Anna’s party, you wouldn’t go. This fear is going to get you killed.” “I’m not afraid of anything.” “Ok, whatever.” He curled forward, grabbing his stomach. “I’m so hungry, Jessica.” She pulled her purse to her and rifled to find the Hershey kisses she’d dropped into it earlier. Three left. “Here, take these. The chocolate will tide you over until I get you a burger.” He grinned, his brown eyes now topaz. She trembled, a little nervous at that look. “No not that.” With blinding speed, he flipped over the seat, tangled fingers in her hair and snatched her head back. His long wet tongue curved against the side of her throat. “So hungry.” Jessica screeched, “Stop it, Kevin. That’s disgusting. Let me go.” Her breath caught in her throat. Had being attacked and losing the possibility of getting Anna driven him over the edge? She pushed hard against his chest, shocked at the taut muscles beneath his clothes. When had that happened? “Please don’t do this, Kevin.” He grunted, still licking her skin. “I can’t help it, Jessie. Oh God, I can’t help myself.” The sharp points of something dug slightly into her throat. Warmth flooded the area as her blood rushed to heal her broken skin. She closed her eyes, expecting the man she would have dubbed harmless to kill her at any second. And then someone was pounding on her window, calling their names. “Jessica! Kevin!” Kevin growled, startling Jessica when he leapt across her toward the glass. Even in the pale moon beams, barely lighting the car, she could see that the points had been his canine teeth. They hung down well past the rest of his teeth, the tips dripping with her blood. She covered her mouth and swallowed vomit that burned her throat. No. There was no such thing as vampires. Kevin couldn’t be a vampire. He was a regular guy. He wore rubber bands on his pants and ate French fries with chop sticks. It couldn’t…no. Her mind whirled, preventing her from focusing on the person outside her car. And then a hand reached for the handle and unlocked the door without a key. She stared in horror as the door opened and a head popped inside, unafraid of Kevin’s threatening growls. “Calm down,” Lloyd chuckled. Jessica blew out the breath she had been holding. “Lloyd. Oh my God, what are you doing here? Never mind. Help me, please. I think something has made Kevin sick. Someone attacked him. He may have a fast-acting infection or something.” Lloyd chuckled again, “Fast-acting. Yes, I guess it is. But it’s not an infection. I think you know exactly what it is, don’t you Jessica?”

She frowned, hating his strange behavior too. He shrugged and turned to Kevin. “Hurting, guy?” Kevin whined, “I’m so hungry.” Jessica pushed past Lloyd and stepped out of the car. It was then that she noticed the other people standing around, watching them. All of them were pale, some displaying fangs like Kevin’s. Her stomach dropped. She was in real trouble here and something told her she might not escape with her life. Lloyd dragged a weakened Kevin from the car and allowed him to fall on the ground. Jessica would have protested at his meanness if she weren’t frozen to the spot in terror. Her new co-worker turned and snapped his fingers to one of the women in the crowd. A young woman in stilettos, a mini-skirt and fishnet stockings stepped forward. How original, Jessica thought, simultaneously wondering if she could get back in her car and get it started before they realized what she was up to. A moment later, she could think of nothing else while watching the woman flip back long midnight hair to offer her neck to Kevin. Like a starving newborn, he latched on and began sucking hungrily. This time, Jessica did vomit. A pound of chocolates hurtled from her trembling lips, splashing on her tires and her bright red pumps. She would have sank down on top of the nasty mess if a hand didn’t encircle her waist and haul her backward. She struggled weakly against it. “No. Let me go!” Lloyd’s laughter sounded in her ear. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. You belong to Kevin.” “I do not!” she shrieked. “I am engaged for your information and his name is Cam.” “Cam, shmam. Don’t you wonder why my brother came to your car? Don’t you wonder why it was you he sought always, in spite of professing an undying love for Anna?” She froze. “Your brother?” He set her down on her feet. “My brother. My twin brother, to be exact.” Her eyes bugged. No wonder they looked alike. But why the elaborate charade? Why pretend they didn’t know each other? And why— “So many questions roaming through your mind, Jessie. Slow down.” He snapped his fingers again and a man stepped out of the crowd and slid into the driver seat of her car. “All will be revealed soon.” “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she screamed, trying to open the door and yank the man out. Lloyd encircled her waist again and touched a hand to her temple. “Shush, sweet Jessie. Take a little rest now.” A heavy fog instantly pressed down on her mentally. She blinked and shook her head, struggling to resist the sleepiness that was taking control. If she slept, they would surely kill her then. But Lloyd’s spell was too strong to resist. Her head dipped forward as her eyes began to close. She turned toward Kevin, still feeding from the woman. “Kevin,” she mumbled, “stop that,” and she fell asleep. ***** He remembered it all. Every detail. He remembered all of them too. His gaze moved over the various people occupying the room. Varying degrees of wariness, fear, expectation in their expressions. He didn't doubt some of them hated him, wished him obliviated, but they were too smart to show that particular feeling.

Kevin stood and stretched out his legs, turning to his brother, "Lloyd, where's Jessie?" "Resting, brother, as you will soon need to do." Kevin ignored the reference to the coming daylight when he would no longer be able to go out. His life, as he knew it, had radically changed. He knew that in spite of having hoped to avoid it. "How did you find me?" "Come, brother, you know we have our ways." "Ugh! Cut it, Lloyd. Stop calling me brother. This is no gothic romance novel!" Kevin stomped toward the door, calling over his shoulder. "Did she see me feed? Did it disgust her?" "Who?" Ok, he got it. Lloyd was angry, probably unforgiving. Kevin had run out on his family, his fate. He knew the way it had to be. One twin became the vampire, the other remained human and continued the family line. They'd known it from the age of five years old when their mother sat them down to explain it all. Kevin sighed, his hand on the knob. He'd cried, his brother had whooped in delight. That was until he knew the rules. The older became the undead. The younger, the keeper. He shook the memories from his mind and stepped into the hall of his ancestral home. Without being told, he knew the living occupied the top floors, the dead the lower—below ground level. Where would they have placed Jessie? Stupid. Above stairs, of course. She was not a vampire…yet. He took the steps two at a time, with little effort. There would never be a reason for him to ride a bike to get into shape. It was one of the perks of being the undead. His form, his appearance was enhanced, his muscles taut and well formed. It was what he'd wanted ever since he'd first laid eyes on Anna. "Little did I know," he muttered outside the door he instinctively knew was Jessie's. "I was chasing after my brother's wife." Or intended wife. How ironic that he found his own mate at the same time Lloyd found his. He opened the door and stepped inside. Jessie lay still on the bed, her eyes closed, her cheeks flushed. He was sure, he thought as he approached the bed. Jessie was his mate. It was a knowing inside him. She'd always been the one just as his brother said. "Jessie," he whispered. "Wake up, my wife." Her eyes fluttered and then opened. She stared blankly at him for a few moments and then put a hand to her lips as her memory returned. "Kevin…you…" "I know. Don't be afraid. I would never hurt you." He glanced up toward the windows. The thin violet curtains were not drawn, as if that would help anyway. "Honey, you must go home now. I will speak with you tonight, when the sun goes down." She sat up, "The sun. Yes, vampires can't…the sun." She rubbed her head. "No. That was a dream. Somebody hurt you last night, Kevin. Let me see the wound. It might still need a stitch or two." He grinned and pulled his collared shirt away from his neck. The exposed skin must have reminded her because she strank away, fear etched in her eyes. "Don't be afraid, honey." "Stop calling me honey. I'm not your honey, Kevin." Her color heightened as she stood swaying. "I don't need your help. What's happened to your undying love for Anna?" He shrugged. "It died. Now, I don't have any time left. I'll have to get someone…else…to take you home. I'll speak with you tonight."

She strode purposefully to the door. Don't bother. I don't need any more of your craziness, Kevin. As it is, I'll have to explain to Cam why I didn't answer his call, and I know he called me last night to make sure I got home safely. He's probably worried sick." Something rose up inside him suddenly, something black and murderous. He moved on air toward her, grasping her around the waist and dragging her against his chest. His teeth extended and a snarl erupted from his throat as he pressed the points against her soft neck. "You will not have anything to do with him anymore. I will give you time, to know what fate has already written for us. But if he touches you, I will rip his throat out and feed it to my dogs." She screamed and struggled again him. "Stop it, Kevin! Please don’t'!" "Promise!" "I…" His hold tightened, "Promise, Jessie." He closed his eyes, suddenly aware of her scent. When had her hair become so golden, so enticing? When had her figure become so soft, her breasts so full? His hand across her belly slid higher, bumping gently against her breasts. An aching need invaded his mind and body. He hardened and then lifted her so that her round bottom fit again his erection. Lust nearly overcame him and he braced himself and her with his other hand against the closed door. "Honey." Her back arched and she pressed into his desire. She turned her head and parted her lips, inviting his own. When he kissed her, he expected her to protest again. Instead, she greedily kissed back, sliding the tip of her tongue across his fangs. A rippling ache pierced him and he set her down, still waiting for her answer. "I promise," she whispered. "I don't understand any of this. I don't know why I can barely remember what he looks like, why I feel like I've known you all my life." He grinned, "Because you have." "What?" Her eyes widened. "Never mind." He turned her to face the door. "Go. I must sleep. I will explain it tonight. And don't forget." "I won't." ***** Jessica placed her cordless on the vanity table before her and picked up her brush. "Jessie," she said aloud. It didn't make sense, none of it. Kevin was a vampire. He had a twin brother who was the new guy at work. And weirdest of all, she couldn't remember what she'd felt for Cam. Had she been put under some kind of spell? Or was she coming out of one? She glanced at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Her cheeks were hot remembering how it felt to be pressed against Kevin's hard body. Well, some parts harder than others. She grinned and then slapped at her cheek to make herself focus. She wasn't even attracted to Kevin. He was in love with Anna. He was a nerd without the IQ. He wasn't her type. She loved Cam. Didn't she? This was all so confusing. The brush dropped from her fingers. She placed her head down on her folded arms willing herself to think clearly, to sort this whole thing out. She'd put off Cam from coming to see her and she'd called in sick to work. A dull ached began to pulsate in her head. She rubbed the spot, feeling like she'd just dislodged something. A memory. "It's your destiny, Jessie. You can't run from your destiny."

"I can, Nana, and I will. Kevin's taking me." She sat up, gasping at her reflection. Kevin? She'd known him from before? Before what? Was it a trick? Maybe one of them were in the room right then. She'd read that vampires moved so much faster than humans, they could be invisible to the human eye. Was a vampire in her room whispering false memories into her mind? She glanced around the room, searching for a shadow, anything out of place that would let her know she wasn't alone. "If you're here, you better show yourself." And then she laughed. The room was filled with early morning sunlight. No vampire could withstand that, could they? She squeaked and leapt from her chair, knocking it over when her bedroom door opened. Lloyd stood with a grin covering his thin face. "Good morning, sunshine." "What are you doing here? How can you be here, Lloyd?" "Aw, is that any way to greet your brother-in-law?" "Not yet, you're not." She gasped and covered her mouth. He laughed, "So you remember?" She shook her head, "No, I don't remember. Who are you? Who am I and why do I have these fake memories running around in my head? Did you do something to me last night?" His look was suggestive, as if he could think of a few somethings to do to her. Disgust turned her stomach. He sighed and moved to sit calmly on her bed, "No, dear Jessie. I did nothing to you last night. And I can be here because I, unlike my dear brother, am not a vampire." "What are you then? I saw how you unlocked my car door. I remember now that you made me go to sleep just by touching my head." She paced warily back and forth near the door. She wanted to run from him, but she had to know the truth. "All things are not for me to tell you. Your husband will tell you that." "Cam—" "Don't let him hear you refer to that idiot as your husband. I'm sure he warned you. My brother is a new vampire. He will not be used to his added abilities yet, nor to his heightened emotions." Lloyd picked up a discarded piece of her lingerie and she rushed to snatch it away. "If Kevin even thinks you're with another man, he will kill him without batting an eye." She cried out, "I have rights. I'm a grown woman. I can choose who I want to be with!" He nodded, "Yes, you can. But tell me honestly, little sister-in-law," he moved to stand before her, "who's name is on the edge of your tongue? Who's face is burned into your mind? Cam's or my brother's?" "That's a trick, some spell you put on me." "I'm not a magician or a warlock. My family has certain abilities that pass from one generation to the next. The keeper, that's me, gets the magic as it were. The vampire, that's Kevin, get's the imortality, or something near it." "What else?" "That's all I can tell you. Kevin will explain more tonight." He moved to the door. "I'd spend these next few hours thinking long and hard about my future, if I was you. You can run again or you can accept your fate. My brother has no choice now but to accept his. Will you leave him to endure it all alone?" He grinned and winked at her. "You never have before."

***** Kevin stood in the doorway a moment and watched her contemplating the fireplace. Every fiber of his being cried out for her, needed to feel her in his arms. Was this the result of becoming a vampire or was it because it was his time? His mother had told him the story every year on his birthday, for thirteen years. He had thought to escape, even forgetting the prophecies of his thirtieth birthday. But they hadn't forgotten. They found him just at the right time, took away his life. He looked again at Jessie. No, they hadn't taken his life. Not unless they took her. It didn't make sense. Why did he suddenly feel like she was a part of him, like he'd never loved another woman? It was absurd. He'd loved Anna only days ago. Maybe that hadn't been real. Maybe this wasn't. He must have made some noise, for she finally turned to face him. Her face and form went still for a second and then she sprung across the gap separating them and pressed herself against him. He captured her sweet mouth and luxuriated in her intoxicating scent. He trailed kisses across her delicate cheek then down to her chin and he paused above that long swan-like neck. He longed to sink his teeth into her and taste her warm, sweet blood again. Instead, he stared down at it, noting the smooth contour, the subtle hint of jasmine. How had he not seen how beautiful she was? Her breasts were full and from his vantage point, he could see down inside her blouse to the cleavage that was already tightening his groin. Her waist was so narrow, his fingers nearly met as he circled it with his hands. Her bottom drew him to squeeze it, dragging her up against his growing erection. He glanced again at her extended neck. It was as if she wanted him to bite her. He wasn’t hungry, but his teeth extended anyway, anticipating her thick delicious life juices. And then he shook his head, putting her away from him. “Honey, you need your mind clear, to know what’s happening to us.” He moved to the roaring fire she’d abandoned. “I will share with you everything I remember.” She sighed behind him, standing close. “I hope you can explain to me why I feel like you’re my life all of a sudden. I-I love… loved Cam. I don’t get these feelings at all. Did Lloyd put a spell on me or something?” He stiffened, suppressing the rumble growing in his throat. Had she not changed that wording, he felt sure he would have sought out that damn Cam and put him out of his misery. He shook himself. The feelings churning inside him were strong, hard to control. One minute he wanted to make love to Jessie, the next he wanted to murder a man who might have—probably did— make love to her. He moved away from her, struggling to clear his head. Flopping down on an arm chair, he drove a trembling hand through his hair. “We are connected, Jessie. The moment I became a vampire, the spell was broken. I remember the past. I remember everything.” Her eyes widened, “Like what? And why are we connected? Why do I feel so different? I didn’t become a vampire.” “Sit down.” She did and he explained. “We grew up together. We were friends, best friends. We got into all kinds of trouble, pulling pranks. The usual. I told you right from the start about what my mother shared with me about my destiny. “I was to become a vampire and my twin brother was to be my keeper. Ironic, huh? He would be able to marry and have children. I would become the undead on my thirtieth birthday. When we were sixteen, your Nana told you that you were the woman destined to be my wife. You would become a vampire like me.”

Jessie fidgeted, “She was a vampire too?” “A witch. She sat us down just my mother did and told us how we were destined for each other. She said we’d be sealed as one when we mated. I remember how nervous we were because just a week before that, we’d done a little experimenting.” He nodded seeing the look on her face. “Yeah, we’d been best friends, no romantic involvement at all. Then we had the brainy idea to get rid of our virgin states by doing each other. It was awkward and not very good.” She glared. He laughed, “You felt just like I did and we decided not to do it again. But that apparently sealed us. Neither of us wanted to be condemned to a life of being the undead and being experimented on, so we decided to run away. Your Nana found out. She always knew everything. She said we wouldn’t delay anything. We’d still grow closer. That’s when we came up with our brilliant plan.” Jessie stood and walked to the window. She peered outside and then turned back to him. “I can’t remember much, but I feel like what you’re saying is true. But what did you mean by being experimented on and what was our brilliant plan?” He continued, “Centuries ago, my vampire ancestors somehow were able to procreate as vampires.” “What!” He nodded. “They had the first set of twins born to the undead. How strange is that? But since then no one has been able to repeat it. So, with magic and DNA manipulation, my family decided to experiment in creating vampires that can have children, born as living vampires. The twin gene was isolated so that they would be born as often as needed. “So after thousands of years, my brother gets magic and I get to be the guinea pig. We do. We will be poked and prodded and tested on to see if we can produce babies. Meanwhile, my brother will be free to live his life as he sees fit, with only the responsibility of watching over us in the day hours. New twins will not be needed for a very long time, so he will be able to have babies if he wants or not with Anna. “She’s his destined mate, I assume.” “Yes.” “And the plan we made?” He sighed and stared down at his booted feet. Already his style had changed. He was not the borderline nerd he was just one day ago. “It was a hard decision. It would mean us being apart, something that hadn’t been true since the day we met. We figured if we were going to survive to choose our own destines, we couldn’t be together. We would run away where my family and yours couldn’t find us, but then we’d erase our memories and live apart from each other. Little did we know, it was too late since we’d already mated.” She chewed her bottom lip and he considered taking her in his arms again. Then her eyes cleared, “I remember a little. I did something. A spell?” “Yes. You stole a spell from your grandmother’s book to make a person lose their memory. You performed it on me and before I could get my thoughts clear, you left with the promise we’d made to each other earlier that you would get as far away from me as possible and then perform it on yourself. I guess you did and it worked.” “Yes, years ago, I remember not knowing who I was or where I came from. A wonderful man and woman ended up taking me in and caring for me until I was eighteen. Then I went away to college.” “And then we found each other again,” he smiled, holding his hand out to her. She moved to slip onto his lap. “It was too late to stay apart even when we were sixteen, Jessie. I need you now. To be apart from you as I am is tormenting. I want to give you the chance to choose me, but the emotions inside me are so strong.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his, “I know. Somehow even though it’s you who has been changed, I am also affected. I can’t remember Cam. I remember you. When I close my eyes, I see your face. I heard your voice and it’s like a life line to me. We can’t deny our destiny, sad though it may be in some respects. But I know I love you, have always loved you, Kevin.” “And I have always loved you, Jessie.” He pulled her mouth to his own to take another kiss. “Jessie—“ “I know,” she whispered. “As crazy as it all seems, I am your wife. I became yours at sixteen and I still am.” Her voice trembled. “Make me fully yours.” He shifted her in his arms so that her neck was exposed to him again. His canines extended in anticipation. “Are you sure?” She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. “Yes, my love. Do it now.” And just as he knew it would be, her sweet blood mingled with his own, binding the two of them together for all eternity. THE END

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Author Author’’s Bio My mother tells me I opened books from the age of four and made up what I thought the story was about, though I couldn’t read yet. From that time, I guess, I have been in love with books and reading. After a stint with reading only Harlequin romances at the age of thirteen, I realized I wanted to be a writer. By eighteen, I wrote short stories, and in a fit of inspiration, typed out two full-length novels within a matter of weeks. I have no idea if any of it was good. My sister says so, but she happens to love me, so who knows. Anyway, the first magazine I sent my short story to rejected it and being overly sensitive I gave up writing for the next nineteen years. Now I’m getting back out there. I enjoy writing most types of romance, including fantasy, science fiction, multi-racial, paranormal and contemporary.