Sexiest Vampire Alive

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he began. “I don’t want you to get scared later.”

“You want me to stay here, don’t you?” She ran her fingers along his whiskered jaw.

“In the tub? Actually, I thought we might move to a bed.”

She poked a finger in one of his dimples. “I meant you want to keep me here in Japan.”

“Ah.” He teased the crevice between her buttocks. “You have to admit it’s much more pleasant here than a cave.”

“The plants are over there.”

“Yeah, but you’re safer here.” His eyes returned to their normal grayish-green. “Why not let us do the dangerous stuff?”

“How can it be dangerous? I have three Vamps, a tiger, and a bear to keep me safe.”

He gave her a dubious look.

“I can be very persuasive.” She smoothed her hand down his chest to his abs. “What can I do to convince you?”

He sucked in a breath when her hand circled his penis. “You’re on the right track.” His eyes turned red again.

“Well, it’s a big track.” She tugged gently. “Hard to miss.”

He winced. “You’re too smart for me, Scholar. I came in here to seduce you into staying, and you . . . you . . .” With a groan, he leaned his head back.

“Shame on you.” She kissed his ear. “Using sex to persuade me.”

He snorted. “And you’re not?” He grabbed her, and everything went black.

He tumbled her onto a bed. “We’ll see who can be more persuasive.”

Abigail smiled as she reached for him. He tried for several hours to persuade her, but in the end, she teleported back to the cave with him.

She woke hours later, cuddled beside Gregori on their sleeping bags. It seemed dark in the back of the cave, but then she noticed a wooden screen had been stretched across the cave, dividing it in half and blocking any sunlight that filtered through the entrance.

Back in the dark recesses of the cave, J.L. and Russell were in their sleeping bags sound asleep. It had to be daylight outside. The numbers on her digital watch glowed two-fifteen P.M. Good Lord, she’d slept most of the day away. Her body no longer knew night from day.

“Good afternoon,” she murmured to Gregori, wondering just how deeply a vampire could sleep. She kissed his cheek. Goodness, he was cold.

“How can you sleep like that?” He’d left his blanket in a pile at his feet. She covered him up, then added her blanket on top.

“Is that better?” She tucked it in around his chin.

He didn’t seem to be breathing.

“Gregori?” She leaned over him, but felt no air escaping his mouth. “Hey.” She patted his cheeks.

No response.

She yanked the blankets down and ripped open his shirt. No heartbeat.

“Gregori!” Panic seized her. She forced his mouth open, felt around inside, then breathed into him.

She planted her hands over his heart and pushed.

“What are you doing?” Howard slipped around the screen and started toward her.

“CPR! He’s dying!”

“He’s already dead.”

“Don’t say that!” She pinched his nose and breathed into his mouth again.

“Miss Tucker!” Howard knelt beside her. “There’s no point in doing that.”

“I’m not giving up on him!” She went back to pressing against his heart.

“Abby! The Vamps always die at sunrise. This is their death-sleep!”

She sat back on her heels. “Their what?”

“Death-sleep. Gregori didn’t tell you they go into a death-sleep?”

Tears stung her eyes. “He—he’s really dead?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. He’ll wake again at sunset.”

She swallowed hard. “He’s really . . . dead?”

Howard nodded. “But it’s just temporary, you know.”

“How can death be temporary?”

Howard shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a vampire thing.”

She looked at Gregori, and a tear ran down her cheek. “Oh my God! He’s really dead?”

“Well, Undead is more accurate, I guess, considering that he wakes up again.” Howard gave her a curious look. “He didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Or did he? She thought back to when they’d returned to the cave. She’d been worn out from their lovemaking and gone straight to the sleeping bag. He’d stretched out beside her.

“I need to warn you,” he had whispered. “I sleep like I’m dead.”

“Me too,” she’d mumbled before slipping into a deep sleep.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. He’d meant it literally.

A rush of anger swept over her. “That’s how you tell me?” She yanked the blankets back up to his chin, then slapped him on the chest. “You scared the hell out of me! I thought I’d lost you!”

Tears streamed down her face. “He can’t hear me, can he?”

“No, ma’am.” Howard rose to his feet.

She stood and wiped her cheeks. “I’ll have to wait till sunset to vent my rage.”

Howard nodded. “Good plan.” He shifted his weight. “You want a donut?”

A burst of laughter escaped her. “Oh God, I’m going crazy.”

Howard stepped back with a worried look.

“Not really crazy,” she assured him, then took a deep breath. Good Lord, it was after two in the afternoon. She’d cuddled up to a dead body for hours. “I need to get out of here.”

“This way.” Howard led her around the screen. “We put the screen up as a safety precaution. If any sunlight hits the Vamps, they’ll die for real.”

She shook her head. Death-sleep. Gregori had always inferred that he spent the day sleeping in the usual fashion. Why did he lie to her?

He was really dead. The poor guy had actually died while she’d slept next to him. Had he suffered any pain? He must have. She shuddered. It was terrible to even think about.

Howard pulled the bamboo door away from the cave entrance so they could slip outside.

“Miss Abby!” Rajiv waved at her. He had a fire going and a big pot suspended over it. “I make you hot pot.”

“Thank you.” She walked over for a closer look. “It smells wonderful.”

He looked at her and frowned. “Miss Abby cry?”

She took a deep breath and gazed up at the blue sky. “I’m all right now. Thank you.”

“She didn’t know Gregori would be dead,” Howard grumbled.

“Oh.” Rajiv grimaced. “That’s bad.”

Abby nodded and motioned toward the other end of the island. “I’ll be over there for a little while.”

Rajiv nodded.

She went behind the hill and found a place to relieve herself. She washed her hands in the lake, then straightened and gasped. Now that it was daylight, she could see the south side of the lake. Gray stone stalagmites jutted up from a flat field. She’d read about karsts in her research, but hadn’t realized how unearthly they would look. She stared at them for a while, then headed back to the shifters.

Howard had rolled up his pants and was standing knee-deep in the lake. He leaned over, concentrating, then suddenly swoosh! He scooped a fish out and tossed it onto the beach.

Abigail smiled. He fished just like a bear.

Soon he had a dozen fish on the beach.

“Are we supposed to eat all of these?” she asked.