Bitten by the Vampire. Bonnie Vanak

the Society to keep you from killing Jones.”

      Every paranormal being knew of the secret Society. They used the most powerful Ancients to restore order when someone went bonkers or threatened to expose their kind to humans. If the lesser Ancients were machine guns, Lucien Marcello was their nuclear bomb. He’d once dispatched an entire pack of werewolf bounty hunters with his bare hands. The hunters never even scratched him.

      Yet as he took her hand, his touch was gentle. The white light inside her hummed, recognized compassion and reached out for it.

      Her dark side bristled. It was only when she exposed her warm, sappy side that people took advantage. Kidnapped her. Her bad side was too smart to let her get hurt.

      Always go with the stronger side, she thought. Mara wrenched away.

      “Jones deserves to die. I don’t need saving. Go bite a surfer. Leave me alone.”

      “I cannot, Mara. Our destinies have collided.” His gaze burned with intent. “You saw the vision. We will be lovers.”

      Cold sweat trickled down her back. “It was just a dream!”

      “You know it was not,” he said gently. “Come with me. I don’t wish to see you die, and you will die if you kill Jones.”

      The threat hung between them. But she had yet to fully explore her own powers. And to leave Jones unpunished, free to hurt more innocents?

      Jones left the restaurant. He glanced across the street, saw her and smiled. Fear threaded through her, then curdled into cold rage.

      “Bring it on,” she whispered.

      Snarling, she felt her teeth sharpen. Fingers unfurled as talons sprouted. Mara itched to shred and rip and hurt. Just as he’d hurt her.

      People glanced at her. Their eyes widened and then they scurried past. Some made remarks about Halloween photo shoots.

      Jones gazed at the traffic as if to cross the street. Mara shot to her feet, only to have Lucien seize her wrist.

      “Hurt him and what pain you inflict will be visited on you double.”

      “Worth it.” She reached for the switchblade.

      Lucien muttered an oath in a language Mara recognized as Latin. Her mother had spoken Latin fluently. Her sweet, angelic mother.

      Her father had the real power, Mara thought.

      “Look to your right,” he told her. “Two Society bounty hunters are waiting for you to attack Jones. When you do, they’ll be free to draw your blood. Not destroy you. Just hurt—and they can hurt very badly. Sometimes they don’t wait if they’ve seen your powers manifest.”

      He gave a pointed look at her long gray talons. Terror snaked in her heart as the hunters started forward. Hunters never gave up. They liked to play, torment prey before they brought them in dead or alive.

      With her parents, they had settled on dead.

      Lucien held out a hand. “Come with me.”

      The darkness screamed and raged. The calming light pulsed with common sense. She couldn’t take Jones here, out in the open.

      The vampire offered safety away from the bounty hunters. He might be more dangerous, but for now, she’d take her chances.

      Sheathing her talons, Mara took Lucien’s hand.

      As she stood, the two hunters walked closer, their expressions savage and intent.

      “Damnit,” Lucien muttered.

      Shock filled her as he pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.