This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author's imagination and aer not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

Aspen Mountain Press

PO Box 473543

Aurora CO 80047-3543

www.aspenmountainpress.com

Published by Aspen Mountain Press, May 2008

www.AspenMountainPress.com

This e-Book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and/or imprisonment. The e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-60168-105-8

Published in the United States of America

Editor: Maura Anderson

Cover artist: Jinger Heaston

One impulsive decision and here she was, scared enough to wet her pants. This go-for-it take on life got Billie Joyce Nolan in trouble as far back as she could remember. “Dumb, girl. You're just plain dumb, taking what you thought was a short cut down a dark little street in a strange city. Especially a big place like New York City.” Billie Joyce hoped talking to herself out loud would help with the feeling of apprehension tickling the hairs on the back of her neck.

"What made you think this would get you to the hotel faster in the first place? At times like this, I think Granny was right when she said I don't have the sense to come in out of the rain.” She quickened her pace. “Now, you know that ain't footsteps you hear. Just your imagination playing tricks on you."

A shudder ran down her body and, once again, she regretted leaving the safety of the small mountain town where she'd lived all her life. The only thing she had to worry about when walking alone there at night was running into some four-legged critter. Instead, she was sure something stalked her now and it was two-legged.

She'd been in the city she'd dreamed about going to see most of her life for less than twelve hours and right now she had to agree with Granny. Sometimes it was best if dreams didn't come true.

Earlier, when she came out of the fancy department store, night had arrived and she had to make her way back to the little hotel she'd put her money down on. The map she carried was hard to read under the street lights and, relying on her sense of direction which was dead on back home, she'd taken a turn through a dark passageway. She was sure it would connect with the street she needed to find in order to get to back to the safety of her rented room.

"Ouch.” She stopped to flex her right ankle. Heaven only knew what she'd stepped on in this littered little street to cause her to twist it. Listening closely, her heart leapt into her throat. Footsteps. Her imagination wasn't playing tricks. It was probably somebody else as dumb as her for taking this stupid shortcut, but she wasn't about to wait around to find out.

Hobbling along, she seemed to be swallowed up by darkness. No sir-ree. If she got out of this mess, she was hopping on the first bus home tomorrow. Yes, she'd sold Daddy's little house in town to get the money to check out city life and, true enough, she'd quit her job at K-Mart a year ago to stay home and take care of Daddy during his last few months of battling the cancer. But she still had Granny's little farm with its cozy cabin. She could make do living there and maybe putting in an herb garden or a small vegetable patch to bring in a few dollars.

No matter how many lights or how much excitement the city had, she'd figured out in a few hours that Billie Joyce Nolan was a small town girl at heart. She was plain country folk and a fish-out-of-water in this strange world.

"Hey, baby. What's your hurry?"

The footsteps were close enough that their owner seemed right behind her when he called out and she didn't like the sounds of it one bit. Dang. Her sore ankle made walking fast difficult.

"I said, what's your hurry?"

A hand grabbed her left arm and whirled her around. Billie Joyce came face-to-face with a grinning young man and the glint in his dark eyes spelled trouble.

"Yeah, baby. Why didn't you wait up?” Another male, younger than the one who held onto her arm, came up on her other side. “We just want to party. Don't you want to party?"

Hell's bells. These two were boys. She doubted they were out of their teens and she was old enough to be their mother. Their idea of partying was probably a lot different than hers. Somehow, she didn't think sitting out on the front porch after the sunset, picking, singing and exchanging stories was the kind of party they had in mind.

The taller one reached out and traced his fingers along the side of her cheek as the stockier of the two moved around behind her and pressed against her back. She held her breath to block the stench. From the smell, neither of them had taken a bath in a while.

A hand cupped her breast. Oh dear God. They're going to rape me. A short marriage in her late teens may have taken away her virginity, but to have her body violated by these two low-lifes didn't set well. “Leave me alone.” She jerked her face away from the one stroking her cheek.

"Oh, baby. We know you don't mean that."

Hands had moved down to her thighs and were inching her skirt up. The fear that had settled in the back of her throat bubbled up and out. “Help. Help, anybody.” The plea for help turned into a loud, shrieking scream.

"Shut up, bitch. We just want to have a little fun."

The scream continued, loud and shrill. Billie Joyce couldn't shut up, nor did she want to. She jerked up her right knee in an attempt to plant a blow to the family jewels of the one standing in front of her.

"Son-of-a-bitch.” He backed off for a second then lunged at her.

Something hard and sharp slipped into her stomach. It took a second to register she'd been stabbed.

"Fuck. You killed her, man. Stupid bastard. What'd you do that for?” The companion of the man who struck the knife blow sounded scared. “Let's get the fuck outta here. The way's she's been screaming every cop in New York's going to show up."

Billie Joyce heard the pounding footsteps as the two took off and she slipped down onto the concrete, her eyes fluttered twice before they shut. She felt the life flowing out of her and a white light appeared in the distance, slowly moving toward her. No. She didn't want to die. Not now. Yes, she missed Granny and the rest of the family, but not to the point she was ready to join them right now.

She forced her eyes open and a face appeared between her and the white light. An angel. It had to be an angel. She always thought angels had long, blonde hair and blue eyes like the pictures above the pulpit at the little community church back home, but this one had short, white hair and, for some reason she knew the eyes didn't match the image she'd carried in her mind since childhood.

"Please. Please, help me. I don't want to die. I've only learning how to live.” The face came closer and Billie Joyce smiled, secure in the knowledge she had a guardian angel who would delay her meeting the rest of the family in the afterlife.

Wind whipped passed Dovey Divine-Lowell's ears as she huddled on the edge of the old Victorian Brownstone's roof. The sleeping guests inside the restored bed-and-breakfast wouldn't slumber so peacefully if they knew who lurked a few feet away.

That thought perked her up for a moment, but only briefly and then she returned to her moody pondering. She'd been in a funk the past few days and didn't understand why. Life as a vampire was the norm after almost a year. Was that the problem? Next week marked the first anniversary of her becoming one of the undead. Did one celebrate their creation date like they did a birthday? If so, she needed to get her ass in gear and get a party planned. Maybe she should ask Daniel, but somehow she didn't see the stuffy old vampire being one to celebrate such an event. From what she'd observed over the past year, celebrate wasn't in the somber male's vocabulary.

Or did the fact that her husband had taken off on yet another business trip contribute to the foul mood that possessed her. For cripes sake, you'd think a man as horny as Aaron Lowell would stay home with his just as horny wife for more than a few days at a time. He didn't have to work after all. The man was a millionaire several times over. If he needed a challenge like he said, then let his challenge be keeping her satisfied.

Nope, that's not it either. I'm a big girl and can survive on my own when he's gone. After all, I have a club business to run and that keeps me occupied when he's in or out of town.

Get real with yourself, girl. The thing that's got you feeling so down is your feeding. You counted on the need to imbibe from a live source to become less with time, not stronger as it has recently. Over the past week, your hunger for pulsing blood is almost out of control. And here you thought you'd passed that stage and could survive on the liquid supplied by the butcher shop like Aaron does most of the time. Yet it's only been an hour and you're ready to search out another supply. Screw the bottled crap at home in the fridge.

The traffic on the street below came to a standstill and irritated drivers honked their frustration. Over the noise of blaring horns, Dovey's sharp ears picked up another sound. She listened intently for a moment. A woman's scream could be heard, probably a couple of blocks over to her left. Dovey leapt through the air in the direction the sound came from. Landing on her feet at the end of a dark alley, her keen hearing detected running and also whimpers from someone not moving.

Thankful for her vampire vision, she detected a body lying a few yards up the narrow street between two tall buildings. In the blink of an eye, she knelt beside a female clutching her stomach with her hands. The poor woman attempted to stop blood gushing from her stab wound as she mumbled, “No, no. I don't want to die just when I'm learning to live."

The words were barely a whisper and Dovey could understand the woman's concern. Her life force rapidly ebbed away with each gush of blood and this presented another problem for Dovey. The strong metallic odor was driving her crazy with the need to feed.

Get a grip and stop thinking about satisfying the hunger of the blood-sucking creature you are. This woman needs you to think clearly ... and quickly. Okay, if I get her to an emergency room, she'll be gone before they figure out how badly she's hurt. There is no way I can stick around to instruct them on how quickly they need to act or play fifty questions with a stupid medical staff, especially, after they call the cops. Besides, she probably won't survive long enough for me to even get her there anyway.

"What to do? What to do? Aaron where the hell are you when I need you?” Resentment flared again at her husband's absence.

"Please, I don't want to die."

The words were now barely audible, even to vampire ears. The woman seemed to either be saying them to herself or praying to God, Dovey wasn't sure which. The only sure thing she knew was the thready pulse and fading aura indicated this pour soul had only a few minutes, if that long, left on this plane.

Oh what the hell. Dovey extended her fangs and bit into her own flesh, grateful she had recently fed. Blood flowed from her right wrist and she allowed the thick red liquid to drop onto the dying woman's lips. When it generated no response from the intended source, Dovey placed the fingers of her left hand on either side of her new friend's mouth and forced a pout that created a small opening. More of the precious liquid dripped into the open mouth and a pink tongue tiredly licked at the precious life-giving fluid.

Brushing aside the cross that lay on the woman's neck, the vampire leaned down and bit into the soft flesh along the side of the barely breathing victim's neck. At the same time, Dovey wedged her bleeding wrist against the open lips allowing for a blood exchange.

Drinking deeply, Dovey forced herself to stop as the woman's blood flow slowed. She sat back on her heels and studied the still face on the ground. Maybe in her late thirties, the woman had a steak of white in the front of dark hair that swooped along the side of a heart-shaped face. The porcelain skin had an iridescent quality to it, which probably resulted from the loss of blood.

"Crap. What now?” Unsure if she'd taken enough or too much, Dovey sat back on her heels and thought. She had no freaking idea how this conversion thing worked. This was her first attempt at making a changeling. Aaron was too far away for a mind-call, but Daniel only lived a few blocks from here. Maybe he could pick up her cry for help.

Daniel. Daniel, I need you. Dovey focused harder and sent out another plea. Daniel, can you hear me?

"I hear you loud and clear."

Startled, Dovey whirled around. Daniel stood behind her. If she hadn't been so intent on mind-speak she would have smelled him. He reeked of the cologne she had asked him to wear so he couldn't sneak up on her. The strong sweet scent caused her stomach to roll over in protest. Hang in there girl. Take care of the important business at hand. She shoved the need for a conversation about his over-kill on the scent to the back of her mind. It seemed men on any plane just couldn't get things right when it came to wearing cologne and needed a female to guide them. First find out what the hell you need to do about your conversion?

"What's up?” Daniel moved around her and stared down at the body lying in the dirty alley.

"I think I just made my first changeling."

"You what?"

Dovey didn't appreciate the edge in his voice. The last thing she needed or wanted right now was to have to deal with a PMM. It was bad enough when her husband had one of his pissy male moments, but why did the other men her life feel the need to bless her with theirs too. Especially this one.

She counted to ten slowly to keep from ripping off his lips or something equally as satisfying before she spoke. “Hey, don't get an attitude with me. The poor woman was dying and begging not to. What else was I to do, since there wasn't enough time to call 911 or get her to a hospital?"

Daniel's dark eyes bored into her, creating more resentment in Dovey over the lecture that was about to come. The man had become a father figure to her over the past year, but there were times....

"So, you decided to play God."

"I didn't play God. I tried to help someone who pleaded for me to do just that.” She'd just be damned if she'd let him know how unsure she'd been on who the woman pleaded for help from. “All I want from you is to know how all of this works. My experience is limited in this area.” She glared back at the older man. Sometimes males could be such asses.

Shaking his head, Daniel knelt down beside the motionless female. “She'll probably be under for a few days while the conversion takes place. We'll need to keep her in a quiet place."

"Any thoughts on that? You know what my living arrangements are like. The apartment above the club is fine for Aaron and me, but we don't have a spare room or, for that matter, a quiet one when the club is open for business.” Somehow, she didn't think the blast of music from below would give the quiet that Daniel said the woman needed while she went through whatever process one went through in order to wake up dead.

Daniel looked up from his squatting position beside the body. “It's a good thing I'm so fond of your husband or I'd tell you to figure this mess out for yourself."

"Ah, come on Daniel, you know you love me, too.” Dovey gave him her best helpless grin and batted her eyes. She saw the corner of his mouth twitch and knew she'd won him over.

"Yeah right.” Daniel looked at the woman again. “I have to be out of my mind to say this, but I have a room that will serve the purpose. She'll be hungry when she wakes up, as you know from your own experience, and someone will need to be there to explain her new life. That part I'm going to leave to you. I'll call you when it starts to happen and you'd better get your ass over as soon as I do. In the meantime you need to come over and help me clean her up."

"Yes Sire, Oh Wise One.” Dovey gave him a peck on the cheek. “You know I always do what you tell me to do."

"We both know how that's not the case.” Daniel picked up the woman and left, leaving only the swishing of his speed behind to tickle Dovey's ears.

Glancing down, Dovey eyes fell on her new shoes. “Crap. I just ruined a new pair of Jimmy Choos with all the garbage and blood in this alley.” She thought about trying to clean them, but decided the fashion footwear was too far gone. “I need to wear sneakers for feeding hunts in the future. Oh well, these heels seem a little tight anyway. Some idiot at the factory must have mislabeled them."

She shrugged and took one last look around. A tote bag that probably belonged to her new creation lay in the shadows and she picked it up. The poor woman might have her favorite shoes or outfit in there and Dovey knew what it was like to miss those essential things. She tossed the bag over her shoulder. God, she was hungry. Daniel had things under control and the clean up he said was needed could wait a few minutes longer. Surely Daniel wouldn't miss her if she stopped for a quick snack.

"Where the hell have you been?” Daniel was more than a little irritated with Dovey at the moment. He'd cleaned the blood off her changeling, pleased to see the stab wound had started to heal and by the time the conversion was complete, she wouldn't have a scar. When he removed her clothes, he'd paused for a good look at her body. Obviously, a mature woman whose full breasts weren't as firm as they had been in earlier years and a little cellulite had set in on the hips and thighs, but still attractive. There were a few wrinkles and lines on her face, but all the body imperfections would be gone once the transformation was complete as well.

"Had to run an errand.” Dovey wiped the corners of her mouth and moved to the side of the bed. “She really cleaned up good. Did you do it?"

"Who else, since you didn't bother to follow?"

A smile twitched across Dovey's mouth. “Oh, I don't know ... possibly the Evil Vamps."

Daniel knew she referred to the two young females that he'd been foolish enough to take in a couple of years earlier. Those two and their wild ways had managed to do what a thousand years of vampire existence hadn't done ... turn him off women, which really wasn't so bad since sex was pretty much the same old bore. “The ‘Evil Vamps', as you call them, decided it was time to be on their own. They moved to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. Do you believe they found me too controlling?"

"Imagine that, you controlling? Heaven help Sin City, but at least they won't be pawing my husband every time you bring them to the club."

Choosing to ignore the remark about his personality, Daniel turned his attention back to the woman on the bed. “As for cleaning up our friend here, of course I did. You weren't here to take care of things and I didn't want my Egyptian cotton sheets covered with blood."

Shrugged shoulders was Dovey's “whatever” answer and he seethed at her indifferent response. This woman was her creation and now she didn't appear to care. From the smell of her, Daniel knew she'd stopped to feed. What the hell was going on here? The Dovey he knew for the past year was concerned and compassionate about others, especially her employees and customers. In his book, this changeling ranked above any of those, even Dovey's special friend Rat, the shifter she'd taken under her wing.

"You know, I'm a little tired. Think I'll head out if you don't need me. Besides, your cologne is a little on the strong side."

His cologne too strong? She was the one who insisted he and Aaron both wear a scent so she'd know when they came into a room and now she complained. Plus, her attitude on the situation puzzled him. Tired wasn't a word he'd heard in her vocabulary in the year he'd known her. Something wasn't right and he needed to have a talk with Aaron when he returned.

Better yet, he'd call his protégé and business partner to suggest the younger vampire wrap up their business in New Orleans and get back home. If Dovey was having some type of adverse reaction to her vampirism, Aaron would be in a better position to know, since he'd created her.

Aaron and Dovey's lineage came from a CaribRosen clan of immortals of whom Daniel knew only of their existence, since they stayed primarily in their Caribbean world. He'd noticed differences from the European vampires in their ability to consume mortal food with no ill effects and that sunlight didn't seem to bother them to any great degree, but maybe something new had surfaced in Dovey.

Taking a seat close to the bed, Daniel stretched his legs out and leaned his head against the back of the chair. He had enough trouble keeping track of his ancestry, so to speak, let alone the origin of the numerous other vampire sects. After all, he wasn't the king of the vampires and it wasn't his responsibility.

Still, the ‘tired’ statement worried him. The woman usually had more energy than that frigging bunny the advertisers splashed across the television screen so often.

"Sure, go. Just make sure you stop in a few times each day to check on her and give me a break."

"Okay. No problem.” Dovey yawned and was gone.

Daniel turned to observe the woman on the bed. The white streak in her dark hair was attractive, especially how, tangled in the mass of curls, it emphasized one side of her face. He wondered what color her eyes were. Would they be blue or brown? With hair that dark, probably brown. The non-fashionable, frumpy style clothing she was wearing when he first brought her here indicated she wasn't local. There also was no wedding ring on her left hand, so she appeared to be single.

Did any of it really matter and why was he even wondering about things like eye color, marital status and where she was from?

Disgusted with his thoughts, he got up and walked to the window. Okay, enough of this. He didn't need to assume responsibility for the concern he thought Dovey should be exhibiting. The sooner this woman woke up the better, because then he'd be able to get her out of his home. Daniel settled down in the chair again and listened to the sounds of the night coming from the outside as his mind wandered.

It was interesting how one small decision could change one's life forever. With this woman, it was the wrong choice to enter a dark alleyway alone. For him it was the night he decided to ride home in a storm. His attacker came out of nowhere, bringing down his horse with non-human strength, and sinking his fangs into the man then known as Prince Cedric, one of the sons of King Gryffydd, ruler of a small British kingdom. Now, almost one thousand years later, he was Daniel Cedric Phillips, reclusive billionaire.

"Whare am I?"

Startled from his thoughts by a soft southern drawl, Daniel looked over at the bed. The woman sat up clutching the white cotton sheet to her chest, lips trembling and eyes round with fear. Not surprising since the last thing she would remember was someone sticking a knife into her.

"It's okay. You're safe here.” His answer resulted in her pulling the sheet tighter, if that was possible. “Honestly. You have nothing to fear.” Except the fact you're now one of the living dead.

"Whare are my clothes?"

"What?"

"I said whare in tarnation are my clothes?"

It took Daniel a moment to translate her question. He almost laughed at the way she drawled out the words. “Where are your clothes? Well, I think the trash is a good assumption since they were covered with blood."

"Oh.” Her eyes grew larger and she glanced frantically around the room as if looking for an escape.

How odd. Her eyes are lavender. I can't remember the last time I saw a woman with eyes such a soft color of purple. The part of Daniel's anatomy that hadn't experienced life in a long time, twitched in response. Maybe he should have taken up some of the many offers from the twins when they lived with him. Damn. I don't need this.

A sob brought him back to the problem at hand. “As I said before, you are safe here. What is your name?” Damn. The formal speech and stiff manner he lapsed into when under stress probably made her more nervous. Thankfully, he didn't revert into his native tongue of old English. He was sure that would have terrified her even more. Daniel watched as anxiety played across her face while she tried to make up her mind if she wanted to share any information, let alone tell him her name.

The stop for a quick snack from a sleeping bum on the way home didn't quiet Dovey's hunger, so she downed a couple of bottles of the liquid food from the apartment refrigerator before she headed downstairs to deal with club business. Did vampires gain weight if they consumed too much blood? If so, she was well on her way to the danger zone.

"Hey Dovey."

"How's it going, Rat?” She smiled fondly at her assistant manager. Rat kept things running smoothly when she was gone and, over the past week, her time away from the club increased each night in her quest to feed.

The happiness at having his wife, Abby, back reflected in his eyes. Daniel's acquaintance with the good witch Maida, a witch more powerful than Abby's mother, had come in handy. When Maida located her evil counterpart, she'd imprisoned the hate-filled female with a spell that would last forever unless there was true repentance for all the evil she'd done, especially the spell she put on Rat.

The unfortunate thing was Maida's inability to break the spell that turned Rat into the creature he was named for at the onset of a full moon. Thankfully, his wife took care of him during the days he lived in hiding and Dovey managed the club. Even with the dreaded change hanging over him, Rat's happiness to have the love of his life back was obvious.

"Great. The new girl is something to watch."

Dovey's eyes followed Rat's gaze toward the stage where a young woman slinked and curled around the pole, her slanted cat eyes calling to the men in the front row. One could almost hear her purr as her sleek body twisted with feline grace and she licked her lips in between blowing kisses to the group of horny customers seated at a corner table.

"Yeah, you better be careful my friend. That's about as close to a cat as any human can get. Kitty'd probably like a little mousey for dinner."

"Right.” Rat gave her a nervous grin and took a step back. “By the way, boss, better wipe the blood from the corner of your mouth before customers start to wonder who you've been devouring."

"Oh. Yeah, thanks.” She swiped a hand across her lips to remove the evidence of her latest snack.

"I could lick it off for you."

She whirled around. “Aaron! When did you get home?” Not waiting for an answer, Dovey threw herself into his arms. God, how she missed this man when he was away.

"Just now. I told Bobby to finish up the negotiations because I had a hot woman waiting for me.” He released his hold and stared at her intently. “I honestly think you get more beautiful with time. Instead of the pale washed out look of most vampires, you're radiant."

Yeah, well he'd be radiant too if he fed as much as I do these days. The thought of her out-of-control hunger, combined with the reek of Aaron's cologne brought back the black mood she'd been in earlier. Why in hell couldn't men learn less is more when it came to wearing a scent, instead of drowning themselves in it?

"You don't seem happy to see me. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"That was a pretty bitchy nothing. Do you want to tell what's really wrong?"

"Sheesh, can't a girl be a little out of sorts without being called a bitch. For cripes sake, if you and Daniel would stop pouring on a bottle of cologne, it would probably help. The stink gives me a headache.” The intensity of Aaron's glare gave Dovey the urge to smack him. Men never wanted to hear when they were wrong; only how wonderful they were or how big certain body parts were.

"If I recall correctly, it was your idea for us to wear the damned stuff and, for your information, I don't put on much."

Great, another PMM and he's getting downright snotty. Well, two can play that game. “Yeah, right.” If he wanted a fight then he'd come to the right place. She had the guilt over her first convert to the undead to deal with right now and didn't need a man giving her attitude ... especially one who couldn't stay home on a regular basis.

"Dovey.” Rat appeared at her side with the portable phone and it handed to her. “Daniel wants to talk to you and he sounds pissed."

"Wonderful.” Life just kept getting better. Just what she needed, another pissy male. “What's up, Daniel?"

"Dovey, get your ass over here now. Your friend is waking up."

Yep, Daniel didn't sound too happy, but it hadn't even been twenty-four hours. How could the she be waking up? And how was she going to gently break the news to the woman that she was no longer one of the true living?

Memories of her shock when Daniel accosted her (and yes he did, no matter what he called it) outside the funeral home and attempted to explain the situation to her, came flooding back.

At that moment, she'd hated the man who broke the news to her almost as much as she hated the vampire who turned her. Now she, Dovey was going to be the one hated when she told her changeling of the new life that lay ahead.

"Okay. Be there shortly.” She handed the phone back to Rat and turned to face her husband, reminding herself that vampires don't cry. There had to be another reason for the stinging behind her eyes. “We have to go see Daniel.” Dread sat in the bottom of her stomach like a chunk of lead. “But first there's something I need to tell you."

"I think the question that needs to be answered first is what is your name?” Billie Joyce clenched the sheet higher across her full breasts as she stared at the suave man standing at the foot of the bed. How did she get here? Had he kidnapped her to make her his sex slave or something?

"Very well, we can start with my name. I am Daniel Cedric Phillips, at your service."

The cute little bow that went with the statement almost made her smile, until she remembered the alley. Was this one of the men who jumped her when she took the shortcut? One of them pulled a knife and stuck it into her stomach when she resisted their grabby hands. That would explain why her clothes were bloody. No. This dignified gentleman couldn't have been in with those ruffians. To begin with, he was a lot older than either of the two young good-for-nothings who caught her in the alley. So how did he fit into the picture then?

"And you are?” His quirked eyebrow seemed to offer encouragement.

"Billie Joyce Nolan. My family and friends call me Billie Joyce and why am I here? What happened to end me up in this bed?"

"Well Billie, I have a friend who will be here any minute and will answer all of your questions."

He smiled a toothy, perfect smile that she was sure a lot of women would be happy to have directed at them, but the fact he didn't get her name right was none too impressive. “Billie Joyce. My name is Billie Joyce."

"Why do you use two names when one works just fine?” He quirked his eyebrow to emphasize the question.

"That's the way it's done where I come from.” The raised eyebrow thing was beginning to get on her nerves. And who was he to make fun of her name like that?

"Oh, and where would that be?"

"Wolf Knoll, just a hoot an’ holler in the mountains northwest of Charlotte. My family's lived around in those hills for as long as most can remember.” The full lips on the man pulled up in what may have been a smile or a sneer, Billie Joyce wasn't too sure.

"That explains it then. You Southerners seem to have a fixation with two names. I find it unnecessary. Billie works for me."

If she had her clothes, she'd hop right out of this bed and smack what she knew now was a smirk right off his face. “Well, it don't work for me. My name is Billie Joyce and that's what you can call me ... if you need to call me.” Obviously, she'd been mistaken in her thoughts of this man making her his sex slave. No one this high-faluting would have anything to do with little old her, no matter what her name was.

The scowl on his face confirmed her thoughts on the subject of him, her and sex. Not on the program. Fine. If he was so uppity, then why didn't he have better manners and offer her something to eat. She was starving. No need to beat around the bush since he was so poorly raised. “I'm hungrier than a hound dog after a disappointing rabbit chase. You got anything to eat around here?"

Her host blinked and opened his mouth several times before words came out. “I thought my friend would be here my now and she would get your first food supply for you."

As if on cue, a woman appeared in the door. “Sorry I'm late Daniel, but I needed to explain things to Aaron."

"Ya'll are loonier than a cow after she's been in the thistle patch. There ain't no such thing as vampires."

The look of disbelief on Billie Joyce's face was understandable to Dovey. She was sure her face reflected the same shock when Daniel broke the news to her that night outside the funeral home.

"I'm afraid it's true. I know the movies we see, the books we read, all teach us to believe folklore is just that, a good story. Then something like this comes along and slaps you in the face.” Dovey took the doubting woman's hand and squeezed. “You have to trust me on this. I was in your shoes a year ago."

"Shoes? I don't have on shoes."

The headache that always presented itself when Dovey faced stressful situations kicked into overdrive. “It's just a figure of speech. I know you're not wearing shoes.” She cast a sly glance at the woman clutching the sheet with one hand and grinned. “In fact, you're not wearing anything, right?"

Billie Joyce nodded her agreement.

"Okay, do you remember being attacked in the alley by a couple of goons with a knife?” Another nod of confirmation and Dovey continued. “Take a look at your body. Do you see a hole where the blade went in?"

Billie Joyce pulled her hand from Dovey's and lifted the sheet. She looked down and gasped. “No. There's no mark at all."

"That's part of the healing process your new body has. Most wounds will heal like that. You'll never know they existed."

After rearranging her cover, Billie Joyce set up straighter and fingered the cross around her neck. “Well, if you're a vampire, how come you were able to bite me with this cross around my neck?"

"Because the cross probably hasn't been blessed and Dovey is also Jewish.” Both women jumped at the sound of Daniel's voice.

"Shit, don't startle me like that.” Dovey whirled around and glared at the older vampire and at her husband, who now stood beside Daniel. “And would you two please go wash off that stinking cologne? The smell is adding to what is already a major headache."

"You're the one...."

"We wear it because..."

Dovey watched the two men trip over each other in an effort to express their obvious irritation at her comment.

"It's okay, Sugar.” Billie Joyce reached over and patted Dovey's hand. “A lot of women can't handle the smell of some things when they're in a family way."

"What the hell are you talking about?” Great, leave it to me to have a nut case become my first conversion. “There is no such thing as being in a family way for a vampire."

"Whatever you say, Sugar, but I've always been able to tell when a woman is expecting. Sometimes before she even figures it out herself."

Stunned, Dovey turned to Aaron to confirm there was no way she could be pregnant. His show of support was a shrug of his broad, sexy shoulders. Damn him.

Her eyes drifted to Daniel. The Aged One would know.

"There have been rumors of rare instances, but I personally have never known of such a thing happening."

"There.” She turned back to Billie Joyce. “I told you so."

"Whatever you say, Sugar. But, while you're trying to figure that little issue out for yourself, could you please get me some food. I'm hungrier than a bear at the end of a winter sleep."

Embarrassed at the realization she'd forgotten how hungry she had been after the change, Dovey jumped off the bed and zipped out of the room. She grabbed a couple of the refrigerated bottles of high-quality bovine blood Daniel kept in stock for his own personal use and was back in seconds.

Dovey held one of the bottles out to Billie Joyce and kept the other for herself. They'd toast the woman's first meal as a vampire together.

At the sight of the red liquid, Billie Joyce let out a scream and her eyes rolled around in her head before she slumped back against the pillows.

"Shit. I know the thought of downing that initial bottle of blood isn't thrilling, but for crying out loud, I didn't pass out my first time.” Well, they'd have to forgo the toast right now because Dovey needed to refuel. She chugged both bottles before deciding to try and bring the woman around. A glance over her left shoulder told her the men had grown roots for feet and hadn't moved from the spot where they'd been standing since they entered the room. In fact, they stood there with their mouths open, as if in shock.

As she set the empty bottles on a table beside the bed, Daniel appeared to discover the usage of the appendages at the ends of his legs. In a flash, he moved to the bed and sat down beside the inert form of Billie Joyce and alternated between patting her cheeks and rubbing her hands. He seemed to know what he was doing so Dovey gave him room.

"Since Daniel is taking care of bringing her around, I'll get more food.” She grabbed the empties, returning with two more bottles of fine bovine liquid and gave one to Aaron to hold so she wouldn't be tempted to drink it. Sipping on the other, she watched Billie Joyce's eyelids start to flutter as Daniel's efforts brought her back to consciousness.

Fully awake, Billie Joyce moved to sit up and looked in Dovey's direction. The newly-made vampire uttered another scream and fell back against the pillows. The eye-rolling thing reminded Dovey of a pinball machine in scoring mode.

"For crying out loud. What the hell is going on here?” Dovey turned to Daniel to supply the answer to her question.

"How should I know? She's your changeling. Every time she looks at you, she faints."

"She only did that when I showed up with the bottles of blood.” Dovey looked down at the bottle in her hand. She had been drinking when Billie Joyce came to and looked at her. Maybe the sight of seeing the red liquid consumed repulsed the new vampire. The woman had to get around her aversion to drinking the life-supporting nectar if she wanted to survive.

Dovey took the extra bottle from Aaron and placed it along with her half-empty one on a table in the corner. “Let's bring her around again."

Several minutes later, Billie Joyce's eyelids fluttered. She lay still, not opening her eyes. Dovey didn't have all night to wait for her changeling to get with the program. The creator needed a live snack and the sooner the better. In an attempt to show concern before she started her questions, Dovey sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the woman's hand. “What's going on with the passing-out thing."

"Blood.” Billie Joyce kept her eyes tightly shut. “I go into a dead faint every time I see blood."

"There's no blood in your line of sight at the moment so you can open your eyes.” Daniel's voice had an edge to it as he resumed his position beside Aaron. “How long has this been a problem?"

"Since I was a little girl. As far back as I can remember, even a little pin-prick would knock me out deader than a door nail."

Daniel shook his head in confusion. “Deader than a what?"

"I think she means out cold.” Aaron translated as he came up behind Dovey and began to massage her shoulders.

God, that felt good. Dovey leaned back against him as his magic fingers continued to work the knots away. She hadn't realized how tense this situation had made her.

"Why didn't she say so?” Daniel demanded in a petulant tone. “If she would speak English we could understand her."

"Now you listen here, Mister Smarty Britches,” Dovey noticed Billie Jean didn't seem concerned about modesty when her temper flared, as she leaned forward to glare at Daniel, “you can't even get a girl's name right."

"If the girl would pick one name to use, then that wouldn't be an issue.” Daniel stepped closer to the bed. “Would it?"

"Enough, you two.” Dovey moved to position herself between them. “You can argue over who calls who what later. Right now, we need to come up with a plan to get sustenance into Billie Joyce. She's going to weaken if she doesn't feed and I don't intend to lose my first creation because she's anorexic."

Daniel glared over Dovey's shoulder. “Fine. Aaron and I will go get a couple of thick steaks. Rare meat will tide her over while we work on another plan."

"I eat my meat well done, thank you.” Billie Joyce wrapped the sheet around her again and stuck her nose in the air.

"As in shoe leather. Maybe we should raid Dovey's closet instead.” Daniel seemed delighted with his slam at both women.

"Well, I never.” Billie Joyce swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stared at Dovey. “Sugar, are you going to let him talk to me like that?"

"Daniel, if you can't say anything nice right now, don't say anything at all.” God, her head hurt and she needed to eat again. The scent wafting from the half-empty bottle of blood across the room was driving her crazy. “We have a situation here and your assistance would be helpful.” When had Daniel become so temperamental? Haughty, cold and withdrawn she was used to. This sniping childishness was a new side of the Ancient One. She'd never seen him lose his cool before.

Dovey watched the looks exchanged between Daniel and Aaron. She knew there was a telepathic conversation taking place that she wasn't privy to hearing or participating in. The jerks blocked her out, but she'd never give them the pleasure of knowing how much it pissed her off when they blocked their mind transmissions. There would come a time when her abilities reached their level and then they'd come up against her barrier when she wanted to shut them out.

Finally, Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “Very well. I'll call a doctor I know."

"You'll what?” Dovey couldn't believe the words out of his mouth. How in hell would a doctor help in this situation?

"Dr. Jonas Nickels, this is your new patient. She faints at the sight of blood."

Daniel stepped back to allow Jonas easier access to Billie Joyce's bedside. Let her share her stupid double name with him. Remembering so many names must be a challenge to people in that area some days. By the time you called everyone you came in contact with by two names, at the end of a busy social day your jaw and your brain would be exhausted.

He watched as Jonas made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed and smiled his best sympathetic-doctor smile. Fat lot of good that would do him with this woman. She was rapidly becoming the most stubborn female he'd ever come up against, even surpassing Dovey on the list.

"Well, as you know I'm Jonas. Would you care to tell me you name?"

"Billie Joyce."

Her voice quivered and she batted her round pansy eyes at the handsome doctor now holding her hand. The scene playing out before him gave Daniel the urge to gag if he could still accomplish the reflex.

Instead, he left the room. Jonas could figure out what to do without his help and the last thing he wanted was to stand around and watch the ditzy female fall under the handsome doctor's spell. Hell, she'd probably drink a bottle of blood for him given the look of ecstasy on her face. But wait until she opened her mouth and started to talk. Jonas would be yelling for an interpreter in a few minutes.

No, he wasn't about to stand around and watch Eliza Doolittle make a fool out of herself more than she already had. He was no frigging Henry Higgins and it wasn't his job to teach her how to talk or how to act.

"How's it going in there?” Aaron tossed aside a newspaper and stretched.

"Fine, I guess. I didn't stick around to find out.” Daniel paced around the room, stopping at the window on each pass-by to look out over the city for a few moments. “Where's your wife? This whole mess is her fault and she should be the one in there with Dr. Do-Good."

"Damn, man. You're as touchy as Dovey. What's with you two?

Daniel turned and snarled at the man he'd come to think of as a son. “Nothing is wrong with me but, from the sounds of it, your wife has issues. The strain of vampires you two originate from have some weird abilities."

"Yeah, well I'm not sure I buy this pregnant thing that our visitor was blabbering about.” Aaron moved over to stand by Daniel in front of the window. “One of the things I've learned from spending so much time in New Orleans is southerners think a little on the strange side."

Daniel eyed him thoughtfully. “We should probably have Jonas check her out. If she's not pregnant, there's something else wrong. She's insatiable in her food quest."

"I know. I'm worried.” Aaron ran a hand through his hair. “She's not herself. It's not just the hunger, it's the mood swings. I'm afraid to get near her sometimes."

"Daniel.” Both men turned at the sound of Jonas's voice.

Aaron spoke first. “How's she doing, Doc?"

"I need to take her to my office.” Jonas's forehead wrinkled. “She's fading fast and if I don't get nourishment into her soon, we're going to lose her. I can give her a blood transfusion to buy us the time needed to figure out a permanent solution."

The concern in his voice triggered a little spark of fear in Daniel. Granted, she might be the most exasperating woman, next to Dovey, he'd met in a long time, but he didn't want anything to happen to her. “What do you need from us?"

"You're stronger than I am. Will you take her for me, Daniel."

Daniel left the room and was back in a matter of seconds with Billie Joyce's limp form in his arms. “I'm ready."

"Count me in.” Aaron followed the two men out the window.

"Billie, put the blindfold on.” Daniel held out the black scarf used to cover her eyes when she needed to feed.

"I've told you a thousand times, my name is Billie Joyce.” The man was as stubborn as a mule when it came to saying her full name, but what really got her goat was how he got such a bee in his bonnet when she asked him to do it.

"And, I've told you at least that many times, I'm not using a double name. I don't insist you call me Daniel Cedric."

"Well, Sugar, I would, you know. Don't see anything wrong with it. In fact, it's right pretty.” Daniel threw the scarf at her and stalked out of the room. Billie Joyce looked at Dovey and shrugged. “I swear, that man sure gets his feathers ruffled easily. Sometimes he's a little too big for his britches."

She saw Dovey pinch the bridge of her nose, a sure indication the girl had one of her headaches coming on. “Sugar, you got to go see that doctor. He might be able to help you with those headaches."

Dovey removed her hand and sighed. “The only thing that is going to help me with these headaches is if you and Daniel stop the bickering. You two are driving me crazy."

"Yeah, well, women in a family way do tend to get a mite touchy."

"And that's another thing. Stop with the family way crap. I'm a vampire and don't do the pregnant thing.” Her declaration could be heard a block away by anyone with normal hearing.

Billie Joyce watched as the girl tried to get control of her emotions. It probably wasn't a good idea to let her get so upset if she could do anything to help. “So, Sugar, what do you need from me?"

"To start, I need you to get along with Daniel."

"I declare.” She shook her head. “He just gets my goat when he won't use both my names like anybody with common sense would.” Billie Joyce crossed her arms. If she gave in on this issue, what would he demand she change next? He was just the type of holier-than-thou man that would think she gave into his wants. Nope, not gonna do it.

But Dovey was a sweet little thing and as much as the girl wanted to deny it, she was going to have a baby and getting upset wasn't good for her. Yep, Billie Joyce, you sure got yourself in fine pickle of a mess here.

"Tell you what.” Dovey sat down in the chair next to the bed and propped her feet next to Billie Joyce. “What if we all call you BJ? That honors both your names and is short enough to get an okay from Daniel."

Oh dear. The poor little thing looks so hopeful. It is a compromise of sorts, I guess, and better than letting Mr. Smarty Britches think he won. “Okay. I probably can live with that."

Live. Now that was a hoot. Her life now was as one of the undead. The angel she saw hovering over her in that dark alley now sat in the chair a few feet away. The hair Billie Joyce thought to be white turned out to be platinum blonde and she had been right about the eyes. They weren't blue, but green and when Dovey was upset or angry, they turned a hard emerald green, like right now.

So, BJ it is.” Dovey picked up the scarf and handed it to her. “If you don't consume your dinner, I'm going to."

BJ took the black silk, tied it over her eyes and allowed Dovey to place a bottle of life's liquid in her hands.

"Cheers.” Dovey clicked the bottle she had in reserve for herself against BJ's and they both raised their containers to their lips.

Blindfolding her had been the solution to feeding. As long as she didn't see the red liquid, she had no trouble consuming it. Dr. Jonas solved the problem of her human blood consumption by mesmerizing a live source and doing a transfer between her and the donor. Of course, her eyes were covered and the source had no memory of the exchange. According to him, it wasn't the best solution, but they would work with it for a while. Her other source of food was Daniel's refrigerated supply of bovine blood.

"Feeding time over?” Aaron stuck his head in the door as Billie Joyce removed the scarf from her eyes.

"Yep, and a mighty tasty one too.” She winked at Dovey and licked her lips in mock appreciation. Why couldn't vampires survive on chocolate ice cream instead of metallic-tasting yuk? The thought of a large dish of her favorite indulgence in her prior life almost made her mouth water. Too bad her recent attempt to dive into a bowl had been so disappointing. It had about as much taste as sawdust.

"You really need to work on this ridiculous passing-out thing.” Daniel appeared beside Aaron, who now stood at the foot of the bed.

"Look here, Mister High and Mighty. Don't you go sticking your nose in my business.” The man's know-it-all smirk had a way of driving her crazy. She'd said more hateful things in the past week than she had in a lifetime, just to annoy him. He had a way of rubbing her wrong. So what if he was good looking with the touches of silver around the temples of his dark hair. So what if he had eyes so dark they could bore into a girl's soul, if she still had one. He was also a smug, conceited, smarty-pants and she wasn't going to take any baloney from him.

"Don't you two start again.” Dovey stood up and moved between Daniel and Aaron, linking arms with both men. “Daniel, I think we have a solution to the name issue. Since you refuse to use both of Billie Joyce's names, from now on we'll call her BJ. That should be short enough for you and she's agreed to the compromise."

Daniel started to speak. “I ... I..."

BJ loved watching Daniel's mouth open and close like a fish out of water. She'd never seen him at a loss for words but she was sure when he found them, they'd be ones she didn't want to hear.

"Aaron, don't start with me.” If looks could kill, the one Dovey shot at her husband would have laid him out cold. “You men think with the little head below your belt more than the one on your shoulders. BJ applies to more than horny thoughts."

Wonder what that's all about? BJ flinched at the scathing tone of voice Dovey used in response to her husband's mind transmission about initials. Sounded naughty. Working on mind-reading moved to the top of BJ's list since it seemed her lack of ability caused her to miss out on some good stuff.

Sneaking a quick glance at Daniel, BJ saw the clenched set of his jaw and the twitch along the cheek. Good grief. Heaven help her when he finally found his voice. She could tell he was getting ready to give her a piece of his mind. If that was the case, he'd better be ready to get as good as he gave.

Instead, he addressed his words to Dovey. “I've made an appointment for you to see Jonas. Wrap things up here and let's go. We are supposed to be in his office in ten minutes."

If it wasn't rude, BJ would have laughed out loud. Dovey had the fish-out-of-water gasp going on this time as both men took an arm and the three of them were gone.

A little hurt at being forgotten, she swung her legs over the bed and went to the window. Life was one big mixed-up mess these days. Here she was a creature she thought only existed in books and movies, living with a man who didn't like her and fainting every time she got a gander at her food supply. All because she wanted to check out life in the big city and see if it was for her. To her dismay, it wasn't. Now going home was out of the question. She didn't think the neighbors would take too kindly to coming over to blindfold her and watch her down a bottle of blood. Even if she blindfolded herself and stumbled to the fridge to get her own liquid diet, how would she explain the weekly supply of something marked “keep refrigerated” to Mr. Hanks who made the deliveries in her area. Nope, she was trapped here in the city and unsure what tomorrow would hold.

Maybe she needed to consider Dr. Jonas’ offer to hypnotize her to see if they could discover this aversion she had to blood and find a cure.

A good cry would make things a mite better right now, but Dovey had said vampires didn't cry much. She had a lot to learn about her new life.

A month. Daniel tried to force the thought from his mind and let the strains of his favorite music wash over him. He poured from the decanter sitting on the bar and swirled the red liquid in his crystal glass before taking a sip. The calm he expected didn't happen.

A month. The infernal woman has been taking up space in my home for a month and with no end in sight.

To make matters worse, two weeks ago he was dumb enough to have fallen for another of Dovey's ploys. Her teary-eyed pleas to take in a ghoul named Zach, who wandered into the club looking for a job, had resulted in him now having a butler added to his household. In his past life, he'd had a manservant to wait on his every little need, but after that dark, stormy night his life changed, it was much easier to fend for himself. That way he didn't have to offer up any explanations about his lifestyle.

Now he not only had a butler, but one who was a ghoul. Aaron's change wasn't the only damage done by the rogue vampire. The evil creature not only took delight in creating vampires as he had with Aaron two years ago, but also taking the victims he didn't out right kill to the edge, leaving them in a state of half-existence.

His memory wiped of any prior life and the strong urge for a diet consisting of protein, Zach had spent the past two years roaming the city. Fortunately, the goodness in him was so ingrained, he fed on rats for his main food source. Blessed was the day that the zombie entered through the doors of Dovey's club and found a new home.

But Zach was the least of his problems. That blasted woman was the one driving him crazy. No matter how hard he worked to correct her speech, she'd fall back into hillbilly slang in the blink of an eye. To make matters worse, his treacherous body responded every time she walked into the room. All soft and sexy with that wild mop of raven hair cascading over her shoulders and lavender eyes that appeared to see into his soul—if he had one that is. He didn't like it when she brushed her hair to hide the white streak in front, but he resisted telling her. No need to let her know he preferred the way it curved along the side of her face, caressing her cheek the way he wanted to.

No. Stop thinking about her in those terms, you fool. Women and sex became a bore for you a lot of years ago. Besides, she swoons at the site of blood and that annoys the hell out of you.

A soft knock on the door, followed by Zach entering was the distraction he needed.

"Excuse me, sir. Miss BJ has had her dinner and will be in shortly. She wanted to freshen up."

"Thank you, Zach.” Great—another battle to look forward to. Why in hell did he tell Zach he wanted to see her? He wasn't that desperate for company. If he was, he could always go over to the club and talk with Aaron or spar with Dovey.

Poor Aaron. The visit to the doctor proved BJ to be correct in her announcement that Dovey was in a family way. And was she ever. The girl was growing in leaps and bounds. Of course, she couldn't pass a live being or a bottle of blood without snacking. She'd even reached the point human food didn't last around her, especially chocolate. Daniel had never seen anyone, human or vampire, with an appetite to equal this ravenous female. Interestingly enough, the only thing expanding was her stomach. Jonas had to be wrong about there being only one baby growing inside her. The doctor wanted to do an ultrasound, but the mother-to-be declined, refusing to give a reason as to why. At the current rate of expansion, she would explode before the ninth month.

Hmmm, maybe a trip to the club was the answer to spending time with BJ. They didn't argue around Dovey since it upset her. Besides, BJ hadn't had the pleasure of seeing the club at its best. Her one trip there had been with Dovey on a quick stop-by during the day.

"Daniel?"

He turned at the soft sound of his name. Unable to speak, he stared at the vision in front of him. The outfit BJ wore tonight emphasized all of her womanly curves and the thought of pressing up against them made him glad he was old fashioned enough to prefer pleated slacks. He needed all the room below the belt he could get right now.

Going to the club was definitely the thing to do. Otherwise, he might find himself in the position of finding out exactly how repulsive BJ Nolan found him.

BJ brushed her hair and hummed along with the soft strains of classical music that put her on notice Daniel was up and about. Not only did she have to adjust to her new existence as a vampire—one who had to eat with a blindfold to keep from fainting at the sight of her main food source—but she had also developed a liking for classical music which was a good thing, given how acute her hearing had become. Where she grew up, bluegrass and folk were the music that fed the soul.

Her relationship with Dovey, her creator, had also developed into friendship. The doctor confirmed the beautiful blonde vampire was pregnant and that had been a fun ride, watching her and Aaron work to get their minds around the idea of becoming parents.

Of course, Daniel was no help at all. He threw up his hands every time Dovey asked him a question on the subject. BJ now knew that vampire babies were not the norm, but then what about life as a vampire was normal anyway?

The soft mummer of voices caught her ear. Zach, the ghoul that Dovey talked Daniel into taking on as a butler, was obliviously saying something to his master. Now not only did the senior vampire order massive amounts of bovine blood from the most discreet butcher in New York City, but he also ordered cases of steak, since raw meat was Zach's number one food choice. “Bet that's one more happy meat-market owner.” BJ smiled at the thought of the man sitting in his dimly lit little office going over the books and chortling with glee when he came to Daniel's invoices.

She continued her daily ritual of one hundred brush strokes on her long black hair and let her thoughts wander during the mindless activity.

Daniel. What a combination of hot and cold. One minute he could be sweet as pie and he really hadn't said too many mean things to her lately. After watching My Fair Lady, the movie Dovey suggested she watch, BJ now understood the mumbled comments Daniel made about not being Henry Higgins. There was no way she talked like that Doolittle girl, but she did have to admit her drawl was different than the way people around her now talked and caused her to stick out like a sore thumb. She'd been working on her speech since watching the show and when Daniel did correct her on something she said, he was halfway nice about it.

But, and that was a big but, he needed to get off her case about needing to wear a blindfold when she fed. Yes, she was toying with the idea of letting Dr. Jonas hypnotize her to get to the bottom of the problem, but the older vampire's snippy remarks didn't put her in much of a mood to do it. She just wasn't ready to give the devil his due and let the holier-than-thou male think he'd won again.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her wool gathering. “Come in."

The door swung open and Zach entered, carrying a tray draped with a white napkin. “Dinner is served, Miss BJ.” He set the tray down on the table by her reading chair and produced a black cloth from his pocket. “Shall I tie the blindfold for you?"

At least one of the males in this gilded cage was a gentleman and a nice looking one at that. Too bad he didn't twang her strings like the conceited know-it-all who owned the place. Oh well, a girl couldn't always direct her heart or her head down the right path. She found that out the hard way as a teenager.

"Thank you.” BJ turned and gratefully accepted the darkness created by the fabric across her eyes. Anything was better than catching a peek of the bottle of red liquid that was now in her hands. Would she ever get use to the metallic aftertaste? Endure it she had to, but developing a love for the consumption of her life source didn't seem to be in the cards. Still, this was better than the weekly trip into Dr. Jonas’ office for the transfusion that he insisted she needed. It was a good thing he could do his voodoo on the sources he brought in for donors, wiping their memory clear of the procedure.

BJ handed the empty bottle to the waiting butler and removed her blindfold. “Delish as always, Zach. Leave it to you to select only the finest A-positive.” A grin and a bow were her reward for the little joke they shared.

"Mr. Daniel is up and asked you join him."

Great. “Thank you, Zach.” What would tonight's lecture be on? If he started on the blood thing, she'd smack his chops. Mr. Older-Than-Dirt needed to learn when to back off instead of beating a dead horse. She still couldn't believe the man was a thousand years old. Although, for being older than dirt, he sure was hot. Hot. She liked that word. Dovey used it to describe the good-looking men that came into the club.

Maybe another diction lesson was on the schedule. She would give him credit for helping improve her speaking skills—except, of course, when she wanted to get his goat or she got upset. Around that man, a girl could stay upset, so she needed to get over falling back into the old habits. Of course, when there was a need, a girl couldn't be blamed for doing it for spite.

Guess I'd better get this over with. It's not like I can spend time in front of the mirror playing with my hair. Not being able to see her reflection still upset BJ. She didn't understand how the man Daniel took her to see when he wanted her to get a passport was able to take her picture. The nice young man explained it had something do with how a camera sees things. Too technical for her. All she knew was the next time she needed to see how she looked in an outfit, she'd have to have a picture taken. Oh well, no need to lament over all that right now. She'd received her summons to appear before the lord and master of this prime piece of real estate, though it was obvious from the way he treated her he thought she should bow to him on all fronts. Not gonna happen in this lifetime, which looks like is going to be forever.

Squaring her shoulders, she headed for the library where Daniel preferred to spend most of his at-home time. Passing through the perfectly decorated living room, she could understand why. With the exception of the comfy library most of the penthouse was too formal for her taste, especially this sprawling room. As much as she was coming to appreciate the finer things in life, she was going to hang onto Billie Joyce Nolan, small-town mountain girl.

"Evan!” Dovey threw her arms around her brother's neck, delighted to see someone who would be nice to her. She couldn't believe how every male in the immortal world where she now lived was getting on her last nerve. The only two people she could tolerate were her brother and BJ, who had quickly become her best friend.

Aaron had turned into a husband who didn't think she could function on her own. She wished he would take a business trip, but instead he stuck to her like feathers to tar, as BJ often said. Whatever he was stuck to her with, her darling was quickly becoming a PITA and rubbed her the wrong way with the doting-husband routine.

Daniel was his usual pain-in-the-ass self, too. Under normal circumstances the man was a pain, but since BJ came on the scene he'd become a regular bear. Worst of all, he seemed to blame Dovey for BJ's existence. Okay, so she did turn the dying woman into a vampire, but it wasn't like she was the first to ever create another non-dead. How the hell did he think they all came to be? But the thing that really grated was the way he'd look at her growing stomach and shake his head. Well, fuck him and the horse he rode on the night he was turned.

Then add Rat to the mix and the men in her life were well on their way to extinction. The way he kept changing the schedules she worked so hard on, and double-checking the books after she spent time on them, made her want to sick Cat Girl on the little man when he went through his monthly shift into the little rodent he was named for.

Okay, so she made an occasional mistake. Well alright, several, but he was worse with numbers than her and she knew he slipped the books to Aaron to go through. For crying out loud, she'd like to see them turn into a blimp who could only think about food and their body being stretched apart.

This baby thought it was a gymnast going for the gold. Obviously God still wasn't through having fun at her expense.

"How's my little niece or nephew?” Evan rubbed his sister's protruding stomach and grinned. “Man, I can't believe you're only three months. It looks like you're growing a football team in there."

"You're taking your life in your hands with comments like that?” Aaron slapped his brother-in-law on the back in a male-bonding greeting. “She gets a little testy over remarks about her appearance."

Men and their distorted sense of humor on most things, but women's bodies in particular and especially hers, was not a subject she wanted to get into at the moment. If she ignored the idiots, maybe they'd disappear. She turned her back on the two chattering men and pretended to become absorbed in the accounting sheets spread on the bar.

Pregnancy was something she never gave much thought as a mortal. When friends decided to procreate, she kept as much distance as possible. Listening to another woman's woes of her body changing was the last thing she'd wanted to hear in those days. Life back then was one big party and a knocked-up female wasn't going to spoil hers with their whining.

Now, she'd love to have another woman to share the changes taking place inside and outside. Problem with that was no one knew of any other pregnant vampires. If she'd known this possibility existed, she would have used birth control. In all the reading she did after the change and all her memories of movies she'd seen about the undead, this subject wasn't covered at all. Just an occasional blurb about them being sterile was the only mention of pro-creation in the undead she ever discovered. Chalk another one up to misinformation on the subject.

The big question I have right now is what is this baby? I'm sure it's either a boy or a girl, but what else? Do vampires beget vampires? Will it be mortal or some other kind of immortal? These concerns did nothing to improve Dovey's mood. Given the constant demand the baby made on her for protein, she really wondered if an immortal of some type grew inside her. And that was the underlying reason she rejected Jonas's suggestion of an ultrasound. Fear. She didn't want to know what grew inside her until she had to face the truth.

Then add in her foot problems. Her beloved shoes sat in rows in the closet, lined up like soldiers waiting for her to be able to get into them again. The joy of shoe-shopping was a thing of the past. She'd be better off bringing home the boxes to wear and not have the pain of putting another pair of designer beauties on the shelf. These days her morning selection consisted of flip-flops or the one pair of sneakers, two sizes larger than normal, that she'd broken down and bought.

No, being pregnant wasn't her thing and once this one was over, she'd take every precaution under the sun to avoid another one. Hell, if it meant becoming a nun at the moment, that worked for her.

"Daniel."

Dovey stifled a groan at the sound of Aaron's greeting of his mentor. Just what she need; with Rat working tonight she was stuck with all three of the male creatures she wanted to disappear.

She fixed a smile in place and turned around. BJ stood beside Daniel and the woman looked sensational. Obviously the fashion tips Dovey had given were put to good use. The older woman was sexy, but not trashy. BJ's full mouth looked kissable with the new lip gloss Dovey had talked her into on their last shopping trip and, from the healthy glow to her skin, it was obvious her friend had already fed tonight.

The eyes of most of the men in the club focused on the well-rounded female and Evan was no exception. Down, baby brother.

"Are you going to introduce me or do I need to take care of it myself?” Evan's nudge confirmed his interest.

Okay, she'd take care of the introduction and then get Evan aside and explain the situation.

The scowl on Daniel's face at the interest BJ created peaked Dovey's curiosity. She'd noticed that look before when Dr. Jonas paid more than medical attention to the voluptuous vampire. Did Daniel have designs on BJ?

Right now, Daniel wasn't her concern though. If she didn't get Evan straightened out about the situation, he'd start drooling down BJ's cleavage soon.

"Hi, I'm Evan.” Evan held out his hand to the object of his interest.

Little brother is more impatient than I remember. “BJ, Evan is my younger brother. Sorry to introduce and run, but we need to have a family conference."

"Come little brother.” Dovey liked her arm through his. “We need to talk.” Now all she needed was to figure out a way to explain how she made her first changeling without coming across as a monster to the only human who mattered to her.

Daniel stood outside BJ's door and listened for movement. He regretted taking her to the club tonight. The way men clustered around her, one would think she had worn an irresistible pheromone instead of the soft scent of flowers that was her signature. She was more irresistible to him with every passing day, but not due to something she wore. It only took her being BJ to spark his interest. The fiery, raven-haired beauty was more woman in one package than he'd come across in centuries.

Should he knock? If he did, he was done for. No way could he quell the passion that surged inside him if she opened the door.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

Damn, he was so distracted with lust he didn't hear Zach come up behind him. “No. I always feel a little restless right before sunrise. I'll go turn in now. Thanks for checking, Zach."

Depression weighed on him as he entered his bedroom. Thank goodness he'd given up on the ghastly coffin in the nineties and replaced it with a comfortable bed. The heavy brown drapes on the windows kept the room shrouded in dark and allowed him to sleep. Though he could venture into sunlight, he still felt uncomfortable in daylight and, from habit, sleep came easier during day hours.

The matching velvet curtains around his bed gave another layer of darkness. Sleep reached out to claim him, but flitted away with a soft knock on the door. Something must be wrong for Zach to disturb him.

Daniel pushed aside the brown velvet and swung his legs off the bed as he reached for the bathrobe he'd tossed on the foot of the bed when he turned in. “Yes. Come in, Zach."

The door opened slowly and the head that appeared wasn't his butler's. “BJ? Is there a problem?” Her large pansy eyes glittered with fear and she licked her lips several time, but no words came out. Daniel swung his legs over the edge of the bed and made his way across the room to the door. BJ stepped inside and leaned against the now closed door.

Mesmerized was the only term that came to mind as he drew nearer. He was totally and completely mesmerized by her eyes. Their normal shade of lavender became a deeper shade of purple the times he'd seen her angry or passionate about an issue. At this moment they were the darkest he'd ever seen them and Daniel hoped it was because she felt the same burning desire that raged in him.

Another dart of the pink tongue over the full mouth and finally a sound, “No,” the word came out as a whisper. “I couldn't sleep."

The neck of the silk dressing gown slipped, exposing a smooth white shoulder. Daniel counted to ten to give time for his brain to respond. All his thinking had gone south with the pain between his legs that drained the blood from his head. He had forgotten the exquisite ache of an erection.

His right hand reached out and traced the curve of the hollow above her breast bone. The milky skin was as soft as the blue silk that covered the rest of her body.

Lust was an emotion he remembered well and it consumed him now. It was one of the few that carried over into his life as a vampire. But what he felt for the woman in his arms went beyond the raw basics of passion. He wanted to consume her body and her being; to make her his in the merging of their existence as he had done with no other. Did that constitute love on the vampire plane? Never having had more than passion enter into his relationships with the opposite sex, even as a mortal man, he had no idea what being in love felt like. The one thing he was certain about was that if insanity equated to love, he was there, because at times this woman drove him insane. Still, during the desire to strangle her, there was always the need to consume her.

A simple act on his part would take care of making her his forever. A blood bond created between the two would ensure her connection to him, but he refused to stoop that low. He'd win her over as regular lovers did, by courtship.

The electricity between them could light a city block and he, at least, was on the verge of being scorched. His fingers followed a path up the side of her neck, stroking the curve of her ear before moving to cup her face. The lavender eyes darkened further as his head lowered.

The touch of their lips sent sparks shooting through is body and Daniel felt the tremble from BJ's body as they melded against each other. She tasted of blood and the cognac she'd sipped during their time at the club.

"I want you.” His hands pushed at the robe, the belt giving way and allowing the silk to slide to the floor. “I've wanted you from the moment I set eyes on you."

She didn't speak, but her body language said more than any spoken words as she pushed against him, her tongue working to explore his mouth with the same intensity as his exploration of hers.

The urge to take her against the wall was primitive, but common sense prevailed briefly. He wanted the first time to be for her; his needs could wait a few moments longer.

Daniel stepped back and took her hand, guiding her to the velvet-shrouded bed. “I want to pleasure you.” He gently pushed her back onto the bed and slipped out of his bathrobe as she observed him in silence. Fear combined with the hunger he saw in the lavender eyes, tugging at his heart.

He climbed onto the bed and leaned back on his heels to let his eyes feast on the lusciousness in front of him. Her Venus mons was covered by soft curls, unlike most of the women he'd viewed in recent years, who removed all of their pubic hair. This was how a woman should be; a nest in which a man could feel the tickle against his face when he buried it against the feathery softness.

His hand reached out and played with the springy curls, a finger slipping deeper into the wet heat they covered. The throb of his erection intensified as he explored. Gasps of pleasure sounded from the perfect, rosy mouth of the woman writhing in front of him.

"Please.” The first word she'd spoken since he kissed her came out in a raspy moan.

"Oh, I intend to please.” Daniel leaned forward, placing his head at the top of the raven darkness that protected her sex. His tongue darted between her curls and he feasted on the delicious wetness. The squirming motion told him all he needed to know. Grasping her hips on either side, Daniel delved deeper into her womanhood.

Mumbled, incoherent words gave way to whimpers and then to cries as a reward for his efforts. He smiled at the confused look on the beautiful face. One would think it was her first orgasm from the worshipful way she regarded him.

"What about you? How do I make you feel this good?"

He laughed and moved his body up between the long, open legs and placed his dancing erection against the curls. “I think this will definitely solve that riddle.” Her heat caressed him as she rocked back and forth against his thrusts. Maybe three years without a woman was too long, even for a vampire, because the stamina he once prided himself on in the bedroom didn't kick in. He tumbled over the edge in less than a minute.

God, how she hated keeping the books for the club, in fact she hated bookkeeping, period. Nothing put her to sleep quicker. Dovey pushed away from the desk and glared at the stack of invoices that still needed entering into the system. Hiring an accountant would be discussed at the next partnership meeting. Between Aaron and Daniel, one of the two should be able to come up with a numbers cruncher from the supernatural realm. She had problems of her own.

A glance down at her swollen feet only confirmed she's spent too much time sitting in front of the computer. Why did she throw out the boxes when she bought the last pairs of shoes? The long rectangles would fit nicely over these sausages otherwise known as feet. If the skin got any tighter, she was sure it would split like a bratwurst casing that hadn't been pricked to let the steam escape while cooking.

What she needed was a good foot rub. Granted, it wouldn't take down the swelling, but the soothing cream would make the stretched skin feel better.

"Aaron.” No response told her that while she was so engrossed in the books, her darling husband had probably gone downstairs to help Rat set up before time to open the doors for business.

"Wonderful. Just frigging wonderful, never a man around when you need one.” Not that she could blame Aaron. She wasn't exactly the easiest person to live with these days. It was hard being mad with the world most of the time, but it seemed with each passing hour, her body expanded. The skin on her belly equaled the tightness of her feet. Whatever happened to the elastic quality skin was supposed to have? Did that go away with becoming a vampire and, if so, why didn't the fertile thing go with it?

Holding onto the edge of the desk, Dovey pushed herself up to a standing position. Another thing that was gnawing on her nerves was mobility. Vampire speed had become a distant memory. The larger her stomach became, the slower she moved. Soon she'd be like a turtle if she ended up on her back, feet and legs flailing in the air, unable to right herself.

Sighing in disgust, she padded into the bathroom. With her vampire vision she didn't bother to turn on the light to search for the foot cream. If she lay on the bed and rolled to the right position, she could get a little on the tops of her feet.

Movement in the mirror caught her attention. From the corner of her eye she'd swear she saw someone in here with her. What now? Dovey looked toward the mirror, her enhanced vision picking up an image in the glass. A scream slipped out before she could stop it. She had to stop being pregnant and soon. Yelping like a frightened mortal was yet another thing on the growing list of things that weren't right.

Stepping closer to the mirror, she realized the image reflected could be her, or at the very least her old self. That wasn't possible. She'd discovered within a few days of waking up to a new life, mirrors were useless to her. Gone were the days of primping and checking to see if hems were straight. Still, the person staring back at her looked like the old Deb Stein of her former self and pretty damned good, considering.

She leaned closer and moved her hand up toward the top of her head. The face in the refection did the same. Wow. Her fingers threaded through the spiky hair and so did the fingers of the image. Was her skin really as pink and glowing as the twin in front of her? When and how did this happen?

"Honey?” Aaron called from the doorway. “Are you okay?"

"I can see myself.” The excitement carried in her voice.

Aaron came up behind her. Holy crap, she could see him in the dual reflections in the glass. Was this another strange thing the pregnancy did to her body? “And, I see you."

"Yeah.” Aaron grinned at her in the glass. “The timing is about right."

"Timing? What are you talking about?"

"My essence started to return around the first anniversary of my change. At first it was only a dim shadow, but each day it grew stronger. Hadn't you noticed my reflection in passing mirrors?"

"I don't bother to look in mirrors anymore. It only leads to disappointment.” Dovey shrugged off the hand he placed on her left shoulder. So why did this wonderful turn of events have to happen when she looked like a blimp. This was an image she could have survived without. Now it was burned in her mind forever.

Aaron looked hurt. “I thought you would be pleased."

"Elated. Can't you tell?” She grabbed the tube of cream that originally brought her into the bathroom. Dovey pushed past her husband and headed back to the bedroom. “Come do your fatherly duty and take care of the mother of your child."

"Really?"

The hopeful grin on Aaron's face reminded her of the jack-o-lanterns used in the club décor. Poor guy, sex wasn't on the menu often these days. “No, not that. Mama needs a foot rub.” If her mood improved afterwards maybe he'd get something rubbed, too.

"Hello, earth to BJ."

BJ responded with a sheepish grin to Dovey's good natured taunting. “Sorry. Guess I zoned off for a minute."

"Minute my ass. You've been staring at that computer screen without seeing it for at least a good ten minutes. Good thing I don't pay you by the hour."

"Oops, sorry.” BJ picked up an invoice from the desk and started to enter the information. She was distracted and had been since the morning she'd worked up her courage to knock on Daniel's door. Life hummed around her and she'd moved through it for the past few weeks in a daze, waiting for the rising sun and escape into the arms of the man she loved. He played her body like a fiddle, or maybe violin was a better word, but whichever, he took her to places she never knew existed.

In exchange, she'd put in research time on the internet in an effort to learn a few tricks that took him over the moon. Dirty movies had been whispered about when she was in high school, but no decent girl watched them. Did that mean she wasn't decent because she consumed several like a bag of chocolate when she first came across one while surfing? My, oh my, the things a girl could download.

Plus she ordered a book called the Kama Sutra. That sure wasn't required reading in the community college she attended. All those different positions, why who knew a body could twist around like that?

Her fingers continued to automatically enter the numbers that floated on the page in front of her as her mind wandered. Yep, here she was a vampire experiencing a sex life she never dreamed about with a man that was so good-looking women on the street stopped for a second look at him and, on top of that, she now had a job.

The morning Dovey lamented about the evils of bookkeeping resulted in BJ becoming an employee of All Halloween All Year, the new name Dovey decided to change the marquee over the club to read. By rearranging the storage room in the back of the club, she had her own office—well okay, cubby hole. But it was large enough to squeeze in an extra chair, which Dovey occupied more and more since the men got on her nerves so much.

There were only a couple of things not right with her life at the moment. Number one, as passionate as he was, Daniel never said the words she wanted to hear. She had no idea if he felt the same way she did, or if she was just the girl of the moment to take care of his carnal needs.

The other issue was her aversion to the sight of blood. It was still an area of contention between her and Daniel. True, he didn't comment as frequently as he did the first few weeks, but each time Zach brought the blindfold for her feeding, guilt nagged at her for being such a wus of a vampire. As bad as she felt about covering her eyes to drink bottled blood, it didn't compare with the humiliation of the weekly trips into the doctor's office for a transfusion from a live source.

"Sugar, what do you think about this hypnosis stuff?” BJ tossed the invoice she held on top of the stack and whirled her chair around to face Dovey. “Does it really work or is it just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo?"

Dovey rubbed her bulging stomach and cast her eyes around the room as if looking for something. That something would be a snack, if BJ knew her friend.

"It works. Hypnosis is used for a lot of things. The practice has become more acceptable in the medical community. Some doctors recommend it to patients to help them kick their smoking habit and shrinks have used it for a long time in helping people access suppressed memories.” Dovey stopped with the belly rub and eyed her suspiciously. “Why? Are you thinking about Jonas's offer to put you under in an effort to find out about your blood phobia?"

"Maybe. Well, alright. I think about it often, especially lately. To spend eternity having someone blindfold you every day in order to consume your main food supply doesn't excite me.” Rearranging the papers on the desk gave BJ an excuse to look away from Dovey's inquiring stare. The last thing she wanted was for the other woman to guess her secret. She'd do about anything to make Daniel happy because, when he was happy, so was she. Even if he hadn't uttered the words she longed to hear, if she worked on becoming the perfect vampire there was a better chance that one day “I love you” would flow from his mouth.

Talk about besotted; she was so head-over-heels crazy about the Ancient One, as Dovey called him behind his back, she'd walk through fire with gasoline-soaked drawers on. And that was with the knowledge that fire was one of the things vampires wanted to avoid if at all possible. She had it bad for a man who probably thought of her as a sex object.

Dovey pushed up out of the chair and stood for a moment rubbing her back. “When we go into see Jonas next week, why don't you talk to him? Ask him all the questions that are bothering you and let's hope he can come up with better answers for you than he does for my situation.” Her rubbing switched to the front when her stomach took a sudden rise to the right. “I get so sick of hearing “I don't know” in answer to everything I ask him, if he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him."

Talking about their doctor did nothing to improve Dovey's mood and BJ knew the only thing that would calm her friend down was distraction. The main distraction was upstairs in the apartment Dovey and Aaron called home. According to Daniel, Aaron had tripled the supply of bottled blood he ordered weekly. “Isn't it time for your morning snack?"

Dovey's face brightened at the mention of food. “Great idea. I'd invite you to join me, but under the circumstances I guess it's not such a great idea."

"Right. You enjoy. I need to finish up these entries and balance yesterday's receipts."

"Okay, later then.” Dovey waddled in the direction of the stairs. “Watch the amazing vampire speed with which I move,” she called over her shoulder.

BJ stared toward the door for several minutes after her friend left. Doubt tugged at the back of her mind. Dovey looked closer to seven or eight months pregnant than the five months the doctor insisted she was. Could Jonas be wrong, if not on the calculation of time, then on the number of buns in the oven?

It didn't matter. BJ had heard the graphic details about enough births when her grandmother was called on to help the local midwife. They always rehashed the birth and the one thing they saw eye-to-eye on was when the baby or babies wanted out, it would happen and no doctor's prediction mattered.

She turned back to face the computer screen muttering to herself. “Dovey's right. Let's hope he knows more about what he's doing when it come to hypnosis than he does about pregnant vampires."

"Cheers, gentlemen.” Daniel raised his wine goblet to his two friends who lifted their glasses to salute him in return. Jonas had been his friend for almost three hundred years and Aaron had become the son he'd never had since he found the newly-made vampire wandering the streets two years ago.

"Now, back to the subject of this baby.” The girls’ impromptu shopping trip gave them the opportunity to discuss the situation without being concerned about Dovey's reaction to some of the questions he had. “Any idea at all about what we're facing Jonas?” He looked expectantly at the doctor. Jonas not only had centuries of medical experience behind him but, being the only vampire doctor in the North and South American continents, he received a lot of information which he shared with Daniel about their extended community.

"I've had feelers out on the subject, Daniel, but so far not a word.” Jonas tapped his fingers against the crystal in his hands. “A few rumors surfaced, mostly gossip that so-and-so knew of someone who knew someone else who swore they knew of a vampire female giving birth. Even the CaribRosen isn't being a very fertile source, pardon the pun, of information on the subject and that's where their line originates from.” He looked at Aaron and shrugged. “We're on our own here and I'm betting the birth will be a normal human-style one."

A frown creased Daniel's forehead. “Is there any chance the baby will be something other than vampire?"

Palms turned up in a gesture of defeat, Jonas shrugged his shoulders. “Your guess is as good as mine."

Perched on the window ledge with the night lights of the city behind him, Aaron hadn't contributed much to the conversation, but Daniel saw the worried look in his eyes. Aaron moved away from the window and selected a chair.

"You mean our baby could be something else? What?"

Uncomfortable with the stories he dredged up from distant memory, Daniel hesitated to voice them out loud, but Aaron needed to be prepared in case there was any truth to them. “Long before either of you came into existence, I heard a few stories.” He glanced at Aaron who now sat on the edge of his chair. “There was one about a female vampire who had a human baby and another who had a succubus. There were also tales about female humans who copulated with vampires and delivered ghouls, demons and sometimes vampires."

He watched Aaron scrub his hands over his face. Poor guy. Not only did he have to worry about how his wife would fare with the birth, he now had the added concern of what she was going to deliver.

"Sire.” Zach stood in the door, a panicked expression on his face.

"Yes, Zach. What's wrong?"

"You have a visitor, in fact several.” He cast his eyes over his shoulder. “They insisted I interrupt you."

Uninvited visitors were unusual, but the unflappable Zach's reaction was even odder. Obviously, someone had said or done something to upset the ghoul and Daniel didn't care who or how important these people were in their own eyes, being rude to his butler wasn't something he'd abide. “Show them in, Zach. I'm sure they can state whatever their business may be in front of my friends."

"Yes, Sire."

Zach's courtly bow before he left was another surprise. Their employer/employee relationship was not on a level warranting such formality. And what was with the “Sire"?

Before he could delve any further into the puzzling situation, the door opened and three men and a woman entered. All approached Daniel and the male members of the group dropped to one knee, heads bowed, while the woman dipped into a deep curtsey.

Daniel recognized one of the men as a high-ranking member of Lacern, the vampire king's, court. What in the name of all the powers is going on here?

"Damien, would you like to explain why you and your friends have arrived in my home uninvited?"

"Certainly, Your Majesty. We have come to inform you of your succession to the throne of the vampires. You are now our king.” With the last words, the man raised his head and gave a Daniel a twisted smile.

"King? Impossible. Lacern is our king. He has ruled the vampires for over nine hundred years."

"True, Sire, but Lacern has met with an untimely demise.” Damien exchanged glances with the others kneeling beside him.

The looks didn't escape Daniel and added to his irritation. Lacern had been his mentor during his early days of acclimating to life as one of the walking dead. As one of the group of rebels who helped depose the prior king and put Lacern on the throne, Daniel held a position as advisor for several years. There wasn't a lot of communication between them in recent years. The king preferred the old ways and couldn't understand Daniel's desire to keep up with the changes in the mortal world, but they parted as friends when Daniel chose to leave.

"Stop with all the groveling and get up off your knees, man. All of you stand up.” He pointed at the others. “Tell me what happened to Lacern and why you have the foolish idea I'm your new ruler?"

They all rose and the others turned to Damien. He appeared to be the spokesman for the group. “As you wish, Sire. You may recall, Lacern had a lust for the ladies. His wife of several hundred years chose to turn a blind eye to his wanderings but, unfortunately, one of his choices as mistress wasn't so understanding."

Damien coughed into his hand and looked uncomfortable. It wasn't often Daniel saw a vampire squirm, but that definitely was what the bearer of this story did. Well, if they wanted to play games, he could too. Kings commanded their subjects. “Continue.” His tone left no argument.

"The lady in question discovered Lacern was not only cheating on his wife with her, but he also was cheating on her with a new interest. They had a terrible row and he told her to leave until she came to her senses."

Damien squirmed again and glanced at his companions as if for moral support. “She did leave but, knowing the king's schedule, she returned during his sleep time. Familiar with the layout of the castle, she slipped into his chamber and staked him through the heart while he slept."

Daniel watched the color drain from Damien's face at the recollection of the deed. He could understand how the man must feel. Damien had been a loyal follower of Lacern for many centuries. The full impact of his friend and king's death hadn't hit Daniel yet, but for now he needed to focus on the insanity taking place in his library.

A quick glance at Jonas and Aaron confirmed they were as shocked as he was by the scene playing out before them.

"Given his power, he would have recovered from the staking once someone discovered him and removed the wood, but she didn't stop there.” Damien's eyes glowed red in anger. “No, she cut his head from his body and took it with her."

"She decapitated him?” Staking Lacern would have immobilized him and allowed his lover to remove his head. If she was smart enough to know that, she probably knew that with the king's power, if the head was placed back on the body within a few hours, it would have reattached itself. No, this vicious creature took his head to eliminate that potential.

"Did you find the head?"

"No, Sire. We have not located his mistress or the king's head. We are here to request your return with us to the castle for your coronation."

"Forgive me, Damien, but I'm having trouble with this heir to the throne scenario. Lacern and I have not had close contact for several centuries. Surely, there are others more qualified than I?"

Damien sat the bag he carried on the floor before he reached inside his black jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. “It is all spelled out here, Sire. As you can see, these are the adoption papers signed by the king, naming you his son and designated heir in the event something should happen to him."

The papers were a dead weight in Daniel's hand. He'd forgotten about these documents. When he'd agreed to Lacern's plan, it was under the assumption that nothing would ever come of it. Just a mere formality to stop the bickering among the members of the vampire court to become the king's favorite. The chances of either dying were stronger for Daniel, since he chose to make his home within the human world.

King was the last position he wanted. His patience with idiots didn't exist and there were plenty of them in the court of vampires who swarmed around the monarch worse than bees. Plus, the notion of having to settle petty disputes between various clans didn't set well, not to mention conflicts with other supernatural entities. He didn't have Lacern's patience for playing the game of politics.

As Daniel's own conflict swirled through his head, Aaron chose that moment to speak up. He and Jonas both hadn't said a word since the group entered the room and fell at Daniel's feet.

"Shall we bow and kiss your hand, Your Majesty?"

"No,” Jonas nudged Aaron's shoulder, “knowing Daniel, he'll want us to kiss his ass."

Great, just what he needed at a time when one of the most pivotal decisions of his existence needed to be made. Their feeble attempt at jokes did make him smile and some of the tension released from his shoulders.

"Gentlemen and lady,” he nodded his head to include the lone woman in the group. “If you would excuse us for a few minutes, I'd be most grateful.” Damn, he already sounded like a ruler or maybe it was what BJ referred to as his bossy side coming out. He maneuvered his way around the bodies between him the door so he could open it. “Zach will see that you receive refreshment to revive you after such a long journey."

Damien picked up the bag sitting on the floor and bowed from the waist. “If you wish, Majesty, but it is critical we crown you and place the Sphere of Power in your hands as quickly as possible.” The others in his group joined him in bowing their way from the room.

With the closing of the door, his two companions burst into laughter. Squaring his shoulders, Daniel walked over to where they sat doubled-over, holding their stomachs. It appeared he was the comic relief tonight.

Aaron managed to get his merriment under control first. “Too bad the girls aren't here. They'd really love this. So, what are you going to do, Your Majesty?"

More laughter from his friends filled the room as Daniel walked over to the window and looked out over the lights of the city. What was he going to do?

The men were ready to depart as soon as she and Dovey arrived from their shopping spree, which surprised BJ. From the look on Dovey's face she was none too happy with the way Aaron hustled her out the door before she had a chance to sit down and rest the swollen feet she'd complained about all the way home.

BJ still couldn't believe she'd allowed the younger vampire to talk her into the outfit and shoes she now sported. The clothes were more revealing than she was used to and the damned pointy shoes pinched her toes. Dovey assured her she'd get used to the showing of skin and what was a little discomfort when you got to make a fashion statement? Besides, now that she worked at the club, even if it was in a cubby hole in back, she needed to look the part.

Self-doubt plagued BJ about such a drastic change once she was alone with Daniel who stared at her as if she were an alien from another world. In fact, she was becoming uncomfortable to the point of excusing herself and heading for her room. A slight cough from Daniel stopped her from voicing the thought and she looked at him expectantly.

"My Dear, I've come to a decision."

He looked so serious, BJ wasn't sure she wanted to hear his decision. Was he going to kick her out? Had he become bored with their nights of love making? Wait, they didn't make love, they had sex and heaven knows she'd done her best to see it wasn't boring. But, since men, especially this man, didn't verbalize many of their thoughts, how the heck was she to know? He blocked her limited attempts to read his mind and that left her in the dark on which of the newly-learned techniques he preferred.

The silence after that cryptic statement was deafening. Unable to stand it any longer, BJ prompted him in an attempt to move things along. “And what would that be?"

"I've decided we shall be married."

Open-mouthed, BJ stared at the handsome vampire who smirked at her. “Married?"

"Yes. I think we can accomplish the feat in the next couple of days. I'm not sure what the law requires here in New York, but if it's too cumbersome, we can achieve a wedding in a matter of hours in Las Vegas."

Marry him? This was a dream come true, wasn't it? Only this wasn't a proposal, it was a decision he made ... and whoa nellie, that was the kicker. He'd made the decision without even asking. Plus there wasn't one word about love.

The temper that BJ had worked to conquer the past few weeks fought its way to the surface. “That's nice, but I think I'll pass."

"Pass. You're saying NO to my proposal of marriage?"

BJ didn't think his eyes could become any darker, but they could burn red. Not a pretty sight, but she'd be damned if she was backing down. She wanted a real proposal, not his half-assed idea of one. “Exactly. No."

"Very well,” Daniel stood straighter and moved across the room until he stood directly in front of her, “I command you to marry me."

"You what?” Now he really was talking out of his ass. No way would she allow herself to be forced into another marriage by a man who thought he controlled her. “Who died and left you God?"

"No one died and left me God, but someone did die which made me king ... your king."

If his chest puffs up any bigger, he's going to explode.

"I discovered this evening that I am the ruler of the vampire realm and I need a queen. My choice is you."

It appeared a lot had happened while she and Dovey were shopping and that would explain the hasty exit the other men insisted upon when they returned. King or not, she wasn't going to be forced into another marriage, even if she did love this man. Her love alone couldn't make a marriage with him work and if he only saw her as ... as what, eye candy? No, she was far too old to be that. If having a queen was so damned important to his new position, then let him hook up with some other female vamp who had a lot more experience in the lifestyle.

Maybe that was the reason he wanted her. Her ignorance in the ways of the vampire world made her easy to control. Someone who had been around longer might be more resistant to his decisions.

"My answer is still no.” BJ turned and fled from the room.

Daniel didn't follow her as she was afraid he would. He probably thought if he gave her time, she'd come to her senses and say yes. Well, he could forget that one. She came to her senses a number of years ago after a loveless marriage and she wasn't some starry-eyed teenager whose Daddy was waiting with a shotgun when she got home.

Billie Joyce's knees knocked as she tiptoed across the porch, trying to avoid the squeaky boards. Mama would have a heart attack for sure and Daddy, well Daddy would probably skin her alive for creeping in so late. Well, maybe early was a better choice for the time she was getting home. At least she was smart enough to have Johnny Ray leave her off at the bottom of the hill instead of driving her up to the front door like he wanted to.

Gosh, how did time get away from her like that? Johnny Ray's suggestion to go to the drive-in theater over at Bush Creek sounded like a good idea when he picked her up all those years ago. His suggestion they move to the back seat so they could be more comfortable made sense too, especially since he'd bought all that popcorn and candy. Besides, his beer was back there.

When he popped the top on a can and offered it to her, she declined at first, but he insisted she take a sip anyway and it really wasn't so bad. After the beer and popcorn, he started to get real lovey and she liked it. She still tingled between her legs, recalling his hands roaming all over her body.

"Come on, baby. Let me show you how good it can really feel."

He ran his hand up her legs, up under her new print skirt and caressed the damp cotton of her panties. It felt so good, she spread her legs a little more and he worked a finger around the elastic so he could touch her in places no one had ever touched her before.

Not satisfied with his touching her, Johnny Ray took her right hand and placed it on the bulge in his jeans. She's seen a boy baby's private parts, but had no idea that little worm thing between his legs could get so big ... and hard. My goodness something that swollen must hurt an awful lot.

Pushing her hand away, Johnny Ray worked the buttons on the front of the denim until his pants were open and he let all that hardness free. Oh my goodness. She'd never seen anything like it, standing up like a flag pole and waving back and forth. It was a wonder the skin didn't split, it was so engorged.

"Here, baby. Feel it.” Once again he placed Billie Joyce's hand down to his crotch and the soft, hot skin throbbed in her palm.

"We gotta get you outta these drawers.” His heated beer breath choked her as his busy fingers worked her panties down her thighs.

With her skirt pushed up around her waist, the bottom part of her was as naked as the day she was born, except for the fur covering her woozy-woo. Instinct came into play and Billie Joyce moved her hands to cover herself.

"No, don't do that honey. I want to look.” His hand tweaked a few curls and twisted them around his finger. “Nice and wet. All ready for me, ain't you darling."

Johnny Ray lifted her hips and pulled her further down on the seat. “Yeah, gonna get me some loving tonight.” He shifted and positioned his body over hers, his hard man-thingy pressing through her pubic hair and into her body.

Biting hard on her lip, Billie Joyce managed to not cry out. It hurt, but she'd heard stories about how the first time hurt, though she didn't expect her first time to be in the backseat of an old Chevy at a drive-in movie theater.

The humps and thrusts from Johnny Ray didn't bring her much pleasure, but at least the pain was gone and he sure appeared to enjoy himself. After a strangled noise deep from his throat and “Oh shit,” he collapsed on top of her for several minutes before he moved.

He sat up and gave Billie Joyce a sheepish grin. “Was that good for you too?"

"Sure.” What else could she say? I feel icky and that didn't really do anything for me. Somehow she didn't think that would make him happy. After all, this did make her his woman and he must love her. Given time she'd come to like it and love him too.

Disappointed she didn't get to see the end of the movie; Billie Joyce had found her legs spread again that night before she realized what time it was. Now she had to sneak into the house before her folks discovered she'd been out most of the night.

"Where you been, girl?"

The sound of her father's voice cracked through the breaking dawn like a rifle shot. Billie Joyce's heart sank. She didn't have a good lie made up and she was never any good at lying anyways. “To the movies, Daddy."

"You left here with that Johnny Ray Stames. You been with him the whole time?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Then you come creeping in here with the sunrise like some piece of good-for-nothing white trash."

Billie Joyce hung her head, unable to meet her father's eyes. “Yes.” The word came out as a whisper.

"Tom, let it be."

Mama appeared at Daddy's side and touched his shoulder. The weariness in her voice brought more shame to Billie Joyce. She was a complete and total disappointment to the people who brought her into this world.

"Ain't gonna let this be, Sue Ellen. The girl's been ruined and her reputation destroyed if we let it lie.” Tom's face flushed the angry red it got when he worked to control his temper. “Way I see it, there's only one thing to do that will fix this up. Girl, get yourself cleaned up. You want to look nice for your wedding day."

Johnny Ray and his pa were none too happy when her Daddy showed up with his shotgun and announced there was to be a wedding. When they arrived at the preacher's house he hesitated, but saw the determined look on Tom Nolan's face and the shotgun cradled in his arms and shrugged. “Okay, then. Let's have us a weddin'."

A year later, Billie Joyce had come to realize that night of passion in the backseat of car at the drive-in theater was the biggest mistake of her life. The lust that Johnny Ray expressed initially was gone, either directed to another unfortunate female or drowned in his constant consumption of white lightning.

Her husband resented the hours he put in pumping gas at his pa's filling station and grumbled about the condition of the two-room shack they lived in. Every day, Billie Joyce scrubbed the floors on her hands and knees, making them clean enough to eat off of, but that wasn't good enough for her husband.

The name-calling was bad enough, but what made it worse were the nights he either staggered or crawled home and proceeded to tear into her with his fists. This morning every part of her hurt and she'd not be able to show her face down at the diner where she waited tables a few hours a week to earn a little extra money for food. She knew Johnny Ray would take care of it though, by stopping off on his way to work to tell Dena May that she was sick ... again.

Yes, she was sick. Sick and tired of being beaten to a pulp when her husband was likkered up and mad at the world or, worse yet, when he tried to take her to bed and couldn't get it up. It was safe to say Billie Joyce lost her fascination with the appendage that hung between a man's legs in no time at all. If she had the courage, she'd cut that sucker off and pickle it for all single females to get a good look at the instrument that could be their downfall.

She made her way from the bed to the little area used as a kitchen, dizzy with the loss of blood. The cramps and flow of blood started right after the blow to her stomach and before the night was over, she'd bled like a stuck pig along with being doubled up with pain. Thankfully, that had slowed and now she needed to deal with the swelling and bruising.

A cold, wet towel might help the swelling around her eye go down some. The next time she could slip away to Granny's, she was going to get some of the poultices the old woman kept for her doctoring.

A knock on the door caused Billie Joyce to jump and drop the cloth. If she stayed real quiet whoever it was would go away.

"Billie Joyce, you in there?"

Oh Lord, it was Granny. The old woman had the ears of a bat. If she twitched, her grandmother would hear her. What to do?

"I know you're in there, Sugar."

Granny called her and everyone else Sugar, but she only said it in that soft-like way when she talked to Billie Joyce. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. What she wouldn't give to open the door and throw her battered body into the arms of love.

"Dena May told me you're sick and I'm coming in.” The door opened and Ida Jane Nolan stood silhouetted against the sunlight from outside. “Oh my heavens, what happened to you, baby girl?"

The pent up pain of the past year boiled over and, through the sobs, Billie Joyce shared the agony of her marriage and the hell her father had forced her into to save the family reputation.

"I told your Daddy that boy was trash and gave him a piece of my mind about what he did.” Ida Mae stroked her granddaughter's head. “None of us knew what was going on, Sugar. Why didn't you tell us? You lost the baby, didn't you?"

Unable to answer, Billie Joyce nodded. She didn't realize she was pregnant until the pain last night. At least she wasn't very far along. One of the few times Johnny Ray had been sober enough to accomplish the act had been three weeks ago.

The sobs had subsided down to sniffs and Billie Joyce managed to gasp out, “I didn't know about the baby until last night, Granny. As for telling about the beatings, I thought Daddy would tell me I made my bed, now sleep in it.” She started to wipe away the tears, but paused when she touched her swollen right eye.

"Oh Sugar, lying in the bed you made is one thing, but when it's just a bunch of bricks and stones, that's another story and you'll never be able to rest. Get your things. You're coming home with me."

Billie Joyce reached for the stuffed bear that was in the bag Dovey rescued the night of her attack in the alley and cuddled it against her chest. Her grandmother had made “Pookie” for her while she healed from the beating and miscarriage.

She never learned what had been said to her husband when Granny paid him a visit, but the next thing she heard, he packed up and left town. When word got back to the hills a few years later the drunken fool had set himself on a railroad track and passed out ... well, no one in her family felt too bad about it.

That fall, Billie Joyce started to commute to the community college in a town thirty miles away and got an associate degree in accounting. In addition to the tuition money, Granny and Daddy also found a way to get her a car. She put a lot of miles on that old blue-on-rust Pinto, driving back and forth to school and the trips to her job at Super Saver, the discount store she worked as a bookkeeper until she had to stay home and take care of Daddy when he got so bad with the cancer.

Yep, life was full of constant changes and all her family was gone. First Mama, then Granny and when Daddy passed on earlier this year, she'd decided a change was in order. Be careful what you wish for was all she could say, because she got her changes.

She was now a vampire, but it wasn't her Daddy holding a shotgun to the head of the boy she'd slept with this time. No, it was the man whose bed she'd shared demanding she marry him and she just be damned if it was gonna happen. “Ain't no way I'm puttin’ another wedding ring on my finger without the man saying ‘I love you’ and proposing in the proper way. I'm right in wanting that, don't you think, Pookie?"

The unread book lay open on Daniel's lap as he waited impatiently for BJ to rise for the evening. His trip to the remote area of Romania to assume his duty as king only emphasized his need for the stubborn woman who turned down his proposal of marriage.

"Your Majesty,” Zach entered the room, “I've given Miss BJ her evening meal. I thought you would want to know she's up and I informed her of your desire to meet with her."

"Thank you, Zach.” He was tempted to ask what her reaction to the news had been, but thought better of it and instead nodded as the butler bowed out of the room. If she responded negatively he would go on the defensive the moment he saw her.

Images of lavender eyes in a heart-shaped face framed by flowing raven hair with a white streak haunted his waking hours the entire time he was gone. In addition, his dreams were filled with the scent and feel of her body next to his. The trip had been necessary and proved to be most interesting as he learned more about the society in which he existed, but chose to ignore for the most part for so long.

Why did Lacern have to have a libido strong enough for several men? He was perfect in the role of king with his love of intrigue and mind games. Daniel mourned the loss of the man, but resented the responsibility now thrust upon him. Surely, in several hundred centuries, Lacern could have found a better prospect to replace him if the need arose.

At least the former king's slayer had been captured, but the stubborn woman had refused to give up the location of Lacern's head. Sitting through the sham of a trial had been tedious. Everyone knew before it started she would be found guilty. Daniel's job was to pronounce the sentence which was death by fire. The feeling it gave him wasn't one of power, but instead made him sick to his stomach. It was one thing to take a life in the heat of battle and entirely another to calculatingly order another's death.

May as well get used to it, old man. I'm sure there will be other times when that decision needs to be made.

He closed the book on his lap and stood up. “Where the hell is BJ?” The question echoed off the wood paneling, but gave no answer. If the stubborn female thought she could avoid him, she had better think again. If she wouldn't come to him, then he'd have to go to her. Jerking open the door, he found himself face to face with the person in question. Startled he jumped back.

"Your Majesty?"

BJ dropped a curtsey bob and a sarcastic smile played across her full mouth. Memories of heated kisses flashed through Daniel's head and his body responded with a need he couldn't control. He licked his lips and stepped back, putting space between them. “Glad you decided to make an appearance.” That statement didn't come out in the manner he wanted. Instead of conveying the hunger and longing he'd fought over the past two weeks, it carried the anger and resentment he felt at having those feelings surface.

"Well, from what I've read, when a king summons, you come.” She wandered around the room, studying various objects of décor and the artwork on the walls, not meeting his eyes. “Ya'll were gone for awhile; did you have a good visit?"

She's back in her Eliza Doolittle mode. Hmmm, what's behind this? Daniel moved to stand in front of her to stop the pacing. “It was a most interesting visit.” The soft flower scent she wore tickled his nose. He reached out to touch her and thought better about it when he saw the spark of anger in her eyes.

"What about you? Did you have a pleasant time while I was away?"

"Oh, I was busier than a one-armed paper hanger.” She smiled, allowing her fangs to show. “Business at the club is picking up and with Dovey getting more and more uncomfortable, well I try to do as much as I can to help out."

"BJ, let's cut the small talk. Did you reconsider my marriage proposal?"

"Was that what it was?” The lavender eyes turned dark purple, a sure sign she was not in the best of moods. “As I recollect, it was a command. And in answer to your question, I mulled it over some."

She moved past him and put a chair between them before continuing. “Now, this whole royal thing is new to me, what with me being raised in a democracy and all that. I was always taught a body could make their own decisions.” The fanged smile appeared again when she paused.

"Continue. I'm very interested in your decision."

"Well, I'm thinking this marriage thing between us just won't work out. After all, here you are the sophisticated vampire of the world who is older than dirt and here is little ol’ me, a newly-made vampire and died-in-the-wool hillbilly girl. I just don't see the two mixing any better than oil and water, do you?"

Counting to ten, Daniel fought to bring his temper under control. He knew if he took the bait of her deliberate effort to annoy him, in her mind it would confirm what she said. “I don't know. I can think of unions that worked where the couple came from entirely different backgrounds."

"Whatever you say.” BJ waived away his remark. “Anyway, I'm sure you only put out the marriage idea because you were feeling stressed about this new position and all that. So, I've come up with a plan.” She fanned her face with a hand. “You being the king and all that, you probably don't feel comfortable with just any gal meeting your carnal needs."

Where this is going should prove interesting. Daniel nodded in agreement.

"So, I'm thinking since we were playing slap-and-tickle before all this came about, I can let your warm my sheets from time to time ... that is, until you find a wife."

"Really?” She was agreeing to play mistress, but refused to become his wife. Most interesting ... and infuriating.

"Yep. And, I figure you're gonna need somebody to play hostess or whatever at fancy dinners and I can probably handle a little of that on occasion. The way I see it, when Dovey has this baby, she can take over that duty since she use to highfalutin’ things like that."

"You have it all figured out don't you?” Daniel didn't attempt to keep the anger from his voice. “It may interest you to know that if I want someone to warm the sheets, as you so aptly put it, I don't have to settle for your kind offer. There's any number of ladies in Romania that would be delighted."

"Whatever, I was trying to help you out.” Her demeanor turned from poor little hillbilly girl to Dovey plus attitude.

By all the powers that be, didn't this stupid woman understand he didn't want just anyone to warm his bed? He wanted her, as his wife and queen; though he had to be slightly insane to want to spend eternity fighting with this stubborn female. She drove him crazy in the bedroom with her passionate responses and out of bed with the ease in which she fell back into the colloquial speech patterns. And passing out at the sight of blood really topped the list of irritations.

So, why did he want her? That answer was simple ... he loved her in spite of all her little quirks and because of them. All the imperfections made her BJ and unique.

"Since my ideas don't meet with your liking, I'll be going to work. I'll let Dovey and Aaron know you're home. Or, do ya'll call this home any longer?"

"It is for the moment. I'll keep the penthouse and divide my time between here and the castle."

"Fine.” She bobbed a curtsey and was gone.

Damn that woman. He could make her come around to consenting to be his wife. A blood bond would bind her to him forever. All he needed to do was to mesmerize her and have her consume his blood through a bite. But he wanted her bound to him through love, not manipulation.

The crown and sphere he now possessed gave him more power than he wanted to think about, yet it couldn't capture the heart of one lone female. Defeated, Daniel sat down to contemplate his options on how to win over the woman who held his heart captive.

She managed to keep back the tears and put up the poor little hillbilly front that she knew would irritate Daniel. BJ patted herself on the back for the best acting job of her life.

The last thing she wanted was for the newly crowned king to take her up on the offer of an occasional bedtime delight. Her heart couldn't stand the pain of knowing he only wanted her body to satisfy the most basic of male needs. What would she have done if he'd accepted her suggestions? Warming his bed and playing hostess to his guests would lock her into a living hell.

Dr. Jonas's offer to hypnotize her in an attempt to get to the bottom of the blood fear was something she needed to seriously consider. If she could face feeding herself then the dependency she had on the vampires here would be gone. She could return to the mountains and live in Granny's cabin and eventually all of this would fade.

"Okay girl. Decision made. You're going to get to the bottom on why you faint at the sight of blood. It's the only way you can ever be free."

"Are you ready, BJ?"

"Not really.” It was nice of Jonas to ask though. She looked at Dovey and received the thumbs-up sign and a smile. “But, let's get it over with."

"Hypnosis can be frightening, especially the first time.” Dr. Jonas patted her hand, but it did nothing to clam the butterflies in her stomach. “But I promise to take good care of you. Now close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice. And remember when you awake from your trance, you'll recall everything without fear."

The soft monotone of words spoken by Jonas soothed BJ and she relaxed, focusing on the sound.

"You're going back, far back into your childhood. What is Billie Joyce's first memory?"

"Cooking. I'm in the kitchen with Mama. She's letting me stir the butter into the cake batter.” BJ giggled the delighted sound of a child.

"How old are you?"

"Four. I'm four years old today. We're making a cake for my birthday. Granny and Pappy are coming over after Daddy gets home and we're gonna have cake. I get to blow out the candles.” The voice of a very proud four year old filled the room.

"Go back further, Billie Joyce. Go back to when you're three. What do you see?"

"Granny is giving me a bucket and says, “Now you be careful with this, Sugar. It's got dinner in it for you and Pappy to have. You know how that man is if the fishing is good.” She's very proud of me ‘cause she knows I'll take care of Pappy. I go fishing with him to help bait his hook. He only has one hand."

"What happened to the other hand, Billie Joyce?"

BJ squirmed uncomfortably in the chair. “I don't know. I don't want to know.” Her agitation grew and BJ began to cry, the sobs of a four year old burst out of the grown woman on the couch.

"It's okay, Billie Joyce.” Jonas lowered his voice. “You don't have to remember right now. We'll move on. Let's go back in time to when you're two."

"No. Don't wanna.” BJ's bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “Don't like two. Want to forget two."

Jonas glanced at Dovey who sat forward in her chair, as anxious as the woman on the couch. He'd obviously taken his patient back far enough to get to the root of her problem, but she resisted and her friend felt her pain.

"Billie Joyce, what happened that makes you want to forget being two years old?"

A trickle of tears flowed down her cheeks and BJ curled into a fetal position. “Bad, bad Billie Joyce. Granny's gonna be mad."

"Granny loves you Billie Joyce. She won't be mad if you tell me what happened.” Jonas leaned forward, his voice coaxing.

A loud snuffle was the only answer for a moment. “You sure?"

"Positive.” Jonas’ reassurance came out in a whisper.

A shudder ran through BJ's body. “Aunt Rose and me are going out to the back woods where Pappy is clearing land. Granny said for us to go ahead and she'll be along shortly."

"Who is Aunt Rose?"

"She's Pappy sister. She lives in Charlotte and comes up for a visit once a year. Pappy and Granny don't look forward to her coming cause she complains all the time about how primitive they live with no running water and having to trot to the outhouse to take care of business and all. Granny says she's forgot her upbringing, and marrying into that rich family has made her uppity."

"Pappy thinks his Mama chose the right name for her, not because she smells so good, but because she's thorny."

A smile spread across BJ's face. “Look, I see Pappy. He sure looks happy to see us. Wait, he needs to shut off his new chainsaw. Granny says it sure took a lot of moonshine sales to get the money for that noisy contraption, but Pappy sure is proud of being the only one in the valley with one."

BJ sighed. “He's says he's got to finish fellin’ that tree before he can stop to visit.” A frown puckered her brow. I don't like the mule he's using to pull the tree over with. It's the ornery one. Oh no, when Pappy cranked the saw, the mule jumped and now he's starting to run."

An anxious look appeared on BJ's face. “Pappy, watch out. The tree is falling toward you.” BJ began to tremble. “No. No.” Sobs replace the words.

"Billie Joyce, what's happening?"

"The tree, it fell on Pappy's arm.” The child's voice contained the stress and pain of what she witnessed. “He dropped the chainsaw and some branches caught his arm and pushed it over the saw. Oh my God, oh my God.” Hysterical sobs filled the room. “Aunt Rose, do something. Help Pappy."

"Is Aunt Rose helping, Billie Joyce?"

"No, she prayed to Jesus to not let her see any more blood and then she passed out."

"What are you doing, Billie Joyce?"

"I've got to help Pappy. Oh there's so much blood. Maybe if I can get the branch off his arm I can help.” Grunts and the heavy breathing of a child's efforts to move a heavy object echoed. “There Pappy, I got it I can move your arm. No. No. The blood is in my face, I can't breathe with all the blood spraying in my face."

Silence filled the room when BJ fainted. Jonas pulled a bottle of smelling salts from the table at his side and held them under her nose. Gasps and a cough told him the patient was coming around. “BJ, when I snap my fingers on the count of three you'll wake up and remember everything. One ... two ... three.” The snap of his fingers echoed around the room and she stared up at him with pain-filled eyes.

"So that's how Pappy lost his hand. I was as useless to him as Aunt Rose.” Tears flowed down her pale cheeks and she sat up, shoulders slumped in dejection.

"BJ, you were two years old. To accomplish what you did by moving the branch off his arm was amazing. Do you know what happened next?"

All the memories were there. What happened afterwards came flooding back. “I woke up later and heard Granny talking to Mama and Daddy. She arrived about the same time I passed out. Mr. Howls, the neighbor from the farm next to theirs showed up, too. Said he heard the screams when he was out hunting. He tied a tourniquet around Pappy's arm to get the blood to slow and then carried him to the house. Granny gave him the keys to the old truck they had and he drove Pappy into town.

Granny had roused Aunt Rose from her faint and carried me because I was still out cold. She trusted Mr. Howls to take care of Pappy more than she trusted Rose to take care of me, so she stayed home to get me cleaned up. I was covered head-to-toe in blood. She didn't want me to wake up like that."

Wrapping her arms around her waist, BJ continued. “Mama and Daddy came as soon as they heard. Aunt Rose insisted on going home when she heard her brother was going to live and Granny spent the night at the little hospital with Pappy."

A trembling smile was offered to Jonas and Dovey. “I never have been able to stand the sight of blood since then, even a little pinprick. Guess I'm like Aunt Rose in that way."

Dovey sat down beside her friend on the couch and put an arm around her in a show of support. “That would be tough on anyone, but a two year old ... it's easy to see what a trauma something like that would create. The sight of all that blood would be tough, but to have it gush all over you. Honey, it's easy to understand why you passed out."

Returning the squeeze from her friend, BJ gave a shaky smile. “Yeah, but the question now is will I be able to put this behind me and learn to feed on my own?"

Dovey grinned and winked. “Well, I guess there's only one way to find out."

"Come on, BJ. We don't have all night to find food. I'm starving.” God, Dovey hated it when she whined, but hunger did crazy things to her mind. Maybe bringing BJ on her first hunt for a live food source when she was so hungry wasn't such a good idea.

The baby kicked against her ribs. Dovey smiled and repositioned a little foot in order to be more comfortable. As much as she hated most of the changes pregnancy brought to her body, the moving life inside her never ceased to amaze her. Not that she'd share that information with her husband or friends. Let them think she was a crabby bitch, but when it was just her and the baby, they had long conversations in which she shared her dreams and plans of what their future held. One thing for sure, there would be lots of cuddling and rocking. This child would have the love she was deprived of with the death of her parents. She had forever to give it.

"I'm coming, Sugar. Keep your britches on.” BJ stood beside the blonde vampire and glared. “You don't have to worry about me keeping up. I'm not the one moving at pregnant-waddle speed."

"You don't play nice lately.” Since the hypnosis session two nights ago in Jonas's office, BJ had become more than a little touchy. Yes, she could drink a bottle of blood now without passing out, but each time Dovey suggested they start her training for live feedings, her friend almost took her head off.

Given all of that, it was understandable that a feather could have knocked her over when BJ suggested they start her training tonight. Now here they were looking for a victim, though donor sounded better to Dovey.

"I hear someone coming. Now, stand back against the wall and wait.” Dovey plastered her back against the wall, hoping her stomach didn't stick out around the corner. BJ stood gawking down the alley. “For cripes sake, didn't you hear what I said?” She reached out and pulled the other woman against the wall beside her.

"Okay, here he comes. I'll grab him and take the first bite and then you can come in for a taste."

"I don't know about this, Dovey. Maybe I should give myself a little more time to work up to a live source."

Fangs bared, Dovey snarled. “Too late now, Sweet Pea. I'm going to pass out from hunger if I don't eat soon. If it bothers you, close your eyes.” Her vamp speed might be slow, but compared to humans she was still fast. She ran around the corner of building and grabbed dinner, pulling him into the dark alley. The look of horror on the man's face at the sight of her fangs was somewhat rewarding, given the mood she was in.

"Dovey, wait."

The fear in BJ's voice caused her to pause and look at her friend. “What?” Her patience was growing thin.

"It's one of them."

"Them. Them who?” For crying out loud, why was she standing here asking dumb questions of a lavender-eyed, raven-haired wuss, when she should be feasting?

"One of the men who attacked me the night you discovered me dying.” Her voice held the horror of the evening. “He's the one with the knife."

"Well, that puts a different spin on things.” Dovey grinned into the face of the groveling man clutched in her hands. “You can do the honors of the first bite. I'll tell you when to stop.” Yes, she was hungry, but under the circumstances, she'd hang on a few more minutes.

"I don't think I can. No. I'm sure I can't do it."

"Then don't say I didn't give you the chance. If you don't want to watch, better close your eyes."

BJ closed her eyes, unable to chance a possible glimpse of pulsing blood. The groans, sucking sounds and moans of pleasure from Dovey made her curious. The woman sounded orgasmic. Another slurp and several mmm's brought the situation to the level of intensity that BJ couldn't contain her curiosity and had to look.

The vampire raised her head from her victim and blood trickled down the sides of her mouth. No biggie, BJ thought and then her eyes fell on the man's neck. The puncture marks pumped the life giving substance from his body and her stomach rolled over. “Oh goodness gracious, he's bleedin’ like a stuck pig."

The dirty concrete rose up to meet her and she head a distant “Oh shit” from Dovey as she connect with the cold cement.

"That hunt was a raging success.” Dovey continued to grumble as they entered the penthouse.

If Dovey didn't shut up about the aborted feed, BJ decided she was going to pop her one. All she needed right now was for Daniel to hear the details and start going on about BJ getting a backbone. So maybe he wouldn't say it like that, but that's what it boiled down to.

Okay, she still fainted at the sight of pulsing blood. Instead of bitching and carrying on, you'd think they'd be happy that she could at least drink the bottled stuff without the aid of a blindfold.

The whole bunch of them may as well get used to the idea that not all vampires had hunter instincts and that included their new king. His holier-than-thou attitude got on her nerves something awful.

But what really hurt was there'd been no attempt to take her up on the offer to share his bed. She missed falling asleep wrapped in his arms as the sun peeked over the horizon. Too bad he didn't feel the same way. This was the first time she'd been in love and it would be the last. To use one of Dovey's favorite sayings, it sucked. Now BJ knew even vampires get the blues when their heart is broken.

"Miss BJ, you had a phone call while you were out.” Zach handed her a pink slip of paper. “A Mr. Arnold has called several times trying to reach you. He says it's most urgent."

"Thank you, Zach.” Why couldn't she fall for this handsome hunk of ghoul with his nice manners and soft voice? No, she had to keep making life tough with her decisions, even an undead life.

Turning her attention to the message, she saw Frank Arnold had called four times. Interesting, she hadn't heard from the man in the past three months since she'd phoned him to check on Granny's cabin and pass on her new contact information. She hoped nothing had happened to her future home since she planned to move there as soon as she reached the point live feeds weren't necessary.

A quick glance at her watch showed his last call was only twenty minutes ago. Something urgent must have happened for him to call so late and she decided to risk waking him.

"Frank. It's Billie Joyce. What's up?” She listened to the excited voice on the other end, unaware her mouth hung open. Placing the phone down, she shook her head in dismay. “Holy shit. This can't be for real."

"What can't be for real?” Dovey leaned against the door munching on a chocolate bar, an odd craving the pregnant woman developed the past few weeks.

BJ shook her head to clear the shock. “Zack, get me a plane reservation. I need to go home."

Resentment simmered in BJ like a pot on the back burner. She watched her friends pile into the rental car, sticking their nose in her business as usual.

When Frank Arnold told her about the unbelievable offer from a mining company to buy Granny's farm, the figure sent her into shock. Frank urged her come home and finalize the terms, but she already knew the final terms. No sale.

Pappy used to call Frank a vulture, circling as he waited for hard times to hit some poor soul and then he'd swoop down with his offer to sell their property to help them out. In the really bad cases, the realtor bought the property with his own money, of course offering pennies on the dollar for a quick sale. Then he'd turn around, throw a coat of paint on it and put a much higher price on the house.

Well, he wasn't about to pick her bones. Nor did she feel inclined to share her decision with the vampires crammed into the car with her now.

Her decision to return home turned into a heated discussion that ended with Dovey announcing she wasn't going to let her first changeling go off alone when she couldn't manage the live food sources she need to survive. Her green eyes glittered as she dared anyone to challenge her decision to go with BJ.

Of course, that led to Aaron's statement that his pregnant wife wasn't going without him.

BJ argued that Dovey didn't need to fly at this stage, but got overruled in that logic by Jonas, who also happened to be present. Dovey was only six months along and could still fly. If he wasn't on call he'd be glad to go along, but he was sure everything would be fine.

Then the King made his proclamation. “The four of us will go."

No reason given, that's just the way it would be. Fuming about all the meddling in her life, BJ stepped on the gas harder, taking the curves that led down into the sleepy little town of Wolf Knoll faster than she ever did in her little Pinto.

She gunned the rental and shot up the hill on the other side of town. Too bad there wasn't a motel in town where she could dump her companions, but the only one had burned down a few years back and though the owner talked about rebuilding, he'd never got around to it.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the cabin. Pushing past Daniel when he tried to take the key from her hand, she unlocked the door. Moonlight streamed through the windows and her vampire vision saw things were exactly as they'd been the day Granny died.

"Nice place.” Daniel squeezed past her and looked around the room. “Is this where you grew up?"

"Sort of.” The last tablecloth her grandmother crocheted covered the table, yellowed with age. “We lived in town, but I visited my grandparents a lot."

That wasn't quite true. This is where she did her real growing up. Granny brought her here to live after the last beating Johnny Ray gave her. Here is where her soul healed along with her body. Fat lot of good that did ... she now had no soul according to what she'd been told.

In the distance the pitiful howl of a dog echoed off the hills.

"What's that?” Daniel moved to the window and peered into the night, a strange look on his face.

"A dog howling, does it make you nervous, Your Majesty?” It would give her great pleasure to see him bothered by something that obviously wasn't her. Not nice, Billie Joyce to want him to be as miserable as you.

"No. It reminded me of the wolves I heard in the hills around the castle in Romania."

"No, these hills are full of wild dogs that have been around here for as long as anyone can recall. Most think they belonged to the Indians that lived hereabouts. There used to be Red Wolves, but they've been gone out of these hills for a long time. That's how the town got its name when the first settlers arrived. Now it's just the dogs. The only wolves seen these days are the ones that some feller sees while staggering home after hitting the hooch too hard."

"I'm hungry.” An unusually quiet Dovey spoke for the first time since their arrival. “Does anybody have a chocolate bar on them?"

"Do you really think anyone in this group would have a chocolate bar?” Aaron looked at his wife and grinned. “Now, if you want a bottle of blood, I can hook you up."

"If that's all you have, I'll take it, but I really want chocolate."

Aaron wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Blood and chocolate, what a combination."

"Here.” BJ pulled two candy bars from her purse. Since Dovey developed this craving for what she once considered the food of the gods, BJ kept a couple on her. “This will have to last you until Brewster's General Store and Funeral Parlor opens in the morning. We can stock up then."

Daniel turned from his window vigil, “General Store and Funeral Parlor?"

Not appreciating his “are you nuts?” tone, BJ decided it was up to her to set him straight. The man was next to impossible since he became king. “Hey, round here folks make do the best they can and sometimes that calls for double duty. The general store's in the front and the funeral parlor's in the back. Has its own separate entrance, too.” Relief best described how she felt when Daniel didn't respond, but turned to talk to Aaron instead.

Sighing in contentment and ignoring the rest of the group, Dovey retreated to Granny's rocking chair with her candy bar and blood, resting the bottle on her bulging belly. BJ shook her head and smiled until she locked eyes with her king. A stake through her heart couldn't hurt any more than his hooded stare.

Tomorrow she'd inform Frank Arnold there would be no deal so the group could get back to New York. It was less painful to spend time with Daniel in a penthouse with enough rooms for her to avoid him when she needed to, than in a tiny cabin in the mountains where he was constantly in her face.

But she needed space right now and a night stroll around the property was in order.

"What do you mean, you ain't gonna sell?” The light in Frank's beady eyes dulled as he saw a big commission flying out the door. “I think you're making a big mistake here, Billie Joyce. It ain't every day an offer like this comes along. Let's talk about this, girl."

"I know that Mr. Arnold, but I'm keeping the family farm. It's what my grandparents would want me to do."

"But ... but, you'd be set for life. This money would mean you'd never have to work another day in your life.” The greedy glint reappeared in the realtor's eyes as his mind whirled to come up with an argument to persuade her to change her mind.

If you only knew how long that could be. “I have a good job that I like, so money isn't the issue.” BJ almost laughed in his face. Instead, she kept her expression blank and stood to leave. “Thank you for your concern."

"Just a minute, here.” Frank Arnold hurried around the desk and grabbed her arm. “We need to talk more. Twenty million dollars for that played-out piece of dirt is a lot of money to be turning down."

"I do believe the lady has given you her decision.” Daniel had moved over to open the door when BJ stood, but now was back at her side.

His insistence on coming with her had been yet another irritation, but now she was glad he had. BJ was sure the greedy realtor would use every trick in his limited book to convince her to sell and she was tired of the game.

"Who are you? I don't recall hearing her ask for your opinion.” Frank whirled on Daniel. “Nobody ask you to stick your nose into this business discussion."

"I represent Billie Joyce's interests.” Narrowed black eyes dared the realtor to disagree. “Your pressure tactics may work on a lone female, but they don't fool me. The only interest you have in the deal going through is the commission that would have you set for life.” Daniel took a step closer. “We're leaving. Any objections?"

Arnold licked his lips and back away. “No. Go on and get out of here. Didn't think she'd be smart enough to know a good thing when she saw it."

Grabbing Daniel's arm, BJ steered him to the door and out onto the street. It was time to locate Dovey and Aaron and pick up all their bags from the cabin so they could get on the road. They could be back in the city tonight and she and Daniel could play at avoiding each other. Maybe it was time to let them know she wasn't returning.

"I don't think so."

"What?” She turned to see what Daniel was talking about.

"We're not leaving just yet. I like it here and want to learn more about this region. It's great you're keeping the farm, which makes an excellent getaway when city life becomes too much, but hopefully you'll invite your friends to join you."

Open-mouthed, BJ stood in the middle of Main Street and stared. Crap, she'd forgotten to block her thoughts. “Fine. Let's find the others and go back to the cabin.” Maybe she should drop a curtsey to go with her compliance.

He'd one-upped her again and she wasn't sure who she was more angry with ... him or herself.

The cawing of a raven awakened Daniel from a deep slumber. The dimming light in the cabin indicated sunset had arrived, but that wasn't what roused him from his sleep.

The raven sounded again. That was it. The bird called his name. In a flash he stood outside under the trees. “I'm here."

"Your Majesty.” A flutter of black landed at his feet and, transmogrification complete, a nude Damien dropped to a knee in front of his king.

Concern shot through Daniel as he looked at the man kneeling before him. The appearance of his trusted advisor spelled trouble, something he was sure would pull him away from here before he had time to implement his plan to woo BJ.

"Rise, Damien.” The look of anxiety on the other vampire's face caused Daniel to sigh. Yes, there was trouble. “What matter of such urgency brings you in search of me, old friend?"

"Majesty, there are problems between two sects on the west coast of this country. Both leaders are difficult vampires, who want more power than they have. Their answer is to invade each other's territory."

"How did you learn of this, Damien?"

"I was contacted to attempt to settle the dispute.” He hung his head, shame written on his face. “I failed, Majesty. Neither would listen to me. They are determined to take what they feel is within their grasp and many will be killed. I fear their thirst for power will result in the deaths of innocent humans also."

The squeak of the door hinge made Daniel aware someone else had risen. By the scent, he knew it was Aaron.

"Is there a problem, Daniel?"

The leader of the vampires wiped a hand across his eyes. “You could say that. Seems we have a couple of War Lord vampires looking to increase their territory. They seem to think an all-out war is the way to accomplish it.” He looked at Damien. “Where on the west coast is this going down?"

"Los Angeles, Majesty."

"How appropriate, the city of lost angels.” Daniel watched the last rays of light give over to darkness. “It looks like a trip to LA is on the schedule tonight.” Sometimes being king wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

He turned to his friend and protégé. “I could use your negotiation skills on this, Aaron. Do you think the women will be all right alone for a couple of days?"

"I'm bored. When do you think the guys are coming back?” Dovey rubbed her stomach as she stood in the doorway of the cabin and stared at the full moon. “That blasted howling is driving me crazy.” She added wild dogs to the list of things that got on her nerves these days, right under men, who still held the top honor.

Dovey turned to see why her response drew no comment from BJ. Should have guessed she has her nose buried in a book. That all she'd done the past three days. May as well be in this godforsaken place by myself as much company as she's been.

Shifting her body for better balance, Dovey propped herself against the door frame and went back to looking at the moon. If she squinted just so, she could make out the face of a man. Of course, the space age had to go and spoil that illusion by putting a real man up there and now the world knew the shadows were only strategically placed mountains.

The baby did one of its infamous somersaults, causing her protruding belly to shift and ripple like an ocean wave. She wasn't sure how much further her skin could stretch. Her feet were sausages ready to burst from the casing, her hands so fat her beautiful set of wedding rings lay in a drawer because they barely went to the first knuckle on her left ring finger. If all of that wasn't enough, each day the size of her stomach increased. Soon a tent would be the only clothing that could cover her.

"I don't feel well."

BJ tossed her book aside and stretched. “Do you want a chocolate bar?"

A wrinkled nose was the best Dovey could manage in response. Yep, she definitely wasn't well when the thought of the food she'd craved the past few weeks made her sick.

"Do you need to feed?” BJ stood and moved toward the cooler that housed their supply of bottled blood.

"No. I'm not hungry.” A frown puckered her perfect brow. “Restless. My skin is itchy and I have a backache. Plus, throw in those damned dogs baying at the moon and I want to scream."

She waddled back into the cabin using both hands to support her back in effort to relieve the nagging pain and looked around the room. “You know, if you're going to keep this place we should spruce it up some. Outdated doesn't come close to describing the décor and a good cleaning is definitely in order."

"I'm not sure I want to make a lot of changes. It's homey and reminds me of my heritage.” BJ studied the room. “But, you are right on the cleaning. I'll get buckets from the shed and fill them with water. I think you'll find a couple of old towels in the linen closet."

Delighted to have a project to work off her nervous energy, Dovey attacked the scrubbing with zest. Wouldn't her grandmother be surprised to discover she knew how to clean? Down on her hands and knees attacking several years of built up dirt and dust was something Deb Stein would have never considered.

But a lot of things had changed over the past year and a half and Deb no longer existed. Deb had morphed into Dovey, a much nicer and more caring person.

Pulling herself to a standing position, Dovey surveyed her work. Not bad for someone who didn't know which end of a mop to use in their prior life. “God, my back hurts.” To make matters worse, there were now sharp pains down either side of her stomach.

"Why don't you lie down and rest?” BJ gave a last swipe to the counter and tossed the towel into the bucket. “I'll empty the dirty water and put the buckets away."

"Sounds good to me.” Dovey started toward the tiny bedroom. “Shit."

"What?” A bucket in each hand, BJ paused at the door and turned.

"I think I just peed my pants and I haven't had to pee in over a year.” She stared down in horror at the puddle around her feet. “Now, I need to wash the floor again."

Terror gripped BJ as she watched the liquid spread across the floor at her friend's feet. It couldn't be. Dovey wasn't due for another three months. Did Jonas miscalculate the due date that that far off?

The scene from Gone With the Wind flashed through her mind. The movie was one of the few she'd seen as a child. Granny and Mama took her on a trip into town with Daddy when she was a little girl. They went to the movies while her father took care of business. Right now, she could relate to Butterfly McQueen's character in the movie, Prissy. “I don't know nothing about birthin’ no babies."

"Oww.” Dovey's hands moved from her back to grip the sides of her stomach.

"We need to get you to bed.” BJ put her arm around the woman, now doubled over with pain. “Come on, I'll help you."

"What the hell is going on here?” Dovey shuffled forward with the aid of her friend. “I don't think I've ever been in this much agony. Yet another stupid movie perception on vampires and pain."

"It's called labor for a reason, Sugar."

"Labor? I can't be in labor. It's too early for the baby to come.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “You've got to do something to stop it, BJ. I don't want to lose my baby."

They reached the bed and BJ pulled the soaked maternity slacks down over Dovey's swollen stomach, shocked to find no underwear. She shouldn't be any more surprised the lack of panties than the landing strip between Dovey's legs. It was obvious the girl waxed in her prior life and that might be a good thing as it would be easier to see the baby crown without a lot of hair down there. “Step out of these and lie down on the bed."

Once Dovey was settled in the bed where BJ's father had been born, the older woman attempted to remember all the talks she'd heard as child between Granny and her friend June, the local midwife. She'd never witnessed a birth, but recalled conversations about hot water and lots of towels. Okay, she could do that.

Whimpers came from the mother-to-be and BJ recognized them as a cross between pain and fear. Sugar, you're not the only one scared. I'm scared shitless about what to do.

"I'm going to boil some water."

"Don't leave, BJ. Pleeeease.” The please turned into a howl of pain as another contraction hit.

"Sugar, I have to leave you for a few minutes to get things ready. Here,” she placed Dovey's hands up over her head and around the iron bars of the headboard. “When the pain is real bad, grab on here and squeeze. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Two large pans in hand, BJ rushed to the pump to fill them. It was hard to say who was more terrified, the woman in labor or her. All Dovey had to do was push the baby out, then it would be up to BJ to take it from there. “Cut the cord. June talked a lot about cutting the cord and tying it off at a two points. What cord and where do you cut it? And if you have to tie it, you'll need twine. Damn. Something else to find."

Another thought gagged her. What if there was blood? She was sure there would be blood involved. She'd never witnessed a birth and wouldn't even look at the pictures in the biology book when she took the required class at community college, but she'd heard enough on the subject to know it wasn't going to be pretty. This was not shaping up to be a good night.

"BJ!"

Hearing her name screamed increased the vampire speed at which she worked. The water was on to boil and she grabbed an armful of towels from the closet. A quick decision to add sheets to the stack and she dashed into the bedroom.

Dovey white-knuckled the iron bars above her head and gasped. Sweat poured from the laboring woman's face and BJ sat down on the side of the bed and started to wipe the cascading rivulets from her eyes. “Its okay, Sugar. I'm here and you're doing great."

"Great, my ass. You get down here and try pushing a bowling ball through the eye of a needle, then tell me how fucking great you're doing. When I get my hands on Aaron Lowell, he's going to regret the day he did this to me.” A moan cut off her tirade.

BJ bit back a smile as she wiped the groaning woman's face again. “I think I'll pass.” Maybe it was a good thing Aaron and Daniel weren't here. Somehow she didn't think, given Dovey's mood, she'd take too kindly to seeing the face of the male she blamed for her pain.

The contraction ended and Dovey relaxed. “If having a baby hurts this much for me, how do mortal women survive and then turn around and do it again?"

"Drugs. At least that's what the city women use. If this baby wasn't in such a rush to get here, I'm sure Jonas would have you pumped full."

"Yeah, just like a man. Never around when you need them.” Dovey reached for the bars above her head and groaned. “BJ, I think something's happening. My body feels like it's ripping apart."

Oh God. She needed to take a look. Working up her courage, BJ tossed back the covers and moved to the end of the bed. There was no need to tell Dovey to lift her legs. They were bent at the knees and spread apart, showing BJ a part of her friend's anatomy she never thought she'd view. A closer look disclosed the vagina had started to dilate.

What now? Think. Think. Okay, the baby should start to crown soon. Then its head should come out and I'll have to help with the shoulders unless there is enough room for that bowling ball to pass. First one shoulder, then the other as I recall.

"Well?” In between contractions, Dovey was now interested in what was happening between her legs. “Do you see my tonsils?"

"No. Not yet, anyway.” BJ worked to spread several towels and sheets under Dovey's behind. She needed to keep back a few towels to clean off the baby and wrap it in until they could get baby clothes lined up.

"Good. I don't want to have to sue the doctor who took them out for malpractice."

"At least you still got your sense of humor.” BJ watched what was probably the head appear in the expanding opening.

"Not at this moment. Here comes another contraction and it's a doozy.” Dovey grabbed for the bars again.

"You must be plum tuckered out, Sugar."

"Cut the hillbilly shit, BJ. Of course I'm exhausted. I've been panting like a dog for fucking-ever here.” The words turned into a scream. “Get it out. I don't care what you have to do, get it out."

The top of the head moved closer to the opening and blood oozed down Dovey's thighs. A wave of darkness rushed before BJ's eyes. She might be able to look at the red stuff in a bottle, but put it in motion and Lord help her.

Get a grip. You have to do this. Of course there's blood, the woman has been a non-stop suction pump for six months. You're not two years old this time. You're a grown woman holding the life of your friend and her baby in your hands. If you faint, one or both of them dies and the fault is entirely yours.

BJ positioned her hands under Dovey as the little head covered in wet hair slipped forward. Instinct ingrained in women since the days of cavewomen kicked in and BJ did what came naturally. She caught the neck and made a quick swipe at the mucus and blood around the nose and mouth.

Ignoring her red hands, she worked to move one shoulder from the opening, then the other. The rest of the baby shot out, slippery with blood. Quick reflexes helped her catch the screaming object that propelled from its mother's body.

"Do we have a boy or girl?” Dovey pushed up on her elbows. Sweat-plastered hair and dark circles under her eyes from the hard labor didn't diminish her beauty. She gnawed on her bottom lip, worry reflected in her tired green eyes. “And what kind of baby?"

BJ looked down at the life that squirmed in her blood-crusted hands, then met the concerned stare of its mother.

"A girl. A beautiful little girl who looks like her Mama and from all appearances, a human."

The exhausted mother collapsed back onto the pillow and BJ placed the baby on Dovey's stomach. Quickly tying off the umbilical cord in two places before she severed it with a knife, she only hoped she guessed right as to location. More details of overheard conversations echoed through her head and she moved quickly to check for the after birth.

Vampire or not, Dovey was female and there were things that needed to be taken care of. It was possible the chance of infection was less or maybe nonexistent, but she wasn't taking any chances.

The baby, wrapped in a towel and snuggled against her mother began to whimper and make little smacking noises. The new mother opened her eyes and stared with adoration at the bundle in her arms.

Moving as quietly as possible, BJ picked up the remaining items used in the birth.

"Thank you, my friend.” Dovey's eyes reflected the gratitude her voice carried. “I don't know what we would have done without you. It must have been tough with all the blood."

A smile played across her mouth. “You could say that. There was a moment when I thought I was a goner, but hey, a girl does what a girl has to do."

Both women smiled in the knowledge their friendship was sealed forever by blood, but not from a bond created from drinking it.

Whimpers more demanding than their moment of bonding and the working of a little mouth in a sucking motion brought an end to their exchange. A more urgent matter faced them now.

"I think she's hungry. Do you think your breasts will produce a food source for her?” BJ reached out a finger and traced it along the soft curve of a cheek and, like a little bird, her mouth opened and followed what the baby thought was food.

"Let's give it a try.” Dovey opened the top of the fresh nightgown BJ had helped her change into and placed her daughter against her left nipple. Demanding sucks produced nothing and led to frustration for both mother and child. Switching nipples netted the same results.

"What do we do now?"

The tears in Dovey's voice broke BJ's heart. “Shall we try a few drops of blood? She could be vampire and her fangs don't come in until she's older, like teeth in a human baby."

Dovey wiped her eyes with her free hand and jiggled the bundle in her other arm in an attempt to sooth the piercing screams. “It's worth a try."

Back with a fresh bottle of blood, BJ placed a drop on the little rose-petal mouth. The baby's tongue darted out and contacted with the red liquid. The result was none too pleasing to any of them. This food wasn't what the infant had in mind and she didn't hesitate to let them know it.

"Okay, obviously that didn't work.” BJ placed her hands over her ears to block some of the noise in an effort to think. “We need milk."

"Well, why don't you just run out to the barn and milk the cow we don't have?” Dovey now sat up in bed, rocking her hungry daughter in an attempt to sooth her infuriated cries.

Annoyed with the new mother's attitude, BJ clamped down on her tongue to stop the retort to her snide remark. As frustrating as she found the non-stop crying, she was sure it was worse on Dovey.

"I have an idea. There's a farm a few miles down the road that has goats. I can get milk there. Hang on and I'll be back."

Thank goodness for vampire speed. The trip and the milking took less than five minutes. BJ touched a drop of the creamy liquid to the baby's lips. This time the taste resulted in smacking and a demand for more.

"Here, you keep dipping your finger in milk and let her suck it off. I'll see what I can do about coming up with a better idea.” A quick search of the cabin confirmed what BJ suspected. No baby bottle and even if she could improvise on that part, a nipple was needed in order for the baby to feed.

A memory of Granny hand-feeding a calf whose mother had died during birth came to mind. She'd soaked a rag in milk and let the little creature suck it dry. Not exactly the most sanitary thing to do with a baby, but it would get the needed nourishment into her quicker than finger-dipping. Based around the sounds coming from the bedroom, that method wasn't fast enough to suit the young miss who kept making demanding yelps in between dips.

One satisfied baby later, Dovey and BJ looked at each other in relief.

"You better rest while you can. Having a human infant may not accommodate a vampire's schedule."

Dovey nodded. “You rest too.” She yawned and snuggled under the covers.

BJ closed the door and noticed the pink tint on the horizon. She'd not been this tired since she kept passing out after her conversion when they introduced her to the new food supply.

She moved to work the kinks out of her body before she retreated to the little room that she called hers on overnights here as a child. Sleep wouldn't hurt her either.

The door flung open and a laughing Daniel and Aaron stomped in.

"For cripes sake, stop with the noise."

Looks of bewilderment passed between the men at her loud hiss.

"What's going on to put you in such a wonderful mood?” Daniel glared at her. “We're the ones who flew all night to get here before sunrise. Forgive us if we disturbed your slumber."

Studying the two men, BJ contemplated for a moment on how to break the news about the happening over the past several hours. Should she have them sit down before she broke the news or just let them hit the floor in surprise? The floor idea had potential.

"Kiera Joyce, say hello to your godmother.” Dovey handed the baby to BJ.

Staring down into eyes that already held a green tint, BJ's insides melted. “Godmother? I've never been anyone's godmother and it's about as close to grandma as I'll get."

Aaron laughed. “It's more an honorary title, but the woman who helped bring her into the world deserves the honor, since there's no baptism or oath of responsibility."

"And she deserves the honor of carrying one of her godmother's names.” Dovey squeezed BJ's arm.

In an effort to keep her voice from cracking with the emotion that welled up in her, BJ handed the infant back to her mother. “That's nice.” She blinked and walked toward the door. “Y'all excuse me for a little while. I have to take care of some business."

Alone on the moonlit path that ran along Bubbling Brook, BJ thought about the past twenty-four hours. She'd delivered a baby without going into a dead faint and both mother and baby were doing great. To top it off, the child carried one of her names. That was the bright side of things.

The negative—Daniel had returned and had barely spoken to her. He did appear delighted with the baby's birth, but spent most of his time watching BJ under hooded eyes. He made her as jumpy as cow on the edge of a cliff. His announcement after the celebration wound down that he would retire to his bed in the barn had come as a welcome relief.

Why did she have to fall in love with another looser? Okay, so he wasn't a loser on Johnny Ray's level, but when it came to commitments of the heart, he wasn't a prize either.

"BJ.” The individual who filled her waking thoughts and restless dreams blocked the path. “We need to talk."

Her heart might not race these days, but it quickened as the man dressed in black slacks and matching t-shirt stepped toward her. “What do you want to talk about?” Her lips were dry and she licked several times in attempt to moisten them. The effort was difficult, given how parched her throat felt.

"I've given you the space you seemed to want over the past few weeks, but space and completely shutting me out are two different things."

Another step closer and his chest almost brushed against her breasts. If she took a deep breath, BJ was positive there'd be a connection. “I haven't shut you out. You're busy with your new responsibilities."

Shut you out! You're the one who never accepted my offer to share a bed. You're the one who sneered at my suggestions I play hostess for you. If anyone has been shut out it's me.

His hand reached up and touched her lips. “I can hear you."

Damn, she forgot to block her thoughts. When would she ever learn? Maybe she was a dumb hick hillbilly or had he become so powerful she'd never have a private thought in his presence? The idea terrified her.

"I have arranged for our wedding. Aaron and I stopped off in Las Vegas on the way back. The license we need is taken care of and all you need to do is to select the location.” His fingers played across her cheek as his thumb continued to caress her mouth.

Tears of anger sprang into the corner of her eyes. She always did this when she got mad and it only made her frustration greater. Jerking her head from his touch, BJ stepped back. “I'm not sure what part of ‘I'm not marrying you’ gives you trouble, but the fact remains the same. It will be a cold day in Hell before I marry you."

Daniel's eyes flashed red, reflecting his anger in the seconds before he vanished. BJ put one foot in front of the other as she made her way back to the cabin. Fine, let him go. The last thing she needed was another man in her life with a temper.

Kiera Joyce slept in her makeshift bed, oblivious to the activity around her. BJ looked down at the slumbering baby, sad to know she would be gone shortly.

"BJ, why aren't you packed?” Dovey had come up behind her unheard.

She continued to stare at the child, unable to meet her friend's eyes. What she had to say wasn't going to go over very well, but it was her life and her decision on how to live it. “I'm not going."

"What?” Dovey grabbed her right arm and pulled her around. “Have you lost your mind, in addition to your soul?"

"No.” BJ heard the flatness in her choked voice, but she wasn't backing down. She'd made the decision last night after the encounter with Daniel on the path. Her plan depended on a live hunt and she accomplished that with a deer. There had been a certain amount of freedom chasing the animal in the moonlight and taking it down. She took what she needed and then released the terrified creature.

Now that she could feed on her own, it was better she stay here, far away from the pain of loving a man who'd never love her. Forever was a long time and that's what she faced if she saw him every day. In a few hundred years, she'd forget he existed.

"I won't allow it.” Dovey stomped her foot more like a child than the new mother she now was. “I can't do this by myself. If you aren't there to support me at the club and in this motherhood thing, I can't do it."

The panic in her friend's eyes caused her to hesitate. Maybe she was making a selfish decision. There were others to think of.

"Let her stay.” Daniel stood in the doorway, his eyes as cold and uncaring as BJ knew his heart to be. “We'll get you the help you need for the club and the baby.” Daniel walked over and picked up the baby. “Let's go. You have a plane to catch."

The sleeping baby cradled against his chest, Daniel walked out the door and didn't look back.

Her head dropped to her chest and BJ made no attempt to stop the tears. Vampires did cry and she'd done a lot of it over the past few weeks.

Daniel knew he'd made a mistake the moment he walked out of the cabin, but pride wouldn't let him turn around and beg for BJ's love.

"Ready to go kick some butt, again?” Aaron stood in the doorway, wearing a silly grin.

"How long have you been standing there?” Daniel chided himself for not noticing when he arrived.

"Long enough to watch you brood for several minutes.” Not waiting for an invitation, Aaron poured a glass of cognac. “Want one."

"No thanks. I'll stick to the red stuff.” He picked up the glass of blood sitting on a nearby table. “I need my energy."

"Right.” Aaron swirled the golden liquid in his glass. “Daniel, what's going on? I know with your new role as fearless leader of the vampires you have a lot on your mind, but I think it goes beyond that."

"Busy. Distracted. That's all."

"I'm not buying it. Since the night we left you after Damien and crew showed up and informed us of your new status, you've been different.” Aaron cocked his head and studied him. “In fact, you seem downright miserable, not that you ever were Mr. Jolly. The only time I've seen you in a decent mood since you returned from Romania was in LA when we kicked some vampire butt."

Daniel lips twisted into a sarcastic smile. “You didn't know I had it in me, did you?” If only the younger man knew of all the tricks he'd learned through the centuries. Still, he regretted that their efforts to negotiate with the two stubborn vampire gangs ended in violence. “Look Aaron, this job carries responsibilities and a lot of headaches."

"Yeah, like getting a certain female to do what you want."

"You're overstepping your boundaries, my friend."

"Sorry, but I have to call it as I see it; or, in this case, as my wife sees it.” Aaron refilled his glass and tapped his fingers against the bowl for several seconds. “Listen Daniel, you've got to talk BJ into coming back. Dovey is hell-on-wheels and the baby is picking up on her stress. Kiera cries constantly."

"She made her choice. If she's determined to spend her time isolated, so be it.” A shrug of his broad shoulders dismissed the subject. “Without a doubt, she is the most stubborn female in any plane of existence."

"The two of you are made for each other then."

When did one of his subjects, especially his protégé, think they could speak to him in that manner? “Be careful, Aaron."

"Listen, Dovey thinks you two are crazy about each other, but BJ is too hard-headed to tell you what she needs and you're too blind to realize you have to woo a woman in this century. The “Me Tarzan, You Jane,” doesn't work."

"What?"

"Never mind.” Aaron dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. “I have to agree with Dovey on this one. You can't command BJ to marry you, especially when you let her believe it's because you need a queen. She's a female with the needs that go with the sex. You've been around long enough to know that."

"I don't need a queen who can't keep private matters private.” Damn the woman for running to her friend to discuss their personal matters.

"Suit yourself, but think about forcing those three little words past your lips that all women want to hear."

"I said the words women want to hear ... marry me. What more can I say?"

"Oh, I don't know. Try something unique, like ‘I love you.’ If you weren't so stubborn, you'd admit it and get on with living. Eternity is a long time to be alone, king or not."

Aaron disappeared, his words ringing in the air. Standing in the empty room, “eternity is a long time to be alone,” echoed off the walls.

"So true.” He'd been the lone wolf for a lot of centuries and the thought of the endless time that lay ahead without the woman he loved was more than Daniel wanted to contemplate. Maybe he should try Aaron's idea.

The unexpected rap on her door briefly flustered BJ and she forced herself from the pages of her book. Damn, just when I get to the good part. In the two months she'd been back, no one came calling which was fine by her. If she needed company, a trip into town on some pretext took care of her social fix. Plus, she made it a point to load up on reading material each time the bookmobile made its bi-weekly visit to the area. A shipment of bottled bovine blood from Dovey each week took care of most of her food needs and she supplemented the rest with an occasional wild animal, which was just as well, since Wolf Knoll wasn't known its for quality restaurants.

A feather could have knocked her over when she saw who stood on the other side of the door. “Daniel. What are you doing here? Is something wrong with Dovey or the baby?"

"No, everyone's fine. May I come in? It's rather wet out here."

"Oh.” She had no idea when the rain had started. “Sure.” BJ stepped aside and for the first time noticed the bouquet of flowers in his right hand. “Who died?"

A slight frown furrowed Daniel's brow, but it disappeared so quickly a mortal wouldn't have noticed. Score one for BJ. Get your annoying jabs in before he has a chance to start on you.

"No one has died more than usual that I'm aware of, at least not my immediate circle.” He extended the flowers toward her. “I picked these up at the airport to bring in a little spring."

"Uh ... thanks.” Flowers from the King. Probably wasn't polite to point out it was mid-summer. What next? Uh oh, he had what looked like a box of candy under his other arm.

"Here.” This time he shoved a box of candy at her.

Okay, something definitely fishy going down and fish got to the point they smelled. “Thanks.” She took the offered box and hurried over to the kitchen. Laying the candy on the table, she ferreted out a jar to put the flowers in—roses nonetheless.

She turned around and almost collided with Daniel, who had come up behind her. When he reached out and caught her as she stumbled backwards, she could swear her heart raced. So what if racing in her current existence was six beats a minute versus its usual two. There was a definite increase in the thump in her chest which was enough to confirm the effect this man still had on her. Time to put distance between them.

"Thanks, again.” Thanks seemed to be the only word in her vocabulary. She didn't want to count the number of times she'd said it since opening the door.

Pulling her arm free, BJ moved to the other side of the room, but the small area still didn't feel big enough for the two of them. The broad-shouldered man in black was as delicious as ever and her fingers itched to explore his body as they used to back in the good-old-days. Hard to believe that was only a few months ago; before he became king and more bossy and demanding than ever.

"BJ, we have to talk."

Here we go again. His idea of talk is him telling me what to do. “So talk, I'm listening."

Daniel shifted from one foot to the other and opened his mouth. Nothing came out and he cleared his throat and shuffled his feet again. “This isn't easy for me."

He can say that again. Normal conversation has never been his strong suit, at least not around me.

"But I've come to ask your forgiveness."

You've been reading too many romance novels, girl. I swear it sounds like he's apologizing. Unsure if she should respond, BJ waited for him to continue.

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

Hell no, why should I after all the heartache you've caused me?

"Very well. I was, as Dovey so aptly described me, an ass.” His right hand scrubbed his chin for a moment, then dropped loosely to his side. “I have been inept in my efforts to communicate with you."

Inept. Lordy, lordy, here he goes with his chest puffing up like a hissing adder and his holier-than-thou attitude. She'd definitely put him on the defensive with her silence. Maybe it was time to cut him some slack. “Communication has never been one of our strong points outside the bedroom."

"No, it wasn't and I accept the responsibility for most of that.” Daniel rolled his shoulders to release the tension. “I come from a very old school of thought and sometimes forget the times in which we live. It's very easy for me to fall back into habits that are familiar."

That was understandable. He'd been around a long time and the culture he grew up in was entirely different. Gracious, the difference between life here and New York City had been a culture shock to her.

"Anyway,” Daniel rubbed his face again and stepped toward her. “By the powers, I knew this would be difficult, but didn't realize how difficult. What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry."

Goodness gracious. I didn't know those words fit his mouth. I wonder if he's every said he was sorry about anything.

"I'm sorry for the snide remarks about your name, I'm sorry for making fun of the way you talk and I'm sorry for demanding you marry me. BJ, please give me another chance to prove to you that we can have a relationship built on more than the bedroom."

The boy was on a roll, but could she trust him? It would take a few centuries to get over him as things stood now. Maybe she should give them another chance. At least she'd have a few more happy memories to squirrel away for the bad times if things didn't work out between them.

The usual sarcastic smirk of his lips wasn't visible and when he looked directly into her eyes, she saw something she'd never seen ... sorrow—and was there doubt reflected in those black pools also? Maybe he was serious and, then again, maybe she was seeing what she wanted to see. But BJ knew for sure, if things had a chance to work, it would require compromise on both of their parts. She took a step toward Daniel. “Okay. Let's try the fresh start approach."

Daniel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She listened to the soft, slow thud of his chest as her head rested against it and his hands caressed her back.

"I've missed you so much.” His voiced cracked with emotion and the words barely came out above a whisper.

The warmth of his lips against her temple sent shivers of delight throughout her body. The man didn't know what missing was. After all, he had the responsibility of his new kingdom to keep him busy, while she'd spent the last few months occupying her time with books and whatever else she could find to distract her mind and treacherous body with. Still, memories of what might have been consumed her far more than she wanted, especially mornings when she crawled into bed alone.

The shivers changed to tingles as his back rubs became more intimate and his hands moved to new territory. So what if, while he rubbed her bottom, hers were busy cupping the sweet curve of his ass. Oh yeah, definitely getting a response.

Daniel pushed back and made good use of his vampire speed. In the blink of an eye, he had her undressed. Well, two could play that game. BJ wasted no time in returning the favor.

Now naked, they attacked each other's bodies with delight. She wasn't sure who had the upper hand, but at this point, she didn't care. They'd focus on sweet and loving later. Right now, she was hornier than a cat in heat and ready to howl if she didn't get satisfaction.

His mouth captured hers and his fingers dipped into her furry playground. There was no way she could stifle a moan and her legs went weak with desire. She pushed against his hand, encouraging him to delve deeper.

"Don't rush things,” he mumbled against her lips.

Unable to think, BJ responded with instinct. Her hand explored his hard shaft, caressing up and down in soft, feathery strokes. The moan emitted from Daniel only fueled her need to feel more of him. As her fingers crept lower and cupped his scrotum, giving a gentle squeeze, his moans intensified.

She dropped to her knees in front of the magnificent display of manhood and moved her head forward, taking the pulsating erection in her mouth. A loud groan and then fingers twined through her hair and worked to push her mouth away.

"I can't take much of that."

Good. What did he think happened to her when his fingers rummaged in the goody-pot? BJ stood and pushed Daniel backward onto the couch. Wasting no time, she jumped and straddled him while he was down. “Enough of the touchy-feely.” She impaled her body on his waving erection. Thrusts weren't a necessity here. A few wiggles were all that was called for.

The rocking back and forth, combined with his hard shaft buried deep inside her was all it took to take BJ to the promised land. The welcomed release took her breath away and fireworks exploded in her head. The trembles continued for several minutes. God, how did she ever think sex was a waste of time?

As the room came back into focus, she felt Daniel's upward thrust in his quest for his satisfaction. A little help from her wouldn't hurt and BJ raised her hips and came down to meet him on each push. Head raised off the couch, he cried out and grabbed her waist, forcing her to remain still while he pumped his release into her.

He dropped his head back against the cushion. “Wow. You're truly amazing."

"Why thank you kind, sir.” She batted her lowered eyes. Too bad she couldn't work up a blush to complete the coquette impersonation, but vampires weren't known for their blushing ability.

"I love your hair like this.” He caught strands of the white streak between his fingers. “Don't comb it over so the white doesn't show."

"Really?” She was sorry she couldn't return the compliment, but she hated his combed back style. Way too Dracula.

As for the object of his admiration, the streak had appeared during her living hell of a marriage and when her hair started to turn, her then darling husband had made fun of her. “Married me an old woman and she's not even twenty.” He'd found the remark funny and used it every time he got drunk, which was often. Over the years, it reached the point she didn't see the white anymore. It was just her hair and needed combing.

"Really. I love the way it curves along your cheek and emphasizes how beautiful you are.” Daniel kissed her fingers and lean up to catch a nipple between his teeth.

Beautiful was a word BJ wasn't used to hearing. Here in the mountains, folks were what they were. Some had it a little better than others when it came to looks. The ones who had most of their teeth were really lucky and probably the best looking, and that was about the most they hoped for.

"BJ, have I told you how much I love you?"

"No.” How much you love me? Hell, you've never told me you love me. “Can't say that you have."

"A mistake on my part, for sure. I love you, Billie Joyce Nolan."

The old six beats a minute kicked in and BJ placed a hand over her heart. The man sure knew how to surprise. At last, the words she'd longed to hear—but wait a minute. This was out of character for The Aged One and, love him she might, she wasn't sure she trusted him.

"When did ya'll arrive at this conclusion?"

"I've known for a long time, but was too foolish to admit it. I didn't want to need a woman, especially one who drives me crazy in and out of bed.” He grinned and tugged on her hair. “But our mutual friends have had a few words to say on the subject and brought me to the point I saw the error of my ways."

"I see.” So, Dovey had stuck her nose into BJ's business again. “It took someone else telling you your feelings.” BJ slipped from her straddled position across his stomach and stood.

"No, Dovey didn't tell me my feelings. She just made it clear that I'd tried to ignore my feelings and thought I could command you into doing and thinking my way. Our stubborn friend helped me to realize that you're your own woman."

Daniel moved from the couch and found his jacket. He pulled something from the pocket and in the blink of an eye was in front of BJ and dropped down on bended knees. Great, just like a man. Just when he's to the point feelings are up for discussion, he's ready to change the subject and go for another roll in the hay.

"BJ, I love you. I can't imagine spending eternity without you.” Daniel took her left hand and slipped something onto her finger. “Will you marry me? Will you be my queen."

She looked down at her ring finger. The biggest honking diamond she's ever seen set real pretty against her skin. Tears gathered in BJ's eyes and she looked at the man kneeling in front of her. Unable to speak, she managed to nod. Of course, she'd marry him now that he'd said and done the right things. The thought of being a queen was a little scary, but she could manage it. She could manage anything as long as he kept saying the magic words.

Speaking of magic words, she'd finally found her voice. “I love you too, Daniel."

He jumped up, grabbed her in his arms and danced around the room like a loon. Maybe a little celebration was in order, as in the bedroom type. Then later, maybe they could talk about a new hairstyle for him, but that conversation might need to be tabled until after the wedding. After all, when it was possible, it was a wife's duty to make her husband a better man.

The laughter from the group of adults gathered in the yard below echoed through the valley. Lustrous golden eyes observed them as they enjoyed the antics of the curly blonde toddler who struggled to make it from one pair of legs to the next without falling on her little bottom.

Tawny Howls brushed back a wayward curl that obstructed her view of the people below. The women were a pair of styling fashionistas with their trendy clothes and designer sunglasses. There was no doubt the dark-haired woman was Billie Joyce Nolan and talk about a person changing; gone was the frumpy mountain woman Tawny remembered, replaced by this beauty.

Her friend with the spiky blonde hair wasn't so bad either, but the men, well they were a different story. Gorgeous, no doubt. But for crying out loud, dressed in black from head to toe including the wrap-around shades, both looked like they'd stepped out of a Blues Brother's movie.

A smile twitched across Tawny's full mouth as the child staggered up to Billie Joyce, wrapped her chubby arms around the woman's legs and grinned up in delight.

The older woman reached down and pulled the tiny girl with the mop of yellow curls into her arms and they danced around, their laughter echoing off the hills. Daddy said Billie Joyce lived in New York, but came up off and on to spend time on the farm that had been in her family for generations.

The Nolans and Howls had lived as neighbors for a long time since their properties butted up against each other's, but what she knew about her neighbors would fit on the head of a pin. Maybe she should go down and be neighborly. After all, Daddy had laid down the law and told her it was time to come home to be with her kind, instead of running wild in the city. When Daddy spoke, everyone listened, including Tawny.

Yep, she was going to be around for a long time and it wouldn't hurt to have friends that she could connect with on a level other than hill-speak. From the looks of it, Billie Joyce and her friends just might be what she needed to soften her culture shock. Standing up from her crouched position behind a large boulder, Tawny started to move down the hill, but her plans for a friendly “howdy” ended when the group piled into the car parked in the front yard. She watched the trail of dust the vehicle left as it made its way down the unpaved road.

"Oh well, maybe next time."