The next evening . . .   Shamira had never been a big shopper before, much less closed down the mall. It seemed that her traveling companions were more than used to it. She learned some things about them, such as the fact that Lillian and Monique had both once been swimsuit models as well as lovers.     Lillian had taken up the art of necromancy when she was younger but kept it relatively in the background until the night that she and Monique had been attacked by a rogue werewolf while walking through the woods in Northern Georgia.     The wolf hadn't realized that necromancy was potent magic, as Lillian had sucked the life energy right out of him before managing to kill him with the animated skeleton of a ten-point buck.     But Monique had already been bitten, so Lillian had to keep her lover alive and help her adjust to the new world

Several days later . . . Shamira liked having a routine again. Strangely, being a fledgling vampire wasn't so bad. She didn't need much sleep, couldn't gain weight, didn't have any more periods, and could eat anything she wanted. She slept from sunup until the middle of the afternoon, even though she could navigate in daylight if she chose.  She was still wearing sweats all of the time, but at least they were her own sweats. The modified Desert Eagle hung in a low shoulder holster underneath a light jacket, and the snakewhip was wrapped around her waist. She'd been practicing with the whips a lot the last couple of days and had made great progress. And while she would never admit it, she enjoyed the sound of it cracking.   "What's the name of it again?" she asked. She liked Henry. He had a nice smile on top of a gorgeous body, but he didn't feel the need to

Back at the house . . .   Shamira stood in front of her closet, staring at all the nice if somewhat risqué things that they had bought just a few days earlier. She wanted to leave. She wanted out of this nightmare, but she couldn't take any of these things.       None of them were really hers. She had no suitcase, no money of her own, no wallet . . . even the sweats that she was wearing were borrowed. She was a vampire, but she felt more like a ghost. She was hanging around this world, but did it really have a place for her? She wanted her old life back. It might not have been much, but it had been simple.     "What are you thinking?" came a warm, masculine voice behind her.   "That it's time for me to go," she replied, turning to look at Shane. "I don't think I can do this."     "I think you can, but t

    She nodded. "I'm sorry I've been so freaked out recently. I promise I'll get better. No more running off. I may not like or even understand why you do things the way you do, but how much right do I have to bitch if I just walk away and do nothing? You keep the peace. And these guys don't follow you out of fear. They respect you and they like you. I've had worse bosses in my life."     The research that he'd been working on now seemed like the most trivial stuff in the world. He'd been hoping she'd come around, and so she had. She was standing in his office, on her own two feet and without any coercion on his part. He got out of his chair and offered her his hand, which she shook. "You'll stay on then?"     "Yes Sir. Just point me to the books on all this magical hoo-hah that you guys get mixed up with and I'll study it."   He grinned. "I hope you're a fast learner."

'Okay,' Shamira thought as she prepared to face a brave new day, 'I need to get some cotton sheets. This silk stuff really isn't that comfortable.' Earlier that night (or morning), she had done things that she never would have imagined herself doing. She had been chained up, physically manhandled, had hot wax tripped all over her, and had been violated in every orifice that she could think of. The man who had made Shamira a vampire, one Shane Stapleton, had introduced her to a world that had only existed in her fantasies before. He had told her to call herself a whore, and she had. She had enjoyed it. She had enjoyed all of it. Now, she was wondering what the hell she'd done. After a set of mind-blowing orgasms and wild sensations, Shane had unchained her and brought her back to her bedroom. Shane always slept, and in reality slept, alone as a security precaution. He was an important vamp and the head of this house, so she understood the precautions. But waking up alone made her th