"Oh," I said in understanding. Back in a time before degrees were needed for a certain positions, Sam had evidently proven herself. And by the time she was let go it would have meant starting all over again. That must have been very bitter for her."I took a chance that she hadn't been able to get her foot in the door at another firm and I was right. She's been working four months out of the year as a tax assistant for one of those quick tax refund companies. When I told her what we were looking for she seemed eager.""Paul, she has no idea what we are." Even though I wanted a human assistant, I assumed we would select one from our own community, one who already understood what it meant to work for a vampire.Before he could respond, his nose crinkled and he passed me the warm bottle. "BJ needs her diaper changed.""What?" I tried to hand back the bottle. "You smelled it first."He grimaced. "I can't help but smell it first! Honey, you know my stomach."I rolled my eyes but suppr

Sam touched her neck in a distracted way while she watched me. The skin there was a bit red in the spot where my chin had made contact with the silver. Thankfully it hadn't burned her. She dismissed my concern with a slight shake of her head. "It doesn't hurt. I'll be fine, but what about you? May I see your chin?"I didn't want her to see it, but this was the first step to complete honesty so I lowered my hand with a slight grimace. It still hurt. It was the nature of silver toward the Neratomay. Silver was like an acid. It took a while to stop actually burning even when the silver was no longer in direct contact with Neratomay flesh. Accidental contact with silver maimed countless vampires each year. It took mere moments to lose a limb to the deadly metal. However, a limb lost to silver would eventually regenerate. I was proof of that. Sam reached up and touched the puffy area around the burn. "It's hot to the touch! Paul, bring a cool cloth. Kim, you didn't touch that necklace

I was really thankful that my ladies had worked it out amongst themselves to sit for me. I could hire a human nanny—or au pair as Sam had called it—but I would never rest comfortably unless my daughter was with someone who could protect her, someone with enhanced senses, and someone who was family."Hey Chica, I'll be there in five. Everything okay?""Yes, see you when you get here. Paul just put Julie to sleep." "Well damn, but she never sleeps long. I'll hang around until she's awake." "Cool. Her eyes have been changing. You gotta see it!""I can't wait. I'm pulling up to the drive.""Use the key, and Mara? I'm sorry but the succubus … she's not been fed—and I'm really hungry … both ways."I felt her sigh but not totally in displeasure.The succubus surpassed sexual orientation. As far as I could tell none of my ladies were anything but heterosexual and yet any of them would gladly have sex with me. In the past we've pushed the envelope more times than I can count.Paul re

Ours was the only bedroom on the main floor, which allowed us access to our private little outdoor sanctuary. The patio was cobblestone with an Old World stone privacy fence sheathed in vines and creeping flowers. The fountain built into the wall was that of a brass lion's head, and it provided enough tinkling sounds to create a natural backdrop. There was also a wildflower garden with a cobblestone walkway that led to the main backyard, where we did our official entertaining out by the pool.I closed the French doors behind me and looked at him expectantly while still swiping at the stickiness around my mouth.Paul raised his head to the starry sky as if paying tribute to the moon. He inhaled and the breeze ruffled his long hair. He looked like a painting on the cover of some romance novel. My heart beat one solitary time.He looked at me then as if he had heard it. Although a werewolf's senses surpassed a vampire's, I didn't think it was possible that he had heard that one beat of

My husband won the race fair and square—at least that was the story I intended to stick to. I heard him howl a piercing, triumphant, yet purely animal sound and knew the exact moment that he had reached the stream. Not wanting to give the wolf reason to come after me, I quickened my pace to it and eventually saw him by the stream, moving anxiously, sniffing the air and calculating my distance. I love my husband, but at the present moment he wasn't Paul. He was the werewolf. Sleek dark fur covered a body that was now easily seven feet tall. A tail, sheathed in a mixture of coarse as well as downy fur curled behind him. While he sat awaiting my approach, the tail thumped the ground expectantly until he rose anxiously, pacing back and forth. Werewolves don't really look like wolves because although they used all four limbs to move, they still had distinct arms and distinct legs—each rippling with muscles. The wolf appearance began at the head where an elongated canine snout and a mout