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Chapter 1

Kerrick stood by the bar at the Blood and Bite, looking for a woht, the one he craved His thighs twitched, heavyrelief Hunger lived in hi, fierce He was a vampire and a warrior He needed what he needed

Yet soed and now he craved

What he craved, however, he couldn’t have

He’d taken vows

His gaze slid around the south Phoenix club, into the many dark corners, the deep padded booths covered in red velvet, past the flashing strobes ht mortal women in droves to the vaht, enhanced by a tall em-like bottles The rest of the club slid to darkness all around the edges

Vibrant hs twitch all over again

Still, what he needed wasn’t here, wasn’t the fk anywhere He’d awakened a few hours ago with a huo away, a need unfulfilled and now screa It wasn’t just sex but sex hat called to hiroin but couldn’t find her Not here He wasn’t even looking He couldn’t look He’d taken vows, goddammit

“You listening?”

Kerrick shot his gaze to Thorne “Shit Sorry No”

“What the hell is the ht?” Thorne, the leader of the Warriors of the Blood, sat on a stool next to hi a tumbler of Ketel One

Kerrick leaned his hips against the bar and turned to scan the dance floor Loud sexy h the dark club Shadows passed back and forth, wo of time He shook his head “You ever had an itch you couldn’t scratch?” He heard Thorne suck in a deep breath then exhale like he’d been breathing water

“Sure Every night of my life”

Kerrick palht, but then they’d been tight for a few centuries How long had he been here? Twelve Yeah, his ht for twelve centuries What would it be like to have the strain worked out of every muscle?

He turned in the direction of the barkeep then tapped his glass on the counter Sam Finch, owner of the Blood and Bite, drew close with a bottle of Maker’s and refilled the tuold

Kerrick nodded his thanks then threw back the whiskey He was used to the burn as he sed He let the fire eat up his throat He breathed in the vapors, felt his veins ht unwinding “Where’s Medichi?”