Biting Serendipity: April Fools For Love (Biting Love Short Bites Book 4) (11 page)

Vague bells rang in my head, Nixie’s calling me Thor’s mate. I didn’t really believe her, and the wild child was ascendant, so I nearly ignored his words and plowed ahead.

But he wore a wistful, hopeful expression, and for just a moment I pictured it. Making a baby with Thor. A sweet thrill lightened my soul. All that responsibility? He’d be a wonderful father.

I smiled and nodded. “I didn’t want to start a family until I met the right man. But if you and I make a baby, well. I guess it won’t be hard to learn to say I love you.”

Something lit inside him in answer, a glow in his gaze that said he’d been waiting a lifetime to hear those words, and more, that he’d be overjoyed to work another lifetime to hear them from me. He released me to slide down onto him.

He filled me, stretched me, my smile broadening with every exciting inch.

Planting my hands on his pecs, I began rolling my hips into him like an oil rig. I rode him, so hard and fast, he started sliding off the bench onto his head. His arms came up and over, and his hands hit the floor, his neck and face turning red—but inside me, he grew even fatter, even longer.

Bouncing on him, I took him to the edge, until his eyes clenched tight, until his body trembled then shook with need—and then I hopped off him and danced to the door of the cell.

He roared in frustration.

I’d already grabbed bars and turned my wet, needy sex toward him. The moment he sat up, flaming desire and irritation warring in his gaze, I waggled.

“
Sera.
” My name was a threat, and a promise.

Oh, he was riled but good, and I
loved
it. He stalked up to me, grabbed my hips and plowed into me in a single hard thrust. And we were off again.

I would have done that all night, but the next time I tried to slip away, Thor snarled and grabbed my arms to stop me.

My gaze fell on his canines, long and sleek, and my whole body clenched in desire at another idea. Instead of wiggling loose, I leaped up and hugged him tight, wrapping legs around his waist and arms around his neck—and licked his fang like a lollipop.

He roared, the sharp lengths shooting out even farther. I twirled my tongue over them, teasing each in turn. He simply grabbed my hips and planted me on his cock.

Standing, hunched in a sort of question mark, he humped into me from below, each pounding thrust juddering through my body.

Snarling fingers in his hair, I shoved his fangs at my neck, regardless of where they’d pierce.

He tore his hair from my grasp, seized my head in one hand, and forced me to look at him—really look. His eyes were fiery red, his fangs were dangerously, seductively sharp.

“What do you want, Sera?” he purred.

The imp rose in me. “Bite me.” I kicked my chin out, exposing my throat. “Bite
hard.
”

“Oh, I will,” he promised. “But on my terms, not yours.”

“Because you’re the big bad vampire?”

He grinned. “That, too.”

He backed me into the wall, pinning me against it. “Curl your legs tight around me.”

“What?” I was breathless from the rub of my nipples against the hard muscles of his chest, velvet skin roughened by light hair, the slick feel of both our excitement between us.

“This.” With my body pinned and helpless, he lassoed my ankles with his hands and crossed them behind his back. Then he manacled my wrists and pinned them against the wall over my head. “Now. Biting here…” With his fangs, he traced a line down my throat, sending a long shiver of lust down me. “…is good. But biting here…” He touched those sharp points to the side of my neck where my pulse throbbed frantically. “…is dangerous.” He lifted his head and nailed me in the eye with his bright red gaze. “I won’t let you be hurt, Sera.”

“But it’d hurt so good,” I panted.

“You’re impossible.” He shook his head, blond waves rustling against his muscled shoulders. “Be as wild as you like. I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.” He rubbed his cheek against mine.

“Mmm. You’ll rein me in with your ultra-bad control? I
like.
” I levered my back against the wall and my wrists against his strength and
slammed
my hips into his, driving his cock to the hilt—and squeezed. He gasped. I nuzzled aside his hair and whispered in his ear, “I like a lot.” Then I bit his earlobe, just at the edge of hard.

“Sera.” He swallowed, loud enough to hear. “Sweet, lovely Sera. Mate with me. Mate with me now.”

Mate with me.
Sounded scary and permanent—and with Thor, absolutely right.

“Yes.” I threw my head back. “Bite me.”

He roared, powered into me with his cock, and opened his mouth over my throat—his fangs pierced my skin. Blood welled hot, deep joy and thrills rising with it. I shrieked and came.

Big, bright, extended shockwaves powered through me. It was almost too much, like grabbing a live wire. He pulled his fangs out and licked my neck with his warm, rough tongue, purring like mad. My climax shook me like a leaf, like an earthquake, but his strength kept me from shaking myself apart.

As the aftershocks wowed me, I nuzzled him. Nixie was wrong. For her, it was be creative in the solos. For me, it was be creative in the duets, because, though my imp of creativity could be bad in the wrong place at the wrong time—with the right, strong male, it could be a joy.

With Thor, I could be as wild as I liked, because he’d always rein things in so no one got hurt—not even me.

Especially not me.

Thor backed away from the wall, cradling Sera against him. His palms rested on the soft skin of her back, pockmarked from the pounding he’d given her, thrusting into her again and again against rough, cinder block wall.

“I’m sorry.” He rubbed her poor skin.

“I’m not.” She snuggled up against him. His cock started to revive.

Until a bell tinkled.

He dropped Sera gently to her feet and spun, putting himself between her and whoever dared interrupt them.

A small woman with a big blonde bouffant stood just outside the bars, smacking a wad of gum.

He knew her as vampire Solomon Stark’s mate, salon-owner Dolly Barton. “Dolly? What are you doing here?”

“Don’t mind me, Sugar. I’m here for Sera.”

Sera peeked out from behind him. “Um, hi.” She started snatching up her clothes. “What do you want?”

At least Sera didn’t sound embarrassed. That had been the wildest, most creative sex he’d ever had. And for a many-centuries-old vampire, that was saying something.

He’d never have thought she had that much wild in her. Yet she’d made it seem as natural as breathing.

So wild, she’d nearly let him bite her jugular, her carotid. Death in moments. He’d tried to cultivate his own wild side, yet when her life was in danger, his control had snapped back into place, responding just as naturally.

He stood there dumbstruck while Sera dressed. With her, his control was a
good
thing.

“I just stopped by on my way to the awards ceremony, to confirm your haircut appointment tomorrow, Sugar.”

“How did you know I was here?” Sera asked Dolly.

In answer, the stylist only arched a brow.

Of course, Dolly knew everything. To say she was the town gossip was like saying silver stung. Dolly knew everything that went on, sometimes even before it happened. It was said Agent Phil Coulter—not the Shield guy, Meiers Corners’s insurance agent, although he
was
slim and brunet and always wore perfect suits—got his best tips from Dolly during his weekly sideburn threading.

The stylist herself was a seventy-year-old, platinum-blonde dynamo who was four foot eight, forty-two D, and looked exactly like the country singer except older and shorter. Like a Dolly Parton Bobble Head. She was actually a hundred and two and only looked seventy because of Stark.

“I also have a message for you.” Dolly pointed at Thor.

“Me?”

She nodded. “From Sol. Neither of us likes the fact that rogues attacked Nieman’s in broad daylight, so to speak. I heard a rumor that they’ll try again. Sol says you should be on hand at the awards ceremony tonight.”

“The whole city will be there, including most of the protectors.” Thor shook his head, disbelief almost a fist in his gut. “Rogues wouldn’t dare attack.”

“Can you take the chance?”

Normally, no. But tonight…
it won’t be hard to learn to say I love you.
Resolve firmed. “I’m staying here.”

“Suit yourself.” Dolly turned to Sera. “So, your haircut. Did you want to try something different, maybe some highlights? Or go for ombres?”

“I don’t know. Jenny might try to copy me.” Done dressing, Sera pushed a hand through her heavy hair, down from its usual bun.

He liked that wild, just out of bed look. If she let him, he’d have it down more often.

Dolly rolled her eyes. “So let her. It’s her choice.”

“Nixie said that. But I feel guilty anyway.” She sighed. “Nixie said I could be myself in the solos. But even being myself then doesn’t work. There is no such thing as a solo with Jenny. How can I live with myself if my bad judgment hurts her?”

Thor’s heart ached for his brave, compassionate Sera.

“All due respect to both you and Nixie,” Dolly said briskly, “But you’re asking the wrong questions. First, is what you want to do legal and moral? If so, and you’re still worried that someone might do the same thing and get hurt, then the only thing that really matters is who you’re doing it for. Is it selfish, for yourself only? Or is it for others’ benefit? Speaking of, I’d be selfish if I didn’t point out you’re naked, Thor. Umm-hmm.” She eyed him up and down.

He blushed. She was another male’s mate. Stark wouldn’t like it if he continued to display his body.

He grabbed his clothes, starting with the folded shirt on the bench, dented from Sera’s head when he tasted her pretty—

“Wow,” Dolly said. She was staring at his groin…where Mr. Happy was remembering Sera’s taste, too.

He threw on clothes as quickly as possible. As he dressed, his cell phone rang. He snapped it out and listened.

“It’s Camille. I’m at Settler’s Square and there’s a battle. Hordes of vampires attacking.”

His blood went cold.

“We need you. Now.”

At the call to battle, his blood reversed, rushing hot through his veins. He ended the call and the warring emotions started him pacing. “A rogue attack, as you said, Dolly.”

“You have to help.” Sera’s rumpled brow revealed how worried she was. “Go, Thor. Go! Help them.”

Every protector cell in his body urged him to do as she said. But his heart held him back, and his heart was stronger. “Strongwell will be there, and Emerson. I’m needed here.”

“I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “They’ll need your strength. Go help Camille and the rest.”

Still, he hesitated. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’ll wait with her, sugar.” Dolly held up what looked like an ordinary electric hair clipper. “Vampire stunner.” She cracked her gum.

“Thor, go,” Sera repeated. “Protect the humans.”

“Well…I’ll return as quickly as possible.” He gave Sera a hard kiss, blew into mist, and streamed out.

Chapter Nine

I was reeling from that I’ll-definitely-see-you-later kiss, the feel of sleek, smooth fangs still burning against my lips, when I heard, “Wh-wha…?”

Officer Titus tottered in the doorway, eyes big as moons, blinking. He took one step from the doorway, croaked, “F-fangs…?” and fainted dead away, making a whump hitting the floor.

The young police officer had seen Thor’s fangs. Had seen him turn into mist.

Dolly glanced over her shoulder at Titus. “I wonder why he came back.”

“I think Camille sent him. You should go make sure he’s okay.”

But instead of helping him, she shook her head and swung back to me, eyeing me critically. The weight of her stare practically burned. I could see why Thor had blushed.

“What about Titus?” I pointed at him. “Shouldn’t you try to revive him?”

“He’s fine. We have more important things to consider. Did you see his reaction? Think about what’s happening at Settler’s Square. Vampires attacking. Not like muggers—not keeping the masquerade intact—but
actively
biting.”

“It’s scary, but it’ll be okay. Our v-guys will win. Thor’s being there will help them win.”

She cracked her gum. “Certainly your mate will help win the fight, but they’ll lose the real war.”

“He’s not my mate—oh hell. All right. What do you mean, real war? What war?”

“If thousands of town folk discover vampires actually exist, they’ll react like him.” Dolly jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Titus. “Or worse, run to your brother’s store and clean him out of tactical weapons.” She mimed shooting with a bazooka. “Whoosh—
pow.
”

This fight was like the bar fight, times a thousand. This time, Thor and Camille and the rest would be dealing with all of Meiers Corners. Even if the vampires could hypnotize all the humans before they scattered, who knew how many were immune? How many might run to Bruno’s for silver ammo?

“Why? Why would the rogues do that?”

Dolly frowned. “Disruption, if I had to guess. These aren’t your usual vampires, not the way they’re behaving. They’re anarchists, wanting to undermine the stability of the city. Sow terror.”

“That’s not good. You have to do something.”

“Me? Wrong person, Sugar.” That considering, burning stare was back. “I spread rumors, I don’t shush them. You, on the other hand…”

“No. I can’t. I’m a problem magnet, not a solution. You have to handle it, or Thor…or Julian or one of the other v-guys.”

She clucked. “Sera, I sympathize, I really do. But your mate and the rest of the city’s protectors have dealt with rogues the same way for centuries. This situation is brand new. Unexpected. It needs creative problem-solving. Sugar, I’ve known you since grade school, when you thought fast on your feet. And though you pretend otherwise, I think that imaginative child is still inside. We need that tonight.”

I waved panicked hands at her. “You mean my wild child, but I’m telling you, I can’t. Anything I try to do, Jenny or someone imitates me, and it backfires on them, big time. I won’t be the cause of anyone getting hurt worse in this mess. I can’t let out my wild child.”

“Sure you can. You
did,
with your mate and your monkey sex. No one got hurt then.”

“But being with Thor’s different. He’s got amazing control, exactly what I need to balance the wildness in me…damn.”

She gave me a smug smile. “Exactly. Fun Sera and Serious Thor together are a good thing. And I think he finally realizes it too, after the monkey sex.”

I winced. “Would you stop with the monkey sex?”

“Will you let your inner bad girl out and go save the day?”

Automatically I shook my head a vehement no. Give my wild child free rein? After the Schleck incident, I thought she’d stay buried forever.

But now…now it was safe, even beneficial to let my creativity shine, because Thor would help me deal. My head-shaking slowed, then stopped as no-no-no resolve into—

“Yes. If you stop saying ‘monkey sex.’ And help Titus. Oh, and while you’re helping him, pat him down for the keys to this cell.”

So I let my inner bad girl out, literally. I executed a jailbreak.

I ran all the way to Settler’s Square, where Thor and the rest were winning handily against the rogue vampires—amid the stunned, white faces of thousands of ordinary humans.

I bent over, panting, trying to get my breath back. As Dolly said, even winning would be losing. My throat hurt, a painful lump of despair.

Except, bent over like that, light-headed, my wild child got a wild, creative idea. I sprang straight.

Up on the stage of the Oom-pa-pah band shell, the bloodiest portion of the vampire fight raged, silhouetted by a big screen where the finalists’ videos would have played. Four of the five finalists—including Frank Titus—sat in front. A fifth, empty chair belonged to Bo Strongwell, no doubt.

Mayor Meier stood gripping both edges of the podium, silent while canned polka music merrily rolled out the barrels. His head was twisted, eyes round on the carnage behind him, where Thor and Bo Strongwell and Julian Emerson, people he knew, sliced heads from bodies and cut hearts from ribcages.

The crowd of frozen, white faces resolved into people
I
knew, people I cared about. Jenny, Bruno, Granny. Nixie stood with her, all of them staring up at the stage, where vampires sliced and gouged, their plated faces, red eyes, long fangs, and talons in plain sight.

The biggest secret of all—their monstrosity, misleading yet damning—exposed.

I ran into the crowd, toward Granny.

Bo Strongwell, with a particularly vicious strike, sheared through a bald vampire’s neck. Baldy’s head went flying—but his hands shot up and caught it. Plopped head back on neck. Meat and skin started fusing in a CGI-like meld.

Under the glaring lights of the band shell for everyone to see.

A dozen people fainted. The townsfolk would be traumatized—just before they rushed for their shotguns. I despaired.

Then Granny shouted, “Fifty bucks on Strongwell!”

Huh. Not everyone would be traumatized.

“Damn it,” Nixie said as I ran up. “This is
not
going to go well. We managed to hypnotize a few hundred after the Gravloth fiasco, but this is the entire Corners witnessing vampires. We’re totally screwed.”

“No, we’re not. Just help me get to Thor.”

She threw a frustrated hand toward the stage. “He’s part of the problem.”

“No. He’s the solution. I have an idea.”

“A regular old idea—”

“A weird idea. Just weird enough to work.” I crossed my fingers.

She considered me, then seized my arm and tugged me toward the stage, tiny but strong. “Weird, I like. Julian!”

He appeared in a puff at her side. As we mounted the stairs to the band shell, she told him I had a plan, and he slashed our way through the last of the rogues onstage to Thor’s side. Vampire parts littered the boards, showing that many, many vampires had attacked. Our vampires might lose the real war, but I was proud of them for winning the battle.

As Camille and the rest mopped up rogues, I grabbed Thor and urged him with me behind the podium, nudging the frozen mayor aside.

Grabbing the microphone, I slapped a big grin on my face and forced a jolly, “Woo hoo! April Fools, Meiers Corners!”

Silence, except for the gurgle of the few remaining rogues and the reedy wheedle of recorded accordions.

In front of me were a sea of blank, white faces. This would be a hard sell.

I grabbed my wild child and mentally prepared for a ride in the most berserk rodeo of my life. “You’ve seen the rest of the competition for this year’s April Fools’ Day contest—on video. But at Nieman’s Bar, we do it Bigger and Better! We’re Sexy
And
Fun, and this is our entry!”

Below me, the frozen horror on white faces began to melt into confusion. People turned to each other, exchanging perplexed glances. I briefly closed my eyes in relieved thanks.

Mayor Meier leaned toward me. “Vat?” he said, meaning
what
. “Vat your entry is, Sera?” He was second or third generation American, but somehow sported a thick German accent as if he’d not just stepped off the boat, but eaten it. Even in extremes, his jolly
gemütlichkeit
was intact.

“Not my entry, mayor. Nieman’s Bar. What did you just see?” I deliberately pointed to the worst infraction, where the semi-decapitated vampire staggered around, his bald head still wobbly as his neck reattached.

“The
über
supernatural horror.” He gulped in true terror. “V-vampires.”

“That’s what you’re supposed to think. But it’s—” I turned to the mic. “—April Fools!”

Comprehension dawned on some of the faces. I followed up, fast, to sell it. “We tricked you into believing the April Fools’ Day contest was being attacked by
vampires.
Ha-ha! Joke’s on you—on
all
of you.”

“You got us,” Nixie yelled. She didn’t need a mic to be heard. As a punk rock singer, the woman had asbestos vocal cords and iron lungs.

“The ultimate prank on the whole city,” I said. “And were you fooled?”

“We were!” Nixie shouted. “You totally rocked the fooling.”

The mayor was rapidly blinking, so I pulled one more wild rabbit from the hat. “And who’s the April Fooliest, Sexy And Funniest bar in Meiers Corners? Who’s the real winner?”

“Nieman’s!” Camille raised one bloody fist.

“Ja. Ja!” Mayor Meier,
gemütlichkeit
restored, grabbed both Thor and me by the wrist, one in each hand, and lifted our hands into the air. “Ve vill vote for Nieman’s Bar for vinner—”

“Wait.” Bo stalked up to the podium, kicking aside parts and groaning vampires. “Just hold on. You’d already picked. Frank and I tied. Anyway, this should be disqualified because it wasn’t an April Fools
trick.
It was…”

“Real?” Thor hissed off-mic at him, nodding toward the townsfolk below. “Are you really going to blow this for everyone just to win a trophy?”

Bo got a good look at the crowd. At the hopeful, conflicted faces. At the dozen or so fainted folks just coming around. At Nixie and Julian shaking their heads no-no-
no.

“
Drit.
” He spat it like a similar Anglo-Saxon word starting with
sh,
glaring at Thor, then me, then Thor again. “That’s cheating.”

I smiled sweetly back. “That’s creativity let loose.”

“Zo, ve haff the vinner, ja?”

Everyone cheered. “Nie-man’s. Nie-man’s!” Granny cheered the loudest.

Mayor Meier finally let go of our hands. I handed him the mic and surreptitiously rubbed circulation back into my arm.

Thor’s smile looked half-stunned. “I won. I can’t believe it. I actually won.”

“Technically,
we
won. But if it makes you feel better—”

“But I
never
win.” Thor muttered. “He always wins. Bo always wins.”

“Not this year.” I smiled. “Not unless he wants to contradict us and have a full-scale panic on his hands.”

“I never win.” Thor finally lost the glazed look and turned his gaze to me, eyes crinkled with satisfaction and happiness. “Until you.”

That smile made me think all sorts of wild, crazy things. Private things. I took his hand and started across the stage.

Until, as we passed the finalists’ chairs, one of the women rose.

She was a leggy blonde—well, half Meiers Corners was—with curves and detours in all the right places. She put a fluttering hand on Thor’s shoulder

I nearly snapped her arm off, until he stopped and said, “Phillie?”

There was a strange quaver in his voice. This woman meant something to him.

“Thor.” Her voice was breathy. “I misjudged you. You
are
fun.”

He smiled slowly at her, heavy lidded. “I guess I am.”

Jealousy burned in my chest and throat.

“You were the best I ever had.” She mimed rubbing against him, clearly implying the best sex. Her fingers tripped up his biceps. “Wanna get back together?”

His smile broadened, and I wanted to snap those fingers off—until he grabbed them and gently removed them himself.

“I’m a fun guy, yes. But I’ve also found I like being serious—and having serious control. The sex was good, Phillie, but I have someone else now. And we make love.”

He turned that smile to me, and his gaze was full of warmth.

The jealousy went poof, and I basked in the beauty of his smile, my heart fluttering a bit.

He led me off the stage. I’d just gotten down the last step when the mayor’s secretary, Heidi, stepped into our path and cracked her whip—literally a whip. With her blonde braid and fresh face she looked like Spyri’s title character, but instead of dirndls, this Heidi tended toward leather, studs, and spike-heeled boots she could point at your face—with her foot still in them. “Stop right there,” she snapped.