Page 17 of Craving Her Vampire

I pull it out of my pocket. “You can give it back.” I slap the leather wallet onto his palm.

“Bash,” he calls. “Would you mind catching the human? He dropped his wallet.” Micah holds it out for Bash to grab without taking his eyes off of me. Bash takes it smoothly on the way by us without looking.

“Are you regretting having a coyote for a mate yet?” I ask, afraid of his answer. He moves closer, his hand still under my chin, not allowing me to hide from him.

“I think it’s adorable,” he says, and I jerk. “There isn’t much that surprises me anymore, but you are a surprise.” As Bash returns, he steps back and reclaims my hand.

I don’t know what to do with him. I mean, I know what I would like him to do to me, but I’m not used to someone being so casual with my behavior. Should I trust it? Trust him? My gut is telling me to.

His friends have been watchful and quiet, but not in a judgmental way. I suppose vampires as old as they are have seen some shit over the years. A coyote who steals is probably low on their list of fucked up things.

We leave the building, and Micah turns to me. “Ready, Love?”

“Yes.” Yes, I think I am. He lifts me and tucks me close. I rub my face on his neck. I can’t help myself; I taste his skin. Just a small lick.

“Pet,” he grunts in warning, swatting my ass.

I squeak, and my tongue darts back into my mouth, and we are flying.

I could get used to this way of traveling. I have never felt so free. When I am in his arms, I can forget everything else. There is no pack. No one is trying to kill me. I can be at peace with Micah.

Humans will never understand the automatic connection we feel with our mate. I know almost nothing about Micah. I know he’s an ancient vampire with capabilities I didn’t know vampirescould possess. He is super sexy, able to hold me easily, and will do anything to keep me safe. I am drawn to him in ways I never thought possible. I wasn’t expecting a mate. Shit, I have been too busy trying to survive to think about meeting my mate. I definitely wasn’t expecting a mate who looks like him, acts like he does, or is a vampire. I assumed I would cross paths with a random coyote or human and feel the bond.

No, I wasn’t expecting Micah, but I want to keep him.

My body is on board, melting on his chest, trusting him. I need to have a conversation with him, without an audience, about the bond. He must know more about it than I do. My pack wasn’t very educational, and I don’t remember anyone talking about a vampire mating a shifter.

My coyote is vibrating with excitement inside me, ready to allow Micah to mark us, fuck us, and protect us. A shifter's relationship with their animal is personal and special to each shifter. Some of us speak to them as if they are a separate person with feelings and emotions. Some have a different voice than the shifter. Most speak to you with pictures and a feeling they push through the bond you have with them. My animal is the only thing that has kept me putting one foot in front of the other, living every day, hoping one day we can live in peace. She is the reason I fight so hard. We are always on the same path; we have the same goals and most of the same feelings.

The air stills. “Love, we are here,” Micah says quietly. I don’t want to leave his arms and face the pack house, but I loosen my grip. His hands slide from my ass up my body as I drop to my feet. He stopped across the street from the house.

I turn slowly. “They aren’t here,” I state. Even though the walls of the house would dull their smell and presence, since I am part of the pack, I would be able to feel them inside. I walk cautiously across the street with a line of vampires at my back. Turner is a paranoid fucker; he installed cameras at the front and back door.“Do you have any tricks to disable the cameras?” I glance over my shoulder as I unlock the door.

Micah eyes the camera before yanking it off the side of the house. “Yep.” He throws it to the ground and steps on it, his lips curved in a sexy smirk.

“That works,” Ryker says.

“Thanks,” I say as I push open the door. “There is one in the back, too,” I offer.

“Are there any in the house?” Bash asks.

“Not that I know of,” I answer, moving to the side, my hand on the door handle to allow them to enter. “I was worried there was, so I searched for any. I didn’t find anything.” I shut the door. “Unless he was really creative on the install.”

“We should be able to hear them if they are close,” Micah says, and my eyes widen.

“Really? Your ears are that sensitive?”

“Yes,” Bash says, looking around the entryway.

“Does Turner have an office?” Micah asks.

“Yes. It’s down the hall, by the kitchen.” I point in the direction.

“Ryker. Bash. Take a look,” Micah says. “See if you can find anything with Daisy’s name on it or Liam. We need information, and maybe he has some lying around. Have you searched it?” he asks.

“I’ve tried. He usually keeps it locked. The pack members are always around, so it’s difficult to do an in-depth search.” Bash and Ryker head toward the office.

“Lead the way,” Micah says.

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