Mine, Bitten

Chapter One

Present Day

Cove Neck, New York

Lily

            Lily. It called to her; a deep velvety voice that slipped over her body like a sensual quilt. The darkness cradled her, like the hands of the beast that mastered it. She felt its breath at her neck and turned around to find only darkness.

            Come to me.

            Her heart sounded in her ears, drawing the beast forth; evoking its hunger. She felt a tingling caress along the length of her arm and spun around to find a wisp of air.

         A small breath lodged tightly in her throat as an unseen force lifted the hair from her shoulders, slipped around her waist, stroking her like lean, masculine fingers.

            Then there were screams; as violent and dark as the night was silent and black, and just as abruptly, all fell still.

            She turned and suddenly the darkness shifted, revealing a man with feral, dark eyes.

            You are mine!

            Lilith McDermott woke to screams and clutching a quilt to her chest, realized the screams were her own. Clamping her mouth shut, she stared groggily around the room and its wayward remnants, realizing it had been nothing more than a childish nightmare.

            Drawing in a steady breath, she dropped her head in her palms and tried shaking off a nagging fear.

            She was perfectly safe in her little, cluttered apartment. She laughed under her breath as she stared at its disheveled state.

            Ring! Ring!

            She jumped and pressed a hand to her heart as her cell on the side table jolted against the smooth oak surface.

            She snatched it before it could topple to the floor and flipped it open.

            "Hello?" she asked a bit sharply, brushing tendrils of blonde from her face.

            "Lil, its Rube, where are you?"

            She gasped as her cell dropped from her hand to land soundly in her lap as she leaned over and glanced at her alarm which blinked inaccurately around noon.

            "Shoot!" she seized her phone and flung the covers aside as she rushed to her feet. "How late am I?"

            "Fifteen minutes."

            "Can you stall for another ten, Rube?"

            "No problem but you better get here before Jackson does."

            Lily smiled, "Thanks Rube, you're the best." Shutting her cell, she tossed it lightly on the bed and grabbed her work clothes.

            'Red Brick Grill' was a favorite in the town of Oyster Bay and thankfully it was in walking distance of her apartment.

            After taking a few minutes to dress and make do with the mass of blonde waves that crowded her face, she locked up and started into a run.

            When she reached work, the restaurant was already thriving with customers and it was barely noon, despite what her alarm clock read.