The Bite (Book 1)

Original Edition - Chapter 2: Shotgun

"I know," the black-haired man said then sighed again. "What happened next?"

Quickly wiping my eyes and pushing back a sob I tried to gather myself and contain the bitter pain. "Something tore him off me. I ran, I didn't look. I just wanted out of there. But I was attacked again by this wolf, he had my leg in his mouth like it was a chew toy."

I didn't realize how much I had been shaking until a hand gently covered mine. The black-haired man opened his mouth once and closed it before opening it again. "What happened after that?"

"A black wolf. Black with gray starting to come in. He killed him, the wolf that bit me. That's all I remember," my voice said in a whisper that barely broke through the silence.

The man let out a breath before looking back to Levi and then to me. "I know you know that there is something different about Levi and I. I know you do. I can see your mind churning behind your eyes."

I looked down at my hands. He was right. He had fangs. He had fangs and Levi growled.

Maybe it was just a costume? Maybe they were into some weird kind of role-play crap? I mean people are into that stuff, and if that's what they want to do then so be it.

But my gut told me otherwise.

"Levi and I are not human. Not human at all."

I snapped my eyes up to his. Curiosity and fear were eating away at me, toying with my thoughts. "What are you then? I mean, what else could you be?"

The man cocked me almost a smirk. "Some call me a nightwalker, but vampire is what the most common name is."

I laughed. I laughed nervously as Levi ran his hands over his face and chuckled too. "Keep going Derek, you're doing a hell of a job."

"Shut it!" Derek hissed out. He looked back at me and moved closer, too close for my comfort. "Do these look like a laughing matter?"

Fangs. Fangs that looked like they wanted to sink into my neck. Before I could open my mouth, a blur buzzed around the room and settled next to me. I whipped my head around to find it and felt my mouth drop to see Derek smiling like a kid in a candy shop next to me.

"Still feel like laughing?" Derek said right next to me.

I looked forward and the space was empty where he once sat. He was just smiling gently. Not pushing but not going to easy on me either. "What. The. Hell?"

My heart was pounding and my hands started to tremble again. "So then what does that make you?"

Levi's silver eyes burned into mine. He looked over at Derek who was starting to walk his way around the bed to his original spot. "What you'll be if you survive. Which you won't. Humans rarely do, especially women."

"Humans? Survive what?"

"The change, the first shift."

"Wha–what?" My breath was heavier now, labored. Derek quickly settled in front of me, closer than before and took my hand again.

"Little one, listen to me," he said firmly.

I snapped my gaze directly to his. My heart still racing wildly in my chest. It was beating so hard that I thought that everyone in the room could practically hear it.

Derek sighed. This couldn't be real. This was all just a bunch of fairy tales, stories! "Levi is what you would call a Werewolf. Bound to the moon and beast that lives within him."

"I don't..." My voice trailed off as the weight of the situation settled in.

This was crazy. Completely crazy. It's a good thing these two lunatics lived so far off the beaten path, they'd probably be locked up if people heard them rambling about with this nonsense.