This book is going to be a compilation of one-shots, short stories, character trivia and interviews, and whatever other extras I come up with for the Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series. I have over half a dozen goodies already scattered around the internet...
WARNING: This one-shot takes place between Chapters 12 and 13 ofSentiments & Reason and contains minor spoilers for what happens to Rhys and Riley during that book.
Note: Does this one-shot sound familiar? That's because it was originally posted on my blog.
POV: Riley's
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Work was slow and I was on my mobile, scrolling through the pictures of baby Oliver who was soon to be my nephew – how soon, I didn't know as Rhys and I had yet to set a date for the wedding – when...
"Surprise me."
His silky voice made me freeze.
I slowly lifted my gaze from the phone screen towards the familiar timbre – teasing and with a hint of danger. I was met by pale eyes on the background of a fair, angelic face. How deceptive those features were! The creature before me couldn't be further from an angel.
"Come on, Riley." Alec's voice was low, seductive. "Give me something I'd enjoy."
I stared silently at the vampire-shifter hybrid; why was he at the Milk & Cream?
"If you are as good of a barista as my uncle claims, you should be able to recommend me a drink." Beautiful lips turned up in a smile. There was no joy or friendliness in the new expression; Alec looked upon me like a cat playing with its next meal. "So what do you have to offer?"
His inflection suggested the blond devil was asking for something other than a drink. Clarity decided to manifest itself in my mind: Alec was here to toy with me.
He was here to intimidate and jest, and leave me speechless and trembling. How could he be so different from Rhys and the rest of their family?
The Flemings were good people, caring and compassioned. Alec was everything but.
He is too much like his vampire relatives – that had been said to me on several occasions by several wolf shifters. Once again, I realized how lucky I was not to have met his mother or anyone on her side of the family.
The smile became a sneer and something in me snapped.
This boy, not much older than me, was making us all walk on eggshells. His father – oh, pour Everett! – was constantly stressed at what trouble Alec would stir up next just to amuse himself. I hoped Everett and Lisa's new child grew up to be as different from his older half-brother as the sun and the moon were from each other. But then again, how could Oliver turn out anything like Alec?
Ollie would be raised by two loving wolf shifters, not by a cold-hearted vampire mother who kept the child away from his birth father.
"Milkshake." I said decidedly, determined not to fall prey to this boy's manipulations. If Alec sought entertainment, he had to look for it elsewhere today.
