A Bite Before Dying: Book Six Supernatural Enforcers Agency Read online

  Her eyes flashed, and she screamed an incantation, hurling a fireball at her son. Seth jumped out the way, growling at her. She didn’t stop, throwing more and more.

  The once tethered shifters and vampires attacked the guards, making quick work of them as Noah and Seth tried to stop their, frankly, crazy mother.

  “Time to leave,” muttered Juliet, pulling the silver chain from Ryder’s neck, trying not to wince at his singed flesh.

  A strong hand grasped her hair, pulling her to her feet.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” threatened Matthew, spitting in her face.

  The sabre-tooth roared, leaping at Matthew, who easily caught him, laughing as he did. “Honestly, you don’t give up, do you? It’s pathetic, really, it’s… ugk!”

  Matthew looked down in shock as Juliet clasped his heart. It was something she’d never done. But then, in all her years, she’d never actually killed anyone. But ripping out a vampire’s heart was the most efficient way to kill one, and so she did it, without a second thought. He was trying to hurt her mate. He was a monster. She had to stop him.

  His eyes flickered between her and the tiny withered heart, and then he was gone, dropping to the ground, releasing his grip on Ryder.

  “No!” screeched the queen, trying to run to Matthew’s body.

  Her attempt to kill Seth was forgotten in her horror, and she didn’t even notice until it was too late that he had captured her. With Noah’s help, they quickly divested her of her heart, too - a black, shriveled thing that they didn’t give a second thought to removing.

  Juliet dropped Matthew’s heart to the ground, almost leaping out of her skin as a pair of warm arms surrounded her.

  Ryder must have shifted. She clutched at his arms inhaling his beautiful, calming scent, trying to push away her nausea and panic over what just happened.

  He leaned down, his mouth a breath away from her ear.

  “Told you I was your mate, sweet thing.”

  If she weren’t so exhausted and overwhelmed, she would have smacked him.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Ryder was firmly wrapped around Juliet, right where he needed to be. Last night had been… insane? Yeah, that about summed it up. Trying to explain everything to the SEA and Julian, the vampire member of the Council of Supernaturals was perhaps the hardest part.

  They left that up to Seth and Noah. Technically they were still princes of all vampires… his tiger tried not to snigger too much at that.

  It was still messy, and there were going to be problems when dealing with the other vampire elders, but at least they let him and Juliet go home - after Ryder threatened them all with bodily harm, and after Juliet had Emily arrested for kidnapping her. Though they doubted she would see a jail cell, no, the disturbed young woman was looking at a room with a lot more padding…

  It would probably be difficult getting other vampires to accept shifter and vampire matings, but he didn’t care at that moment. Juliet finally admitted she was his mate and as soon as he was able, he was going to put an enormous bonding mark on her shoulder to show everyone she was his - that was all that mattered.

  Juliet’s soft, pliant body wriggled in his arms. At that moment, everything was perfect. Well, except for one, or rather, two things.

  “Do we really have to keep them?” he murmured into her ear.

  In spite of the fact that Ryder had locked them in the kitchen, the two jaguars were starting at him with what his own tiger imagined were insouciant expressions – except his beast wouldn’t use the word insouciant.

  Juliet hadn’t wanted them locked in cages and had insisted on bringing them home and taking care of them. He’d been too tired to argue, but now their unerring stares were starting to freak him out.

  Juliet fluttered a kiss on his arm. “No, I guess not. I’ll contact the zoo and ask them about taking them. I just like them.”

  She flicked them a look and murmured an order for them to go downstairs. Amazingly, they did. His little mate was certainly impressive. “They saved my life,” she murmured, looking a little guilty about the thought of sending them away.

  “And we’ll be forever grateful, but right now they’re freaking me out. I woke up to one of them licking my foot.” He wiggled his foot, peeking out of the covers as if to prove his point. “At first I thought it was you, so I was fine with it, but…”

  “Why on earth would I lick your foot?”

  “I don’t know! It didn’t feel terrible.” Strange but true.

  “No offense, but nothing in heaven or on earth could persuade me into putting my lips anywhere near your feet.”

  “Yeah, well…. Why do you say it like that? Your feet? What’s wrong with my feet?”

  Juliet smiled prettily. “Nothing, except… when was the last time you bought new socks?”

  “I don’t know. What year did that movie Avatar come out?”

  She half-giggled and half-groaned. “Good lord, our number one priority is buying you some new clothes, and burning all the rest.”

  “No, our number one priority is this…” He pressed his lips to hers, licking at the seam of her mouth, demanding entrance.

  She pulled away from him, gazing up at him with an inscrutable expression.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, I…” She smiled and reached up to tuck an unruly bit of hair behind his ear. “I guess I’m just still surprised at how things have turned out.”

  “Yeah, if you’d just listened to me in the first place…”

  Juliet rolled her eyes. “You mean when you grabbed me, pushed me against a wall and told me I was yours?”

  “Exactly,” he replied smugly. “You didn’t have to get security to throw me out the building.”

  “You ruined the moment by telling me how horny you were.”

  “Well, I was horny… still am.”

  “That leads me to believe you’re always horny,” she commented drily.

  “You’re not wrong there.”

  He kissed the end of her nose, and an honest to god blush rose to her cheeks, right before she started chewing on her bottom lip. “You know there might be some truth in me being pregnant.”

  “I know, babe.” His tiger almost meowed. A cub. My cub. Ours. Rawr.

  “It’s a scary thought.”

  “More like terrifying.”

  “What would you think about me having a baby?” she asked hesitantly.

  “What would I think? Are you kidding? I’d be thrilled.” Scared of screwing up maybe, but with Juliet by his side, he didn’t think he could go too wrong.

  Happiness blossomed over her face. “Really?”

  His tiger growled. As if there could be any doubt. “Of course. You’re my mate, no matter what. I want you, no matter what. I knew it the moment I saw you, and I’ll know it until my dying breath. You are mine.”

  “You’ve grown quite verbose since I met you,” she chuckled, pleased at his words.

  “Something you bring out in me,” he rasped before nipping her shoulder.

  She flinched slightly, and he laved his tongue over her skin. “Better get used to it,” he warned in a gentle voice. “Soon I’ll place my mark here. Press my fangs into your skin, taste you, bond you to me.”

  “I know,” she breathed, running her hands through his hair. “It’s just so hard to go against something I’ve known for centuries.”

  “We don’t have to rush to bond,” he said, against all the wishes of his beast. But it was true; he had her, she wasn’t going anywhere, bonding was merely a formality. Though he really hoped she wanted to do it soon.

  Juliet nodded in agreement, and he tried to hide his disappointment. Clearly, not successfully, given the way she laughed and kissed him.

  “Soon, I promise,” she murmured. “I… I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he rumbled without hesitation.

  He’d never loved anyone before her. Maybe his siblings, kind of, but never anyone else. He’d never been in love, and it was
glorious. He needed this woman, wanted her more than any other, and he couldn’t hold back.

  “It’s been too long,” he groused, cupping one of her breasts in his hand, massaging the plump flesh as he nibbled on her earlobe.

  “Just over a week,” she murmured.

  “Far too long!”

  Juliet grasped his head and pulled him to her mouth, kissing him again, more insistently, hungrier and eager to be with him. Without breaking the kiss, he flipped her on her back, his thighs parting hers.

  Despite his desperation, he pushed into her slowly and with the utmost care. Juliet groaned as she rippled around the huge intruder, pushing against him, making it clear she wanted more.

  She breathed his name in a husky voice as he sheathed himself completely.

  “Mine,” he growled, and she surprised him by answering his proprietary call with one of her own.

  “Mine,” she breathed.

  His beast howled, and he began to move inside her. She gasped as he filled her over and over again, stroking inside her, touching every sensitive nerve and making her clench and tremble around him.

  It had been too long – more than a day was too long for him – and he couldn’t last long. Her moans, her hands in his hair and her clutching sex were too much for him. He lost all control and started thrusting into her with wild abandon.

  He came only moments later. A desperate sound tore out of his throat as he throbbed and pulsed in release. Her orgasm quickly followed his. Her inner muscles squeezing him furiously, prolonging his pleasure as she found her own.

  He collapsed beside her and dragged her into his arms, planting delicate kisses over her neck. His beast whimpered in satisfaction. He could stay here all day.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t on the cards.

  Her phone started ringing, and Juliet fumbled to answer, ignoring his grunts of irritation that whoever it was should bugger off.

  Vaguely he heard some murmuring on the phone, and after a few moments, Juliet said, “I’ll be right there.”

  *

  Cecile looked radiant as she clutched at the tiny bundle in her arms. Her mate, on the other hand, looked like he’d been hit by a truck.

  Juliet found Cecile patting Boris’ hand while cooing at her baby.

  “Cecile.”

  The swan shifter’s face lit up as Juliet made her way into the room, making a beeline for her and the baby. Ryder trailed behind her, still sulking at being forced out of bed. She had offered to go on her own, but Ryder wasn’t letting her out of his sight – not after the events of the previous night.

  Cecile let go of the stunned Boris to clasp Juliet’s hand.

  “Congratulations,” Juliet gushed. She peered at the pink, wrinkled, chubby creature in her friend’s arms and her heart did a flip. “He’s absolutely perfect.”

  “I know,” agreed Cecile, happily.

  “How was the birth?”

  “Terrible,” grumbled Boris, bleakly. “Absolutely terrible.”

  Cecile went back to patting his hand. “It’s likely this little one will be an only child. Boris didn’t handle the birth well.”

  Juliet didn’t doubt it. He looked like he seen a ghost, been hit by a train and then saw another ghost.

  “Would you like to hold him?” offered Cecile.

  Juliet didn’t even hesitate before nodding and greedily scooping up the sleeping angel. The sadness and longing she usually felt weren't there. Instead, she felt… hopeful.

  Ryder peered over her shoulder and grunted. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with children, but he would learn when they had their own - a thought that made her quiver excitedly.

  He’d told her everything that happened to him the previous night too. She was excited to meet the other shifter-vampire couples and get to know them, talk to them about their situations. It was still a little difficult to get her head around everything that happened, it was all too fresh to absorb really. For one thing, when she mated Ryder – which she had no doubt she would – she would start aging again. Which may not seem too bad, especially considering how long she’d already been alive, but in truth she was nervous about it. One moment she would have centuries ahead of her and the next only decades.

  Juliet watched as the tiny bundle in her arms wriggled. It would be worth it, though.

  Cecile placed a hand on Juliet’s arm. Her lovely face marred by a regretful frown. “I’m sorry to drag you down here, but I really wanted you to see him. I know this may be difficult for you.”

  The swan shifter was one of very few people Juliet had ever confided in, admitting her greatest regret was never having children.

  Juliet looked up at Ryder, who grinned back at her. “Well, actually…”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Two months later

  Susie ran around the yard blowing bubbles at everyone with ferocious intent. Her mother, Kate, rolled her eyes indulgently as she rocked baby Jonas to sleep.

  They were having a barbecue. It was nighttime, but nobody seemed to mind particularly. Apart from the sunshine, it made little difference to having a barbecue during the day.

  The males were still gathered around the barbecue, lured by the sizzling heat, and arguing over the best way to cook the meat. Juliet tried not to roll her eyes too much as she heard her own mate’s gruff voice overruling the other males.

  She scratched her new bonding mark and instead focused on staring at her mate’s taught butt. Delicious.

  The vampire elders had grudgingly declared vampire and shifter matings legal. The vampire royal family was no more. Seth had decided to settle down and mate with his shifter while Noah… Juliet had no idea where he was or what he was doing, and frankly, she didn’t care.

  Most vampires were having difficulty in accepting the sudden change. Arturo wouldn’t even talk to her anymore. Not that it was a great loss. He was trying to blame them for his mate dying years ago, casually forgetting that the vampire who really was to blame was actually dead. However, some vampires still blamed them for the queen dying. Vampires took a long time to change their minds. Give them a few decades, and they’d come around. For now, the elders were trying to make sure everyone knew there would be dire consequences if there was any retaliation against shifter and vampire matings.

  At least they had other people they could talk to - a whole group of them in the same boat as them. Though there was some debate about what to call their offspring. The favorite was currently ‘vampters’.

  Calder was fussing around his rabbit shifter mate while Ingrid and her bear shifter made no bones about making out in front of everyone. Juliet understood the vampire was keen to get pregnant, though hopefully they wouldn’t get down to the mating in front of the children. Frank was arguing heatedly with Ryder over how to grill meat and Kate gave her a look of disdain for their squabbling mates before chuckling.

  Juliet stroked her stomach. She was definitely pregnant. Rick was relieved to find out he was right, also a little baffled, but mostly relieved and pleased for her and keen to help her in any way he could. She had gained a few pounds but was nowhere near showing. Her body was changing, though. She still needed blood, which she exclusively got from Ryder at his insistence, but she regularly ate too. Her heart was beating, and her tolerance to the sun was increasing. Not enough that she could go out in the middle of the day in blazing sunlight, but it was improving. Sadly, she had already spotted her first silver hair – which had been ruthlessly plucked out of her head. Ryder thought it was hilarious, but aging was going to be a little daunting for her.

  She was still working at the SEA, despite the noises Ryder was making about quitting. She enjoyed her work, though when the baby was born, she was definitely cutting back her hours. The Council of Supernaturals wasn't exactly pleased with that news. She supposed one of the perks of hiring a vampire was that they were never expected to take maternity leave. But, well, the times they were a-changing.

  Ryder slumped on the bench behind her and wrapped her in
his arms, nuzzling her neck.

  “Are the burgers okay?” she asked innocently, leading to some muffled laughter from Kate.

  Ryder grunted. “Damn vampire’s turning them crispy. Shouldn’t give the job of grill master to someone who has barely eaten in eight hundred years.”

  Juliet patted his arms and snuggled against him. “You can always eat later.”

  “I know what I want to eat,” he whispered into her ear, making Juliet turn bright red.

  Kate’s laughter was uncontainable this time, and she excused herself under the pretext of needing to change her baby.

  That was another thing Juliet could do without – blushing. Now it really was obvious when she was embarrassed, and with her licentious mate, it was a regular occurrence.

  “You’re incorrigible,” she chided playfully.

  “You love it,” he told her smugly.

  He was right, she did. She loved everything about him, and that included his regularly insufferable personality, his occasionally smelly feet, and his downright stubbornness. After centuries of loneliness, he had given her everything she ever wanted and then some.

  To her, he was perfect.

  “How about we go eat inside?” she asked giving her behind a saucy wiggle.

  Ryder growled in excitement. “Hell, yes.”

  Juliet giggled as Ryder clumsily hauled her into the house, falling over his feet in his haste.

  Yep, she wouldn’t change a thing about him. Mine.

  Epilogue

  Wolfman sighed as she flicked her wet blonde hair over her shoulders. The epitome of perfection, the most wonderful woman in entire creation, started blow-drying her glorious wealth of golden hair.

  His wolf grumbled at him. Go talk to her urged the beast. In fact, forget the talking. Go kiss her senseless until she begs for more.

  Wolfman let out another sigh, longer and more pathetic, as he clutched at his binoculars. He was perched on a rooftop opposite Avery’s apartment doing surveillance. Spying more like sneered his wolf. Doing surveillance! He just happened to be doing in in her neighborhood, and he just happened to need to be opposite the goddess’ apartment. That’s all it was – coincidence. Yeah right.