Page 12 of Never His Mate

She grabs it with her free hand. “Thanks, babe.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen her wearing fresh bite marks. By now, I’ve almost come to expect it.

She is a fang-banger, after all.

While most of the non-supes in Muncie are completely oblivious that a group of vampires run this city, there are a select few who have been inducted into the supernatural society.

Jimmy’s one. Hailey’s another.

Hailey thinks I’m like her: a human at ease with vamps because of my relationship with my roommate. And if she’s only a little jealous every time she’s reminded that I already have my fang, she gets over it because she’s determined to get her own one day.

Fang-banger. Not only does she fuck vamps, but she lets them bite her. Anything to convince one of the vampires that she’s perfect mate material.

She can have them. My days of looking for a mate are way behind me.

“You good?” I ask.

She pats the charmed bandage. Created by the Cadre for any human donors in Muncie, the bandage will heal her bite marks while also replenishing her blood supply. By tomorrow, she’ll be ready to be bitten again. “Yeah.”

Bending low, reaching for the shelf below the one holding the emergency kit, I snag my light jacket. Even though it’s early May, it can be a little chilly in Muncie at night, and humans will wonder if I walk around with no coat on.

In so many ways, I guess I’m still playing a part.

Oh, well.

“Good. Then I’m out of here.”

“Ah, come on, Gem. Don’t go. I was gonna ask you to bend over again. I only got a quick glimpse of your ass just now. Don’t leave a guy hanging.”

Ugh. If I thought Vincent was bad, Rex is worse. At least I know that Vincent will respect my necklace. As a human, Rex doesn’t respect anything except a direct response.

I shoot him the bird, shrugging on my jacket at the same time. What can I say? I’m talented like that. “Sorry. Shift’s over. Maybe, if you’re lucky, Hailey will throw you a bone.”

My fellow bartender snorts. I’m not surprised. Unless he has a pair of fangs and the promise of forever, Hailey won’t want anything to do with the guy.

I wave as I move out from behind the bar. “Night everyone.”

“Hot date?” calls someone from the far side of the counter.

Yeah, right. My love life has about as much a pulse as my roommate does. And since Aleks has been dead for more than two hundred years, that’s saying something.

Of course, that’s by choice. As much as I convince myself that any feelings I had for Ryker are long gone, I just can’t bring myself to start dating. Not yet, at least. Ten years is a hard habit to break, and it’s only been twelve months since I left him behind me.

I’ve got time. I might not live as long as a vamp does, but a shifter can do one, two centuries easy. I’m in no rush.

I roll my eyes. “You know it.”

Technically, it’s not a lie. I have a hot date with a cup of tea, the second season of a show I’ve been binging, and my bed. Wild Friday night for a twenty-six year old, but what can I say? I’m a shifter.

Heh.

Stepping outside of Charlie’s, I glance up at the sky. Another habit that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to break. Even though I can always sense the moon, that doesn’t stop me from sneaking peeks up at the Luna as if she suddenly decides to spring a full moon on me or something.

Considering how it affects me, I like to be prepared.

Good news. Tonight she’s only a shade past the quarter moon, coming up on waxing gibbous. I’ve got less than a week until it’s full again and, for one night at least, I have to deal with being an unmated shifter on her own. Since I’m not looking forward to it, I shoot a smile up at the incomplete moon, then start toward home.

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