Kerrelyn Sparks - How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying)

The camp grew quiet as the teams waited for their scouts to call and round three to begin.

Neona drew Zoltan off to the shelter of the nearby forest. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”

“That you love me?”

She smiled. “I’ve already told you that.”

“Not tonight.” He pulled her behind a tree and whispered in her ear, “Are you thinking about climax number seven?”

“Are you still keeping count?”

“I promised you ten, and I always deliver.”

She stepped back. “This is important.”

“So it is about sex?”

She snorted. The man was insatiable. “I have a confession to make. About your bottles of blood.” Wincing, she steeled her nerves. “I’ve been sneaking some of our Living Water into your bottles. I’m afraid that’s why you’re hungry—”

“What?” He gave her an incredulous look. “You’ve been spiking my blood supply?”

She nodded. “It was wrong of me. I should have told you. I’ll understand if you’re angry—”

He laughed.

She blinked. “You’re not angry?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve been spiking my bottles, too. Good God, no wonder I’ve been so hungry.”

“Y-you added Living Water? Where did you get it?”

“I stole it. Sneaked into the cave and took some.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll understand if you’re angry.”

“I-I’m stunned. We’ve both been doing it?”

He gave her a curious look. “Why did you do it?”

“Why did you?”

“I asked you first.”

She sighed. “You said your seed was dead. I thought the Living Water might revive it.”

“Ah.” He reached for her. “You want to make babies.”

“Not now.” She gave him a playful shove. “What was your reason?”

“We wanted to know what happens to a vampire if he ingests the Living Water. In case Liao or Han get their hands on it, we wanted to know what to expect.”

“I see.” She tilted her head, studying him. “How do you feel?”

He shrugged. “About the same. I’m just hungry all the time.”

She nodded. “It’s only been two nights. It may take some time before the effects show up.”

Howard whistled to get their attention. “Jesse called. It’s time to move out.”

They teleported to Jesse, who indicated a party of five ahead of them and ten behind them.

“Two groups?” Howard whispered.

Jesse nodded, a panicked look on his face. “They’re armed with AK-47s.”

Neona didn’t know what that was, but from the looks on the men’s faces, it was bad news.

“These men are no’ searching for Beyul-La,” Dougal muttered. “They’re hunting us.”

Howard nodded. “The first group is bait, and when we bite, the second group will move in for the kill.”

Jesse gulped. “What do we do? Should we leave?”

Howard gave him an annoyed look.

“Oh, right.” Jesse squared his shoulders. “Let’s kick some ass.”

Zoltan gave Neona a worried look, but before he could say anything, she shook her head. “I’m staying.”

He grimaced. “We should pair up so the Vamps can teleport their partner away from the gunfire. I’ll take Neona.”

“Good plan,” Howard said. “Jimmy, stick with Jack. Jesse, go with Dougal.”

“What about you?” Jimmy asked.

“I’ll manage.” Howard patted his nephew on the back. “We should take the group of ten first.”

Everyone agreed, and they moved quietly through the forest till they caught a glimpse of the group of ten.

Neona’s breath caught. These supersoldiers were armed to the teeth. Not only swords and knives but they were also carrying the biggest rifles she’d ever seen.

“Those are automatic assault weapons,” Zoltan whispered in her ear. “Stay close to me so I can teleport you.”

She inched forward with him, keeping behind the cover of bushes and rocks. When Howard’s birdcall whistled through the air, she was behind a bush with Zoltan. All six of their team shot their dart guns. Neona hit her target, and immediately Zoltan teleported her behind a huge boulder.

Rapid fire responded. Her hands shook as she reloaded her dart gun. She’d never heard such a terrible weapon before. Zoltan fired his dart gun again, then teleported her up into a tree. With a gasp, she grabbed onto the trunk. Down below, bullets were ricocheting off the boulder. The bush she and Zoltan had hidden behind was now ripped to shreds.

Only two soldiers remained standing, but they were shooting their assault weapons in a wide circle. Neona shot one with a dart just as four more on her team shot their guns. The soldiers stopped shooting to rip out the darts, but more darts came at them. Slowly, they slumped down to the ground.

“Hurry! Get their weapons,” Howard shouted.

Zoltan teleported her down to the ground. The team rushed in to gather the weapons. As Neona approached a soldier, he grasped her ankle, yanked her off her feet, and raised his arm, his knife ready to strike. She grabbed his arm, but he was stronger than she was. Just as the knife sliced into her arm, Zoltan seized the man by the back of his neck and lifted him off the ground.

“Bastard!” Zoltan shook him.

“Take cover!” Howard shouted, and he and the were-bear twins ducked behind unconscious soldiers.

Rapid fire exploded from the nearby forest. The group of five had arrived. With vampire speed, Zoltan spun around, placing the soldier between him and the bullets. The soldier jerked and shuddered as bullets riddled his body.

Jack and Dougal teleported behind two of the soldiers, ripped the weapons from their hands, and manually stabbed them with a cluster of three darts. The men slumped to the ground.

Three were still shooting. Hidden behind Zoltan, Neona drew her knife and threw it at one, striking his arm so he dropped his weapon. Then she shot him with her dart gun. Meanwhile Jack and Dougal teleported behind the remaining two soldiers, disarmed them, and knocked them out.

The forest was silent for a moment before Jimmy jumped to his feet and yelled, “That was awesome!”

“I know, right?” Jesse slapped hands with his twin.

Zoltan dropped the dead soldier and helped Neona to her feet. “Are you all right?”

“You were awesome, warrior princess!” Jimmy lifted a hand, waiting for her to slap it.

She lifted her arm, and it was covered with blood.

“Shit,” Zoltan whispered. “I’ll take you to the doctor in Tiger Town.”

“It’s a small cut. I’ll be fine if you take me to the storeroom where I keep my medical supplies.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, then he glanced at the other guys. “We need to go.”

“We’ll be fine.” Howard waved him on. “Go on.”

He teleported her to the fire pit in Beyul-La, then led her inside the storeroom where she kept her medical supplies. He opened a window so the moonlight would shine in.

She gave him instructions, and he washed her arm, applied the salve, and wrapped it tight with a strip of fresh linen.

“Are you sure about this?” He gave her arm a dubious look.

“The salve works,” she assured him. “It stopped the bleeding on your wound, remember? And kept it clean.”

“But I heal during my death-sleep. You don’t.” He escorted her from the storeroom. “We could go to the next valley. Mikhail has his medical kit there.”

“I’ve been healing wounds here for close to two thousand years.”

“At least take something for the pain.” He pulled her close. “I can’t bear to think of you hurting.”

She turned when she heard a shouting noise. Norjee and Zhan were running from the cave. The owl flew out, headed for the next valley. Zhan raced after it.

“What’s wrong?” she yelled in Tibetan.