Page 23 of Bite

He returned to the ballroom not long after I did, but he didn’t approach me again. Instead, hewatched. I felt the weight of his gaze on me all night, and every time I looked his way, those pale blue eyes held mine across the room like a tether. I kept close to Bex and Audrey, politely declined feeding requests from othervamps, and drank champagne until the buzz drowned out my nerves. The moment I received confirmation that my attendance fee was transferred, I bolted. Rode home in the black car, stumbled up the steps to my apartment, and passed out.

The futon creaks beneath my weight as I roll over, reaching blindly toward the coffee table for my phone. Instead of finding it, tiny claws sink into my arm, piercing the skin like needles.

“Ow!” I groan, jerking my arm back and squinting an eye open.

The kitten blinks up at me from where he’s pounced, golden eyes wide, tail twitching. He looks positively smug about mauling me at dawn.

“Asshole,” I mutter, though my lips twitch into a reluctant smile. His fur is warm against my fingers when I reach over to rub his little head, and the tiny traitor starts purring instantly.

I manage to snatch my phone off the table without getting clawed on the second attempt, the light from the screen assaulting my retinas when I swipe it open. The sun hasn’t fully risen yet, only a faint bluish haze pressing through the thin curtains strung over the window. Nobody would text me this early– not even Bex. Unless she was in trouble. My pulse spikes as my eyes adjust to the light of the screen, hoping she’s okay.

It's not a missed text or call from her that’s waiting for me, though. It’s a new engagement request from Bite.

My mouth runs dry as I stare at the notification.

After last night, I told myself I was done. Done with invitations, done with requests, done with the contradiction of craving what terrifies me. I’ve made enough money– more than enough, really. Plenty to cover rent, groceries, even actual cat food for the little beast currently batting my phone cord like it’s a mouse. I should’ve deleted the app the second I got home, but between the champagne haze and exhaustion, I guess I just forgot.

Or maybe some part of me didn’t want to.

Either way, the notification is still sitting there staring back at me like a dare, my thumb hovering.

Even though I’m not going to take the request, I suppose there’s no harm in just looking at it...right?

I click. The app loads, the request popping up. I bolt upright when I see the profile picture, my heart stuttering in my chest.

White-blond hair, ice blue eyes, and a carefully schooled expression gaze back at me from my phone screen. James Deveraux’s face has been lingering in my mind, haunting my dreams, and now it’sright hereon my phone.

I immediately scroll past it to view the details of the request.

Name: James

Physical Age: 26

Engagement Type: Standard Feed

Location: Elm Grove, Private Estate

Time: 11:00 PM

Duration: 15 minutes

Compensation: $300

I blink at my phone, brain struggling to catch up.

Did he mean to send this?

Because if the stories are true, this shouldn’t be happening. He never drinks from the same human twice. Everyone knows that– I heard it at least a dozen times last night. It’s practically vampire lore.

And yet… here it is. A formal request for a second round with the vampire king himself.

I don’t think. I just tapACCEPT, too curious not to.

The kitten mewls at my side, rubbing against me like he’s trying to warn me this is a recipe for disaster.

“Kinda forgot curiosity killed the cat,” I chuckle dryly, reaching over to scratch his fur. “This is probably a bad idea, huh buddy?”

He tilts his head back to gaze up at me, gold eyes blinking.