Page 1 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within (Ours Evermore #6)

Skyler

The sun was over the horizon, but its light was muted by the thick San Diego marine layer that moved in overnight. It was January, so the dense fog would burn off eventually and the temperature would rise to a comfortable warmth.

As a land nymph, Skyler didn’t mind the cold.

She was immune to most temperatures and even enjoyed extreme heat or cold for short periods of time.

If she were bonded to some land, then she’d never be bothered by any temperatures, no matter how long they lasted.

Land bonded nymphs were nearly indestructible, like her parents and siblings.

That thought made tears burn the backs of her eyes. She tried to push down the hurt. No land had claimed her, and she was running out of time. She was turning thirty soon.

She’d never heard of a nymph surviving very long after thirty without land.

“I’ll find land,” she murmured, pulling the borrowed coat she was wearing tighter around her. She didn’t need the warmth, but being surrounded by Mason’s scent helped comfort her. She’d taken to wearing an article of his clothing every day, especially when he had to go to work.

Taking a deep breath of briny air, she left the safety of the heavily warded building and headed toward the sea. The slight breeze pulled at her long hair and felt refreshingly cold on her face.

She shouldn’t be outside on her own. She’d woken up with the sunrise and an urgent need to touch land and nature. That pushed her to leave despite the danger. Honestly, she was beyond frustrated and close to giving up, despite all her positive words to herself and Mason.

“I’m a landless nymph,” she grumbled, walking rapidly on the mostly empty sidewalk. “If I don’t find land, I die. Or I could bond to a vampire I don’t love and live a very long, sad life. Great choices.”

She shouldn’t be bitter because, honestly, she’d gotten lucky.

She’d been all alone until stumbling into the bar that was Sanguin, renamed Joy later.

She’d been running from a human and a bunch of magical copies of him called durmin.

In a moment epic enough to be a scene out of an action movie, the entire bar full of magical creatures rose up and fought for her.

Several things happened that night. She found a home with wards strong enough to protect her and fell in love with a gargoyle shifter named Mason.

Not that she could tell him that. Gargoyles were extremely protective by nature.

She knew better than to think he felt anything more for her than obligation.

Hell, he didn’t even join her in the one bed of the studio apartment they shared above Joy.

He slept on the floor. He was quick to hold her and comfort her, but immediately set her aside and stepped back the moment she was calm.

If nothing else, that was enough to convince her that she was a duty.

His lack of interest was beyond depressing. Sure, she wasn’t as round and curvy as other girls, but she wasn’t completely ugly! She liked to think she was tall, lean, and elegant, although that illusion was shattered every time she tripped over her own feet.

In truth, she was awkward and far from captivating. It wasn’t surprising that Mason wasn’t interested in her, even for some casual sex.

Though her lack of physical appeal didn’t stop vampires from flooding the email they’d set up asking to be interviewed to bond with Skyler. Mason had made her realize that bonding to a vampire didn’t need to be a complete shot in the dark. They could ask the vampires questions.

The vampires all wanted the bond she could give them. A soul bond with her could keep them from going feral, even if it wasn’t a true fated soul bond.

“I’m wanted by many,” she said. “But not in a flattering way. Their desperation is obvious. I could be anyone.”

She was the only creature a vampire could force a soul bond on, and it wouldn’t poison both of them over time. Fearing that they’d never meet their fated mates, vampires were determined to bond with her.

So far, she and Mason had interviewed five vampires. All of them were powerful and rich. They’d given her gifts and pushed her to pick them. Most of the interviews ended with Mason and Anatoly insisting that the vampire leave.

The only thing that kept many of the vampires polite was threats and wards.

For the first time in her life, she felt hopeless. She was tired and thought it was time to give up and end everything before she got sick and started dying, or some random vampire successfully kidnapped her and managed to force a soul bond on her.

Before that dark thought could swamp her, she spotted a small, independent coffee shop with a cute owl logo.

“Oh, coffee!” she cried out, her depression retreating. Who could be unhappy at the prospect of a sweet latte?

The line was long, but the baristas were fast. The one who took her order didn’t even bat an eye at the amount of flavoring and sweetness she wanted. Soon she had her drink and was back outside, humming as she walked.

Half a mile later, she was toeing off her shoes and sinking her bare feet into the cold sand.

Sitting down, she listened to the steadily lapping waves, seagulls bickering over food scraps, and the tread of the occasional jogger going by.

With the thick fog, she couldn’t see far, but she knew there had to be a few intrepid surfers out there and maybe a swimmer or two.

She felt her inner nymph powers recharging as much as they were able. This was probably one of the reasons she was struggling with despair; she hadn’t been outside in two days!

Taking another sip, she let contact with the earth rebalance her. Living inside the three-story building owned by Anatoly and his flock was safe, but there was no way for her to connect with the land through all that concrete.

It was daytime, so all the vampires that might want to kidnap her were safely tucked indoors. That didn’t mean the danger was zero, but being able to do this was worth it.

She could’ve woken Mason, but he was exhausted.

He spent all day working, then a good portion of the night guarding her while they interviewed vampires to see if any of them appealed to her.

She felt so guilty, but he refused to leave.

He even paid for stuff out of his own pocket as her savings account dwindled.

“I’ll pay him back someday,” she swore. Yeah, she thought sourly, lifting up a handful of sand and letting it fall from her partially closed fist. She’d pay him back right after she learned to turn hope into gold.

No, that wasn’t the right attitude. She wasn’t going to let herself spiral. Mason didn’t need her gloom and doom on top of everything else. No longer being a burden to him was the first step. Paying him back was the second, so there was no point in thinking about it yet.

Determined to be positive, she took the last few swallows of her coffee and got up. “I come from a long line of nymphs who all found their land. I can’t be the first landless nymph in nine generations. That’s impossible.”

She tossed her empty cup in a trash can.

With her head held high, she headed back to the building that housed Joy on the first floor and her and Mason in the apartment above.

She’d snuck out without telling anyone, and if she didn’t get back before Mason woke up, he’d worry.

He was so kind and gentle to her; the last thing she wanted to do was cause him distress.

She sensed danger only seconds before twenty look-alike men stepped out in front of her.

“I knew my luck was looking up after I caught that damn wolf Carter in the alley the other night,” the guy at the front said.

He was the human all the durmin surrounding him were modeled after.

He worked for a vampire named McConnell, and this was the second time he’d found her alone and vulnerable.

Last time, she was able to duck into Joy and find rescue. This time, he and all the magical copies were standing between her and the bar.

She didn’t bother standing around talking. Turning, she ran.

The sugary coffee and her time sitting on the beach had recharged her a little. She put everything she had into moving.

“Goddamn it! Fucking bitch,” the guy cussed. “Chase her down and bring her back to me!”

She heard feet pounding behind her. The good thing was that the durmin were only as fast as the human they were modeled after. This human wasn’t fast enough to catch a nymph in flight.

Unfortunately, they would never get tired. She could outpace them for a while, but they could keep going until she was exhausted.

Ducking down a side street, she pushed hard to turn the next corner before they turned the first one.

Looking around, she spotted a delivery box truck double-parked.

The driver’s door was open, and she hopped in and ducked into the large back.

She tucked herself between bags of linens and tried to calm her breathing.

She heard some commotion outside. Someone yelled, and there was a scuffle. The truck rocked, and there was more yelling, but also many feet continuing on.

“Weirdos,” a man grumbled as he got into the truck.

She hoped he would settle into the driver’s seat and leave, but instead, he moved into the back where she was hiding.

“I don’t need any—what the hell?” he exclaimed when he saw her.

He was carrying several bags and dumped them at her feet, and pointed at the still open door of the truck.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I’m not a damn taxi!”

“Please,” she begged. “I only need to hide for a little while.”

“Not in here you don’t,” he answered. “Call the police if you’re in trouble.”

“You don’t understand,” she said even as he reached down and grabbed her arm to haul her to her feet.