Page 13 of My Boyfriend Bites (A Moonstruck Mating #3)

Selene hadn’t expected Dante to so readily admit being a vampire. “Allergy to sun my ass,” she huffed as she tucked his jacket around her frame.

“Not sure why you’re so miffed. After all, you have your own secret identity.”

Her lips pursed. “How did you know the wolf was me?”

“I’ve known since we met. Sensitive nose for those kinds of things.” He tapped the side of it.

“You don’t smell like a vampire,” she complained.

“Because you’ve scented so many.”

“I might have,” she huffed, “but I probably never knew because you’re not supposed to exist.”

“According to whom?” Dante countered. “Because I shouldn’t have to remind that lycans also aren’t supposed to be real, yet here you are.”

“If I’d known?—”

“You’d have what?” he interrupted. “Exposed me to sunlight? Tried to take my head?”

“More like avoided,” she muttered, even as she probably wouldn’t have. Her annoyance came from the fact she’d not recognized his difference. Sure, she’d mentally tossed around the idea he might be, but to find out he actually was… She no longer knew what to think or feel.

“Avoided, why? After all, we both know what it’s like to hide part of ourselves. We share many reasons to be wary and not easily trust. Is it because you prefer being the only one in a relationship who likes the taste of fresh meat?” his sarcastic reply.

Her lips pinched. “Not funny.”

“Not laughing.”

“And we’re not in a relationship.”

“We will be.” He sounded so sure.

“I’m not interested.” Then despite having her own secret, blurted out, “It’s unfair you knew about me but never divulged your own difference, especially since you said your condition can’t be detected.”

“I would have eventually told you.”

“When?”

“Probably around the time you admitted you like to howl at the moon.”

“Not just the moon,” she muttered, more to digest the sting of his rebuke. A well-deserved one. She couldn’t be mad at him for keeping his identity hidden when she’d done the same.

“I’d think you’d be happy to discover someone like me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” her suspicious reply.

“Because, with me, you don’t have to be afraid of losing control to your other half.”

“Says the idiot who wants to become my wolf’s chew toy.”

“Your wolf won’t hurt me.”

She arched a brow. “And you’re basing this on what exactly?”

“On the fact she doesn’t see me as a threat.”

“I seem to recall her growling at you.”

“Bah, I’d growl, too, if I interrupted someone’s carnage of fun.”

“Speaking of carnage, I stumbled across the guy you killed in that cabana by the running track.”

“Wasn’t me.”

The rebuttal brought a snort. “As if. The body was drained of blood.”

“So were the other bodies I found. It would appear there’s a killer on board.”

“Named Dante, the vampire.”

“Wrong.” He sighed. “One, I don’t kill my food. It would be short-sighted given how long humans take to gestate to a ripe age. Which leads me to number two, dead bodies draw attention, and I’m not a person who wants scrutiny in his life. Three, ever heard the expression, don’t shit where you sleep? Only an idiot would wantonly kill while adrift at sea.”

“Unless you got hungry,” she pointed out. Although she did actually believe him. He didn’t seem the type to be so sloppy.

“You obviously don’t realize how easy it is for me to feed. I can charm someone into giving me a bite quite quickly, and blood isn’t the only thing I can eat, as you saw at dinner.”

“Vampires can sustain on real food?” Selene had seen him chewing, but did it actually satisfy?

“We do, even though it’s harder on our digestive system, which is why many stick to a blood-only diet.”

“Many?”

“Surely you didn’t think I was the only one. I’m not sure how many vampires currently exist in the world, but while not as populous as lycan, we number a few. And of those, you’ll find different types, like those who won’t drink anything but blood and claim those who eat solids are a disgrace to vampire kind and should be staked out in the sun.”

She winced. “Wow, that’s kind of extreme.”

He shrugged. “But not surprising. Every culture and religion have those who adhere to a strict set of rules that make sense to them but no one else.”

“Okay.” Learning there was a whole population of vampires on the earth was a lot to take in, but they had a bigger issue to deal with at the moment. “Well, if you’re not the vampire leaving bodies all over, who is, then? Was it one of the pirates we killed?”

Dante shook his head. “Tonight’s body count matches Rennie’s tally for how many boarded from the pirate vessel. Not to mention you found that drained corpse before their appearance which would seem to indicate the killer is still lurking as either a passenger or crew member.”

“Unless they left.”

“I’ve destroyed their means of escape,” he said, gesturing back to the sinking pirate ship.

“There’s still lifeboats.”

His lips pinched. “Thanks for the reminder.”

“Do you think this killer is in cahoots with the pirates?”

“It seems likely they’re linked since there were many mysterious disappearances on the other cruises the pirates targeted.”

“Other cruises?” She frowned. “There was more than one?” The news hadn’t mentioned that.

“This is the fourth that I’m aware of. The pattern with each was pirates board, rob, then leave. Only once they get to port does a headcount reveal the missing passengers and crew, currently presumed dead.”

“Not all the bodies were missing,” she pointed out. “The article I read said some were taken to hospital before passing.”

“To be treated for heart attacks and other stress-aggravated ailments. The pirates themselves didn’t harm them.”

“They had guns.”

“They did, and they threatened but didn’t shoot.”

“They shot at me!” she huffed.

“Shot at a wolf,” he corrected.

“What does the pirates’ lack of actual killing have to do with the vampire murdering folks?”

“Nothing, more just pointing out the two have been happening in tandem. I’d think it too coincidental for them to not be working together.”

A gust of wind slapped across her bare flesh, the coat only coming down partway on her thighs. She shivered and hugged the fabric closer.

Dante held out his arm. “The evening is getting chilly. Let’s get you to the room so you can put on some proper clothes.”

To think, less than an hour ago, she’d been yearning for him to take them off. Now… she didn’t know how to feel. Annoyed was a start.

“How long have you known this cruise would be hit by pirates?” she grumbled as they began the trek back to the suite.

“Since before I boarded.”

“Why and how?” her next question.

“Let’s just say I’ve taken an investigative role in instances with suspicious deaths. Villages with unexplained disappearances. Out-of-the-norm animal attacks. Cruises being robbed and missing passengers. After doing some research on the cruise-line incidents, I discovered some commonalities that bore looking into.”

“Such as?”

“Crew members that happened to serve on those other ships despite them belonging to different lines. Not unheard of, after all, staff can relocate, but the same three in all four cases was too much of a coincidence.”

“Is one of them the killer?”

“Doubtful. When I questioned them, they were all simple-minded enough to be influenced, and none had any information that would make me suspicious of them beyond their involvement in helping the pirates coordinate their robbery.”

“So the killer is a passenger?”

“That seems unlikely, too,” he admitted. “Renard ran the manifests against each other. None of them showed duplicates.”

“Could be they used a fake alias,” she pointed out.

“Hence why he also double-checked the passports. The cruise lines keep a copy that includes a current image of the passenger as they board.”

She went silent as they began climbing the exterior stairs rather than go inside and through the ship, where passengers still panicked at the lack of power.

“Is there a way to figure out who on board hasn’t ventured into the sun, like you?” She glanced at him before muttering, “Still can’t believe I fell for the allergy story.”

His lips quirked. “I’m afraid that is the one thing that gives me away. At least it’s become common enough among humans that I no longer stand out as much.”

“Who made you?” her next blurted-out question.

“My mother.”

“Is that what you call your maker?”

His laughter sounded out of place given the situation, but she appreciated it. “I was born. Just like you. The difference being my mom is a vampire. As was her father. And his father before him.”

“So if you bite someone or exchange blood, what happens?”

“My bite tends to soothe, something you might recall from earlier,” he teased.

“It calmed my wolf,” she admitted. “But in a way that let me still feel, unlike the drugs, although I will say I am not impressed you tried to eat me.”

Again, he chuckled. “I barely tasted you. That nip was only to help you retain control. I would never feed from a paramour.”

“Why not?”

“Because lovers aren’t food.”

“What about Renard?”

“Also not on the menu, although he does get regular doses of my blood. And before you ask, it helps him. He was a sickly teen when I found him, undernourished, abused, and prone to maladies until I began supplementing. It gave him strength and also extends his lifespan.”

“You’re immortal?”

“Hardly. But I will be long-lived.”

“How long?”

“Not centuries, if that’s what you’re wondering. My grandfather recently celebrated his 140th birthday, but you’d swear he was in his fifties. My mother is in her nineties but could pass for late twenties.”

“How old are you?” she asked.

“What age do you think?”

“Somewhere in your thirties.”

“Close. I’m sixty-two.”

“More than twice my age,” she murmured.

“Which is only a number. And for vampires, not one we pay attention to.”

“I’d say maturity matters.”

“I disagree,” he interjected. “And I am assuming you are speaking in terms of us being involved, to which I would say it’s all about the personality and common interests.”

There he went assuming they’d end up together.

She didn’t exactly hate the fact he kept trying.

“You said you could smell my wolf. How is that? My brother, who has a really keen sense of smell, can’t detect our kind in human shape.”

“Scent isn’t the right term, but it is the closest. Every living being oozes something, call it pheromones or a perfume. Yours reminded me of the woods and”—he paused before adding— “damp fur.”

She shoved his arm. “I do not smell like a wet dog.”

“Only faintly and it’s not unpleasant,” he hastened to add.

“Is that why you chased after me? Because you knew my secret?”

“I pursued you because you appeal to me like no other. I sincerely hope now that the truth is out in the open that you will give me a chance.”

“A chance to do what?”

“Be your lover.”

She almost stumbled because him saying it aloud had her feeling it where it counted. Between the legs. It reminded her of how she’d felt before the interruption. Made her crave it again.

“Well?” he asked, waiting for her reply.

“I think I have lots to think about.”

They entered the ship through an exit door propped open. People had chosen to go outside rather than stay cooped up in the dark, but they’d been smart and wedged the doors so they didn’t close and lock. They passed clusters of passengers as they neared her stairs, which would take them up the last level to her suite, which was when she remembered, “Someone came knocking at my door after you left.”

“Who?”

“Said it was the captain, but I couldn’t see, and when I didn’t open, they began trying to break in.”

“Hence why you left,” he murmured.

“They seemed pretty determined, and I was trying to not wolf out.”

“Wolf out?”

“It’s what we call it when I can’t keep from shifting,” she sheepishly admitted.

“Does it happen often?”

“Only when my emotions and adrenaline spike.” She paused before adding, “It’s led to me trying to always be cheerful and look on the bright side. To let everything just slide off my skin.”

“You don’t sound as if you like turning the other cheek.”

“It would be nice to be able to stand up more often for myself. To not get pushed around.” To not always paste a smile on her face and pretend everything was fine. She had her family fooled into thinking she was okay, but in reality? She was one emotional break away from being outed.

“It sounds as if this has been an ongoing issue.”

“Yeah,” her soft admission. “I’ve tried drugs and meditation. Exercise and even diet. But nothing seems to work.”

“My bite did.”

A reminder that had her blushing because of what they’d been doing when he nipped her flesh.

“Damn, this wasn’t just a robbery. They really wanted to get at you,” Dante murmured as they reached her door, the jamb of it splintered. Within, the room lay in shambles as if someone had indulged in a childish tantrum.

“You can’t stay here,” he flatly stated as he took in the destruction.

“Where else would I go?”

“My suite.”

“Presumptuous, seeing as how we’re not even lovers.”

“Yet.” He claimed once more.

She didn’t refute because, honestly, it would happen. He might be her only chance to ever get past first base.

“And how are we getting inside your suite? We can’t open the door without busting it since the power is still out.”

His lips flattened. “A very unfortunate design.”

“If you kick it open, then it’s also not very secure which I imagine might be a big deal for you.”

“I do prefer a secure location for the daytime hours.”

“We could go on the rooftop deck and wait to see if the power comes back, unless Renard needs you.”

“He would be insulted at the suggestion. Let us grab you some garments and blankets first, though.”

Selene changed into one of her new tracksuits, the clothes in her closet thankfully untouched.

But much as she wanted to relax in her vampire’s arms, she couldn’t.

“You do realize we have to look for the killer,” she stated when she emerged from the bedroom and handed Dante his coat.

“Hard to find when we don’t have a scent or a face,” he reminded.

“You wouldn’t recognize your kind if you ran into them?”

He shook his head. “While I can identify Lycans, vampires not so much.”

“There’s nothing in my room to help you?” she asked, eyeing the destruction.

“Oddly enough, no. It’s as if they don’t exude anything. Or not anything that triggers me.”

“You said you found a bunch of bodies. Why are they suddenly gorging themselves and leaving them in the open?”

“I don’t know. It’s not usual behavior for a vampire. It’s also very hard to drink a body dry. Not impossible, but it would leave a person full. To do it to several…”

“Could there be more than one on board?”

“I want to say no, but at this point, anything is possible,” he replied with a shrug. “You forgot a blanket.” He went into the room and returned with the comforter.

“I thought we were looking for the killer.”

“The ship is huge. As in, too many places for them to hide, especially since they leave no scent.”

“So you’re giving up?”

“Not exactly. I do have an idea, but I’ll need your help. Remember how I used myself as bait earlier in the dining room?”

Her mouth rounded. “Are you saying it’s my turn?”

He swept a hand at her door. “Something about you drew them to the point they got violent in an attempt to get close. Nowhere else did I see this kind of mindless rage. Of course, if you think it’s too dangerous?—”

She cut him off. “Actually, it’s a good idea. Why tucker ourselves out searching when we could bring the killer to us? Although I doubt they’ll show their face if you stick around.”

“Which is why I’ll be out of sight.”

“Not good enough. You need to leave the area.”

His mouth flattened. “I am not leaving you alone.”

“I can protect myself.”

“I’m aware you can, but I don’t like it.”

The sweetest thing he could have said. She cupped his cheek. “Suck it up, Venus fly trap.”

“What?”

“The usual expression, which uses buttercup, doesn’t seem to fit. But a Venus fly trap…” Her lips curved.

He shook his head. “And this is why I can’t help but like you.”

Words to warm her heart. “Let’s get me on that rooftop deck so you can wander off. In full view, I might add. We want the other vamp to think I’m alone.”

“Will you be able to shift in time to defend yourself?”

“It’s fast,” she admitted. “Soon as my heart starts to race, I only have moments to calm down or fur out.”

“I’m surprised you’ve not been exposed,” he stated with a shake of his head.

“It’s been close a few times. Luckily, I usually manage to duck out of sight, and while a dog inside is unusual, people assume I got away from my owner.” She didn’t mention that during college she kept a stash of clothes buried on campus in a secluded spot for emergencies. “When it happened in high school, my siblings would usually cover for me and claim I was the family dog and must have followed them.”

“Once this is over, you and I will work on your control.”

“More biting?” she teased.

“Oh yes, but I also have some tricks I learned when my hormones were raging and all I wanted to do was suck on someone.”

Her nose wrinkled. “A teenage vampire. Wild.”

They went to the outside once more and up another set of steps. The rooftop deck didn’t have much in the way of amenities. A glass rail all around. A few loungers bolted to the floor. No cushions on them, most likely because it would be difficult for staff. The sturdy weave did somewhat cushion when she flopped on one, though.

Dante draped the blanket over her and handed her a book. “I found this on the floor. Other than a crumpled cover, it seems to be fine.”

“Thanks.”

He knelt by the chaise. “Are you sure you want me to leave?”

“No, but we can’t have a killer running loose. Dawn is in six hours. We can’t waste time.”

“Agreed.” He sighed, still not completely on board.

“I promise to howl the moment I shift.”

“You’d better,” he muttered before leaning in for a kiss. A hard, yet sensual embrace that had her blood boiling in seconds.

He pulled away before she needed him to bite. He stroked a finger down her cheek. “I’ll be listening.”

“While doing what?”

“Trying to get the power back online.”

“Good luck.”

“Stay alive,” was his rejoinder.

And then he left.

But despite his promise, she doubted he’d go far. Hopefully, he hid well enough the killer would take the bait.

Because this frustrated virgin needed someone to take her irritation out on.