Bitten By Love

Chapter One

Emery

I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. A look at my reflection in the mirror showed messy hair and tired eyes. I stumbled to the toilet and relieved my aching bladder into the bowl. I scratched my chest and flushed before turning to wash my hands. I'd wait to have a shower and brush my teeth until I was back in my own bedroom. 

I exited the bathroom and started to dress in yesterday's clothes. My wolf was feeling restless and I decided I'd take the opportunity to go for a run while the vampires all slept. I took one last look at the naked vampire on the bed before leaving. He was handsome with a body most men longed for and a bite that made me scream in ecstasy. I smiled at the memory of that and fingered the side of my neck even though the wound from his bite had already healed.

Casper's words of warning to the coven weren't heeded for long. I was a willing blood donor in a house filled with beings who needed my blood to survive. Many of the coven's residents were happy to take what I freely offered and I hadn't spent a single night in my own bed since my first night here.

I drove to the wooded park about two and a half kilometres away and found a seldom used area to undress and hide my clothes. I allowed my wolf to come forward and he enjoyed the freedom to roam and explore his new surroundings. This was the first time I'd left the coven since arriving and I found my wolf to be restless and more than a little curious. 

I chased a squirrel until he found a hiding place in a tree where he watched me cautiously until I turned in search of other prey. I wasn't hungry so my hunt was only for the fun of the chase.

When I grew tired I made my way back to my clothes and dressed. When I got back to my car I took my phone out of the glove compartment and checked it. I had five missed calls from my brother and with a sigh I pressed the call back option on the screen. 

The phone barely rang before Bram answered it. "Emery, where the hell have you been?"

I rolled my eyes. "I've been for a run. What's wrong? Why are you calling?" I clicked my seat belt into place while I spoke and then waited for his response.

"You were supposed to call me back last night, remember? I was about to ring the cove and wake up the vampires just to get through to you. I thought something was wrong."

"Bram, I say this with love. You're being overly dramatic. I just got a little distracted last night but I'm fine. What could possibly happen to me in a coven filled with vampires who work for the council?" 

"Don't tempt fate brother, she could surprise you. And those vampire's aren't safe from attack. It's because they work for the council that they're more open to retaliation from other beings. I wish you'd come home. I miss you," Bram said sounding sad. I could feel myself weakening but I fought it.

"I love you, Bram. I just need some time to figure things out and to search for my mate somewhere different. We don't all get as lucky as you did, some of us have to go searching for our other half." I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my mate. I would need to get out of the coven more and search through town for the one person created for me. 

"Was the person who distracted you last night your mate?" Bram asked in a tone of voice that told me he already knew the answer.

"No, he wasn't." I replied curtly.

"And neither was the man before him, or the women and men before him. Emery, you need to stop sleeping with everyone you know. When you do find your mate how do you think he, or she, will feel about being surrounded by your old bed partners?" 

"I'm hoping that my mate won't be a prude," I hissed into the phone. "Everyone has a past, I'm sure he, or she, will have past lovers too. Is there anything else you wanted or did you just want to call to give me a hard time?"

"I called because you're my baby brother and I miss you. I wanted to make sure the vampires were taking care of you." 

"I told you, I'm fine Bram. Stop worrying about me. How are my nieces and nephew?" I asked in an effort to change the subject.

Bram chuckled before responding, "They're getting big and becoming even more of a handful to watch over."

I smiled affectionately at the mention of them. I loved those little pups more than I'd ever loved anyone. "Give them big cuddles and kisses from me," I told Bram. "I've got to get back to the coven and get cleaned up, then I plan to take a walk around town and get to know the people here. Maybe I'll get lucky and meet my mate." I hoped I did find them. This town was much larger than the pack town I'd lived my whole life in. I'd gone away to college briefly but I'd grown bored and gone home. I'd fucked around while I'd been there but I'd missed home and there'd been nothing to keep me there, no one to keep me there.

I'd always felt a loneliness that I couldn't explain, even as a child. As I grew older I realised what that loneliness was. It was the part of me that felt empty, hollow, without the other part of my heart and soul. I shouldn't have felt that way until I reached puberty and shifted for the first time. I still couldn't explain why I had.

"Okay," Bram said snapping me out of my musings. "Call me if you need anything or just want to talk, okay?"

"Sure," I replied. "I love you bro."

"I love you too."

I hung up and tossed my phone onto the passenger seat just like I always did after talking on the phone while I was in the car. 

After parking my car I walked around the town to familiarise myself with the layout of the stores. The residents weren't as friendly as they were back home but I found a handful of store owners and employees that seemed genuinely nice. 

I stopped at a little bistro and ordered lunch. The food was delicious and the prices were good so I made a mental note to return soon. The owner was a sweet older man named Geoffrey. He was at least in his early sixties and though his son, Robert, had taken over the day to day running of the bistro, Geoffrey still insisted on being there. I'd learned all this from an incredible friendly and loose lipped server named Kelly. She'd tried to find out all she could about me but I'd told her very little. I didn't trust people who spoke so freely within moments of meeting you for the first time.

I found a men's department store and made a mental note to return and buy some new clothing if I found a club that was worth visiting. 

Eventually I found myself back at the coven, in the kitchen making myself a sandwich. I had just cut it diagonally and was about to raise one half to take a bite when a pair of strong arms banded around my chest and pulled me back against them. A nose pushed into my neck and I could hear him inhale deeply. "You smell delicious."

I rolled my eyes and pushed my elbow backward into his hard stomach. "Thank you, Joshua but I'm about to eat right now. Maybe we can play later." I picked up the plate with my sandwich and brought it over to the kitchen table. When I sat down and looked over at Joshua I realised he wasn't alone. "Hello Maggie," I said in greeting to the woman who had answered the door to me on that first day."

"Hello, Emery. We were hoping we could tempt you into playing with both of us?" She practically purred.

"Oh," I was caught by surprise. I'd avoided dual feedings since I'd arrived, solely due to the fact that I hadn't known these people well enough to trust them. But I now knew Maggie and Joshua very well. Was I curious? Of course. I could only guess at the pleasure from dual bites. "Can I have something to eat first?" I asked pointing at my snack. I couldn't believe I'd agreed but there was no going back now.

"Of course, let me get you a drink." Maggie placed a big glass of orange juice in front of me. "You'll need it," she said with a wink and a smile.