Love Bitten

as somewhere else, stuck on the notebook sprawled on the counter, full of scribbled ideas for a book she'd probably never finish. She was 23 and done with this,pouring coffee, wiping

n the chest. Her heart did this dumb little jump, and she didn't get why. He didn't fit here, not with the greasy spoons and burned-out t

she slid it over, they were close,he loomed over her 5'11, making her feel like a kid.

staring right at h

She didn't have a name tag. Nobody here knew her name unless she told them. Was

could feel the heat off him, and her head got fuzzy, li

st went tight. The big one,6'4, all muscle had a nasty scar over his eyebrow that mo

e said, his tone shar

t felt off, like trouble she didn't sign up for. Lance laughed, this loud, ugly bark. "You think she's saf

ed weak. She *had* been off antsy, paranoid, like something was creeping

ad. Her brain yelled at her to stop, to dig her heels in and demand what the hell was going on but her feet kept movin

drop, yelling as he swung back. Tasha bolted through the kitchen, her mind a mess. Run back, she thought. G

" he said, breathing hard. "Don't move, no matter what." His eyes they

that fast, hit that hard. She wanted to scream, to wake up from whatever this

e's hands looked wrong, his nails long and sharp, like claws. T

ance just laughed, like it was nothing. The otherguy crept up behind Kyle, and Tasha didn't thinkshe

him, slamming him into the pavement. "Go!" Kyle yelled,

e'd forgotten. It scared her how much she wanted to stick with him, even with all this craziness. The truck was there, old and scratch

d, sounding wor

d, mad, confused. She wanted to yell at him, ask why her boring life was

ons on her face then wiped the blood off his

r. "Who the hell.... I mean what the he

s steady on her. "I am Kyle Pot

ng. "Mate?" she repeated, her vo