Bitten by the Vampires Read online

  Bitten by the Vampires

  Sophie Stern

  Published by Sophie Stern, 2020.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  BITTEN BY THE VAMPIRES

  First edition. April 13, 2020.

  Copyright © 2020 Sophie Stern.

  Written by Sophie Stern.

  Also by Sophie Stern

  Alien Chaos

  Destroyed

  Guarded

  Saved

  Alien Chaos: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance Bundle

  Anchored

  Starboard

  Battleship

  All Aboard

  Abandon Ship

  Below Deck

  Crossing the Line

  Anchored: Books 1-3

  Anchored: Books 4-6

  Club Kitten Dancers

  Move

  Pose

  Climb

  Dragon Isle

  My Lord and Dragon

  The Dragon Fighter

  A Dragon's Bite

  Lost to the Dragon

  Beware of Dragons

  Cowboy Dragon

  Dark Heart of the Dragon

  Once Upon a Dragon

  Catching the Dragon

  Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 1-3)

  Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 4-6)

  Dragon Isle (Collection: Books 7-9)

  Good Boys and Millionaires

  Good Boys and Millionaires 1

  Good Boys and Millionaires 2

  Honeypot Babies

  The Polar Bear's Baby

  The Jaguar's Baby

  The Tiger's Baby

  Honeypot Darlings

  The Bear's Virgin Darling

  The Bear's Virgin Mate

  The Bear's Virgin Bride

  Office Gentlemen

  Ben From Accounting

  Polar Bears of the Air Force

  Staff Sergeant Polar Bear

  Master Sergeant Polar Bear

  Airman Polar Bear

  Senior Airman Polar Bear

  Red

  Red: Into the Dark

  Red: Through the Dark

  Red: Beyond the Dark

  Shifters at Law

  Wolf Case

  Bearly Legal

  Tiger Clause

  Sergeant Bear

  Dragon Law

  The Fablestone Clan

  Dragon's Oath

  Dragon's Breath

  Dragon's Darling

  Dragon's Whisper

  Dragon's Magic

  The Hidden Planet

  Vanquished

  Outlaw

  Conquered

  The Wolfe City Pack

  The Wolf's Darling

  The Wolf's Mate

  The Wolf's Bride

  Standalone

  Saucy Devil

  Billionaire on Top

  Jurassic Submissive

  The Editor

  Alien Beast

  Snow White and the Wolves

  Kissing the Billionaire

  Wild

  Alien Dragon

  The Royal Her

  Be My Tiger

  Alien Monster

  The Paralegal

  Roses in the Dark

  Honeypot Babies Omnibus Edition

  Honeypot Darlings: Omnibus Edition

  Red: The Complete Trilogy

  First Shift

  The Swan's Mate

  Eternity: A Vampire Romance

  The Feisty Librarian

  Polar Bears of the Air Force

  Wild Goose Chase

  Star Princess

  The Virgin and the Lumberjacks

  Resting Bear Face

  Seized by the Dragon

  Fablestone Clan: A Paranormal Dragon-Shifter Romance Collection

  Star Kissed

  Club Kitten Omnibus

  Bitten by the Vampires

  Contents

  Bitten by the Vampires

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Author

  Readers!

  More shifters!

  The Wolf’s Darling

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Bitten by the Vampires

  A Paranormal Reverse-Harem Romance

  Sophie Stern

  Copyright © 2018 by Sophie Stern

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Some little girls dream of being princesses and living in far-away castles.

  Some little girls dream of being saved by a handsome knight.

  Some little girls want to grow up to marry a prince.

  Me?

  I just want to be a vampire.

  I don't think that's too much to ask, but the tall, dark, and cranky gentlemen who take Eagleton, one of the last remaining human settlements, don't seem to agree with me.

  In fact, they claim that there’s no way I’ll ever be able to become a vampire, yet they expect me to give up everything for them.

  Fat chance.

  But being a vampire is my destiny, so I'll have to take every risk, every chance, every shot I get.

  I'll have to do whatever it takes to be bitten by the vampires.

  Chapter 1

  Once upon a time, there was a world without vampires, but nobody remembers that world.

  It’s been years since the vampires took over the land.

  It’s been centuries.

  Now there are very few human settlements left. The ones that remain are carefully guarded and are filled with people who are scared of everything from wild animals to horrible creatures to illnesses to everything in-between.

  Except for me.

  I’m not scared at all.

  Even now, as I sit in the guard tower on the North side of Eagleton, I don’t feel scared. We had a tip from one of our scouts last week that there was a group of gentlemen prowling about in the woods. Since Eagleton is located dead center in the middle of a forest, we don’t often get unexpected visitors.

  Apparently, that’s all about to change.

  Not that I mind.

  I mean, living in solitude isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened. Not by a long shot. The other humans are so nervous and uncomfortable that it’s not difficult for me to stay away from them. I’ve never really felt a connection to them.

  Not the way that I have to the monsters...

  Then again, it’s hard to say whether people in Eagleton are scared or jerks. They’re not exactly a friendly bunch. Although I came to live among the humans when I was a kid, I’ve always been sort of an outcast. Maybe that’s the real reason I like being a guard. Nobody bothers me when I’m in the tower. Nobody asks anything of me.

  I shake my head and try to focus on my post. My job as a guard keeps me busy and requires my complete attention. I’m the one who’s responsible if anything goes wrong. If the world falls apart, it’s my ass on the line. Eagleton has remained a settlement for this long for one reason: no one has located us.

  We’re tucked deep away, protected, and that’s the way we like it.

  But s
omething tells me all of this is about to change. That’s the problem with getting comfortable somewhere: change becomes inevitable. It might come quietly at first, but it comes. Today, change comes in the form of strange and unexpected visitors.

  I notice the tall man first. Pulling out my binoculars, I take a second look, and I’m surprised to see that he’s staring straight at me. My palms instantly go cold. I need to sound the alarm. That’s literally my job. This man isn’t from around here, and aside from his dark leather clothing, I’d say he looks quite human. He doesn’t look like a monster: not like one of the wild beasts I’ve heard stories about.

  He looks...normal.

  What was I expecting?

  He’s standing against a tree, and he’s only a few hundred feet from the walls that surround Eagleton.

  How did he get so close to us?

  How did he find this place?

  We’ve taken so many steps to make sure that our world stays hidden away and isolated. There are no children in Eagleton. There is almost no noise. We’re all as quiet as possible. This world is a silent one because we’re all afraid that vampires are attracted to noise, so we stay alone, and we stay quiet. In our minds, vampires are the most hated and feared creatures: worse than dwarves, worse than elves.

  Is he a vampire?

  My entire life, I’ve been told they’re these wild beasts. They’re untamable. They’re bloodthirsty and hungry and evil. This man doesn’t look like he wants to destroy my world, but he’s an outsider. That makes him dangerous, even if I don’t want to think that he is. He might not be a vampire, I think. Even as the thought passes through my mind, though, I realize I’m just fooling myself. This guy isn’t here for any sort of good reason.

  I need to sound the alarm.

  But then I see the second man. This one is shorter than the first, but he’s still a giant creature. He’s still tall. These men are much bigger than the men of Eagleton. This man’s long, blonde hair falls over his shoulders. He, too, seems to be looking right at me.

  But how is that possible?

  Oh, I’ve heard the rumors about these men.

  I know what they do.

  They’re after human flesh.

  They want to destroy every last settlement they possibly can. They want to hurt us: all of us.

  But they can’t, right?

  They can’t come destroy us if we don’t let them...

  Can they?

  That’s why we’ve been hidden away for so long. That’s why, despite everything else I’ve ever wanted, I’ve kept myself tucked away. I’ve kept myself safe.

  Or at least, I’ve tried.

  I’m not sure if I’ve been that successful.

  A third man appears. Together, they make up this incredible trio of handsomeness and mystique. I hate how they seem to be staring right at me. They aren’t moving, though, and I’m scared to pull my eyes away. I don’t even lower my binoculars because I’m worried that if I do, they’ll somehow disappear.

  I’m caught off guard by how handsome they are. Edna, the woman who raised me, always warned me that the monsters are horrible. She said they’re ugly and that they smell bad. The stories she spun made me think that these creatures were designed to be repulsive, but I’m suddenly realizing that there must be more to the story.

  There must be something she left out.

  The three men I’m staring at are not human. That’s obvious. Mr. One is tall, dark, and deadly. Mr. Two looks like a magical elf prince. Mr. Three is the kind of guy who looks like he’d offer a hug just as soon as he’d offer a spanking.

  I don’t know which one of these men makes me feel more excited.

  “Shit,” I mutter, whispering to myself. Everything I say is a whisper. I’ve been whispering for years. So has the rest of Eagleton. In my opinion, this means that everyone here has above-average hearing. I pause, worried that someone else may have heard my slip, but no one comes scurrying up the ladder to my tower, so I know I’m safe.

  The men are still watching me, though, and I can’t help but wonder what it is they’re here for.

  Only, I think that I know.

  Somehow, in the core of my being, I feel like they’ve come for me.

  I hope that they have.

  I hope they’ve come to take me away because I want to be with the monsters.

  It’s a sickness, this craving. It’s a horrific feeling to know that I’ve spent the last few years of my life growing more and more excited about the idea of being kidnapped and swept away by the beasts, but I have.

  And now they’re here, and they look nothing the way I thought they would.

  I want to be one of them. I’m lonely, which is the biggest problem I have. I miss being part of a family. Living in Eagleton has been hard. Yes, I’ve had food and water and clothes, but I’ve never been included. At all. Eagleton has secrets and outsiders aren’t welcome, no matter how long they’ve been a part of the community.

  I lower my binoculars, finally, and blink. Maybe there aren’t any creatures here at all. Perhaps I’m just hallucinating. Am I? Could I be? None of the other three guard towers have sounded an alarm. Is it possible that I’m just dreaming? Am I making the mistake of trying some sort of wishful thinking?

  I shake my head, pinch myself, and raise my binoculars again. Then I lower them back down.

  They’re gone.

  Where I thought I saw the three men, there’s nothing. There aren’t any deer or any animals or anything at all.

  There’s just silence.

  Maybe I am going crazy.

  Maybe there was never anything there.

  With I sigh, I grab my jug of water and have a sip. Dehydration can make you do funny things. It can make you see things. It can make you crazy. I drink, chugging down the fresh water, and then I set my jug down. Eagleton has a little well in the center of town, so we don’t even have to walk anywhere to get our water. It’s kind of nice, actually. It’s wonderful. Yeah, our villagers have to do hunting and gathering, but that’s it. Water isn’t something we have to haul, and it’s a good thing, too. Walking through the forests, even along the well-worn paths, isn’t something I’d consider to be very fun.

  Edna always told me that when she was a kid, she and her sisters had to walk a mile to the river to get water. She always warned me about the dangers that could be found in the woods, especially if you weren’t aware. That was only one of the reasons you had to be so prepared for anything. Most of the Eagleton residents stay safely within the walls. Unless someone has to go hunting, they don’t wander around. Edna always warned me that I needed to stay close, that it was important for me to remain around the community.

  But I shouldn’t be thinking about Edna.

  If I let my mind wander too much, I’ll start feeling lonely and sad and a bunch of other things that nobody should be feeling, least of all me. As a guard for my settlement, I have to always be on alert. I have to always be ready. I have to know exactly what I’m getting into, and I have to do whatever it takes to keep my people safe.

  Daydreaming is something other people have the luxury of doing: not me.

  More time passes, and eventually, Joe comes to relieve me.

  “Anything happen I should know about?” The 25-year-old whispers to me. He’s tall and lanky, and honestly, he’s pretty handsome, but I’ve never viewed Joe as anything but a fellow guard. I don’t think he’s ever viewed me as anything else, either. Then again, nobody in Eagleton has. My romantic prospects have been...

  Well, I’ve never had any.

  For just a fraction of a second, I think about telling Joe what I saw, but I can’t tell whether I was imagining that or not, and I don’t need him to think that there’s something wrong with me or that I’m trying to cause trouble for the community.

  Vampires are supposed to be ugly and scary. They’re supposed to be these big, winged creatures with sharp fangs that swoop down and take anything in their path. The men I saw looked nothing like the vampires I’ve h
eard about in stories, so why am I so certain that they were?

  Why am I so certain that they’re the monsters I’ve been warned about my entire life?

  I don’t tell Joe. I can’t. If I tell him what I saw, he’ll either think I’m lying or crazy. Both of these are offenses for which I could be banished from Eagleton. Our little village has no room for liars, and it certainly has no room for crazies. People have been kicked out of the community for less than this. I don’t want to go off into the woods. I definitely don’t want to be banished without food or water or hope.

  “Nope,” I whisper quietly.

  “Good,” he says. “Then it should be a nice, quiet night.”

  The sun has finally set all of the way, and it’s dark outside now. When I look up, I can see stars shining down on our tiny little forest village: offering just the littlest amounts of light for us to see by.

  “Of course,” I tell Joe, but something is stirring within me. I feel like something is going to happen, and I honestly can’t pinpoint why.

  Why do I have the biggest feeling that something is about to change everything?

  And why am I worried that I’m going to be involved?

  I don’t get premonitions. Ever. I don’t believe in them. But I definitely did see something in the woods tonight, and I know that those weren’t the monsters I’ve been warned about. The monsters Edna spent my youth warning me about were different: fiercer. These men seemed like they weren’t only intelligent, but also calculating. That’s a deadly combination, and it’s not one I’m going to mess with.

  “Be careful,” I tell him.

  Joe is just as surprised by my warning as I am. He starts, turning back to me, and looks at me for a long minute. He opens his mouth, maybe to ask why I would say that to him, but then he closes it and shakes his head. Maybe he’s trying to pretend I didn’t just offer him safety advice.

  Finally, he seems to calm.

  “I always am,” he says.

  “I know,” I tell him. “You’re the best guard we have.”

  That seems to make him happy, because he grins and gestures for me to scurry off, so I do.