Page 1 of Every Bite You Take
CHAPTER 1
KYLIE
The itch for something new had been getting to me lately—unfortunately, like those vexing ones on your back you couldn’t reach despite numerous pretzel-like stretches. Maybe I was having a quarter-life crisis. Everyone around me seemed to be settling down in relationships or getting kick-ass promotions at work. Me? I was still bartending at the Danger Zone, a retro rock club north of Boston that I loved both for the music and the people, but I craved a change.
So I booked a vacation to crawl out of my doldrums, hoping to come back refreshed.
I entered the Danger Zone for my shift. Portishead’s “Sour Times” played at a low volume and it was otherwise quiet before opening. My boss Gianna sat at a table, working on her laptop. With her long dark hair streaked with red and her sleek blackdress, she had a Morticia vibe, especially with the cemetery scene behind her.
“Hey, Gianna,” I said. “Guess who’s going to Alaska?”
“Let me see,” she said with a sly smile as she looked up from her laptop. She tapped her chin. “Who, pray tell, could it be?” Then she grinned. “When?”
“Next month. There’s a cruise sailing out of Seattle. It’s a new line that specializes in vacations for supernaturals.” I pulled a brochure out of my courier bag and showed it to her.
“No way.” She put down her clipboard on the polished bar and reached for the brochure. As she read over it, she said, “Nice!”
“Yup. The weather should still be warm in August.” I nodded like a genie. Although I had only a smidgeon of witch blood from my grandmother, I felt comfortable around supes, or anyone who felt like a misfit. I was in the messy middle—I wasn’t completely a human living a human life, and I wasn’t a supernatural with kick-ass powers, so that left me stuck in the awkward space in between.
Although Gianna was half-human and half-siren, her siren side shone through with her stunning looks and amazing voice. She had lush dark hair, amethyst eyes, and a killer body. So she didn’t appear to have any setbacks from having supernatural blood but lacking the benefits, unlike me.
“How did you find out about this cruise?” She raised her eyes from the brochure to meet mine.
“A friend who works in travel at the Network.” The Network being the Salem Supernatural Network, part of a global underground network to help supernaturals safely navigate aworld dominated by humans—some of whom were extremely narrow-minded and opposed anyone who didn’t look or think like them.
“Fantastic. You’ll have to tell me how it is.” She cocked her head. “You know who’ll be thrilled about this—Nova and Diego. They’d booked a special room that was suitable for vampires when we sailed to Bermuda for my wedding, but look at this.” She pointed at the brochure. “Many areas of this ship are noted vampire safe. Stellar. Who are you going with?”
“No one,” I replied as she handed it back to me. “I asked a couple of friends, but they couldn’t commit because of job stuff or life stuff or blah-blah-blah, so I said screw it, I’ll go alone. Especially since I found a last-minute deal.” That made it affordable even for a single cabin. It had been far too long since I’d taken a vacation, and I’d never traveled this far or gone on a cruise. Besides, I didn’t mind doing things on my own. Sometimes it was just easier. When you had to coordinate with others, more logistics were involved. More decisions, more compromises. If I waited to fit things around other people’s schedules, I might miss my chance.
Gianna put her hand on her hip and chuckled. “Maybe you’ll meet a hot supe.”
“Ha!” I grunted. “If I’m not having much luck here in a club full of them, I doubt I’ll have more luck confined on a ship.”
“Perrr-haaps,” she said, drawing out the syllables. “I’m not saying anything serious. Just have fun. Have a hot night or two—maybe even a love bite.”
“Eww, no thanks. Especially from a bloodsucker,” I protested and mimicked gagging. We had vampire customers who ordereddrinks spiked with blood. Although I was used to serving it by now, it wasn’t my favorite part of my job. It wasn’t as bad as seeing blood flow, which made me shudder. That had started when I’d found my dad?—
Nope, not going to go there. I shook my head to rid that image from my brain.
Gianna pulled her top aside to show her mark from when her wolf shifter mate marked her. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, Kylie.”
Maybe Gianna was a tad right. I saw the way Sebastian adored her. Nobody had ever looked at me that way, with such intensity, as if she were his entire world and he’d destroy anyone who tried to hurt her. Then again, I didn’t look like Gianna or have her siren mojo. Countless men gaped at her every night. I had more of the girl-next-door looks, which I jazzed up with my hair color—currently an electric blue shade.
“I’m not ready for any of that. After all, look what a little bite did to you,” I teased and motioned to her.
Sebastian had brought out a change in her as well. I’d never seen her devoted to anyone before she met him. She’d been happy to be single and independent, but then they’d fallen in love and everything had changed.
For better or worse? I’d never been in love like that, so I had nothing to compare it to.
“Oh, that was definitely abigbite, if you know what I mean.” She chuckled.
I didn’t want to get into any of the multitude of reasons behind her emphasis on big.
“Can’t go wrong with a smokin’ hot shifter,” Gianna said in a sing-song voice. She topped off her favorite beverage, a champagne cocktail. “At any rate, have fun. It’s been ages since you’ve gone on vacation.”
Fun would be a bonus. I was just hoping to shake off the blahs. I’d blamed it on the winter, but spring had passed and we were well into summer. Something had to change.
One monthlater
