Free Vampiric by J A Fielding Page A

seriously doubt she has planted a rogue agent in your group.”
    Hathen released a breath he’d been holding throughout the course of the evening. “Thanks for letting me know. I feel much better knowing that, especially since Clotilde just wandered off into the forest following that nutter butter brother of hers.”
    “Nutter butter brother,” Jess chuckled. “You’ve been hanging out with me too much, babe. You’re even starting to talk like me.”
    He knew it was true.
    “I see that as a good thing, baby. And I have some good news for you too.” He stared out at the group of vamps that were now playing a spirited game of volleyball on the east lawn of Nightingale Park. “I had a long talk with my den members this evening, and scanned their minds as well. They are every bit as loving and loyal as I originally thought.”
    “ Very cool,” Jess lowered her voice. “Would you like to scan my mind right now, darlin’?”
    Hathen met her request with a low, throaty chuckle.
    “Oh I’d better not try that in a public place,” he purred, trembling at the distinct tightening that seized his nether regions. “I’m bound to get overexcited and end up embarrassing myself.”
    He jumped as Jess met these words with a sharp, boisterous 'whoop'.
    “I just went and embarrassed an incubi vampire,” she laughed. “In the immortal words of my teen-aged brother, ‘Cha ching! Bada bing!’”
    “ Man that sounds old, even to a vampire. Your kid brother seriously needs to update his cultural references.” Hathen lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’m very pleased though, that I just made your day. And I really hope for the opportunity to make your night.”
    He smiled as Jess met these words with a second, even more boisterous double 'whoop whoop'.
    “I’ll meet you at the park as soon as I get off work, just past 3am,” she promised. “Will you be up?”
    Hathen cast a quick glance downward, cheeks flushing at what he saw.
    “For you baby,” he whispered, “I’m always 'up.’”
    “ Oh sheesh,” Jess snorted. “Talk about dated cultural references. Of course I guess I’ll have to excuse you, considering that you’re…how old, exactly?”
    “ I’ll never tell.” Hathen sobered as he said, “What I will tell you is that I love you, Jess Green.”
    Jess hesitated, before deciding to accept and share what she had been feeling. “And I love you, Hathen Noble.” The warmth and sincerity that lined Jess’s tones filled Hathen’s heart. “I’ll see you tonight.”
    “Tonight,” Hathen whispered, clicking the off button his cell phone and returning the phone to its place in his pocket.
    Like many nights before this one, Hathen threw his head back and basked in the glow of a full Florida morn. Tonight somehow the moon seemed brighter, and the stars twinkled just as bright as the glow in Hathen’s heart.

Chapter 10
    Jess walked with a light step through the double glass doors that fronted the Clearview Police Department. Her mind wandered from the mundane nature of everyday police procedure.
    Her thoughts were firmly with the man who had introduced so much love and passion into her life, and her heart overflowed with these same emotions. She had not felt love like this before, it was an exciting feeling.
    This excitement morphed to terror the moment she walked through the entrance of her office area to face a scene that made her skin crawl.
    Scarlet’s holding cell stood open and empty, its door ajar and its air rancid.
    Standing just outside this cell was a young man who she immediately recognized as Vernon Culver. Vernon one of her deputies at the Clearview Police Department.
    Only now the skilled, high ranking police officer looked more like a lost little boy. He regarded Jess with a sorrowful expression that chilled her blood.
    “ Vernon, what happened?” She barked, running to his side. “Where’s our prisoner?”
    “ I’m afraid I can’t answer either question, Ma’am.” Vernon