The First Taste

The scent of her hit him across the crowded gallery—not just blood, but life, and something else, a power that vibrated in the air like a struck bell. Earl’s world narrowed to the curve of her neck, the pulse he could see fluttering beneath her skin. When their eyes met, it wasn't fear he saw in Kimberly's gaze, but a dawning, impossible recognition. His fangs ached, a deep, primal throb that had nothing to do with feeding and everything to do with claiming. Her breath hitched, her body leaning toward his as if pulled by a string, and he knew his eternal solitude was over.