Night feeders didn’t dazzle with their awesome supernatural skills. They were the pissants of the vampire world. So where did this one get the mojo to keep paranormal power from working near his hidey-hole?

“You’re testing my kind and generous nature, bloodsucker.” By now he was snarling each word. If it weren’t for Dacian’s damn protective ward, he could sit at the top of the hill and blow a football-field-sized crater right here and wipe out the problem along with any evidence he had ever existed. The thought of violence made Ganymede feel all warm and fuzzy for a minute, and then he exhaled deeply as he picked up another shovel.

And all for a woman. But what a woman. She’d owe him for this. Big-time. He smiled at the thought of how he’d collect. Then he yanked his hood forward to block out more of the driving snow and dug faster.

Finally, he stopped to glance at his watch. Plenty of time before the bloodsucker rose. Even ancient night feeders—not that many of them survived long enough to qualify—couldn’t rise before full dark.

He leaned on his shovel. Damn, he was sucking wind. He’d gotten soft lying around the Castle of Dark Dreams, watching TV and chowing down on chips and dip.

Okay, only a few more shovelfuls and he’d be able to jerk Dacian’s undead ass out of his grave. He went over to retrieve the coffin. Once the vampire was inside, he’d nail down the lid so he wouldn’t have to put up with any crap on the way back to Galveston.

A minute later, with a final grunt of effort, he flung the last shovelful of dirt out of the hole he’d dug…

And found himself staring into the wide-open eyes of one really pissed bloodsucker.

Oh, shit!

Chapter One

“We’re all about team at the Castle of Dark Dreams, Cinn.” Sparkle seemed to think that needed an explanation. “A year ago those words wouldn’t have passed my lips. I only cared about sex, clothes, and manipulating other people. I was a ‘me’ kind of person.” She smiled wistfully. “Those were the good old days.” She stopped smiling. “Forget I said that. Anyway, then I almost lost the love of my life, Mede. Something like that changes a person. I decided he deserved a honey who was more caring, less self-absorbed, someone worthy of him. So now I’m totally committed to the team, and I’m as happy as I can be.”

Cinn could’ve sworn Sparkle forced that last sentence through clenched teeth.