About Toy Box: Biting
by Misa Izanaki, Jourdan Lane, and Mike Shade
42 pages
/ 12500 words
ISBN-13: 978-1-60370-716-9
ISBN-10: 1-60370-716-6
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc
In Curiosity by Misa Izanaki, bartender Dante wants his half-vampire lover Kale to bite him. Kale is hesitant, afraid he'll go too far and hurt his sweet lover. But will refusing his lover this request do as much damage as granting it could? Jourdan Lane's offering, Clarity, brings us back to the world of Soul Mates. In this story Caleb's punishment is coming to an end and he is finally allowed to feed again. While he'd love to begin with master vampire Lucien, it is his lover Xander he turns to.
And finally, in Keifer and Me, Mike Shade brings us the reunion of Davey with his lover Kiefer after a year's separation. Keifer's promised him a homecoming Davey won't forget, but when Keifer starts talking about being a werewolf, Davey has to wonder if he's going to have to have Keifer committed. Who doesn't love it when the boys get a little toothy?
Sample
Clarity
by Jourdan Lane
Logan sat back in his chair, elbows resting on the arms of the chair, fingers together forming a steeple before him. He'd grown still in a way that most older vampires could. But he wasn't all that old; he was just powerful enough to pull off the trick. His gaze was intense as he studied me, and it took everything I had not to squirm under his scrutiny.
I just had to open my big mouth.
"Caleb..." He paused, sighing. "I won't deny that you are making progress, but--"
"You know what? Just forget it." I tamped down the urge to tap my foot or pop my knuckles. Or get up and pace. Anything to drive away the anxiety that had hit me like a ton of bricks. "Forget I even mentioned it."
"As you well know, I can't do that." His gaze flicked up and down my body, eyes narrowing in concern. "Why are you suddenly so nervous?"
"Not nervous."
He calmly pointed at my leg, which I'd obviously failed to keep still. "We're too far along for you to start lying to me, Caleb."
I sighed and stood, shaking my head. "I just... Hell, I just want things to get back to normal, you know?"
Logan frowned at my words and I instantly knew I'd said the wrong thing -- yet again.
"There is no wrong thing to say, Caleb."
"No!" I turned, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You stay out of my goddamned head, Logan. That's not part of the deal and you fucking know it! I'm talking, so keep your voodoo mind tricks to yourself."
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Calm down, Caleb."
"Calm down, Caleb. Let's talk about this, Caleb." I mimicked the words I heard so often from him. "You know what? I'm done with being calm. And I'm done playing this stupid game."
"Stupid?"
"Shut. Up."
"This is far from a game, Caleb."
"Quit saying my name!" It annoyed me to no end to hear him repeat my name over and over again, as if it helped him to connect with me or some shit like that. I just wanted it to stop... for it all to stop. "Just... stop."
"Why does it bother you so much?"
I just looked at him.
He wasn't going to stop asking questions and if I got any more worked up, our little two hour session was going to go way into overtime. No matter what I did or said from this point on, Logan would question it and tear it apart, detail by detail. I was not in the mood for this tonight and I was prepared to do just about anything to end it.
Frustrated, I parked my ass on the arm of the chair and stared at him. I might not have been calm, but I needed him to believe that I was headed that way. After a few moments of silence, he calmly rose from his chair and walked around the desk. It put us only a couple of feet apart and he crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking my actions now.
A snarl tried to burst free, but I pursed my lips tightly together. He was testing me. Seeing how far he could push me... and whether I'd snap. Over the last several months, I'd wanted to snap. Wanted to yell and roar and just... vent. But I had a feeling that if I did, I'd end up without a head.
Lucien, my Master and head of the Coven, would see to that.
It didn't matter that we had history and that we'd been friends for so many years. If he thought I was a danger to him or the rest of the coven, he'd do away with me.
Simple as that.