Demon Street Blues by Starla Silver Read Free Book Online

jerked up to her neck… no fang wounds. A sting still forged into her skin. The memory of his teeth sinking in, vivid. Lifelike. But there was no mark. It hadn’t happened for real. It was just a dream.
    Her hand dropped. Disappointment and frustration flaring through her nostrils.
    Fucking dreams are going to be the death of me!
    “So where am I now?”
    She turned around, recognizing her surroundings.
    A bookstore.
    “Emily’s bookstore.”
    Melinda spun in a circle, the lusty fire still lit inside of her, stripped suddenly away, leaving only dread in its wake. Emily Morgan raced up the stairs with a stack of books in her hand, her lanky ponytail bobbing behind her.
    “Oh, no. No. No. No. No. No…” Melinda let out in a panicked heave.
    All heated desire froze, turning into sharp stakes, which cut into her core. Heavy breaths over William’s invasion of her body turned to alarmed exhales.
    “I can’t dream this. Please don’t make me dream this.”
    This was no ordinary dream. This dream had interrupted her ordinary dream… well, it was far from ordinary, but this dream, this was a prophetic dream.
    Melinda knew at once.
    The way she watched like a stalker sneaking a peek into someone’s life.
    The foreboding pang squeezing her heart tighter, and tighter.
    It all led up to one terrifying realization…
    She was about to watch her friend, Emily Morgan, die…
     
    ##
     
    Just after four a.m. Melinda awoke quite forcefully. From total bliss, to totally fucked up. Again. It was the second time this week her risqué William dream was abruptly interrupted by the throes of death.
    She sat up, catching her breath, needing the one person she wasn’t sure she could face right now. “Suck it up. Emily’s life is at stake.”
    Melinda threw on a pair of pajama shorts to go along with the tank top she’d worn to bed. She lowered her head, letting out a disgusted breath.
    “I can’t go downstairs like this. I smell like sex.”
    She tore off the shorts, panties, and the tank top she’d worn to bed. She’d sweated through the tank top. And the panties… to call them wet would be an understatement. After hastily throwing on clean underthings, a dry tank top and her pj shorts, Melinda tiptoed downstairs so as not to awaken her brothers, and entered the study.
    “William,” she whispered, hoping he was home and not out for one of his midnight strolls, or patrols.
    A swoosh of air tore across the room, stopping a few feet in front of her. Just out of her reach.
    “Now how could a girl not fall in love with that? A vampire flying to my aid the moment I call.” Shit! Why did I say that? She hoped he would think it just her typical flirtatious playfulness.
    He ignored her remark, sensing a fearful inflection in her tone as she spoke.
    “The better question is why I needed to fly to your aid at this early hour? Um…” he trailed off, suddenly averting his gaze. “Melinda… your shirt…”
    “What?” she stammered, looking down. In her haste, she hadn’t quite gotten it pulled down all the way. It had only half made it down her boobs. “Sorry, was in a hurry.”
    Damn it. That was the stupidest thing, ever…
    She pulled it down with a hard swallow, wrapping her arms around her waist as if trying to hold herself up. Why didn’t I put on a robe? She’d never cared what she wore before, but suddenly felt half naked, standing in front of a vampire she was too attracted to, and willing to strip for, if he so much as asked her to. 
    William backed away, clearing his throat. He returned to his desk, feeling the need to sit and steady himself. Amidst the panic washing off her was something else.
    A scent far too enticing, which stuck in his nostrils and coated his tongue. His mouth watered, his jaw aching to release his fangs, hungry for the witch shivering just out of his reach.
    He blinked, begging his eyes to stay green. The monster threatened to surface.
    He growled in displeasure.
    His reaction to Melinda was