Undead Have Bunnies, Too [A Tail Like No Other: Book Four] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)
A Tail Like No Other: Book Four
Undead Have Bunnies, Too
Life is not easy for a carnivorous rabbit. I would know. I am one—Vesper, the white, hunting-challenged carnivorous bunny. I’ve always been completely unappreciated by my warren because of my inability to hunt. Finding a mate was next to impossible. Until now. The wait was worth it, because I’ve met Count Vlad Dracula. A vampire. My mate.
Suddenly, sucking is very appealing. As is every other form of intercourse my libidinous bunny mind can come up with. But Vlad has other ideas. He wants to woo me properly, to introduce me to the lifestyle of a vampire’s mate. Despite my lustful instincts, I’ve respected his decision. Being thrust into a vampire family is strange, especially when fur-obsessed sisters are involved. Sadly, Vlad’s plan backfires when a mysterious witch attacks us.
Now, it’s up to Vlad to rescue me from her clutches. I only hope he will do so before the damn bitch slaughters my fur with her abusive petting.
Note: This book is written in first-person point of view.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Fantasy, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 45,592 words
UNDEAD HAVE BUNNIES, TOO
A Tail Like No Other: Book Four
Scarlet Hyacinth
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
UNDEAD HAVE BUNNIES, TOO
Copyright © 2013 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-756-4
First E-book Publication: November 2013
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Epilogue
About the Author
UNDEAD HAVE BUNNIES, TOO
A Tail Like No Other: Book Four
SCARLET HYACINTH
Copyright © 2013
Prologue
Merlinia has always been my home. It might not be perfect, but everything I’ve ever loved is here. I grew up here, in a large warren with more siblings than I could count. I can’t say it’s been very easy, but even so, I found cherished friends in Merlinia, ones who helped me through my confusion and the most difficult times in my life. Therefore, it came as no surprise to me that Merlinia also provided me with my mate.
My friends Dineiro and Larue found theirs the same day. Unlike me, they had some significant problems in getting accustomed to their new relationships, something quite natural, given the fact that Dineiro’s mate was a dragon slayer, and Larue’s was one hundred times his size.
For my part, I fell for Vlad at first sight. He was everything I’d ever wanted, even with the little problem of his diet. His family could be overwhelming, but once I got used to the fur-combing and perfuming, I actually began to like them.
You’re probably wondering now why in the world I’m even telling this story. No, it’s not just because I want to draw attention to myself. I’m a bunny, for crying out loud. My kind isn’t inclined to do that sort of thing, and I would prefer to just hide in my warren, or better yet, in Vlad’s castle.
But things don’t work like that, not in Merlinia, and not anywhere else. And honestly, I’m not a coward. I can protect my mate if the need arises. Well, at least I try. Really, a carnivorous rabbit can be more dangerous than some people expect. Yes, we are lethal, lethal creatures. Be warned, you should never cross me—I can turn on you at any time. What? You don’t look like you believe me. Sigh…I suppose I can’t blame you. I’m not very fierce, am I?
If only I’d been stronger…But no, I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s so much more to this tale than I can say in a couple of lines. Let’s start from the very beginning, from that night that changed my life and my destiny.
Chapter One:
In Which Petting Is Not Allowed and Bitingly Discouraged
A few months before
“Let me go!” I struggled in the grip of the mysterious creature that held me. “Release me this instant.”
It was probably a bad thing to suggest, given that we were currently flying high up in the sky, in the middle of a storm more powerful than anything I’d ever seen. If this being—this spirit hunter—freed me, I would likely fall to my death.
Nevertheless, my instincts demanded that I attack my kidnapper, and I did exactly that, biting down on the fleshiest part of the creature’s body that I could reach. It seemed to be a clawed arm, although it was too dark to distinguish any actual details.
However, as I attempted to
bury my fangs in the creature’s flesh, I found with much dismay that my captor’s flesh was far more resilient than I’d expected. I released a gasp of pain, having almost broken my fangs in my zeal to free myself.
There was a light chuckle from the being holding me, but it didn’t actually say anything. It was perhaps fortunate, because my anger, fear, and humiliation were already enough without having my foe taunting me as well.
I didn’t know how long the flight lasted, but by the end, I was pretty thankful for my fur, because up here, it was pretty cold. Most importantly, I was very, very pissed, and already plotting my revenge. Messing with a carnivorous bunny was definitely not a good idea.
Surprisingly, I soon found myself in the courtyard of a large, ominous-looking castle. The creature holding me flew inside through a large window and dropped me on a couch situated in the huge, darkened foyer. In spite of my dizziness, I nonetheless caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a gargoyle just before the figure flew out the window again. Well, that explained a lot.
Of course, knowing the spirit hunter was a gargoyle didn’t really help me, because I still had no idea where I was. Tentatively sniffing the air, I leapt off the couch and set about to explore my new environment. Perhaps I could find a way out and somehow, go look for my friends.
I didn’t get too far, though, and my tentative attempt came to a grinding halt when a voice made me freeze in my tracks. “Oh, aren’t you just darling?”
I looked up, only to find a tall, dark-haired woman standing in front of me. I had no idea where she had come from. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, which startled me greatly. My shape-shifter senses should have registered her approach.
Even more disturbingly, she wiggled her fingers at me and continued to baby-talk. “Such a precious thing you are. So gorgeous. Don’t worry. You don’t need to be afraid. I’m your friend.”
She reached for me, and I guessed she probably meant to pet me. Taking advantage of her rash actions, I waited until the last possible moment. Then, when she was within the perfect distance, I struck. I buried my fangs in her hand, biting her with all the anger and frustration that had gathered up due to my unfortunate situation. No. I refused to be petted. Petting was off limits. Goddess, what did these people think, that because I was a bunny, I had a permanent “pet me” sign pasted on? Did they not know that our fur was quite sensitive to the touch? Did they have no concept of personal boundaries? Sheesh.
The woman let out a loud cry and pulled her hand back so abruptly that I didn’t even release her. I ended up stubbornly hanging onto her, my fangs still embedded into her flesh. The situation would have probably grown even more difficult, but a tall, muscular man walked into the room, his gaze zeroing in on me and my foe. Behind him, three other girls followed.
“What in the world are you doing, Monica?” the man asked.
The woman released a small, breathless chuckle. “I seem to have upset our guest.”
She didn’t seem to be angry that I had attacked her. Meanwhile, the other three females gathered around us, making soft cooing noises. “Oh, isn’t he adorable?”
“Poor thing, his fur looks a little ragged.”
“It must be because of the storm. We could wash him a bit. I’m sure those new oils would make him just glow.”
Since I was still holding onto the first woman’s hand with my fangs, I could only let out a muffled, distressed whimper.
The man sighed heavily and walked to our side. Slowly, he took me in his arms and said, “Come on now. Let go. It’s safe.”
There was just something about his voice that felt truthful, but I was still a little wary. After all, how could I not be? I’d been kidnapped and thrust into a lair of abusive females who seemed intent on attacking me with more violence than I could ever muster.
Nevertheless, the man was less likely to make any attempts to make my fur glow with bathing oils, so I did let go. Even as I did so, the wound on my victim’s hand already started to close. She was pouting, though, and throwing the man a disgruntled look. “Come on, Vlad. Don’t be like that. We mean well.”
“I’m sure you do,” Vlad replied calmly. “But the gargoyles didn’t bring him here for you.”
That was the only warning I got before the mysterious Vlad buried his hand in my fur. A shiver coursed through me, and not an entirely unpleasant one. My instinctual reaction was to cuddle closer to his chest, but then, I realized what I was doing. Just as Vlad tightened his hold on me, I bit him. Hard. He yelped as my fangs struck his nipple. I hadn’t really intended to do that, but somehow, I actually managed to draw blood.
He hissed in pain and something more, a feeling my nose identified as arousal. At the same time, though, I must have surprised him through my attack, because he dropped me.
I fell onto the floor on four paws and instinctively took off running. Vlad cursed and started to follow me. As we abandoned the foyer, I heard the four women burst into laughter, their tinkling giggles reminding me of the sound of bells as they echoed against the walls of the castle.
Vlad was laughing, too, but his dark chuckles were more like a sensual threat than anything else. I kind of wanted to get caught, but I didn’t slow down. That strange feeling confused me. I didn’t know any of these people. I didn’t understand why I’d been brought here. I was worried for my friends who had been trapped in the storm with me. Right then and there, there were so many thoughts and emotions coursing through me that I couldn’t even differentiate between them.
Finally, I burst outside into a large garden. It was quiet now, impossibly so after the intense storm. The Merlinian night settled over the castle like a thick veil, but the light of the moon did drift through the clouds, giving me a glimpse of what lay ahead of me. The ornamental bushes and the strange statues looked threatening in the dark, and for a few moments, I froze in apprehension. It probably wasn’t safe out there. The Goddess only knew what could be hiding in this place. But even so, I refused to be such a scaredy-rabbit. I would not back down. This could be the only way I had to find my friends again.
As I ran through the garden, though, it became obvious that my escape wouldn’t be so easy. The place was simply labyrinthine, and even if my shifter senses were pretty advanced, I was largely a creature of daylight.
Before I knew it, I was lost amidst the odd shrubbery, leaping wildly around the statues that seemed to fix me with peculiarly alive eyes. My heart raced, and I was seriously beginning to panic. For the nth time that day, I cursed my blasted luck. How was it that I’d ended up such a disaster at everything my people were generally good at?
I was snapped out of my trance of self-pity when a dark shadow appeared in front of me. Really, I was getting tired of all these dark shadows. It was like one of those silly stories Larue once told me while trying to scare me. Of course, this particular story held something unexpected, and a treacherous part of me welcomed Vlad’s arrival.
He arched a brow at me, a slight motion I could only detect in the darkness because he was so close. His eyes were so black that I found myself unable to move, falling in those unfathomable pools. As our gazes met and locked, I half-unwillingly shifted into my secondary form—my human one.
For a few moments, I almost thought it had been magic from his part that had urged it. However, Vlad’s eyes widened, and I gathered he hadn’t expected this development. And as I sat there, kneeling in front of Vlad, I realized one very important thing. I had no clue how I had even missed it to begin with. Vlad was my mate. No wonder my instincts had pushed me into changing shapes. I very rarely used this form. It was designed specifically for the chance that I might find a mate of a different species, so it made sense that the shift would be triggered now.
Vlad’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed convulsively. He didn’t reach for me, his expression carefully neutral. Distantly, I wondered if he didn’t find me pleasing. Given my luck so far, it wouldn’t be surprising. Anger and hurt roaring through me, I struggled to my feet.
Grinning from ear to ear, I wrapped my arms around his neck and ground my body against his. “Mate,” I murmured in his ear, “claim me.”
He released a low groan, his hold on me tightening. “I…Fuck…”
I took that as an agreement to my tentative plan. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was supposed to do from here. I’d never actually coupled with anyone. Members of my species had a very strong sexuality, but we truly opened ourselves to that part of us only when we found our intended mates. Therefore, I could only follow my instincts and trust that they would guide me in the right direction.
I stared at Vlad’s mouth, so very close to mine. I desperately wanted to kiss him. In fact, I wanted to do so much more, but a kiss was a pretty good beginning in my book. Following that thought, I pressed my lips to his. That was where my brilliant plan ended. I had a pretty good clue on what was supposed to happen, but like in countless other things, I was clumsy at it, too.
Fortunately, for once, I didn’t have to worry about that. Vlad took over, and I melted in his arms as his tongue licked over the seam of my lips. Obediently, I granted him entrance, moaning as the slick muscle invaded my mouth. Whatever seduction I might have intended to put into practice was nothing compared to the way he ravished me, tasting me again and again, taking no prisoners. His hands roamed my naked body, tracing my sides, squeezing my buttocks.