Bay sat at the bar. He looked down at the tumbler in his hand. At the amber-colored liquid inside. The scent coming off it was pungent. Not normally his drink of choice, but he was feeling nostalgic tonight and had ordered it.

“Nursing that?” the bartender asked, elevating his voice above the noise.

Bay nodded.

“Can I get you something else?” he asked, as he cleared some empty beer bottles away.

“Maybe a water.”

The male’s lip twitched but he nodded once, ducking down to grab a bottle out of the refrigerator under the bar. He handed it to Bay, who paid. Bay opened the bottle and drank down some of the cool liquid. He scanned the place, almost expecting to see her. It was bustling. People danced, they laughed and talked. They flirted and kissed. As per usual, they’d gone to the place across the road. He’d hung out there for a while. Then he’d told Beck that he was going to the Jolly Roger instead. The male had teased him for a while, but he’d eventually let him go. Here he was.

It seemed he liked to torture himself since he was standing in exactly the same place she had been standing six months earlier. Bay picked the tumbler back up and took a sip of the whiskey. It burned on the way down. Thing was, Beck was right. He did need to move on. It was time. It was past due.

The females sitting right next to him kept whispering to one another. They were arguing over who would get him. Like he didn’t have a choice in the matter.

“I saw him first,” the blonde said, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

“His eyes met mine when he looked this way earlier,” the one with the short, dark hair said, her brown eyes wide.

“I’ve been single for the longest, so surely that means I get first dibs.” The one with the tight curls stepped in-between the other two. Of course, that set off a whole new argument as to why the length of time being single didn’t count in who ended up getting him.

He casually glanced their way. They were pretty. All three of them giggled when they caught him looking. They resumed their debate as soon as he turned away.

Another female moved in next to him on the other side. She ordered a couple of drinks. “Thirsty?” he asked, looking at the three bottles that had been placed in front of her. It was a stupid thing to say. He was seriously rusty.

She smiled and nodded. “I’m dancing with my friends, so yeah, very.”

He nodded, already chickening out, even though he couldn’t scent a male on her.

“And you? Just sitting here…on your own.” She glanced at the three females on the other side of him.

“Yep, all alone. I’m from out of town.”

He noticed how she looked down at his hand. Humans wore rings to symbolize being mated. They didn’t have the same senses as dragons. She was checking to see if he was available.

“Um, can I buy you a drink?” she asked, clearly better at this than he was. She had shoulder-length blonde hair. It had a slight curl. She wore jeans and a tight, red top. Her eyes were wide and a bright blue. She was short and curvy and definitely the type of female he would have been interested in back in the day. Before his run-in with a silver blade. All he could think about though when looking at her was of another female. One with green eyes and dark hair. Ceri.

Fuck!

He needed to move on. Ceri wasn’t thinking about him. Ceri had moved on. He shook his head. “No,” Bay held up the bottle of water, “I’m all set.”

Her demeanor changed. Her eyes clouded slightly and her shoulders slumped just a little.

“But I wouldn’t mind talking.”

Talking. Fuck, but he’d turned into a total pussy. He was a bigger one now that his dick was fully functional than when he’d been half a male. What was wrong with him? He should be happy about it. Should be embracing his new-found virility, but all he could do was mope.

Her eyes lit up. “I’m Carly.”

“Bay. Good to meet you.” He took her outstretched hand and shook it.

Carly picked up two of the bottles. “I’m going to take these—”

Just then, another female arrived. She smiled at Bay and giggled when her eyes met Carly’s. “I’ll take those.” She winked. Or at least, from where he was sitting it looked like she winked.

Then he realized that he was still sitting while she stood there. He really was shit at the whole pick-up thing. Bay stood up off the barstool, watching Carly’s friend walk back to the dancefloor. “Can I offer you a seat?”

“Thanks.” She smiled, climbing up on the stool. “So where are you from?”

He told her their well-rehearsed spiel about where they were from and what they did.

Her eyes lit up. “You’re a cage-fighter?” Her gaze moved over his face. “My brother got involved for a couple of months. He fought a couple of times and after being knocked out twice, he retired.” She laughed. “I must say you don’t look like a fighter since your nose has never been broken and you don’t have any scars…that I can see.”

“I forgot to mention that I’m a good cage fighter. I tend to win.”

She nodded. “I’m impressed. I mean, you’re a big guy.” Her eyes flitted to his chest before moving back up to his face. “How long are you in town for?”

“Just one night.” He uncapped his water.

“Pity.” She smiled up at him. “It would have been nice to get to know you better.”

Bay took a sip of his water. This was the part where he suggested they fuck. One night of hot sex. His dick didn’t jump at the plan. In fact, it did nothing.

She took a sip of her drink. Her cheeks began to turn pink. Her eyes moved to her friends and then back to him. “We could get out of here. I have an apartment not ten minutes from here. We could talk.”

Talk.

He squeezed the back of his neck. This female was lovely. Truly she was. He wanted to take her up on her offer, but…Bay clenched his teeth. He should take her up on her offer. Ceri was done with him. It had just been really great rutting. Nothing more. He needed to stop this obsession he had. It wasn’t healthy.

“Or, we could just stay here and hang out?” she quickly added, taking another sip of her drink.

“You know what, Carly?” He put the water down on the bar. “Let’s go back to your place.”

Her whole face lit up, then she frowned. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Yes.” He tried to smile, tried to feel something, anything, but failed. By fucking claw, he was going through with this. He was rutting this female and getting over the vampire if it was the last thing he ever did.

“Of course I’m sure. You’re gorgeous. Blonde happens to be my favorite.” Such a bullshit line.

“Well then,” she slid off of the chair, “you’re in for a treat, since I’m blonde all over.” She winked.

Why were they here?

She was crazy. Worse than crazy. Nuts! Then again, she knew, deep down inside, exactly what had driven her to have asked to come all the way out there. Bay was on the Stag Run and she was praying that she would arrive in time to stop him from doing what he had gone there to do. She should go back and wait until morning, but instead, she had insisted that time was of the essence ‒ which it was ‒ but it could have waited until the next day. A few hours wouldn’t have mattered, and yet she’d insisted.

Hopefully, she wasn’t too late.

They arrived at the bar. “This is it,” Reef said. He was one of the Water dragons who had been assigned to help them.

“Beach Bums,” Drago read the sign that hung above the door. “How original.” It was a different place to the one she had met Bay in. The Jolly Roger was just across the street. She looked that way, feeling her heart squeeze. Butterflies took flight in her stomach, big ones. Hyperactive ones. She felt a moment of nausea.

Drago sensed her hesitation, he put an arm around her and squeezed once before letting go. “Ready?”

No!

She nodded. “Thanks for coming. I know you were busy with—”

“Of course I came along. Don’t mention it. You needed the support and here I am. I hope we’re…on time.”

She nodded once. It was already getting late. It was probably too late. Bay was a catch. The humans would be all over him.

“Let’s go inside. We might be lucky enough to still find him here,” Wade said. He was another of the Water dragons helping them.

“He might have already left,” Reef voiced what they were all thinking. “We could still catch up with him at the hotel, although—” The male stopped talking, must have caught the horrified look on her face.

If Bay was already back at the hotel, there was a good chance he wasn’t going to be there alone, and neither would he be sleeping. More butterflies and more nausea hit her.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be here.” No doubt about it. Bay had decided to attend the Stag Run for one reason and one reason only. He was there to rut a human female. Heck, he might be there to rut a couple. She’d pined for him all of these months and here he was, hitting the town, at the first chance he could get. According to Torrent, they went on a Run every six months and this was his weekend. It had been six months, almost to the day, since they had first met.

“We’re here already. Might as well go in and take a look,” Drago said. He was her voice of reason.

“You’re right.” She nodded.

Drago took her hand and they walked into the still bustling bar. Reef walked ahead of them and Wade followed behind.

Reef scanned the room, quickly deciding which direction to take. Ceri tried to give the air a sniff in the hope of picking up his scent, but there were too many feuding smells. Aside from lots of different people, many of the females wore perfume. There was also a strong scent of greasy food.

They followed Reef, who made a beeline for a large male. The male’s eyes narrowed as they landed on Reef. He removed his arm from around a female and stepped forward. “Is everything okay?”

“We’re looking for Bay,” Reef said.

His eyes narrowed further, they moved over Reef’s shoulder before landing on her and then Drago. He sniffed the air. “Vampires. What are they doing here? What’s going on?”

“That’s a need-to-know.” Reef shook his head. “I’m not at liberty to say. We’re here on Torrent’s orders.”

“Is Bay in trouble?”

“Um…not exactly,” Reef said.

“What does that mean?” the male asked. “Just tell me what the hell’s going on.”

“Where is Bay? It’s important that we find him. Please, Beck.”

Beck held the male’s gaze for a long while before looking at Ceri. “Are you her?”

She nodded once.

“For whatever reason,” Beck looked back at Reef, “he wanted to go to the bar across the road. I can’t remember what he said it was called.”

Her heart beat faster. Their bar. He wanted to go to their bar. Did that mean he was thinking about her?

Reef finished whatever it was he was saying to Beck and then motioned for them to head out. Her feet felt somewhat lighter as they crossed the road. It didn’t last though. The butterflies took flight as they made it to the door. It was big and blue. Was he still there? Had he left? If so, was he alone?

“Let’s go,” Drago said to Reef, who nodded. They filed into the busy bar. It was even more packed than the one across the road had been.

“Maybe we should rather wait until morning.” His smile was tight.

Ceri kept looking, she spotted him at the bar. Standing in the same spot they had stood in six months earlier. Only, instead of her, there was a cute human female. She was ultra-curvy with a sweet smile.

Bay wore black jeans and a white t-shirt. It fit him like a second skin, showcasing muscle and brawn. His skin had a bronze glow. His eyes were bright and just as gorgeous as she remembered.

The human nodded at something Bay was saying. Ceri had to concentrate to hear what she was saying. “I’m impressed. I mean, you’re a big guy.” Her eyes flitted to his chest before moving back up to his face. The female was flirting with him. Of course she was. Who wouldn’t? She hadn’t been able to help herself all those months ago. “How long are you in town for?”

“Just one night.” He picked up his water.

“Pity.” The female smiled at him, looking up at him from under her lashes. More flirting. “It would have been nice to get to know you better.”

“Let’s go and—” Reef began.

Ceri held up a hand to keep him quiet. “Give me a minute.”

This was going to go one of two ways. She could see Bay weighing things up. Mulling them over. The female looked unsure. Not of Bay, but of the situation. She was afraid of being rejected.

Ceri needed to put a stop to this but she couldn’t, she needed to see how this played out. She had not been able to move on. The thought was abhorrent. If Bay had real feelings for her, he wouldn’t be able to either. She needed to see this for herself.

“We should—” Drago began.

“Please be quiet,” she urged.

“We could get out of here,” she heard the human say, twirling a piece of her hair around a finger. “I have an apartment not ten minutes from here. We could talk.”

The funny thing was that had been her line six months ago. Maybe not exactly but similar. Her heart was pounding. She sucked in a deep breath.

Bay squeezed the back of his neck, he looked tired. That and stressed. For a couple of seconds there she was sure he would turn the female down flat.

The human seemed to think that too because she said, “Or, we could just stay here and hang out?”

“You know what, Carly?” Bay put the water down on the bar, seeming to make up his mind. Ceri didn’t have a good feeling about where this was going. “Let’s go back to your place.” He nodded once, looking resolute.

The female’s whole face lit up. “Are you sure?” she gushed.

He nodded. “Yes,” Bay smiled, “of course I’m sure. You’re gorgeous. Blonde happens to be my favorite.”

Talk about a dagger to the heart.

“Well then,” she slid off the chair, a seductive look in her eyes, “you’re in for a treat, since I’m blonde all over.” The human winked.

The dagger was silver-tipped. At least that’s what it felt like, especially when Bay grinned.

“You should go over there,” Drago interjected, clutching her elbow, trying to lead.

“No!” Ceri shook her head, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. She shoved her way to the door and practically ran outside. All three males followed her.

Ceri gulped lungfuls of air.

“What’s wrong?” Drago asked. “He’s here and he hasn’t technically done anything yet. You can still stop him.”

“I don’t want to,” Ceri said, shaking her head.

“You said you have feelings for him. You finally admitted it!” Drago practically yelled. “He’s in there.”

“About to leave with another female.”

Oh shit! Bay was about to leave. He’d find them there. She didn’t want that. Didn’t want to ruin his night. Ceri started towards the SUV.

“Where are you going?” Drago asked.

“We’re leaving,” she announced. “I’ll talk with him in the morning and then we’re going home.” She felt her lip quiver but held back the tears threatening to fall.

“You can still fix this,” Drago tried one last time as they climbed into the vehicle.

“There is nothing to fix.” She shook her head, feeling miserable. “Let’s just please leave. Please,” she added the last when no one did anything.

Reef nodded. He started the vehicle and they pulled away. The tears began to fall. “I’m sorry,” Drago said, taking her hand. “I wish things could be different.”