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M O R G A N

My head was still in space from the mindblowing orgasm Erik had just given me. I stared up at the ceiling, catching my breath. No one had ever kissed me like that before.

"Is my mate satisfied?" Erik asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah," I replied breathlessly.

He rested his head against my thigh, and I could see my wetness glistening all over his face. Damn, he knew how to make me come. I reached down and gently laced my fingers through his hair.

I should suggest we have a shower, but I'm too exhausted to move.

"Good, I am glad you enjoyed it. We will need to do more practising. I don't believe I can live without your honey now that I have tasted it," Erik explained.

I was utterly speechless and weirdly turned on. Maybe this was a mate thing? Perhaps that's why he wanted to taste me so badly. Whatever the reason, if he could make me come like that every single time, then I would happily let him practice on me.

We lay in bed, entangled and unmoving. Everything was perfect bliss until I heard footsteps outside my bedroom door. I stiffened as someone knocked gently against my bedroom door.

"Morgan, are you awake? I heard banging," Poppy's soft voice echoed behind the door.

I sat up, grabbed the edge of my blanket, and pulled it over Erik and myself. Then, I drew my knees up so Erik couldn't be seen hiding under the blanket.

"I'm awake. I was just killing a spider that had crawled across my pillows," I lied.

Poppy opened the door and poked her head through. There was a worried expression on her face.

"You need to come downstairs," she said.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Rupert messaged an hour ago to say that Eli's body has gone missing from the funeral home. His family are freaking out, and Dinah has accused you of stealing his body," she said.

"Are you kidding?"

I couldn't stand Eli. He was a narcissistic asshole who had tried to force himself on me. So why the hell would I want to steal his body?

"Charlie has left with the Elders to try and placate Dinah. I don't think that anyone believes that you stole his body," Poppy said, trying to reassure me.

"Good, because I didn't steal his body," I replied.

"No, you didn't steal his body. I stole it," Poppy said sheepishly.

I stared back at her, dumbfounded. What the actual fuck. Had she lost her mind? Eli was the son of our landlord. We could lose the pub if he found out Poppy had stolen his son's corpse.

"What were you thinking?" I yelled at Poppy.

"I didn't have a choice. I did it for you," she replied tearfully.

"Where is the body? We need to get rid of it," I said.

"It was in the freezer under the sausages. But Rupert helped me move it into the bar," Poppy explained.

"You put Eli's dead cadaver in the bar?" I repeated.

"Look, I can explain everything, but I need you to come down to the bar and try not to freak out," Poppy asked.

"Fine, give me a couple of minutes," I replied.

Poppy closed the door, and I pushed back the blankets. Erik sat up, rubbing his chin.

"Am I going crazy, or did she say a dead body was in the bar?" Erik asked.

"Stay here. You don't need to involve yourself in this mess," I replied, slipping out of bed and putting my dressing gown on.

Secretly, I hoped that this was a terrible joke. I hoped I would go downstairs and find India and Rupert sniggering together in the bar with a plastic skeleton. But none of this felt like a joke.

I crept down the stairs and entered the bar. The lights were out, and I saw India, Poppy, and Rupert huddled around the fire. Next to them, on the floor, was a human-shaped lump under a white cloth.

"Please tell me this is a joke," I said, hoping it was Charlie under that cloth and not Eli.

Rupert turned his head towards me, and I could tell by the redness in his eyes that he had been crying. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong.

"We had to do it," Poppy whispered. "He threatened us."

"Who threatened you?" I asked.

The cloth on the floor suddenly twitched, and Poppy gasped. Whatever was under that cloth had started to move.

India and Rupert got up slowly from their chairs and backed away from the moving cloth. Poppy did not move. She remained standing next to the cloth, her hands pressed together as if she was praying.

"Eli? Is that you?" She whispered, her voice full of hope.

"Poppy, get away from him," Rupert called.

Poppy ignored Rupert and knelt next to the cloth. She reached out a trembling hand and touched the fabric.

This had to be a joke. A bad tasteless joke, but a joke nevertheless. I turned sharply, walked over to the light switches, and flipped them on. The bar lit up, and I turned to face Poppy and whatever the hell was hiding under that cloth.

To my astonishment, Poppy was staring pale-faced at the cloth that appeared to be sitting up.

I folded my arms across my chest and snapped, "This isn't funny. I know that's you, Charlie."

The person hiding the cloth reacted to my voice. I could make out their head slowly turning towards me. The material moved again, and a grey hand suddenly reached out and fumbled with the cloth covering its face.

Poppy gingerly took the corner of the cloth and yanked it down. Oh God, it was Eli. He was sitting up, waxy skinned, and with dead milky eyes, staring at me.

I stumbled backwards in fear as Eli's grey lips parted, revealing blood-stained teeth. He grinned eerily at me.

"Morgan," he said in a low, raspy voice.

I ignored him and turned to Poppy, trying to keep calm. She was sitting right next to Eli, frozen in fear.

"Poppy, get up. Go stand with India," I said calmly.

Poppy didn't seem to hear me. Instead, her eyes remained fixated on Eli.

"You're not him. You're not Eli," she whispered.

Eli turned his toward Poppy and said, "No, darling. I'm not."

Poppy screamed as Eli suddenly grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked down hard, exposing her neck. Eli licked his lips and turned back to me.

The door behind the bar burst open, and Erik strode through. He wrinkled his nose as if he had smelt something foul and took a moment to take stock of the scene before him.

Eli let out an irritated hiss.

"I wondered when you would show up," he said, holding Poppy firmly against him.

Erik ignored Eli and walked to my side, sliding his arm around my waist.

"Are you well, my beloved flame?" He asked me softly.

"Not really," I said, nodding at Eli and Poppy.

Erik's eyes narrowed on Eli.

"Undead fiend, your presence offends my mate. I promise to give you a swift, painless execution in exchange for Poppy's life," he said.

"Piss off, you overgrown lizard," Eli replied dismissively. "I'm not here to talk to you. I'm here to talk to Morgan."

I stepped forward, willing to do anything to save Poppy.

"I'll talk to you," I said, "I'll do anything, just don't hurt Poppy."

"I have a message from Prince Dante. He wishes to express gratitude for all you have done for the vampire court. He is eager for you to return to court and be united with Princess Ebony. He has found a way for you to return home. He has sent me here to bring you back to our world," Eli explained.

"Tell the Mad Prince that Morgan is no longer on the vampire's side. She is my mate and Queen of the dragons. She will burn the Mad Prince and his mad bride into a pile of ashes," Erik yelled angrily.

Eli cocked his head toward me and asked, "Is that true?"

What could I say? I daren't tell him the truth while he held Poppy captive. I struggled to find the right words, and just as I opened my mouth, Erik butted in.

"Morgan has denounced the vampire. She is my mate and sworn enemy of the vampire. The dragons are family now. She will have nothing to do with the Mad Prince and his crow bride," Erik snapped.

I wanted to kick Erik. Couldn't he see Poppy trembling in Eli's arms? Didn't he know the danger she was in?

Eli shrugged and sighed, "Perhaps, you would feel differently about the vampires if your beloved friend was to become one of us?"

Poppy let out a whimper as Eli bent his mouth to her neck and ran his tongue over her pulse. A cruel smile fell over Eli's face as he bit down on Poppy's neck.

I lunged for Eli, not caring about the danger. Erik grabbed me by the waist and pulled me backwards. I fought against him, screaming Poppy's name.

Eli let go of Poppy, dropping her to the floor like a rag doll. He wiped her blood from his mouth and said, "For Poppy's sake, I hope you change your mind. Sadly, she won't survive for very long without the vampire court."

Eli got up to his feet and dissolved into a swarm of black flies that disappeared up the chimney in a black cloud.

India, Rupert, and I rushed to Poppy. The blood was pouring out of her neck.

"Call a doctor," India cried, covering her hand over the two puncture marks on her sister's neck.

"It's a vampire bite," Erik said gravely. "No medicine can save her now."

"We have to do something," India cried.

"It's a vampire bite. We have no choice but to kill her," Erik replied.