Hi All,

This is a 4-chapter sample of a story I started working on during my vacation in April. You can thank these chapters for finally clearing out all the bullshit that has been going on in my head for the last year.

It's sort of a mix of what I already do with paranormal and vampire romances while mixing it up with a boss x employee and enemies-to-lovers relationship with a touch of criminal shenanigans going on. I'm not sure if I want to fully dedicate and turn this into a real project once I finally finish Mixed Blood, so I've decided to leave it up to you, my readers.

If you would like what's already here and want to see what could come from this sample, please vote for the chapters and let me know in the comments. And if you think it sucks and this idea is stupid, also let me know in the comments. If you don't want to or don't feel comfortable leaving your opinion in the public comments, you can find my Wattpad email on my profile.

You can be harsh with your criticism, I don't mind, just keep Wattpad's ToS in mind. This is not an invitation to be an asshole. You can call my writing bad and my ideas stupid, but if you start calling me stupid, then we have a problem.

Disclosure: The continuation of this story will be determined by comments and votes on Wattpad only and is not dependent on monetary support on my Ko-Fi.

Enjoy!

~~~

Lily

"Speech! Speech! Speech!"

The whole bar, including me, chanted and cheered when a man stood up and relented to our demands. Not just any man. Atreus Rhodes, the new managing partner of Adams & Stafford. Although soon it would be rebranded as Adams, Stafford, & Rhodes. Not a bad ring to it, I'll admit.

"Alright, alright," Rhodes chuckled, waving his hands to get us all to quiet down. "First off, let me just say that I'm looking forward to working with you going forward. But I warn you, by the end of the month, you're all going to be sick of me."

There was a round of polite laughs and a sarcastic boo that only a junior partner or higher could get away with.

"I was truly surprised to get the call from Jared and Michael. Their firm was my first choice when I was ready to make partner, and to stand at their sides is truly an honor."

"More like pretty, rich boy privilege," Nadine muttered into her martini next to me.

"Careful, Nadine," I told her, holding the bottle to my lips to hide the smirk on my own face. "You're saying the quite part out loud."

"Five million dollars is hardly quiet."

I inhaled where I should have swallowed. Somehow, I managed not to spray beer and spit all over the occupants of the next table, and I coughed to catch my breath while Nadine thumped me hard on the back. "Five million?" I spluttered. "Who pays that much to get their name on a wall?"

"I've seen it before," Nadine shrugged. "Anyone with that kind of money to throw around doesn't want anyone looking too closely at him. He wants to swoop in, make a bunch of changes, but will be the last person to step in front of a judge or opposing counsel. His wallet is deep enough to keep the other partners from asking questions."

"So, he paid for entry and could just fuck off without anyone noticing?"

"Pretty much."

Good. One less thing for me to worry about, then.

I turned back to focus on the three managing partners. Pretty rich boy, huh? Rich was obvious. If you're the managing partner of a law firm employing five hundred lawyers and their support staff between three different locations across the country, you're rich.

In the case of Jared Adams, Michael Stafford, and Atreus Rhodes, all three of them were born in the point-one percent. The former two had basically inherited their positions, as it had been Jared's grandfather and Stafford's great uncle who opened the firm back in the sixties.

Pretty, on the other hand, was a roll of the dice.

Adams looked like the human version of a pug. His face was flat like when a Loony Tunes character ran into a brick wall. How he breathed through that crumpled-in nose was a mystery, and, from what I've heard, his personality is just as ugly. that he's only in his mid-thirties, on supermodel wife number four, and was able to pay out the alimonies of his exes just speaks to how much money he's got in his offshore account.

Stafford, also in his early thirties, was a bit more conventionally attractive and probably the most normal looking, standing at average height and modest build. He was a little more on the overweight side from years spent sitting at a desk, but obviously took care of himself. I'd seen his wife and two young kids in photos from other office events, and they always looked like a happy little family. But one quick Google search will tell you that Mrs. Stafford was one dissertation away from her doctorate in engineering, which she'd given up on to be a stay-at-home mom and wife.

To each their own, and if that's her choice then so be it. But I couldn't imagine giving up all that hard work for a life at home.

Atreus Rhodes made up the final side of the trifecta. Tall, broad shouldered, dark hair just long enough to run your fingers through, and the most piercing blue eyes I'd ever seen. He was the kind of guy who went to the gym nearly every day focusing on cardio and endurance rather than powerlifting. He looked great in a suit, but I bet he looked even better in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. And even better in nothing at all.

The bar started to clap again, and I joined in. Rhodes stepped down, laughing with the other partners, and started to make his way through the crowd towards the bar, stopping every other step to shake someone else's hand. It was now or never.

Leaving my mostly full bottle on the table, I stood up to shrug out of my suit jacket and adjust my dress to make it a little less professional than it was intended to be worn. "What are you doing?" Nadine asked, raising a judgmental eyebrow.

"I'm thirsty," I answered innocently. "I'm going to get a drink and welcome the new partner to the firm."

"Oh, hon, don't do that to yourself. Guys like him don't settle."

"Who said anything about settling? I spend my days up to my eyeballs in research and drafting documents for first-year associates. I don't have time to settle. Whatever happens tonight, Rhodes isn't going to know I exist by morning, and I'm fine with that. So, I'm going to shoot my shot, buy the new partner a drink, and see what happens."

I ignored her continued silent judgement by turning and heading towards the bar. I wasn't the first, and certainly wouldn't be the last paralegal to embarrass herself like this. Fortunately, I hadn't been born with a sense of shame, and any I'd picked up along the way got beaten out of me by subjecting myself to the abuses of being a paralegal.

I reached the bar seconds before Rhodes did, sliding into the open space in front of him and flagged down the bartender. Leaning against the bar top, I angled my hips and arched my back slightly, just enough to accentuate my ass. "Can I get a vodka cran? And a..." I looked over my shoulder at Atreus. Ice-blue eyes dragged their way from my ass up to meet my gaze. There's the hook. "You look like a whiskey neat kind of guy."

The corner of his mouth turned up in a hungry smirk. "On the rocks," he corrected, sliding around to sit on the open stood beside me and holding out his hand. "Atreus Rhodes."

"I know. We met in the file room last week."

"Right..." He had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, I've met so many people. You're going to have to remind me of your name."

"Lilian Clark, but everyone just calls me Lily. It's nice to officially meet you for the second time." He laughed while I shook his hand, took a drink of the whisky brought by the bartender, and grimaced. "Not to your liking?"

"It's fine," he shrugged. "My drink preference can't be bought on a file clerk's salary."

"Oof. You're two and oh, Mister Rhodes. I'm a paralegal. I told you that last week too."

He choked on his next sip, and his eyes widened slightly in panic. He had the worst poker face. "Well, Miss Clark," he said, quickly regaining his composure and that wolfish smile made a reappearance. "I'm afraid you've caught me a little off guard."

Line.

"You'd think with five million bucks to put your name on a wall you'd be able to afford a notebook to keep track of everyone else's."

"Kicking a man while he's down is poor sport. I hope you carry that kind of fire in a courtroom."

"I carry that fire with everything I do."

"And how often does that mouth of yours get you in trouble, Lilian?

"Not often enough, Atreus. Not often enough."

"Any chance I could get a demonstration?"

Placing an innocent hand on his shoulder, I leaned into to whisper not so innocently in his ear. "I live right out the block," I breathed. "If you'd like that demonstration to be up close and personal, meet me in the alley in five minutes."

"Miss Clark." The deep rumbling growl in his voice sent shivers dancing across my skin. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"God, I hope so."

The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

Sinker.

I turned away from Atreus and sauntered my way back to the table to collect my jacket and purse. Nadine was shaking her head but didn't say anything before I headed for the door. I only gave myself five minutes. I would have more than enough time to listen to her lectures tomorrow.

There was a part of me that sort of hoped he wouldn't follow. I hadn't done this in so long. I was out of practice, and my nerves were getting the better of me.

He did though. Five minutes later, I felt his presence at the entrance to the alley, only giving me enough time to slide my phone back into my purse before his hands were on my hips. "Remind me," I teased, turning in his arms to face him. "What was your name again?"

He chuckled and took a step forward, forcing me backwards. "Atreus. Mister Rhodes. Sir." My back touched the wall and his eyes flashed dangerously. He braced one hand against the wall beside my head and the other gripped my thigh, slowly dragging up the edge of my skirt to cup my ass. "Take your pick, pretty girl. You'll be screaming it all night long."

Atreus lowered his head to press his lips to my neck, making my breath hitch. Fuck, he was good. The already sweltering heat somehow increased tenfold. Maybe it was my imagination, but it felt like sweat and other fluids were beginning to soak my panties. He dragged his tongue up the ridge of my throat and paused right over my pulse. This was my chance.

With every ounce of strength I could muster, I thrust the wooden stake into his abdomen, under his ribs, and through his torso aiming for his heart. I missed. Actually, I was right on target. I just couldn't put enough force into the strike and the tip of the stake was still two inches away from the organ.

Shit!

I grabbed the handle of the stake with my other hand and tried to shove it the rest of the way. A low, rattling hiss in my ear told me that if I didn't finish this fast, I was dead. The hand around my thigh grabbed the wrist of my main hand in a crushing grip. The one that was against the wall twisted in my hair and jerked my head back, exposing my neck. "Slayer," he snarled.

I saw a glint of elongated gangs in the low light of the alley just as the panic set in. Adrenalin flooded my veins. Instinct took hold of every muscle. There was no way I was going to let someone like Atreus Rhodes kill me.

I brought my knee up between his legs as hard and as fast as I could. Atreus let out a strangled yelp, and I shoved him away from me. It only took him one step to recover himself. Tightening his grip on my hair, he dragged me off the wall and threw me hard to the ground. He descended on me, aiming for my throat. I saw his fangs again and the flash of glowing eyes. In the last chance I had, I reached for the stake protruding from his abdomen and locked my arms.

The force of his fall was what I needed for the weapon to hit home. Two hundred pounds of dead weight collapsed on top of me. Every muscle shook with the effort it took to roll him off, and I scrambled away until my back touched the wall again.

I took my phone from my purse again and tapped the "safe" button of the alert app with two minutes left before it would send an SOS to the local slayer sect. Turning my attention back to Atreus, I watched as his body began to crumble into ash. That's when it hit me all at once.

I just killed a vampire.

~

If you'd like to support me, you can find my Ko-Fi link in my bio.

This is a 4-chapter sample. If you would like me to make this a project and fully develop the story, please vote and let me know in the comments or through my Wattpad email. The continuation of this story will be determined by comments and votes on Wattpad only and is not dependent on monetary support.

Thank you