Behind the Eight Ball Read Online Free PDF Page A

us spent a lot of time together over the next year. There was affection there between Marshell and me, but I knew he wasn’t the love of my life. Good thing. One night after we made love, three masked men broke into their house. Janelle was out on a date, so just Marshell and I were home. They attacked us.
    Well, they attacked Marshell.
    I was just collateral damage. Beat to hell and back, they left me bleeding on the floor while they tried to kill him. That was horrifying, yes. But more so was when he revealed wicked-looking fangs and blue snakelike eyes.
    The sclera was a bright sky blue and the pupil was black. The top two central incisors were very long and pointy, and so were his canines. I vaguely remember him sinking those fangs into one of the attacker’s throats before I passed out.
    The next thing I knew I woke up in bed, bandaged, and he and Janelle were cleaning up the mess from the attack. That day I found out humans weren’t the only beings walking the face of the earth, and there were hunters out there who wanted to kill them.
    He and Janelle were Vetalas, or snakelike paranormals. They explained the Sanskrit word vetala translated into “vampire” or “zombie,” but neither was accurate. Vetalas possessed extremely strong, sharp fangs that could rip open a throat, and they drank blood.
    They also had venom they injected through their fangs that could paralyze their victims when they fed. They appeared human until provoked or highly aroused, at which point they revealed sharp teeth and blue snakelike eyes. As with any so-called “monsters” there were hunters, and the hunters had found Marshell. And through him, me.
    Marshell and his sister nursed me back to health. I spent another month by myself trying to come to grips with what I’d learned. After long talks—and many questions from me about my safety, among other things—we went back to what we were before.
    Well, almost. Unfortunately my sexual relationship with Marshell ended up being a causality of that night, but we remained the best of friends. I lost a boyfriend but found a new family: Janelle and Marshell.
    Then six months ago, we all moved to West Falls. We wanted a new beginning. I’d lived there briefly with my parents and liked the cozy little town. The three of us were living together, but I had plans to move out. Sooner or later. I just hated living alone. Not long after we arrived, we found this detail business and bought it.
    I followed Janelle back to my office. She closed the door and then hopped up on the edge of my desk. “Okay, what? Do I need to sit down? Lie down? Is this going to end up being a two-Advil headache or three?”
    “Might want to get the whole bottle.”
    I fell into my chair. “Oh God.” Kidding Janelle was a pain in the ass, but Serious Janelle scared the hell out of me. “Coffee. Before you start, I need coffee. Actually what I need is a drink, but coffee will have to do. Want one?”
    “No thanks.”
    I lurched out of my chair and hurried to the coffeemaker in my office. It wasn’t Crown and Coke, but it was the best I could do. Janelle watched me fiddle with the coffee, a slight smile on her face. That was freaking me out even more.
    Coffee in hand, I sat down again. “I’m ready. Lay it on me.”
    “You know we consider you family, right? We care for you deeply. We take care of family.”
    “Oh shit.” What was all this talk about family? “What the hell is going on, Janelle?”
    “That man from earlier? The one you said almost passed out here in the store? Well, sweetie, guess what? He’s a paranormal too.”
    “He’s a Vetala?”
    “No. Werecat. He’s a feline shifter. I’m not sure what kind of cat he is.”
    I set the coffee down and scrubbed my hands over my face. “There’s more than one?”
    “Of course.”
    Of course. “Like…?”
    “Oh, there are all kinds. Everything from lions to house cats.”
    “I need to know this because…?”
    “Because that male who almost