Excerpt of Taste Me by Tamara Hogan

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.” Lukas Sebastiani pounded down
the two flights of narrow stairs separating his warehouse
living space from the business floors of Sebastiani
Security, tucking his black t-shirt into yesterday’s jeans
on the run and trying not to trip on his boot laces.

He was late.

As he thundered down the hallway, several employees
working the night shift craned their heads above cubicle
walls then descended, like Whack-A-Mole gophers.

Lukas shouldered into his office, dropped into the
battered leather chair, elbowed a pile of case files out
of the way, and quickly fired up the secure computer and
one of the oversized monitors on his desk. “C’mon, c’mon,”
he muttered, his large hands twitching over the keyboard.
The Council meeting had started over an hour ago – a 3:00
a.m. start time to accommodate the vamps - and Sebastiani
Security’s proposal to allow their newest employee
unlimited access to the Archives was first up on the
agenda. Lukas looked at his watch. “Damn.” He’d missed the
vote; Council meetings were run with unwavering
efficiency. Thankfully Jack Kirkland, Sebastiani
Security’s managing partner, had authorization to issue
the Security and Technology seat’s vote.

He flexed his stiff shoulders, rolled his neck. What a
shitty start to the night, and the long day to come. He’d
been rocked from sleep by waves of lust, pain, and
lightning-hot adrenaline that he’d been forced to gulp
like he was being water boarded. The tastes and smells had
twisted on his tongue, filled his nasal cavities—
pinecones, ashes, ozone—and, just in case he hadn’t gotten
the message the first time, he’d vomited it right back up.
Lukas closed his eyes and drew in a careful breath through
his teeth. Someone had died.

One more person he hadn’t been able to save.