kept Eloy in place, even though what remained of his love burst into ash before his eyes.
Eloy choked back a sob and attempted to compose himself. Angelo ignored him to wipe his filthy hands on his slacks. He stepped over Quennel’s ashes and approached us, as if he hadn’t just murdered one of his family members.
My claws itched to protrude and claw. Angelo smiled confidently. After all, he’d just absorbed the power of two master vamps, why should he fear us? “Ah, and who do we have here?”
Jerry and Eloy stepped forward, keeping their gazes lowered. Jerry, although trembling, did all the talking. “These women and the men are allies of Quennel, master. They helped to defeat Giovanna, which in turn allowed you to inherit her power.”
Angelo took another step forward. “But I don’t need them anymore, do I?”
My sisters spread out, ready to fight, as six more vampires leaped onto the deck. Jerry stepped in front of us with his hands out. “I beg you not to harm them, master—their leader is a tigress!”
Angelo’s head whipped in Jerry’s direction. “A
were
?”
It was Eloy’s turn to speak up. “She transforms into a tigress, master. I fear for your safety should the
weres
learn she was harmed.”
They were implying I was a
were,
without really calling me one. Smart, considering their master and every vamp present would be able to sniff through their lies.
I let the blanket fall to my feet and
changed
form, then prowled around them, licking my chomps as if I couldn’t wait to take my next bite. The vamps could probably smell the extent of my trepidation with every breath I took. But I didn’t care. My goal was to give the impression that I belonged with the
weres,
even though I wasn’t anything like them, and they sure as hell were nothing like me.
Angelo’s attention left me to focus on my sisters. “And the others?”
“I don’t know what they are, master,” Eloy said quietly. “But they are her family. The humans’ memories can easily be altered, so do not fear for our discovery.”
Doubt shadowed Angelo’s sharp features. He didn’t fully believe Jerry or Eloy, but he couldn’t dismiss the golden tigress stalking around them. “Get them out of my sight,” he spat.
Emme reached for my borrowed blanket as Jerry and Eloy ushered my sisters, Danny, and his father to the rear of the boat. The vamps grabbed two at a time and jumped from the edge. I waited until they were all off the yacht, then followed, stopping to glance one last time at Angelo. He met me with a smile laced with sin and challenge. “Until we meet again, little tigress?”
I had to work not to peel back my lips and bare my fangs. Should Angelo and I ever meet again, one of us would bleed. Of this, I was absolutely sure.
“Ceel!” Shayna urged.
I trotted to the stern of the yacht and leaped into the cramped speedboat. I landed as a human and quickly wrapped my body in the blanket Emme held. The boat shot forward, rapidly putting space between us and Angelo.
Emme’s soft yellow light encompassed Danny’s dad. “He’s bruised and has lost a lot of blood, but I think he’ll be okay.”
Eloy drove the boat in silence as tears streamed down his face. Jerry left him to place his hand on Danny’s shoulder as he hovered over his father. “Do you want him to forget?”
Danny rubbed his face hard. He’d lost his glasses and could likely barely focus. But he saw and could sense enough of his father’s torment. “Yes. Please. Make him believe he’s been sick. And that all
this
has been a bad dream.” He sniffed. “I don’t want him remembering what that lunatic did to him.”
Jerry nodded and did as he asked. Mr. Matagrano woke abruptly, terror streaking across his beaten face until Jerry’s voice lulled him back to sleep. It didn’t take Jerry long to influence his mind; Mr. Matagrano’s weakened state left him with little energy to fight. When Jerry finished, he turned to Danny. “I’m supposed
Eloy choked back a sob and attempted to compose himself. Angelo ignored him to wipe his filthy hands on his slacks. He stepped over Quennel’s ashes and approached us, as if he hadn’t just murdered one of his family members.
My claws itched to protrude and claw. Angelo smiled confidently. After all, he’d just absorbed the power of two master vamps, why should he fear us? “Ah, and who do we have here?”
Jerry and Eloy stepped forward, keeping their gazes lowered. Jerry, although trembling, did all the talking. “These women and the men are allies of Quennel, master. They helped to defeat Giovanna, which in turn allowed you to inherit her power.”
Angelo took another step forward. “But I don’t need them anymore, do I?”
My sisters spread out, ready to fight, as six more vampires leaped onto the deck. Jerry stepped in front of us with his hands out. “I beg you not to harm them, master—their leader is a tigress!”
Angelo’s head whipped in Jerry’s direction. “A
were
?”
It was Eloy’s turn to speak up. “She transforms into a tigress, master. I fear for your safety should the
weres
learn she was harmed.”
They were implying I was a
were,
without really calling me one. Smart, considering their master and every vamp present would be able to sniff through their lies.
I let the blanket fall to my feet and
changed
form, then prowled around them, licking my chomps as if I couldn’t wait to take my next bite. The vamps could probably smell the extent of my trepidation with every breath I took. But I didn’t care. My goal was to give the impression that I belonged with the
weres,
even though I wasn’t anything like them, and they sure as hell were nothing like me.
Angelo’s attention left me to focus on my sisters. “And the others?”
“I don’t know what they are, master,” Eloy said quietly. “But they are her family. The humans’ memories can easily be altered, so do not fear for our discovery.”
Doubt shadowed Angelo’s sharp features. He didn’t fully believe Jerry or Eloy, but he couldn’t dismiss the golden tigress stalking around them. “Get them out of my sight,” he spat.
Emme reached for my borrowed blanket as Jerry and Eloy ushered my sisters, Danny, and his father to the rear of the boat. The vamps grabbed two at a time and jumped from the edge. I waited until they were all off the yacht, then followed, stopping to glance one last time at Angelo. He met me with a smile laced with sin and challenge. “Until we meet again, little tigress?”
I had to work not to peel back my lips and bare my fangs. Should Angelo and I ever meet again, one of us would bleed. Of this, I was absolutely sure.
“Ceel!” Shayna urged.
I trotted to the stern of the yacht and leaped into the cramped speedboat. I landed as a human and quickly wrapped my body in the blanket Emme held. The boat shot forward, rapidly putting space between us and Angelo.
Emme’s soft yellow light encompassed Danny’s dad. “He’s bruised and has lost a lot of blood, but I think he’ll be okay.”
Eloy drove the boat in silence as tears streamed down his face. Jerry left him to place his hand on Danny’s shoulder as he hovered over his father. “Do you want him to forget?”
Danny rubbed his face hard. He’d lost his glasses and could likely barely focus. But he saw and could sense enough of his father’s torment. “Yes. Please. Make him believe he’s been sick. And that all
this
has been a bad dream.” He sniffed. “I don’t want him remembering what that lunatic did to him.”
Jerry nodded and did as he asked. Mr. Matagrano woke abruptly, terror streaking across his beaten face until Jerry’s voice lulled him back to sleep. It didn’t take Jerry long to influence his mind; Mr. Matagrano’s weakened state left him with little energy to fight. When Jerry finished, he turned to Danny. “I’m supposed
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