him. Something had happened during the change to make it so, something his sire refused to explain.
The moment he and the blond were off the main drag, he whipped around and pressed her against the wall with one hand wrapped gently around her neck. He stroked her vein with his index finger. A touch of fear, along with a hint of excitement, played across her features as her mouth widened to release a gasp. Keller clenched his teeth and fought to maintain control. He flashed, a blur of motion, and then his body was tight against hers. Brushing a hand over her hair, he drew her closer.
“Wha—what are you doing?”
He answered by sliding his palm up her thigh until she shivered with want. Keller tilted her head—
The monster keened. The tether snapped.
He pierced the taut skin of her neck. Blood coated his tongue, the flavor tainted by the alcohol she’d recently consumed. Death didn’t care. Keller drank.
She stiffened and whimpered. Alarms sounded in his head urging him to stop before he took too much, but the flavor, the high... A single tear rolled down her face, sounding like the haunted whispers of a thousand souls. Her heart thudded, pounding against Keller’s chest. She fought, kicking him in the shin and twisting her body. Death laughed at her feeble attempt. Keller held her steady, shoved Death into the recesses and eased her pain by infusing his bite with a heavy dose of endorphins until she became so aroused she pulled him closer and tugged at his clothing. Death swore and commanded Keller to change his course. Keller continued to drink, feeling stronger with each swallow. Power rushed through his veins. Her heart rate slowed second by second until it faded to nothing but a soft quiver.
Death rallied, barking orders and encouraging Keller to drain her body of every last ounce.
Keller broke away, gasping. The blonde slid to the ground in a heap, her legs folded under her like a ragdoll. The power that had surged moments ago fled into the night, leaving him as he was before. A shell. A walking corpse with little but anger and resentment to guide him. He bent over and dry heaved to no avail. The blood—her blood—was now part of him.
What had he done?
Keller crouched, listened. She wasn’t dead. Not yet, though the pallor of her skin warned she was very close. He quickly sealed the wound on her neck with a soft lick, threw her over his shoulder, and raced to the nearest hospital, thankful for the well-marked signage.
The blonde stirred as he dusted a thin layer of snow from the sidewalk and propped her against the wall outside the Emergency Room entrance. Gripping both shoulders, Keller shook her, forcing her to open her eyes. This would only work if they maintained eye contact. He had to hurry.
“Who…are…you?” she whispered.
A nightmare . “Help is coming. Everything will be fine.” He tapped her cheek with two fingers until her eyes fluttered open once again.
“I’m tired… so cold.”
Guilt ate a hole in his gut. Keller shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over her lap. “Remember nothing but the kiss of a stranger.”
A touch of color crept up her neck and smeared across her face. Her breathing remained shallow, but she would be fine. Eventually.
Keller heard approaching footsteps. They came from about ten feet away, inside the hospital. He turned to leave, but the woman gripped his hand. He spared time for a last glance.
“I liked your kiss.”
Keller smiled half-heartedly. “They always do.”
Teleporting two streets away, he distanced himself from the memory of the near catastrophe. Death had almost won this time.
The moment he stopped moving, a cloaked figure slammed him to the ground with a flying side-kick. Keller rolled and jumped to his feet. He paused mid-punch as the wind wrapped him in his attacker’s scent. Not male. Female.
His cold heart stuttered in his chest. Interesting. Disconcerting . Keller narrowed his eyes and wondered if she’d somehow cast a
The moment he and the blond were off the main drag, he whipped around and pressed her against the wall with one hand wrapped gently around her neck. He stroked her vein with his index finger. A touch of fear, along with a hint of excitement, played across her features as her mouth widened to release a gasp. Keller clenched his teeth and fought to maintain control. He flashed, a blur of motion, and then his body was tight against hers. Brushing a hand over her hair, he drew her closer.
“Wha—what are you doing?”
He answered by sliding his palm up her thigh until she shivered with want. Keller tilted her head—
The monster keened. The tether snapped.
He pierced the taut skin of her neck. Blood coated his tongue, the flavor tainted by the alcohol she’d recently consumed. Death didn’t care. Keller drank.
She stiffened and whimpered. Alarms sounded in his head urging him to stop before he took too much, but the flavor, the high... A single tear rolled down her face, sounding like the haunted whispers of a thousand souls. Her heart thudded, pounding against Keller’s chest. She fought, kicking him in the shin and twisting her body. Death laughed at her feeble attempt. Keller held her steady, shoved Death into the recesses and eased her pain by infusing his bite with a heavy dose of endorphins until she became so aroused she pulled him closer and tugged at his clothing. Death swore and commanded Keller to change his course. Keller continued to drink, feeling stronger with each swallow. Power rushed through his veins. Her heart rate slowed second by second until it faded to nothing but a soft quiver.
Death rallied, barking orders and encouraging Keller to drain her body of every last ounce.
Keller broke away, gasping. The blonde slid to the ground in a heap, her legs folded under her like a ragdoll. The power that had surged moments ago fled into the night, leaving him as he was before. A shell. A walking corpse with little but anger and resentment to guide him. He bent over and dry heaved to no avail. The blood—her blood—was now part of him.
What had he done?
Keller crouched, listened. She wasn’t dead. Not yet, though the pallor of her skin warned she was very close. He quickly sealed the wound on her neck with a soft lick, threw her over his shoulder, and raced to the nearest hospital, thankful for the well-marked signage.
The blonde stirred as he dusted a thin layer of snow from the sidewalk and propped her against the wall outside the Emergency Room entrance. Gripping both shoulders, Keller shook her, forcing her to open her eyes. This would only work if they maintained eye contact. He had to hurry.
“Who…are…you?” she whispered.
A nightmare . “Help is coming. Everything will be fine.” He tapped her cheek with two fingers until her eyes fluttered open once again.
“I’m tired… so cold.”
Guilt ate a hole in his gut. Keller shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over her lap. “Remember nothing but the kiss of a stranger.”
A touch of color crept up her neck and smeared across her face. Her breathing remained shallow, but she would be fine. Eventually.
Keller heard approaching footsteps. They came from about ten feet away, inside the hospital. He turned to leave, but the woman gripped his hand. He spared time for a last glance.
“I liked your kiss.”
Keller smiled half-heartedly. “They always do.”
Teleporting two streets away, he distanced himself from the memory of the near catastrophe. Death had almost won this time.
The moment he stopped moving, a cloaked figure slammed him to the ground with a flying side-kick. Keller rolled and jumped to his feet. He paused mid-punch as the wind wrapped him in his attacker’s scent. Not male. Female.
His cold heart stuttered in his chest. Interesting. Disconcerting . Keller narrowed his eyes and wondered if she’d somehow cast a
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