somewhat macabre collection
of dolls with revolving heads.
For a moment, I simply stared, disbelief and horror churning my gut. Then I swung around. Kye
stood several yards behind me, his face expressionless, but cold fury in his eyes.
“Don’t ever hesitate,” he warned softly. “Bad things happen when you hesitate.”
“It was a kid,” I all but yelled. “Goddammit, Kye, you shot a kid.”
“That kid was a vampire attacking other children. Remember who we’re trying to save here,
Riley.”
The laser whined as my finger twitched against it. It was tempting, so tempting, just to raise the weapon and shoot the coldhearted bastard. I
switched it off instead. As much as I might want to shoot Kye, a guardian who killed without
reason wasn’t long for this earth. Besides, he was my soul mate, and killing him meant I’d be
basically killing myself. And I wasn’t ready to die just yet.
“The kid hadn’t killed yet,” I spat. “He might have been saved.”
“You can’t ever chance that.” His gaze swept me, followed sharply by his hunger. I half expected
him to close the distance between us and kiss me, but he shook his head and stepped back instead.
“You’re a guardian, Riley. A protector of humans , not
vampires.”
“Don’t fucking tell me how to do my job.”
“Someone has to.” He glanced behind me, then gave me a sketchy salute. “Consider this payment for
the information you owe me. And you will meet me with whatever information you currently have
tonight, or I shall be forced to take other steps.”
Something went cold inside. Coming from a hired killer, those so-called steps could only mean one
thing. “You touch anyone—”
“Oh,” he said blandly, “I wouldn’t touch anyone. Shooting, though,
that’s another matter. And we saw here today just how well a silver bullet can work against a
vampire.”
Sick fury filled me. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms against the urge to use
them against him instead.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He merely raised an eyebrow. The fury within me got stronger.
“He’s just as much my soul mate as you are, Kye. Are you willing to risk shooting him without
knowing just how that will rebound to you?”
“Are you willing to bet on the fact that I’m not?”
He knew I wasn’t. It was there in the victorious twitch of his lips. I hated him. I wanted him.
God, did things have to get this twisted? “Where and when?”
“Five Proximity Drive, Brooklyn. One o’clock.” He gave me another one of those cold half smiles.
“I’ll even provide an after-midnight snack.”
The hungry glitter in his eyes made it clear just what type of snack he was referring to. “Don’t
bother, because there’s nothing you could offer me that I’d actually want. Now get the hell out
of here.”
He stared at me for a moment longer, his gaze flat and yet so heated, sending alternating flashes
of desire and annoyance surging through me. Then he turned on his heel and disappeared into the
darkness.
“Why did you let him walk away?” Kade said from behind me. “You could have held him with a threat
like that.”
I shoved my laser into my pocket and turned around. My gaze fell on the remains of the cherub
face at my feet, and all I felt was a useless sort of anger. Kye had been right about one
thing—my hesitation had been fatal. Just not for me.
“I have no doubt that Kye has a herd of lawyers who could get him out of such charges inside a
minute flat. It isn’t worth the hassle.”
“You could just have shot him. I would have backed the shoot as justifiable.”
I smiled. It probably looked as thin and humorless as it felt. “He’s my soul mate. I might as
well take a gun and shoot myself.”
Kade frowned. “I thought that whole dying-when-your-mate-dies deal happened only when wolves
swear their love to the moon.”
“Death is certain when that happens. There have been instances of unsworn wolves
of dolls with revolving heads.
For a moment, I simply stared, disbelief and horror churning my gut. Then I swung around. Kye
stood several yards behind me, his face expressionless, but cold fury in his eyes.
“Don’t ever hesitate,” he warned softly. “Bad things happen when you hesitate.”
“It was a kid,” I all but yelled. “Goddammit, Kye, you shot a kid.”
“That kid was a vampire attacking other children. Remember who we’re trying to save here,
Riley.”
The laser whined as my finger twitched against it. It was tempting, so tempting, just to raise the weapon and shoot the coldhearted bastard. I
switched it off instead. As much as I might want to shoot Kye, a guardian who killed without
reason wasn’t long for this earth. Besides, he was my soul mate, and killing him meant I’d be
basically killing myself. And I wasn’t ready to die just yet.
“The kid hadn’t killed yet,” I spat. “He might have been saved.”
“You can’t ever chance that.” His gaze swept me, followed sharply by his hunger. I half expected
him to close the distance between us and kiss me, but he shook his head and stepped back instead.
“You’re a guardian, Riley. A protector of humans , not
vampires.”
“Don’t fucking tell me how to do my job.”
“Someone has to.” He glanced behind me, then gave me a sketchy salute. “Consider this payment for
the information you owe me. And you will meet me with whatever information you currently have
tonight, or I shall be forced to take other steps.”
Something went cold inside. Coming from a hired killer, those so-called steps could only mean one
thing. “You touch anyone—”
“Oh,” he said blandly, “I wouldn’t touch anyone. Shooting, though,
that’s another matter. And we saw here today just how well a silver bullet can work against a
vampire.”
Sick fury filled me. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms against the urge to use
them against him instead.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He merely raised an eyebrow. The fury within me got stronger.
“He’s just as much my soul mate as you are, Kye. Are you willing to risk shooting him without
knowing just how that will rebound to you?”
“Are you willing to bet on the fact that I’m not?”
He knew I wasn’t. It was there in the victorious twitch of his lips. I hated him. I wanted him.
God, did things have to get this twisted? “Where and when?”
“Five Proximity Drive, Brooklyn. One o’clock.” He gave me another one of those cold half smiles.
“I’ll even provide an after-midnight snack.”
The hungry glitter in his eyes made it clear just what type of snack he was referring to. “Don’t
bother, because there’s nothing you could offer me that I’d actually want. Now get the hell out
of here.”
He stared at me for a moment longer, his gaze flat and yet so heated, sending alternating flashes
of desire and annoyance surging through me. Then he turned on his heel and disappeared into the
darkness.
“Why did you let him walk away?” Kade said from behind me. “You could have held him with a threat
like that.”
I shoved my laser into my pocket and turned around. My gaze fell on the remains of the cherub
face at my feet, and all I felt was a useless sort of anger. Kye had been right about one
thing—my hesitation had been fatal. Just not for me.
“I have no doubt that Kye has a herd of lawyers who could get him out of such charges inside a
minute flat. It isn’t worth the hassle.”
“You could just have shot him. I would have backed the shoot as justifiable.”
I smiled. It probably looked as thin and humorless as it felt. “He’s my soul mate. I might as
well take a gun and shoot myself.”
Kade frowned. “I thought that whole dying-when-your-mate-dies deal happened only when wolves
swear their love to the moon.”
“Death is certain when that happens. There have been instances of unsworn wolves
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