Death's Servant (The V V Inn, First Prequel Book) by C.J. Ellisson

the power boost.” Her nose curls up in disgust. “Which I’m not. This bastard smells ripe with all kinds of crazy and addiction. I’ll never be that hungry again, thank you very much.”
    The fresh blood from the recent kill fills my head, as the disgusting suggestion to devour his heart twists my gut. In wolf form I’ve eaten an animal’s internal organs without a second’s pause. Why does the thought of complying with her suggestion leave me disgusted?
    Maybe because the bastard was human at one point? After all, you’d never eat a wolf, would you?
    “That would depend on how hungry you were.” Her cold eyes offer no reassurances. “You may not ever be that hungry, Jon. It’s a different time we live in than just one hundred years ago.” Her stare hardens and her mouth thins into a firm line. “Do it. Now.”
    I lower my muzzle to the warm organ. The smell of blood and slaughtered flesh fills my head and constricts my throat.
    “Don’t let the thoughts linger in your mind and take hold. This is not a life or death decision. This is an alpha protecting those weaker than him—growing stronger to keep doing so.”
    I close my eyes, clamp my nostrils closed, and gulp down the heart in one bite, not bothering to chew. The slick mass slides to my stomach, sitting like a hard weight in my middle.
    I open my eyes to see her watching me, perhaps wondering if I’ll puke it up and make an ass out of myself.
    “Good. The power surge will hit you as it digests. Gross, I know, but one day you’ll thank me for it.”
    Somehow I seriously doubt that, but I keep my thoughts locked down tight, trying to avoid what she called my projecting.
    Her head tilts to the side as her stare intensifies. “Good. You’re getting better at calming your thoughts.” She walks to my side and kneels. “We’re going to have a rough couple of hours ahead of us, are you going to be able to handle it? Before you agree, let me tell you what’s going to happen.” Her hand reaches out and stokes my fur. “I can’t ‘cure’ a vampire of their addiction.” Her gaze drifts to the wall as her rhythmic petting soothes my jittery stomach. “There is a way I could alter their thoughts… but it won’t change their long term addiction in the end. This means the worst cases will have to die—here, tonight.”
    She stands, her comforting touch vanishes, leaving me with a feeling of coldness in its absence.
    “It won’t be pretty. It may haunt your nightmares for years. But there is no other choice.” She pats me once on the head. “I won’t think less of you if you need to go to the car.”
    A low growl rumbles in my throat. I will not be hightailing it out of here because things turn difficult. I knew going in this wasn’t going to be easy. If I’m honest with myself, there was really no other way to end the evil that resides in this house. But if I’d known I was going to have to eat a heart I might have balked at joining her.
    Dria’s lip turns up at the end. “Okay, wolfman, you made your decision. If you change your mind later I won’t hold it against you. Cold-blooded killing isn’t for everyone, but I promise to make things quick.”
    Her delicate nose wrinkles as she glances back at the headless corpse. “Dammit. I will have to take a sip from him to ensure the killing is done swiftly.” Showing none of the hesitation or inner turmoil I faced a few moments ago, she daintily leans over the body and dips two fingers in the pooling blood. She pops the stained digits into her mouth and licks them clean, her face twisting at the tainted taste.
    “Ugh. I’ve definitely tasted better, that’s for sure.”
    Dria rises and sits again on the vacant chair. She closes her eyes and in a moment her face appears relaxed and serene. After a few heart beats, she opens her eyes, catching me staring at her.
    “His blood is in all the wolves here. Their blood is in all of the visiting vampires. It couldn’t have been more perfect for