times ran through her head again. Come on, Abby, you never know what might be out there. Do this for me. Take it and promise you will carry everywhere . She had thought Marissa was just being paranoid, until she’d come upon the creature attacking her best friend. Or at least that’s what she thought she’d seen. When he'd turned into the faint light and she'd spied the blood and fangs, she'd panicked, stabbing him to the hilt of the weapon right between the shoulder blades. She remembered the sick sucking sound the knife made as she pushed it past skin and muscle.
She turned back to the men, prepared to save Caleb by any means necessary, but the two men were wrestling and fighting around on the ground at a speed her eyes could not track. It was impossible to tell who was who in order to offer any kind of help. With every blow, more blood flew, and she noticed their leathers looked slick with one or both of their blood. She watched mesmerized as the two snarled, baring fangs, looking every bit like the wild beasts they were.
She shivered at the thought.
Vampires. The very word invoked a fear she'd buried and now couldn't hide from. But this was Caleb she was thinking about. He wasn’t simply a vampire with no soul. He was the man who awoke in her a primal need and desire. The man she loved. And she believed with everything she had that he loved her every bit as much as she did.
She had to help him, couldn’t let the other man take him away from her. Dear God, Marissa, it’s my fault you died. You were to become a vampire. That thought gave rise to another that hadn’t even occurred to her yet. The whole situation with death and vampires surrounding her seemed so bizarre.
How had her memories conveniently disappeared when Marissa had died? Was it some sort of posttraumatic stress disorder? Oh hell, Caleb was a vampire. She’d suspected he had some pretty big secrets but this was all too absurd.
Caleb broke free from Russell’s grip around his neck, stumbling backward toward Abby. He would protect her. The warm flow of blood slid down his throat from the damage he’d already sustained. He would need blood soon, or he’d be in serious trouble. Time to end this mess with his cousin.
“Enough of this bullshit, Russ. If what you say is true about your life mate, then the family will take that into consideration when judging you.”
“You think I give a shit about that anymore? I don’t care about anything anymore except making her pay for what she did to Marissa.” Russell pointed at Abby and Caleb saw red. Protect Abby. Save Abby.
“Stop being a dick and be reasonable. How would Abby have known what was going on? How could she? It was a horrible accident. One you both will have to get past.”
“I’ll get past it when she’s dead, cousin. Not before.” Catching him off guard, Russell leaped past Caleb in a blur of black leather and captured Abby around the neck. His sharp-tipped claws encircled her throat, squeezing hard and nicking her skin. Abby’s fresh, dark red blood spilled through Russell’s fingers, enraging Caleb. The scent of Abby on his cousin pushed him past the edge. Rushing to save her, Caleb stopped short when he saw Russell’s eyes bug out and his body jerk unnaturally. His cousin’s fingers loosened from her neck and fell with the rest of him to the ground, where he saw the answer. Abby’s silver spelled dagger was buried in his cousin’s chest, blood oozing around the handle. He grabbed for Abby as she began to fall.
“I’ve gotcha, darlin’.”
“I’m sorry, Caleb, I didn’t have a choice.” Her hoarse whisper broke him. She worried about him when a madman had nearly crushed her throat. She probably had no idea how easy it would have been for Russell to snap her neck and end her life in less time it took to blink. His stomach roiled with anger.
“You were supposed to run.”
“I can’t believe you’re a vampire.” She poked at his arm.
He grabbed her hand and
She turned back to the men, prepared to save Caleb by any means necessary, but the two men were wrestling and fighting around on the ground at a speed her eyes could not track. It was impossible to tell who was who in order to offer any kind of help. With every blow, more blood flew, and she noticed their leathers looked slick with one or both of their blood. She watched mesmerized as the two snarled, baring fangs, looking every bit like the wild beasts they were.
She shivered at the thought.
Vampires. The very word invoked a fear she'd buried and now couldn't hide from. But this was Caleb she was thinking about. He wasn’t simply a vampire with no soul. He was the man who awoke in her a primal need and desire. The man she loved. And she believed with everything she had that he loved her every bit as much as she did.
She had to help him, couldn’t let the other man take him away from her. Dear God, Marissa, it’s my fault you died. You were to become a vampire. That thought gave rise to another that hadn’t even occurred to her yet. The whole situation with death and vampires surrounding her seemed so bizarre.
How had her memories conveniently disappeared when Marissa had died? Was it some sort of posttraumatic stress disorder? Oh hell, Caleb was a vampire. She’d suspected he had some pretty big secrets but this was all too absurd.
Caleb broke free from Russell’s grip around his neck, stumbling backward toward Abby. He would protect her. The warm flow of blood slid down his throat from the damage he’d already sustained. He would need blood soon, or he’d be in serious trouble. Time to end this mess with his cousin.
“Enough of this bullshit, Russ. If what you say is true about your life mate, then the family will take that into consideration when judging you.”
“You think I give a shit about that anymore? I don’t care about anything anymore except making her pay for what she did to Marissa.” Russell pointed at Abby and Caleb saw red. Protect Abby. Save Abby.
“Stop being a dick and be reasonable. How would Abby have known what was going on? How could she? It was a horrible accident. One you both will have to get past.”
“I’ll get past it when she’s dead, cousin. Not before.” Catching him off guard, Russell leaped past Caleb in a blur of black leather and captured Abby around the neck. His sharp-tipped claws encircled her throat, squeezing hard and nicking her skin. Abby’s fresh, dark red blood spilled through Russell’s fingers, enraging Caleb. The scent of Abby on his cousin pushed him past the edge. Rushing to save her, Caleb stopped short when he saw Russell’s eyes bug out and his body jerk unnaturally. His cousin’s fingers loosened from her neck and fell with the rest of him to the ground, where he saw the answer. Abby’s silver spelled dagger was buried in his cousin’s chest, blood oozing around the handle. He grabbed for Abby as she began to fall.
“I’ve gotcha, darlin’.”
“I’m sorry, Caleb, I didn’t have a choice.” Her hoarse whisper broke him. She worried about him when a madman had nearly crushed her throat. She probably had no idea how easy it would have been for Russell to snap her neck and end her life in less time it took to blink. His stomach roiled with anger.
“You were supposed to run.”
“I can’t believe you’re a vampire.” She poked at his arm.
He grabbed her hand and
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