very hungry vampires wanting to make a meal
out of her.
With confidence she didn’t feel, she stepped
around Lydia, glaring at the vampires. “Leave us alone. We don’t want any
trouble.”
Garret laughed. “You're a ballsy bitch. I like
that in a woman. Instead of sucking you dry, I just might make you one of us. Whatcha
think about becoming a vamp?”
“Sorry, buddy, someone already has.” Lydia
flinched and made to run, but Mariah held her by her side.
“Don’t freak out,
I’m not a vamp. A Borne vampire exchanged blood with me. I saved him from
bleeding to death.” Lydia
relaxed a little.
The vampires glanced at each other, confused.
Garret studied her. “You’re still able to walk in the sunlight. Who is your
maker? Hell, I don't care whose property you are, we’re hungry.” He snarled,
exposing rows of needle-like teeth, his eyes glowing red.
An enormous shadow flew overhead.
Garret shouted at the dark sky, “I know you’re out
there. Show yourself!”
Unable to find him, she heard Rathe say, “Perhaps
you should take care, Undead. She belongs to me.”
“Santa Cruz is our hunting ground. Take your bitch
and leave. Otherwise, you’re dead meat!”
Behind the vamps, she saw Rathe materialize. A
predatory smile curved his sculptured lips. A dark-clothed man, several inches
shorter than Rathe, appeared beside him. His long, dark hair pulled back into a
ponytail. When he smiled a wolfish grin, his fangs were exposed.
Rathe asked his companion, “What think you, Faeroes,
a bad case of manners?”
The vampires whipped around and faced them.
“I suppose it is to be expected when one makes
vampires out of scum. These children are not even worth the time it took to
convert them.”
“Agreed.”
Pissed, Garret snarled, “We might not have the
privilege of being born vampires, but
we kill just the same, you and us.”
“Do we?” Rathe said with a dangerous edge to his
voice, his eyes narrowing.
“Remember, the pact, Borne! Ordered to stand down when
your Elders signed the peace treaty with our leader.”
“Where is your
leader?” Rathe advanced on Garret. She felt him mentally pressuring the younger
vampire, applying enough pain to make the kid clutch his head and scream at the
invasion.
“I-I can't tell you! He'll hunt me down and kill
me, like he did Murphy.”
She really had seen Murphy killed!
“What did Murphy do to upset him?” Rathe locked his
gaze with Garret’s.
“When Murphy killed Rathe Romulus, there was a
woman with him. She is special and our leader wants her brought to him.”
“Why is he interested in her?”
“Don’t know. He ordered us to find her and bring
her to him. That’s all we know.”
What does the leader
of the Damned want with me?
Rathe’s eyes blazed white-hot as he bore into the
vampire. “ Where is your leader?”
Screaming, Garret shook his head, as if he were trying
to physically remove Rathe out of his mind. His men snarled at Rathe and
Faeroes, unable to help Garret. Unnerved by the standoff, she thought she heard
the tap-tap of heels on pavement. Glancing behind her, she saw a stunningly
beautiful woman walking toward her and Lydia. Moonlight caught the reflection
of her silver eyes as the woman placed a slender finger on her lush, red lips.
Her golden-blonde hair was swept into a fashionable chignon, leaving long,
curling tendrils to cascade down her slender shoulder. Dressed in black, leather
pants, leather and lace corset, high-heeled boots, and a mid-thigh leather
coat, she looked as deadly as she was beautiful.
Garret and his boys nervously watched her as she approached
them. “Gentlemen,” her voice sultry and enchanting, “ where is your leader now?”
The scrawniest of the four said, surprising his
companions, “He’s in San Francisco, at his mansion.”
“Is there anything else you wish to tell me?” She
locked her gaze on the young vamp.
“Besides us bringing in the woman, he-he sent
orders for us to search
out of her.
With confidence she didn’t feel, she stepped
around Lydia, glaring at the vampires. “Leave us alone. We don’t want any
trouble.”
Garret laughed. “You're a ballsy bitch. I like
that in a woman. Instead of sucking you dry, I just might make you one of us. Whatcha
think about becoming a vamp?”
“Sorry, buddy, someone already has.” Lydia
flinched and made to run, but Mariah held her by her side.
“Don’t freak out,
I’m not a vamp. A Borne vampire exchanged blood with me. I saved him from
bleeding to death.” Lydia
relaxed a little.
The vampires glanced at each other, confused.
Garret studied her. “You’re still able to walk in the sunlight. Who is your
maker? Hell, I don't care whose property you are, we’re hungry.” He snarled,
exposing rows of needle-like teeth, his eyes glowing red.
An enormous shadow flew overhead.
Garret shouted at the dark sky, “I know you’re out
there. Show yourself!”
Unable to find him, she heard Rathe say, “Perhaps
you should take care, Undead. She belongs to me.”
“Santa Cruz is our hunting ground. Take your bitch
and leave. Otherwise, you’re dead meat!”
Behind the vamps, she saw Rathe materialize. A
predatory smile curved his sculptured lips. A dark-clothed man, several inches
shorter than Rathe, appeared beside him. His long, dark hair pulled back into a
ponytail. When he smiled a wolfish grin, his fangs were exposed.
Rathe asked his companion, “What think you, Faeroes,
a bad case of manners?”
The vampires whipped around and faced them.
“I suppose it is to be expected when one makes
vampires out of scum. These children are not even worth the time it took to
convert them.”
“Agreed.”
Pissed, Garret snarled, “We might not have the
privilege of being born vampires, but
we kill just the same, you and us.”
“Do we?” Rathe said with a dangerous edge to his
voice, his eyes narrowing.
“Remember, the pact, Borne! Ordered to stand down when
your Elders signed the peace treaty with our leader.”
“Where is your
leader?” Rathe advanced on Garret. She felt him mentally pressuring the younger
vampire, applying enough pain to make the kid clutch his head and scream at the
invasion.
“I-I can't tell you! He'll hunt me down and kill
me, like he did Murphy.”
She really had seen Murphy killed!
“What did Murphy do to upset him?” Rathe locked his
gaze with Garret’s.
“When Murphy killed Rathe Romulus, there was a
woman with him. She is special and our leader wants her brought to him.”
“Why is he interested in her?”
“Don’t know. He ordered us to find her and bring
her to him. That’s all we know.”
What does the leader
of the Damned want with me?
Rathe’s eyes blazed white-hot as he bore into the
vampire. “ Where is your leader?”
Screaming, Garret shook his head, as if he were trying
to physically remove Rathe out of his mind. His men snarled at Rathe and
Faeroes, unable to help Garret. Unnerved by the standoff, she thought she heard
the tap-tap of heels on pavement. Glancing behind her, she saw a stunningly
beautiful woman walking toward her and Lydia. Moonlight caught the reflection
of her silver eyes as the woman placed a slender finger on her lush, red lips.
Her golden-blonde hair was swept into a fashionable chignon, leaving long,
curling tendrils to cascade down her slender shoulder. Dressed in black, leather
pants, leather and lace corset, high-heeled boots, and a mid-thigh leather
coat, she looked as deadly as she was beautiful.
Garret and his boys nervously watched her as she approached
them. “Gentlemen,” her voice sultry and enchanting, “ where is your leader now?”
The scrawniest of the four said, surprising his
companions, “He’s in San Francisco, at his mansion.”
“Is there anything else you wish to tell me?” She
locked her gaze on the young vamp.
“Besides us bringing in the woman, he-he sent
orders for us to search
Similar Books
