Whispers of Night: 1 (Immortal Embrace) by Erin Simone Page B

the icing on the cake.
    “Let me in or I’ll take this door off the hinges!” the woman snarled, rattling the knob.
    “I’m calling the police!” Jenny said, hoping it would make the crazy bitch go away.
    “Do you really think I care?” The knob started to twist violently.
    What should I do? Her fingers trembled as she quickly reached for the chain lock to slide it into place. She was about to run for the phone when the door burst off the frame, knocking her to the ground from the impact. The woman lunged into the room and stood over her with a menacing glare.
    “You’re quite smart for a human. I had hoped to gain entrance without drawing attention, but no matter, this will be over quickly. You’re coming with me.” She reached for Jenny with a wicked grin.
    “W-what are you going to do to me?” Jenny gasped, scrambling out of the way.
    “My master is going to make you a soldier in this war. Mm…you smell good. Maybe I’ll have a taste first!” The woman snapped her teeth, going for Jenny’s throat.
    She screamed, covering her eyes. A loud crash and an ear-piercing roar echoed through the apartment. Jenny peeked through the slits of her fingers and saw Dane towering over her. He had the scary woman by the throat several inches off the ground. The woman snapped her teeth, snarling and growling at him.
    What the hell is going on here?
    “You dare go after my female?” he roared with fury, shaking her like a rag doll.
    “Anyone is fair game, including your precious female. You can’t watch over her indefinitely and obviously you didn’t have the balls to change her.” The woman laughed.
    Dane twisted her neck with a deafening snap and stabbed something into her heart. Jenny watched in stunned horror as she disintegrated.
    That was a vampire. This can’t be happening, not real, not real.
    He whirled around. “Are you all right?”
    “Uh, no, not at the moment.” She blanched.
    “Come, I need to get you out of here before more come.”
    “Look out, there’s another one behind you!” She screamed as a black-clad figure stepped into the room. He was at least as tall as Dane and his dark features were set in a vicious grimace that made Jenny’s blood run cold. He hissed and then charged.
    Dane threw a punch, sending the attacker sailing across the room. He crashed into the wall, shattering the plaster. A second one appeared in the doorway as the other brute quickly recovered and rose to his feet. Dane snapped viciously at the two vampires.
    Are my eyes playing tricks on me? she thought. But what else could they be?
    Dane didn’t seem intimidated by their aggression. It wasn’t surprising. He was a big guy and probably more than capable of handling himself in a fight. But these two bastards weren’t small either. She scooted back into the corner, bracing herself in the midst of this terrifying reality.
    She watched as Dane threw two silver objects at the charging vampires before they got close to him. The objects embedded in their chests and they both burst into flames before disintegrating into piles of ash. In the blink of an eye, Dane scooped her up in his arms before she could protest.
    “Hold on tight to me,” he shouted.
    “Were my eyes playing tricks on me or were those really vampires?”
    “Your eyes weren’t deceived. We must go now before more of them show up!”
    Shit, they’re really real. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to process it all when the world around her spun out of focus.
    “Whoa…” Dizziness made her head spin like a top, causing her anxiety to rise to a whole new level. The next thing she knew they were inside his penthouse. He set her on his bed and she scrambled away from him, terrified.
     
    “What are you? H-how did you do that?” Panic flickered in her expression.
    “It’s okay, you’re safe now.” He reached for her to try to soothe her fears.
    “Don’t touch me.” She flinched away from his touch.
    “I know you must be terrified.