enough to cut off my attempt to escape as he grabbed my arms. He lifted me up and shoved me back, cracking the back of my head against the wall painfully enough for my vision to blur and the little canister to drop out of my bound hands.
“That’s enough. Put her down,” said the man I didn’t know. Peter might’ve obeyed if I hadn’t kicked him as hard as I could before he had the chance.
Peter staggered back, wincing. More evidence that he hadn’t been turned very long; he still felt some modicum of pain at a blow from a human. However, it wasn’t enough to get him to drop me. Rather, his fingers tightened punishingly around my biceps, making me gasp. After a moment taken to recover, he glared and pulled me away from the wall, shoving me back in the direction of the mage and the guy who I was guessing was Max Carlyle.
The guy caught me before I could fall to my knees. His grip was tight, but not painful. He carefully set me back on my feet, making sure I could stand before he let me go. I glared at him as I straightened, not in the least bit grateful for his help.
“What the fuck do you want me for? Let me go!”
He smiled, amused with my reaction. I noted that his features were similar to Royce’s in that he had a strong jaw and swarthy skin. However, his hair was dark brown, cropped short but still showing hints of curls almost as riotous as my own. His eyes were an odd shade of dark gray, crinkling at the corners when he smiled, and he was a bit shorter and stockier in build. His taste in clothes was impeccable; he looked sleekly sophisticated in a dark business suit. He didn’t look like evil incarnate, but he obviously had something sinister in mind since he shook his head at my request, politely refusing to let me out of this place.
“You’ll have to excuse the drastic methods I took to have your company. I couldn’t be sure Alec wouldn’t spirit you away before I had the opportunity to speak with you.”
I growled at him. “Max Carlyle, right?” He nodded, and I ground out, “Did Peter neglect to relay my message for you to just pick up a fucking phone and call me like a normal person? Or is the lack of consideration on your part a delightful little personality trait?”
He laughed and shook his head, reaching out a hand to lightly brush his fingers through my hair. I jerked back from the touch. “Yes, he gave me your message. A phone call wouldn’t suffice for this. I want to know what happened the night Anastasia died. You were there. Tell me.”
I shifted my weight uncomfortably and looked away. “She betrayed you. When she came back to New York, she joined up with a guy named David. He was a sorcerer.”
He said nothing, simply stood quiet and motionless, waiting for me to continue. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to, but since the silence was getting awkward, I felt obligated to say something. “He made a thing to control the local Weres and vamps. I think it was called a Dominari Focus.”
“The Dominari Focus? Go on.”
“David’s plan was to use it to set up shop and settle down for a nice long eternity with Anastasia, using Royce’s fortune to live out their little twisted fantasy and the local Weres as bully-boys to make sure they stayed on the top of the food chain. With some help, I destroyed the focus, and Royce and the Weres got rid of Anastasia and David.”
“I see. They killed her?”
“Yes,” I said, wondering how deep of a hole I was digging for myself and for Royce by admitting as much.
He voiced a soft “hmph” and stood there looking puzzled, one hand rubbing at his clean-shaven chin. Those unnerving gray eyes shifted back to focus on mine, and I quickly shifted my gaze away to avoid them. More out of habit than necessity when I was wearing the charm, but something told me it was a good idea not to take chances and avoid eye contact. “Was she under the influence of the focus at the time? Could you tell?”
“No, she wasn’t. She and David were in on it together. They loved each other.”
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. He reached out with that same impossible speed that Royce commanded to grab my shirt collar. He dragged me close enough to see the little pinpoints of red in his eyes and exactly how long his fangs were as his lips pulled back in a snarl. Petrified, I froze, unable to keep myself from staring into his eyes as he hissed at me. “She was mine. She loved me, not that talentless little spark.”
Hoo boy. This could get ugly fast if I didn’t do something. “I–I’m sure you’re right–”
“Of course I am!” He shoved me back, sending me sprawling on the bed as he started pacing back and forth. I twisted up to a sitting position as fast as I could, wondering what the heck I could do to placate the pissed-off vamp. “She loved me, and Alec took her away.”
For a second, I had this hysterical thought that I was stuck in a bad movie. Come on, was he seriously spouting lines like that?
Those hellish red eyes were once again suddenly, terrifyingly focused on me, frightening enough to kill even my perpetual sense of humor. “He values you. It doesn’t matter why, but since he does, I’m taking you for my own.”
“What?! No!” I rolled off the bed and to my feet. Peter was there to stop me from running before I had my footing. He shoved me against the bed, a hand on either shoulder and one leg leaning heavily against both of mine to keep me from kicking him again. I used my clenched fists to pound at his broad chest instead, but it didn’t seem to be doing much to hurt or deter him.
Max was seething, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as he stared at me. After a few moments taken to collect himself, the angry glow in his eyes faded to pinpoint sparks and he turned to the vamp whose grip I was still vainly struggling to escape. “Peter, you can have her for now.”
The look on Peter’s face was terrifying. “Yes, master.”
Max growled a low warning. “Keep her alive and unharmed enough to speak. I need to make some calls, and I may have more questions later. Nicolas, guard the door. If she tries to escape, you know what to do.”
I didn’t see Max or Nicolas go, only heard the door closing behind them. My attention was too wrapped up in trying to wriggle and twist out of Peter’s grip. “Let me go, damn it!”
“No.” He laughed at me, thick fingers twining in my hair and yanking my head so hard, my back was forced to arch so he wouldn’t break my neck. Involuntary tears of pain sprung to my eyes, and I tried raking my nails across his face. He caught the chain between my wrists with his free hand before I could do any damage, forcing them down.
“You don’t seem like such a tough little bitch now. What, no begging?”
I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, trying desperately to think of something to say, something to do, anything that would get me out of his hands.
“No one here to stop me this time,” he whispered. I could feel his fangs brushing along my collarbone, trailing up to my neck. He paused over my jugular, and for that moment I forgot how to breathe, feeling tense enough to snap. He pulled back, eagerness and triumph lacing his voice. “Royce is going to hate that Max gave you to me. How many times has he bitten you, huh?”
I didn’t know how to answer him. My scalp was tingling from his grip on my hair, my back was starting to develop a twinge, and my ribs were screaming a silent protest from being held in such an uncomfortable position. Hot tears stung my eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.
“What, no smart remarks this time? Not that it matters.”
As he leaned in close again, I screamed, though I knew it wouldn’t help anything. God, oh God, he was going to bite me, he was going to kill me–
He let go of my wrists and clamped his hand over my mouth to stifle my screams as his fangs dug deep into my throat.
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