Chained - Zara Novak Page 0,7

and tables for private reading.

It was beautiful.

If I wasn’t running for my life, I could have quite happily spent the night in here, exploring the shadows and their literary wealth. It was then that I noticed I wasn’t alone in the library, another figure was standing at one of the windows, an open book in his hand as he read by moonlight. I was already still, but I froze and went to step back silently.

“You know,” the stranger said. “I do think I am a hedonist.” He shut the book he was reading and turned to look at me. The silver moonlight poured over his marble white skin and his red eyes, making them shine like blood-soaked diamonds. He had black hair shaved close to the skull, a light dressing of stubble on his face and a look in his eye that only inspired fear. He was wearing an old suit that looked like it belonged in the last century.

Another vampire.

“Excuse me?” I stuttered, unsure of what else to say.

“A hedonist. A person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in life. You’re familiar with the term?”

“Well yes, but the bible—”

He let out a loud laugh and walked forward. There was maybe fifteen feet between us, which shrank to a paltry five when he stopped again. “Let’s not bore ourselves talking about that.” He set his book down on a table and looked me up and down. “Good Christian girl, are you? That makes sense. You smell young. Ripe. What are you? Barely twenty? And still a virgin.”

“I am not—”

“Shut up,” he said, his eyes flaring as he said the words. A stern edge to the command suggested he was trying to control me as Vincent had. I did feel the faint suggestion of some controlling power, but it didn’t take hold of me. It washed over my body like a harmless wind.

“You are. I can smell the delightful stench on you. I’ve not seen you here before. Who are you? One of Cartello’s slaves? You’re obviously somewhere you shouldn’t be. I can feel your fear, I can hear your heart beating like a drum. You are damned delectable though. I don’t normally like the bigger girls, but the scent coming off you. God damn. It’s enough to make me rape that sweet cunt right now.”

I took another step back from the vampire. The small movement inspired rage in him. “Take another step and I’ll slice your fucking throat,” he said, his jaw tensing in anger. Again, I felt he wanted the words to control me, but they had no effect. I stayed still nevertheless, more out of fear than anything else.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“Rachel,” I said. I saw no use in lying.

“And how delightful you are Rachel,” the stranger said. He finally closed the distance between us and walked around me, circling the tip of his forefinger around my body as he did so. The movement ended with him in front of me, his finger hooked beneath my chin. “My name is Draco. Draco Varsi.” He took a deep breath, presumably inhaling my scent. “I don’t know what you’re doing down here all alone, but you made a mistake coming here. Your body is mine now, and I will not be gentle. A hedonist must indulge his pleasurable whims.”

“Please,” I began, but before I could say much more his hands flashed forward and ripped the clothes from my body. I tried to strike at him, but he was strong and fast. I started to stumble backwards, my panties the only thing left on my body.

“Still!” he roared, realizing I wasn’t under his control. “I told you to stay still!”

He gripped my throat and flew forward, thrusting me up against the wall outside the library. When Vincent had done this, it had felt rough, but he had cushioned me from actually getting hurt. Draco didn’t appear to have such considerations. My head hit the wall hard and I felt something hot flow down my back. I gasped as his hand crushed my throat.

“Please!” I said, looking into eyes that were now all black, shining with the endless emptiness of a predator in hunting.

“Change of plan,” he said, his voice now strangely absent of any human cadence. “I’ll kill you first and then I’ll fuck you.” With a snarl his upper lip pulled back and his incisors grew to two sharp points. He moved towards my neck and then—

Something flew out of the shadows.

A black