Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,76
world. One where we don’t kneel at humans’ feet—but they kneel at ours.”
Nexi glared at him in disgust. Her fists tightened and profound revulsion filled her as he continued, “With what your blood will give me, the Council will be left with little choice other than to comply with my demands, or they shall all die.”
Perhaps she hadn’t allowed herself to believe that all of this was because he desired the power in her blood, because right now she wanted to gut this vampire for his stupidity. All the deaths up to this moment, and even Kyden’s broken condition, were for nothing.
Somehow what she would say next was the sweetest revenge. Lazarus had spent all this time anticipating this moment. He’d gone to unthinkable measures for power. And she was about to send his entire plan crashing down around him.
“Prepare yourself for bad news.” At his slow tilt of his head and inquisitive look, she added, “I don’t have any magic.”
One second he stood a few feet away and the next his hand was wrapped around her neck. He had her pinned up against the tree trunk, her feet dangling. Her body heated as the air oddly seemed to increase around her.
“Are you lying to me?” He almost cooed the words at her, as though luring a kitten.
“No,” she managed.
His cruel eyes diminished as darkness swept across her vision, then he released her and her butt hit the ground with a heavy thud. Her head pounded and she struggled to her feet, only to have him grab her throat again, lifting her inches off the ground.
Rage stormed in the pinpoints of his eyes and his grip tightened. “You’re a lying little bitch,” he screamed into her face. “All witches have powers.”
“Not…this…one…”
Chapter Twenty-One
A loud curse echoed around Nexi, as the darkness threatened to consume her. The pain at her throat was a dull ache as the world drifted away. On the verge of blacking out, she found herself suddenly floating as Lazarus threw her across the yard as if she were an empty beer can, sending her straight into another tree.
Smacking her head against the trunk, she tumbled to the ground, blood oozing down her neck. Now more aware, she inhaled and pain laced her lungs, concentrating in one spot then blasting up her body. His throw had clearly shattered her rib, but she did her best to push past the pain. She wouldn’t give Lazarus the satisfaction or the advantage of knowing he’d injured her.
Rising to her feet, she breathed shallowly so her broken rib didn’t hinder her. Before she managed to straighten her back, he grabbed her arm and yanked her up, and she screamed out in agony.
“This is quite the dilemma, isn’t it?” He sneered. “Your mother was much easier to kill. Rather pathetic, even. She used all of her strength to protect you and it drained her magic, leaving her defenseless—stupidity on her part.”
Nexi’s rage took her to a place she’d never travelled. The thirst to kill was more than revenge, but downright hunger to make this vampire bleed, to stand over his body and watch the life drain from his eyes. “It’s because you don’t know love,” she roared. “You wouldn’t know what it’s like to care for anything or anyone but yourself. You’re not capable of understanding such a thing.”
His chin lifted high. “Of course, I don’t. I’m a vampire.”
“No,” she snarled. “You’re an asshole.”
His mouth curved, amusement lighting his dark eyes. “Some might see it that way.”
He forced her back against the tree, and she gasped as pain shattered her ribcage. He ran his fingers along the side of her face, trapped her in his harsh stare. “I suppose I’ll have to keep you around until this power comes in then, won’t I?”
The pain in her chest was sucked away as he sandwiched their bodies together. Nexi watched his beady eyes rake over her face and sickness rolled through her at what she saw in their depths: desire. Leaning in toward her, he pressed his mouth against her cheek, his fangs trailing over her skin. “You’ll be useful to me in more ways than—”
Hitting him square in the nose with her head, she didn’t allow him the chance to finish that statement. Revulsion made the sense of fear, the knowledge she was in serious trouble, not stand in comparison to the horrific thoughts engulfing her. Hell would freeze over before she’d let him come anywhere near her body.