Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers) - By Michelle Rowen Page 0,105

first time in that alley with no memories...knowing I had to stab you...”

Kraven’s eyes glowed red in the darkness, betraying his anger, his pain. “You did it without any hesitation. Both times.”

“You don’t know what’s going on in my head.”

“I don’t want to know. I hate you.”

Kraven grabbed Bishop’s shirt and slammed him against a brick wall so hard that the surface cracked. Bishop shook it off and launched himself at the demon, grabbing him hard. They started to fight in earnest now, years of anger and pain built up to overflow tonight. Two immortal beings raging against each other, able to hurt, to draw blood, to break bones, but not kill each other. Not without the dagger.

“Stop it,” I growled. “Both of you.”

It was so cold I swear my skin was turning to ice. My hunger hadn’t stopped for a moment. It had only increased, doubling every minute, even though we were far enough away from the house that it shouldn’t have bothered me, and there was enough distance between me and where Bishop and Kraven were fighting.

My heart pounded faster and faster. My breath came so quickly I thought I might hyperventilate. A wash of darkness moved across my vision.

I let out a harsh cry and collapsed to my knees. The world spun—reminding me of the one time me and Carly did vodka shots before a house party to give ourselves courage, but ended up violently ill instead. But this was worse—much worse than that. I clawed at the pavement, breaking my already short nails.

“Samantha—” Bishop was at my side a moment later. There was a bloody gash on his forehead.

I moaned, then dragged in a ragged breath that hurt my throat. “No, don’t get close. Too close. Too much. So cold, Bishop. It’s so cold. Please...”

Kraven stood nearby. His face was bleeding, too. “You know what’s happening to her. You know what this means.”

“Be quiet,” he snarled.

“It’s time. Don’t wait to see what happens to her next—or how much she’ll suffer. Put her out of her misery now.” Instead of joy in the demon’s tone, there was dark certainty. He didn’t say this to be cruel. This was something they’d discussed before.

What to do when I finally went into stasis.

“I thought you actually gave a damn about her,” Bishop said tightly. “Guess I was wrong.”

Kraven shot him a look of disdain. “Suggesting a quick, clean death, rather than melting on the sidewalk? Rather than seeing her turn into a total sociopath? Yeah, you’re right. Guess I don’t give a damn.”

Bishop swore. “Go to the party. Find the others. Help them. Stop that angel any way you have to.”

“Wait. What about...I can kiss her again if it’ll help.”

“It won’t help. Not anymore.”

“But—”

“No. You’ll never kiss her again.”

Bishop picked me up in his arms as if I weighed nothing more than a feather and cradled me against his chest. Then he turned away from Kraven and began running down the street in the opposite direction. I could barely lift my head to see Kraven still standing there watching us get farther and farther away, a bleak look in his amber-colored eyes.

He knew the same thing I knew—whether I lived or died, this was the end for me.

Chapter 26

Kraven had put it perfectly. Tonight, I would either die and fade away, or I would go into a zombielike state. And if I survived, I would come out the other side totally evil.

A living nightmare.

I’d rather die than be like that.

This was happening too fast. It had been drawing closer and closer, but I’d really started to believe I was different. I’d believed the lies.

I wasn’t different. I was a gray. And I was terrified of what was to come next.

Bishop came to a townhome and kicked the front door. The lock splintered the frame as it swung open. It was all dark inside. Nobody was home. He carried me inside to the living room where he gently placed me down on the sofa.

I twisted. It wasn’t pain, really. But something bad was happening to me. The cold and hunger combined to make me numb as it burrowed into me—a caterpillar creating its cocoon. My vision went blurry and my skin turned to ice.

“What can I do?” Bishop asked harshly. “What can I do to help you? I need time to find Stephen. To get your soul back. It’s not too late.”

I just shook my head back and forth. It was too late. It was happening, and it was happening now.