Tender and violent. He was neither half, nor was he truly both. He was one thing to be certain—complicated.
She would happily tell him that she accepted him for what he was this instant and have him whisk them all away from here. Except for one small thing that remained, one small matter that had to be resolved.
Alfonzo Van Helsing.
Alfonzo did not know when his screaming ceased to sound like him. When the noises he made were no longer recognizable as his own voice. They merged with the pain until they were one and the same. It wasn’t a sound anymore—it was a sensation. It was pure agony. Pure suffering.
A tight strap around his thigh was keeping him from bleeding out.
But it did not stop the feeling of teeth tearing at his flesh. He had been turned into a meal for a ghoul. It slathered over him, sticking its tongue deep into the folds of his muscles and sinew, seeking the flood of blood that it was denied by the tourniquet.
He had been propped up against the wall. His arms were chained over his head. They wanted him to watch.
He had passed out a few times, only to be slapped awake with a wet cloth and forced to drink water. He wanted to retch it back up, and a few times he did. But they would not let shock and horror be what killed him.
Not yet.
They wanted it to last.
The demon that laughed over him was skilled in his trade of torture.
And still the ghoul ate.
It was down to the bone of his calf, gnawing and tearing, stretching at his flesh like a raw chicken bone. It brought back memories of sitting in a tavern, biting into the leg of a turkey and happily eating his dinner.
And to this thing, that was all he was.
Food.
Maxine was not quite certain if food had ever tasted as good as it did that morning. Sausage, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, and a side of fruit that she could not honestly say if she had ever eaten before. It was called a “kiwi,” she was told. She was starving, and she did her best to keep from devouring the food like a wild animal.
Vlad did not seem to mind her voraciousness. Indeed, he looked quite pleased. It was a good ten minutes into the meal before she managed to slow down and sit back in her chair, drinking her coffee and tearing off small portions of a roll. Spending years with the Roma had ruined her table etiquette. But, once more, if the vampire was bothered by it, he said nothing.
They sat in companionable silence. Him, drinking tea, watching her with a scrutinizing, but tender expression. And her, trying to not let it bring warmth to her cheeks. “My poor table manners cannot be that amusing to watch.”
“I am simply enjoying your presence.”
“Mmhm.” She shook her head. “You are so utterly melodramatic.”
“I do not deny that charge.” He grinned, and she caught a glimpse of his fangs. They were more retracted than they had been the previous night. She wondered if it might serve as an indication of his own hunger. “I am merely taking great pride in the fact that you fear me no longer.”
She shrugged, not arguing the truth. He would always frighten her. How could someone of his magnitude ever be truly benign? But she did not spend every waking moment quaking in fear, that much was true. “I have begun to believe you might not tear out my throat at any moment.”
“A good step in any relationship.”
“One that is generally supposed to come before physical encounters.”
“Ah. So that’s where I’ve been making my mistakes all these years.” He snapped his fingers. “For shame. I am lucky that you seem to prefer it the other way around, then, aren’t I?”
“You’re terrible.” Her face went warm, and she tried to hide it behind sipping her coffee. It was a poor attempt, she knew.
“I think you enjoy that as well.”
She laughed, and he was grinning at her. She picked up a roll and tossed it at him, hoping to hit him in the head. He caught it easily and, still grinning, tore off a piece of the roll and ate it.
Walter stepped into the room then paused by the entryway, seeing them both caught in what must look like a personal moment. “Forgive me, Master. I come with news.”
“Speak.”
“Elizabeth has fallen to the hunter Edward.”
Vlad sighed heavily and shut his eyes, rubbing his temple. “The