To Kill a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,30

… not even in love.

“What did he say?” I ask, staring wide-eyed at my friend.

Brilliant white teeth fill her smile as she laughs in the darkness, her arms folding almost shyly around herself. “He said it was about time.”

A breath forces laughter up my throat, happiness clinging to my features as I hug her tightly to me. The air leaves my lungs as I close my eyes before laughing once more into her thick and wild hair. I take a deep breath as emotions begin to flood my chest.

I realize my mistake the moment it’s made.

My guard was too low; I let it fall almost entirely away and that’s when mistakes are made. Everyone makes mistakes ... some are just more fatal than others.

In an instant my nails are sinking into my friend, losing the sense of joy with the slash of my desperate hunger. My fangs extend as something dark rallies within me, clouding my mind and hissing through me instinctively.

Luca gasps as my nails slice into her flesh. She shoves my shoulders back hard, tossing me to the ground as a growl rumbles through her chest. The leaves scratch lightly against my skin for a mere second before I leap to my feet once again.

“Fallon, stop!” she yells.

But my mind can’t process her words. Warm and alluring blood coats my fingertips, urging me to finish what I started. Irrational thoughts swirl through my mind. I swallow hard, almost tasting the warm blood already.

Luca’s jaw clenches, forcing back the animal that demands to be released within her. I want it released – I want it out – I want adrenaline thrashing through her veins when I sink my teeth into her.

A long hiss slices across my tongue before I jump toward her, only making it a few feet when I’m pummeled to the ground once more.

Dark eyes gleam into mine. A snarling, hulking wolf digs its paws into my shoulders, dripping hate into my face as it snaps at me an inch from my cheek. My fists tighten on its immense neck, clawing at its soft fur but making little progress with the beast.

“Kaino, get off her. You’re hurting her. Stop!”

The animal’s lip shakes as its growl begins to die down. I blink hard, breathing deeply but only anger fuels me right now. Rage storms through my limbs, waking my muscles, filling me with power.

My fangs extend the moment its defense falls away, and I grip its dark fur by the fistful and fling the wolf into the nearest tree. A cracking sound echoes through the silence as the tree crumples to the earth. The strong commander lies beneath the heavy trunk, sending triumph through me with the simple sight of his weak state.

My attention narrows on the girl once more, shifting my attention to only her. She stands her ground, her head shaking slowly at me, almost refusing to shift. Refusing to fight me for her life.

Fine.

With every breath, I smell her blood soaring through my lungs. I stalk toward her, prepared to end the cat and mouse game once and for all.

A metallic taste fills my mouth as what appears to be an iron fist cracks into my jaw. It floods me with immediate pain that radiates through my skin, bones, and mind.

It feels endlessly slow as I fall, the air gliding gently around me before I finally meet the crisp, dry leaves below. My skull lands with a harsh thud against the dirt, the dark sky filling with spots as I look up between the long limbs of trees.

My lashes flutter, struggling to remain open, and Gabriel’s glaring silver eyes are the last thing I see before darkness pulls me under.

Softness surrounds me when I wake. The pain I expect to explode through my mind isn’t there.

All I feel is … well rested.

Warm blankets cling to my sweating limbs. I push them from my shoulders and, as I sit up in bed, my attention drifts to the hybrid sitting safely across the room from me.

“Declan really wanted to be here for you when you woke up,” Asher tells me, and I can almost hear the eye roll he adds to the statement. His body angles low in the arm chair, his hair pulled in multiple directions.

He’s a mess. A perfect and resilient mess.

He pushes his hand through his already disheveled hair. His eyes close slowly before opening again, lingering on me, letting his emotions fall across his beautiful face.

“We need to start looking for him again,”