bite marks. It didn’t take long for it to register that he was still terribly afraid, even though she’d dealt with the immediate threat John represented.
Christoph was afraid of her.
She withdrew, spreading her hands and trying to look as small and harmless as possible. That was the last thing she wanted. She’d done the same thing she always did when faced with a threat—beat the ever-living stuffing out of it. It hadn’t occurred to her that the display might scare Christoph, only that she needed to make quick work of it.
The way he reacted to her made her feel even more like the monster she was trying so hard not to be. The one Max Carlyle made her into.
She bowed her head and rapidly retreated, sickened by her own actions. Her self-loathing was overwhelming enough that even the hunger sparked by utilizing her incredible strength and speed against John was diminished by it. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Christoph. Not while he looked at her like that. Not while the scent of his fear so maddeningly teased at the hunger that marked her as the beast Max always told her she was. So she fled, even while a little voice in the back of her head mocked that she was only delaying the inevitable, promising that he had good reason to be afraid.
Wesley hadn’t gotten John’s limp frame far when Mouse hurried past, looking more like she wanted to cry than kill somebody this time. He continued dragging John along, growling under his breath at the whiny wimp’s inability to suck up the pain and walk his own skinny butt back down to his apartment.
Mouse went to her bathroom and washed away the blood on her hands, but couldn’t seem to stop shaking or rid herself of the mocking voice in her head telling her that she still was, and always would be, a monster. Why not take what she wanted instead of playing these stupid games of making her donors befriend or love her? No one would think less of her for giving in to her nature.
No one but herself.
* * *
After Mouse had fled, Christoph slowly got up and went into the bathroom to shower. There was only a little blood on him, but now seemed like a good time to boil himself lobster-red and relieve some of the muscle-knotting tension in his body.
The way she’d looked at him was confusing. Was there some sort of mutual fear going on? Christoph felt bad that the thought made him feel better about Mouse’s display of strength and viciousness. At least she didn’t go after him.
* * *
Clarisse was annoyed.
It wasn’t the movie. More that she couldn’t concentrate on it. Not with Ashi “hiding” in the corner, shivering and radiating the unmistakable odor of fear.
She turned and frowned some more at Ashi, crammed as he was into the corner of her living room, and pondered what to do about it.
Ashi peered up at Clarisse. God, he was really learning to hate it when people stared at him.
A thousand snarky things to say flitted through his mind. He kept his mouth firmly shut, figuring silence was preferable over getting one of the few people who was willing to help him annoyed with him.
Clarisse harrumphed and tried to ignore the strange little donor in favor of concentrating on the movie. It was pretty hopeless at this point, since his scent and elevated heart rate were like a clarion call to her inner predator.
Another woman, blonde and statuesque, came out of one of the bedrooms and strode toward the kitchen. She got about three steps into the living room before her attention was abruptly centered on Ashi. She plastered on a sultry smile and shifted to assume a languid pose leaning against the nearest doorframe as her eyes hungrily roved over what she could see of him.
“Well, well. So this is the other new blood, aye? Looks like a tasty bit.”
Ashi couldn’t help it. He glared at the other woman. “I’m not a ‘bit’.” He practically spat out that last word, his hands clenching into fists.
'Yes, pick a fight with what’s probably a vampire. Nice work.'
“Now, now, no need tae get testy.” The blonde curled her lip and sniffed. She returned her attention to Ashi, curious. “What are you doing ‘ere, then? Been bit, so somebody ‘round ‘ere must want you. Someone lay a claim, then?”
“No one’s—”
Ashi shut his mouth. Oh, stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He cleared his