Page 15 of Awakening the Dhampir

“No, but I don’t think she’s having any murderous thoughts right now,” I replied. “Elliott took her to one of the guest rooms, probably to wash away some of the blood.”

I noticed several gas cans lining the walk and realized they were ready to torch the place.

“Are we leaving any alive?” I asked. I knew we couldn’t, but I didn’t want to be the one making that decision.

Jonah was right. We couldn’t let this get out. If any of the vampires here escaped, the entire supernatural world would know about Lorna. No one would be able to protect her.

“No,” Nathan replied. “I’ll kill the rest so we have time to search for the video Elliott’s buddy talked about. Then we’ll burn it.”

I felt bad for the vampires who lost their lives to this madness. They didn’t ask their master to harbor a dhampir. Had they even known what she was before she decided to put them on the menu?

Nathan and Damon disappeared into the lobby, and I jogged to the truck to pick up clean clothes for Lorna. They probably belonged to Elliott and would be way too big, but it was for the best. We could wrap her in his scent and maybe keep her from dining on Nathan or Damon on the way back to civilization.

Chapter 6

Damon

Istood in the doorway of Conrad Roane’s old estate. It used to be his primary home until he took leadership of the region. Now he lived in Massachusetts with the rest of his kiss, until today, anyway. There’d likely be a war among his people to determine who would take his place.

Not my concern. The woman lost to her dhampir was my priority. I shook my head and let a wave of sadness wash through me. It would do no good to hold onto it. Lorna didn’t need a weak mate pitying her. She needed me to be strong because she was falling apart. I couldn’t let that happen.

I also couldn’t be around her. I couldn’t console her. I had to stand back and let Elliott and Kenrid wrap her in their love and security. I’d told Kenrid I wouldn’t be jealous, yet here I was, jealous because they could hold her, and I couldn’t.

Nathan was already putting the vampires down who hadn’t yet been killed. Conrad moaned and tried to sit up. As a master vampire, he probably had enough strength to survive—not that we were going to let him live. I didn’t even want to contemplate whether he was the one who awakened her magic.

I did want to have a chat with the master vampire, though.

I stomped across the room, shattering the wooden floors as I went. Conrad’s head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. His fear saturated the air immediately, feeling oily against my scales. I bared my teeth at him and growled. He tried harder to scramble to his feet, but he was still too weak.

Wrapping my hand around his throat, I slammed him against the wall. The claws on the tips of my wings stabbed his wrists and pinned his arms over his head. Conrad screamed and tried to kick me. My tail slithered around his ankles and immobilized him.

Most supernaturals believed a demon’s tail was only used for balance, but they were so very wrong. Mine was just as strong as every other part of my body. I didn’t hesitate to use it to my advantage.

“Why did you take her?” I asked.

“I’m not telling you anything, demon.”

“Why not?”

Conrad frowned, and his eyes darted around the room behind me. Had he expected me to threaten him? My actions were more of a threat than any words could be.

“Tell us, Conrad,” Nathan said, stepping up beside me. “You’re the only one left alive. No one will know the secrets you reveal.”

“Except for you,” Conrad spat. “You’re a disgrace to all vampires, Nathan Kaerne.”

“But I’m not the one on death’s door, am I?” Nathan countered.

I smiled. Nathan had always been good at not reacting to the insults and threats thrown at him. Most of the supernatural leaders hated what he’d done. They didn’t want peace for some stupid reason.

Conrad pressed his mouth into a thin line and squirmed against my hold. He was getting a little stronger, but not enough to break free. Nathan must have noticed, too.

“Shall I ask the dhampir to come back and force you to tell us?” Nathan asked. “I’m sure she’d enjoy draining you once again.”

I cut my eyes at Nathan and scowled. I would never allow him to use Lorna as a threat. Nathan didn’t look at me, which only made the anger I tried to suppress quickly rise to the surface.

Conrad’s whole body shuddered, drawing my attention back to the man I had pinned against the wall. His eyes bounced around the room, and his fear renewed with a vengeance. How had Nathan so easily recognized the vampire’s fear of Lorna?

“The fae want her,” he whispered, as if afraid someone else would hear. “Now that I know how strong she is, I understand why. I should’ve given her up instead of telling them she was dead.”

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