Page 90 of The Cruelty of Thorns

“Oh baby, that’s so hot,” she moaned.

I wanted to silence her, but instead I brought my mouth to her ear after I had drunk my fill and hissed a compulsion.

“Forget me.”

I left her staggering against the wall and headed off in the direction of the college.

There were still students milling around in the quad, but I didn’t see Myra among them. I’d half expected her to be out waiting for me, and while that would have made things easier, I was glad she had heeded my warning and stayed indoors. It just meant I would have to go up to her room to collect her.

I stopped outside the door of her room and listened. No heartbeat, no breathing inside. She wasn’t in there, so where could she be? Had she gone to the cafeteria to eat dinner with her roommate? I was loathe to make an appearance there, but I would do so to keep her from wandering around outside alone.

I left the dormitory and descended the stairs, turning in the direction of the cafeteria. I didn’t see the fist headed for me until it was inches from my jaw. I reached up on instinct and grabbed the hand, twisting it back to pull the body around to face me. To say the least, I was surprised at his identity.

“Fucker,” he growled and bunched up his fist for a second try. “Stay away from her!”

So my suspicions last night were confirmed; he did remember me. I don’t know how that was possible; I had never had a victim break a compulsion before.

I decided to play dumb to see how far this went. “Do I know you?”

He got right up in my face, his lips curled back in a snarl, his eyes maniacal. “You bet your ass you do, and I know you. You’re the fucker who assaulted me. I’m going to have your ass thrown in jail.”

I quirked a brow. “Can you prove that?”

He tunneled his hand through his hair and uttered a groan of frustration. “Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Her.”

A couple of students walking past looked in our direction, though no one had made our encounter their business yet. I wanted to keep it that way, so instead of doing something that would escalate the situation, I backed up a step and regarded him before replying, “She’s a grown woman who can make her own choices.”

“Oh yeah? Well I don’t think that choice will be what you thought.”

“No? And what gives you that idea?”

He stepped back into my space. “Because I told her. That’s right, fucker, she knows all about you now.”

I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled his face to mine. “Where is she?” When he didn’t answer right away, I tightened my grip on him, my fingers itching to move to his throat. “Where. Is. She?”

He tried to shrug away from me. “She went up to her room.”

“She isn’t there now.”

He looked confused. “I saw her go in. I didn’t…I mean I wasn’t watching the whole time. I figured she would stay in for the night, but she could have–”

I let go of him and shoved him away. “Useless.”

I turned and stomped off toward the gate. Ron ran after me, grabbing my arm.

“I’m coming with you.”

I spun on him, my expression, I knew, murderous. “No. You’re not. You’ve already fucked things up enough.”

I left him standing there, knowing he would probably follow me and not caring. I wasn’t sure where Myra had gone, but I had a pretty good idea. The fact that she was running to me rather than away told me I at least had a chance to reach her.

♦ ♦ ♦

There was a motorcycle in the driveway when I got to my house. I took a moment to assess the situation, reaching out with my senses to scan the house. Two heartbeats, one slow and weak, the other strong and steady. The heartbeat of an immortal.

So much the better. I was tired of playing games.

I opened the front door and stepped inside, sniffing deeply. Her scent, and something else.

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