Page 26 of Dancing Moonbeam

“Deal. Now tell me where he is.”

“Not so fast. Money first,” Vicino said with a sly smirk. “Then you’ll get your information.”

“It’s not like I carry it on me,” Galamir snarled, his voice dripping with his contempt for the foul creature.

Vicino’s eyes filled with dark brutality, and a hint of his fangs glinted. “Be very careful with your tone. I have little patience for insolence.”

Galamir’s mouth went dry as he imagined the taste of his own blood on Vicino’s tongue, a sickening thought that filled him with disgust.

The vampire shook his head with a sinister smirk. “I am still a predator, and your sweet scent is already testing my control. So be very careful, or I might just forget about the money and feast on your succulent, magical blood, beautiful fairy.”

Anger swirled inside Galamir, but he bit back what he truly wanted to say to this vile piece of sewage. “Very well. I will transfer the money as soon as I return home. Once it is deposited, text me Raidh’s location.”

The vampire’s cruel, yet soft laugh was downright chilling. Power radiated from the creature. The sooner Galamir left the monster’s presence, the sooner he could breathe easier. “Come on, beautiful fairy. Just a little sip of your sweet blood? I promise not to drain you.”

Galamir had no intention of feeding the vile beast.

“I am not a fairy. I am fae,” he corrected sharply, clenching his jaw at the insult. But he needed to get the vampire’s mind off his blood. An exorbitant amount of money should redirect his mind.

“And I am willing to negotiate a higher price for the heads of the wolf shifters who are standing in your way.”

If the nasty mongrels wanted to protect Raidh, they would share his fate.

Vicino studied him a little too closely, making Galamir’s skin crawl, especially with that disgusting scar on his face. Galamir wasn’t aware of any fae who had succumbed to a vampire’s glamour, but he wasn’t about to risk it by meeting his eyes.

“Fine, since you drained all the fun out of my night,” Vicino finally said with a weary sigh. “Triple the price you offered me to kill your own flesh and blood and we have a deal.”

Galamir couldn’t care less about the vampire’s comment. Raidh’s continued existence was a festering wound growing larger inside of Galamir with every passing day. If he didn’t snuff it out, it would consume him.

Although he could easily end his son by telling the vampire to rip Raidh’s wings. Any fae would die instantly if that happened, but Vicino could use that knowledge against Galamir.

“You better be successful this time,” Galamir bit out. “I am not paying for incompetence.”

In a blur of inhuman speed, the vampire pinned him to a tree, knocking the breath out of Galamir as a rush of pain shot through his back.

The bark dug harshly into his hidden wings, terrifying Galamir that they would rip.

He tensed as the vampire sniffed deeply at his neck. His fangs were long and sharp, a clear sign of his bloodthirsty nature. “Did I not just warn you about my lack of patience for insolence, little dark fairy?”

His hands tightened on Galamir’s arms, the tips of his claws digging into flesh, the harsh sting causing Galamir to gnash his teeth. “Do not treat me like I’m beneath you,” he sneered. “Your heart is just as dark as mine, Unseelie. I’m not the one paying to have my own fucking son murdered, so if I were you, I would check that goddamn attitude of yours.”

Trapped and at the mercy beneath the vampire’s powerful grip, Galamir bit back his pride and forced himself to speak through gritted teeth. “Forgive me, Vicino.”

The vampire smiled, a delighted spark in his cold, dark eyes, as if pleased Galamir had bowed to him.

“I expect your payment soon, blackhearted fairy.” After a rough slap on Galamir’s cheek, Vicino disappeared into the shadows with blinding speed.

As soon as he was gone, Galamir spat on the ground in disgust. “Just finish what you were paid to do, filthy beast,” he sneered, his voice dripping with venom. “Then I’ll have you wiped out too.”

Chapter Seven

With a sharp gasp, Raidh jolted awake. His heart drummed furiously, his body covered in a cold sweat as he frantically clawed at his neck. “No!”

He felt like he was still trapped in that nightmare, his vision blurry with tears and terror. The memory of the vampire descending on him was still etched in his mind, along with the searing pain of those sharp fangs plunging into his skin.

The sound of that greedy slurping echoed in his ears as he screamed out into the empty bedroom.

He could still feel the coldness spreading through his body as he lay dying on the ground. Looking up at the dark sky littered with millions of bright stars, he’d prayed that Jaytee would be okay after he was gone. The raw ache inside him throbbed painfully, causing him to scream in terror, unable to shake off the horror gripping him.

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