Page 5 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

For some reason, though, my pain remained, a constant, searing agony that consumed every nerve ending in my body. I gritted my teeth, my hands clenching into fists as I tried to ride out the waves of torment that crashed over me. I hadn’t healed, despite the blood I had consumed. The wolfsbane elixir must be even more powerful than Chosen Blood, its vicious poison still coursing through my veins like liquid fire.

I gasped for air, my lungs straining with each labored breath. Sweat beaded on my forehead, my skin clammy and feverish as my body fought against the insidious toxin in my system. The agony pulsing through me nearly drove me mad, a relentless, all-consuming torture that left me writhing and whimpering in my bed. I wanted to scream, to tear at my flesh until the pain subsided, but I knew it would be useless.

Black spots danced before my eyes, and I fought to stay awake. I didn’t want to fall asleep and dream about the attack.

“I have a target on my back, don’t I? Because I’m your sister?” My voice was barely above a whisper, but the words echoed in the stillness of the room.

“Yes.” Angelo leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands together and held my gaze, his eyes dark and intense. “No more running off, Gianna. It’s vital that you remain within these walls until Enzoand his team find out who was responsible for this attack. I promise you, they’ll never hurt you again.”

The unspoken threat behind his words turned my blood cold. Angelo meant they would be dead, and he would be the one to make sure of it personally.

I reached out, my hand trembling as I squeezed his fingers. “You didn’t kill Jacques, did you?” I asked, the question more a plea, a desperate hope that I hadn’t caused the death of someone I cared about.

“Not yet.” Angelo’s soft voice held a dangerous edge, a hint that Jacques’s days were perhaps numbered.

I struggled to sit up, ignoring the searing pain that immediately shot through my body when I moved. “Please don’t, Angelo. It wasn’t his fault. I lied to him. I told him I had a migraine, then I snuck out the window.” The words tumbled out in a frantic rush, my hands trembling uncontrollably as I clutched at his hand.

Angelo set his jaw firmly, the muscles in his neck straining with the effort of holding back his anger. I could see the conflict in his eyes, hard and unyielding, the warring desires to protect me and to exact revenge on those who had failed to keep me safe, as I searched his face for any sign of mercy.

“Jacques is family, Angelo. Please don’t kill him because of me.” My voice broke on the last word, and fresh sobs shook me, sending more waves of agony through my battered body.

“Brother, please. Punish me, not him.” The tears that had been burning behind my eyes finally broke free,streaming down my cheeks in hot, salty rivulets. Sobs tore through my chest, each one sending another wave of pain through my sore muscles.

“Gianna, don’t.” Angelo’s voice was soft, almost tender, as he reached out to brush my hair back from my forehead. His touch was gentle, but I could still feel the tension thrumming through his fingers. “I have to?—”

“No, you don’t,” Elena interrupted, her tone hard and unyielding. She fixed Angelo with a stern gaze, her lips pressed into a thin, quivering line. “Jacques has paid for his negligence. You don’t have to go so far as to take his life.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to imagine what horrors Angelo had already inflicted upon poor Jacques. The thought of it made my stomach churn, bile rising in the back of my throat.

Angelo swore under his breath, the sound harsh and guttural. “All right. For you, Gianna, I’ll spare his life, but he will no longer be your personal guard. Petar Dragan will assume that position.”

My heart sank at the mention of Petar Dragan. He was not a man I particularly got along with, and not the one I would have chosen to be my protector, but I bit back my protests, knowing that arguing would only antagonize Angelo further. The only thing that mattered was that Jacques would live, and if that meant accepting a new guard I didn’t like, so be it.

Chapter Four

Gianna

My heart hammered in my chest as I ran through Bourbon Street, my feet pounding on the pavement with each desperate stride. The once-lively street was now eerily deserted, the dimly lit streetlights casting long, ominous shadows on the closed bars and shops. The wolf shifter was chasing me, his feet heavy on the pavement.

I summoned my vampire speed, but to my horror, it did not come.

Shitshitshit

It had to be the wolfsbane elixir, which was still in my system.

I glanced over my shoulder. He was getting closer. Wearing that same evil smile.

The shadows behind me seemed to come alive, theirinky tendrils reaching out like clawed hands to ensnare me. I ran faster, my lungs burning with each breath. Sweat beaded on my forehead, stinging my eyes as I blinked it away.

Suddenly, my foot caught on an uneven cobblestone and I stumbled, my palms scraping against the rough pavement as I pitched forward. Pain shot through my hands, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it.

AAAoooo

The man had changed into a huge gray wolf. I scrambled to my feet; my heart lodged in my throat as I heard his nails scratching behind me on the cement, growing closer, echoing in the emptiness.

Desperate, I turned down a side street, frantically trying the doors of various hotels and restaurants, hoping to find sanctuary. But every door was locked, every window dark. The city had become a vast, deserted labyrinth, trapping me with my unseen pursuer.

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm me, I spotted a brightly lit warehouse at the end of the street. A spark of hope ignited in my chest, and I sprinted toward the warehouse, my legs burning with the effort.

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