Page 6 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

The wolf gnashed his teeth behind me. I whipped open the warehouse door and stumbled inside, my chest heaving as I fought to catch my breath. With trembling hands I locked the door, the click of the mechanism as loud as a gunshot in the silence.

The wolf slammed into the door and I jumped back.

Then I heard more growls and snarls right behind me. I had walked right into a trap…

I woke up screaming, my body drenched in sweat, tears streaming down my face. I thrashed my body back and forth on my bed, getting myself tangled up in the sheets as my heart threatened to explode from my chest even as my lungs refused to take in air. The moonlight filtering through the curtains cast eerie shadows on the walls, adding to my disorientation and distress.

The door jerked open, and Petar rushed inside, his weapon drawn, the sudden light from the hallway blinding me momentarily.

Heavy footsteps pounded down the hall. “Gianna,” Angelo roared. He burst into the room with his gun drawn, his eyes wide with alarm.

Elena rushed in behind them, her voice soothing as she murmured, “Ma chère. Ma chère.” She rushed over to me and sat on the edge of my bed.

As the familiar surroundings of my room slowly came into focus, I felt a tremendous rush of relief wash over me. I was safe. It had only been a bad dream. Heat scorched my cheeks as I scooted up to my headboard and buried my face in my hands. I never had nightmares, so this was new for me. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I had a bad dream,” I mumbled, my voice trembling.

The attack had been a couple of nights ago, but my injuries still felt as fresh as they had when it happened. It might as well have been yesterday. The deep bite marks on my neck and arms still throbbed with a searing pain, and the gashes from their sharp claws burned like fire across my skin. The punch to my face had left a nasty bruise that showed no signsof fading. The wolfsbane elixir coursing through my veins kept my vampire powers at bay, preventing me from healing as I normally would.

Instead, I was left to suffer through the agony, my wounds a constant reminder of the vicious assault I had barely survived and a testament to the savagery of the wolf shifters and the hatred they felt for Angelo. I could only hope that the effects of the elixir would wear off soon, allowing my body to heal and erase the physical evidence of the brutal attack.

Angelo turned on the light, the sudden brightness making me flinch. I narrowed my eyes against the glare, my heart still racing and my skin clammy with sweat. I half expected him to lecture me, to tell me I was being a fool. But when I met his gaze, I saw the same look in his eyes I had seen when I was sick with the plague centuries ago. It was a look of fierce protectiveness, a look that promised he would do anything to save me now, just as he had done back then.

A lump formed in the back of my throat, and I swallowed hard, my chest tightening with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. The last thing I wanted to be was a burden on my brother. I didn’t want to be the reason behind the lines etched into his face. He had enough to worry about without wondering if his crazy sister was losing her mind.

Then, as quickly as the look of concern had appeared, it was gone, replaced by the stern, unyielding expression of the head of the Santi family. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Gooseflesh erupted across my cold, clammy skin at the startlingchange.

He turned to Elena, his voice firm. “Please take care of my sister, Elena. Enzo, Petar—come with me.”

As the men left the room, I felt a wave of shame wash over me, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I was nothing more than a foolish little girl, a helpless damsel in distress who needed to be rescued from her own dreams.

Elena shut the door softly, the click of the latch sounding like an accusation. I flinched at the sound, my nerves still raw and exposed.

“I’m sorry, Elena. I’m so, so sorry,” I choked out, my voice breaking as I fought back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm me. Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked them away furiously, my throat constricting with emotion. “Ever since the attack that night…”

My hands trembled as I clutched the sweat-soaked sheets. I felt like I was unraveling, like the very fabric of my being was coming apart at the seams. The nightmare had shaken me to the core, and I couldn’t seem to find my way back to solid ground.

Elena sat next to me, her weight settling on the bed as she reached out and patted my thigh, her touch gentle and soothing. “There, there, ma chère. You have nothing to apologize for. You endured a terrible experience.” Her voice was soft, filled with a warmth that enveloped me like a comforting blanket.

I sighed miserably as I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. The salty tracks left my skin feeling tight and raw, a physical reminder of my vulnerability. “Will you please stay with me for the rest of the night?” I mumbled,my gaze fixed on the tangled sheets, unable to meet Elena’s eyes.

I knew I was acting like a frightened little girl, but I needed her.

She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace that made me feel small and fragile yet infinitely protected. The scent of her perfume, a delicate blend of lilac and jasmine, filled my nostrils, and I inhaled deeply, letting it calm my frayed nerves. “Oui,oui, Elena will keep the bad dreams away,” she murmured, her breath tickling my ear.

As I lay back down on my bed, her presence comforting beside me, I closed my eyes and tried to forget the lingering tendrils of my nightmare. But in the quiet stillness of the room, I could almost hear the ghostly howl of a wolf threatening to rip out my throat

Chapter Five

Gianna

I woke up to the sun shining softly on my face, its warm rays filtering through the curtains and casting a cheerful glow over the room. The nightmare was staying at bay for now. Elena slept peacefully next to me, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. She had kept her word and stayed with me for the entire rest of the night, her presence a comforting reminder that I wasn’t alone. It was something my mama used to do if I was frightened as a little girl, holding me close and whispering soothing words until I drifted back to sleep.

Mama had been dead for hundreds of years now, she and Papa both victims of the plague, but the ache of her loss still lingered keenly in my heart. I missed her gentle touch, her warm smile, the way she always knew just what to say tochase away my fears. Papa, too, with his strong, comforting presence and his deep, rumbling laugh, could make even the darkest days seem brighter.

As I lay there, idly watching the dust motes dance in the sunbeams, I thought again about the wolf shifter and his pack. If Angelo hadn’t reached me when he did…. My heart pounded in my chest, and a cold sweat broke out over my skin as I trembled from my fingers down to my toes.

Elena stirred, opened her eyes and looked at me. She threaded her fingers through my hair. “Ma chère, they can’t hurt you.”

I nodded numbly, wanting desperately to believe her. The aches and pains in my body still lingered, but not as much as the terror of that night. My stomach churned, and a lump formed in my throat as the memories threatened to overwhelm me.

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