Page 33 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

“Gianna mentioned that her husband is a born vampire. What does that mean? Are they born in the same way humans are?” I was still trying to wrap my head around the differences between the two.

Enzo’s uproarious laughter echoed around the room as he tossed his head back, his fangs glinting in the dim light, his pain momentarily forgotten. “Oh, you mortals. Such wild imaginations,” he chuckled, fixing me with his piercing gaze. His otherworldly eyes, an unnatural shade of amber, seemed to see right through me.

I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, feeling a mix of fear and fascination. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to run, but I was rooted to the spot, entranced by his gaze.

“Yes, to answer your question. They are the descendants of Vlad the Impaler and his human mate,” Enzo continued, his voice smooth as silk. “They enter this world the same way humans do—squalling babies covered in blood and amniotic fluid.”

My breath caught in my throat. “You mean Dracula is real?”

“Not just real—still aliveand in the flesh.” He leaned across the table, his upper body fluid and predatory. The air between us practically crackled with an unseen energy. “The difference is, even as infants, they possess an innate thirst for blood, a hunger that only grows stronger with time. It’s woven into the very fabric of their being.”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. The reality of the danger I was in sank in. I had to get out of here before I was sprawled out on the dinner table like a prime rib done extra rare.

I thought of all the Dracula movies and how those vampires were always transforming into either a wolf or a bat. “What about bats or wolves? Can you change into those?”

He smiled. “All vampires can change into bats. There are only a select few that can change into wolves like Dracula can. Only those bitten directly by him can do that like Angelo.”

“So, Angelo can shift into a wolf? It was Dracula who turned him, right?”

“Yes. Unlike shifters, our vampire magic allows us to change into bats—or a wolf, in Angelo’s case—and back into our human form without ripping through our clothes. It also allows us to carry our weapons. Shifters can’t do any of that.”

I thought of Angelo changing into a bat or a wolf. Since he was the head of the Santi family, I bet he was bigger and scarier than any other bats or wolves. I also bet it would scare me out of my shoes.

I held up my hand and swallowed the dread in my throat. “Wait. Shifters?”

“Wolf and dragon shifters. They tear through their clothes when they shift into their beast.”

I rubbed the spot on my neck where Angelo had bitten me. “Can vampires control their blood lust?”

“Newly made vampires struggle to do so because they are ravenous but born vampires and older made vampires can control the hunger.”

“How long does it take for an ‘older made vampire’ to get control of this blood lust?”

“Depends on the vampire.”That’s not a freaking answer, Enzo.I was about to give him grief for dancing around the question when I realized he wasn’t looking at me but at someone behind me.

I spun around, and my eyes locked with Angelo’s. He had emerged from the shadows of the dining room. His pupils were two bright, fiery orbs of red, and my skin prickled with goosebumps at the sight. How long had he been listening to our conversation? My heart raced as I waited for him to say something.

Enzo motioned to Angelo’s cheek. “Your scratches. They’ve disappeared. The stone?”

Angelo shrugged. “It seems it still has some power.”

Stone? This was the first I’d heard about any stone. Was it a magical heirloom, like inLord of the Ringsor the Marvel Universe? Definitely something I had to find out more about.

Enzo’s expression changed from curious to skeptical as his eyes narrowed. “So how did the meeting go?”

Angelo hesitated, glancing first at me then back to Enzo before answering. “We need to talk.” His soft tone indicatedthat something was off, and I had a sneaky feeling it was about me.

The tension in the room increased; whatever was going on between them was serious. I didn’t want to be left out of their conversation, especially if it was about me.

Suddenly a blood-curdling screamed pierced through the house, cutting off my breath.

Enzo jumped up, toppling over his chair. “That was a woman’s voice.”

My heart plummeted into my stomach as Enzo’s words echoed in my head.

Pleasepleasepleaseplease don’t let anyone have hurt Elena or Gianna

Angelo’s hand gripped my arm tightly, pulling me out of my chair. “Stay close to me,” he ordered, his voice firm and commanding.

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