Page 13 of Of Fate & Forbidden Desire

“Yeah, get lost.” He growled back at them, as his eyes fixated on my rising chest and a grin showed me his blackened rotting teeth. The two kids glanced at each other before one of them found their voice.

“But…”

“Get lost you twits!” The man roared, making them both cower before they darted around us. “Right, where were we honey?” he asked rhetorically and reached one of his grubby hands out towards me.

“Right where I want you.” I answered letting my own grin spread across my face, “however, I think you might want to run.”

“Run? Why would I run from what you’re freely offering?” he questioned, confused at my answer, his brows scrunching together.

“Because I’m your worst nightmare.” I said, letting my fangs descend over my bottom lip and laughing cruelly as his face blanched.

“What kinda freak are you?” he snapped, trying to master his fear.

“The kind that likes to play with her food.” I retorted, drawing out his confusion and the fear that was steadily worming its way through his scent.

“What…” he began but didn’t get very far before my lips were latched onto his neck and my fangs sank through his skin. Pulling a long drink of his tainted blood into my mouth, I smiled against his neck when he began to struggle. “Get off of me you freak.” He yelled, his fist connecting with the side of my face and dislodging my mouth.

“RUN!” I screamed, pushing him to the damp floor. I wiped the small dribble of blood that had escaped my hungry lips, with my finger, and made sure I was looking directly into his eyes—smiling probably a little menacingly—before I licked it clean. He scrambled backward, his legs not wanting to work properly as he finally realised he wasn’t the predator anymore. Laughing, I gave him a few minutes head start before I began hunting him.

I took my time, relishing in the power I had over him, as my noisy pursuit made him panic. I focused on his racing heart and followed him down yet another street as he flicked a fearful look over his shoulder. We were nearing the city centre and I knew I’d have to end this game of cat and mouse far sooner than he deserved, but I had to feed and he needed to learn not to be such a massive douche-bag. With a short laugh that echoed towards him I forced him down a small alley to his right and finally into a dank abandoned square.

“You’ve reached the end of the line,” I purred at him when his head spun from side to side and he realised there was no escaping me. He dropped to his knees as I drew closer making him feel the same fear that his own victims would have undoubtedly felt at his hands. Tears ran down his face as he mutteredindistinguishable sounds, when my hands yanked his head to the side roughly exposing his neck and I plunged my teeth into him again.

“What in the world are you doing?” a horrified female voice pierced through the fog of bloodlust which had claimed my mind shortly after I’d begun feeding. The words she’d spoken meant nothing but her sweet shaking voice had my head flinging back, breaking the seal of my mouth on this worthless guy's neck. I met her brown eyes and reeled back further as reality came crashing down at her fear-filled look.

I knew what she was seeing and hated myself for being so careless. She was seeing the monster I’d carefully hidden from her last night. Blood dripped off my chin as her eyes pinned me in place and her heart sprinted, much like the man’s had done until seconds ago. I watched, trying to force my bloodlust to clear, as her eyes ran over my face and her head shook from side to side. A whimper that shattered my heart came from her lips before she turned and fled.

Unable to make myself move, I watched her long hair swing from side to side as she disappeared down the small cut through. Looking down at the man, who was still breathing—luckily—shame barrelled through me. I hadn’t hunted a human like I’d done tonight, since the night Tilly had found me half-mad from bloodlust in Edinburgh. Yes he’d deserved every minute of the fear I’d made him feel, but did he truly deserve to have his life ended by me? I wasn’t any better than him after all. It took me a few more minutes until my mind was my own again and I pushed to my feet, leaving the shit-stain where he lay. Tilly was going to be furious when she heard how tonight's hunt had gone. I’d been supposed to go to the clubs, sipping small amounts from those too drunk to notice, not meet-out my own form of vigilante justice on York’s drug dealing population.

I could already hear her voice as I whipped the blood from my chin and buttoned up my long coat, before turning and walking back towards our hotel with Charleene’s horrified voice ringing on repeat.

Shit, what have I done?I beratedmyself.

“What the hell did you do?” Tilly accused, when she saw the dejection on my face. She’d seen it often enough in our past to recognise it.

“I fucked up,” I answered honestly, I knew it was pointless in trying to hide anything from Tilly, she knew me better than I knew myself most days. Ushering me inside she gently closed the door before speaking again.

“Is anyone dead?” she asked, raising an eyebrow while reaching for her phone, in case she needed to call for someone to clean up whatever mess I’d caused.

“No.” I grumbled, Charleene’s fear filled eyes flashing through my mind, making me flinch.

“Then what?” Tilly asked, her voice softening slightly.

“I hunted a dealer tonight, and took all my frustrations out on him,” I paused, meeting her green eyes, “and she saw me.”

“Who?”

Charleene’s horrified voice rang through my head and I flinched again as my mouth uttered her name, “Charleene.”

“The witch?” Tilly asked incredulously, “Wait where were you feeding, for her to find you?” her voice turned suspicious until my next words made her furious.

“In the Shambles.”

“Adrina!” Tilly snapped, her ire returning as she shook her head at me, “anyone could have stumbled upon you.” She ranted, pulling at her hair and pacing a line in the carpet before me.

“I know, I was lost to the bloodlust. I wasn’t thinking clearly after I’d found the scumbag dealing to kids.” I excused myself.

“That’s no excuse, this is why we have rules against you hunting dealers.” I knew she was right, she’d placed the restriction on me for a very good reason. I lost all rational thought when hunting people like the shit-stain I’d fed upon tonight. Something from my own turning made me hunt anyone who pursued children with a single minded focus.

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