Page 49 of Spooks & Specters

Fear tightened Kit’s throat as he heard the door being locked. Why were neither Don nor the stranger reacting to Don using the stranger’s name? That didn’t bode well at all, according to those murder shows.

Kit didn’t know what was going on, but he wanted both of them gone. Heespeciallywanted that stranger out of his office. There was something dark and menacing about the man called Nox.

He was actually very attractive with his tanned skin and dark hair and eyes. But those eyes were cold and empty. Dead. If eyes were the windows to the soul, then this man lacked one.

“I’m sorry, Kit. So sorry. I didn’t have a choice.”

“Wh-what? What do you mean? Sorry? Sorry for what?” This didn’t sound good. Oh God, was he going to die in his own damn office? “What do you mean, you didn’t have a choice? A choice about what?”

Kit wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know.

Don didn’t say anything, just stepped out of the way as Nox prowled toward Kit. The insane thought crossed his mind that he had read in romance books about a character prowling, but he’d never really stopped to think about what it looked like.

And why had he ever thought it was sexy? There was nothing sexy about this. In fact, Kit distinctly felt like prey. Nox lowered his chin slightly as he stared at Kit and slowly walked forward. The asshole was enjoying Kit’s fear.

Run!Kit’s brain screamed.

But there was nowhere to run to. There was only one door out of his office, and Don was standing by it. There was also a window, but Kit couldn’t see himself bailing out of that, either.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” Nox said.

And that did it. Kit’s hindbrain kicked into action at those creepy words. He grabbed his desk chair and chunked it at the asshole coming around the desk. Kit fled to the other side and made a beeline straight toward Don, who stood between him and freedom.

As he drew closer, Kit nearly tripped over his heels when Don’s eyes flickered yellow… then stayed that color.

His eyes were yellow.

Yellow.

Yellow.

What the fuck?Eyes didn’t do that—they didn’t turn yellow. That wasn’t a color eyes fucking turned.

Human eyes,Kit’s brain helpfully supplied as he rushed Don.Human eyes don’t turn that color.

Kit swung at Don with everything he had. He might have an androgynous look with delicate features, and his long hair only added to the femme look, but he’d been raised running wild in a commune. He could hunt, fish, and fight.

His fist connected with Don’s chin, and pain ricocheted up his arm. Kit swore loudly and grabbed his hand. Since when was Don’s chin made of cement?

Don didn’t so much as even flinch, although there was sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don, plea—”

Nox grabbed Kit by the shoulder and swung him around. Kit’s ankle turned, and he fell into the stranger’s arms.

“Perfect,” Nox said, wrapping one arm around Kit as he sank his other hand into Kit’s hair, yanking his head to the side.

Kit fought, not that it did a damn bit of good. The power in those arms that held him trapped was astounding.

Inhuman.

Kit opened his mouth to scream—why hadn’t he thought to do that before?—and he caught a glimpse of fangs coming at him. What kind of nightmare was he living in? Only animals had fangs, not… not humans.

Then every thought was washed away in agonizing pain as those fangs sank into his throat. His struggles grew less as his arms fell to his sides, as if they weighed a thousand pounds. Terror still rolled through him, but drowsiness swept over him as the monster at his throat drank. He could literally feel the tugs against his vein as his blood was pulled from his body.

Nausea rose swiftly. This… this thing had bitten him and drunk his blood. Silence began to creep into his head as the voices that screamed at him to escape slowly became muted. Then it stopped, and Nox released him. Kit fell to the floor at Nox’s feet. Dizziness made him blink as he stared up at the monster who had bitten him, only the monster now looked exactly like Kit.

Exactly like him. Only, that wasn’t possible. Yet there Kit was, looking up at himself.

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