Page 71 of Hunting His Vampire Mate

Ifaded in and out of awareness. Something else—something that was dark and cold, a creature of pure logic and monstrous urges—had taken control of my limbs and senses. And I was in a place that wasn’t really a place, watching, struggling to maintain some semblance of awareness.

My body moved with blinding speed, pausing for only an instant at the entrance to the mine. The sun was going to rise soon. Which was unfortunate, because my body was still hungry. However, there was a cold and rational part of my mind which understood perfectly that getting caught in the crosshairs of the sun would spell certain death. After draining that human, no doubt the irritating little group of do-gooders back in the mine would want justice. Getting caught in the sun would make that outcome far more likely.

Grief and horror struck me all over again. What had I done? Had the young man lived? I hadn’t checked for a pulse. I didn’t know how badly I had hurt him. But I had the awful feeling I had hurt him very badly indeed. Had I killed him?

Shut up!A cold voice echoed through my mind. It was utterly flat, uncaring.We were hungry and now we’re less hungry.

I recoiled. But there was nowhere left to go. Because I wasn’t anywhere. I was barely even there at all.

Barely even a ghost.The voice agreed. I had the sensation of running, but it was distant, like it was happening from somewhere far away. The voice added,No more than a lingering nuisance.

I wanted to protest, to fight against the voice. But I was so tired. Exhausted.

The voice was right, wasn’t it? I was barely even there at all. Eventually, I would have to let go. Eventually, I would go to sleep and I would never wake up.

But I couldn’t, yet. Even though every part of me that was still me screamed in protest, wanting to give in to the crushing darkness.

Because this thing that had taken over my body wasn’t me.

It was something else.

Somethingother.

And it was dangerous. It might hurt someone. It might hurt Michael.

At the thought of my mate, some of the exhaustion receded. It wasn’t gone. I knew it would come back soon. And it would be stronger than before. But I couldn’t let this creature wearing my skin do what it wanted. I sensed its dark intentions all too well.

Michael needed me. He needed me to hold on for long enough to stop this creature that thought it was me butwasn’t.

And I would stop it. I would fight this, before I faded away into the darkness for good. I would hold on long enough for Michael to do what he needed to do. He had promised me that he wouldn’t let me be a monster.

Unable to do anything else for the moment, I watched and listened.

And waited.

* * *

The annoyingly emotional inner voice had gone silent as I ran. But I could sense it, still there. It was deep within my chest, a lingering presence of otherness. But it was buried deep enough that it could do me no harm. It was powerless.

And it would be gone soon.

The others might wish to kill me, of course. Though, Michael would stop them from getting too far with that particular plan. He would want to save me.

My lips twitched into a smile at the thought of him. Ah, Michael.MyMichael.

He and I were bonded, after all.

No, he wouldn’t allow them to end my life. He already knew he belonged to me. He wasmine.And I would come back for him, sooner rather than later. The telepathic bond between us would come in quite handy, eventually.

But not now.

I focused on throwing up a psychic wall between us. I knew from my interactions with Bryan—it seemed like a lifetime ago, like it had happened to someone else—that it was possible to shut out one’s mate with an intentional act of will.

Michael’s mind receded from mine at once.

The mere intention to shut him out was all that was needed. It was startlingly easy, requiring barely any effort at all.

So much for the power of true love.

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