Page 93 of Promised in Blood

Axl snarls in warning.

I keep my gaze fixed on Osiris as I speak to Axl through our bond.He is upset. They are no threat to us.To accuse either me or one of my sireds is not what Osiris has brought me here for this day.

Osiris puts a steadying hand on his nephew’s arm. “Nobody is disputing what you saw. But this”—he glances down at the girl’s ravaged corpse once more—“isn’t natural vampire behavior. That’s why Alexandros is here.”

The lacerations covering almost every inch of her limbs suggest not only immense rage, but also a hunger that would be unusual for any vampire within a hundred-mile radius of a town full of humans. Not to mention this happened in a forest filled with deer and other wildlife.

“Do you recognize them?” I ask Axl, jerking my head in the direction of the vampires and the wolves still holding them captive. Everything about this situation has my nerves on edge. Nothing adds up. Vampires who devour a body like this are feral. Driven mad by blood lust that does not abate no matter how much they consume. Yet the two vampires accused of this crime stand idle under the watch of their wolf guards.

Axl sniffs the air and trains his eyes on the accused. “Two of the Onyx recruits. Sophomores, I think. Definitely not this year’s.”

“Esme was a senior, but she was taking a couple classes with sophomores because she changed her major last year,” Mack offers, his voice thick with grief.

“Did you ever see her hanging out with those guys? With any vampires?” Osiris asks his nephew.

Mack shakes his head. “She was shy. Only ever mixed with other wolves.”

“So what the hell was she doing out here with a pair of nutsacks from Onyx?” Axl asks with a snort.

“What the fuck are you implying, you stupid fuck!” Mack leaps on top of him, and a second later, the two of them are rolling around in the dirt, throwing punches at each other.

Osiris pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head.

“Axl,” I say, the cold warning evident in my voice.Have a little respect for their grief,I add in private.

He wrenches free of Mack’s hold and dusts off his clothes before crouching by my side once more. Mack grumbles and goes to lean against a nearby tree. He stares off into the distance, no doubt avoiding looking at his girlfriend’s body any longer than he has to.

Osiris’s dark eyes meet mine, and they are clouded with sadness and anger but mostly fear. “Why would they do this, Alexandros? Is this linked to what happened to the witch?”

“It is more likely than not,” I admit, stealing another glance at the two vampires and the wolves guarding them. They were once two of Osiris’s finest students, and now they are part of the faculty here. They both appear ready to tear off some vampire heads at their pack leader’s command. “Is that why you spared them?”

He swallows harshly and gives a shaky nod. “Mack found her. He called for me…” His eyes darken. Wolf packs can communicate with each other much like vampires can. “When we got here, he was fighting the two of them off.” He glances down at his bloodied knuckles. “We pulled them off her, and it was like…” His brow furrows. “Like they were fucking rabid one second, and then they were just…” He shakes his head.

“Just what?”

He jerks his head in the direction of the two vampires who killed the girl. “Like that.”

Another quick glance in their direction finds them standing in the clearing. One leans against a large rock; the other stares at the horizon. Both of them appear distinctly vacant.

Using the tip of my index finger, I collect a sample of Esme’s blood and hold it close to my nose, inhaling deeply. Whilst there is the distinct scent of vampires, there is something more. Something darker. Ancient.

I wipe the blood on my pants and make my way over to the accused with Axl close behind me. The wolves, bristling with pent-up rage, step aside and allow me to inspect the two suspects.

The one staring off into the distance has remains of Esme’s intestines stuck to his clothes. The pink twisted meat obscures part of the silver skull motif on his T-shirt, making it appear like brain matter oozing out in some kind of bizarre three-dimensional image.

“You know their names?” I ask Axl without taking my eyes off the young vampire in front of me.

Axl hums. “Pretty sure they call this one Bones.”

Tall, skinny, dark circles under his eyes. Makes sense. I take a quick look at his accomplice. Shaved head, heavyset, square jaw. His eyes have the same glassy look as Bones’s, but he looksdirectly at me. Or more likely through me. He wears a dog collar, adorned with red and black spikes. “And the other?”

Axl snorts. “Bad Dog, or some stupid shit like that.”

“Watch him,” I order, and Axl and the wolves step in front of him, but Dog shows no indication of registering their presence.

Tightly gripping Bones’s jaw, I tip his head back, and I am unsurprised when he offers me no resistance. His fangs are still protracted and coated with Esme’s blood. A growl rumbles from his chest, and if I had to guess, it is more instinct than anything else because he remains otherwise compliant. I twist his head from side to side, examining his throat for any sign of a bite mark but finding none. “What is your name?”

He blinks in response, his gray eyes almost lifeless.

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