Page 18 of The Huntress

She hoped telling him she wasn’t here for the festival might convince him to let her go. A futile hope, but she tried anyway.

He laughed, the sound coming not three feet from her left. “Nonsense. Why participate then, mm?”

Lamplight illuminated the room, and she shut her eyes against the brightness. “My sister is here. I wanted to stop her.”

She cracked open one eye, wincing as she faced him, his hand on the lamp chord, proving he was familiar with the hideout. Hewashandsome, in a boyish sort of way.

Eyes peered at her from the shadows behind him, snatching a gasp from her. She bit her lip, anger burning her cheeks as fear coursed through her blood. Damn it, she should’ve controlled herself better and not jeopardized someone else’s life.

She could barely discern the person in the shadows. They shifted, and the light revealed a masculine brow over his eyes before darkness consumed him again.

Another man. And the way he glared at the idiot—Darius, wasn’t it—was good news for her…she hoped.

Darius preened like he was God’s gift to man or suckblood, assuming her gasp meant she found him breathtaking. She smothered a smirk. Typical suckblood arrogance.

“Not running from me now?” he asked.

She focused on his face, searching for any nuance that would indicate he was aware of the man lurking in the darkness. With the preternatural gifts suckbloods had, he should have, but he didn’t pause in his determination to reach her. Unless the man was a suckblood too? If he was, she foresaw a Callista Devereaux smorgasbord situation served up for their pleasure.

On the off chance he was friendly, she tried not to look at him so she wouldn’t give away his presence, despite her initial fauxpas. Her conversion or death at Darius’s hands was inevitable. The stranger didn’t need to suffer from the same fate.

“What’s the point?” She sidled to her right, ensuring Darius didn’t glance behind him, keeping his focus on her.

“Yes, indeed, although I enjoyed the hunt.”

“I can climb the ladder, and we can continue this for say, another half-hour, but we’ll be back to this point. I still don’t want you to feed from me, convert or kill me.”

“I can’t wait another thirty minutes. Your blood smells delicious.”

He licked his lips as he grabbed his crotch. She shuddered in disgust. He frowned with his focus narrowing on her face.

“You truly don’t want me.” Amazement warmed his husky voice.

“No, I don’t want you.” She fought a snort and kept her voice level. Now wasn’t the time for her sass.

Leo was the same—don’t I smell good?—what nonsense. Like the taste of blood was all that mattered.

Darius puffed up like a startled pigeon, slicing through his buttoned shirt with a sharp-looking fingernail to expose his rippling muscles and taut stomach. She’d have admired him had he been on the cover of a magazine.

A strange sickly-sweet scent washed over her, forcing her to see him in a more favorable light. She was aware of the change in her, as if she’d taken a weak drug that manipulated her idea of handsome. Still a forced attraction, not enough to tempt her.

“Now?” His voice deepened to gravel.

“What has changed since a minute ago?” Callie asked, her tone bored.

His eyes widened with delight. He was a sick bastard, this suckblood. He toyed with her like a little boy with many diversions. How different would her life have been if they didn’t exist?

“Indeed you are a surprise, my pet.” He chuckled, stepping closer to her.

The hidden man moved with him, bringing his body into the lamplight. Her mouth fell open. She inhaled a shuddering breath. Nowthiswas gorgeous. He was six-foot-six she’d say, with broad shoulders and dark hair slashing across his forehead in thick waves. His ghost-gray eyes were sensual and lethal, dazzling her. He peered down his sharp nose, dragging her stunned gaze to his wide mouth with its fuller bottom lip. He’d pinched them together enough to whiten them. His carved angular jaw dominated his face. His barrel-wide chest tapered into a trim waist, and dark designer denims hugged his tree-trunk thighs.

Her panties dampened in reaction to the unadulterated image of him. He was such a visual delight; she couldn’t blame her traitorous hormones for blowing her revered self-control to smithereens. It wasn’t often a man devastated her senses.Oh, sweet justice, don’t let him be a suckblood.

Darius inhaled again, a grin flashing. “Your scent is stronger, more intoxicating. So a delayed reaction, mm?”

The idiot still thought it was him. She dipped her chin, a hysterical giggle bubbling up her throat, but her gaze unerringly returned to the stranger. He mesmerized her like a beautiful marble statue in a museum drew admiration. A statue that depicted the ideal man. Although, if mystery man was nude, she’d need to pick her tongue off the floor.

He looked familiar though, like Sylvester but more virile, if that was possible for a half-dead. What? She pinched her lips against a gasp. He was a suckblood? Fury and disappointment shattered her hopes.

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