Page 30 of Fated In Blood

Blake herded her a step closer. “Now, Rohr. Before it’s too late.”

I reached for her, and she danced away, fast and lithe, my fingers barely brushing her bare arm when I should have caught her with ease. The evil creature had the fucking audacity to grin at me as she bounced on her toes, ten feet away.

“Stop being a pain in my ass. We’re not going to harm you. We could have killed you a hundred times over in the past seven hours and we didn’t. Now let me…” I swept my arm through the air, intending to scoop her up, but I never made it.

I didn’t even see her move until her foot sank into my testicles, air bursting out of my lungs as pain spliced me in half, my vision shredding apart.Fuck, the evil little thing was fast as a snake.

And she fought dirty.

Once I could stand straight again, I might even admire her.

“Get her to the goddamned house,” I choked, and Blake stepped up behind the girl, wrapping his arms around her and vanishing.

I couldn’t see Tyrell, but he was up there, watching this debacle, probably with a glass of his finest scotch in hand. I flipped him the bird, gathered my magic, and flew—every piece of me screaming in agony—back home.

I landedinside the foyer of Crimson Manor and found Blake Adolphus Marten, head of Nocturne Clan’s security, cupping his groin, sweat pouring off his face.

“You’re a pure-blooded vampire, one of the most powerful predators on earth. Possibly the best fighter I’ve ever seen in my life. One would think, given what you’d just witnessed, you would have guarded your balls better.”

“Fuck, she’s fast,” he grunted, drool dribbling from his mouth.

“Also something you witnessed firsthand, my friend.” I scanned the empty hall. “Dare I ask where she is?”

“That way.” Blake pointed to our left. One handed, becausedamn. After something like that, it always felt like if you let go of your balls, they might just fall the fuck off.

I located her immediately through our newly forged blood bond, in a room around the corner, currently trying to pry open one of the painted-shut windows so she could slip out through the gardens. Well, the joke was on her, because nobody escaped the gardens unless we allowed them to.

“Riordan.” Blake managed to lift his head and meet my gaze. “Her eyes were already glowing.”

Fucking hell.

A brand-new vampire with no self-control and a fresh set of fangs on the loose in a building filled with unsuspecting victims. “Get your shit together and go hunt her down.” She was nothing but a complication in my life, but fuck me if those words didn’t ignite a fire deep inside me, even with my own still-aching balls.

“Before anyone gets hurt,” I tacked on, since that should be my highest priority as king, not imagining how good she’d feel on my cock.This unwanted attraction was only her blood in my system messing with my head.

“Go find her, Blake. If you think I’m the one feeding her these next seven days, think again.” I winced inside as he straightened to his full height, face white as paper. “I need her to be strong, my friend. She’s about to become Tyrell’s downfall.”

His face brightened before a troubled expression shuttered it again. “I see. You only saved her to use her.”

Was that…judgmentin his voice?

I’d known Blake my entire life. Even when my sire was alive, he’d been my one constant, besides Tyrell and the craven Nocturne royals, yet never once had I heard that questioning note come out of his mouth.

“We’ll discuss what comes next if she survives her transition. My guess is she’s starving.” I nodded in the direction she’d fled, marked by a trail of her sweet, addictive scent.

“You’d better hurry, my friend. She’s stronger than any newborn I’ve ever seen.”

I closed my eyes and focused, a smile playing on my lips, even though I should probably be pissed. She was climbing through the window, elation rippling down the bond when her feet hit the ground and she took off running through the garden, thinking she was free.

She was going to be the fucking perfect weapon.

Blake paused before he vanished. “Fuck, how does this even work? You Made her. Should I be asking you for permission…or something?”

“For now, that’s our secret. Tyrell’s planning to use her against us, it’s best if he doesn’t know I’m the one who Made her.” Blake nodded, instantly understanding. When it came tothe crafty games Laurent liked to play, secrets were power, and this particular secret could give me an edge.

“You give her whatever she wants. If she’s half as wild now as she was as a human, you’re about to have your fucking hands full. Make her strong, Blake, then we use her to tear Laurent apart.”

Sensing his doubt, I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know much about her, but I know this. She wants revenge, and she’ll jump at a chance to kill Tyrell.”

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