Page 9 of Secondhand Garagyre

Hesighs and heavily replies, “Yes, boss.You’reunderstood.I’llfind her.”

Iwait untilIam sure his communication with the other human is completed beforeIdrop my glamour.Witha sadistic smile etched into my face,Igrab the human with both hands and abruptly spin him around to face me, making sure the tips of my claws sink past his clothes and into his skin.

Thesmall shriek of pain the man makes is music to my ears as the scent of his blood blooms in the air, and saliva pools in my mouth.Whata tasty evening treat. “Goodevening, human.Letus have a chat about why you are watching my female, and to whom do you report?Shallwe?”Igleefully ask, before continuing, “IseeIhave rendered you speechless;Iam rather impressive, but your opinion matters not to me.Youare nothing more than an irritant.Muchlike an insect buzzing around a carcass.Yourblood will tell me allIneed to know; your cooperation is not really all that necessary.”

Baringmy fangs into a facsimile of a smile,Ilet my secondary set of fangs drop and watch as the human watches them slide into place.Itamuses me as he begins to struggle, trying to escape my clutches.Heis large, especially for a human, but he is still no match for me.Hisshout of alarm is music to my ears asIdrag him closer to me.Igrab the top of his skull with one clawed handand readjust my grasp on his shoulder with the other to ensure his cooperation asIpierce his neck.

Thefirst drop of blood hits my tongue, and along with it, the male’s memories.Ican feel my sanity slipping asIwatch what this male did to my female.Thecombination of feeding for the first time in centuries, along with the incandescent fury of watching this malebeata defenselessPaisley, snaps the tightly held leashIhave on my bloodlust.

Mylast conscious thought is that hopefully this male will be enough to assuage my hunger… becausePaisleyis the only other heartbeatIcan detect in the vicinity.

And… bloodlust knows no friend or foe, save that of a bonded mate.

Chapter Eleven

PAISLEY

Thefaint soundof whimpering pulls me from the depths of unconsciousness, andIfrown in confusion.Whois making that sound?Ican feel my eyelids flutter, before slowly opening.

Sittingup gingerly,Ilook around.Idon’t recognize the area of the cemeteryI’min andI’mnot sure howIgot here.Thelast thingIremember is having a conversation with the creatureI’veseen countless times as a stone statue…and then passing out.

Ohno!

Ipassed out!

Talkabout a “too stupid to live moment.”

Myeyes widen as the cobwebs begin to clear from my mind, andItake in the sight in front of me.Oneof the thugsBradleyhired is suspended in the air in front of me, mere feet away, whileLaithogis…

Whatexactlyishe doing?

Squinting,Ifinally make out that his dark head is attached to the man’s neck andLaithog’sthroat is rhythmically swallowing.

Ohshit.

Laithogis a vampire?!

But…he looks like a dragon had a lovechild with a gargoyle.

Whyin the world is he drinking that man’s blood?

NotthatIreally care that he’s doing so.Becauselet’s be real.Thatbastard helped beat the hell out of me, soIdon’t really care what happens to him.That, and he works forBradley, so he can’t possibly be a decent human being.ThesameBradleythat admitted he killed my brother.TheBradley, that somehow,Iam going to figure out how to kill becausePatrick’sdeath cannot go unpunished.Especiallynow thatIknowBradleydid it on purpose.

BradleymurderedPatrick.And.He.Must.Pay.

However, that is a plan for another day because the thug’s struggles are getting weaker and weaker.Icould also see the color is almost completely gone from his complexion and it didn’t appear as thoughLaithogis done…eating.Thethought did make me a bit squeamish, but everything needs to eat.

Right…?

Theabrupt sound of the man’s body hitting the ground makes me flinch.

Laithog’shead snaps around, the slight movement of my body bringing his attention fully to me.Iinstantly know this isn’t the maleImet earlier.Hiseyes are crimson, not the piercing jade green of before.Concernfills me as he turns to face me and pads towards me, his feet silent on the grass.Nota whisper of sound can be heard as he moves across the grass.Asign of an apex predator, to be sure.

Ifreeze, fear filling me.Idon’t dare move.Thereis no wayIcould outrun him, no wayIcould fight him off, so hereIsit asIwait for him to do whatever it is he will.Hopefully,Isurvive it.

Hereaches me in seconds, looming over me before leaning forward.Hislarge hands on either side of my shoulders and his knees straddling my hips.Ifeel his hot breath against my neck and manage to whimper a one-word protest before his teeth graze the vulnerable skin of my throat.

“Laithog.”

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