Page 110 of It All Started with a Bite

The moonlight washing through the corridor behind me made my body itch and my bones tremble as my wolf clawed to get out. I kept her at bay by a sheer act of will and glanced at Marcus.

“Let him go. You don’t have any further use for him.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Camilla picked up the skull and cradled it lovingly in her hands. “You see, I still need him.” Her smile widened. “Just like I need everyone downstairs to be good and stay put.”

The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place like death knolls inside my head. Dread churned my stomach.

“You’re going to use the skull to control the supernatural creatures at tonight’s ball, aren’t you?”

Didi and Gavin gasped in my ear.

“Finally caught up, have you?” Camilla’s voice dripped with contempt. “I am done pandering to stuck-up werewolves and their antiquated Council. Done bowing and scraping to vampire aristocrats who think they’re better than everyone else.” Her eyes blazed. “It’s time Amberford had a new leadership.”

“You’re—you’re insane!” Marcus choked out. He was glaring at Camilla with glowing amber eyes, his wolf on show.

“Shut up.” Camilla glowered at him. “You’re just as weak as your damn father. He would still be alive if only he’d listened to me!”

I froze, my eyes rounding. Bo whined.

Marcus paled. “What—what are you talking about?”

“Arthur discovered what I was planning to do with the skull. He stole it and left it at that witch’s shop.” Camilla’s face twisted. “It took me ten years to find the damn thing. Unfortunately, Arthur had to die for his mistake.”

Horror dawned on Marcus’s face. “You—you killed my father?!”

“Someone had to.” Camilla shrugged. “He was going to expose my plans to the Council.”

Yup, Camilla was batshit crazy.

“You’re a monster,” I growled.

Camilla gave me a callous look. “Aren’t we all?” She signaled silently to her henchmen.

The witch raised her hands. Magic crackled between her fingers. It grew into a dazzling ball of light that made the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

“Don’t let that hit you!” Didi yelled in my ear.

The third vampire launched himself at me, silver knife glinting.

I ducked under his swing, grabbed his arm, and used his momentum to throw him into a wall. He hit it with a satisfying crunch that dented the plaster.

Bo snarled and went for the witch’s ankles just as she cast her magic at me. She shrieked and stumbled, her attack ruffling my hair as it whizzed past my head before obliterating the door behind me.

The vampires holding Marcus threw him aside and advanced on me, fangs gleaming.

My wolf bared her teeth back as she pressed against my skin.

The vampires hesitated.

A yelp had my head snapping to the left. The witch had kicked Bo and sent him flying into the antique desk. Marcus grabbed her around the waist as she attempted to stamp on Bo’s head.

Rage burned through my veins.

Camilla was skirting the room toward the exit, the crystal skull in hand.

The vampires attacked.

I stopped a punch to my head with my fist, crushed the first vampire’s hand, and narrowly missed a magic blast as I elbowed the second vampire lunging for my throat viciously in the face.

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