Page 2 of Prince of Never

I pressed the button on the key and a flash of orange lit up the shadows long enough to illuminate a man standing in the dark.I sucked in a gasp.The light in my car kept him visible, and my eyes followed him as he moved closer.

‘You’ve been a hard one to track down,’ he said, his voice laced with menace.He was tall, fine-featured, with an otherworldly beauty about him that sent my mind back to the night of my attack.You smell incredible, I just need to taste you.Words I’d hoped to forget came rushing back to me.My heart hammered in my chest as I fished in my bag.

‘Stay back!’I said, my voice shaking.But he only smiled and his hand darted out to grip my arm.

Found it.

My fingers wrapped around the metal canister, and I yanked it from my purse, spraying it into his face.Mace is illegal in Australia, but cheap deodorant does the trick.It was the only reason anyone older than eighteen boughtImpulse.He shrieked and jolted back, clawing at his eyes.I didn’t stick around to admire my handiwork, wrenching open the door of my car, throwing myself inside and slamming it shut behind me.I jabbed the lock, and stabbed the key into the ignition with trembling fingers.Hands slammed down on my bonnet as the car roared to life, startling a scream from me.I stared into angry red eyes.Did I have it in me to run him down?He snarled at me, bringing a hand up to reveal unnaturally long, sharpclaws.

Yep.I had it in me.

I smashed my foot down on the accelerator, trying to ignore the thud and the scrape of metal as he bounced off my bonnet, tearing out of the carpark with a squeal of tyres.My heart pounded.The surging panic began to shake my whole body as I gripped the steering wheel and something poppy and cheerful beat away on the radio.

What was I supposed to do now?I knew I had to go to the police, to report what happened.But what if I’d killed the man?There was no way in hell I was going back to check.But if Ihadkilled him, it would be far worse to fail to go to the police.They weren’t going to believe me.One look at my file and they’d discount anything I said.I blew out a slow breath and pulled myself together.I wasnotgoing to be charged with a hit and run.I had no choice but to head for the police station a few streets away.

‘Let’s run through this again,’ the officer said in a gruff voice as he re-entered the interview room.How many times was I going to have to do this?I’d been stuck in the station for an hour and a half, and a good chunk of that time I’d spent sitting alone in an interrogation room while they waited for me to change my story.

‘I was walking to my car, a man attacked me.He grabbed my arm and I sprayed him in the eyes with—’

‘Yes, that’s fine.But then you said there were marks on your car, like claw marks, which you say must have been made with some kind of blade.’

‘That’s right,’ I said slowly.It wasn’t the truth.They were claw marks made from claws but I wasn’t about to tell him that.The evidence would speak for itself, if he’d only look.

‘Thing is, when I looked at your car, there wasn’t a scratch on it.’

‘What?’My eyes grew wide.No.No this wasn’t happening again.Not again.Had I imagined the whole thing?Was I really crazy?

‘And I’ve just had an officer check the scene.There was no evidence, no signs of a struggle, no blood, which I would expect to see if you’d hit someone with your car.’

Shit.Shit, this couldn’t be all in my head.It couldn’t.‘I don’t understand.He was in that car park.Maybe you went to the wrong one?’

The officer let out an exasperated sigh.‘I suggest, Miss Summers, that you go home.Maybe take tomorrow off work.’

‘But I—’

‘Unless you want to be charged with filing a false police report?’

My head drooped, that familiar sense of disappointment creeping in.‘No,’ I said meekly.

‘Good, then we’re done here,’ he said, gesturing a hand towards the door.

I stood, my chair scraping across the floor, and shuffled out the door.I hesitated at the entrance of the building, the cool air prickling at my skin, sparking that fear again.Was it really all in my head?Had I imagined the man tonight?Had I imagined the vampire?I’d fought for twelve years to hold onto the truth of that night.What if it wasn’t the truth at all?

I forced myself to step into the dark.God, I hated feeling crazy.I didn’t know what was real.But wine would help ease my frayed nerves.

As I reached my car, I froze.On my bonnet, right where I told the police, long claw marks were gouged into the metal.How could he not have seen it?Was it real?My breath quickened as I reached out with tentative fingers, brushing my skin against the shredded metal.I pulled my hand back as if I’d been shocked.Itfeltreal.

A shiver ran down my spine.I didn’t know what was going on but I knew I didn’t want to be there anymore.I jumped in my car, locking the door behind me, and drove towards home, making every possible effort to keep my eyes on the road and off the claw marks in the bonnet.

Chapter 2

Tarian

Ihatedthewayshe ate.She was always so particular about choosing her next bite; hovering her fork over the plate like she was launching a missile, seeking the perfect target, her lips already pursed against retaliation.She zeroed in on her victim now, skewering a piece of fowl and scrutinising it.Was she going to interrogate it?

Her gaze flickered down the table to me.

‘My goodness, Tarian, anyone would think you were addled, the way you stare so.’

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