Page 50 of Hitched to the Vampire King

The latch gave way with a soft click, and the window slowly opened, letting in a faint breeze but no light, thanks to the thick curtains. I caught the scent of the intruder—human, male, and armed with a stake most definitely treated with monksblood and holy water. The only advantage I had was that I was a werewolf, and they weren’t. An advantage I had no problem using right now, regardless of our whole “never reveal yourself to humans” schtick.

Unfortunately, shifting would restrict my mobility. The room wasn’t small by any means, but the bureau and the queen-sized bed took up a great deal of space. Remaining in human form gave me agilityandthe ability to question the bastard, which, in my opinion, was the most important part right now. So, I stayed in human form, gripping my dagger tightly and waiting for the right moment.

The guy was stealthy, I’d give him that. He slipped into the room, his heavy boots landing silently on the plush carpet. But when he reached for the curtains, presumably to let in a little of that lethal sunlight, I reacted.

Lunging forward, I grabbed his wrist and yanked him fully into the room. The curtains fluttered, but remained shut, not a single bit of light entering the room.

Good for me.

Bad for the human.

Before the slayer could react, I twisted his arm behind his back, then shoved the side of his head against the wall, the picture frames rattling under the force. I held him in place with my other hand, then kicked his legs apart to keep him off balance. In a matter of seconds, I’d rendered the so-called slayer completely useless. Not a good look for the New Orleans branch. Yes, I was a werewolf, but I still expected a little better.

He bucked against me, but he hardly presented a challenge. And when I didn’t so much as budge an inch, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped like a fish out of water. Yes, I bet it was a tad surprising that he’d failed to dislodge a woman half a foot shorter than him. Perhaps a bit of a hit to his manly ego too.

“Who are you?” I demanded, pressing him harder against the wall.

He didn’t respond. Instead, he grunted and tried to throw me off again.

I sighed and clucked my tongue at him. Then I fisted my hand in his hair and smashed it into the wall a second time. This time, his knees went weak, and he started to slip. Hmm. Maybe I’d rattled his brain a little too hard. Strange how much I really didn’t care though. The man had broken into my bedroom, intent on murdering my mate. That tended to put me in a bit of a foul mood, and I wasn’t a morning person at the best of times.

“Name,” I insisted again.

Before he could answer, the bedroom door flew open, blasting us with the hallway light. Lucy and Sam stood in the doorway, their hair rumpled from sleep, but wide awake.

Lucy’s eyes leapt from me to the slayer I held against the wall, her mouth twitching with humor. “Problems?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I growled, allowing my wolf to slip out just a little bit. I shook the slayer once more, until his teeth practically rattled in his skull. “Name?”

After a moment, he coughed out a hoarse, “Gavin.”

“Gavin,” I echoed, embedding his name into my memory. “Well, Gavin, I must say, you chose the wrong room to break into.”

He hacked out another cough, not really in a position to do much more than that.

“Tell me everything I wanna know, and you might live to see sunset,” I told him. “You working alone? Or is this a group party type scenario?”

Gavin tried in vain to muster a small amount of defiance by sneering at me. Considering I was a werewolf and currently dating a vampire, his fangs left a lot to be desired. When I laughed, the fight drained out of him, and he sagged against the wall. “Just me.”

I considered his answer. If this was me, I’d lie through my teeth to protect my friends. Like hell I’d ever betray Jaden and Josh.

“Do a perimeter check,” I told Lucy and Sam. “I doubt he’s telling us the truth. Kill whoever you find.”

Gavin cursed and renewed his efforts to free himself. “Wait, wait…”

“Hmm?” I asked, leaning close. “Was there something you wanted to say?”

“Two others,” he rasped out. “One in the back, one in the front.”

“And isthatthe truth?” I demanded, giving him another little shake. “Or will we find more when Lucy and Sam go to collect your friends?” I leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “Think how easy it was for me to catch you. My friends are just as talented.”

Gavin’s lip curled. “There’s one more waiting with the vehicle.”

“Three more slayers,” I announced to Sam and Lucy. “Grab them and bring them into the living room, where we can have a nice little chat.”

Gavin burst out laughing. “We have nothing to say to you. You’re a traitor. Yousleepwith one of them.”

I couldn’t help the wicked smile that curled my lips. “Oh yes, and I quite enjoy it too. But you aren’t here to discuss my likes and dislikes in the sack. So let’s table that conversation for another time, shall we?”

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