Page 51 of Bitten Vampire
He sways, then drops to his knees.
“You are welcome,” I add as he face-plants onto the tarmac. “Huh, I’m a badarse.”
The stake slaps into my palm.
What the heck…
Reinforcements inbound, kid. Ditch the car and run.
The voice is not House’s; it’s sharp, female, unfamiliar, and coming from the stake.
One downed vampire becomes four more, gliding from porches and rooflines. They circle, fangs bared.
“You killed Ian,” one of them snarls.
I can see why they would think that, what with him not breathing and all. But the vampire is asleep.
“Beryl?” I whisper.
Yes. Welcome to the party. Now move your undead arse!
I run. Rain lashes my face; my coat snaps behind me. The street blurs.
This is bad, very bad. I am running from vampires. Again. The border police caught me quickly last time, but perhaps—just perhaps—I can outrun this lot.
A spell slams between my shoulder blades, pitching me into a bin. Glass bottles clatter and smash; the plasticshell bounces across the pavement. My legs turn heavy, useless.
Not again.
I’m a pathetic excuse for a vampire.
The man who accused me of killing Ian steps towards me. He smiles—all teeth and promises of pain.
Yeah, it’s not a nice smile.
A door swings open to my left. A woman steps out, with dark hair and eyes of liquid silver that glow in the gloom.
Beast shine.
She’s a shapeshifter.
A cricket bat dangles loosely from her hand; she twirls it like a sabre.
“What’s going on here?” Her tone is flat, unimpressed.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” my accuser replies. “It’s a vampire matter. Go back inside.”
The shifter huffs, raising the bat. Her silver gaze narrows. “What I see,” she says, pointing the bat at him, “is five male blood derivatives circling one woman.”
“Five?” I mumble.
She flicks the bat upward. I follow the gesture and spot a vampire perched on the roof above me. If she hadn’t appeared, he’d have pounced.
“Go back inside,” the vampire repeats.
She bares her teeth in something that isn’t quite a smile. “Those aren’t the words,” she murmurs. “‘Go back inside, Alpha’s mate’—that’swhat you’re looking for.” Mockery drips from every syllable as she settles into a batting stance. “Nope. Don’t think I will. I rather fancy using your heads as cricket balls.”
I gulp. “Thank you, but you can’t take on all these vampires for me. No one else needs to be hurt.”
