Page 35 of Incubus Vampire Slayer
His whole expression has in an instant transformed from lovesick boy to snarling hate. And he’s cut off almost all the air to my lungs.
“How long?” he snarls. “How long have you been using your power on me?!”
“Just-just…now…” I choke out, terrified of what he’s suddenly turned into.
“Liar!” He’s so angry, he’s baring his teeth. He tightens his grip. I start to see purple flashes on the edges of my vision.
“I’m… not…” I squeak out, suffocating, unable to complete the words. Tears well up in my eyes. He looks like he absolutely despises me.
His gaze flicks to a teardrop as it crests my lower lid and spills down my cheek. For a moment, it seems to infuriate him even more.
Then he lets go and I collapse to my knees, wheezing in breath.
“If you try anything on me, I’ll know, and I won’t hesitate to kill you.” He yanks up his pants, which of course were down the whole time he was strangling me. Both our pants, actually. It might be a funny image, if it wasn’t so messed up.
I just crouch, bare-assed, head bowed, tears silently streaming down my face. God! This is all just too much!The last batshit straw. I can’t look at him. Not after everything I’ve screwed up. Not with him hating me like this. Yeah, I knew he was a Monster Hunter, but I honestly believed we’d become friends, and I’ve never really had one of those before.
You know, because of what I am.
I can feel him glaring down. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time, haven’t you? Laughing at the idiot Hunter, who’s been acting like this big hero rescuing you! Were you ever going to tell me, or were you just having too much fun?”
“I thought you knew what I was.” My voice is barely a whisper. I’m sniffling. “You said youknew…”
“I thought you werefae—at least in part—not a literal soul-sucking demon!” he exclaims.
That gets me to glance up. The clear bafflement on my face gets him to continue.
He thrusts his palm down in my direction, like he made the most obvious conclusion in the world. “You were mixed up with an elf prince. You spoke to invisible creatures. You cast magic without runes. You could see in the dark.” He folds his arms and glares up at the ceiling. “Even your name was this huge clue!”
That gets me to scrunch my brows even further. “What about my name?”
“Alvin!It means ‘elf friend.’”
It’s such a stupid coincidence that I almost laugh. Almost.
“I think…” I suck in some wayward snot. “I think my mom just liked the chipmunks. Or maybe she thought I looked like one as a baby or whatever…”
There’s a pause, and then he huffs out a legit chuckle at that. But he’s shaking his head slowly, jaw tight, and rolling his eyes, like he’s still really pissed off.
“Is it okay if I stand and pull my pants up?” If he’s going to kill me, I don’t want him to do it with my dingus hanging out.
“No sudden moves” is his cold reply.
I nod and slide up against the wall to my feet. I’m still pretty shaky. My neck stings and aches. I drag my boxer briefs and sweats up to my belly. The elastic waistband of my underwear is torn, so it doesn’t want to stay.
He examines me like I’m cockroach that just crawled across his dinner. “I should kill you. You are dangerous.”
A couple days ago, I would have agreed with him. About the dangerous part, anyway. With Collin, though, it really felt like I could be something better. That I could be a force for good or whatever. But he’s not around anymore—because I gave him to an even bigger monster who’s going to use him to end the world.
I don’t say anything.
“Wasanyof it real?” Rafa meets my eyes, and a hint of vulnerability shows in his expression.
I shrug, helpless. “I wanted to save Emma. I thought you were my friend.”
That word—friend—gets another tight-jawed headshake from him.
“God damn you. You’ve got me so fucked up, I don’t even know what to think!” He lunges forward and brings his lips to growl in my ear. “But I swear to God, if I ever see you again, I will be armed, and I won’t think twice. Do you understand me?”
