Page 95 of Our Sins in Shadows (Coven of Sin 2)

“The child grew quickly. Faster than any human before. Not only that, he was stronger, faster, more intelligent than any other member of his species. Cunning, quick, with senses that would outwit the sliest of creatures. That child has become known to history as a Helsing.”

“I thought Helsing was a surname.”

“Certain texts have referred to the prince as Helsing, but his true surname was Lockheart. A Helsing is a human with gifts given by the devil himself to battle his own greatest creation. So the legend goes, anyway. Lockheart founded the Helsing organization, and he dedicated his life to killingLuciferi Equitis. When he failed to slay the vampire king, Lockheart’s son continued the mission and his son after that. It’s said that every few hundred years, another Helsing is born into the Lockheart family. A true vampire slayer prophesied to end the Knight bloodline.”

Sterling pointed to the author’s name on the leather cover, his hand brushing mine. It didn’t sit well with me that I couldn’t feel him.

“Your great grandfather, Edric Lockheart, carried the gene, and supposedly he was the first Helsing in over a thousand years. Your mother was the next. And you, Ruby, are also a Helsing.”

Goosebumps erupted over my flesh. “So that’s what I am? I’m some kind of superhuman born from Satan’s will to kill Thomas Knight and end his progeny and biological children?”

“I suppose that’s a way of putting it, yes.”

“But I’m also his biological daughter. That makes me...a fucked up paradox.”

Sterling’s cool palm smoothed over my cheek, gently guiding my attention to his. “No. You are a miracle.”

“Does Vincent know about this? That I’m a Helsing?”

My silver prince’s lips thinned with a frown. “He does. I suppose it is a part of the reason he resented you in the beginning. He wanted the throne, but not because he desired power. It’s because—”

“Because why should a Helsing rule the vampires?” I couldn’t feel the tears that welled in my eyes, but I knew they were there by the way Sterling’s features went hazy. This also explained why Vincent was so resistant to falling in love with me. He wanted to mate me if it meant becoming my king, all so he could keep most of the power out of my hands. “And why should he come back to me, if it means being mated to the very thing meant to kill him.”

“Ruby Renada, listen to me.” Sterling held my face in his firm grip, forcing me to look at him because somehow he knew I couldn’t bear meeting his eye. “Vincent Feral loves you. He may be resentful of that fact still, but he does. And he hasn’t abandoned you. He’s coming back.”

“I don’t know how any of you trust me,” I sobbed, the ache in my heart so visceral that my monster whimpered in pain amidst her slumber. “I am part of the very thing that I was created to destroy. That’s why I know in my bones that I can’t trust myself. I’m split down the middle. My two halves are enemies. This is why I crave my own pain, isn’t it?”

Sterling’s frown deepened, and he released a tortured sigh. “I suspect it explains your masochist streak, yes. But understand that in being a piece of two of the most opposing forces to have ever existed, you are a true weapon. You are a queen with the power to erase the line between vampires and humans, a line that has existed since the dawn of time. No longer will it be predator versus prey, human versus monster.”

Sterling’s thumb brushed over my bottom lip where some of my tears lingered, and his voice went silk soft. “Your love and your strength and your goodness dominate any desires that are born of your Helsing abilities. So we don’t fear you, Ruby. You give us hope.”

The priest’s mouth curved into a smile that sent a zap of feeling to my heart, like an electric charge. “That’s why you’re not a monstrosity, because monstrosities don’t inspire people. Now...” He cleared his throat.

“I owe you the tale of how the most ferocious vampire slayer of all time gave birth to a shining jewel of hope for the vampire people.”

Chapter thirty-nine

Ghosts of the

Risingtohisfeet,I watched as Sterling moved to the shuttered windows and set to unlatch them. Even though there weren’t any clocks in the priest’s bedroom, vampiric intuition told me it was just after sundown.

It was frustrating how I couldn’t feel my limbs anymore. Even my vagina had gone into sleep mode, judging by the way it had zero reaction to seeing Sterling crouch to roll up the metal shutters. The sinewy muscles in his back stretched taut beneath the thin fabric of his crew neck sweater, teasing me in the way they rolled and flexed with his movements. He even had the sleeves bunched around his elbows, exposing his veiny arms.

Hello, horny monster? Knock knock. Anyone home? You know what the best way to get over Feral is? Getting under Sterling. Yeah, maybe he’s a traitor too. But we can still use that body like our own personal sex toy. So if you could just wake our vagina up, that would be super.

Great. Now I was talking to myself. It was no use anyway. The thing inside me was fast asleep, shutting down most of my body functions to get over the pain of Feral. There was no feeling between my legs even as Sterling stood, looking seraphic in the moonlight that outlined his profile like a halo, his quicksilver hair tousled by the ocean breeze. And he was wearing those damn sweatpants again. What was it with basic gray cotton that made a guy so freaking sexy?

When he turned to fully face me, I got an eye-full of an answer. Okay, so yeah,thatwas why.

The vampire’s brow arched. “I was about to tell you a story, Miss Baxter. You’re going to make it difficult for me to focus if you can’t keep your attention on my eyes.”

Shit. How had he known I was looking at his dick? “Um. How did you...?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “It was an educated guess based on your sudden shift in scent.”

“You can still smell my arousal? That’s weird. I still can’t feel anything.”

“We’ll see if we can fully awaken your primal senses after I tell you this story. I won’t allow myself to touch you until you hear it and decide whether you forgive me.”

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