Page 94 of Kiss of Light

“What are you doing?” he growled. Tala unbuttoned the shirt. Lemar saw she was, indeed, naked underneath. “Are you trying to tempt me? It won’t work.”

But his eyes were devouring her with a hunger bordering on frenzy and he was powerless to stop his fangs sliding out. He forced himself to concentrate on her voice.

“Do you remember when we first met?” she asked softly. “How I hated vampires? Do you know why?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“It’s because I know what you are. Oh, you may all look pretty. But in reality you’re feral. Dangerous animals. Nothing but vicious predators dressed up in the thinnest veneer of civility.”

She twitched the collar of the shirt away from her neck, exposing one full breast. His nails lengthened and black veins streaked across his face. Thunder rolled across the skies again, low and ominous.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re going to feed, Lemar. I’m going to make you. I’m going to force the predator out whether you like it or not.”

“Stop. Please. Stop.” His voice was rough. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“If you’re not hungry, this won’t be an issue. But if you are, then you have my permission. Do you hear me? This is my choice.”

She took the sharp end of the skewer and pressed it into her skin just below the collarbone. A drop of red appeared immediately and Lemar’s nostrils flared.

Wincing, she dragged the skewer downwards until a line of blood ran towards her breast. Lemar watched, his mind a maelstrom of fury and hunger.

He wanted to leap for her. Hold her down and feed from her. Hold her down until she surrendered. Hold her down and... he swallowed.

“Don’t. Move.” He was barely reining himself in. “Don’t. Run.”

She dropped the skewer and bolted.

Forty

She shimmered, knowing it was the only way to keep ahead of him. She couldn’t quite believe what she’d done.

But she didn’t believe Lemar would hurt her. He’d just feed. And then everything would be back to normal.

She kept telling herself that. Yet her heart thumped each time she heard the crack of a twig behind her.

A jagged branch of lightning split the sky. A few moments later, thunder vibrated again, but louder this time. Much louder.

She zig-zagged, shimmering every few steps. She wanted him to follow her but she didn’t want to make it too easy. Her ears strained for any sign that he was closing in, expecting to feel his hand fall on her shoulder any moment.

It was silent.

Even the night birds had stopped calling, cowed by the gathering storm.

She risked a glance over her shoulder.

No-one was there.

She slowed to a stop, puzzled.

She was alone. In the distance to her left she could see light spilling from the open door of the Spider and the glow cast by the burning embers of her fire.

To her right was a wall of trees. They were Nurhani firs, common in this part of Nush’aldaam. She smelled their scent, a strong, piney aroma which reminded her of the forests of Norway.

She frowned.

Surely Lemar wouldn’t think to disguise his scent from her, would he? This was meant to be a straightforward chase. A way to entice him into feeding. He wasn’t supposed to be tracking her.

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