Page 97 of Bite at First Sight

Only when his knuckles began to ache did he stop and remove his weight from the vampire. “Vincent, my sword.”

Clayton sluggishly sat up and spat out a mess of blood and teeth before turning to the side and vomiting. As Rafe raised his sword, the vampire almost looked grateful.

Aching fingers tensing on the sword hilt, Rafe met the traitor’s gaze. “I am sorry it had come to this.”

Just as he drew back to plunge the blade into Clayton’s heart, a wave of terrifying power rumbled through his awareness like thunder.

A bone-crushing, commanding voice roared, “Stop!”

Six of the Elders strode into the clearing, radiating ancient power so potent it stole his breath. One by one, all of the vampires fell to their knees.

Rafe’s sword fell from numb fingers as he too knelt.

Clayton’s swollen eyes gleamed with triumph. Blood bubbled from his torn lips along with a high, strained cackle. “It theemth London ith mine athter all!”

Thirty-three

Rafe’s heart plummeted as he bowed before the Elders. Despair curdled in his gut. Why couldn’t they have waited until he’d killed Clayton? Now all was lost.

Cassandra. Terror gripped his throat at the thought of his love in the presence of the most powerful vampires in the world. She needed to get away from here.

He searched everywhere for her, but he didn’t see her. Unless she was behind the towering figures of the Elders, she could be one of the bodies littering the ground.

The thought cut him like razors. Even worse was the realization that she might be better off that way.

The Lord of Rome strode forward, interrupting Rafe’s macabre speculations.

He surveyed them both with cold gray eyes before turning to Clayton. “Are you Clayton Edmondson?”

“I am.” Clayton’s remaining teeth glistened red as he smiled. “I cannot thank you enuthh thor coming to my aid. You thee what—”

A bronze blur obscured Rafe’s vision before blood splattered the side of his face as Clayton’s still grinning head flew from his shoulders.

The Lord of Rome withdrew a cloth from his waistcoat and wiped the blood from his ancient blade. Rafe breathed a small sigh of relief though he remained on his knees. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. He was far from out of trouble.

The other five Elders stepped closer. The Lord of Edo lifted the hem of her kimono and kicked Clayton’s head out of her way with a dainty slipper-clad foot.

Her exotic black eyes coldly surveyed the litter of bodies on the field. “I see we have come too late.”

Rafe blinked. Had they come to aid him? “I presume you received my message?”

“We received no messages from you.” The Lord of New York glanced over her shoulder and gestured.

A small female vampire stepped out from behind them and slowly approached Rafe. Her shoulders were hunched and a curtain of long brown hair obscured her face. When her trembling hand brushed aside her hair, Rafe’s jaw dropped.

It was Lenore.

The frail vampire gave him a tremulous smile. “I am so happy to see you safe, my lord.”

“Dios mío, you’re alive!” Rafe gasped. “Where were you?”

Before she could answer, the Lord of Edinburgh placed a hand on her shoulder. “Miss Graves was sent to us by the Lord of Rochester after she escaped Mr. Edmondson’s captivity. According to her testimony, Edmondson had employed three rogue vampires to imprison her with the intention of discrediting your rule.”

“That hijo de puta,” Rafe growled.

Yet he was not surprised that his former second had resorted to such a dastardly action.

What was surprising was Rochester’s involvement. He glanced over at his ally. The vampire gave him a smug smile before turning back to the Elders. So that was how the vampire had learned of Clayton’s betrayal. Though Rafe greatly appreciated his aid, the scoundrel could have had the courtesy to inform him about Lenore.

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