Page 97 of Stalked

“Stop, Maurice,” Kyoko said fearfully. “You don’t know what will happen if you touch him. Don’t risk it.”

He stopped for a moment and then turned back to Kyoko. “You’re right,” he said. “Kyoko, feed him your blood.”

“Maurice?”

“Just do it!”

Kyoko bit her wrists, and Colin gladly drank from it. They all watched Colin as Kyoko backed away.

While that was happening, I looked around and saw several vampires watching me and licking their lips. I knew not every vampire in Maurice’s clan desired to be what they were. If they had a chance to be human again, they’d take it.

I stealthily picked up a piece of broken glass scattered all over the floor without anyone seeing. I went to slice my hand, but Dorian was in front of me before the sharp edge could touch my skin.

He shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” he said, taking the glass from me and tossing it back on the floor. “Let’s get you out of here instead.”

I looked down at his bloodied shirt. “Dorian, are you okay? I hurt you.”

“I heal quickly, too, remember?” he said. “The branches never pierced my heart.”

Dorian placed both his hands on each side of my cheeks and smiled. “You kept your promise.”

I pulled my brows together. “My promise?”

“You ... you came back to me.”

My lips parted right before I heard Maurice clear his throat. “Dorian?” Maurice held up the key to my bracelet. “Did you lose something?”

No, they can’t take him from me. Not again.

I gripped his arm and held on, but Noah and one other guard grabbed Dorian by the shoulder and pulled him away.

Noah shot Dorian with an apologetic look. “Sorry, brother, I don’t have a choice.”

“Get him the fuck out of here,” Maurice commanded. “Put him in the dungeon, and I’ll deal with him later.”

They escorted Dorian out of the ballroom, and Maurice went over to Colin again, grabbed his neck, and snapped it. Colin fell lifelessly to the floor.

I jumped, shocked at Maurice’s sudden impulse to kill his brother. They all stared at Colin for a few minutes, waiting for him to wake, but he didn’t move.

“Get up, Colin. Wake up!” But there wasn’t any movement. Maurice screamed and kicked his brother several times in a row. “Wake up!” he shouted again.

“You see, if you do that to a human, they die. Since Colin’s soul returned to his body, vampire blood would no longer turn him. This is permanent, Maurice. You just killed your own brother.” I said to him with a slight smirk across my lips.

Maurice screamed and stomped toward me, slapping me hard against my cheek with the back of his hand. Right at that moment, the lights in the ballroom went out.

Someone came from behind me, covered my mouth, and pulled me behind the stage curtains. One arm was wrapped around my waist as another pulled around and placed a hand over my bracelet. I felt the sensation of burning around my wrist. I winced as the bracelet melted off and fell to the floor. The strong arm wrapping tightly around my waist was familiar. It was Caleb.

I twisted around and threw my arms over his shoulders, holding him tight. “Caleb! Where is everyone?” There was panic in my voice as I tried to catch my breath.

“They’re safe. We were able to hide Shannon before they got to her,” Caleb explained as I released him.

Those words sent a wave of relief. “And Cami? Has anyone checked on her at the hospital?”

“Joel sent Lily through a portal to the hospital so she could move her. Don’t worry. She’s safe at your home, too.” I could finally let go of the air I had been holding in.

My friends are safe.I sighed in relief.

“They told me they captured her.”

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