Page 48 of Heathens

Rene is over 600 years old, and he’s always gotten off on treating me as his subordinate. Like a child. Violent hatred gathers at the base of my throat, acidic and painful.

“Well, you know how it goes… I antagonize you, you sit in your fucking villa and do nothing. Still loving the life of a coward?”

“Not this time, kid. You burn down my lab, you kill my men–”

I scoff.

“Yourmanjust broke into my penthouse. Fair’s fair, Deschamps.”

“I thought it was a fortress, Dominic,”Rene chuckles.“Shouldn’t it have been a little harder for a single human to make his way inside? Or is something making you sloppy?”

No. There’s no way he knows about her, and I’m not about to give him any new info for free.

“Look, unlike you, I’m a busy man. What do you want?”

“I want my formula back in my hands, I want payment for that warehouse, and if there’s a bit of extra time, I’d be happy to have your head on a fucking pike.”

Empty threats. Rene is full of them, and I’m already tired of playing this little game.

“Oh, is that all? You should have just asked nicely, old man. Maybe I would have given you back your little project. Now though? I think I’m gonna get your dog to tell me everything I need to know.”

The line is silent for a moment, but his voice is calm when he speaks up again, cold enough to chill my blood.

“Dominic, I’ve been onto you since the night you broke into that lab. I just wanted to see what you would do, and you disappointed me. You’re pathetic. Inexperienced. Childish. You have no idea what it means to rule.”

“Fuck you!”

I can hear him chuckle across the line before letting out a contented sigh.

“You’d best keep a little more calm and think about exactly what you’re going to do, especially now that you’ve got something to lose.”

I bristle, goosebumps cascading down my spine like ice water.

“She really is quite a beauty. The only thing I can say against her is the smell. You’re all over her. I can’t get within a few feet before I want to retch.”

If he touches her, I’ll slice him open and choke him out with his own intestines.

“Sofie, was it? Doesn’t take much to get people to talk, you know. For a bunch of humans who seem so ready to band together and protect each other, they are all too willing to give out valuable information. Half the time, they don’t even know what they’re saying, or who they’re speaking to.”

“Whatever you think you have, it’s nothing.”

Every word feels like I’m swallowing cotton.

“Are you sure? You’re really such‌ a simple creature. Did you already forget what happened with Selene?”

“How dare you say her name,” I growl.

“Well, she was screaming mine by the end.”

My rage swirls into an inferno, consuming all logic.

“I’m going to rip you apart, piece by fucking piece.”

“No, whatyou’regoing to do is give me that formula. If I have it by the end of the week, maybe I’ll let you keep pissing away your life in that tiny tower of yours. Maybe I’ll even let you keep your new little whore.”

“Why is it so important to you?”

Rene chuckles.

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