Page 56 of Blood

I know that voice. It calls to something deep inside of me—a primitive piece of my being that prowls just beneath the surface.

A boulder drops through the hollow remains of my chest as I strain my ears to listen.

Why can’t I wake up?

And why is my body burning?

Fire.

I’m on fire.

“Why the fuck isn’t she waking up?” a strong voice demands.

“Vin, calm down,” another one says.

Familiar.

So, so familiar.

Something about these two men sends butterflies into flight in my stomach. With them, I can sleep. They’ll protect me.

“Oh no, you don’t, Ms. Dracula. You are not leaving us.” That smoky voice skates over my skin in a physical caress. For some reason, I envision a man with shoulder-length white-blond hair and icy blue eyes. Beautiful. Predatory. Deadly.

Mine.

Mason.

Where is he?

Why isn’t he here with me?

Why can’t I hear him?

Those familiar tides of fire continue to sweep across my skin. I want to cry out and writhe in agony, but something keeps me immobilized. Why can’t I move?

Why can’t I wake up?

“Please, Violet. Please.”

“Wake the fuck up.”

“Wake up.”

And my eyes snap open, the warmth fading from me like the sea drawing back from land. In its place is an icy breeze that chills me to the bone.

My fangs elongate in my mouth as something inside of me shifts. It’s as if a crucial piece of my mind chips away, rendering me incapable of coherent thought. I’m a beast, a monster, a predator...and I’m ready to hunt my prey.

Blood.

The world will be paved in blood.

The last things I see are the concerned faces of my perfect mates—sinister, nightmarish, and lurid all at once—before my eyes roll into the back of my head and I slump back to the ground.

CHAPTER 20

VIN

My mate...

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