Page 44 of Bite of Sin

Viggo scoffed. “A blood bag is not enough. You need it straight from the vein to calm you down.”

“I’m calm,” I forced out through clenched teeth.

Impulse was still empty. Gia and Dee were rushing around cleaning up, and I expected Kali to show up the second she could leave the hotel once the sun went down. Although with how new she was, she could still stand the sun. I wondered if she was aware of that. Probably not since she knew nothing of being a vampire.

I turned my attention toward the cage in the back, my anger rising even more.Warner. He was standing and leaning against the bars, his glare focused right on me like it had been since I entered the room. I shot him a cold smirk, and his fingers tightened around the bars. I should have fucking killed him.

“You know, we can entrance him to find out about her,” Viggo spoke up, making me look back at him.

“I don’t need him for anything,” I replied, not admitting I’d already thought about that. I wasn’t above doing that if needed, but I wanted to learn it from her.

Viggo snickered. “She wasn’t forthcoming before last night. I doubt she’s going to say a word to you now. You saw her face, Zan. Her emotions have been locked down since you dragged her here, but she couldn’t hide anything when you nearly killed him.”

“But I didn’t. He’s still alive.”

Pax frowned. “And why didn’t you kill him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Viggo snorted. “He wants her, and killing the one human she has a bond with would wreck that completely. Although I don’t think you had much of a chance with her anyway. I don’t know why you have a hard-on for the only one who wants nothing to do with you.”

“Fuck off,” I snapped.

“Apples?” Pax shook his head. Unlike Viggo, he wasn’t giving me shit. He was honestly confused about why I was so focused on her. “You know her favorite fruit. Learning about her is more than just sex.”

“She eats at least two every night,” I muttered. “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

“I never noticed,” Viggo replied. “But I’m also not obsessed.”

I stared at him, silently warning him that he was pushing me past my limit.

Viggo raised his arms, giving me a taunting smirk. “Hey, maybe I’m wrong. She might be so thankful you didn’t kill him that she’ll fall right into bed with you.”

The front door slammed, and I raised my head to see Kali striding inside. Her gaze went to Warner first before glancing at me. Her eyes lit up with loathing, and I could practically feel the burn of her glare. Her lips tipped in a scowl before she turned and moved toward the bar.

“Nope,” Viggo drawled, clearly still intent on pissing me the hell off. “She’s definitely not going to fall to her knees to thank you. Might as well kill him since it won’t make a difference.”

“I think you should remember that she’s a fucking newbie,” Pax said stiffly. “Getting close to her is a mistake. And since she’s not at the center, she’s not going to fall in line and obey when you’re giving her special attention. She’s going to be a liability.”

“Then I’ll deal with her if that happens.”

I didn’t wait for either of them to reply as I jumped to my feet and made my way to the bar. Gia saw me coming, and she poured me a whiskey, setting it on the counter before returning to setting up for the night. Kali stiffened as if sensing me coming, and she peeked over her shoulder, quickly ducking around the bar to stand beside Gia. Grabbing a rag, she began drying glasses, purposely ignoring me.

The red strobe lights came on, and there was a commotion behind me when vampires started coming inside. The second the tables started filling, Kali rushed off to take orders. I continued to stand at the bar, watching her. She wasn’t going to keep giving me the silent treatment, but I impatiently waited until I decided what to do.

I raised an eyebrow when she faltered slightly. The fullest table was right next to Warner’s cage. She straightened up, looking at the vampires instead of the cage, and I focused on her, drowning everything else out. With the music and chatter, it was harder to pick up the quieter noises, but if I fixated, then I could do it. Just like I thought he would, Warner attempted to get her attention.

“Kali,” he said in a loud whisper. “Fuck. Just look at me.”

Her shoulders tensing was the only proof that she heard him. She didn’t look at him, and he frowned, looking unsure before he called out to her again. I swallowed, my fists clenching. Some humans would completely turn their backs once their loved ones were turned. Others would still try to save the vampire’s humanity because they couldn’t let go. It was easy to see that even if she wasn’t human anymore, he wasn’t ready to give her up. Would that change once she fully transitioned?

“I couldn’t get out for another day,” Warner said quietly, his voice full of pain. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Kali finally looked at him, but her back was to me, making it impossible to see her face. Until she glanced over her shoulder, catching my eye immediately. Her expression fell flat, and she turned back around, focusing on the vampires. I chuckled before finishing my drink. She was smart enough to know I was listening.

Warner whipped his head up, the possessiveness in his gaze making me snap. She wasn’t his anymore. She was a vampire, and he needed to fucking learn that she would never be with him again. The only reason I hadn’t killed him was because I remembered how the bonds felt after transitioning. I’d always been close to Pax and Viggo, but it grew even stronger after. If she felt the same way about him, then her actions wouldn’t even be her own anymore. She’d only want revenge.

So I was letting him live. But it didn’t mean I needed to sit here and do nothing while he pined for her.

Pushing off the bar, I stalked toward her as Warner watched me with murder in his eyes. I kept his stare while stopping behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. All the vampires at the table went silent, nodding at me in respect. Kali fell still, letting out a cry when I tightened my hold and swung her around. She raised her head to look at me, her lips pressed in a line, keeping her words to herself.

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