Page 40 of Prey

Mine.

“What?”

The gesture the friend made had Boyd’s gaze flashing over. With only a few inches of elevation from the floor, my eyes were level with his. Had I been on the dance floor, I would have towered over him.

“Fuck,” he groaned, weaving through the people in between us. He came to the edge, shaking his head. “I wasn’t going to hurt her, I promise.”

“No, you weren’t. I wouldn’t have let you.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him down from the group. “Time to feed. Pick someone and head to the back. If you don’t, you can take one of the suppliers. I’m not having a scene break out because you’re too preoccupied on what belongs to me to take care of yourself.”

His arm yanked against my grip. “What are you, my keeper?”

I laughed at his attitude. It was his vampire pushing through. The one who longed for the fight. For the kill.

“Ass in the back and feed or you’re out of here and I put you in lockdown.”

There was a slight hiss from the threat, but he spun around, heading in front of the dance floor to make his way to the feeding rooms nestled in the back.

“Boyd!” Tessa’s hands shot up, waving him over. I felt my stomach drop through the floor at the panic that surged. His face spun and the tightening of his fists told me he wanted to run. To go at her with everything he had. My feet began to move, but not nearly as fast as I wanted them to. He took one step. Two.

My hand latched onto his throat, holding tight as I spotted his fangs. I didn’t get a chance to look back to see if Tessa was staring at me. His palms wrapped around my wrists and I rushed us to the back, throwing him into the first room we came to.

“Feed,” I ordered. “Or so help me, you won’t see tomorrow.”

A woman was sitting on a small bed in the corner, her knees to her chest. Just like the ones we fed from on the table for meals, she was a supplier. A slave to our entire vampire community. She gave freely, lusting from our bite, not caring what happened before, during, or after we were finished. This would be how the humans would all turn out in the end. Our slaves.

The woman stood and Boyd’s glare went from me to her. I slammed the door leaving him there, only to become faced with another glare. One that stopped me dead in my tracks. She didn’t say a word. Maybe she didn’t have to. I felt her anger and fear. Her heartbreak concerning our situation.

“Did you come here to die, Tessa? You couldn’t have just waited for me to come to you first.”

My body was already hovering over hers. When I’d taken the steps that separated us, I wasn’t sure. Her scent called to me. Left me in a fade as I reached for her waist, pulling her against me. Shaking vibrated my fingers and hummed through me. Her pulse was racing, drowning out the bass that bounced from the walls. For seconds, she just stared. The longing in her eyes begged me to put an end to it all. She didn’t want to feel this anymore than I did.

“Tessa, you naughty girl.” Marie stepped up from behind her and I had to tear my eyes up to face the bitch whose fault this was. “Come, sweetie, I’m getting bored. Let’s head out.”

Tightly, my fingers increased in pressure and I nearly moaned as Tessa’s head lowered against my chest. It was submission in the purest form. She waited for my direction and it fucking killed me. My fingers broke free and I reached for her face, digging my fingertips into her cheeks as I held on.

“I forbid you to come back here. Now go, mon chaton, while you still can.”

I let go, sweeping past them like my life depended on it. In a way, it did. But it was hers I was more worried about. And I knew she didn’t have long. I was losing the fight, and Marie was all too aware.

Chapter 17

Tessa

Tears built in my eyes as I watched Marko stalk away. What was I doing? Did I want to die? Fuck this bond that was hell bent on destroying me. There was nothing worse than having no control. I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t even remember the walk from the dance floor to Marko. I was just suddenly…there. Looking up at him like some sappy, suicidal idiot. God, I wanted to escape. To run so far away and never come back. Well, the rational side of me anyway, which wasn’t really making an appearance at the moment. Everything was a blur. Even the walls as I held to Marie and stumbled through the tunnel.

“I hate him,” I said, for what I knew to be at least the third time. “I really do.”

“We all do, sweetie.” She laughed. “Trust me.”

“I do trust you,” I said, glancing up. “And I probably shouldn’t.”

Marie’s smile disappeared the smallest amount. “You’re smarter than you look, but I don’t plan on hurting you. At least, not at the moment.”

I felt my eyebrows draw in and a burst of giggles left her.

“Joking. Jeez, lighten up. You’re too serious. Besides, if I wanted to hurt you, I’ve had plenty of opportunity. We both know that. I meant what I said. You’re supposed to be here and I want us to be friends.”

Both sides of my mouth pulled back into a grin. “I want that, too.”

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