Page 58 of Prey

Julius’ fists clenched and I watched the anger seep into the muscles of his face.

“She didn’t tell me this.”

I reached for the trench impatiently, not caring. “Probably because she thought you already knew. Hunter will kill Tessa, so says Marie. If mon chaton is your savior, then the battle is lost. We will all die. But I hate to tell you, she won’t live past tonight.”

“Her first test. I guess we shall see.”

The shield rippled, disappearing under the wave of his hand. I didn’t wait to jerk my fedora off the ground and take off in a sprint. Nothing mattered but Tessa. And I’d get to her soon. The sun may have still been out, but I’d be waiting at the exit for the light to disappear, and when it did, my prey would finally become everything I wanted, and more.

Music poured through the heart of the city as I ran through. The instruments stopped, their lyrics of the end of the world dying off as I faded into the distance. Maybe everyone knew what was to come. I didn’t doubt it after the mess that had happened yesterday. But I couldn’t think about that now. Let them know. Let them see what happened when I got my mind set on destroying someone. I’d come back soaked in her blood and there’d be no question whether I was someone to mess with. Death would follow me everywhere I went. And it would begin with her.

Darkness swallowed me up as I hit the tunnel. The pounding of my shoes echoed around me and I broke to the left, already seeing the light up ahead. The silhouette standing just outside of it had me slowing as I approached.

“Marko…you’re early. I…” Fear engulfed Marie’s face as she tried to look for a way around me.

“You were going to try to save her before I was set free. Is that it? You want her for yourself?” My hand locked around Marie’s throat as I slammed her into the cement, baring my fangs at the rage that engulfed me. “I lost my chance to kill her yesterday because of your attack. And you’re back, to what? Get to her before I can?!”

Nails dug into my wrist and she squeezed with impressive strength, but not enough. I gripped tighter, rearing back and slamming her even harder into the wall.

“You touch what’s mine, you beg me for the person who my blood gives life to, and then you try to steal her from me?”

Sounds came from Marie’s throat as she thrashed in my hold.

“If you weren’t part of Julius’ plan, I’d fucking kill you now. Do you hear me? You’d be lifeless at my feet.”

Footsteps pounded in the distance and I knew it was her men coming. The vampire within craved their fight. Needed it more than anything to sate the obsession that was driving me crazy. Had Marie not been here, I might have just risked the damage of the sun to get to Tessa. At least now I had an excuse.

“Don’t,” she whimpered, trying to break free.

“You will remember this day and what happens when you cross me.” I paused, staring into her depths. “You…have crossed me…haven’t you?” Something was there, hidden just in the shadows that rested deep within her soul. I couldn’t see it, but the presence wasn’t entirely concealed. Marie was smart. She knew how to guard things. “What is it, Marie? What would you like to tell me?”

The pull appeared when before, it wouldn’t have. I thrived in my new powers, clutching to the connection and diving into her thoughts. Blindly, I lifted my hand to seal off the tunnel from her men as I pushed through, weaving past the beginning moments of her life. I didn’t care to see who she was. There was only one person I yearned to know about, and that was Tessa.

Moans poured from her memories, deep and so full of pleasure, my body couldn’t help but respond. I knew they were of mon chaton when she’d come to my room. It was the day of the second exchange.

Louder, they became, until I stood outside the door, listening. Waiting. Marie paced, unsure whether to knock and interrupt from her jealousy, or bask in the sounds she only wished she were a part of. Me…she wanted me.

I pushed into the fogginess I’d tapped into harder, feeling her change from wanting me, to curiosity over the woman. Concubine. The plans she’d thought exploded into my mind. Marie wanted to use me to get stronger. For us to become one so my blood could feed hers. But at the first scent of Tessa, everything changed. It baffled her. It floored me. Why?

Her blood may not speak to me, but I know it. I know it like my own. Julius’ words broke through and I lost the connection, too in shock to continue. Even as I tried to decipher his words, the new vampire within me kept trying to break through so he could take over. It was hard to concentrate.

Her blood. The call. Tessa may have been human, but so had Julius once upon a time. Or even his creator. Who was to say Tessa didn’t come from one of their lines somewhere? He’d called her Tessalyn Antoinette from the beginning. Like, he’d known she was his kin. If she had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have cared. But he wanted her tested…

I swallowed hard, feeling myself begin to sweat. I was wrong. I had to be. Even as I thought it, rationality drifted away. My blood cravings intensified and I longed for Tessa. Needed to taste her. To completely consume her.

“How? How did you?” Tears streamed down Marie’s face and her hand tried breaking mine free completely. I blinked, barely realizing Marie was still in front of me. There was no thinking involved. My hand pushed into her hair and with a jerk, I snapped her neck, letting her fall to the floor. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would take a few minutes for her to come to.

As for her men…I turned, watching them collapse, dead. The lesson would suit her well. She’d mourn their loss and see firsthand what our true way of life was all about. For so long, she’d been the more powerful one over others, pushing them around, taking what she wanted. It was time for her to see the repercussions that would follow from her actions. She fucked over the wrong vampire by trying to get to Tessa first. I was finished with her and anyone else who got in my way. The new me was meant to rule. The right way. No one or nothing would stop me.

“Cross me again and see what happens. Vital to our plan or not, you won’t survive what I have planned for you if you think to betray me again. All for a fucking human.”

I stood, regretting not prying more into her thoughts when I had the chance. Maybe I’d missed something. Something important. I was in such a rush to get to Tessa, I was moving through everything in a powerful, newborn haze. Murderous hate poured through my veins, feeding me on. Driving me insane. I crouched, glaring up at the grate, watching the sunlight fade as the sun lowered more in the sky. Calm mixed with the need to slaughter, and the trance that settled over me had me rocking on my heels while I waited. Love you to death. Love you to death. Yes, I would love her to her death and I’d enjoy every second of it.

My fangs elongated at the intensity of my need and I closed my eyes, feeling for mon chaton. A moan nearly left me as her fear oozed into my body, exciting the new person inside of me. Again, I felt myself dwindle away to become the monster I’d been when Julius came to me in the cells. It was so easy to slip back into that mindset and I knew it would stay like this for some time. With new formed power came bouts of insanity. Tessa was going to find out firsthand just how dangerous that could be. And I wouldn’t know what happened until I cleared. If…I even found myself enough to come back.

Chapter 27

Tessa

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