Page 26 of Prey

“You’ll never make it to that church, Tessa. I’ll kill everyone around you. It’s home or I unleash a hell storm you could have never thought possible. And before you think you’ll do it in the day when I can’t get to you, think of all those humans you spotted living below. There’s thousands more who don’t. You are not safe anywhere you go. Not even behind holy walls. Picture your loved ones. Think of Hunter. I had every intention of killing him. If you come home, you have my word he lives. And not the word of the vampire. I give you my word as Marko Laron Delacroix, son of Laron Marko Delacroix, Hunter will not die at my hand. Not because of this.”

Her fear was back. I could feel the tingling in my chest. The trembling of my hands. She believed me and suddenly, I believed myself. I could still have her brought to me if she tried to hide in a church. Tessa was mine.

“What of me?”

My eyes rose to the mirror, taking in my reflection. “We continue. You still have weeks. That doesn’t mean you live. That just means you can rest assured that you have time.”

“Hunter won’t let me go” The thought had me narrowing my eyes. “Hunter isn’t your keeper, Tessa. I am. You’ll come home. He’ll either follow or he won’t. Regardless, you’ll be here.”

“I don’t think so. That gives you access to me at all times.”

“I have access to you now! You think being twenty miles away makes a difference? I’ve been telling you to come home, but I think you neglect to see who you’re truly dealing with. Perhaps I’ll show you.” My eyes closed and I searched out our connection—the one I could tap into when I needed to be fed. She wasn’t technically bonded to me, but she held enough blood that I knew she’d feel my call, even the smallest amount, if I forced it out. Normal vampires wouldn’t have the capability, but I wasn’t normal. I was a Master Vampire and part of le Cercle. That alone spoke of my status and power.

Heat began forming in the pit of my stomach and I concentrated harder, letting the burn grow within until it scorched my insides. A small sound echoed in my ears, but I didn’t stop. I’d call her to me right now if it was the last thing I did. Fuck tomorrow. Fuck being separated. She was inside and connected to me like no one had ever been and my greed ruled. Not sanity or morality. If I wanted to twist her body and mind into a million pieces before I suffocated her with my obsessive ways, so fucking be it. Let me go crazy before I ended this sweet torture.

“No, please,” she begged. “I don’t want to go. Marko, please don’t do this.”

My eyes opened and I cut them up to look back into the mirror. A smiled pulled at my mouth as I stared at myself. “Better not wake Hunter on your way out. I’ll be waiting.”

Chapter 12

Tessa

Contacting Marko had been the biggest mistake of my life. For some reason, I thought I could pull out more of the good I kept glimpsing. Make him understand why he couldn’t continue down this path. I felt his confusion concerning me and I’d tried to play on it. Now, it was backfiring in my face. Hunter was going to be so pissed off when he woke up and I was gone.

I cut off the ignition and looked toward my house. Marko was in there waiting for me. He might as well have been standing next to me for the amount energy I felt. I hated being this connected to him, yet I couldn’t deny the tinge of excitement of seeing him again. I’d left days ago, ready to never see him again, and now look at me. I was panting like a bitch in heat. My body was the enemy. It knew who it belonged to. And if Marko decided to bite me, he’d have my mind. He’d have all of me.

The squeaking of my car door broke though the silence and I didn’t bother shutting it quietly. Marko knew I was here. His excitement matched my own, but for a completely different reason. To him, he’d won by getting me here. The trick he’d done had been nothing but a new way for him to play with me. Now he’d probably do it all the damn time. And I’d come running like the mindless twit I was. Our world was doomed. We’d all be slaves if the vampires had their way. They’d rule and we’d never stand a chance.

I threw open the front door, letting it close loudly behind me. Marko leaned against the edge of the hallway wall, a smug smile on his face that I didn’t like at all. It stirred my anger to no end. I didn’t think as I reared back and threw my keys at him. Had I contemplated, I didn’t doubt my hand would have frozen up, just like my mouth did when I tried talking about certain things.

He deflected the metal easily and it made me angrier.

“Are you happy?” I exploded. “Is this what you wanted?”

Up and down, his eyes traveled over my body. Lust. But I doubted it was all sexual. It was my blood and the smell of my skin that he craved. It was the pull. The feeling we were caught up in.

“Come here.”

My head shook as I glared. And just like that, I was going.

“I hate you. God, I do.”

“I could change that,” he whispered.

Not again, what are you doing! His thoughts came rushing through and I smiled at his slip. He looked confused, only to turn angry.

“You’re just as trapped as I am,” I said, shaking my head. “I have to obey when I don’t want to and you’re starting to feel what you don’t want. Are you afraid, Marko?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I fear nothing.”

Against my better judgment, I stepped closer. “Afraid of falling in love with me? Your plan is backfiring and I’m not so sure either of us are going to come out of this with the results we want.”

“Wrong. I don’t lose.”

“You just did,” I said, lowly. “You could have beat your biggest fear had you let me go. You could have continued on with your life and nothing would have changed. But this,” I said, gesturing between us, “isn’t going to work for you or me. Either I die, or we bond. Neither of us wants either one.”

Marko hands were around my neck before I could even process him moving. “You know nothing,” he growled, squeezing tighter. “Maybe I’ll just kill you now and be done with this once and for all.”

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