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She was so very vulnerable and human. I was fast. I was strong. I was a fucking killer and could stop the male between me and mine in a heartbeat… but if she got hurt in the crosshairs? If something happened to her… Gods, the thought had a cold sweat breaking out on my body.
She could die so easily, and there would be nothing I could do. No quick healing, no regeneration like my kind experienced. There would be no way I could bring her back if she was taken from me.
And that just pissed me the fuck off.
I watched as he shifted on his feet, the scent of his sweat rising as his nervousness and fear became stronger. Greatest fucking scent to a predator. Well… maybe not the greatest, now that I had her.
I couldn’t stop myself from looking at her, just briefly, just because I was a selfish bastard. She was afraid, but she was trying to appear strong. Fuck, what a turn-on.
“Do you know who I am?” I couldn’t stop the growl that laced the words. I noticed his hand tighten around the gun he held. “Yeah,” I drawled out that lone word. “You know who I am.”
“Fuck you,” he spat. “Bringing you down will get me in good. You’re a top-level commodity. Backup is coming.” He tried to sound strong, but his voice was all but shaking. A trained Assembly member would have tried to take me down already. This little prick could barely keep his gun trained on me.
I let all the amusement leave me and lowered my head slightly but kept my gaze on him. “I think you drew the short end of the straw, asshole. I almost feel bad for you that I’m the one you have to face off with. Almost.”
He leveled the barrel at my chest, and I looked down for a second at where the bullet would tear through if he had the balls to pull the trigger. Not that I couldn’t survive the wound, not that it would actually slow me down. But let him think otherwise.
“You guys always act so tough. Bet you’re a real douchebag, aren’t you?” I took a slow, measured step toward him. “Yeah, a real douchebag. I can smell it on you. Look at you, sweating and shit.” I lowered my voice. “Bet I can make you piss your pants in the next minute.” I heard his finger slide over the trigger, and then I was on him.
I was inhumanly fast as I gripped his throat and slammed him against the wall. I smiled, feeling that bloodlust fill me as I lifted his body off the ground before he could inhale. I couldn’t help but laugh at how wide his eyes became, fucking loved the rush of adrenaline that coursed through me when, with the flick of my fingers, I broke his wrist, and the sound of his gun hitting the floor resounded in the room.
“Want to know how I knew you were with that bastard group?” I gripped the collar of his shirt and tore it like tissue. I already knew he had the crescent and sunburst tattoo before I saw the proof on his chest. “It’s not because of this ugly fucking thing. No.” I leaned in close. “It’s because you all have a stench to you.” I leaned in another inch. “It’s desperation and arrogance.”
I heard Kayla shuffle away even more and knew she’d run, her fight-or-flight instinct screaming at her to do the latter.
“I don’t know how you knew she was mine, but I assume that’s why you’re here.” My hand was tight enough on his throat he made gurgling sounds as he clawed at my knuckles to try to pry it free. “You actually thought to take her from me? To hurt her? All because you actually fucking thought you had a chance in taking me?” I tsked. “Man, you’re all a bunch of fucking amateurs.”
I let all the evil and dangerous parts of me rise so violently I tasted it on my tongue. Power and hunger, the demons of what made me who and what I was, surged forward. And all to protect my mate.
This wasn’t even about taking down an Assembly fucker. This was about taking out the bastard who thought to hurt my female.
This was vengeance. This was a vampire protecting what was his.
I ripped his ski mask off so he could really see the monster who was taking his life. His whimper was music to my fucking ears, and when I smelled urine, I moved an inch back and looked down, seeing his black fatigues grow wet.
“Damn, less than sixty seconds. You were easy to break.” I laughed when he started crying, when he started praying to a god who wouldn’t help him.
I heard Kayla hurrying out the room, her gasps of shock, her cries of fear, and the scent of her salty tears drowning out everything else. I ached to ease those worries from her. It was this primal feeling in me… the only important thing.
And just to prove to myself I wasn’t a fucking pussy now that I had a mate, I ripped the bastard’s trachea out and tossed it across the room before I let his lifeless body fall to the floor.
I turned just as Kayla stumbled forward in her haste to escape the carnage. She looked over her shoulder, screamed, “Don’t!” and ran out of the room.
I followed her, stalked my Kayla, and knew she was too confused and fear-stricken, too panicked to think or move rationally. I knew she wasn’t going to see the corpse I left on the shadowy stairs, knew she’d trip over it and go headlong down the steps.
And when that scenario happened, I used my otherworldly speed to pull her against my chest, lift her into my arms, and let her screams fill my head a second before she passed out.
13
Kayla
Iknew I was waking from passing out as soon as consciousness filtered in. That fear rose up, and the pain followed.
I also knew I wasn’t alone.
My eyes were closed, but I felt him. God, I felt his presence like a heavy cloak on top of me.
So I lay still, controlled my breathing, and tried not to let the intense pain throbbing in my head control me. I failed miserably as a low groan spilled from me, and I gritted my teeth.
