Page 103 of Bite of Vengeance
Water dripped down my face, but I didn’t dare move. Amaros was waiting for it. The strength coursing through my veins was begging me to fight. To kill. But what if it wasn’t enough? Keeva was still fighting vampires behind me, and from the sound ofit, she needed help. More Shadows and vampires were running toward us, abandoning the fight with PARA.
“You’ll have to kill me to get to Zan. Or Kali,” Viggo growled, his shoulders going tense as he stayed in front of me.
“No.”
Zan’s word was quiet, but I heard him perfectly. Breaking Amaros’s stare, I looked at him just as he flew in front of me, slamming straight into his father. For the first time tonight, Amaros looked surprised before he went on the offensive, and his fingers wrapped around Zan’s throat.
“Zan,” I screamed, rushing forward only for three vampires to swarm me. One of them stabbed a stake into my stomach, making me cry out in agony. Another stake was shoved into my back, and I fell to my knees, my warm blood dripping down my cold, soaked skin. I caught sight of Viggo just standing there, unmoving.
“I see my entrancement has run its course,” Amaros murmured, his voice barely heard above the fighting and rain.
“She’s in danger any time she’s in your presence,” Zan snarled hoarsely. “You can’t control me anymore. My loyalty is to her.Only her.”
“Viggo,” I shouted, trying to snap him out of it. “Fuck. Viggo. Help Zan.”
Amaros chuckled as he squeezed Zan’s throat tighter, lifting him off the muddy ground. “Unlike Zan, Viggo is still under my control. He won’t fight me. But…” he paused for a moment. “Viggo, keep your brothers away from me. Away from Kali and Keeva. Kill them if you must.”
I gritted my teeth, climbing to my feet. My body was still writhing from pain, but I was already overcoming it. I was healing fast. A vampire bent down, raising his stake to stab me again. I lashed my arm up, catching his wrist. A grunt left him when I squeezed harder, and his panicked eyes met mine.
I concentrated, making sure I had him under entrancement. “I want you to fight the vampires. Kill them. Destroy as many vampires as you can. Do not touch me or the Shadows. Start with the two right here.”
I released him, and he lunged at the closest vampire, knocking him away. Jumping to my feet, I spotted Pax and Viggo rolling in the mud, fighting. Amaros met my gaze while letting Zan fall back to the ground. Only for him to pull out a stake and bury it in Zan’s stomach. A snarl burned my throat as I shot forward when Zan collapsed in the mud.
I slowed down only long enough to grab my stake from my other boot before throwing my weight into Amaros. Either he wasn’t expecting it, or my strength was enough to make him stumble. I swung, the sharp edge of the wood only slicing his arm. He hissed out a breath, charging at me with so much speed that I didn’t have a chance to block his hit when he backhanded me across the jaw. I went flying, barely managing to land on my feet. I kept a tight grip on the stake as I whirled around to go after him again.
“You might be strong,” he said, his chest heaving. “But you are still no fucking match for me.”
I caught his gaze, and I threw all my power behind my stare only for him to laugh.
“Trying to control me? I’m too old for that. My mind is far too powerful.”
Chapter 41
Kali
Amaros barreled toward me, not stopping even when a stray bullet hit him in the leg. Lightning cracked through the sky, revealing the cruel determination in his eyes. I charged forward, aiming the stake at his chest. He knocked my arm away, and I spotted his own wooden weapon before he stabbed it into my thigh. I stumbled forward when he pulled it out and kicked my legs out from under me.
I landed in a heap, defeat crawling through me.
Was everything I read wrong? Keeva and I were supposed to be the ones to keep a balance. Amaros Kane was the one destroying that balance. My strength should rival his—but I waslosing.
He caught my wrist when I swung the stake at him, and he ripped it from my grip, a savage smile forming on his lips. His other hand went to my throat, shoving me down into the mud. He cut off my air, and while I knew I couldn’t die this way, it didn’t stop the panic. My lungs ached as I tried sucking in air.
“You should have listened to me when you were on my property,” he growled, pushing the stake into my stomach.
“Never,” I barely choked out, glaring at him as hatred burned through my veins. I would never obey him, no matter what he did.
He broke my skin, slowly pushing in the stake as I writhed under him. My hits did absolutely nothing, and I cursed my power. What good did it do when I wasn’t a match for those who threatened me? He wasn’t going to kill me. Even after all this, he wanted touseme.
“Get off her.”
A body flew at us, crashing into Amaros and knocking him off me. I sucked in choppy breaths, quickly climbing to my feet. Keeva was rolling on the ground with Amaros as they fought for the upper hand. Water rained down on us, and I picked up my stake that Amaros had dropped. I searched the area around me until I spotted Zan. He was surrounded by vampires, but he glanced up as if knowing I was watching him.
Pax was fighting beside him, his sad eyes on Viggo who was next to the vampires. From Viggo’s blank expression, he was still under entrancement. Zan whirled around when two vampires attacked. The Shadows and vampires were still fighting around us, and I caught sight of Rya for a moment before she got swallowed back up in the chaos. PARA soldiers were slowly making their way over, which was going to make things even messier.
Keeva let out a yell, snapping me out of my thoughts. I swallowed the pain, relying on my adrenaline to keep pushing me forward until my body could fully heal. Spinning around, I ran forward as Amaros was throwing her to the ground. He was on her in a second, snatching her hand, and grabbing the stake she was holding. I raced closer, seeing her grimace as he twisted the stake until the sharp edge was aimed at her. The tip touched her chest as I raised my own weapon.
“You can’t sneak up on me.”
