Page 6 of You Only Die Twice

But it’s silent.

He’s silent.

This is a decision I have to make on my own. Once I do, there’s no going back. With a sigh, I kiss the delicate, blazing skin before sliding my tongue over where I plan to bite.

If I could cry, tears would be flowing down my face as I struggle with my inner demons, but, try as I might, they never come. Instead, my guilt slowly morphs into rage. This time, it’s not at myself. I loathe the very existence of Luka. I hate everything about him and his kind.

Knowing what I do now, there’s no doubt in my mind he killed Gloria. Not just that, he feasted on her body. That’s how there was so much blood at the crime scene but no body. Everything becomes crystal clear to me as I listen to Katrina’s heart. He’s molding me into him, transforming me into a monster in his image.

How long will it take before I also leave a room covered in blood? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Katrina is just the first. She’s the gateway drug that he’s luring me with. The problem is, I cannot refuse her. To do so would make her suffer, and he knows that. He knows deep down I can never bring myself to kill her willingly.

Instead of outright murder, he’s going to make me drain her dry bit by bit. Day by day until she’s nothing but a husk.

So dramatic. If I knew you’d turn into a baby, I would have killed you on that damned boat. Remember, she’s mine too. What satisfaction would I be able to have if you killed her? Her body belongs to me. I’m just allowing you to indulge yourself. Now bite her, or I’ll do it for you. Trust me, I won’t be as nice.

A shiver of apprehension slithers down my spine as my brain and body recall his treatment of me in my turning. I can’t allow Katrina to suffer as I had. Damn him. Damn him straight to the pits of hell where he belongs.

Running my nose over the spot one more time, I pierce the skin with my fangs, practically humping the floor as her lifeblood flows into me, filling my mouth with her coppery essence. I lap at her, suck at her, squeezing the tissues so that more blood comes out.

Luka’s chuckle permeates my brain as my monster feasts upon her, not giving two shits how much she struggles. I pin her down, ignoring the pained cries as I feed. I can feel it flow through my body, strengthening me, revitalizing me.

It’s like cocoa on a cold, snowy Christmas day. Warm, familiar, home. Her body is home to me now. The sweet taste of her fear peppers my tongue, adding a spice, a kick that I don’t expect.

Deep down, I knew she would taste like manna from heaven, but knowing and tasting are two different things. I crave her. There will never be another as delicious to me as she is. Reaching up, I glide my fingers through her bottom lips, feeling the slide of her arousal as I skim along the delicate skin.

The poor, naughty girl is so decadently wet. My monster preens at this knowledge, revels in the fact that causing her this sort of pain gets her turned on. It’s an aphrodisiac I didn’t know I needed or wanted, but now that I know her secret, she will never be able to hide her baser needs from me again.

My little human likes pain. I knew this on an intellectual level on the boat, but feeling her writhe beneath my fangs, tasting the need as it flows out of her are two different things.

“Enough.”

I glance over her thigh, noting Luka’s looming presence. I’ve only just started. There’s no way he can tell me to stop. Not when there’s so much left in her. The bloodlust slams into me, demanding I feed, regardless of the consequences. Soon, Luka pries me away, his talons digging into my shoulders until I have no choice but to let go.

“Defy me again, and I will rip out your fangs, chain you to the wall, and force you to watch as I fuck and feed from her until they grow back in. Are we clear?”

Sliding the back of my hand across my lips, I snarl at him, remaining silent. The fact that he’s so close to her, to my human…. The world goes nearly white as I swipe at him, all thoughts going out of my head except protecting what’s mine.

“What’s ours, pet,” he corrects me, wrapping his hand around my throat. “Katrina will always be mine. I only allow you to feed on her and fuck her on my good graces. Make no mistake about it. Even if I allow you to turn her, father her into our fold, she will always be mine. Get that through your thick skull before I separate your head from your body.”

My fangs retract as I force my mind to calm down. I can’t protect her if I’m dead. She’s all I have. Monster or no monster, I’m still the best thing for her. I can be a buffer between her and Luka. I can take the brunt of his fury if need be. But again, I can’t do that if I’m dead.

“That’s a good pet. Look at her.” My eyes drift over to Katrina’s still body, the blood a mere trickle from her pale skin. “You’ve almost gone too far. I don’t wish to have her turned just yet. There are a few more things I wish to enjoy with her as a human. When I tell you to stop, you better damn well stop. Next time, I’ll just let you kill her. Understand?”

Everything stops as I force myself to listen to her. She’s still breathing, but it’s jagged, not steady at all, same as her heart. Oh, God. Oh, God! What have I done?

“Nothing yet, you pridurok. That's why I stopped you. Get her into the infirmary. They’ll prepare her for your next lesson in feeding.”

CHAPTER THREE

Katrina

Groaning, I turn my head to the side, not wanting to open my eyes. My head pounds in my skull, as if I once again drank too much. But I didn’t drink? Did I? Muddled memories float up to the surface as I struggle to keep a calm breath. Vivid flashes of Luka and Jackson slam into me along with the dungeon.

I’m a prisoner. These monsters are keeping me captive! Forcing my eyes open, I blink against the sterile brightness that assaults me. Everything looks familiar and foreign at the same time. I know this place, but why do I know it?

“Ahh. I thought you were going to be out much longer.”

Turning, I note the IV tubes hanging over my arm. Again, memories slam into me, but they’re so disjointed that I can’t make sense of any of them. Lizzy’s face as she smiles behind her own IVs flits about in my mind, ricocheting around like a pinball in a machine.