Page 62 of The Vampire’s Prey

Evangeline's face goes white as a sheet as she takes in the scene. Her eyes quickly scan the areas and lock on to the rope at her wrists before slowly turning to me. Damn.

"Now love, —"

"What the hell happened here?" She looks back down and stares at the face for a moment. Frantic anger vibrates through her body.

"Barbara? You killed Barbara?"

"Now wait a minute.”

This is quite enough. Exhaustion flows through me for a moment, but I can’t give in to it. This is the same battle our kind has fought for years. I just didn’t realize Evangeline thought so low of me. Well, I guess, now I know.

“I can understand the horrific nature of walking in on something like this, but to blame me for it? Why? Because I just happen to be a vampire, and she happens to be dead?”

Frowning, I stand up and make my way over to her, if nothing else but to reason with her. I thought she was more level-headed than this.

She begins pacing back and forth, rambling so fast I cannot understand her. Fuck, she must be in shock. I try to wrap my arms around her and calm her, but she flings her arms out, blocking me from touching her.

"He was right—Simon was right."

"Who's Simon?"

I growl. Now is not the time to get angry. I need to stay calm and show her that I am still in control.

"How could you do this?" she responds, completely ignoring my question. "Was my blood not enough? I…I gave you my blood. Oh God. Oh God!"

She starts pacing again. The only way I know how to calm a woman in hysterics is to hold them close, but every time I get near, her eyes go wild, and she moves further from me.

"Listen pet—."

"I am not your pet," she spits out, spearing me with a glare. "You tricked and used me.” Looking back down she gestures to the rope. "Who else could this have been? I'm not stupid. You're the only freak I know who uses rope."

"Freak?" My anger flairs, and I stalk towards her. "Enough of this. You sure didn’t think I was a freak when you orgasmed in my ropes."

"Get away from me, you monster. I swear, you'll regret it!"

"Monster?"

I stop for a moment, hurt at the insults she is hurling at me. The pain of her words opens up wounds in me I thought to be long gone. Monster. It’s an epithet that’s followed me wherever I go. But from her? This woman who holds way more of my heart than she even knows is most effectively trampling it with her careless words.

This is why I don’t tangle with humans. This is why I don’t let them close. Sighing, I stop for a moment, trying to assess the situation, trying to see if from her point of view. We still don’t know each other that well, and with the evidence being what it is, it’s no doubt that she thinks I’m the killer.

However, her insults, though they’re killing me, don’t cancel out the love I feel for her. Tragedy may have struck here tonight, but if there’s any hope in us going forward, I have to show her that I’m still the one in charge. I’m still the one she can count on and depend on.

Without stopping to think anymore, I barrel my way towards her. Her fingers frantically claw at the bracelet she is always wearing. Let her pray and see if that saves her from a sound spanking. It’s not until I hear her gasp that I realize there is a stinging pain in my left pec. Looking down, I see a steady flow of liquid silver spreading across my shirt.

"Now you won't hurt anyone else.”

Tears glisten in her eyes as she looks at me closely. Confusion swirls in my brain. What is all this mess? It smears under my fingertips. The wound is an ache at best and an irritant at worse; however, a night of sleep will heal it right up.

"Because I have a stain on my shirt?"

Then her words register. She did this on purpose. This wasn’t an accident. What exactly is her game?

"It's pure, liquid silver from a blessed cross. Made to kill your kind.”

Her voice is smug, but her eyes are wary. I stop and stare at her, not sure I can even trust my words for the moment. Anger seeps out of every pore as I stare her down.

"Do you mean,” I ground out, “that you just actively tried to kill me. Choose your words carefully my pet."