Page 59 of Vampire Runner
She hesitates, her body shifting. She wants to move, but she’s boxed in. Any way she turns, she’ll give her back to one of them.
The leader tells the other one to back off, giving her an easy smile. I huff out a silent snort. He’s playing the chivalric hero to their villains. “Really, though,” he says, stepping closer. She can’t back up unless she wants to get closer to the others. She holds her ground and, strangely, I feel a bit of pride in my chest. “It can be dangerous for a human out here alone. Why don’t you let us take you somewhere safer and you can meet your friend there.”
She gives him a hard smile. “No, thanks.” She waves her phone a bit. “My boyfriend will be here any minute to pick me up.”
I sigh, disappointment making me shake my head. I can hear the lie from here, hear her quickening heartbeat. As close as they are, the wolf shifters won’t miss any scent of fear.
“What if we weren’t asking?” one of the villain-playing wolves says, adding a growl under his words.
The tension I’d lost earlier returns, and my fangs itch to elongate, priming to fight. I should pull my phone out and send a couple of the foot soldiers walking the street to deal with this. One text, and they’d be here in a minute, two at the most.
“Then I’d say you’re pretty rude,” she answers with a sniff before tucking her phone into her small purse. “I’d also have to let you know I took martial arts for years, if you’re expecting an easy mark.”
The wolves are quiet for a long moment. It’s as if the world is holding its breath as I wait for their reaction. I still don’t reach into my pocket for my phone.
The leader laughs, breaking the silence, and the other two join in. He cocks his head at her, raising a hand as if to touch her face. “We like a bitch with fight in her, don’t we, boys?”
Her eyes widen enough for it to be clear even all the way up here. Then her brows furrow and before the wolf shifter’s hand can touch her, she knocks it out of her way with one arm and then lands a solid punch to the male’s nose. His head snaps back and he staggers a step, before turning hate-filled eyes onto her.
Her heartbeat stutters, pure fear claiming her.
Thunder breaks across the sky, or maybe it’s just the blood rushing in my ears. My feet are slamming into the pavement before I’d even decided to intervene. In another instant, I crossed the distance between us, slamming my shoulder into one of the lackeys. He goes flying with a yelp, slamming onto his back and skidding further up the road. I sweep out my leg, catching the other at the knees and sending him flailing. I help him to the ground by gripping his face and shoving downwards, satisfied from the crunch of bones fracturing.
Turning from him, I grab the woman by the arm and move her behind me as I step up into the glaring shifter’s face, baring my fangs with a snarl. He tries to take a step back, confusion dampening the rage. I snap my hand out, gripping him by the throat, squeezing in threat.
“Give me one good reason, mutt, why I shouldn’t rip out your throat for touching my girlfriend.” My blood is racing, every instinct screaming for me to do it, to sink my fangs into his throat and destroy the male. To do what I do best, kill and feed.
The male on his back staggers upwards, hurrying behind his leader with his nonexistent tail between his legs.
“We didn’t do nothing,” the male gasps out, ignoring the blood running from his nose. “We were just trying to get her somewhere safer, honest. Didn’t know she was a Nightshade’s girl.”
I snarl again, dragging him closer, ready to end the wolf right then.
A gentle hand against my back stops me.
Grunting in disgust, I release the male with a shove backwards, sending him into his friend. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”
The males retreat, giving us a wide berth as they head towards the last male still struggling to get to his feet.
I close my eyes, breathing deep and forcing the disappointed blood rage down.
“Thank you,” comes from behind me, the two words shaky. I turn and take her in, but she’s shaking out her fist. Without thinking I catch it, making her gasp. I bring it up, angling it so it’s in the soft yellow light coming from the corner lamp post. The skin is torn on her first and second knuckle, the metallic copper of her blood sweet to my nose. I run my fingers over her hand, before meeting her eyes.
“Nothing seems to be broken,” I say, keeping my voice calm and low. “But you’ll want to get ice on that tonight and it’ll probably hurt like a bitch tomorrow. It was a good punch, though. Solid.”
She tugs her hand away and I release it, startled at how soft her skin is as it brushes mine. She gives me a strained smile. “I know. It’s not the first time I’ve punched someone.”
We look at each other for a long moment, then I clear my throat. “So, not to sound like those jackasses, this end of Blood Street really isn’t the best place for a human woman on her own.”
She lets out an annoyed sigh and retrieves her phone, grimacing at the screen. She unlocks it and pulls up her messages. I look away, shoving my hands in my front pockets. But my gaze is drawn back to her like a compass pointing north.
In the waning lights of the street lamps and red glows of neon signs hung in the windows above us, I take the moment to study her. I should walk away, her being safe now, but my feet refuse to move. She’s got pink hair, the color deepened by the neon signage, but if I were to guess, her hair is rose pink in the daylight. It’s cut in a sharp bob just below her jawline, and when it falls into her face as she glares at her phone screen, her small hand tucks it behind a delicate ear that has three earrings in her lobe.
She’s goddamn adorable, I realize.
When she swears and looks up, she startles as if she’d completely forgotten my presence.
“Oh. You’re still here.”