Page 83 of Feral
I shake my head. “I’m a vampire, obviously, and you are going to die tonight.”
Standing up, I wrap my hand around his neck and toss him clear across the parking lot. He lands with a thud near the entrance. I’m there seconds later, reveling in his agonized groans. My senses are focused on ending this man, even as pain radiates through my body from the bullets.
I straddle him, tilting my head back to bare my fangs, before lunging forward and sinking them into his neck. He screams as I tear his throat out, and the sound of his dying breaths soothes the beast within me.
I don’t drink, spitting flesh and blood out as I mutilate the man until he falls silent. When it’s over, I slide off him, sitting flat on the ground, the monster within me slinking back inside, satiated and calm.
It’s only then that I look up and realize Yannis and Dimi are standing on the front steps watching the whole thing. Yannis has his arms around his brother, but I know from his flushed cheeks and the intensity of his scent that he’s turned on.
Dimi, on the other hand, looks terrified.
I get to my feet, using my sleeve to wipe the blood from my face, but I quickly collapse as all the adrenaline from the attack drains away.
“Hale!”
Yannis is at my side, cradling me in his arms.
“I’m okay, love. Just need a few minutes.”
“Viv is on the way,” Thorn says, pulling a bullet from his bicep. “Just to check us out.”
“You were shot,” Yannis says, his eyes filled with tears.
“I won’t die. Don’t worry. You and Dimi… no bullets?”
“No. You and Thorn took them all.” He brushes my hair from my forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nod, aware of my body pushing the foreign objects out. It hurts, but I’m healing.
Dimi appears next to me and takes my hand. “You and Thorn saved us.”
“It’s my job.” I smile. “I’ll always take care of you. Both of you.”
Dimi nods, glancing at his brother. “Does anyone want to fill me in? I’m pretty sure nothing I just saw should be real, but it is. I think.”
Yannis frowns. “This isn’t how I planned to tell you, but I guess I don’t have a choice now.”
“Let’s get you inside, Hale.” Tiago has his hands under my arms, helping me to my feet. A bullet pushes its way out of my arm and he plucks it out, tossing it to the ground. “Assholes. How did they even find us?”
“I’m learning that not everyone drawn to Lair is good.”
“Fuck,” Tiago mutters as he and Yannis help me walk inside.
“Where is everyone else? They okay?”
“Rhett, Hems, and Sebastian are in the lot cleaning up,” Tiago answers. “Thorn is on the phone with his brothers.”
I nod, letting them help me into a seat. “How many did I take?”
“Not sure, but it was a lot,” Yannis says.
“Thorn hit the ground, so he got maybe three or four.” Tiago offers me a glass of blood.
Yannis shoves the glass away. “If you need to feed, I’m here.”
I shift my eyes to a curious looking Dimi. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. I take care of you too.”