After readying myself, I realized I was starving and, since there were humans in attendance, it was unlikely they would be serving my necessary diet. On my way out, I detoured to my kitchen and gulped down a couple of glasses of cold blood. Feeding from anyone other than our consort made the blood taste repulsive, so we used a company that delivered bagged blood. The service was created specifically for this purpose.
Once I was full, I rinsed the glass and stowed it in the dishwasher. There was nothing else that I could feasibly use as an excuse to be even later, so I started the trek to my brother’s mansion. I could have teleported there, but it wasn’t far, and I was dragging my feet, decidedly unexcited to be subjected to another evening of being trotted out like a prized pig.
About five minutes into my journey, my phone pinged, and I pulled it from my pocket to glance at the message. Unsurprisingly, it was a request for a job. It was tempting, but the guilt from distancing myself from my family was eating away at me. I declined the offer and shoved my phone back into my pocket.
The air around me suddenly thinned, and it almost crackled with electricity. The most delicious smell assaulted my nose, and the thumping of a racing heartbeat tickled my ears. The sound of footsteps was gaining volume as they came closer. Someone was running, and I could sense the fear propelling them in my direction.
An overwhelming need to help the person pushed me into a jog. It was a different feeling than the ones I experienced while working, and I didn’t understand the change. But I didn’t have time to ponder it at the moment.
There was a full moon, but dark clouds had moved to cover the light, making it nearly black. But my eyes were their very sharpest in the darkness. So, when a woman came racing out from under a bridge, I was immediately struck by her beauty. Her skin was pale, even more so with the fear emanating from her. Dark, nearly black, hair was twisted up behind her head, but several strands had come loose and blew around her angelic face.
Dark brown eyes were filled with terror as she glanced behind, and her full, ruby lips were slightly open from her panting breaths. Her choppy breathing and fast pace caused her full, round breasts to bounce under her white, long-sleeved blouse, and her large black skirt flowed behind her.
If I had been human, I imagined I would have been having very inappropriate thoughts about this woman when my first instincts should have been to help her. Not ogle her. However, having never experienced any sexual response to a woman, I was guessing, which was why I was caught off guard at being struck by her appearance when I should have gone directly into attack mode. Not that I was worried. Whatever was chasing her wouldn’t stand a chance against me.
I stepped directly into her path, and her head swiveled back around just as she plowed into me. I planted myself on the ground, so I didn’t budge when her body barreled into mine. My arms wanted to close around her and keep her hidden in my embrace, but I needed to deal with the danger first. “I won’t hurt you, angel,” I assured her softly. “Get behind me, and I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” She stared up at me in confusion for a beat, then her fear receded a little, and she nodded.
I guided her around, so I was between her and the approaching threat. I could hear their footsteps as they ran through the tunnel under the bridge, and it didn’t take long for me to recognize my natural enemy. I’d certainly fought enough of them in the last five centuries. Considering their accelerated speed from being a vampire, I assumed they were playing with their prey, which only made me doubly annoyed with their interruption of my night.
The two nightwalkers emerged from the arched exit, and I was ready with a stake in each hand and a bored expression on my face. When they saw me, however, their gaits faltered for a second before they continued toward us. “I just changed into these clothes for a party, and I’d rather not have to do it again due to your messy ashes. So, I’m giving you one chance to turn around and leave.” I spoke no louder than I would have if they’d been standing right in front of me, knowing their vampiric hearing would pick it up.
A dark-skinned, yet still pale—being undead tended to do that to a person—male vampire smiled evilly, his expression cocky. Imbecile. “Hand her over, and we won’t get your blood all over your pretty clothes, daywalker.”
I heard the woman gasp from behind me, but thankfully, she stayed put. Being forced to chase after her while trying to fend off two nightwalkers would have been a pain in the ass.
I rolled my eyes and twirled one of the stakes in my hand. “You must be newly bitten if you think you can take me, bloodsucker.” I looked at the other vampire—a tall, skinny blonde with red-eyes—who was hanging back slightly. “Ah, I see. Your friend here is using you to distract me. She’s counting on my killing you to give her an opening to get to the female she’s after.”
The male looked back at his companion, who was too busy glaring at me to try to convince him I was lying. She was the real threat. Never removing my eyes from her, I launched one stake at the man and heard a pop before the thud of the wood hitting the ground.
“Next?” I taunted.
Her thin lips pinched, and her eyes narrowed, rage burning in their depths. “I won’t be so easily taken out, Bancroft,” she sneered.
It wasn’t shocking that she knew who I was; the Bancrofts were a well-known, established bloodline among the daywalkers. In addition to our own reputations, our father had seven siblings, all boys, and they’d provided us with a plethora of cousins who lived up to their heritage. In fact, I’d been known to get wasted with a few of them when the sight of the only Bancrofts in our generation with mates became too much to handle. We were also enabled by the fact that our cousin Liam—who lived two towns over—owned a company that produced high-end whiskey.
Angling my head a tiny fraction, I didn’t break eye contact with the female vampire as I spoke to the angel. “Do you see that house down the road?” I asked her. It was the only one around since I owned the ten acres it stood on, but I wasn’t sure how frazzled she was and wanted to be very clear. “The one with the winding drive at the square turret?”
“Yes,” she whispered in a trembling voice.
“Head over there, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“Alone?”
I hated to send her off without me, but this female vamp was clearly very old and likely quite powerful; I didn’t want my angel distracting me. I was a little startled at the possessive adjective I used so thoughtlessly. I had no idea where it had come from. If a nightwalker was chasing her, it almost certainly meant that she was someone’s consort. Daywalkers were very possessive and jealous of their mates. Whoever she was destined for would tear off my head for thoughts like that.
“I promise I’ll be there before you even reach the front door,” I vowed.
She started to protest, and I cut her off with a firm tone and command. “Go, angel.”
Her warmth disappeared from behind me as she complied with my request. I felt a little bereft at the loss but shrugged it off.
I cocked my head to the side and studied the vampire who was glaring past my shoulder. She became a blur so suddenly that most night or day walkers would probably have missed her as she slipped by.
A snort escaped my mouth as my arm shot out. My strength and toned muscles acted like a steel beam when she ran straight into it, slamming her forehead and bouncing back from the impact.