Page 7 of Undying Thirst

My heartbeat calmed a notch. Enough so my chest didn’t burn.

“What is it about you?” Ren loomed closer, too close, his face hovering inches from mine.

I jerked back and the movement agonizingly tugged at my injuries. I gasped.

“You’ve caused quite the stir. Is it just because of your,” he paused and his tongue flicked out to swipe across his lower lip, “succulent taste?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I croaked.

He gripped my chin, stealing the precious control I’d managed to wrangle on my heart.

“You’re not too bad on the eyes. You have nice, perky breasts that’d look delightful painted with my cum.” I felt like a horse being sized up. “If I were into fucking humans, you would make the list.” His white fangs flashed. “That is, of course, before draining you dry.”

Tears welled in my eyes. He stared at the single one that escaped and rolled down my face and his pupils dilated.

“Yes,” he breathed against my cheek. “Cry, weak human. That’s all you can do.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to control my rampant emotions. Not crying in front of them was non-negotiable. Nor would I beg. I wouldn’t be brought down before my death; I would keep that part of myself from their evil grip. With everything in me, I suppressed the urge to sob and glared at him.

His eyes narrowed. Since his dark eyelashes slanted down, it created a divot between them. His skin was so smooth, it seemed pore-less. Unfair vampire perks.

I had multiple skin care routines to attain skin like that and had never achieved that level of flawlessness without make-up.

He released my chin with a harsh shove.

The back of my head smacked into the headboard. I cried out as a dull thud radiated down to my arm.

The door crashed open and Tobias stormed inside, his coat fluttering behind him. Soot stained his clothes.

“What did you do to her?” he hissed.

Ren lifted his hands and backed up.

Then Tobias was in my space. Moving too fast. They all moved much too fast.

I sucked in a breath.

“I’ve been searching for you,” Tobias breathed as he clasped my face with such care—opposite to Ren’s grip.

Tobias searched for me? Why? I didn’t understand any of this.

A knot swelled in my throat with so much emotion it became lodged. I dropped my eyes, not wanting to face his piercing gray ones. His sweet breath was tinged with orange. His voice, his scent, his touch reached inside me and prodded me to soften.

Seams of his frayed collar split in two. Brown splatters stained the white shirt. Dried blood.

“Catalina?” he murmured, his voice lilting with hints of his English accent.

A slight chuckle dragged my attention to Ren.

What did he find so funny?

I gritted my teeth.

Tobias and Ren were opposites. The flip of a coin. One was coldly evil and the other attempted a semblance of morals.

Or so I thought, until he lied to me. I shouldn’t let my guard down. He’d fooled me. No, I fooled myself. They were vampires, I let myself get carried away from the start. I had no one to blame but myself.

Locking my jaw, I glared at Tobias.

---