Page 112 of How to Seduce a Slender

Something is wrong. This isn’t right. This prey isn’t right. Why am I feeding from her?

Hungry. Starved. Feed. Feed. Feed.

He skittered to a halt, hands grabbing at his head. Angry, turbulent thoughts spun in his head. A tornado of commands and questions ripped through him. It broke off pieces of him from the inside.Why her?Does it matter!Why her?Kill her!Why her? Feed!

Feed.

He lurched forward as she stopped a foot from him. His prey stared at him.

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Her voice was soft as she took a hesitant step toward him.

Feed.

“That’s her telling you what to do. That’s her collar on you. That’s not who you are, Smith.”

“Stop it!” he roared, bending in half while clutching his head.Feed!“You are food.”

“I’m your girl! I’m not your food!” She stomped her foot, tears flying off her face as she tossed her wild mane of hair off her shoulders. “And you’re mine! Youpromised!”

He broke at the knees, sinking into the soil.Promised?Feed.I promised?Feed.Who is she?Kill her.The world spun with angry teeth, biting into his being. Two forces tugged at his opposite sides. A piece of him, aching and longing, tugged him away from her. It screamed something was wrong. But there was the oppressive force of his hunger. It demanded he cease his actions. Eat her, it called, making his fingers twitch in her direction.

“What are you doing? Kill her already.”

His hunger had a voice. A strong, feminine voice filled with ire and spite. It was behind ruby lips and two pairs of long fangs. He remembered it, his hunger had a face. Pretty, commanding, regal, with crimson eyes and blond hair.

He rose to his feet as his prey stared at him. There was something in her cherry eyes that made his stomach churn. She was facing him head on.

“Smith, it’s okay,” She breathed, tears pouring down her cheeks as her hands trembled. “I’m going to fix it. Just like I fixed Giovanni. I’m gonna fix it. It’s okay. Come here.”

How cute… Feed from her,his hunger hissed in his ear.

He stepped forward toward her as she braced for his impact. Then he lunged forward, tendrils out and teeth bared. Her cry of pain was cut short as he sank his teeth into her. His tendrils speared into her flesh, tugging her still for him.

Pain. It shouldn’t hurt to feed, but it did. Something also speared him. Right through the center, he gagged on it. His tongue swelled in his mouth, saliva pooling in his aching jaw. As he ripped backward, taking flesh and sinew with him, he felt it.

Something broke.

His prey crumbled to the ground and took with her something from the cavern of his chest.

Chapter Forty-One:

Smith

No.

Nother.

No.

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t comprehend. Melody lay at his feet, throat ripped out and body punctured with multiple holes. Some of them had started to heal…but then they didn’t.

His chest ruptured as he sank to his knees. “Melody?”

Her eyes stared past him into oblivion. The reds of them already milky. Her lips were turning blue with every passing second.No.His hands shook as he reached for her but couldn’t reach all the all the way. They stopped an inch from her as he stared at his handiwork. His girl was gone. He’d ripped her throat out. His heart burst into pieces as he could do nothing but stare. Clutched to her chest were the crumbled bits of a dagger between her massive paws. Her claws tore through the metal, leaving the engraving ruined.

“Melody?” he croaked, unable to even touch her.You ruined her. You ruined the only thing you had. You ruined your one thing. Your one person.You beast! You monster! You ate her! Just like you said you would! You fucking ate her!

“Gods, that was a bit dramatic,” a soft hiss filled the air behind him. “All of that chasing and for what? A two second ending. What a stupid girl. Come on, we’ve got work to do—”

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