Page 40 of Branded in Love
“I know you killed my son,” Andrea says through clenched teeth, fury contorting his expression. “I’m willing to let that go… in exchange for the woman.” He pauses. “If I were you, I’d take my generous offer. She’s just a human, after all.”
29
LUCIANA
Gavriil’s grip tightens. His hand glides away from mine instants before his hold becomes painful. A growl rumbles in his chest. His dark brown eyes turn black as he leans forward.
“I do not appreciate how you addressed my girlfriend,” he says in a hoarse voice. “Apologize. Right. Now.” His nostrils flare, his chest heaves.
“Yourgirlfriend?” Andrea mocks.
“Is that what shifters call their bitches nowadays?” says the vampire to Andrea’s right.
In a flash, Gavriil’s hand seizes the blood drinker’s throat. I see human hands change under the play of light and shadows. Hair covers flesh, claws break beneath his fingernails. The vampire’s neck cracks when his grip clenches. Then his eyes roll blank and the blood drinker drops to the ground.
The vampire to Andrea’s left screeches in response, but leaps back instead of forward.
I can’t breathe. My mouth dries in an instant.
“You’re… next,” Gavriil roars, pointing at the head vampire.
As my gaze sweeps over the copse, I see shifters dropping from the treetops. Vampires materialize out of nowhere and both clash in a whirlwind of growls and hissing.
“Get her!” Andrea points at me with a crooked finger.
I gasp in dread. I should have brought a gun, a knife,anythingto fight back—not that it would have made much of a difference.
The second vampire lunges towards me, quick as lightning. In a blink, he stands inches away from me, baring fangs, claws ready to seize me. With the same unnatural speed, Gavriil appears out of the corner of my eye. He stands under a tree, tears off a branch and breaks it on his knee, then throws the pointy end at the vampire, and like a spear, it breaks through the blood drinker’s chest. Blood spatter bursts from the wound with full force, staining my dress with a few droplets.
I take my quivering hand to my lips and jump back.
“Luciana,” someone hisses in my ear.
I look back, overwhelmed and shuddering. Relief washes over me when my gaze meets ice-blue eyes.
“Sasha!”
“Come with me!” he says, holding my arm. “I’m getting you out of here!”
I turn to Gavriil, chasing after Andrea down the avenue while dodging vampires, brawling and fighting werebears.
“Luciana!” Sasha tugs at my arm harshly, dragging my focus away.
“But, Gavriil…!”
“He’ll be fine!” he assures me. “Let’s go!”
30
GAVRIIL
Ichase the fucking monster down the lane, but he vanishes in an instant. Furious and frustrated, I stop at the fountain. Nothing but trees surround me. My senses are keen enough to pick up the faintest noise, but Andrea is stealthy. His scent, however, permeates the air.
“Your foul stench betrays you, Andrea…” I growl. Putrid human blood, centuries old, sticking to his gums. “Let’s end this now.”
I narrow my gaze, sweeping through the mass of trees. He won’t dare to appear on the gravel road. Slowly, I remove my suit’s jacket, revealing the harness where I strapped my throwing axe. I drop the jacket on the fountain’s stone rim and roll my sleeves up to my elbows.
“I could kill you with my bare hands, vampire…” I continue, holding my axe in a firm grip. “But where’s the fun in that?”
