Page 8 of Branded in Love
My fierce gaze cuts to my Enforcer’s. Sasha nods.
The second the vampire flees, dashing through the night like the vilest shadow, Sasha darts after him. As my Enforcer sprints towards the end of the street, he gradually shifts into his bear form. Claws break beneath his fingernails, pristine white hair covers his arms... The blood drinker won’t make it far before Sasha destroys him.
I turn to the apartment building. Tracking the woman won’t be a problem. Her sweet scent lures me like a bee to a honeycomb. This isn’t the last of the vampires we’ll see. More will follow.
I must warn her.
7
LUCIANA
I’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past hour. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight—or ever again. Trent was a vampire. A vampire. He tried to kill me. If vampires are real, then what else is out there? And then there’s myhot neighbor. The guy is drilled into my brain. How did he know Trent wasn’t human?
I will never harm you, he said. Shivers spread through my limbs as I remember the intensity of his stare, his sheer conviction as he spoke the words.
“Gah!” I push the covers away. I’m not falling asleep anytime soon. I gather my hair into a quick high bun and drag my bare feet out of bed and into the kitchen.
“Tea,” I mumble, opening the cabinet. Save for the can of tea and some sugar packets, the cupboard is practically empty. I should do some grocery shopping. People need food to survive, don’t they? Ugh. I open the can and grab a spoon and a cup.
Someone knocks at the door.
Huh?I look at the clock. 3:45 AM. Who would come knocking at this hour? Oh, I know. It’s that pesky woman from the apartment downstairs. The last time she had a grievance, she pulled the same thing on me. I clench my jaw. Who does she think she is? Does she think I’m a 24-hour customer service and she can come whenever something ticks her off? I march out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Last time, I was nice. But not tonight.
“You’re gonna get an earful, Glenda...” I mutter, closing my hand on the doorknob. I jerk the door open and am faced with long chestnut hair, dark brown eyes rimmed with thick black eyelashes, a sculpted nose and lips.
My stomach drops.
It’s him. Hot Neighbor.
On an impulse, I shut the door. My heart is pounding hard against my chest. I cover my mouth with my hand and press my back against the wall, knees trembling, hands clammy as hell. Was it really him? How?
“Please open this door,” Hot Neighbor says in a dispassionate tone.
A thrill spreads through my limbs. A dozen questions race through my mind, but I choose one fast. “What do you want?” I tell him, struggling to master the restlessness crashing inside me.
“We need to talk,” he says. “It’s important.” Now his voice is strained with worry.
He sounds serious. I do as he says. He stares at me with impassible eyes. His gaze drops from my face to my legs. Only then, I realize I’m wearing nothing but a t-shirt.Crap.
Hot Neighbor’s stare lands in my eyes again. “You’ll have to change,” he says in the same sober voice. “It’s cold outside.”
The last remark hits me. “What?” I flinch.
“You’re coming with me,” he says, as if it were obvious. Well, it’s not.
Now I glare at him. “I am not—!”
“You can’t stay here.” He halts, looking away for a second. “Gods, I don’t even know your name…” he muses, creasing his brow into a deep frown.
“It’s Luciana…” I tell him in a gentler disposition.
“Good,” he says with quiet assurance. His stare burns through me. “Luciana, your recently deceased vampire boyfriend had many friends.Powerfulfriends.”
A soft gasp escapes my lips. “He wasn’t my—”
“They came to kill you,” he cuts me off. “My friend Sasha is dealing with them now.”
Crushed ice fleets down my nape. “What?” I manage as the air in my throat freezes.
