Page 14 of Fangs & Freaks
I lean back against the pillows, the weight of her words settling over me like a lead blanket. My thoughts churn, each one darker than the last. Bloody Mary. The Crimson Brotherhood. None of this feels real, but the ache in my body and the wounds on my skin say otherwise.
I glance around the room, taking in the details I missed earlier. It’s sparsely furnished, just a bed, a nightstand, and a single chair. A small window lets in a sliver of moonlight, the glow cutting across the wooden floor like a blade. The air smells faintly of blood and leather—the unmistakable scent of the Crimson Brotherhood.
I hate hiding things. It’s not in my nature, and the weight of keeping this secret sits heavily on my chest. The Brotherhood saved me, but that doesn’t mean I trust them. The two head vampires, the ones who led the rescue, barely spoke to me during the ride back. Their silence was more unnerving than any threats could have been. And yet, their sharp features and predatory confidence made my heart skip a beat—a fact I was definitely not ready to examine too closely.
My gaze falls to my hands, the faint shimmer of my unicorn magic flickering just beneath the surface. It’s weak, barely there, but it’s enough to remind me of who I am. What I am.
The memory of Bloody Mary’s smirk flashes in my mind, and a shiver runs down my spine. She had looked at me like I was a puzzle she couldn’t wait to take apart. And yet, there had been something else in her eyes—something that made my chest tighten and my breath catch. Desire? Curiosity? Whatever it was, it scared me almost as much as it intrigued me.
But then, so had those vampires—their gazes heavy and unyielding, like they could see right through me. It was unsettling. It was thrilling. And it was a problem.
Chapter Seven
Warrick
The faint humof voices filters through the heavy oak door as I pass by the room where we’ve set up the unicorn. I’ve been alive long enough to recognize when secrets are being spun behind closed doors, but right now the air smells iron-like and it has my senses jumping in alert.
The smell of fear.
I stop, the predator within me sharpening as I let the muted conversation wash over me. Varys’ voice is weak, barely more than a rasp, but bitterness taints his words like old blood.
“She said she’d think about helping.”
A low growl rumbles in my chest. Who the hell isshe? I listen as they talk back and forth, but nothing that tells me whosheis.
Vienna’s response is sharper, frantic in a way. “Bloody Mary’s whole deal is vengeance.”
That name—Bloody Mary—rings like a curse in my ears. My fangs ache at the edges of my gums, an involuntary response to the surge of tension coiling through me. Bloody Mary. The executioner of the damned. The one everyone fears… including monsters like us.
What the fuck have these unicorns dragged my club into?
The door creaks open, and Vienna steps out, her pale face shadowed by guilt. She doesn’t notice me at first, her attention darting down the hallway like she’s already planning her escape.
“Vienna.”
She startles, her breath hitching, but I don’t give her the chance to run. In a flash, I’m on her, my hand closing around her throat. Her heartbeat thunders against my palm, hot and furious, but it does nothing to soften my grip.
“The fuck did you do?” I growl, my voice low and sharp, each word edged with the promise of pain.
She claws at my wrist, her nails biting into my skin. “I—I didn’t do anything,” she gasps, choking on her words. “He was desperate. He just wanted to be saved.”
“Saved?” I hiss, tightening my hold just enough to make her squirm. My fangs throb now, the hunger rising in tandem with my fury. “By calling her? Do you even understand what you’ve unleashed?”
“I didn’t call her!” she chokes out, her voice cracking. “It was him—Varys. He was desperate, Warrick. He didn’t know what else to do.”
Her pulse beats erratically beneath my fingers, the scent of her fear thick in the air. It’s intoxicating, a primal temptation that I fight to ignore as I shove her back against the wall.
“You’d better fix this,” I snarl, my breath ghosting over her skin, cold as death. “Because if you don’t, you’ll pay with your life.”
Her eyes widen, but she nods frantically, her trembling hands rising in surrender. I release her abruptly, watching as she stumbles back, one hand clutching her throat.
“I’ll figure it out,” she promises, her voice barely above a whisper. “I swear.”
“See that you do,” I snap, already turning away. “And pray it’s enough.” She starts to turn, but I call out. “Vienna.”
She freezes, then slowly faces me, her expression wary.
“What?”
