Page 114 of Pretty Little Prey
Daxton’s wings shot out from his back at the potential threat. His gaze swung around the room, frantically searching for his mate—to protect her from whatever caused the scream.
But Luna was the cause.
Immortals swarmed around a corner of the room as his mate drank from the neck of a Council member. A sphinx shifter—rare and powerful.
Daxton raced to her side, pushing the guests back. His voice boomed. “Get away from her.”
“She’s killing him,” someone screamed.
“She’ll drink him dry!”
Daxton cursed and motioned for Conrad to help him. Ever the trusted soldier, Conrad blocked the watchers from trying to separate Luna and the sphinx shifter.
“Someone get a stake,” another bystander yelled.
A stake?Someonedaredto imply killing his mate?SCORCH them, his inner dragon demanded. “ENOUGH,” Daxton roared, and the room went silent.
Silent other than the greedy slurping sounds his mate made as she drank from the shifter. The man was slowly losing his grip on her shoulder as he tried to shove her off. The fact that a new vampire was strong enough to overpower a sphinx was enough to give Daxton pause.
“Get her off of him,” a member of the Council demanded.
“Luna,” Daxton said softly as he moved closer to her, placing a warm hand to her back. “Release him, Neeuck.”
She did not listen. His mate was lost to bloodlust. How had he been dense enough not to ask her about her hunger? He had hoped the witches would be onto a cure by now.
One shifter moved forward to pull Luna off of the man, but Daxton shouted, “No! You do not touch her.” His chest rumbled with the sound of a popping, crackling, kindling fire, scaring the shifter away.
Daxton wrapped his arms around her waist but did not pull her. Her teeth were too deep in the shifter’s neck. “Little mate, you must stop. You will kill him.”
“Just remove her from him, King Daxton,” another commanded.
A king does not take orders. Daxton growled, “If I pull her from him, her fangs will take off his damn head. She is biting too deep.”
His mate was about to kill for the first time. She did not deserve this. She did not deserve the guilt she would feel afterwards. Or the haunting memories and nightmares that followed ending a life.I will kill those Dark Ones when I see them.
“Damn it,” Daxton cursed but there was nothing he could do. “Luna,” he whispered to her ear as he blocked the others’ gazes of her with his back. “Baby, let him go. You’re going to kill him.”
He stepped around her, so he could brush back her hair and look into her eyes. Gone were his mate’s beautiful, innocent sapphires. Her pupils were blown; her irises were turning red. “Let him go,” Daxton pleaded but there was a ferociousness gleaming in her eyes that he had no idea how to tame.
“She’s killing him,” someone shouted again. There was a soft shuffling noise in the crowd, as if someone prepared to jump in.
Scowling, Daxton informed them, “If anyone makes a move against her, I will roast you in flames.” Though the threat was heated, it came out as cold as ice, freezing the onlookers where they stood.
“Luna,” Daxton said, but it was too late.
The sphinx shifter’s arm dropped, and his head lolled to the side.
Luna gave one final slurp at his neck, draining him of his lifeblood. Though her fangs retracted, her body sagged on top of the sphinx’s and shivered. Daxton knew the old power in the sphinx’s blood would be overwhelming to such a young vampire.What will it do to her?
“H-He’s dead!” a shriek pierced through the ballroom.
As a new king, Daxton had no idea how to address his future wife—the light shifters’ future queen—having murdered someone at their engagement party. In a way, he was saved by the bang of the ballroom doors bursting open.
The king of the Dark Ones walked inside. Bastille and his rugged followers.
The vampire, werewolf, basilisk, and fox shifter strode into the grand party like they were the guests of honor who enjoyed being fashionably late. Dressed in black and dark navy blue, the men oozed danger and power.
Bastille’s dark, sinister gaze roamed the room, searching, until he locked eyes with Daxton. Though Daxton knew the potential threat of locking gazes with a basilisk, he did not look away. He matched the angry stare head-on.
