Page 30 of Fangs and Family
‘I know. Sara told me about your ex-husband. Who, by the way, recently had all his assets as well as his current lover’s money seized by the Tax Office after some good citizen anonymously tipped off the authorities.’ He said, and I choked.
‘What did you do?’
‘What he deserved. Sara asked me not to kill him, and I honoured her wishes, but my little prank will cost him dearly.’ He said it so casually, as if destroying someone’s life was part of his day-to-day routine.
‘And before you ask, I put aside a little protected nest egg for his latest victim, as long as she isn’t up to her neck in his dirty deeds.’
‘Why?’ I asked
‘Because he deserves it. He hurt you, and I couldn’t let it slide. What that bastard did to you took two years of my life. I was wrong to set the terms, but you were wrong for not trusting me. Even after today, you barely accepted my help. I want to be more than just a man you hired to find your brother. So, please, what is so wrong with me that you keep pushing me away?’
I looked at him, and I barely recognised the man who lived with me in the past. He was perfect. What he did for me, not just today, but in the days leading up to the attack itself. The little things that helped me manage the hospital’s affairs when I could barely hold my life together. Fuck, I was falling for him, and it scared me no less than the first time because I knew unless I took his offer and let him transform me, time would eventually break us apart and my heart with it. Still, being his spawn was not an option, and I had to find a way of explaining why.
If only I could protect my heart, to keep it safe till our time together was over, maybe we could try to be happy, even if only for a moment.
‘I will tell you, I promise, but not today, not after everything that’s happened, I’m sorry. I just can’t face that.’
1.Sade – Nigerian-born British singer known for her sophisticated blend of soul, funk, jazz, and Afro.
Chapter 10
Tonight had been a catastrophe. I should have known better than to ask that question, but knowing I hadn’t protected my woman made my anger burn brighter than ever. I wanted to find the cause of my failure to ensure she would come to me if she needed help again. Instead, I sat there, looking at her pained expression and knowing this time I was the cause.
She opened up to me, let me hold her, care for her. I thought she was ready to talk about the past, about us, because I was. Feeling her cling to me in the bathtub as she cried in anger and sorrow had changed something for me. I wanted to be the man she trusted to hold her when she was at her most vulnerable. I was ready to deny my very nature to be the hero in her story, and suddenly, I felt nothing except blinding rage.
Since learning what happened to Nina, I’d tried to hold myself together, to think of her, to help her, and suddenly I couldn’t. It was my failure. In pride and impatience, I had demanded a set of conditions that left Nina unable to trust me and vulnerable to attack.
I felt bloodlust and rage clouding my judgment, threatening my sanity. I wanted to go back to that damn playground, hoping more of her enemies turned up because I wanted to rip something apart so very, very much.
An incoherent growl formed in the back of my throat, and I saw Nina’s pupils widen, the scent of uneasiness permeating the room. She didn’t run away, but I saw her body tense, hands trembling even after she put them flat on the counter. She was worried I’d attack her. I couldn’t even blame her. I was a vampire, the same kind as the bastard who assaulted her, and now I was on the edge of bloodlust.
‘Calm the fuck down, or she’ll think you’re a fucking monster.’
The words formed in my head, but I was beyond my ability to control the urge. I needed to feed and not from a bag this time. I had starved myself for too long. The blood loss from the fight and intense emotion triggered the beast in me. I ground my teeth and steadied my breath, the irony of the situation hitting me hard.
At a time when I should be at my best for her, I was at my worst, reminding her of the bastard who attacked her.
‘What is going on? Your eyes… we can talk. What can I do to help…’ she said, attempting to calm me down, but I cut her off.
‘Make yourself at home. My apartment is large enough for you to avoid me if that is your wish. Our arrangement is now null and void. I won’t bleed you, Nina. Not when you are afraid of me, but you will stay here for your safety. I will find your brother and protect you because I can’t allow some piece of shit Vampire Master to run around my city like he owns the place. When I’m done with him, you will be safe to leave,’ I said, rubbing my neck.
My home felt so suffocating. I needed to get out, and I needed to go now before I broke my word and fed off her. My inner beast was raging inside, and the longer I smelled Nina, the more unpredictable I felt.
‘You’re leaving me alone? What should I do?’
‘Do whatever you like here while I’m out. I’ll be back first thing in the morning,’ I said, and Nina looked at me sharply.
‘Where are you going? What’s going on?’
‘I’m going to feed,’ I said, watching as her eyes widened and face drained of colour. ‘Make yourself at home and wait. The rest is none of your fucking business.’ I said sharply, choosing my words on purpose because the longer she stopped me, the less control I had over my hunger. I needed to end this conversation, even if it meant she was hurt and angry, before I ended up on her neck, turning into the beast she hated.
Without waiting for a reply, I moved toward the shadows, my form melting as I slipped along the edges of the Nether.
‘Adam, wait!’ I heard Nina’s voice, but I didn’t listen. My Obsidian had never seen me like that. Her fear, her scent, and her heartbeat were pushing me over the edge, but she did nothing to deserve the monster I was becoming.
Everything was grey in the shadows, but even knowing that fact, I couldn’t resist looking back. The icy touch of the void calmed me enough to manage that much.
Nina held her chest, breathing rapidly while her tears slowly dropped on the countertop. A look of devastation overtook her features before she straightened and scowled at the corner I’d disappeared into.
