Page 33 of Fangs and Family
I grabbed the corpse’s hair in my other hand and twisted his neck, casually tearing him apart. I promised not to call him back from death, and I was the man of my word. I picked up my phone and called Nadolny’s assistant.
‘Tell your boss the warehouse is free of rats, but he needs a cleaning crew… and the funeral wagon for the guards. I arrived too late to save them.’
A twinge of guilt made me feel uncomfortable, and I rubbed my neck, but there was nothing I could do for them. Instead, I had avenged their deaths, enjoying myself a little too much in the process. I looked down at my clothes. They were covered in blood and gore, but I was calm, maybe slightly high, an unexpected bonus of my cleaning services. Since I’d been sired, I’d tried so hard to protect the part of me that was human, but tonight, it felt like that bridge had been burned, and I had to accept what I’d become.
I walked back to my car, putting a waxed sheet over the upholstery, not wanting to get congealing blood over the pristine interior.
I was satiated, my presence no longer putting Nina in danger, and it was time to go home, preferably before any of the Elder Races discovered what I’d done.
Chapter 11
Icouldn’t open my eyes; no, I didn’t want to open them. If I could convince the world I was asleep, then I could pretend yesterday’s events were a dream and not my life falling apart in my hands. I was no closer to finding Pawel, and I’d learned that some Uber-powerful vampire had snacked on my blood, then fucked my mind up with a wave of his hand. To make matters worse, I was in Adam’s house, and after yesterday’s metaphorical open heart surgery in the bathtub, there was little hope he still saw me in the same light.
Especially after he stormed off like a madman when I refused to discuss the past.
My mind kept trying to dissect what exactly happened. One moment, Adam was caring and patient, calming me down when I needed it the most. The next, he was a raging ball of fury, and I didn’t know what had triggered the transition. I just hoped that wasn’t me because I didn’t like being afraid of him. It felt… unnatural.
I dragged my feet off the bed. I needed to go to the bathroom before I went to see Adam and find out what had happened. Whatever it was, I had to find a way of fixing it.
If it meant putting on my big girl pants and answering his question? Well, that wouldn’t be easy, but he deserved an explanation. I had to do it. For Adam, for myself, and for Pawel. Especially for my brother. There was nothing more important, and our feelings could wait until Pawel was safe.
The apartment was silent as I made my way across the warm floor, my footsteps failing to banish the eerie feeling of emptiness. I hugged the oversized t-shirt to my body, shivering despite the warmth of the blinding dawn sun. If Adam was asleep, there was a slight chance I could make myself look human before I pissed him off again.
My cavernous yawn reminded me of a particularly bad dream, which was my excuse for the squeak I made at seeing the bloody bathroom and crimson-stained clothing. I was so surprised that even as I recognised Adam’s clothes from the night before, I failed to notice the man himself step from the shower in all his naked glory.
I blinked twice before reality reconnected, and I realised that much blood meant he must be injured again. As worry overcame me, I rushed forward, grabbing Adam by the shoulders as I searched his body for injuries, my confusion returning after finding nothing wrong.
‘What the fuck? What happened? Did you get hurt? Did anyone else? Is it Pawel, Sara?’
I couldn’t stop looking, my fingers prodding and poking with professional expertise while I had a mini breakdown.
At a hitch in Adam’s breathing, I looked up, biting my lip as his strong fingers captured my hands and pressed them to his chest. My gaze fell into his eyes, with pupils so dilated they overtook the blue of his irises staring down at me, and my tongue slipped out to lick my suddenly dry lips.
‘Good morning, Nina. If I’d known all it took to have you lay your hands on me was copious amounts of blood, I’d have opened a vein months ago.’ Adam stepped closer, his chest squashing my arms between us. ‘Of course, if you’d like to feel the effect you have on me….’ his gaze dropped, and my own followed, widening at the sight it beheld.
‘What the… can you stop thinking with your dick and tell me what happened? I was just worried you were injured. Just… Let me go, you big oaf.’
‘Why would I do that? You started it, coming onto me, touching and prodding my body without invitation. Knowing how much you care for my well-being, well, I’m truly flattered, but is that the only reason? Touch me more, sweetheart, or should I make a new deal? One where I never let you go.’ Adam said it so casually, even as his eyes smouldered with a passion that made me squirm.
My intuition told me something was very wrong with him. Not that Adam was ever a prude, but this unbridled lust was new and, combined with the carnage surrounding us, set my mind on high alert. I had a naked, unhinged vampire in the bathroom, and I didn’t know how to deal with him. I would really like to touch him more, but now wasn’t the time or the place, especially since I didn’t know the reason for this sudden outburst of passion.
I stopped struggling and finally met his gaze head-on. My best option was to stop playing his game. I needed to regain control of the situation before I let him bend me over the sink and fuck me senseless.
I bit my lip as that image dominated my thoughts, surprising me with its intensity. I hadn’t taken things that far when we were together, but Adam seemed hell-bent on fucking me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to object. I needed a distraction, preferably before I waved goodbye to my common sense.
‘Focus, Adam. Whose blood is this if it isn’t yours?’ I asked, struggling not to look down, and when he didn’t answer, I freed one hand and pinched his nose, pulling him down to my level.
‘What happened last night?’ I questioned, enunciating each word slowly until, finally, something more than pure lust appeared in his gaze. I focused on Adam’s mouth as he began speaking, and the sight of his fangs sliding over his bottom lip caught my attention.
‘Nothing happened. I’m a vampire. I hunted down my prey and fed from them. What did you expect it to look like? It’s a messy business.’ The strange note in Adam’s tone made me frown, perplexed.
My friendly neighbourhood vampire had never mentioned hunting before, often referring to his feeding as charitable donations.
‘The person you fed from, are they still alive?’ I asked quietly, pretty sure I knew the answer.
Adam released me, and I backed away as his eyes were overtaken by a crimson hue that reminded me I stood before an apex predator.
‘Shit,’ I muttered, falling back further, but all for nothing. The next moment, Adam’s arms embraced me, his hands gripping my buttocks as he lifted me onto the vanity unit. I yelped in surprise, fighting to free myself, but his throaty laugh told me he enjoyed my struggles. He released my rear to grab my hands, placing them back on his bare chest as he pushed between my legs.
