Page 37 of Bitten By Bloodmoon
The feral vampire struggles against the ropes like a wild animal. With one grunt, he pulls free of the ropes and runs right toward one of the humans, pulling him apart limb by limb as easily as if he were ripping paper to shreds. The vampires trying to hold him back look terrified, while those wanting him free cheer.
I study the numbers, trying to gauge which side has more support, but it seems there’s a pretty even divide among the vampires, with no clear path to take when it comes to the cursed vampire.
“My lord, it’s good to see you. Although I’m not sure there is anything to be done except letting them battle it out,” Raul says.
I scour the room, tending to agree that I can’t get involved, at least not yet. I’m a brand new lord, still proving myself to the local vampires. Most still loathe that I was the one to win the titlesince I’m also a wolf shifter. They don’t trust my loyalties. They don’t trust me to do the right thing.
The crowd charges with electricity, and it feels like a battle is looming.
“You have to do something,” Talonis says.
I agree, but I need to wait for the right moment. I need to give them a minute to let the fight get physical. To express their initial emotions to each other. Hopefully, if I let them fight a little before I put an end to it, they won’t be so charged the next time it happens.
“Not yet,” I say, stepping into the shadows to watch the impending fight play out. I hope my instincts are right, but I’m not sure. I know how to handle the Bloodmoon pack. I know how to lead them, but vampires are different. They don’t have the same loyalty to the pack. They are more individualistic creatures who believe in the powers of the individual.
Talonis and Raul stand on either side of me like guards willing to protect me with their lives if I ask them to. But I would never ask.
I study all of the players as the first fangs are drawn. There will be no winners, not until the curse is broken.
“Why are you letting them fight, again?” Talonis asks me.
“Because there is no right side. There is no right way to handle the cursed one. I understand both sides. The emotions are heightened on each, and they deserve a chance to fight their opinion.” And despite what Lumi says, I’m not a controlling bastard. My goal in life isn’t to control others. I want to give them as much free will as possible.
“What is his name?” I ask Raul.
“Benson. He wiped out an entire village of humans. He’s lost complete control of himself.”
“I’ll make sure the human situation is dealt with,” I say, looking to Talonis.
He nods curtly.
An opposing vampire rips out one of the human’s throats, leaving the last trembling, hugging her knees to her chest in the center of the cave as she squeezes her eyes shut. The cursed vampire has another rope wrapped around his waist, and several other vampires are yanking hard, trying to control him, while the others are fighting to break him free.
None of them is a match for Benson in his cursed state. He’s ten times stronger than any of them. With one more yank, he breaks free, going straight for the human on the floor. Fangs rip through her neck so deeply that they nearly tear her head from her shoulders. Benson doesn’t bother drinking her blood. With crazed eyes, he turns to the others, ready to do the same thing to them.
Five minutes. I’m giving them five minutes before I end this. I let the solutions bounce around my head before I realize there is only one way to end this, and I dread it. But as a lord, I don’t have a choice. It’s my responsibility. I fought for this. I won the title, so I have to do what has to be done.
Two minutes into my self-imposed countdown, Benson turns, sniffing the air, and I know time is up. I can’t give them any more freedom to work through their affairs.
“Enough,” I say in a deep, commanding voice that rattles off the walls.
The room falls silent, eyes slowly turning toward me as if seeing me for the first time. And then, one by one, each vampire in the room begins to bow. “My lord…my lord…my lord.” Each of them says one by one as they bow their head in reverence.
Even Benson bows, making what I have to do next that much harder.
I clench my jaw as I watch them all bow at me. I knew I had earned their respect, but I hadn’t expected this level of respectfrom them. I expected them to still fight me. Still look at me as less than them, even though I fought to earn the title.
My stare cuts across each of them one by one, the flicker of surprise locked away, replaced by the ruthless authority I must wield. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot her. She thinks she has hidden well in the shadows, but nothing can hide the delicious scent of her blood. All creatures have a unique smell that is intoxicating to vampires, but hers is unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before—a rich perfume of sweetness and tangy warmth that turns me primal. And I don’t trust any other vampire here to resist her.
Benson turns his head in her direction. He’s already locking onto her divine fragrance. But I can’t let him realize she’s here. If any others notice, they’ll demand her blood be spilled for breaking into a vampire court. I have to tread even more carefully now.
“Benson, come forward. I have decided your judgment,” I say, letting my voice carry as I ignore the strong scent of Lumi’s blood lofting through the cave. I’m not sure if he will listen to me or not; I’m still unsure of the power I wield. But he steps forward, accepting his fate. Even in his cursed head, he listens to me as his lord. The ropes are no longer necessary for him to obey. My words hold that much strength over him, much like my mind control.
“Yes, my lord,” he says, bowing his head low.
I stand for a moment, knowing her eyes are on me. This moment is about to change everything. If she wasn’t terrified of me before, she will be now. She’ll think I’m a monster, and rightfully so. She’ll realize we have no chance of being mates, and the only reason there is a bond between us is because we are both so desperate to break the curse. There’s no way we could be each other’s better half. We aren’t destined to be anything but enemies forced to work together to end this.
I leap forward, my fangs sinking into the flesh of his neck as I viciously tear at it in the same way he ended the human life. He doesn’t flinch away or fight. He lets me rip into him. He wants me to end his life—his suffering.
