Page 15 of Viktor's Temptation
Her shoulders slumped, shame washing over her as she whispered, “I couldn’t care about them, Viktor. I was in too much pain. It took everything I had just to survive.”
His hand moved to her cheek, his touch gentle. “You survived, Gracie. That’s what matters.”
She shook her head, rejecting the comfort. “I should have done more. I should have tried to help them.”
“You’re going to help them now,” Viktor assured her, his hands squeezing hers. “By giving me as much information as you can. I will stop whoever did this. I won’t let them hurt anyone else.”
Her lips trembled, and she nodded, her hands tightening around his. “Thank you.”
“How did you escape?”
Her gaze dropped as she bit her lip, this time without puncturing it, and thought hard. “I think… I think they thought I was dead.” She frowned. “Someone came around, shining a light in everyone’s eyes. They checked pulses.” Her brow furrowed, and then her eyes widened. “That’s it, Viktor! They offered blood to us. I wanted it—I wanted it so badly it hurt—but I was too weak to lift my head or ask for it. That’s why they assumed I was dead.”
Her head dropped against his chest, her body suddenly slack. “Oh my gosh, my head hurts again,” she whispered.
Viktor stroked her hair, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. “Relax, Gracie. Someone did this to you, and I’m going to make them pay.”
Her soft sigh sent a jolt down his spine, his body tightening with a desire so fierce it stunned him. After centuries of life, what was it about this woman that unraveled him socompletely? Her warmth, her soft breath against his neck—it was intoxicating.
Gracie shifted, snuggling deeper into his arms, her nose brushing against his neck. Viktor closed his eyes briefly, struggling to maintain control. She fit perfectly against him, as though she’d been made for him.
But she didn’t feel the same pull, he reminded himself bitterly. Gracie needed comfort, not lust. She was overwhelmed, in pain, and utterly unaware of the storm she’d stirred within him.
His thoughts were interrupted when Trent stepped into the room, only to halt abruptly at the sight of them. Viktor caught the flicker of surprise—and then understanding—on his second-in-command’s face.
Trent rarely exhibited softer emotions, yet for a moment, there was something almost sympathetic in his gaze. Viktor frowned, silently ordering Trent to leave.
Once they were alone again, Viktor shifted carefully, ensuring Gracie was more comfortable in his arms. He tightened his hold, relishing the quiet moment. For now, she was safe, and that was all that mattered. Slowly, he felt her body relax and knew that she’d fallen asleep. Good, he thought, tightening his arms around her. She needed sleep in order to recover from her transition.
But his mind churned with fury. Nine victims, perhaps more, had been subjected to the cruel transition Gracie described. It had been over five hundred years since he’d endured the transition, but he still remembered the nightmare.
Then he thought about the mystery of the bodies, the strange marks that the police couldn’t identify. The dead bodies dumped around the city pointed to something far more sinister.
Someone had broken his rules in the most egregious way possible. They hadn’t transitioned one person without his permission—they had tried to create an army.
They would answer for this,Viktor vowed, his glowing gaze darkening with the promise of vengeance.
Chapter 7
Dave Sanders planted his fists on his hips and frowned at the carnage before him. Ten more bodies. Ten more failures. His patience was wearing thin. “None of them survived?”
“No, sir,” Derrick replied, his tone casual as he added a lazy kick to the nearest body. The limp form didn’t stir.
“What the hell are we doing wrong?” Dave growled, stepping over another corpse. His boots barely avoided the blood pooling around the lifeless bodies. “This process is supposed to have a one to five percent success rate. So far, we’ve tried it on over fifty people, and not a single one survived the transition!”
Derrick shrugged, unbothered by the heap of death surrounding them. “Not sure. All it took for my transition was to drink the blood of a female vampire.” He nudged another body with his foot. “Maybe we need to find stronger, healthier humans?”
Dave’s jaw tightened as he ignored the suggestion. “I don’t even remember my own transition,” he muttered. “It was over three hundred years ago.” He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “But I need some success soon. Otherwise, this whole operation is going to fall apart.”
Derrick’s eyes narrowed, his casual demeanor slipping slightly. “Care to tell me why we’re doing this? Why don’t we just recruit from the existing vampire clans?”
Dave rolled his eyes, his patience with Derrick’s questions dwindling. “That’s not an option.”
“Why the hell not?” Derrick pressed, his tone skeptical. “Vampires move from one clan to another all the time when they need a fresh start. Hell, we have to. Humans get suspicious when we stick around too long and don’t age at all. I stayed too long at my last place, and my neighbor—who used to be my lover—ended up in a memory care home for Alzheimer’s. Her kids started asking if I was my own son.” He chuckled humorlessly. “I had to move after that one.”
Dave glared at Derrick, barely keeping his frustration in check. “And who exactly are we going to recruit for this?”
Derrick shrugged again. “No idea. I don’t even know what the endgame is here. Why won’t you just recruit vampires for whatever this big mystery plan is?”
