Page 26 of Viktor's Temptation
Johnny, still leaning against the wall, looked away, his face pale. “You’re sick, man.”
Dave turned to him, his smile growing darker. “And you’re still here, Johnny. So what does that say about you?”
Johnny didn’t reply.
When the man’s convulsions ceased and his body went limp, Dave sighed, more annoyed than disappointed. He crouched beside the lifeless figure, pressing two fingers to its neck. No pulse. The transformation had failed.
“Useless,” he muttered, standing and wiping his wrist on a prisoner’s shirt. He turned to the others, his eyes gleaming with unholy amusement. “Who’s next?”
No one volunteered. So Dave decided to just force the blood on everyone’s tongue, one by one. They screamed and protested, pleaded for mercy. But Dave had none. He’d failed too often and his boss, the man paying for this insane experiment, was demanding results.
Once three more dosed, Dave stepped back and he waited. The humans’ arms and legs gave out while their muscles twisted and turned, backs arching as bellows of pain ripped from their throats. Dave considered reaching down to stroke his erection, maybe ease some of the pleasure-pain from his groin. But no, he’d savor this moment, watching every moment of it so that his pleasure later would be all the more intense.
He tuned out the terror of the other humans, watching the one man for long moments. But nope, he didn’t survive either.
Then it was over and he sighed, lifted his head and looked at the other humans. Dave walked to the next human. A woman this time.
He paused before opening his vein again. It had healed while he’d stroked himself. She was screaming even before he reached for her jaw. “Now, now, don’t tease me, darling.” He lifted his arm and chuckled. “This is going to be better for me than for you.”
He let the blood drip down her throat, then stepped back to watch.
Chapter 15
Gracie shifted uncomfortably, skepticism etched across her face as she looked from Viktor to the far end of the gym. “You’re messing with me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “There’s no way I can do whatever it is you just did.”
Viktor’s lips curved into an infuriatingly calm smile. “You’ll never know until you try, Gracie.”
She folded her arms. “I know my body, Viktor. I’ve been slow my whole life. I’m the one that was always picked last during gym class when the athletic kids were choosing teams.” She sighed heavily at the memory. “I’m not about to magically turn into Usain Bolt just because you tell me to run.”
“You’re not the same Gracie you were before,” Viktor replied, his voice steady. “Trust me. Just give it a shot. Run.”
Still unconvinced, Gracie sighed and muttered under her breath, “This is ridiculous.” She lined herself up with the opposite wall, her gaze darting back to Viktor, who stood at the far end of the gym with his arms still casually crossed, watching her expectantly.
She rolled her shoulders, shaking out her hands. “Okay, but don’t laugh,” she warned him.
“I would never,” he said solemnly, though the hint of amusement in his silver eyes suggested otherwise.
With one last skeptical glance, Gracie took off at her usual jogging pace. At first, it felt normal, like any other run—her sneakers squeaking faintly against the polished gym floor.Then, as she pushed harder, something shifted. The air seemed to whip past her, and the gym walls blurred in her peripheral vision.
“Whoa!” she gasped as her legs moved faster than she ever thought possible. Before she could fully process what was happening, she reached the other end of the gym.
She stopped abruptly, her sneakers sliding a bit on the smooth floor. Turning, she stared at Viktor, who was grinning as he appeared beside her in an instant.
“What…just…happened?” she stammered, looking at her hands as if they held the answer. “How did I do that?”
“You ran,” Viktor said simply, his tone filled with quiet pride.
“That wasn’t running,” Gracie argued, still catching up to what had just happened. “That was…that was like…flying without leaving the ground! I was so fast!”
“Yes, you were,” Viktor agreed, his grin widening. “Faster than most humans could ever dream of.”
Gracie took a step back, her hands on her hips as she tried to process it all. “I need to do that again. I have to be sure it wasn’t some weird fluke.”
Viktor gestured to the other end of the gym. “By all means.”
She didn’t wait for more encouragement. This time, she focused on the exhilaration she’d felt, the way her body seemed to respond without hesitation. Pushing off, she sprinted with everything she had. The walls blurred again, her feet barelyseeming to touch the ground. In mere seconds, she was back where she’d started, her chest heaving—not from exhaustion, but from sheer excitement.
“This is insane!” she shouted, her laughter echoing in the gym. “I’m fast! Like, really fast!”
