Page 47 of The Dawning
“What are you?” He looked like a blend of vampire, shifter, and something else I couldn’t put my finger on, though I’d seen someone similar. My uncle Patrick’s first experimental victim—Blake Turner—had bloodred eyes as though he’d risen from the depths of hell. Noah’s irises were a lighter color than Blake’s, but they were ugly just the same. “You were born without a brain. Weren’t you?”
He marched toward me, fists at his sides, nostrils flaring, his fangs covered in blood.
I stayed in one place. If the fucker wanted to take me on, I was more than ready. “Come on, man. You don’t know what you’re in for.”
He smirked like he had the upper hand. Maybe he did. Maybe he had more strength and abilities than I did. Only one way to find out.
He bowed his head and charged.
Laughing, I discharged the energy writhing through me. As if he’d been tasered with fifty thousand volts, his body jerked uncontrollably before dropping to the floor.
Die, motherfucker.
Carly stared at Noah with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her. “Move.” We were wasting time I didn’t have.
Before we entered the lab through the double doors, I could hear two heartbeats aside from Carly’s.
Halle-fucking-lujah!My vamp hearing had returned. Did that mean the chip shifted? Since the power was down, I guessed I didn’t need to worry about it unless someone had access to the program on a phone or tablet. The device became a distant memory when two racing pulses beat loudly in my ears. Two people breathing heavily—nervous and scared.
The moment I stepped into a room that reminded me of the one in Chicago, Layla’s cherry scent wafted through the cold, stale air. My cock jerked for the first time in what felt like ages. I was ready to scoop my huntress into my arms and carry her out and away from this hellhole.
But fate wanted to fuck me sideways.
Harriet Aberdeen was holding Layla hostage with a syringe the size of a horse needle that was an inch away from her arm. Whatever was in it wasn’t good.
Image after image played out like a slideshow on repeat. I saw death and destruction. Fire and brimstone. I saw Harriet Aberdeen nailed to a wall, suffering in pain and bleeding out infinitesimally slow. Rage consumed me as my fangs embedded in my bottom lip, drawing blood.
Then a disturbing and gut-wrenching thought hit me. Where the fuck was Rianne? The bitch had to be lurking in the shadows. She wouldn’t miss the chance to fuck with me or take me on. Her ego was larger than Noah’s, and I was curious if she’d jumped on the crazy train with him. She’d bragged that she wanted to best me, and the only way she knew how was to become a deadly creature like me.
To make matters worse, my beautiful baby mama had dark circles beneath her dull and tired electric-blue eyes. Her skin was as white as a fucking ghost, and she was dripping with sweat. Yet, she was still beautiful, especially when she delivered a smile that mended my cold black heart.
Fuck this shit.I started for Harriet. The old lady had gotten on my last nerve. What was wrong with the Aberdeens? Did they not believe in the sanctity of family?
“Sam!” Carly yelled. “Don’t.” She scrambled over to me. “That syringe is filled with a toxin that will kill Layla.”
“The fuck,” I bit out, my voice deep and caustic. “Baby doll, are you okay?”
Layla smoothed a hand down her pink pajama bottoms. “Peachy, vampire. I’m ready to go home.”
Harriet snorted. “You are home.”
Layla whipped her head around to look at her grandmother. She stared at Harriet for a long second. “Have you not learned yet what else I can do? Besides, you need me.”
“Not if I have Sam,” she said.
Suddenly, Harriet began to turn the needle on herself.
I watched in awe as words escaped me. That the babies must be helping Layla control the needle was the only reason that made sense. If I didn’t believe our kids were supernatural, I sure as fuck did now.
The syringe was barely an inch from Harriet’s neck, and her hand was shaking, her blue eyes swimming in fear.
Although I wasn’t one to interfere with family quarrels, I also salivated to see Harriet Aberdeen six feet in the ground. But Layla shouldn’t be the one to take on that burden. She would never recover.
I fled to Layla’s side. “We need to go. We can deal with her later.” I snatched the needle from Harriet, breaking Layla’s trance. When I killed Harriet, I didn’t want Layla to witness her grandmother’s demise.
Harriet staggered. “Today might not be the day, but I will get what I want.”
