“Ooh… testy. Not just a whore then, I see? A mate? Isn’t that what you wolves call it? Oh, wait, you’re not just a wolf. You’re a disgusting half-breed. You feeding on me the other night? It was a major humiliation! How fucking dare you take it there! It’s bad enough to be bitten at all, but by the likes ofyou?It humiliates all vampires! It insults every single one of us!”
“Why do you fucking purists have to turn everything into a political statement? It was a beatdown. Get over it, you fucking pussy.” My eyes flashed, both wolf and vampire blazing forth. “And get the fuck over itnow.”
I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.
But then he covered it up with a sneer. “Arrogant hybrid bitch. It’ll be your downfall.”
He let out a piercing whistle that hurt my wolf hearing, and then a rush of wind ripped through the area as six vampires burst in, three either side of him.
Only two I recognized as being actual students here, so he’d snuck in the other four using the chaos ofThe Fadeparty night to do it. The faculty allowed the wards down this one night only. Although they didn’t technically support this night, they also knew it was a great outlet for us all, so they let it slide and did things like this instead.
I scented the four non-students, noting that they were triple my age.
He thought that would impact me?
I smiled to myself. He didn’t know who he was dealing with.
Ancientvampire blood ran in my veins.
Fucking fool.
I rolled my neck, feeling the crack of tension release like a war drum behind my ears.
“You’re gonna look back on this night as your greatest and most painful mistake.” I crooked my fingers in abring-itgesture. “Come on then, shitheads, step on up.”
The first vamp lunged.
I sidestepped and cracked his ribs with my elbow, spun, and sank my fist into the second’s jaw hard enough to send him skidding.
Three jumped on me at once and I roared, then reached back and snatched hold of a shirt, using it haul the fucker over my head and several feet in the distance.
He sprung back to his feet, but by then I ripped the one on my left off me, then spun him around, right into the guy vamp-speeding back toward us. They collided brutally and collapsed in a heap—temporarily.
The one latching onto my right side went to take a bite out of my throat, but I grabbed his jaw and crushed it in my hand, earning a screech from him. I kneed him in the gut and, as he doubled over, I called my wolf claws and sliced them across his throat. He collapsed to his knees gurgling and choking on his own blood.
“Hybrid filth!” Derek cried, coming at me from the front, while I felt three more moving in from around me.
A dangerous growl escaped me and I didn’t check it this time.
I was done checking anything.
I let my bloodlust have free reign.
I gave into it and the demon and beast howled in exaltation.
As they hit, everything became a blur of violence, blood, and gore.
Screams rang in my ears.
I ripped one guy’s arm clean off, then used it to beat another across the fucking face until his features were completely unrecognizable.
I ripped Derek off his feet with a swipe to the backs of his legs with my boot.
And then it was open season on the remaining few.
I was gonna rip their fucking throats out, tear their heads from their bodies, decimate every single one of them who—
An explosion of dark red power slammed into them, blowing them back several feet.