Page 5 of Right Hand Of The Reaper
He chuckled darkly, like a soft roll of thunder. “True. What do you want? I’m hungry.”
I rolled my eyes. Still a selfish bastard then. “You need to have better control over your vampires.”
He frowned. “Do I?”
“Yes. They seem to think it’s alright to force a woman to feed them, even when she says no.”
“You think I condone this behaviour?” His voice was a lethal growl.
“Well, I don’t see you enforcing it. It’s not even the first time I’ve seen it in the territory. What’s the matter, Magnus? Losing your touch?”
Magnus charged at me, snarling and snapping his fangs as he slammed my back into the wall behind me.
Air rushed from my lungs at the impact, and I felt a sharp sting as his nails extended, pressing into the column of my neck.
“How dare you question my authority,” he roared.
Anger sparked in my core, and I saw red. I called my death magic to me and felt the energy coil warmly in my belly. Not many creatures could overpower a vampire like Magnus – the guy was as old as dirt – but I wasn’t like most creatures.
I slammed my hands into his chest, and he flew backwards, hitting the ground with a thud. I vaulted through the air and landed on top of him. Vampires liked to think they were the top of the food chain, but they were no match for Reapers.
I slammed my forearm into his throat and pinned him to the ground.
He smiled up at me. “I always did love it when you played dirty.”
I pushed my forearm harder into his neck and he let out a choked gasp. “I met Frank this evening. Lovely guy, if a little weaselly. Tried to force a human to let him feed from her without permission. And he ruined my night off. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a night off?”
He scowled at me. “No.”
“Neither do I.”
“Poor little Reaper. Did you kill my vampire?”
“Of course not.” Murder was still punishable by the same standards of human law. I only collected the souls of the dead, sometimes the souls of the damned if they’d outstayed their welcome, but I definitely did not commit murder. “I left him in a heap in your hallway.”
“How kind of you.”
“It was. I think I showed great restraint considering he attacked me.”
Something flashed in his eyes. But it was gone before I could decipher what it was.
I leant closer to him and stared deep into his eyes. “I won’t be so forgiving next time I see a vampire doing that again.”
“So much violence for someone who tries to cling to humanity.”
“Humanity was a long time ago. I just try and stick to good principles.” I didn’t know who I was before I became a Reaper. All my memories from the Before were gone. I woke up and I had no name, no idea where I’d come from, or who I really was. I could have been a murderer for all I knew, but the way I stuck to trying to be a good person made me think I couldn’t have been all that bad.
Unlike this asshole.
“I’ll make sure he’s suitably punished. You know I can handle that, don’t you?” His hands trailed over my hips until his thumbs hit the juncture of my thighs. “I seemed to remember that you liked the way I used to punish you.”
A delicious warmth curled through my body and heat gathered between my legs.
“I remember.” Shit. Why was my voice breathy?
“We were always so good together,” he purred. “I could make you feel good again.”
His thumbs ran slowly across my skin, tantalising me and making my body zing with desire. But I’d been here before, and I wasn’t falling for it again.
