Page 120 of Undying
“I believe the time is my choice as well?” It takes a moment before understanding brightens his expression, and he doesn’t even bother to hide his grin this time.
“Of course, myreina.” He gives a courtly bow. “What time works best for you?”
I return his smile, pretending to think about it. “Now works for me.”
When the other vampires look confused, my wolves chuckle and immediately head for the windows behind us. Yanking the curtains aside, they throw the windows wide, revealing the large expanse of sun-drenched backyard.
A few of the younger vampires in the guard hiss and flee to the shadows. The elders scowl at the abrupt change, their humanity melting away to reveal the monsters beneath.
Those corrupted by darkness don’t resemble normal vampires.
Their fangs are longer and thicker, a yellow-like venom dripping from the tips. Their flesh ages, turning pale and cracked. Their hair thins and becomes scraggily, while their black eyes sink into their skulls. Deep furrows bubble up from their foreheads and brows, giving them an almost Neanderthal appearance. Their ears stretch until they resemble a bat’s, their nose lengthening almost comically, and their jaws elongate.
Some are more advanced than others.
From the power levels I can feel in the room, Julius is younger than many of them, but he’s almost the worst deformed.
Why am I not surprised?
“What is the meaning of this?” It’s dickasaurus once again. To my surprise, besides the black pulsing veins running under his skin, he looks pretty much the same.
I give a casual shrug, my eyebrows rising innocently. “Julius has the advantage of tasting my blood without my permission. I’m guessing you don’t see that as cheating. I’d be a fool not to press my advantages as well.”
Grudging admiration sparks in his soulless black eyes, and heharrumphswithout another word of protest. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather. Before anyone else can put forth another argument, I walk backward into the sunlight, then tip my head back and bathe in the glorious rays.
Then I smile and look toward Julius. “Let’s finish this.”
Concern radiates from my guys, but we all know this is the only way the gathering will accept me. I have an edge over Julius—he wants me alive, and I have every fucking intention of ripping his black heart out of his chest.
I won’t stop until one of us is dead.
As Julius stalks toward me, I gather up my skirts and tie them around my waist. The rest of the vampires hover by the windows, not venturing into the daylight by more than a few feet. Even though they can withstand the sunlight for short periods of time, the fear has been ingrained into their very core over the centuries.
Many of them won’t take the risk.
Though I should be focused on the upcoming fight, I can’t stop my gaze from seeking out my mates. Stanton stands resolute, not happy with the turn of events but trusting me to come out of this alive. I glance at Milo by his side, and I’ve never seen my nerdy vampire looking so serious. I worry about them standing outside, lingering in the shadows of the building, but I think my blood might have given them a little bit of immunity.
Castle and Tobias, my Viking and barbarian, stand tall and proud in the sunlight near the rest of our pack. I concentrate on the bonds in my chest until wildness and fur, teeth and claws greet me, then I mentally urge the wolves to shift and protect the others.
To my pleasure, they hear me, and the two men peel their shirts over their heads and shift, leaving behind two massive wolves, one light and one dark. They tip back their heads and give an eerie howl that calls to my soul.
More howls answer us in the distance, and our guards spill around the side of the house. They watch me solemnly, knowing the outcome of the fight will affect them too.
I mentally give the same orders to Milo and Stanton, reaching for the darkness that is so much a part of them.Protect the wolves and keep anyone from interfering. While I love my wolves, if I’m in danger, I don’t trust that they won’t sacrifice themselves to save me.
Satisfaction fills me when my vampires nod in agreement. Knowing that my mates are protected, I focus on the fight at hand.
Julius stalks across the grass, not stopping until he’s facing off against me. A cocky smile twists his lips. Since he didn’t bother changing back to his human self, it’s a nasty look. He’s probably hoping it will disorient me.
Little does he know that I lived with rotting corpses for weeks.
Nothing he does can scare me.
“I’m going to enjoy breaking your spirit and bringing you to heel.” He licks his lips, his thick tongue a little too pointed and three inches too long.
Shudder.
I roll my eyes, refusing to let him see my disgust. It would only please him. “Oh, please, your threats are so cliché. It’s the same one every small dicked man gives to a female they can’t control.”
