Kyron shakes his head, wagging his finger that’s tipped with a black claw at Camden like one would at a silly toddler. Then his gaze turns to me. “I heard you and your brother had found your Fated Ones. Camden, I daresay I just might envy you. This one’sbeautiful.”
The lustful glint in Kyron’s eyes angers me as much as it makes me uneasy. My heart pounds in my chest, my arms break out with goosebumps, and my thoughts are all geared toward protecting Leisel.
“But then, I also heard they’re humans, so my jealousy doesn’t extend too far,” Kyron goes on.
From my understanding, news that Leisel and I aren’t quite human has already circulated amongst shifters. However, it clearly hasn’t yet reached the vampire’s ears—possibly because most species avoid them like the plague they’re said to be.
“It was a mistake to appear here,” Camden growls. “One you won’t get a chance to repeat.”
In this moment, Camden is every inch the Alpha his people revere him as. Danger radiates off of him, and his sheer authority is palpable. I almost look forward to watching him take down Kyron, though I’mnot sure how he will. Kyron’s sudden appearance indicates an ability to teleport.How does the royal family not have precautions against this?
“Oh, I’m not staying,” Kyron says easily, flicking his eyes around the room. “I just wished to stop by and pick something up.”
“What?” Wyatt practically barks.
The vampire’s eyes run over each of us briefly before settling on Leisel. “Leverage.”
My breath escapes me in a gasp as Kyron vanishes, reappears in front of Leisel, wraps his arm around her, and teleports back to the other side of the room, making her disappear from my grasp. Leisel struggles against him, wriggling in his grip but to no avail. She cries out my name, and everything within me demands action as my heart shrivels with fear. It feels like ice is injected into my veins as I watch the only person I care about in this world trapped in the arms of a monster.
Wyatt roars, “Let her go!”
We both start for Kyron at the same time, which prompts the vampire to hold one of his sharp black claws up to her delicate neck. “Steady,” he says. “Move and she dies.” With a happy sigh he adds, “Gods, killing humans makes for such good sport.”
I freeze in place barely noticing that Wyatt also stops moving, taking Kyron’s threat as seriously as I do. Panic overwhelms me, making my breathing turn shallow. Leisel’s the only family I have left; I can’t lose her. I wouldn’t survive it. She is everything good in this world—without her, all the light in my life will disappear. I won’twantto go on. From the moment of her birth, I’ve been her protector, I’ve raised her as my daughter. She’severythingto me.
On the heels of my soul-deep fear comes a burst of anger so acute it makes my vision go red. The vampire is threatening my sister.My sister.
I want him dead. I want to wipe him from his miserable existence—I want todestroyhim for endangering the most precious person in the world to me.
His eyes locked with mine and a cruel smile curves Kyron’s thin lips as he looks me up and down with a lascivious glint in his eyes.
“The future queen of the mutts,” he says, drawing his gaze leisurely over my body. “You’ll be a lovely asset to us.”
That’s when I realize that, though Kyron is holding Leisel, she’s not his real target. His real target is me. He probably grabbed her first in a ploy to make me complacent; to make me desperate to do anything, as long as it keeps Leisel safe. It wouldn’t have been difficult to discern that she’s my sister whom I love dearly; something he could’ve gathered just from how I reached for her immediately in response to his appearance. As towhyhe’d go through the effort of taking her first, I can only assume he’s enjoying playing with his food.
“She won’t beshitto you,” Camden growls.
“Shut the fuck up!” I snap at him, not wanting any distractions. To the vampire, I say, “You’re right—I’m far more valuable than the girl. Take me instead of her.”
Kyron tilts his head, his smile widening. “A martyr,” he says, sounding delighted. “How exciting. I accept your deal, little human. Walk over to me, and you have my word I’ll release the girl.”
“Sierra, don’t youdare,” Camden snaps, reaching for me with an outstretched hand. I evade him with ease, disregarding him entirely as I take slow measured steps towards Kyron. Camden doesn’t advance any further, likely because he believes that Kyron will rip Leisel’s throat out if anyone makes a wrong move, in which case Iwillfind a way to kill everyone in this room. My sanity very much hinges on Leisel’s vitality.
I don’t trust Kyron’s word on letting Leisel go, but at least I’ll be able to shield her if I’m close. The need to kill him burns as hotly as the fire that lives within me—nobody who threatens Leisel can be allowed to live.
“Anything you want is yours for the taking,” Camden says to the vampire, a note of desperation in his voice. I canfeelthat he’ll do anything to protect me—something that only pisses me off at the moment because I can’t have any distractions while I end the vampire who had the fuckinggallto target my sister. “Just leave my mate be.”
“I want her,” the vampire drawls, nodding to me. “The Queen. I’ll leave you in peace today, if you give her to me.”
“Over my dead fucking body,” Camden snarls.
I step farther away from his reach, ignoring him altogether, crossing slowly over to the vampire, ignoring the threats and warnings Camden throws at me to stay in place. I will give up my life before endangering Leisel, but I have no intention of letting the vampire live long enough to take me anywhere.
I cross to him in several steps. He eyes my body with obvious appreciation, before offering me a magnanimous smile as he releases Leisel with a small push.
“Go to Wyatt,” I command her. I may not trust the Beta in general, but I do trust him to keep her safe—he’ll be compelled to by the bond between them.
Leisel, knowing better than to argue, complies, just as the vampire bands an arm around my waist and pulls my back flush to his front, holding me so tightly I know his hand will leave a substantial bruise.
