He smirked. “—like hell.”
I tried not to smile. It almost worked.
The fire popped in the hearth, casting sparks. Outside, the wind rattled the windows. For a while, everything felt almost normal. That was the worst part, how easy it was to pretend.
Then the feeling hit me. A cold ripple across my skin, sharp enough to cut through the warmth of the room. Every sense went on high alert.
My hearing sharpened, my vision narrowed to the shifting shadows beyond the windows. The air reeked of decay. Blood turned sour, rot and hunger all tangled together.
I froze.
“Simon?” Kit’s voice softened. “What is it?”
“Hush,” I told him.
Kit didn’t argue. He’d learned not to, when my tone changed like that.
There was movement outside. Fast. A scrape of nails against wood, a low hiss like something half-human trying to breathe through ruined lungs.
My stomach turned cold. I knew that sound.
“No,” I whispered. “Not here.”
Kit was already on his feet, hand going for the knife at his belt. “What is it?”
“One of them.”
His brow furrowed. “Them?”
“From my sire,” I cut in. “A feral vampire.”
Even saying it made my mouth go dry. I’d known it was only a matter of time before one of them found me, despite Kit having investigated the area before and proclaiming it safe.
The next second, the front door shuddered under a heavy blow. The hinges groaned.
Kit swore under his breath and drew his blade. “You got any more weapons?”
I shook my head. The door splintered.
The creature that lunged through didn’t look like me one bit. Its eyes were sunken and wild, veins crawling up its neck like black roots. Its mouth dripped blood. Fresh and wet human blood. I could smell it.
Kit moved first, fast and precise. He ducked under the creature’s swing and drove his knife upward, aiming for the heart. The blade caught bone instead. The feral shrieked, flinging him back into the wall.
“Kit!” I screamed.
I didn’t think, I just moved.
The world narrowed to instinct. My body reacted before my mind did, the old hunger roaring up in my veins like fire. I slammed into the creature, driving it away from him. We hit the floor hard.
Its strength was inhuman, fueled by bloodlust and madness. Claws tore into my shoulder, and I barely managed to roll aside before its teeth snapped down where my throat had been.
I heard Kit swear again, scrambling to his feet. There was a blur of motion, and suddenly his boot connected with the creature’s side, buying me half a breath.
“Get back!” I shouted.
“Not a chance!”
Kit was still standing between me and danger. The overprotective bastard. Did he forget I was a vampire and could defend myself to some extent?
