“No.”
Adriel leaned against the banister. “Honestly, Pierce?”
“I am being honest,” I insisted, glaring at him. “I just need some time alone. That’s it.”
Adriel’s annoying tone faded. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. To be forced into love.”
I didn’t reply. That type of reminder was exactly what I wanted to get away from right now. I grunted in acknowledgment.
“You don’t have to make any rash decisions,” Adriel continued. “As long as one of us completes this task, we’ll be safe. So don’t fret.”
“I’m not fretting.”
I smoothed back my dark hair and finished lacing up my leather boots before leaving the mansion.
* * *
Vampires beingunable to feel is a common misconception. We can feel touch, of course, and feel the brush of the elements, like freezing temperatures and hot summer air. The difference is the elements don’t phase us. Right now, I was well aware of how cold the night winds blew, but it caused me no discomfort. I dressed the part, with my heavy coat and leather gloves, but it was mostly to divert attention and blend in. I didn’t actuallyneedthem. A human, on the other hand, would be freezing his balls off in this weather.
Nevertheless, I assumed my best imitation of acold humanwhile striding down the long driveway, past the front gates, and on to the street.
The bustle of the city took my mind off things. Shadowcity wasn’t my original home, but it was a decent place to live - for a house of vampires, anyway. Our old mansion on the hill was part of the heritage part of the city, which could not be torn down. With the gate and hideously long, upwards driveway, everyone left us well enough alone.
Unlike our mother, my brothers and I tended to enjoy the city life. The sights, smells and sounds were a beautiful and chaotic symphony on my senses.
I paused at the intersection, now in the downtown core. I raised my head and shut my eyes, inhaling the various smells. Greasy take-out, the stench of the sewers, wet slush on the pavement, early evening coffee for those obsessed with the substance…
And, of course, blood thrumming under the skin of every human being in the area.
It was all off limits, obviously. But it didn’t hurt to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.
Suddenly, a sharper scent caught my attention. The scent of fear, mixed with something else.
Something utterly delicious.
The walk signal flashed white, and the crowd moved around me. Turning on my heel, I briskly moved towards the source of the mouth-watering scent. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I was filled with a mix of curiosity and, strangely, fear. The scent had a grip on my senses and my mind, and suddenly I felt like I couldn’t stop until I had the source in my grasp.
The hospital loomed ahead. My skin tingled with anticipation. The scent intensified, muddying the air. I was getting closer.
My eyes snapped to the bus shelter on the curb. It was filled with bodies, and emanating from the center, hidden from view, was the person whose scent was driving me wild.
I marched towards the crowded shelter with only one thing on my mind - claiming the person as my own.
A growl built in my throat as I comprehended more of the scene before me. A musky, obnoxious scent came billowing out of the shelter - the stench of alphas. It tainted the scent I sought so desperately that was caught in the middle of them.
“Is the little omega scared?”
“He’s notlittle.More like the big omega.”
A frightened voice yelled, “Get away from me!”
Then my forced breath caught in my throat. A new, sharp and metallic scent rose above all the others, mingling with the original delectable one that drove me wild.
Blood.
Every inch of my body caught invisible fire. My hands clenched in my pockets, and my nails elongated into claws. The half-growl, half-hiss rising in my throat was only covered up by the city noises.
The smell of blood, and the original scent, both came from the same person - the one in the middle of the alphas.
