Holy shit!
“Can he hear us?” she whispered.
“Probably,” Murphy answered gruffly, his growl cutting off abruptly despite the tension still lining his body.
Another heavy knock at the door split through the living room.
“Are you going to get that, or do we just ignore him?” Nessa asked hesitantly. Considering Murphy owed him a favor, she didn’t think getting on the vampire’s bad side was a bright idea.
She’d just opened her mouth to say exactly that when Murphy sighed, squeezing her hand before they crossed the last few feet to the entryway.
“Stay behind me,” Murphy instructed.
“And hide? Isn’t that kind of rude? He won’t hurt us, right?” She doubted he would, otherwise why knock and announce his arrival?
Unless he enjoyed playing with his food first …
She moved closer to Murphy as a trickle of fear crept in. What if that wasexactlywhat the vampire was doing? Toying with them before he attacked?
Could he come inside a home without an invitation? That was typical vampire lore, and it had to start from somewhere. Hopefully, it was accurate. The shifter lore she’d read had been pretty on point so far.
What other rules were there regarding vampires? Could they transform into bats? Did they sleep in coffins?
Why hadn’t she thought to ask Murphy about this days ago when he’d first brought up the topic of vampires? She blew out an unsteady breath, her grip on Murphy’s hand like a lifeline,keeping her relatively calm despite how surreal the situation was.
He looked over his shoulder, eyes glowing that beautiful gold that always filled her with awe. “I told you, little mate. No one will ever hurt you again.”
This time, when the vampire knocked on the door, it was light. Delicate even, as if he’d heard Murphy’s declaration and was trying to sound less intimidating. Nessa relaxed somewhat.
Breaking eye contact, Murphy unlocked the door, pulling it open and revealing the man on the other side. Despite his order for her to hide behind him, she peeked around his body, more curious than scared of what awaited them.
Nessa didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but seeing a bald vampire in a three-piece suit with brown leather Oxfords on his feet and a gold chain dangling from the front pocket of his vest wasn’t it. He was maybe a few inches taller than her, the jade green color of his clothing complimenting his dark skin tone. He was muscular, though not as impressive as Murphy, his suit fitting his body like a glove.
“Ah, Murphy. A pleasure to see you,” Constantine greeted. His eyes shifted from the Alpha to Nessa, and she gasped, totally unnerved, as his gaze locked onto her. His irises were red, his body unnaturally still as he stood there on the porch. He smiled widely, lips peeling back to reveal a set of long, sharp, white fangs.
Nessa recoiled, her heart stuttering painfully as terror exploded through her chest. Her instincts screamed at her to slam the door closed, run and hide. To flee the creature in front of her and never return. It was only Murphy’s hand entwined with hers that kept her from doing just that.
“Easy now,” Constantine said softly, his red eyes growing brighter the longer he stared at her. “It’s a natural reaction when a human first meets someone like me. Your mind can sense apredator, but I look too human for your body to discern the threat. The feeling will pass. You will stay silent until it does.”
Nessa swallowed past the lump in her throat, irritated at his audacity. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
Constantine blinked at her, his mouth going slack in surprise. His eyes glowed brighter. “You will stay silent,” he ordered, flashing a bit of fang as he bit out the last word.
“Do not try to compel my mate,” Murphy snapped, placing himself directly in front of Nessa, cutting off her view of the vampire completely. As soon as he was out of sight, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Then she registered his words.
Wait—
“Compel?” Nessa furrowed her brows, studying Murphy’s back. Likecompulsion? She’d heard of that in TV shows and movies.
Vampires could actually do that?!
He’d try to compel her!
That son of a bit—
“Vampires can infiltrate human minds,” Murphy informed her over his shoulder, confirming her suspicions. “They can make them believe things that aren’t true, alter their memories, and even force their actions.”
