“Shit,” Thaddeus said. “I didn’t know.”
“You couldn’t have known.” My hands slid up Kai’s chest, and I pushed gently to step back away from him. “But I can do this. It’s part of the training, right?”
“Training? What’re you doing here?” Travis’s eyes darted between Kai and me then over to Thaddeus.
I swallowed hard as my heart thumped five times in a row. All the guys watched me as if I’d snap and tear his throat out, which didn’t sound like a bad idea to me.
Travis Beck was the first boy to put his hands on me...both in a wanted and unwanted sense.
“It doesn’t matter.” My voice cracked as the emotional whirlpool shredded my chest just by staring into those hollow eyes of his.
“The fuck you mean it doesn’t matter? The town is in a panic over it. Search parties are still out looking for your body.” He edged closer, and Kai stepped in front of me, shielding my body from his approach.
“Thank you,” I said in a low whisper only he could hear as I reached out and threaded our fingers together.
I wasn’t the same teenage girl he fucked over. This time, I was the predator.
“Her instincts are trying to take over,” Blaise said.
Kai nodded, his eyes trained on the human monster in front of us.
“What do you mean by search parties?”
His brows drew together as he glanced back toward Thaddeus, standing with his arms crossed behind him. I’d never seen such a calculating expression on Thaddeus before, and it sent violent chills down my spine.
“The cops found your car totaled to shit on a back road with your blood all over the place.” He took another step closer, and my gaze zeroed in on his pulse along the shadow of his neck.
I imagined my fangs biting into his flesh and hot liquid seeping down my throat as I drained the life from the man who ruined me so long ago. My throat throbbed, causing the burning sensation to intensify.
I swallowed, my throat contracting painfully.
It was Travis, not some innocent bystander. Travis was anything but fucking innocent. Why did I have to control myself with him?
My body moved on its own accord, jerking my hand away from Kai, pushing him across the room as I lunged forward toward Travis, baring my fangs.
Travis’s eyes widened, and a scream belted out of him as he fell back on his ass, stuttering barely recognizable consonants.
Blaise caught me by the waist, slinging me backward. I flew through the air until my back struck the wall nearest to the doors. I gasped out as my spine cracked.
A warm, prickling sensation flooded my spinal column before the pain disappeared.
Hunger.
Wrath.
Get up.
Kill.
Kill.
Kill.
My inner voice was screaming at me, and I was back on my feet, ready to lunge again before Kai blocked my way.
My stomach gnawed itself, and I stepped forward to give a low growl.
Get out of my fucking way.
