“We don’t attack humans,” Tressa hissed, even though she doubted there was any point in reasoning with this vampire. Once they hopped on the murder train, it was essentially a one-way ticket. They almost never came back.
“I do what is necessary,” the rogue replied, her eyes drifting over to Ethan. “Though you shouldn’t be worried about that. You should be more concerned about your mate and how you will console yourself once he’s gone.”
Tressa’s eyes widened, and the rogue let out a small, almost sad, laugh. “Yes, it’s quite obvious you’re mates. Congratulations by the way. Though you may not believe it, I truly am sorry that I need to kill him.”
“You can try,” Tressa taunted, pointedly shifting her body between Ethan and the rogue.
The vampire gave her a pitying smile. “Truly, I have no desire to eliminate you, but I will if I have to. In fact…” She waved her hand again, and the ripples appeared once more, shifting and reshaping until Tressa found herself staring at Ethan.
Her head swung toward the bed, needing the visual confirmation that yes, her mate was still unconscious.
“That’s better,” fake Ethan said, and Tressa gawked at the feminine voice coming out of his mouth.
“You can’t win against me,” the rogue said, stalking closer to Tressa. “But even if you did stand a chance, could you really strike your own mate?”
“You think I care about your parlor trick?” Tressa replied, though she couldn’t deny her tone lacked the confidence she would have preferred. The vampire wasn’t wrong; every instinct inside of her wanted to protect this person who resembled her mate. Not harm them.
She took a deep inhale and latched onto the rogue’s decaying flower scent.
This is not my Ethan.
Her fangs descended, itching to tear out the throat of this rogue who dared impersonate her mate. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.” Tressa rolled onto the balls of her feet, preparing to strike.
She never got the chance.
Moving faster than even Tressa’s vampiric eyes could track, the woman blurred forward and clamped her hand around Tressa’s neck,cutting off her air supply. “Oh, my sweet summer child. I know more about you than you could ever imagine. You’re the one with the calming Gift. The perfect beauty who never lacks for a smile. The Eternal Optimist.” She paused. “Or so you’ve managed to convince everyone. But I know the truth. I know what lurks in your past, haunting you.”
Tressa struggled in the vampire’s grasp, but the rogue was clearly older. Much, much older.
“You’re wasting your energy,” she said, lifting Tressa off her feet, slender fingers digging into her windpipe and cracking something that was probably important. “You can’t stop me. You’re not a killer.”
“She might not be, but I am,” a deep male voice said from the doorway, and the rogue swung around.
Stars burst in Tressa’s vision as she was wrenched about like a helpless rag doll.
The woman tightened her grip, holding Tressa in front of her like a shield as her body rippled and flowed back into the tall female form.
“Saiden,” Tressa gurgled, but she couldn’t get anything else out because the lack of oxygen was starting to take its toll. She imagined she only had two or three minutes left before she passed out. Vampires might be champions at holding their breath, but their bodies still needed oxygen to power the brain.
She’d just found her mate and was already failing him. Tressa shot a glance over at the bed, at Ethan’s sprawled form, and she took in his too pale skin with a slight tinge of blue to his lips. Fire burned in her gut, and something extra sparked to life inside her. She refused to go down without a fight, redoubling her efforts to kick and squirm her way free.
Her struggle seemed to matter little to the vampire who was now focused on her cousin. “Ah, yes,” the rogue said, sneering. “Saiden. The Enforcer. Murderer of his own kind.”
Ever the tall, dark, and intimidating figure, Saiden took a step into the room, his hands settling on the daggers at his belt as he kicked the door shut. “Glad you’ve heard of me. That means you know exactly how easily I’m going to kill you if you don’t release my cousin.”
“Oh, this cousin?” the woman asked innocently. “She’s all yours.”
One second, Tressa was struggling to maintain consciousness, and the next, she was flying across the room. She slammed into Saiden with enough force to send them crashing into the wall, adding a second sizable dent to the room’s decor.
Before they could untangle themselves, the rogue blurred over and held Saiden down with one foot on his chest. “Since you’re so adamant about fighting, let’s do this another time away from humans. But just so you know, this is not a gift. Ethanisgoing to die, and the more time you spend with him, the more it’s going to hurt.” She darted out into the hall but tossed a glance back at them. “And when that day comes, do remember that I tried to make it quick.”
Then she was gone.
Tressa groaned and rolled off Saiden. “You didn’t see that coming with your Gift?” she muttered, her throat still hoarse despite her accelerated healing working to repair the damage.
Saiden pushed up off the floor, then held out a hand for Tressa.
“You know my Gift only triggers in potentially lethal scenarios,” he replied, pulling her up. “Besides, you’re lucky I decided to stop by the hospital before heading out to hunt. If I hadn’t heard your little scuffle in here from the waiting room, I might be having a rather uncomfortable talk with Marquin right about now.”
