Page 213 of The Fallen Fae King

I don’t hesitate.

I feel fucking unhinged.

Every indignity and humiliation that I have suffered. Everything that I have lost. It surges through me in a tidal wave of hate and rage.

I am the feared Shadow Vampire King.

I have more blood staining my hands than anyone in this entire arena, apart from Maximinus.

I will not allow a single wolf to terrorize my family.

I shan’t allow any wolves to kill my people.

I tip my head back and scream with rage. My shadows beat like wings behind me.

Then I leap at the wolf, which cringes back in shock. He didn’t expect to become the prey.

My pheromones become a dominant fog that rolls across the arena.

The other wolves whine, dropping onto their fronts.

The leader crouches like he wishes that he could roll in submission, exposing his stomach.

Too fucking late.

I dive onto his back, frantic and feral.

I sink my fangs into the back of his neck, tearing out his fur and flesh in clumps. I spit out mouthfuls of blood because I don’t want any of this hellish creature’s blood inside me.

The wolf howls, shaking like he can dislodge me. But I wrap the chain of my shackles around his neck and pull.

I continue to savage the Shadow Wolf with my fangs, until he falls to his knees with blood puddling around him.

Finally, the leader collapses, and his shadows fade.

I pull my shackles away from the corpse, wiping the wolf’s vile blood from my crimson-stained lips.

Then I raise my hands. “Blood!”

Yara and Ahm start the chant, which is picked up by the vampires who remain alive, and it echoes around the arena, “Blood! Blood! Blood!”

Filled with new energy and hope, while the wolves cower away at the unexpected death of their leader, the vampires descend on the shifters.

I leap off the corpse, watching in pride, as the remaining wolves have their throats torn out.

I sweep my gaze over the vampires. Despite the bloody bodies strewn over the arena, over half have survived.

I smile at Yara and Ahm, who are unharmed.

I’ve done it.

“They’re safe, Laz.” Happiness, unexpected and overwhelming, floods me. “You’d be pleased with your bad brother. Not even a scratch on them.”

I nod at the exhausted and blood-splattered vampires, as they gather back into formation.

“Well done,” I praise. “You showed Draca Kingdom the strength of the Bloods.”

My lips twitch at the ragged cheer that rises, this time from my people, and the way that the vampires hug each other.