Tyrant (Scars of the Wraiths #2)(42)

My hand curled into a fist, one I wanted to slam into his balls. “Please, Liam. I have to go to the washroom. I’ll be only a minute.”

Bullshit. I had to disappear, Liam’s reach was far, but it would take him time to find me and, hopefully, by then, I’d have fought off the vampire blood in my system. Or died.

Liam sighed and moved his hand away. “Don’t be long.” He slipped out of the booth and I crawled out after him, but I only made it one step before his hand latched onto my wrist and he yanked me hard into his chest. His other hand slid up my back to cup my neck. “Remember who you belong to now, Abigail.”

I was never good at belonging to anyone. Trinity being my pseudo-mother knew that better than anyone. So the urge to slap his arrogant face was difficult to resist. Instead, I smiled, leaned into him, and kissed his cheek.

“How could I forget?” I held my breath, waiting for him to let me go as his eyes drove into me. Finally, he nodded and released me. I walked casually away until I was out of his sight, and then I half-ran toward the washroom.

I didn’t make it that far as I pushed up against people, hearing their throbbing heartbeats pumping loudly in my ears, smelling the fresh blood swimming in their veins eager for me to taste.

I staggered into someone, breathing erratically as I fought to stop the urgency of feeding. This was a mistake. What had I done? The thirst was so intense, like a cocaine addict surrounded by bags and bags of cocaine.

I hadn’t cried since I was four years old. The day my mother abandoned me to Trinity in a dark alley. I’d cried for days and days, begging for my mother to come back.

She never did. I never saw her again.

When I finally stopped crying, I swore to never shed a tear again.

Until now. Now, tears pooled because my control slipped and nothing else mattered except blood.

Nothing. And it was going to destroy so much more than me and my baby.

A tear glided down my check as I grabbed the closest person to me, a twenty-something guy standing at the bar with disheveled shoulder-length, dirty-blond hair and grunge clothing. He was too intoxicated and bewildered by the sudden attention of an attractive redhead and didn’t question my motives.

I leaned in to him, my hand sliding up his chest to his neck, where his pulse throbbed beneath the pad of my finger.

Thirsty. I was so thirsty.

I wrapped my arm around his neck, drawing him in closer, smelling the sweet scent of blood crying out to me.

He grinned from ear to ear, his soft hazel eyes dancing with pleasure at what he’d managed to snatch for the night. “Hey, baby.”

I pulled him closer, my lips inches from his neck, tongue flicking out to trail a path along his naked skin.

“Fuck, yeah,” he slurred.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered and lowered my teeth to his neck.





I shot the white ball and it hit the green stripe, sinking it in the corner pocket. I knew he was watching me. Knew the second he appeared in the alley behind the bar, his scent growing stronger as he made his way into the bar.

Of course, the egomaniac would want retaliation. The fiery Wraith was the most arrogant man, or being, I’d met.

First Waleron’s surprise visit at the apartment and now Edan. This was turning out to be one bastard of a day.

I laid my pool stick on the green felt and nodded to the guy I was playing. “I forfeit, buddy.” I slapped a twenty on the table, picked up my bubbly water, and sauntered toward the bar.

Edan leaned back against it, elbows resting on it, red eyes penetrating as he watched me approach. The red hue was scary because I knew what it meant, pissed. I could attempt to run, but Edan was a Wraith, and running would only piss him off more.

I slid onto the stool next to him and placed my glass on the bar. “Took you long enough. I expected you sooner,” I said without meeting his piercing eyes. “Beer?” I knew damn well he’d refuse. Wraiths stayed clear of alcohol as it made them unpredictable.

“You’re a bitch,” Edan said. Okay, so he didn’t need to warm up with idle chitchat. “No one uses me, especially not a f*ckin’ woman.”

“Great to see you in my part of the world, Edan,” I said.

“Slut,” Edan spat.

I shrugged. “I got what I wanted, didn’t I?”

His eyes flamed an orange glow, and if I didn’t cool it, he’d ignite this bar into flames. I took a sip of my sparkling water and the fizz tickled my throat. I actually liked Edan. He’d treated me well enough and the sex had been incredible.

“You’re mighty brave after pissing off a Wraith. I could have you incarcerated in our realm in seconds.”

Yeah, he could, but the Wraiths and Scars were on the same side. If he pissed off the Scars, all we did for the human world would be obliterated. So, my guess was he’d rant, rave, threaten, and then leave.

“Well, get it out of your system. I have shit to do.” I pulled my cell out of my back pocket and glanced at the screen. “I’ll give you two minutes.”

Edan’s arm shot out so fast that I didn’t have time to stop him. He knocked my water from my hand and it toppled over the end of the bar and shattered. Oh crap, here we go.

“Hey, man,” the bartender yelled.

I gave him an apologetic wince. “Sorry, Dave. Won’t happen again.”