Bound by Blood (Bound #1)(12)

“You’re choosing the wrong side,” he told her as his pack lined up behind him. But she shook her head even as he heard the soft echo of an alarm from inside the mansion. The vamps were coming…

“They didn’t do this.”

“Their scents were everywhere.”

The door opened behind her. He’d expected human guards. Instead, the vampires filled the doorway. Three men. Forever young. Pale like Morgan, but with wide shoulders and hard jaws.And eyes that burned with rage.

“What is the meaning of this, Morganna?” The first guy demanded, an old-school English accent dripping from the words.

“We’ve got a problem,” she said, not glancing back. “He thinks you tried to kill me today.”

Silence.

Morgan blinked and, this time, she did look back over her shoulder. “Tell him it’s not true, Devon,” she demanded. “Tell him you didn’t—”

“Try to burn her to ash while she was still in my bed,” Jace finished, his claws stretching. It would be so easy to kill that bastard. One stroke from his claws, and the vampire’s head would hit the ground.

“We merely…tested,” Devon said quietly as he shrugged. “It was necessary.”

Morgan rocked on her heels, then spun around and caught the vamp bastard by his throat.

“Run that by me again.”

Devon blanched. “Ah, Morganna…”

“You tested me? With fire?”

He tried to talk, but no sound emerged from his lips.

“She’s startin’ to remind me of someone…” Louis murmured from beside Jace.

“Morgan?” Jace called out.

Her hold tightened on the vampire.

“I don’t think he can speak,” Louis shouted, probably in what he thought would be a helping way.

Morgan’s hold eased a bit.

Oddly enough, the other two vampires didn’t move to restrain her. Smart of them, because if they’d touched her, Jace would have ripped them apart. They just waited. Watched. One even glared at Devon Shire, Council-f*ckingextraordinaire-member. Jace had come across Devon before. Almost killed him twice. Third time will be the charm.

“You drank his blood.” Devon’s voice held a distinct wheeze now. “We had to see…had to make sure it was making you stronger…”

“So you set me on fire?”

But Devon didn’t back down. “If you’re going to shut the doorway to hell, you have to be able to withstand the heat, Morganna. We have to test your skin, see how it’s holding up against the flames—”

She punched him, a hard right cut that took the vampire down.

“Looks like your strength’s improving, Morg,” one of the other vampire’s said, lips twitching.

Fuck this. “Kill them,” Jace ordered.

Morgan whirled around, eyes wide. “Wh-what?”

The wolves were already shifting.

“Come.” He held his hand to her. “No sense in you watching them get ripped apart.”

The smiling vampire lunged forward then. A tall bloodsucker, with pale green eyes and a sloping scar that wrapped around his chin. One made, not born, or he wouldn’t be sporting that scar.

The blond made the mistake of putting his body between Morgan and Jace. “We’re not your prey,” he snarled.

Morgan put her hand on his shoulder. “Paul…”

Fury pushed through Jace’s body. There was something between them, he could see it. Smell it.

Morgan’s blood, in the vampire. She’d made him.

Oh, the f*ck, no.

His claws burst from his fingertips as he prepared to attack. The wind whipped around them, blowing hot and hard. Wait, hot?

He glanced up at the sky and saw the creatures coming. Flying toward them. Fucking flying in daylight.

Demons.

“They are the ones we need to fight!” Devon screamed as he scrambled to his feet. “Not each other!”

This from the * who’d torched his place?

But then Devon surprised him. The guy grabbed Morgan and hauled her back toward the house. “You’re not strong enough yet. We can’t let them get you!”

Now the * was protecting her?

Jace’s men spun around, snarling at the new threat. A threat that smelled of brimstone and death. The demons looked like humans, for the most part. Their faces appeared human, their bodies shaped like men. But they had claws that sprouted from their hands, claws even sharper than a wolf’s. Big and strong, demons had eyes that blazed as red as hell and skin that was twisted and marked with scars that sliced across their flesh. Demons could fly. Demons could control fire. And, most days, demons could kick ass. Not today.

His gaze met Morgan’s. A vampire in the sunlight. Even with his blood, how strong could she be?

He shoved back the one she’d called Paul. “Get inside.”

Paul didn’t move. “We fight, we don’t flee, we—”

The demons hit the ground and came running. The wolves turned, holding their line, not attacking, not yet.

Not until Jace gave the word.

“I’m the one who gets to rip you apart,” Jace promised. “Not them.” Demons… “Now get Morgan inside. ”

“Jace!”