Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(18)

Emotions swirled within me. My Creator was the man I was hiding from—a monster who’d seized an opportunity to not only ruin my life but to make me nothing more than a commodity. I didn’t want to revisit those memories; I wasn’t ready. And if people knew about him, he might be able to find me.

I caught a look on Niko’s face I couldn’t peg, and his gaze darted around my body. “As you wish. As far as I’m concerned, you meet all my expectations for a candidate, but we still need to test your Vampire skills. Remain here. Round two is coming up. If you don’t meet his expectations, Viktor might let you go, and this will be the last time we speak. Best of luck, Raven.”





Chapter 6





I reclined on the bench and gripped the metal bar. The weights were set to 150 pounds. When I pushed on the bar, it took a Herculean effort to lift it. My muscles quivered, and I bent my leg, using the bottom of my foot to help push the bar up.

A sputter of laughter came from the doorway. I let go, peering at the entranceway to my left.

Christian was standing within the recessed wall by the door, leaning against the wall on his right shoulder, his arms folded. He was dressed casually in dark pants and a black Henley shirt that fit him too well. The first few buttons were undone, and he’d pushed the sleeves of the cotton shirt up to his elbows.

“Now that’s just grand,” he said. “I guess this means I can mark off physical strength from your checklist of Vampire skills.”

I relaxed and stared up at the ceiling. “Tell me you’re not the only Vampire in this house.”

He clapped his hands together and strode in. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

I sat up, straddling the bench, and watched as he crossed the room and made a sweeping bow, never taking his dark eyes from mine.

Christian reminded me of a cross between a handsome pirate and a serial killer.

“Don’t you want to question me first?”

“I’m more of a hands-on kind of guy. Didn’t you rough and tumble with Niko?” he asked in a velvety voice. “Smart as a whip, that one. But not very skilled with the ladies.”

“At least he gets to the point. What do you want to know about me?”

He folded his arms. “I already know what I need to know. You’re not strong like a Vampire, and you obviously don’t have sensitive hearing or else you wouldn’t have been startled when I walked in. As for your vision, I’d be curious to know if you see as well as I do. Shall we turn off the lights?”

“No need. I can see in the dark. And if you knock off a few of these weights, I can lift it. I’m not as strong as a Vampire, but I’m not as weak as a human. I’ve taken down men bigger than me, and sometimes it required a little elbow grease.”

“Impressive,” he said flatly. “Why don’t you come up here and show me what you’ve got?”

“I can’t fight.”

When he smirked, I wanted to throw one of the weights at him.

“I’m curious how you’ve managed to take down Vampires.”

“Got any wood on you?”

He grinned salaciously. “That’s one request I’m certain I can accommodate.”

“Forget I asked.” I walked to the center of the room and kept a few feet between us. “I can’t use my strength against you, but you’re not so difficult to catch. You guys don’t seem to care about public opinion when it comes to escorting a woman of another Breed to a private room. Taking down a Vampire is seduction followed by a little wood.”

“Aye, most of the time a little wood does follow a good seduction,” he said, his gaze making a reckless slant downward. “Now why don’t you demonstrate for me, lass. I need to assess all your… skills.”

Christian didn’t believe I had what it took to be part of this group. He also didn’t seem to like me any better than a plate of onion rings.

Game on.

I stepped closer, my eyes centering on his neck. “I don’t have trouble getting a Vampire alone. Usually it’s a come-hither look, or I just run my finger along the vein in his neck. That does the trick every time.”

“Oh?”

I inched forward another step and softened my voice. “Vampires seem to like it when you stroke their arteries.”

I could have sworn he released a shallow breath when his lips parted.

Christian’s jaw slid to the side. “Is that what you learned in a book? I think we have a copy of What Vampires Like up in the study. You say you’re half Vampire, Raven. You should know what turns us on based on your own experience.”

I tucked my fingers in my jean pockets. “I only get in touch with my inner Vampire when I’m draining my victims to get them to relax.”

He closed the distance between us, his voice rough and sexy. “I suppose you want to suck on my neck?”

“You’re not my type.”

He circled around me, whispering in my ear. “I’m O positive. I’m everyone’s type.”

“I don’t drink from Vampires. Do you want to know how I take them down or not?”

He appeared on my right side, amusement in his voice. “Please… Continue.”

“Once we’re alone, I usually have impalement wood hidden on me. Something that’s easy to conceal—about six inches.”