Underland(59)

Only Olivier mattered in that moment.

“You have the most beautiful eyes.” He had to lean down to give her the compliment, yelling in her ear to be heard over the music.

She threw her head back and laughed. “Thanks.”

She felt someone watching her—was that Zeke?—and she hesitated for a moment. No, she shoved her concern aside. Why should she feel guilty dancing with someone else? It wasn’t like he had asked her to dance. She spotted Zeke against a wall and thought she saw his head shake.

What was his problem? Now he was bossing her around. He wasn’t Den. If he wanted her to stop dancing, he’d better get over here and tell her to her face. She turned her back on him and focused on Olivier again. At least this was someone who seemed happy to be with her. She glanced only once more over her shoulder.

Zeke wasn’t there. Not her problem anymore.

It felt so good to let loose and be free on the dance floor. She didn’t worry about Den or Zeke. She just let herself be, feel in the moment. She wanted to live, and right now, she felt very alive.

Maybe because of the way Olivier looked at her. She couldn’t tear herself away from his possessive eyes. She was drawn to him, so much that she moved closer.

He smiled in delight and rested his hands on her upper arms. A shock ran through her body at his touch, and she couldn’t pull away. He whispered into her ear again. “Come with me.”

This time, there was no missing his voice over the music. It hit her in her very soul. She felt her body following him to the darkened corner and into a back hall.

She wanted to tell him no. Stop. Where are we going?

Her mouth wouldn’t work. He pulled her against a wall and his hand brushed against her hair. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her temple.

“Oh, Kira, you smell so sweet. I must taste you.”

Her body froze, and her soul screamed no. He was controlling her. She didn’t know how, but he was controlling her.

His mouth moved lower and he kissed her ear, then along her jaw line. Something sharp grazed her cheek.

She started to panic, but she couldn’t move away. Couldn’t call for help. Her mind cried out for help, but she couldn’t move. A mirror across the hall played the scene like a horror flick, and she had to watch. His jaw muscle flexed and—

Sharp. Prick. He bit into her neck.

Her mouth opened. It was nothing like the movies. They lied. It wasn’t pleasure to be seduced by a vampire. It was pain.

Finally, a scream escaped her mouth. A few moments later, he withdrew from her neck. She saw the blood, her blood, dribble from his lip.

Horrible.

Olivier lifted her hand above her head and turned her band over. She heard the sound of tokens being transferred, and he smiled softly at her. He was paying her for services rendered. How humiliating.

She never consented to what he did.

“It’s been so long since I’ve tasted human. I look forward to another rendezvous.” He smiled and she saw his vampire fangs. How foolish she was.

She couldn’t move, still in his thrall. Trapped within her own mind. When he moved away, she slid down the wall and collapsed on the floor. Her neck burned like fire where he’d bitten her, and tears poured out of her eyes, but she was unable to even control her eyelids and blink them away. Her vision blurred and her soul cried out in fury.





Chapter 28

She saw red. A lot of it.

And it wasn’t her blood. It was her fury burning.

Someone ran down the hall toward her, and then Zeke’s face swam through her tears. She focused on him.

“Kira.” He helped sit her up, and she was finally able to blink. The rush of tears poured down her cheek.

“Heh bith me!” The bite hurt like someone had branded her with a hot iron, and the rest of her neck felt really wet. The worst of it was that her strength still felt like it was draining.

“Let me see.” He pushed her hair off of her shoulder and gasped at her wound. “He bit you too deep. He nicked something.”

When he pulled away from her, his eyes flashed in hunger. “You need a doctor, fast.”

She tried to stand but almost immediately started to fall. As Zeke caught her, his cool mouth brushed her bleeding neck. He shoved her body against the wall and snapped his head away, his arms like iron as he held her there immobile. Kept her at a distance. He wouldn’t even look at her.

A smear of blood remained on his mouth, and he shook his head, trying to focus. His body quivered.

“Zeke. Make the pain stop.”

His body trembled at her request. “Kira.” He exhaled her name and it came out like a growl. “I can help you, but you’ll hate me after.”

She looked into his deep brown eyes, knew it would be impossible to hate him. “Please.” She didn’t even know what she was asking. She just knew that she trusted him.

Zeke dropped his arms and crushed his body to hers. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her—hard enough to bruise her lips. His desire rushed through her, but then he softened against her.

She answered his kiss with her own. Matched him with emotion. He pulled away from her, his eyes now flashing with power. He reached down and pulled the knife out of her boot. Pressed the handle it into her right hand.

“Just in case,” he said. His lips brushed hers with another kiss, and then he ducked to press his mouth to her wound.