A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire #3)(35)

The strong prey on the weak. Survival of the fittest. Is that not what people laud as the law of nature? If they survive, we don’t.

I let out an exasperated sigh, unable to hide how torn I was over the whole thing. I ran a hand over my hair, longing to once again be in Sofia’s good graces. “She hasn’t spoken to me in days,” I complained. I miss her so much.

Liana gave me a long, meaningful look. “Vivienne saw it immediately. I didn’t.”

“See what?” Cameron and Ashley asked in unison before giving me an odd look.

“You’ve changed, Derek. With her in your life, you’re a different man.”

I studied her, wondering what she was getting at. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”

For some reason, the fact that she would imply that Sofia could have a negative effect on me grated on my nerves. “You are the three vampires in this island who ought to value human life more than anyone else. You.” I pointed at Ashley. “Because you were still human barely a week ago. And you two.” I then pointed at the couple.“Because you have generations of human descendants whom you love deeply.”

“That’s different…” Cameron began to stand in defense.

“Why is it different? Is a human less human just because he was born at The Shade?” I shook my head, angrier at myself than I was with them. I knew Sofia was right. What we were about to do was a massacre. I couldn’t justify it. Nobody could, but it felt like I had no choice. The Elite might have stood with me against the abductions, but how on earth could I possibly make them agree to cutting off their only supply of human blood? “I can’t stand this. I need to be alone.”

I sped forward, brushing past the couple before any of them could come up with a response. I had no idea how far I’d gone or how long I’d been moving, but I eventually reached a clearing that led me to the Vale. Just as I emerged from the woods, Sofia and Gavin were coming out of the town.

They were laughing with Sofia rolling her eyes as she playfully chucked Gavin’s jaw with her fist. The fact that she’d barely looked my way whenever I visited her, combined with her stupid excuses for not spending time with me, made seeing her with Gavin infuriating.

Jealousy reared its ugly head and I wasn’t able to hold myself back. I just saw red and all I wanted to do at that moment was snap the Natural’s neck in two.

CHAPTER 22: SOFIA

It all happened so fast, I could barely catch up with what was going on. One minute, I was exchanging jokes and witty banter with Gavin. The next minute, he was lying on the ground, staring defiantly at Derek. One look at Derek’s blue eyes was enough to let me know that he was more than ready to make a kill.

“Derek…” I had meant to shout, but his name came out in a breathless, choked whisper.

Derek’s hand coiled around Gavin’s neck. “So this is why you’ve been avoiding me? To be with him?”

It was as if Derek wasn’t there. His blue gaze seemed vacant and deadly in a surreal way. Gavin was choking but there was no fear in his eyes—just resignation. I, on the other hand, was panicking.

“Derek…” I held him by the arm, wondering if this was one of his blackouts. He didn’t even seem to feel my touch. “Come back to me.”

He let go of Gavin’s neck and for a moment, I thought that I’d succeeded in getting through to him, only to find myself completely knocked out of breath when Derek pushed me to the ground, away from him. He then held Gavin down by the shoulders and stared, as if wondering how he wanted to kill him.

I was about to approach Derek again, but Gavin glared at me. “Don’t come near, Sofia. He’s out of it. He doesn’t have control. You’ll only get yourself hurt.”

I shook my head. “No…I can get through to him. I know I can.” And I did it the only way I knew how. I tentatively approached and placed a gentle kiss on Derek’s lips. I was surprised when one hand gripped my arm painfully while the other found my neck.

He pulled his lips away from me and growled before pushing me away again. Within a couple of seconds, he was kneeling over me, straddling my hips, as he pushed my head to one side, clearing my neck for a bite.

I recalled the times in the past when this had happened between us—with him threatening to hurt me and me talking him out of it. This felt different. It felt like the man I loved wasn’t even there for me to speak to. It was as if the curse was in control of Derek. For a moment, I was tempted to accept my fate the same way Gavin was about to. I looked at him and knew that he wasn’t about to risk his life by doing anything to stop Derek. It was every man for his own at The Shade and in Gavin’s eyes, I’d signed my death certificate when I dared to interfere.

Derek’s grip over my shoulder and jaw tightened as he moved over me and just as he was about to bite, all I could think of doing was hum. At first, I couldn’t even recognize the tune I was humming, but I knew that it was something familiar, a tune I held dear to my heart. A smile formed on my face when I realized what it was. The tune I was humming was the same one that he hummed to me the night of my birthday when he danced with me in the lighthouse.

Tears began to moisten my eyes as I remembered how treasured and special he made me feel that day. Guilt also took hold of me considering the way I avoided him the past few days. He didn’t deserve that and I knew it, but I loved him for understanding anyway and giving me the space that I needed. I could feel his fangs on my neck, sinking deeper and deeper. I shut my eyes as he was about to break skin, still humming that song…that tune that played only inside his creative mind, where numerous symphonies must’ve already taken place.