A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire #2)(80)

“I demand that you let him go.”

Claudia’s brown eyes grew wide open. “You demand? Who do you think you are, you little bitch?”

“I claim him for the prince. You do know by now how important it is to his highness that I am pleased, don’t you?” Gaining confidence even while calling the biggest bluff of my life, I stepped forward and violently pushed Claudia away from the boy.

She stumbled backwards more out of surprise than my strength to push her away. The moment she recovered from her surprise, fury blazed in her eyes. Her flirtatious and amused countenance was quickly replaced by a raging crazed demeanor that made my blood turn cold. Her fingernails grew into claws and she used them to scratch nasty gash lines over Gavin’s upper torso. He screamed and her eyes flickered with delight at the sight of his blood before she turned on me. Her hands found my neck and pushed me backwards until my back hit the wall of one of the nearby buildings.

“You overstep your ground, slave. It doesn’t matter who owns you. That’s what you still are. A slave.” She pressed one claw against the soft skin on my neck, threatening to draw blood.

I sneered at her, feigning confidence I barely had. “Go ahead, Claudia. Do it. Let’s see what Derek does to you once he finds out.”

Her hand caught my jaw before a manic smile formed on her face. “The same thing he did to me the last time I defied him, I guess. I can take whatever he throws my way, little girl. I can take the lashes. I can take the prison cell. I can take it when he uses me the way he uses you. I’ve been through hell and back, so think twice, redhead. Do you really want to threaten me again?”

I saw then how someone like her was able to break my best friend. Her brokenness made her give in to pure evil and there wasn’t a single sign of guilt or even hesitation in her eyes. The wounded can inflict the most painful wounds without hesitation. I knew then that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, so I kept my words few and my intention well-stated.

“Let Gavin go. You are not to touch him or his family again.”

The back of her hand slammed against my cheek and I went tumbling to the ground. She stood over me and was about to deliver a blow across my face with her claws when someone sped her way and pushed her back against the wall she had me pinned against only moments ago.

I looked to see who it was and found Derek pressed against her, keeping her in place. “Did I not make it clear that she is not to be touched?”

I stood up and headed for Gavin. He was lying on the ground, recovering from the pain. I put my arms around him and helped him sit up. A crowd of vampires was now beginning to circle us, more than one of them eyed his bloody torso hungrily. I positioned myself protectively in front of Gavin.

“She demands to take my slave from me. She has no right to. I was merely protecting my property.”

“He’s Lily’s son. I can’t bear the thought of him suffering the same fate as Ben.” I intervened.

Derek’s shoulders were heaving, the muscles in his back obviously tensing up. Silence filled the air as he weighed the decision before him. He let go of Claudia, stepping away from the vampire. “Do as she says, Claudia.”

“What?!” Claudia spat. “You forget who you’ve sworn to protect, prince.”

“I never swore to protect you, Claudia.”

“What has she done that you are so enamored by her, that you would have even vampires submit to her whims?”

“My word is law on this island. She is the woman I love. So shall her words also be law upon The Shade ... unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?”

I froze. The woman I love. The words echoed inside my head – so loud and so clear – I barely understood the rest of what he said.

“The woman you love? Were you thinking of her when you visited me in my cell and…”

“Be silent, Claudia. My patience with you wears thin.”

My heart broke when Derek cut her off as if he were unwilling to let her continue what she was about to say. It was confirmation to me that Claudia could be speaking truth about Derek being in bed with her. The thought of the last time I saw them together and the way Derek held her as he asked her to give him Ben for my sake haunted me, re-sparking the jealousy I felt back then. I hated the way he was making me feel. Conflicted. I wanted to believe that he loved me, but doubts were still assailing my mind and soul. How could he love me?

Claudia glared at Derek, then at me. “You’re going to get your comeuppance one day, redhead. You’ll see.”

“Enough of that. Just leave, Claudia.” Derek finally turned to face me and I found myself trembling when I felt his eyes peruse me. “Are you alright, Sofia?”

I nodded. He noticed the way I was shaking and mistook it as an aftermath of my encounter with Claudia.

“You don’t have to be afraid of her any longer. I’m right here.”

The only person I’m afraid of on this island is you, Derek. Without being fully aware of it, I let him penetrate my heart and soul. He consumed me. This terrified me, because despite my instincts nagging at me to believe that he was a good man worth fighting for, the circumstances surrounding us said otherwise.

Fear enveloped me at the idea of having such affection toward one such as Derek Novak, because as he embraced me, whispering soothing words of comfort into my ear, I couldn’t help but wonder, What if I’d allowed myself to fall in love with a complete monster?