Once Bitten (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #1)(38)

“I’m sorry,” she said, a pale hand covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean to intrude in your personal space.”

“That’s alright.” I resisted the urge to wipe my hands on my jeans. She could know neither the extent that I felt her undead power nor how it tickled me in places that couldn’t be scratched.

I turned to lead her to my office and said, “Have a seat, and I’ll see if I’m able to help you.”

She froze at the entrance to my office door. Her eyes darted down the hallway to where Jez was working. The door to Veryl’s office was now closed. Jez’s music continued to scream down the hall at us.

“My partner is working down the hall, in her own office. Everything you say here, including your visit itself, is strictly confidential.”

A wave of anxious energy trickled from my guest to me, and I was surprised that she’d let it escape her. She hadn’t fed yet, which worried me. Vampires are much easier to talk to after they’ve taken care of their carnal urges.

Once she sat down, she began to relax, but a tightness in her shoulders told me that she was anything but calm. Her coal dark eyes peeked out at me from beneath a fringe of bangs. Her eyes were as black as Raoul’s and striking against her alabaster skin.

“I must apologize, again. I haven’t properly introduced myself. Please, call me, Cat.” When I frowned, she supplied, “Catherine. It’s short for Catherine.”

I wondered why she preferred the shorter version, but I pressed my fingers together and asked, “So, what can I do for you, Cat?”

Despite possessing the grace and skill of her vampirism, I could easily feel her sudden anguish. I was concerned but not alarmed. She should shield better than that. I was perplexed. She was powerful enough to squelch such displays. Vampires don’t exhibit a lot of emotion, particularly not around strangers.

“I’m not sure how to begin, Alexa. I’m a little overwhelmed here. I’ve been waiting so many years for this.”

I leaned back in my chair, in an attempt at casual, and said nothing. I didn’t dare read her aura like I wanted, knowing she would feel it. She took my silence as an invitation to continue.

“For several decades now, I have searched the western world for a particular vampire, the one who made me. I have finally found him and would request your services in extinguishing his undead flame permanently.” Her words came in a rush as if she’d practiced them on her way over.

I noticed how her grip tightened on the armrests of her chair. “And, what did this vampire do that makes you want him dead?”

Cat’s lips pressed together tightly. I could only imagine what she was seeing in her mind’s eye. When she spoke, her words only formed with determination. I could sense her effort.

“He loved me and left me to die. I was a fool to believe his lies, but they sounded so beautiful. I wanted so badly to believe in him. He said we were to be together forever. Until the day that we were attacked, and he left me behind to save himself.” Ouch. Cat looked as if she might cry. She bit at her lower lip, and I could see the tiny points of her fangs for the briefest of moments.

“Just say whatever you need to say. Don’t force yourself.” I slid a box of tissue across the desk to her. I didn’t know what else to say.

Cat clutched a tissue tightly between polished red fingertips and attempted to give me a smile. “Thank you.”

She blinked a few times, and the vampire control was back. “It’s still emotional for me. I really thought he loved me, but then when our house was under siege, he escaped through a passage that he had never told me about. He arranged the entire attack as a way to get rid of me. I never imagined such betrayal was possible.”

Her voice broke then, and I saw the weakness in her, oh so well. I’d never seen a vampire look so beaten. It wasn’t in their nature.

“Why would he do that? Do you have any idea?” I shrugged and brushed a stray blonde strand away from my face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.”

When she met my eyes evenly again, I could see the pain etched in the depths of her ebony gaze. “He had no use for me anymore. I think he regretted turning me. I was no longer any more than a forgotten play thing.”

The guy sounded like a total prick. I was shocked by what I was hearing. It just sounded so selfish and cold. But, I mean, we were talking vampires.

“And, what about the blood bond?” A shiver ran up my spine as I flashed back to my own recent bonding experience. “Could you not reach him that way?”

“Not at all. He shut me out completely. I’ve never been able to breach the block.” That was interesting. This vampire must be incredibly powerful.

“Alright, so what is it that brings you to me, specifically?”

“I hear you’re the only werewolf in the civilized world to possess some of the vampire’s attributes. After looking for so many years, I’ve finally found him. Here.”

She knew about me. Word was getting out, and that worried me.

“And? You really want me to take him out?”

“Isn’t that what you do?” She looked at me like I’d just told her the place was an ice cream shop.

“Yes, but I have a few general rules. First, you must fully understand that you’re asking me to kill him. Another, you must really want irrevocable death, not simple retribution. Finally, my final decision is entirely based on my personal discretion.”