Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(35)

I downed the first of the three shots the bartender placed in front of me. I let my thoughts wander to Arys, focusing hard on him. I slipped into his mind with ease. It was momentarily disorienting. I blinked a few times and suddenly I was seeing through his eyes.

I could taste the blood in his mouth as if it were my own. He'd definitely been killing. From what I could feel, he did not intend to stop yet. He was creeping along through the darkened side streets, stalking a prostitute. She was suspicious when he approached her but open to any opportunity to score some cash. He didn't bother with the human banter. Ignoring her quoted hourly price, he reached for her.

She gasped when he kissed her. I was stunned. It felt like icy cold hands grabbed a hold of my heart, seeking to wrench it from my chest. I was able to feel her lips, to taste a cigarette on her breath. Arys' thoughts were on his actions and his intent, yet he was aware of my presence. I knew it.

He made a show of kissing his way down her neck to the pulse that beat strong and steady. A rage like no other flooded me at the desire that thrummed through Arys. He was getting off on this. His victim didn't fight. She was enraptured, totally mesmerized by him. I held my breath, waiting for him to bite her. I was mildly surprised to discover how badly I wanted him to.

I was hungry for the kill, lured by the ease in which he went about it. Like it was all so simple. I lifted another shot glass to my lips, barely feeling the sting of the liquor. My emotions swirled around me like a tornado, growing and pulsing. When Arys bit hard into his victim, I felt it like it was my own fangs buried in her flesh.

A wave of pure pleasure washed over me, completely sexual in nature. My body began to respond, a hot tingle starting between my legs. The blood flowed over Arys'

tongue, and I almost moaned aloud. The bloodlust within me shot to the boiling point, and I shoved my stool back. I had to get outside. I downed my last shot, slammed the glass on the bar and bolted for the door.

Arys' thoughts turned sinister, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing inside him.

He was going to do so much more than simply kill her. Our shared power was riding each of us hard. The difference was that he was openly embracing it.

My wolf roared through Arys with a lust for death that felt so natural, so right. He never resisted the way I always did. He let it take him and guide his actions.

I'd just made it out of the bar and onto the sidewalk when Arys tore into the woman with a frenzied snap of teeth. His fangs went beyond the punctured vein to tearing flesh away. His slaughter continued while I struggled to stay on my feet, walking steadily.

Every person that passed me risked life and limb unawares. I couldn't hang on much longer. The need to give in to my instincts and join Arys in his tortured killing spree was too much.

I knew I had to cut the link and vacate Arys' mind. I needed to hear my own thoughts. All I could see through his eyes was blood and flesh strewn about. His hands were wet with it. I couldn't be part of this anymore.

What it was that really pushed me over the edge, past the point of all control, was a thought. A very clear and coherent thought that Arys had as he reveled in the bloody glory of his kill. He thought of me, and with that thought came a longing to kill me.

Because he knew deep down, that the act of killing me would be the only way to truly make me his and his alone.

I cut the tie between us so fast and hard that it physically hurt. I reeled from the pain of Arys' revelation combined with the ache to tear things to pieces. He'd warned me, and I hadn't listened.

Months ago, after we'd first bonded our power, I had told Arys that he was so typically the vampire because even when he did something that appeared selfless, he always had something to gain from it. His response had been a warning that I should never forget it because once I did, I would be his forever, but I'd laughed it off like the naïve little idiot that he thought I was.

The wolf that was my true nature along with my acquired vampire tendencies melded together, sharing the pain and the need for vengeance. After what I'd just discovered, I didn't care enough to fight it. All I wanted was to cause the same pain and terror that I was feeling. The guy walking towards me down the street would do just fine. I didn't give a damn who he was or where he was going. He was mine.

A snarl began low in my throat. I waited for him to get closer. Perhaps if I could drag him in between the buildings … my mind wasn't thinking beyond that. This time I was saying “f*ck it” to sanity and going with what felt good. The initial abandon felt euphoric.

I timed my attack so that I came at him from one side, knocking him into the darkened space between the buildings. He let out a sound of surprised fright, but it was easily drowned out by the traffic on the street. I straddled him before he could move, wrapping my fingers tightly around his throat. Baring my fangs, I moved in to spill his blood with an unnatural eagerness.

Strong arms grabbed me from behind, dragging me to my feet. The scent of leather and the sensation of Kale's intriguing power drew my attention instantly. My intended victim was practically forgotten. He scrambled to his feet and ran swearing and yelling down the street. My clawed nails were coated with blood from where I'd pierced his flesh. I couldn't resist bringing a finger to my lips, licking it clean while Kale watched with wide eyes.

“Alexa? What in the hell are you doing? You know what, never mind. You can tell me in the car. Let's go.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along beside him. I was still trying to process the sudden turn in events.