Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65066 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Traitor! Vampire pet!” The wolves start booing, and the rest of the crowd takes up the chant.
I rush my opponent, dance out of the way of giant fangs, and get two body blows in, knocking the bear back. Soon as I finish this fight, I’m challenging some wolves. I’ll teach them to call me a vampire pet.
Something niggles at the back of my mind. I take a moment to scan the crowd. Where the fuck is Jordy? There, by the bleachers. Or at least, she was there.
A flash of red and my blood turns to lead. She’s there, slumped over someone’s shoulder. I catch the vampire’s pale face before he blurs out the door.
Fuck, Jordy, no!
My bear’s right there, ready to break free. I fight it back. If I shift now, I won’t have the wits to hunt.
I race to the cage door but it’s locked. I grab the poles and yank. Teeth sink into the back of my neck and I snarl, but don’t turn. I rip away, letting blood spray, and blur to the other side of the cage where I climb the links and drop to the other side.
Gotta get Jordy. Gotta move!
Shifters scramble out of my way. Those who don’t get tossed aside.
“Grizz,” someone calls desperately. Declan.
“Follow me,” I order him and he, Laurie, and Parker race into my wake. I’m almost outside. Almost free.
A wolf steps in front of me before I can reach the door.
“You leave and you forfeit,” Trey yells. I keep coming and he steps out of the way. With a warehouse shaking roar, I hit the door and send it flying. The door frame groans as I smash through it, leaving the crowd staring at a Grizz shaped hole.
Fuck everything. I gotta get Jordy.
Gravel flies out from under my feet as I race in the direction the vampire took her.
Fucker hasn’t gotten far, even with blurring. I can track him. I pick up speed and catch up just as Benny reaches the arroyo.
The skinny vampire turns, his eyes widening. He looses that oily smoothness and stumbles as he watches me blur towards him.
I see it all in slow motion: the pale face, Jordy’s limp form, Benny’s lips moving. “Impossible—” he says. I’m almost on him when he slings Jordy down.
I roar and he blurs away. Fuck, gotta catch him.
Frantic footsteps make me whirl. Parker and Declan, racing my way. They slow, gasping for air, clutching their chest.
“Juice,” I order before they can speak.
Parker digs in his jacket and offers me the flask. I drain it. I’ll feel it later, but now I need all I can get to get Benny. He took my girl. He’s working for Augustine. I don’t care who’s behind the shifter slavers, they tried to kidnap Jordy, so they’re all going down. This ends now.
Jordy lies in a huddle at my feet. I tip her back and check her pulse. It’s strong and steady, but her eyes flutter and she doesn’t wake. Totally under the dark. Fucking vampires. I grab her and thrust her at Declan and Parker. “Get her outta here.”
“Where?” Declan asks, even as Parker and Laurie start walking her back to the club.
“Somewhere safe.” I give them my address.
“Wait,” Parker shouts as I straighten. “Where are you goin’?”
I snarl my answer to the moon before taking off after Benny. “Hunting vampire.”
I catch up to Benny in Marana, a dead zone near the tattoo parlor I took Jordy to. Fucker’s probably headed back to the theater. I pause long enough to rip up a palo verde tree, snapping and peeling a section of the trunk into a nice stake.
I’ve got enough juice in me to run down a flock of vampires, but not fight them all. Darkness lurks in the edges of my sight, threatening to bring me down. Can’t succumb yet. Gotta get Benny, make sure Jordy’s safe. Then I can go back to her.
Benny pauses in an alleyway. We’re somewhere near the theater, I’m not sure how close. He leans against the wall. At his feet are steps leading down somewhere, probably to a basement door. Makes sense, that’s where the vampires congregate. Benny just led me right to their secret lair.
He’s stopped there, just waiting. I prowl in the shadows as he lights a cigarette. He doesn’t smoke it, just holds it between shaking fingers. Vampires love fire. Something about playing with what could cause their ultimate doom.
Benny won’t get such a quick death. Not when I half-stake him, tie him up, and drag him to Frangelico. We’ll question him, and the king will squeeze answers outta him. We can get to the bottom of all this. Jordy will be safe and I can get back to my ultimate mission.
The thought of returning to my search for revenge doesn’t feel as good as it should, though. Wish there was a way I could keep Jordy while I continue the hunt. At first she was just a distraction, but having her at my side trumps anything else. I need her in my life. Such a small person, to weight the balance like she does.