kept up with him effortlessly, and while he was proud of her immediate leap into her new existence, he mourned the loss of her warm arms wrapped around him as he ran.
He led her to a small tavern just inside the Salem town limits. Christian pulled her to a stop just outside the door and tugged her around back of the building.
“The first thing you need to know,” he said quietly—so quietly that he knew humans would not hear him clearly, “is that you do not have to take a life to feed. Keep track of the heartbeat—when it slows, let go.”
“Christian, I can’t do this.”
“You can,” he urged. “Not that you have much choice.” He laid a hand against her back. “Women are typically more trusting. Convince one to help you, and she will be easy to take down.”
“You talk like I’m stalking wild game or something.”
“You sort of are,” he reminded her. “You are a hunter now. Let’s get you something to eat.”
Christian took Lana’s hand and led her around to the front of the building. It was nearly empty, and the two waitresses stood next to the bar, more interested in watching television than waiting on the few patrons. The little, blonde one looked like she would be easy, so with a last bit of advice on the perfect takedown, he sent Lana in.
Christian watched from the window as she ordered a drink, struck up a conversation with the girl, and ultimately led her out the door. They started toward him and he shrank back against the building, out of sight of the girl. As they passed, Lana winked at him, then followed the girl into the darkened parking lot. A moment later, he heard a strangled cry, and then the blonde stumbled back toward the building, a dazed and contented look on her face.
Once the door was sufficiently closed, he stalked over, smirking as he found Lana sitting on the tailgate of a battered, old pickup truck, licking the girl’s blood from her hands. Christian walked up to her, took her hand in his, and sucked her index finger clean. Then, taking her by the throat, he tugged her forward and licked the trail of blood from her chin to her mouth. When he kissed her, she tasted of the blonde.
“Beautiful job, sweetheart,” he said against her lips as they parted. “Are you ready to hear the next part of the plan?”
Chapter Seven
Lana slid off the tailgate and landed soundlessly on her feet. This new… what was she supposed to call it? Not life, necessarily, but whatever it was… it was fantastic. The speed, the movement, and the near-euphoric feeling of tapping directly into a human vein were all so amazing. And the way Christian made her feel when he touched her or kissed her…
It was all so hard to take in, yet her concentration seemed more focused than ever. All the while in the back of her mind she wondered what would happen when Sarah saw her.
“Lana?” Christian asked, waving his hand in front of her face, “you still with me?”
“I’m here,” she said, batting at his arm. He chuckled and tugged her against his side.
“So, about getting back into the club…”
“It shouldn’t be a problem now that I’m like you, should it?”
“Technically, no,” he said, tugging her toward the sidewalk, “but Xanthe is a little on the possessive side. If she sees another woman that’s prettier than she is, she might lose her mind.”
“It sounds like she already has,” Lana replied with a frown. How someone could do the things this woman had done and still be considered at all sane was beyond her. “So how do I get in?”
“I wondered that myself,” Christian said, “then I had a thought.”
“Must have been a surprise,” Lana retorted, immediately ducking out from under his arm and dancing away as he took a playful swing at her.
“Smart ass.” Lana stuck her tongue out at him and giggled, and immediately found herself backed up against a lamppost with his body pressed against hers. “Don’t offer unless you’re willing to follow
He led her to a small tavern just inside the Salem town limits. Christian pulled her to a stop just outside the door and tugged her around back of the building.
“The first thing you need to know,” he said quietly—so quietly that he knew humans would not hear him clearly, “is that you do not have to take a life to feed. Keep track of the heartbeat—when it slows, let go.”
“Christian, I can’t do this.”
“You can,” he urged. “Not that you have much choice.” He laid a hand against her back. “Women are typically more trusting. Convince one to help you, and she will be easy to take down.”
“You talk like I’m stalking wild game or something.”
“You sort of are,” he reminded her. “You are a hunter now. Let’s get you something to eat.”
Christian took Lana’s hand and led her around to the front of the building. It was nearly empty, and the two waitresses stood next to the bar, more interested in watching television than waiting on the few patrons. The little, blonde one looked like she would be easy, so with a last bit of advice on the perfect takedown, he sent Lana in.
Christian watched from the window as she ordered a drink, struck up a conversation with the girl, and ultimately led her out the door. They started toward him and he shrank back against the building, out of sight of the girl. As they passed, Lana winked at him, then followed the girl into the darkened parking lot. A moment later, he heard a strangled cry, and then the blonde stumbled back toward the building, a dazed and contented look on her face.
Once the door was sufficiently closed, he stalked over, smirking as he found Lana sitting on the tailgate of a battered, old pickup truck, licking the girl’s blood from her hands. Christian walked up to her, took her hand in his, and sucked her index finger clean. Then, taking her by the throat, he tugged her forward and licked the trail of blood from her chin to her mouth. When he kissed her, she tasted of the blonde.
“Beautiful job, sweetheart,” he said against her lips as they parted. “Are you ready to hear the next part of the plan?”
Chapter Seven
Lana slid off the tailgate and landed soundlessly on her feet. This new… what was she supposed to call it? Not life, necessarily, but whatever it was… it was fantastic. The speed, the movement, and the near-euphoric feeling of tapping directly into a human vein were all so amazing. And the way Christian made her feel when he touched her or kissed her…
It was all so hard to take in, yet her concentration seemed more focused than ever. All the while in the back of her mind she wondered what would happen when Sarah saw her.
“Lana?” Christian asked, waving his hand in front of her face, “you still with me?”
“I’m here,” she said, batting at his arm. He chuckled and tugged her against his side.
“So, about getting back into the club…”
“It shouldn’t be a problem now that I’m like you, should it?”
“Technically, no,” he said, tugging her toward the sidewalk, “but Xanthe is a little on the possessive side. If she sees another woman that’s prettier than she is, she might lose her mind.”
“It sounds like she already has,” Lana replied with a frown. How someone could do the things this woman had done and still be considered at all sane was beyond her. “So how do I get in?”
“I wondered that myself,” Christian said, “then I had a thought.”
“Must have been a surprise,” Lana retorted, immediately ducking out from under his arm and dancing away as he took a playful swing at her.
“Smart ass.” Lana stuck her tongue out at him and giggled, and immediately found herself backed up against a lamppost with his body pressed against hers. “Don’t offer unless you’re willing to follow
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