Darkest Hour (New Adult Paranormal Romance) by Catherine Bullard Page B

it was like trying to budge a mountain.
“Get away from me, you monster! I would never give my heart to someone like
you!”
    Malachi grabbed her by the arms
and pulled her against him. “I’ll make do with your body for now, Elsbeth,” he
whispered against her ear. “The rest of you will come over to my side in time,
once the sickness that human passed onto you has been purged.”
    Elsbeth tried to struggle, but
Malachi’s grip was too strong. “Our Mistress will punish you for this!”
    Malachi laughed. “How could she?
I didn’t actually kill him, darling. I’ve broken none of our laws.”
    “Let her go, you bastard!”
    “No,” Malachi whispered, his eyes
going blank. “Not possible.” He whirled around, moving out of Elsbeth’s line of
sight, and her heart swelled as she saw Thomas closing the distance at a rapid
pace. His clothes were torn, and his face and body were covered in blood, but
he was alive! She wanted to rush over, to gather him up in her arms and kiss
him all over, but his eyes were full of murder and all for Malachi.
    Thomas stopped a foot away, his
eyes burning with hatred, his bloody fangs bared. He looked like a wild man, or
perhaps a demon, and a tremor of real fear shot down Elsbeth’s spine. “Twice
you’ve tried to kill me now, Malachi. I’m not going to give you a third try.”
    Before Malachi could respond,
Thomas flashed in front of him, grabbing for his throat. Malachi barely evaded,
then countered with a side kick that caught Thomas in the ribs, who barely
groaned as he was knocked sideways. He flipped back up right away, then caught
Malachi by surprise by kicking his feet out from underneath him.
    Elsbeth watched as they kicked,
punched and grappled, moving almost faster than the eye could see. She couldn’t
believe her eyes. Thomas was holding his own with Malachi… no, he had the upper
hand! Thomas’s fists were connecting far more than Malachi’s, who was being
pushed back. She had no idea that Thomas was this strong. Her Mistress had
severely misjudged him. Any vampire who could fight off an entire pack of
wolves was worth his weight in gold.
    Finally, Malachi stumbled to the
ground and Thomas pinned him there, squeezing his throat. “No more games,” he
said hoarsely. “Now, you die.”
    As Elsbeth watched Malachi’s face
turn purple, a terrible coldness stole through her body. “No!” she cried,
running forward. “Please, Thomas, don’t kill him!”
    Thomas didn’t look up. “And why
shouldn’t I kill him? He will only come after me again.”
    “Please…” Malachi managed, his
lips a deathly blue, eyes bulging as his arms weakly flailed.
    “If you kill him you’ll be no
better than he is!” Elsbeth pleaded. “I know he’s rotten to the core, but the
Seethe Mistress is the only one who has the right to determine his punishment.
Please, don’t become a monster like him!”
    Thomas turned slowly to face her.
“Do you think me a monster, Elsbeth?”
    Eyes round, she shook her head.
He did look monstrous, with those wild eyes and blood caked skin and hair, but
he was her Thomas. Her gentle fisherman. “I love you. Even if you kill him I
will still love you. But I beg of you, don’t go down that path.”
    Thomas released his grip a
fraction so that Malachi could get some air down his windpipe, and the vampire
sagged in relief. “I will let him go if you agree to leave with me?”
    “Leave?”
    “To start a new life together.
Let’s get away from this place, Elsbeth.” The red faded from Thomas’s eyes, to
be replaced with a desperate intensity. “You must understand what it’s like to
live so close to home and yet never be able to go back to it. I want to leave,
but I don’t want to leave you. I love you.”
    “Of course.” She smiled, almost
weak-kneed with relief. Thomas wasn’t going to kill Malachi, and he’d just
declared his love to her. “Whatever you wish.”
    “Good.” He smiled back, and then
his eyes hardened. “Get me