whispered. “Is someone there?”
Behind her, Alec faked a loud yawn and called out, “Angel? What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Getting some water.”
Jesse materialized before her, a slender figure dressed in black with a serrated blade in her hand. She put a finger to her lips, then smiled, showing her fangs.
A brush of air against Eve’s nape caused her to pivot slightly. Pam stood between Eve and the master bedroom, her petite figure hunched in an abnormal way. Her fingers were splayed and curved, revealing thick claws. Eve’s gaze shot back up to the woman’s face, noting a feral snarl and pointed canines.
Jesse made a soft noise to catch Eve’s attention, then beckoned Eve forward with her knife.
As Eve moved again, the fine hairs on her arms stood on end and her breathing quickened. She was a step away from reaching the landing at the top of the stairs when an arm snaked out from one of the guestrooms, grabbing her by the biceps and yanking her backwards into a rock-hard torso.
“Back off, bitch,” Tim snapped. Whether he spoke to Jesse or Pam, Eve couldn’t tell. But then he wrapped his hand around Eve’s neck and she felt the razor sharp nails at the tips of his fingers.
The teenager blew a bubble of gum and popped it. “What now?”
Pam growled, her gaze darting back and forth.
Alec appeared in the master bedroom doorway. He leaned into the doorjamb, crossed one ankle over the other, and drawled, “Which one of you wants to get their ass kicked first?”
Jesse looked at Tim. Eve felt him move, then a plastic bag and tubing sailed past her, tumbling through the air from his free hand to the teenager. Jesse caught the package deftly.
“Get his blood,” Tim said.
Eve hadn’t expected that. She looked at Pam. “Are you with them?”
The sound that came from the other woman’s throat was agonizing to hear. Eve looked at Alec, but his face gave nothing away. He was better at bluffing under pressure than she was, but then, he’d had a lot of practice. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. She knew he couldn’t while she was absolutely vulnerable and in the hands of a vampire. He’d go nuts and that would put her in more jeopardy than she already was.
“Those aren’t veneers, are they, Jesse?” Eve asked.
“Nope.”
“Jesse . . .” Pam’s voice was sandpaper rough. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to,” Jesse said, continuing towards Alec.
Pam blocked her way. “I can’t let you touch him, Jess.”
“Can’t?” the teenager cried, sounding both furious and plaintive. “Because Adrian ordered you to be a good doggy and do what you’re told? Fuck him, Mom. Fuck all the Sentinels. We have a right to do what we want.”
“We have a responsibility to do the right thing.”
“What is ‘the right thing’? Protecting him—” she gestured at Alec, “—and the other angels that treat us like animals? Just because our ancestors crawled back to the Sentinels and became work dogs, doesn’t mean we’re stuck with their choice. We can still join the Fallen. We can still be immortal.”
“I’d be happy to turn you, Pam,” Tim purred. “Lycans take the Change better than mortals. You’ll like it.”
He sounded far too smug for Eve’s tastes, but she’d heard enough anyway. She shoved her hand between them and grabbed his balls. Vampire or not, testicles were always a good target. He roared and stumbled back. Startled, Jesse dropped her guard. Pam tackled her daughter, falling to the floor just as Alec vaulted over them.
Eve hugged the wall, knowing better than to get in his way.
Launching into the vampire, Alec caught him up and smashed him into the far wall. They grappled, the combatants discernable only as a flurry of violent movement in the dark. Then a body was hurled over the bed, crashing into the closet door in an explosion of shattered wood.
A figure stepped into the moonlight slanting through the window. Tim’s face was revealed, his handsome features
Behind her, Alec faked a loud yawn and called out, “Angel? What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Getting some water.”
Jesse materialized before her, a slender figure dressed in black with a serrated blade in her hand. She put a finger to her lips, then smiled, showing her fangs.
A brush of air against Eve’s nape caused her to pivot slightly. Pam stood between Eve and the master bedroom, her petite figure hunched in an abnormal way. Her fingers were splayed and curved, revealing thick claws. Eve’s gaze shot back up to the woman’s face, noting a feral snarl and pointed canines.
Jesse made a soft noise to catch Eve’s attention, then beckoned Eve forward with her knife.
As Eve moved again, the fine hairs on her arms stood on end and her breathing quickened. She was a step away from reaching the landing at the top of the stairs when an arm snaked out from one of the guestrooms, grabbing her by the biceps and yanking her backwards into a rock-hard torso.
“Back off, bitch,” Tim snapped. Whether he spoke to Jesse or Pam, Eve couldn’t tell. But then he wrapped his hand around Eve’s neck and she felt the razor sharp nails at the tips of his fingers.
The teenager blew a bubble of gum and popped it. “What now?”
Pam growled, her gaze darting back and forth.
Alec appeared in the master bedroom doorway. He leaned into the doorjamb, crossed one ankle over the other, and drawled, “Which one of you wants to get their ass kicked first?”
Jesse looked at Tim. Eve felt him move, then a plastic bag and tubing sailed past her, tumbling through the air from his free hand to the teenager. Jesse caught the package deftly.
“Get his blood,” Tim said.
Eve hadn’t expected that. She looked at Pam. “Are you with them?”
The sound that came from the other woman’s throat was agonizing to hear. Eve looked at Alec, but his face gave nothing away. He was better at bluffing under pressure than she was, but then, he’d had a lot of practice. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. She knew he couldn’t while she was absolutely vulnerable and in the hands of a vampire. He’d go nuts and that would put her in more jeopardy than she already was.
“Those aren’t veneers, are they, Jesse?” Eve asked.
“Nope.”
“Jesse . . .” Pam’s voice was sandpaper rough. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to,” Jesse said, continuing towards Alec.
Pam blocked her way. “I can’t let you touch him, Jess.”
“Can’t?” the teenager cried, sounding both furious and plaintive. “Because Adrian ordered you to be a good doggy and do what you’re told? Fuck him, Mom. Fuck all the Sentinels. We have a right to do what we want.”
“We have a responsibility to do the right thing.”
“What is ‘the right thing’? Protecting him—” she gestured at Alec, “—and the other angels that treat us like animals? Just because our ancestors crawled back to the Sentinels and became work dogs, doesn’t mean we’re stuck with their choice. We can still join the Fallen. We can still be immortal.”
“I’d be happy to turn you, Pam,” Tim purred. “Lycans take the Change better than mortals. You’ll like it.”
He sounded far too smug for Eve’s tastes, but she’d heard enough anyway. She shoved her hand between them and grabbed his balls. Vampire or not, testicles were always a good target. He roared and stumbled back. Startled, Jesse dropped her guard. Pam tackled her daughter, falling to the floor just as Alec vaulted over them.
Eve hugged the wall, knowing better than to get in his way.
Launching into the vampire, Alec caught him up and smashed him into the far wall. They grappled, the combatants discernable only as a flurry of violent movement in the dark. Then a body was hurled over the bed, crashing into the closet door in an explosion of shattered wood.
A figure stepped into the moonlight slanting through the window. Tim’s face was revealed, his handsome features
Similar Books
