loose!”
Kristoff’s face paled. “Shit. Brute will kill whoever gets in his way.” His blood chilled at the question as to who would let Brute loose. There were only a handful of his individuals that even knew about his pet, and one of them stood before him with horror in her eyes.
Josef?
The thought sent his heart racing.
“You have a Hellhound?” Willa’s little feet scurried behind him as he took off down the hall.
Kristoff didn’t have time to answer her. He whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the walls of his estate.
Panic began to set in as the sounds of screams started to waft up the stairs from the ballroom.
“Oh god,” Willa said. “Stephanie and Zoe!”
“Don’t worry yet, Willa. They can handle themselves.”
“Okay,” she said. “Why do you have Hellhound?”
“I saved him. Keep up,” he said. He wanted to go faster, but Willa would be left behind. Alone. He couldn’t risk leaving her side again. They ran down the stairs, and a bestial roar sent chills along Kristoff’s skin.
Willa grabbed his arm to steady herself.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Kristoff said, leaping over mangled bodies in the middle of the floor. A severed head, half-eaten lay next to its owners well-dressed body. Arms and legs, guts and bone littered his floor.
The blood was unnerving. Delicious human blood wafted into his nose, making him dizzy.
He hadn’t eaten yet.
“Are you okay, Kristoff?”
Willa’s sweet voice drug him from the fever that started to creep over him.
Blood. So much blood.
He clenched his jaw and stood in the archway of the ballroom.
The scene before him was enough to make even the blood of a vampire curdle. Brute, taller than even Kristoff at six foot three, caught a young diplomat by his leg and slammed him to the ground with his jaws.
Then, he feasted from the young man’s torso.
“Brute,” Kristoff called.
Then, the lights went out.
Chapter 14
E VERY HAIR ON Willa’s skin stood on end. All of the lights went out, and yet the screams didn’t cease.
Thundering footsteps filled her ears as Brute ran in the darkness toward them.
The footsteps ceased, and Brute’s growl came from the dark right before Willa’s face. She could smell his hot breath and feel the heat on her face.
A menacing growl froze Willa in place. She was too afraid to run.
"Don’t move a muscle, Willa," Kristoff said from beside her.
“Kristoff,” she said, her voice wavering. Willa wished her eyes would hurry and adjust to the darkness. The thought of summoning light came to her, but she feared to startle the Hellhound into attacking her.
“Brute,” Kristoff called. “Go home.”
Without hesitation, the Hellhound gave a loud bark that vibrated along the walls and floors. He ran back to wherever home was. Willa’s heart thumped as she listened to his footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor.
It took Kristoff wrapping his arms around her to break her from her frozen stance. She let out a breath of relief. It wasn’t over yet. The screams had died down to cries for help and painful sobs and groans of agony.
The sight of those mangled bodies would haunt Willa forever.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Willa said, swallowing.
Now that Brute was gone, she lifted her hands, palms up. Dim light emitted from her hands, casting a soft glow around her.
“I'm all right.” She turned back to the ballroom, holding her hands out in front of her. “Stephanie! Zoe!”
“Willa,” Zoe’s shouted from somewhere toward the front of the room.
Willa ran toward her voice.
“Stay away!”
She skidded to a stop at Zoe’s warning. The command of her voice was enough to frighten anyone into submission.
Kristoff was right beside her.
Willa’s eyes zeroed in on Zoe standing there, bodies laying on the floor all around her, frightened party guests seeking cover or escape.
“Josef?”
A gasp escaped Willa’s lips. She covered her mouth at seeing Josef hovering in the air before Zoe, caught in her
Kristoff’s face paled. “Shit. Brute will kill whoever gets in his way.” His blood chilled at the question as to who would let Brute loose. There were only a handful of his individuals that even knew about his pet, and one of them stood before him with horror in her eyes.
Josef?
The thought sent his heart racing.
“You have a Hellhound?” Willa’s little feet scurried behind him as he took off down the hall.
Kristoff didn’t have time to answer her. He whistled, the shrill sound echoing off the walls of his estate.
Panic began to set in as the sounds of screams started to waft up the stairs from the ballroom.
“Oh god,” Willa said. “Stephanie and Zoe!”
“Don’t worry yet, Willa. They can handle themselves.”
“Okay,” she said. “Why do you have Hellhound?”
“I saved him. Keep up,” he said. He wanted to go faster, but Willa would be left behind. Alone. He couldn’t risk leaving her side again. They ran down the stairs, and a bestial roar sent chills along Kristoff’s skin.
Willa grabbed his arm to steady herself.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” Kristoff said, leaping over mangled bodies in the middle of the floor. A severed head, half-eaten lay next to its owners well-dressed body. Arms and legs, guts and bone littered his floor.
The blood was unnerving. Delicious human blood wafted into his nose, making him dizzy.
He hadn’t eaten yet.
“Are you okay, Kristoff?”
Willa’s sweet voice drug him from the fever that started to creep over him.
Blood. So much blood.
He clenched his jaw and stood in the archway of the ballroom.
The scene before him was enough to make even the blood of a vampire curdle. Brute, taller than even Kristoff at six foot three, caught a young diplomat by his leg and slammed him to the ground with his jaws.
Then, he feasted from the young man’s torso.
“Brute,” Kristoff called.
Then, the lights went out.
Chapter 14
E VERY HAIR ON Willa’s skin stood on end. All of the lights went out, and yet the screams didn’t cease.
Thundering footsteps filled her ears as Brute ran in the darkness toward them.
The footsteps ceased, and Brute’s growl came from the dark right before Willa’s face. She could smell his hot breath and feel the heat on her face.
A menacing growl froze Willa in place. She was too afraid to run.
"Don’t move a muscle, Willa," Kristoff said from beside her.
“Kristoff,” she said, her voice wavering. Willa wished her eyes would hurry and adjust to the darkness. The thought of summoning light came to her, but she feared to startle the Hellhound into attacking her.
“Brute,” Kristoff called. “Go home.”
Without hesitation, the Hellhound gave a loud bark that vibrated along the walls and floors. He ran back to wherever home was. Willa’s heart thumped as she listened to his footsteps pounding on the hardwood floor.
It took Kristoff wrapping his arms around her to break her from her frozen stance. She let out a breath of relief. It wasn’t over yet. The screams had died down to cries for help and painful sobs and groans of agony.
The sight of those mangled bodies would haunt Willa forever.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Willa said, swallowing.
Now that Brute was gone, she lifted her hands, palms up. Dim light emitted from her hands, casting a soft glow around her.
“I'm all right.” She turned back to the ballroom, holding her hands out in front of her. “Stephanie! Zoe!”
“Willa,” Zoe’s shouted from somewhere toward the front of the room.
Willa ran toward her voice.
“Stay away!”
She skidded to a stop at Zoe’s warning. The command of her voice was enough to frighten anyone into submission.
Kristoff was right beside her.
Willa’s eyes zeroed in on Zoe standing there, bodies laying on the floor all around her, frightened party guests seeking cover or escape.
“Josef?”
A gasp escaped Willa’s lips. She covered her mouth at seeing Josef hovering in the air before Zoe, caught in her
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