The Vampires' Last Lover (Dying of the Dark Vampires Book 1) by Aiden James, Patrick Burdine Page A
Authors: Aiden James, Patrick Burdine
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alcove. Or, maybe it was just some weird lights, and my heightened uneasiness made them look like something alive and dangerous.
But then the strange yellow lights disappeared, and I saw a hulking form move out onto the lawn, hovering near the hedges by the center’s walkway. It seemed careful to avoid the bright security light high above, on the building’s exterior.
I was less than twenty yards away and starting to freak out a little. I couldn’t afford to keep guessing whether or not the thing was real or just some trick played by my imagination.
So I ran. Ran like hell. Ran like hell despite lingering stiffness from my September injury and a muffled scream stuck in my throat. I may never know for sure if the thing pursued me, but I could’ve sworn I heard something scampering across the lawn, its clawed hands and feet tearing at the frost-covered grass already dead from the coming winter.
I didn’t chance a look behind me as I sprinted across the street to the library. No cops, neither campus nor Knoxville’s finest, were in sight. And most everyone else had the good sense
not
to be outside. Just one dumb ass: me.
Thankfully, Peter was there. His Camaro sat in the parking lot. He must have decided it’d be better to drive—at least one of us had come to our senses. Two if you counted Tyreen, but I was still mad at her so she didn’t count. The custom cherry-red paint and white racing stripes glistened under the streetlights. I started to slow down, but something else joined the chase from my other side.
I saw this one, at least peripherally. And I did scream. Something huge and hairless loped on all fours as it pursued me. Its eyes were orange, like two burning fires, and long fangs protruded from the sides of its mouth like a saber-tooth tiger.
I thought it might veer toward me and try to cut me off, but the head start I had proved enough. I raced up the stairs to the entrance, which unlike the Alumni Center was well lit. Before I stepped through the front door, I looked back at the parking lot. It was deserted. A cool breeze brushed against my face as I listened carefully. But, I heard nothing beyond my labored breaths and thudding pulse.
I was still listening intently when someone grabbed my arm. I lashed out and my fist connected with flesh. I drew it back for another swing.
“Whoa! Hold on there, girl!”
Peter rubbed his shoulder and gave me an exaggerated look of pain. I hit him again, harder, and he grimaced for real.
“Serves you right for sneaking up on me!”
“Hey, I thought you were just standing here, waiting for me to finish my physics research,” he said, backing up in case I hit him again. “I just now came downstairs, since everybody else has already left for the night.”
“You scared me, asshole!” I scolded him, sort of playful, sort of not.
“Well, are you ready to get going? What in the hell were you looking at anyway? Were you running?” He looked out into the parking lot.
“It’s nothing. I’m ready to go.”
I took a cautious step down the stairs. There was still no sign of my pursuers. Maybe it was just a couple of wild dogs on the loose (although larger than any I’d ever seen), and the rest of what I saw had been added by the wild thoughts circling around in my head the past few days. I offered a silent prayer that it wasn’t predatory mutant vampires searching for a certain female of unusual Basque descent.
“Would you mind if we took your car to your place, instead of walking?”
“No babe, not at all,” he said, after looking toward the Alumni Center. His brow furrowed for a moment, and I wondered if he sensed something glowering at him, too, from the shadows across the way. But then he shrugged his shoulders, his concern giving way to a generous smile. “Let’s get you warmed up. I’ve got wood in the fireplace already, so you can relax with a glass of wine in front of a warm fire while I get dinner ready.”
He grabbed my duffle bag and
But then the strange yellow lights disappeared, and I saw a hulking form move out onto the lawn, hovering near the hedges by the center’s walkway. It seemed careful to avoid the bright security light high above, on the building’s exterior.
I was less than twenty yards away and starting to freak out a little. I couldn’t afford to keep guessing whether or not the thing was real or just some trick played by my imagination.
So I ran. Ran like hell. Ran like hell despite lingering stiffness from my September injury and a muffled scream stuck in my throat. I may never know for sure if the thing pursued me, but I could’ve sworn I heard something scampering across the lawn, its clawed hands and feet tearing at the frost-covered grass already dead from the coming winter.
I didn’t chance a look behind me as I sprinted across the street to the library. No cops, neither campus nor Knoxville’s finest, were in sight. And most everyone else had the good sense
not
to be outside. Just one dumb ass: me.
Thankfully, Peter was there. His Camaro sat in the parking lot. He must have decided it’d be better to drive—at least one of us had come to our senses. Two if you counted Tyreen, but I was still mad at her so she didn’t count. The custom cherry-red paint and white racing stripes glistened under the streetlights. I started to slow down, but something else joined the chase from my other side.
I saw this one, at least peripherally. And I did scream. Something huge and hairless loped on all fours as it pursued me. Its eyes were orange, like two burning fires, and long fangs protruded from the sides of its mouth like a saber-tooth tiger.
I thought it might veer toward me and try to cut me off, but the head start I had proved enough. I raced up the stairs to the entrance, which unlike the Alumni Center was well lit. Before I stepped through the front door, I looked back at the parking lot. It was deserted. A cool breeze brushed against my face as I listened carefully. But, I heard nothing beyond my labored breaths and thudding pulse.
I was still listening intently when someone grabbed my arm. I lashed out and my fist connected with flesh. I drew it back for another swing.
“Whoa! Hold on there, girl!”
Peter rubbed his shoulder and gave me an exaggerated look of pain. I hit him again, harder, and he grimaced for real.
“Serves you right for sneaking up on me!”
“Hey, I thought you were just standing here, waiting for me to finish my physics research,” he said, backing up in case I hit him again. “I just now came downstairs, since everybody else has already left for the night.”
“You scared me, asshole!” I scolded him, sort of playful, sort of not.
“Well, are you ready to get going? What in the hell were you looking at anyway? Were you running?” He looked out into the parking lot.
“It’s nothing. I’m ready to go.”
I took a cautious step down the stairs. There was still no sign of my pursuers. Maybe it was just a couple of wild dogs on the loose (although larger than any I’d ever seen), and the rest of what I saw had been added by the wild thoughts circling around in my head the past few days. I offered a silent prayer that it wasn’t predatory mutant vampires searching for a certain female of unusual Basque descent.
“Would you mind if we took your car to your place, instead of walking?”
“No babe, not at all,” he said, after looking toward the Alumni Center. His brow furrowed for a moment, and I wondered if he sensed something glowering at him, too, from the shadows across the way. But then he shrugged his shoulders, his concern giving way to a generous smile. “Let’s get you warmed up. I’ve got wood in the fireplace already, so you can relax with a glass of wine in front of a warm fire while I get dinner ready.”
He grabbed my duffle bag and
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