Allrightsreserved Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orby aninformationstorageandretrievalsystem–exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotebriefpassagesinareviewtobeprintedinamagazineornewspaper–withoutpermission in writing from the publisher. Any references to historicalevents, realpeople, or realplaces are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’simagination
I dedicate this book to my bestie, Sarah You have been such a blessing in my life since we met Thank you for the late-night talks, the reality checks, and always knowing what to say Some people come into our lives for only a brief moment in time … some become like sisters.
Love you, soul sis
C.M. Locke's Dedication
I dedicate this book to my mom and dad, who read to me every night as a child They fostered my love of books and supported me throughout my life I cannot express how much my parents mean to me This would never have been possible without them.
Please skip over the spicy parts
I dedicate this book to Brandon, who supported my dream of being a writer since the beginning. You have been my rock throughout the entire writing process, always there to offer feedback, encouragement, and a cup of coffee I’m so grateful to you, and I love you with all my heart.
Author Note
We,D.L.BladeandC.M.Locke,decidedtocombineourcreativemindsandco-writeabooktogether.Thisisthefirstofa three-bookseries It’s a paranormal darkromance thatmaycontaincontentthat's offensive to some readers For full content warningsfor Shade of a Blood Moon,visitD.L.Blade’swebsite,www.dlblade.com Shade of a Blood Moon is a character/world spin-off fromthe Blood of the Chosen trilogy: Stalked, Taken & Hunted, writtenbyD.L.Blade.Todownloadthisseries,visithere: Stalked. Youdo not havetoreadtheoriginalseriestounderstand Shade of a Blood Moon Wewroteitinawaywheretheworldcan standonitsown.However,theglossaryatthebeginningcanhelpclarifyanyreferencestoeventsfromtheoriginalseries. Though Shade of the Blood Moon IS a darkromance, Stalked is not. Itwill, however, containdarkelements suchas the villainbecomingobsessedwiththeheroine,violence,andstrongsexual content The Blood of the Chosen trilogyis aslowburnromance and will graduallybuild throughout all three books. It will have a different feel and tropes from Shade of a Blood Moon
If you love dark romance with enemies to lovers, lots of banter, a morally gray male MC, kidnapping, and deliciously handsomevampires, Shade of a Blood Moon isforyou
The Battle of The Devil’s Uprising: “The war”: Occurred in 2023 and is only mentioned in Shade of a Blood Moon. Maurice, a power-hungryvampire, and his clanused magic to raise the Devil withthe intentto control his demons The poweropenedaportal,spillingoutthedemonsintoEarth.TheElementalCovenfoughtbackwiththehelpofotherwitches andwerewolves,defeatingthebeastsandsendingthembacktoHell
Reference: Fromthebook, Hunted,inthe Blood of the Chosen trilogy.
Prologue
VALENTINA
Boston, Massachusetts 1834
The trees rustled withthe bitter wind as we pulled our carriage next to a large stone church The outside ofthe building perfectlyrepresentedthevampire’sexistence,withtheintricatebeautyandluxurytoweringaboveallelse.Butthefaçade wascold,unmoving,andhidunparalleleddarknessandevilwithinitswalls thatsameevilanddarknessthatIleftbehind.
While adjustingmycloak, Cyrus shivered inthe cold, so Ireached outand laced myfingers withhis Whenhis eyes met mine,allIsawwasthegazeofamanwhofellinlovewithamonster,andinreturn,Iwasleadinghimintoadenofpredators.
It was the Hades Blood Moon, which appeared only once every two hundred years. During this night, the veil between worlds became so thinyoucould almostsee the entities beyond Withthat, itallowed magic-wielders to tap into the Upper Worldwhilethemoonwasintotaleclipse.
Witches could become invincible through the elements, fueling their magic For vampires, it awakened the savage and demonicsideoftheUnderworld anominousandlonelyplacewhereourinnerbeastsweresetfree.Werewolveswouldbeon thehunt,losingthemselvestotheiranimalisticside.
Thatmeantwehadtohurry.Withtheoutstandingpriceonmyhead,thegloryofkillingtheinfamousValentinaVasilewastoo great to ignore After all, I was responsible for spreading the vampire species across the world, and my capture was inevitable.YetthemanwholovedmewithallhismortalheartwasriskinghislifetohelpmewhenIneededhimthemost.So, wecouldn’tdelayanylonger;Ineededtoretrievewhatwasmineanddisappear
We stepped inside the loomingchurch, withsputteringwaxcandles dancingagainst the stone walls, guidingus downthe corridortowardthegreathall.Whenweapproachedtheornatewoodendoors,theywereslightlyopeninward,andaflickerof firelightshonethroughthem.
The sound sentanicyshiver downmyspine. Still, Iblew outa steadybreath, grabbed the handle, and slowlypushed the
heavydoor open Maurice andseveral vampires fromour clanstoodonthe opposite side ofthe room,clinkingtheir crystal gobletsofwinetogether.Somewereevenengagedinthepleasuresoftheflesh.
“I don’t understand!” I snapped, quickly regaining composure. “You weren't born a witch, Maurice. All you’ve done is condemnyourself Itservesyounopurpose”
“Oh,butitdoes.Whileyouwalkedawayfromyourfamilyoveracenturyago,Ihaveprotectedthembecauseofthestrength this ring gives me and have sacrificed everything to build this home” He gave me a disgusted look “Meanwhile, you abandonedusandfoundthismeaslyhumanmantofuckinsteadofme.”
Icringedathis words whilemystomachtightened,andIreachedout,grippingCyrus’s handandpushinghimbackbehind me.“Youwon’ttouchhim,”Isaidwarningly.
Iswallowed, feelingmyvampire power roamthroughmyveins, itchingfor me to take itoutonhim “Maurice, the Black OnyxCovenis comingto kill me. I need myring. The magic mymaker passed downto me will not be enough. Ineed my elementalpowersback.Handitovertomenow,andI’llleave.I’llleaveandforgiveyouforwhatyoudid.ThelongerIstay, themoredangeryouandeveryoneherearein.”
“Youmeanthe ringthe Devil gave you, made ofdemonblood, as a promise to be his QueenofHell?” he scoffed, and I stiffened I never shared that part with Cyrus “If anything, I saved you fromthat monster by convincing you to remove it You’rewelcome,bytheway,butmyloyaltycanonlygosofar.”Hegesturedtotheothervampires.“You’llhavetofightallof ustogetit”
“Ichose to love after aneternityofhate, Maurice. Despite everythingyoudid, I’ll still find a wayto breakthe curse that bindsyoutoHell IwanttoundothehorrorsI’vebroughtuponthisworld Iwantto live forsomethingbiggerthanmyself”For thefirsttimesinceIwasturned,itfeltlikeIwas.
Butashisgriptightened,thechurchexplodedintoshardsofglassandscreams.Arrowsflewfromthebrokenwindows,and burstsoflightfilledthehall Membersofmyclanranbutbecameinjuredorfellintoashasarrowspiercedtheirhearts all butMaurice,whograbbedhisbrotherColin’shandandranoutthebackdoor.
“Cyrus!”Ishouted.“Youneedtorun!Go!”
I screamed as a sickeningthud rocked into mychest, knockingme onmyback a woodenarrow had pierced myheart Cloaked figures charged into the great hall, firing more arrows and spells at my family, killing all of those who couldn’t escape
Imoved myhand to the arrow, grippingthe shaftto wrenchitout, butmyhead jerked to the side atthe sound ofa body fallingnexttome Cyrus was lyinginapool ofbloodformingunder his brokenbody,his wideeyes staringattheceilingin frozenhorror.
Jasenbarked outofderisive laughter. “Love? You’re a heartless monster, Valentina. You’re notcapable ofsucha feeling ” His lastwordtrailedoffas he lookeddownatmystomach “Andthis abominationis one ofthe reasons whyyoumust die.”
Raising my trembling, bloodied hands, I pressed them against the swelling curve of my belly, desperately feeling for anything.Anansweringkickcausedmetoletoutasobofrelief.ThatmovementremindedmeofwhatIwasfightingfor. Whom Iwasfightingfor.
Gwendoline returned, leaning down, and rested her hand on my stomach Her touch was surprisingly gentle “Dhampirs aren’tsupposedtoexist,Valentina,”shesaid.“Totherestoftheworld,thisisimpossible.”
IignoredJasen’staunts,turnedmyhead,andlookedatCyrusinstead,tryingtomemorizeeverydetailofhishair,lips,nose, and beautiful green eyes. Maybe one day, if I survived, I could tell the baby about him. My throat swelled, and I felt my stomachtightenasacramprippedthroughme
“Whatifwe negotiate analternative agreement?” His words barelyregistered throughthe pain. “Youhelp me, and Ihelp you”
Myeyesmethis,andIfurrowedmybrows,confused.“Whatdoyouwant?”Iasked,shakinginpain. “Immortality,”hesaidcasually “Ifyou’retheonetoturnme,I’ll atleastregain some power Igiveup,withyoubeingthe firstvampire.”
Iconsidered his proposal. We mighthave hope ifIhad anally, buttrustingJasenafter our darkhistorywould make me a fool “You’ll never be able to fight themoff You’ll be too weakduringthe transition, and they’ll kill youbefore youcan completeit.Thisismadness,Jasen.”
Inoddedquickly Jasensmiledbeforereachingouttocoathisfingerswiththebloodfrommychestwound If only it were that simple.
“You’ll needmore thanthat,andIhave tobe willingtogive ittoyou,” Itoldhim,reachingfor his wristandpiercingmy teethinto his vein. Idrankhis blood for a second before Itore myskinand broughtmywristup to his mouth. Jasenbegan drinkingmybloodashiseyesrolledback.
The Blood Moon had risen, illuminating the roomwith a crimson glow The roomwhirled around me, disorienting my senses,andasurgeofwarmthflowedthroughmyhand,mergingwithJasen’selement.
Iquicklynodded.“It’sjustpartofthetransition,”Isaid,placingmyhandonmychest,feelingthepowerfinallysettle.“We have more pressingmatters to address” Hurried footsteps raced downthe hall, followed bya loud crashfromone of the rooms.Then,aseriesofgrowlsandhissingechoedthroughthechurch,sendingashiverdownmyspine.
Jasenwielded the dagger over his head before plungingitdowninto mychest. The impactofthe knife and the embedded arrow rendered me numb, stripping me of any strength I had left. Gwendoline had come running over at the sound of my
“We need to enchant the dagger,” Gwendoline instructed while Jasen held me down I thrashed and pulled at the hands pressingagainstmyneckto keep me still, butIwas too weakto fightit to use mymagic or tell the covenwhatJasenhad done
Ibeganto weep, and tears fell frommyeyes for the firsttime ina thousand years. Gwendoline onlylooked atme before handingmygirltoanothercovenmember Shethenplacedherhandonthedagger’shiltandchantedaspell,causingtheblade toglowwithablue-whitelight.
“Imbue the dagger withthe child’s blood,” a mansaid, “to place Valentina inaneternal sleep and conceal her elemental magic.”
Ithad onlybeena weeksince Mardi Gras, butdroves ofpeople still lingered withinthe FrenchQuarter, oblivious to the dangers lurkinginthe shadows As a vampire, humans were nothingto me buta food source for mysurvival However, the humangovernment,allcovensofwitches,andmostofthevampiricclanslivingintheworldcreatedatreatythatkeptlawand orderbetweenourworlds Irespectedthelaw,soIgavemosthumansawideberth unlessIwasstarving Ipulledmyjackethighonmynecktoavoidgettingwet,protectingmyselffromthewaterrunningdownthenearbygutter.It wasn'tsomuchthattherainbotheredme,butitcreatedamessonthestreet Ihurriedquicklydowntheroadandduckedintoanalleynexttotheartisanhotel“LunedeBlanche.”Theolderestablishment had a surprisinglytasteful 1920s Frenchatmosphere, remindingme ofmyfirstapartmentwhenImoved to New Orleans in 1933 The family who built it wanted to pay homage to France’s prodigious artists and the era’s eclectic fashion I didn’t frequentthere,asthestaffwasveryskittishofmykind.
The BlackOnyxCoven’s decisionto hire a vampire fromLouisiana fascinated me, eventhoughIwas knownas the best hunterinthestate Witchesrarelysoughtmyservices,soforthemostelusivecoveninthecountrytoapproachme,ithadmy fullattention.
Myvampire abilities granted me anadvantage whenstalkingmyprey, as myheightened senses allowed me to tracktheir everyscentand sound effortlessly. No humancould ever matchthat. The paymentfor the hitwas considerable enoughthatI didn’tasktoomanyquestions.
Perhaps I should have
Despite everything, I couldn’t quite figure out why they chose this specific target. The woman never used magic. She behaved like a human a verydull and sociallyawkward human Tonyand two other employees fromher work, Lucyand Hailee, seemed to be her only real friends. I couldn’t find anytrace of familyor a social securitynumber that tracked her comingfromanyotherstate
Itwas as ifshe were a ghostbefore arrivinginNew Orleans eightyears ago. Partofthatreasonwas whyIwaited until tonight.ThemoreIlearnedabouther,themorefascinatedIbecame.
However,thisevening,I’dfinallymakemyhit.
RightbeforeIslippedintothealleybehindthehotel,aloudcrysuddenlyechoedoffthebrickwalls,drawingmyattentionin thatdirection Ipeeredintothegloomandwatchedtwofigures grapplingnear somedumpsters Usingmyvampiricsenses,I saw it was a man with shoulder-length brown hair framing his pale-white face, and … dammit, Rachel. Not only had she arrivedearlierthanshetypicallywould,thiswasn’therroute Ipulledoutmygun,clutchingittightlywithbothhands Mostofthe time,Ifed onthe targetuntil theyslipped away,drainingthemoftheir blood. Butwiththis hit,the covenhad explicitinstructions:shootherintheheartandthrowherbodyintothenearestdumpster Theideaofherbloodgoingtowaste infuriatedme.Buttheywantedthedeathtolooklikeanattemptedrobberygonewrong,notamurderbyavampireormagical creature.ThelastthingthecovenneededwastheFive-PointOrder,chargingintotheFrenchQuarter,lookingfortheculprit.
The Order was a sanctioned governmententityinthe United States thatkeptlaw and order withinthe supernatural realm Theyevenhadtheir ownprisonsystems.TheOrder comprisedelectedrepresentatives fromwitches,vampires,humans,and werewolves Theyweretheoneswhowrotethetreatyknownasthe“Four-FoldAccord,”whichweallabidebytothisday Well, sort of.
Tothem,itwasironclad,andtheymetanyviolationwithswiftrepercussions Rachel collided her athletic frame into the man’s chest, effortlesslyknockinghimto the ground. Her strengthwas unlike anythingIhadeverseeninahuman.Shewasn’tusingmagic,either.
Regardless of what the coven told me, this woman isn’t human Bemused,Imovedcloser,concealingmyselfintheshadows,intriguedbythisconfrontation.Ihadnointentionofintervening, asitwasapettydisputebetweenfooditems I’dwaituntilRachelcouldgetawayorberendereduselessbythemanattacking Thecovenwaspayingmeforonedeath,nottwo.
I’m getting paid for this job. It is me who will end her.
Themanletoutanuncouthvictorywhoopandgrabbedherhead,tiltinghernecktowardthedimlightofthestreetlamps Her goldenbrownhairwasstreakingwithblood.ImovedcloserbutfrozewhenIwatchedRachel’sleftarmstrikeoutandseize theman’swristwithinhumanstrength.Littlebonescrunchedunderhergrasp,andthemalevampirebellowedsoloudlyIhadto cupmyhandsovermyearstoblockoutthesound
“Letgo ofme, youfuckingbitch, before Irip youapart!” he screamed, tryingto wrenchher hand fromhis now-bleeding wrist Sheonlygrippedtighter,makinghimcryoutevenmore Therainfellheaviernow,mufflingthesoundsofhispaininthe nightair.Nosoberhumanwouldhearandcallthepolice.Thedrunkoneswouldn’tcareeitherway.
Rachel remained quiet as she climbed to her feet, her bright blue eyes glittering with rage and pain in the dark With a wordlessshriek,sheliftedherlegandkickedthemandirectlyinthechest.Heflewoutofthealleyway’smouthandslammed againsttheconcreteoverfiftyfeetaway.Hedidn’tmoveagain.
Who is this woman? Witcheshadmagic,notstrength Notlikethat,anyway
But now I have to kill her.“Great,”Iwhispered,holsteringmygun. I don’t want to. Ashufflingnoisedrewmyattentiontothestreet.Themanwasstillaliveandclimbingtohisfeet.Thebloodlusthadtwisted hisfeaturestosomethinggrotesque Helurchedupandwalkedbackintothealley Blooddrippeddownfromhisseveredwrist, and the broken bone gleamed like white ivory. With a roar, the man broke into a charge, intent on ripping Rachel into a thousandpieces Thewomansnappedherheadinhisdirection,butIsaw thattheblow toherskullhadaffectedherbalance, andshefelltotheground.Shewasn’tgoingtorecoverfastenough.
Anger sweptthroughme, and Igrabbed his throatwithbothhands “Disregardingthe treatyina public settingis notonly foolishbututterlyinsane.Plus,yougotyourfilthyspitonmyten-thousand-dollarBrunelloCucinellisuit.”
Withsickeningease,Irippedtheman’sheadcleanfromhisshoulders,tossingitintothesamedumpsterwherehishandwas Istepped backas his corpse exploded into fine ash, avoidinganymore ofhis grime fromtouchingme. Ibrushed myhands togetherandreturnedmyfocustoRachel,whohadwatchedtheentireeventwithfascinatedhorror.Sheattemptedtorisebut swayeddangerouslyonherfeet
“You’re bleedingquite a bit We need to ” The smell ofblood flooded mysenses again, and thirsttore throughme ina waveoffire.Ihadfedonlyafewhoursago,yetmybodyreactedlikeIhadn’teatenincenturies.Wrackinghungerconsumed mymind,andmyfangsslidfrommypressedlips
Mysharpfangspiercedthetenderskinofherneck,andhotbloodwashedovermytongue.ThetastewasnothinglikeIhad everhadbeforeasavampire It tasted likevampireblood,butsomehow,therewasmore Shewasdefinitelynotawitch I hadfedonhundredsofwitches,andwhatItastedwasn’tthateither.
The Black Onyx Coven lied to me Itastedvampireblood,andyetIheardahuman’srapidheartbeat Myeyesflewopenwide,butIdidn’tstopdrinkingfromherwhileshethrashedherlegsinthepuddlebeneathher. What is she?
Adesperateangerburnedinthebackofmythroat,andIknew Ihadtoputanendtothisasshole’sfeedingsession Witha slight twist of my lower body, I maneuvered myself just right, slamming my clenched fist into perfect alignment with the vampire’sgroin.Thiswasmylastattempttogetfreebeforehedrainedmedry,andIwasn’tsuremyhealingabilitieswould savemethen
“What are you?” he asked in a deep masculine voice, taking one step closer to me. I recoiled, waitingfor the potential secondstrike Fight back, Rachel. You’re stronger than this asshole … I think.
Iwrinkledmynoseindisgust “ItoldyouwhatIam,youidiot,”Iberatedhim “I canhear your heart racingright now; that’s true,” he said, now chucklingunder his breath. “But youand I bothknow you’resomethingelse.Nohumantastes likethat.”Heeyedmyneckwherehehadbittenme.“Nohumancankickavampire acrossthealleylikeyoudid,either”
The vampire sifted throughhis suitpocket, his eyes never leavingmine, and pulled outhis phone, whichhummed loudly. “Whatisit?”heaskedthecallerontheotherend
Hiseyesnarrowedinonme.“Comedian,Isee.”Thevampireslowlyplacedhisphonebackinhissuitpocket,ranhishand overhislipstoremovesomeofmyblood,andlookeddown,takingalonginhale.“I’movertwohundredyearsold,love.I’ve tasted humans, witches, and myownspecies. Butyou?” He benthis knee, runninghis fingers into the puddle to washthem clean.Thenheslowlylookedup,hisdarkeyesglaringintomine.“You’resomethingelse.”
Thevampirewasattemptingtotauntandintimidateme,butthiswasn’tthefirsttimeI’dbeenaroundassholeslikehim He thoughtheownedthiscityand,rightnow,me.
Fuck this guy Ididn’tsurviveforthelasttwocenturiestobetakenoutbyarich,arrogantvampirecreepinadirtyalley Myplanwouldn’t kill him.Itwouldmorelikelypisshimoff,andthenI’dbefightingarabidmonsterIcouldn’tfendoff,but itwasmyonlyoptionatthispoint.Slowly,IreachedbehindmeandintotheholsterIkeptstrappedtomylowerbackbeneath myhoodie a last resort so that I wouldn’t draw attention to myself
Tonyanswered the door withsleepyeyes and unkempthair, suggestinghe had beenloungingonhis couchfor mostofthe evening Thewaistofhisblacksweatpantshunglow,revealingthehemofhisboxers Hislightoliveskindisplayedacanvas oftattooscoveringhismusculararms,baretorso,andchest.
He ranhis hand throughhis shoulder-length, thickblackhair and rubbed his eyes; the greeninhis irises seemed a little darkerinthedimlight.
Tonyfolded his arms and narrowed his eyes, staringatmyneckwhere the vampire had bittenme “Thenlethis clandeal withhim,” he said,returningtomygaze.“YouandIbothknow whathappens whena vampire breaks the treaty. Ifanything, he’lllielowandleaveyoualone.”
ThatwasthelastthingthatIwantedtodo.Bouncingfromcitytocityfordecadeswasgettingreallyfuckingold.Afterten yearsorsoofresidencyinacityortown,theBlackOnyxwouldforcemetopackupandmoveagain,neverbeingabletoput downroots,andthecovenwouldassignmeanotherguardian.Tonywasmyfavorite,though.HeandIconnectedonalevel I hadn’thadwithanyoneinmyentirelife.Weweresoclosethatweactedlikesiblingsmostofthetime.
Tonight,Iscrewedupbybeingoff-guardandexposed Mostnights,Iwalkedtomyapartmentwithsomeonefromwork,or Tonywouldleavehisapartmenttomeetme.However,Iwentalonetonightbecausemanagementhadthebarclosedearlyfor maintenance, and Tony wouldn’t pick up his damn phone Tony and I knew that by morning, word would spread to every vampireinNewOrleansthatamysteryspecieswasintheirmidst.Ofcourse,theywouldn’tknowwhatIwas.Noonebelieved itwaspossibleforavampireandahumantoprocreate,especiallyhundredsofyearsago.Mykindwasonlyevermentionedin Balkanfolklore
AnthonyManetti wasn’ta witch, buthe could fightlike one As myguardian, a magic linkbonded himto me He would alwaysknowwhereIwasandcouldusesomeofmyvampireabilities,likestrengthandendurance.However,thatbondhada limit,andhecouldn’ttrulyprotectmeifawarbrokeoutinthecityorawitchorvampiregotaholdofme.Iunderstoodwhyhe wantedmetofleeandrunagain,getanew identity,job,andhome I’vedoneitcountlesstimesbefore,butwhatkindoflife wasthat?
Tonymaynothave beena witchor vampire, buthe knew almosteveryone inthe city, especiallythe supernatural He had multiple connections withvarious covens and other underground groups. He never told me about them, but apparently, they providedhimwithhelpfulinformationandpotentialrumors Thatwashisjob
shovedopentheheavy,ornatedoorleadingtothemainroomofmynightclub,TheBlackDiamond Itwasdarkinthere,with strobing,coloredlightssynchronizingwiththebeatofEuropeanhousemusic.Wall-to-wallpatronsdancedanddrank,thedin ofvoices barelybreakingover the rhythmic bass. No one acknowledged myarrival exceptfor the frontdoor security, who gavemeaquicknodbeforeresumingcheck-ins
JacksonWarrickand Ihad beenworkingtogether for nearlyforty-sevenyears, becomingmore friends thancolleagues. In 1988,MeredithLoren,mysolecompanionthen,andItraveledtoNewYorkCity.IwantedtoshowherwhereIhadlivedfor nearlyacenturyafterIleftmyhomelandofGreece,introducinghertoseveralofmyoldbusinesspartnersandnetworking.It wasn’t all business, though. Phantom of the Opera had just opened on Broadway, and we took a night off to enjoy the performance
Aftertheshow,wemadeourwaytothecar,andasenseofuneasecreptoverus.Justaswereachedthevehicle,amugger jumped out from behind our car, wielding a very large hunting knife A feeble attempt at intimidation, at best He saw Meredith’sshinynecklaceandmyexpensivewatchandthoughthewasentitledtothem.Ofcourse,wehadhimhandled,more humoringthemanbypretendinghehadtheadvantage.
Jackson, one of the backup singers in the play, was taking a break by the service door. He witnessed the attack froma distanceandimmediatelyrantoouraid wewereabouttomeetournewbestfriendunderunconventionalcircumstances. We thoughtatfirstthe two menwould kill eachother, butonlyone righthookfromJackson, and itwas lights outfor the mugger.
After he turned tous, he saw our fangs outand stiffened We didn’twanttokill himafter thatdisplayofcourage Notthe humanwhocametoourdefense,notknowingwhoorwhatwewere.
Mymindturnedfromthe memorytolookbackinJackson’s direction.Ishiftedcloser tothe bar until Jacksonnoticedme, givingmeabriefnodbeforepushingthroughthecrushofbodiestocometogreetme
“Bythelooksofit,Drei,yougotyourasshandedtoyoubeforeyoukilledher.”Jackson’shandsomefacelitupwithawide grin, butIsaw a flicker ofconcerninhis darkeyes as he observed mydisheveled appearance. “Fuck. Whathappened?” he asked,hisvoicecuttingloudlyoverthemusic
“Ass handed tomeisabitofastretch,”Isaid,liftingmyhandtosilencehimandlookingaroundtheroom.Afewmorestaff membersnoticedmyarrival,butthankfully,itwasdarkenoughthattheycouldn’tseemycurrentstateorthebloodyclothing A few youngwomenwalkedpastusbutslowedwhentheysaw me.Oneparticularwomanwithwell-roundedhipsandpurpleredhairgavemeaseductivewinkbeforelinkingarmswithhercompanionandcasuallywalkingtothedancefloor Herhips movedgracefullyunderablackleatherbodycondress,temptingmetowatch.
Under normal circumstances, I would have takenher bythe armright then, escorted her to mysuite above the club, and fuckedheruntilshescreamedmyname She’dbegmetobitedownonherfleshandtastehersweetbloodonmytongueuntil morning. Butafter tonight, after whatIhad witnessed, I’d have to smother the beastinside. Icouldn’tallow the distraction, evenfromabeautifulwoman
“Let’s just say the Black Onyx has been keeping a dark little secret fromus, and I was two seconds away fromnever discoveringwhatthatwas.”Myjawtightenedjustthinkingaboutit.“Rachelcaughtmeoffguard,”Icontinued.“Sheleftwork early and was heading home alone Before I could approach her, a vampire dashed out from the alley, looking for an unsanctionedmeal.”Iwatchedas Jackson’seyes grew wide.“Oh,don’tworry;shehandledthatvampirewithoutbreakinga sweat.Ihardlyliftedafinger.Shethenshowedherappreciationformysmallcontributiontothebrawlbyfiringthreebullets intomyskull”
Ishookmyhead.“IheardherbeatingheartwhenIdrankfromher.She’snotavampire,despitehowshetastes.Shedoesn’t evenhaveascentlikehumansdo.Itwasn’tuntilIwasrightupclosethatIrealizedshewasdifferent.ThenwhenItastedher Idon’tknow how toexplainit,Jackson Itastedvampire and somethingnew So,thequestionis,how issomeonewitha beatingheartwalkingaroundinthedaylightwithwhatseemstobevampirebloodpumpingthroughtheirveins?What’seven morebizarreisthatitdrovemeintoafrenzy,temptingmetobiteandfeed Idon’tremember thelasttimeIlostcontrol like that.”Ileanedagainstmydeskchairandrubbedmyjaw.“AndImostcertainlyhaveneverhadthatkindofreactiontotheblood ofothervampires.”
Jacksonlookedbackatmysuitjacketonthetable,thetwoofusstaringblanklyatthebloodcoatingthecollar.“Theblood onyour new Bruno Cucinelli jacketis reallybotheringyou, isn’tit?” Jacksonteased, as ifhe hadn’tjustheard whatIsaid. Oncehecaughtmyheatedstare,headded,“Relax,Drei Attheveryleast,you’restillalive”
Ilookedaway,breakingeyecontactwithhimasmythoughtsreturnedtothelastmomentsbeforeRachelranaway.Myvision had gone darkafter she shotme, butIcould still hear her boots slappingthe wetconcrete as she fled downthe alley Even thoughIrecovered,theghosttouchofthebulletsstilllingeredinmyskull.Myjawmusclesticked.Inallmyyearsofworking asanassassin,Ineverfailedtogetmytarget,letalonefacetheembarrassmentofallowingthemtoescape
Evenwithmyclosecalls,Ihadstillmanagedtogainmyfooting,huntthemdown,andriptheirheadfromtheirneckorputa bullet between their eyes. Not only had this woman’s blood made me second guess the assignment I was getting paid handsomelyfor,butsomethingelseaboutherstoppedmeinmytracks Amomentarylapseinjudgmentthatwouldneverhappen again.
Jacksonpulled his longblacklocs behind his ears and tookanother deep inhale ofthe bloodied collar ofthe jacket. His fangsshotoutfrombehindhislips,andhelookedup,anothersmileonhisface
