Chapter 21 – Vincent
VINCENT
Ryker and Darius took off on a flight to find the casino, leaving Lamia and I alone together. Because as much as we have to go and find the next item on the map, we also have to feed Lamia first.
And it’s my turn.
As much as I’d like to say I’m afraid of her bite, I’m not. I’m more afraid of enjoying it. Seeing her feed on Ryker and Darius was hot as hell. But it’s more than that.
I never thought it was possible, but I think I relate with this monster.
And it’s all because of my secret. The one I promised myself I’d never tell anyone else. And also the secret I almost spilled to her just now.
I tell everyone that my Brotherhood was killed by a monster.
It’s not a complete lie, and yet, it leads them down the wrong path.
How could I possibly tell them the monster that killed them was our own master?
That he experimented on us. That he killed them.
And we were helpless to stop it, bound by our honor and loyalty. Bound to obey an insane man.
But if I had the honor that all gargoyles should have, I would be dead now.
And yet, I somehow managed to make the worst mistakes imaginable.
I watched my master kill my brothers, and did nothing.
I felt bound to my word, my master, and my lands, just as they were.
But the day my master brought those children into his torture chamber, something snapped inside of me.
I’ve wanted a mate and children for as long as I’ve lived.
Looking into their faces, knowing their mothers and fathers were suffering, not knowing where they were.
Looking into their faces, and knowing the pain they’d soon experience.
It was too much.
I snapped.
I killed my own master.
If I was going to become a gargoyle without a master or lands, I should have done so before my brothers died. I should have snapped then, and let them throw me out as an outcast. Or had them kill me for my ultimate sin.
And yet, I didn’t.
I watched them die.
And then I snapped.
Yes, the children lived. To tell the tale of a monster that killed the man who kidnapped them. But I was lost after that. No Brotherhood. No master or lands.
And so, there is a part of me that understands Lamia on a level I never imagined. From the time I heard her story, how she came to be, and what she did, I felt a kinship with her that’s hard to explain.
Yet, I don’t want to feel it. I want to cut myself off from her, finish this mission, and find another life after this. One that doesn’t remember what I did.
With her, I remember everything. With her, I’m tempted to tell her the truth to help her heal. The last thing I need is to cross this physical boundary.
Even though we kissed already.
That night, injured and confused, feels like a dream. But I’ve never had a dream like that before. One that left me hot and aching for a woman I should never want.
The smart thing would be to keep my distance from her, which is the opposite of what I’m doing now. But I can’t explain to the others why letting her feed from me is a mistake. I’d sound like a coward, and I’m done being a coward.
She pushes a stray hair back behind her ear, still leaning over the edge of the building, staring out at a city that shines as brightly in the night as it does in the day.
The neon lights are over her, giving her a glow almost as surreal and powerful as a goddess.
And a breeze teases the air, carrying with it scents of food and people that’s not altogether unpleasant.
She looks over her shoulder, those stunning green eyes, rimmed by red, staring toward me. “We can just tell them we did it, if you want.”
“No,” I tell her. “It’s okay.”
She turns slowly around, and the green dress that drapes her perfect form swirls a little around her ankles. “Are you sure?”
I nod.
She takes a step toward me. “How do you want to do this?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Just like this.”
Her movements are strangely mesmerizing as she walks toward me. When she’s close enough that we could touch, she stops. “You’ll have to lean down. I can’t reach you.”
I obey without thinking.
She moves closer and slides her hands up my chest.
A shudder moves through my body. Without thinking, I tilt my head to expose my neck to her. And within seconds, I feel her hot breath on my sensitive skin.
Her mouth brushes my pulse. Her breathing comes in and out faster. And then, her delicate teeth sink into my flesh.
I barely feel the pricks of her fangs. Pleasure, so shockingly strong, rolls through me. Every hair on my body stands on end, and I groan, leaning over her.
She drinks and drinks from me, and I hold her closer, molding her soft, feminine body against my own.
A need wells inside of me, desire hot and thick, but also something else. Something more. My head starts to pound. My teeth start to ache, and then I feel something change.
“Fuck!”
She jerks back from me in an instant, her eyes wide.
I reach up slowly and touch my teeth…and feel fangs.
“I—I have fangs!”
She moves even further away from me. “Vincent, I’m sorry. I—“
Suddenly, Ryker and Darius hit the roof near us.
“Everything okay?” Ryker asks, his gaze too keen.
I stare back at him. “I have fangs.”
His brows rise.
Darius lets out a noisy breath.
At last, Ryker clears his throat. “All the more reason to get this mission done, and fast.”
Darius’s voice takes on a tone of reassurance. “We found the casino. It’s close. And there’s a spot off the main road we can land and walk over.”
I look at Lamia. She looks pale and frightened.
“Okay,” I say. “Let’s get going.”
We shift, and for reasons I don’t understand, I go to Lamia, placing her arms around my neck, while I put my hands on her hips.
When she finally meets my gaze, I force a smile.
I should be angry at her. I should be frightened out of my mind.
And maybe I am…a little. But I also don’t want her to know that.
For some reason, I think she’s already been through enough.