Chapter Eight
I follow Lula, keeping myself in the shadow of the trees so she can’t see me.
The wind blows her aromatic perfume in my direction, sweet and tempting, unknowingly feeding me enough not to kill another. I have a lot of blood on my hands, and because of that, her cop friends seem to think I’m putting Lula in danger.
I’d never do that.
Okay, I’m lying.
I would, but that would be for her as well. I’ve smelled and seen how wet she becomes when she is afraid. I’d use that to our advantage, but I’d never kill her.
Her blood is the last I ever want drenching my palms. Her life is too important to me.
Her existence is vital to mine. If she ever did allow me to bleed her dry, I wouldn’t let any drop go to waste.
I’d lick her from my hands and suck my fingers in my mouth, relishing the flavor that was made for me.
And only me.
Then, I’d have her feed from me. I’d cut myself open and allow my smoke to fill her veins, to bring her to life again.
She stops in the middle of the sidewalk, and I do my best to hide my big body behind a tree. Lula feels me watching. She’s a good detective and knows when someone is following her. What a fun challenge it will be to stalk her when she has no idea.
“I know you’re here,” she whispers to herself, not knowing I can hear the words breezing from her lips.
Her gaze surveys her surroundings, curious and accusatory, waiting to find the reason for her unease. The wind blows her hair, a few pieces framing her face.
I’m jealous of the way the strands glide across her lips, caressing her cheek in all the gentle ways I’ll never be able to.
I’m not capable of being gentle.
I was created to break and kill.
Not cherish and cuddle.
It’s too bad her soul is tethered to mine. Another man would nurture the good in her, so she becomes the best version of herself. I’ll protect the good she has because it’s the only time I’ll ever get to touch such greatness.
But cherish? I’m not capable.
Her soul is twisted within mine, and the rotten core that pumps my heart will taint hers somehow. All the bad that lives within me will live within her. I won’t let it get to the point where it consumes her.
Pure good deserves to be protected—even from nightmares like me.
“Lula-lala-la-la-laaa.”
She tucks her hair behind her ear, pulling her gun free and aiming it in the direction she thought she heard my song. “Who’s there? Who are you? What do you want?”
What do I want? That’s such a difficult question.
I want her in bed, legs spread, body laid out for me to ravage.
I want her eyes to bleed black while I search for what she fears most.
I want her to scream.
Beg.
Cry.
And then come all over my massive cock while it splits her body in two.
There are so many wants that I’m unsure how to answer her question.
“Lula-lala-la-la-laaa.”
She swings her arms in my direction, another barrel threatening my life again. Fear pours off her in waves, and I inhale, drinking her in, wishing my lungs could taste her the way my tongue can.
“I will shoot you. I have no problem pulling this trigger. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again!” She shouts over the howling gusts that rustle the long branches of the trees.
Holding myself back to stop myself from standing in front of her is difficult. I dig my claws into the trunk of the tree to keep myself in place. I so badly want to taunt her, to beg her to shoot me so she can see that she can do all the bad things she’s ever thought about and inflict them on me.
And I’ll be just fine.
Underneath the perfume of her bravery and fear, there’s that electrifying and shocking scent of lust.
My mate loves to be afraid.
“You’re losing it, Lula. You’re fucking losing it.” She holsters her gun, tucks a few more loose hairs behind her ears, and covers her face. “It’s just the wind. Nothing more.”
“Oh, Lula.” I stare at her, clawing the bark so my control is forever carved into the trunk. “I’m so much more, and that should terrify you.”
Lula studies the bushes beside her, then the crowd of trees I’m hiding in, finding comfort in the shadows they cast. A couple passes on the other side of the street, and she watches them as if they are suspects waiting to be interrogated.
Thunder shakes the ground from its anger, the skies darkening with the same fury that I feel with every breath I take.
Staring at Lula helps soothe the rage that constantly lives within me.
Even with all the beasts that make me, the strongest one was never a DNA strand that was forced into my veins.
I was born with lividity—an anger that demolishes any rationale.
Lula gives up, blowing out a breath that has me closing my eyes and pretending the breeze is the air leaving her lungs. I’ll get to feel her tonight.
Turning around, she blesses me with her backside, her wide hips swaying to the beat of my everlasting want.
Cruel intentions are all I can promise her. If that isn’t enough, that’s too bad.
Stepping out from behind the tree, I stay within the shadows, never taking my eyes off her. As if I could. My thoughts are consumed by her existence. Given the choice to save her or the world, I’d save her, so the world could be ours and ours alone.
She collides with another man, causing her to drop her phone on the sidewalk.
“Oh, shoot!” he says, bending down to pick up her phone that fell from their collision.
He takes a peek at her badge. “You’re the new detective, right?” Flipping the phone over, he groans. “Crap. The screen is cracked. I’m so sorry. That’s my fault. I’ll pay for it.”
“It’s fine. Don’t even worry about it,” she says with a smile on her face.
A smile that belongs to me. This man is as good as dead. I hope he felt the wet heat of a woman’s pussy lately because it will be the last time he will ever feel such heaven.
“And yes, I’m the new Detective in town.”
He jerks his neck, pushing his hair from his eyes. That’s a fucking sign your hair is too long.
I’m going to rip his scalp from his skull and stuff it down his throat.
He grins, his eyes wandering a little too much for any of me to be okay with. Growling, I fall to all fours, digging my claws in the damp earth to stop myself from killing the stranger flirting with my mate.
“So maybe to make it up to you, I can take you for dinner? Or coffee? Whatever you’re comfortable with. In exchange for ruining your phone.”
I listen to her heart, the beat becoming fast with anxiety.
“I appreciate it, but really, it’s okay. I’ve broken a hundred screens. I’ll get it replaced. It’s insured.”
“Okay,” he chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “Would you want to go out anyway? Nothing to do with the phone, but I’d love to get to know you better.”
Her eyes slide to the side where I’m hiding in the trees. I swear our gazes lock, and for the first time in my life, I hold my breath, hoping she can’t see me.
I’m not sure I want her to. For the first time, insecurity manifests, which is completely new for me. I’m not an insecure man. I’ve never cared what anyone thinks of me.
But I care what she thinks about me.
“Go to her. Mine. Mate. Beloved.” Nightmare hisses, pushing the inside of my skin to go to her.
I can’t.
“Lo siento,” she says in her native tongue, and a purr rattles my chest when I think of her whispering her language into my ear.
She realizes he can’t understand what she said by the confused wrinkle between his brows.
“I’m sorry. I’m not really looking to date,” she says. “I just got to town, and I’m focused on my job right now.”
Lies.
Deceit radiates from her pores. She does want to date, but she doesn’t want to date him.
“It’s just a coffee. I promise it won’t take much of your time.”
I snarl in my chest, and this time, the thunderous gravel is louder than I intend it to be. They both look around, wanting to know where the sound came from.
Her eyes lock onto mine again, staring straight into the pit of my soul.
“What was that?” he asks, jerking his head to the left and right.
I curl a lip in disgust when I smell his fear. Not even Lula is afraid. Cautious, yes, but I think that has more to do with him than me.
“Probably just the storm coming in. Listen, I’m not interested.
I only want to focus on my job. I hope you understand.
I need to go. I’m on an assignment for work.
I hope you have a good day.” She takes a step to walk away from him, giving him a slight wave of her delicate fingers that I’m dying to feel wrapped around my cock.
He snags her wrist, tugging her back. “Listen, bitch—”
In a move I don’t expect, she twists around, locks an arm around his throat, and applies pressure to the point he can’t breathe.
“No, you listen, puta,” she states, adding more pressure when he begins to struggle.
I growl, giving myself a firm stroke at the sight of Lula putting this man in his place.
“I could arrest you for assaulting a police officer if I wanted to. You need to learn when someone says no. It means no. Period. I said no, and you know what, it’s not because I don’t want to date.
I just don’t want to date a man like you.
Pushy, cowardly, and stupid. I have standards.
” She hits him in the gut, and he doubles over, spit dripping from his mouth.
Desire burns in my veins like a river of molten lava, heated to my core for Lula and her violence.
“I don’t want to be able to take down a man I’m interested in so easily.” She shoves him away, his feet tripping over one another as they catch a loose lace from his shoe, and he stumbles until he finally falls.
He smashes his jaw against the pavement, and the scent of his blood has my stomach turning. I’m starved for blood. My fangs lengthen, my vision zeroing in on the vein at the side of Lula’s neck.
With every pulse, my mouth waters. The need to claim, bite, mark, fuck, own, and ruin her for anyone else is all I can think about. I’m starved for her blood. I’m going to have to steal it for myself tonight.
She’ll understand.