A Fire in the Blood(76)

“Is she all right?”

“Yes. A little shaken up. We’re at my place.”

“She doesn’t really have anything to worry about anymore, does she? I mean, if a vampire bites her, he’ll die. Shoot,” Luke said, laughing. “She’s the ultimate weapon.”

Andrei grunted softly. Luke was joking, but it suddenly occurred to him that Luke was right. It had taken only a few sips of Tessa’s blood to destroy the vampires he’d held captive. Yet her blood had protected him from Katerina’s bite. A bite that should have been fatal.

“Anything I can do on this end?” Luke asked.

“Just be careful. And check in on Bailey, will you? Make sure she’s okay.”

“I’ll head over there now.” Luke whistled softly. “A million bucks! Damn. I don’t know who’s handing out those flyers for Katerina, but you know when word spreads, this town will be crawling with bounty hunters and vampires.”

Andrei’s hand tightened on the phone. “Yeah.”

There was only one way to put an end to this, he thought as he disconnected the call.

And that was to put an end to Katerina.





Chapter Thirty-Two

Katerina prowled Cutter’s Corner, her rage growing with every step. Impossible as it seemed, Andrei and his friends had thwarted her at every turn. Like scared rabbits, Tessa, the were-panther, the hunter, and his woman were all safe inside their holes.

As for Andrei—the traitor!—try as she might, she couldn’t find him. He had shut her out of his mind. Even more unbelievable, he had managed to block the blood link between them so that she could no longer track his whereabouts, something that had never happened before.

Something that should have been impossible.

She was his sire. It was her blood that had brought him back from the brink of death.

She cursed his name, her anger and frustration mounting with every passing moment.

It was the woman, she thought. Tessa. Something about her blood had transformed Andrei’s, making him stronger, impervious to his sire’s power over him.

How was it possible? If the woman’s blood made Andrei stronger, Katerina mused, it should work for her as well. And if it did, she would again be dominant and he would again be at her mercy. And then she would destroy him for his infidelity.

She lifted her head, nostrils flaring at the scent of prey.

Rounding the corner, she saw a young man strolling toward her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark brown hair and the muscular physique of an athlete.

Unleashing her preternatural power, she slowed as he drew near.

When he was an arm’s length away, he stopped, his expression slightly puzzled. “Do I know you?” he asked, sounding as confused as he looked.

“No.” She ran her nails over his chest. “But you will.”

“What do you want?”

“You.” She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. He smelled so good. Young and healthy. And ripe for the taking. Her gaze trapped his, drawing him closer. She had thought to drain him dry but killing him suddenly seemed like a terrible waste. “What’s your name?”

“Noah.”

“I’m Katerina.” She linked her arm with his, tugging him along as she continued on her way.

“Where are we going?”

“So many questions. You’re not married, are you?”

“No.” He glanced around, his expression troubled.

“Relax,” she purred. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m going to give you a gift, a wonderful gift.”

She hadn’t turned anyone—male or female—in a very long time. Killing was so much more satisfying. But the thought of making a new vampire was suddenly appealing. Fledglings could be entertaining in so many delightful ways.

So eager to please their sires.

She would turn him tonight, she decided. And when he woke tomorrow, he would be hers, subject to her every command, her every whim. She knew instinctively that he would be easier to control than Andrei had ever been.

Noah would be a pleasant distraction until she found a way to rid the world of Andrei and his whore.





Chapter Thirty-Three

Tessa stared at the ceiling. All this fuss about her blood. Why was it different from everyone else’s?

She’d had blood tests in the past. Doctors had never found anything out of the ordinary. So, what was it that made her blood so unique? So deadly?

It destroyed fledglings, but not Andrei. Why?

Why did it attract newly-made vampires, only to kill them?

Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around her knees. Maybe she should quit her job at Milo and Max and take up vampire hunting. She could wander the streets, luring fledglings to their death. One quick taste of her blood. One dead vampire.