She inhaled sharply. Cancer.
In the lab, she and Grant had injected a human protein associated with cancer development into normal vampire cells, and then they’d introduced the VR- enzyme, resulting in massive, almost instant growth. They’d theorized that the growth inhibited a vampire’s ability to process the enzyme, causing madness and bloodlust.
What if the common denominator was cancer in the humans vampires fed on? And if that was the case, she could develop a serum to counter the protein and force the cells to shrink.
So excited about the possibilities that she was practically hyperventilating, she leaped from the couch. She had to tell Grant. No, he was busy. Riker!
He’d want to know, especially since he’d almost died of bloodlust. Without thinking, she darted out of the room and was instantly flanked by the two female security goons.
“Where do you think you’re going?” katina called out.
“I have to see Riker.”
The two females didn’t say anything, merely let Nicole jog down the hall to Riker’s quarters. She tapped on the door. A sharp, high-pitched bark came from inside. “Come in.”
She pushed open the door. And came to a shocked halt.
Riker had a sleek, fiery-haired female pinned to the wall, his teeth buried in her throat. Both were fully clothed, but the female was riding him as if she were naked, panting, whimpering in ecstasy. And that was when Nicole realized that the female had been the one
Nicole heard tell her to “Come in.” Except that hadn’t been what she said.
I’m coming. Inexplicable hurt and anger pierced Nicole in the heart, as sharp as one of Riker’s cruel-edged blades. A choked squeak escaped her, and Riker’s head whipped around. His eyes glowed an intense, bright blue, and his fangs, twice their normal size, dripped with blood.
A low, pumping growl bubbled up from deep in his chest as he held her, utterly frozen, with his gaze.
The room shrank. Closed in on her the way the prey room had.
She had to get out of here. Mind overloaded with erotic images of Riker with the sultry female, Nicole stumbled backward through the doorway.
Then she ran like hell to her room.
Chapter 18
The prey was on the run.
His heart pounding like he’d been giving chase for hours, Riker tore himself away from Benet and started for the door.
“Wait.” Benet’s breathy command stopped him, but he didn’t turn around. “I’m here. I’m willing. I’ve been willing for years. But you want the human?”
Riker clenched his teeth as he tried to force out a lie, but the no wouldn’t come. The soft tap of Benet’s feet drew close, and then her satin lips were on his ear.
“This is the fi rst time since Terese’s death that you’ve shown interest in a female.” She dragged her mouth to his throat, to the spot she always fed from.
“Go,” she whispered. “Get her.”
She didn’t have to say it twice. In the back of his mind, he made a note to thank her, but the rest of his brain was swamped with a need he couldn’t control, and he shot out of his quarters with the single-minded purpose of a wolf tracking a female in heat.
So he really wasn’t happy to see his buddy in the hall, blocking his path. Riker slammed into Myne, knocking him out of the way.
“Dude.” Myne caught Riker’s shoulder and swung him around. “What the fuck?”
Riker let out a furious snarl and introduced his friend’s spine to the wall. “Don’t. Just. Don’t.”
Myne’s smoky eyes flashed. “You need to feed, man. You’re jacked.”
“I already fed,” Riker ground out.
Myne raked his gaze over Riker, nostrils flaring as he took in Riker’s scent. “Ah, shit.” Myne’s voice went low. “Come on, buddy. Let’s grab a bottle of rum and hit the game room.”
Rum and game room? On any other night, Riker would have taken Myne up on shots and some poker or pool but not now. Not while he was high on blood and riding the moon fever like it was his personal bitch.
There was a dark, barely restrained lust lurking just below the surface of his civility, a living thing that had been clawing at him for years, waiting to get out.#p#分页标题#e#
Nicole had unlatched its cage, and it wanted to thank her.
“No.” Riker shoved away from Myne.
“Dammit,” Myne snapped, and this time when he tried to stop Riker, his face got intimate with Riker’s fist. The crack echoed through the halls, followed by Myne’s growl. “You stupid fuck. No good can come of you screwing the human.” Myne put the back of his hand to his mouth and came away with blood. “You’ve been moping about Terese’s death for twenty years, and it’s a human who drags you out of it?”