Nathaniel ignores the vampire by the window, instead pressing a palm roughly between Raines legs, groping her through her jeans. She bucks at the added stimulation, a look of disgust crossing her face at her body’s betrayal.
The second man standing near the window chuckles. “You’re losing your touch, old man. She doesn’t look like she’s enjoying it.”
Nathaniel raises his bloody mouth, feral eyes focusing on the man who spoke. Without a glance back at Raine, he slips his hand into her pants for a more intimate caress. “Want to wager who can get her off faster?”
Raine’s eyes fly open and she looks toward the window, her eyes seeking out the tall brown-haired man who warned off Nathanial. She shakes her head side to side, fighting what the man’s ministrations are making her feel.
A low growl starts deep in my throat. The alpha instinct to protect rages to the surface at her look of utter dejection and humiliation.
In a lightning fast move, the two men by the window spin around. The tall one leaps through the glass, tackling me.
Strong hands pin me to the ground as a rabid face full of dripping fangs leans toward me.
“And who do we have here?” The vampire sniffs the air near my neck. “You’re the werewolf Raine was with earlier. The one she said left town no matter how she tempted him to stay.”
I push up with my hips, trying to buck off the creature. We thrash until he grasps both my hands in his, pinning them above my head as if I were a weak child. The look on his maddened face sends additional adrenaline streaming through my body, pushing my inner wolf into a fight response.
The change boils under my skin, the wolf struggling to break my hold and meet this new threat. A growl of fury erupts from my throat as I brace to rip off his face with my teeth. The change begins and my jaw elongates into a muzzle full of sharp teeth. I lash out, snapping at the grinning vampire.
He avoids my attack and punches me in the face, harder than I’ve ever felt from an enraged Were. It momentarily halts my change, stunning me with the pain. He laughs and hits me again, effectively ending my retaliation.
“Come and join me, Thomas,” my captor calls over his shoulder. “This one’s fresh—and on the house.”
The second vampire jumps through the window to crouch next to my side. Raine’s scream of “no!” is the last thing to penetrate my consciousness as two sets of fangs descend upon me.
Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, Magic
Chapter Six
Pain radiates through my skull as my surroundings slowly come into focus. I’m lying on a cold, gritty floor. Weakness drags at my limbs, making it hard to raise my head. What the hell happened?
In a flash, the memory of intense pain and fear spiral through me, drawing a hard shudder in response.
A rustle nearby draws my attention to a blurry figure a few feet away. “Thank God,” Raine’s concerned voice reaches me. “You’re finally awake.” She sounds strained and nervous. Considering she’s living with a group of blood sucking parasites—ones that will apparently jump on anything on their property and suck it almost dry—I can sympathize.
A cup is pressed to my lips, while a gentle hand slips behind my head to support me. “Here. Drink this.”
Warm water flavored with something lemony trickles past my cracked lips. “If we get fluids in you it should speed up your healing.” Despair clouds her pretty gaze. “Why? Why did you follow me, you stupid bastard?”
I sputter, but continue to drink. She takes the empty mug away and refills it from a nearby pitcher. I struggle to a seated position, finding my actions slowed by chains binding my limbs loosely to the wall behind me.
My vision clears as I glance around the room. Dim light from the naked overhead bulb does nothing to enhance the starkly empty space. Or should I call it a cell? The cinderblock walls and steel door emphasize my assumption.
What the fuck is going on here?
My coordination slowly returns and I reach for the full mug she’s offering. I gulp half the contents before bothering to respond her question. “You really think my following you is the biggest issue to discuss, right now? What is this place?”
Raine settles on the floor next to me, resting the carafe on one splayed thigh. “I used to call it Hell.” She smirks and meets my eye. “But after meeting you, and dreaming about freedom, I realize this place is worse.”
I drain the cup and reach for the pitcher. “Worse than Hell?” I pour the tangy water, eager for more as my strength returns. “Sitting chained to a wall after being drained by two vampires... well, it’s not Hell but it’s not great, either.”