Quench(16)

“Need to get somewhere?”

Goddamn it. Usually vigilant, she had allowed the creature to sneak up on her. Not good. She sniffed and tried to search his mind to no avail. Viv did get one thing—the rank odor of transgressor, one who had recently slipped over the edge. Pumped up on human blood, he held his vampyre form well.

The Kind species had their own rogues and somehow this one had slipped unnoticed into the club. Alek, in his preoccupation with whatever he had to do, had missed the vile scent of the gaunt being. Any strong warrior would have picked up on it immediately.

“Fresh blood.” His smile twisted into a grimace. “Always makes us stronger.”

Transgressors were dangerous, unpredictable street vermin who roamed at night. Known to drain man or beast of blood, they would assume their beastly form and gorge on the flesh. The more blood and flesh they consumed, the more uncontrollable they became, and eventually they lost their ability to change from their beast. Pursued endlessly by Reign warriors, the creatures died painfully in the form of whatever animal they were.

Handsome as hell, the diseased cat would be a formidable opponent. The hair coloring told her cheetah or jaguar. Making note of the thin, whipcord-hard body beneath a cotton t-shirt, Viv confirmed cheetah. As cat or a man they were wiry and fast as hell. This one possessed strong vampyre abilities. She’d failed to keep her shields in place and he’d read her mind.

Standing straight, she faced him. If all her abilities had been present she would have had the choice of vanishing. Not tonight.

Viv decided she could handle this, no need to bother Alek. “I’m good.”

“Bet you are.” Fangs lengthened and the man’s eyes swirled red.

She’d have to fight because he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d already transgressed and his sick mind wouldn’t allow him to walk away from what he saw as his next meal. Had he been weaker there would have been a chance Viv could mentally send him on his way.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“I’d love to dance with you before I suck you dry. Bet you’re a tasty bitch.” Spittle wet his lips, glistened from his incisors.

“Let’s go.” Viv whipped out her knife and took a fighter’s stance, her knees flexed. On the balls of her feet, she was ready to move in any direction.

The creature lunged and she spun to the side, slashing him across the cheek.

“Whore! You’ll die for that.”

He feinted left, slid right and grasped her knife arm. Shit. Snatching her forward with inhuman strength, he twisted her body and yanked her arm behind her.

Pulling her close, he whispered, “You’ll taste good.”

She almost fainted when she felt his fangs rip her jugular and tear a piece of her shoulder away. When he let her slip to the ground, irrationally, her only thought was of killing the Siberian tiger who had stolen her powers and left her vulnerable. Before her body hit the pavement glass broke somewhere and a vicious growl split the night air.

Alek.

Viviana refused to pass out. Rolling to her back, she watched the fight ensue as blood streamed from her body.

She saw the diseased being lifted from its feet by the neck and the cracking sound when his head slammed to the pavement made her cringe.

“Change or I’ll rip your heart out as you lie and you will die in disgrace.”

“Screw you, warrior.” A spurt of blood from its torn throat landed on Alek’s hand.

Honorable Reign never killed a transgressor in disgrace. The unfortunate creatures had often fought bravely beside those who had to hunt them. They had once been warriors who protected Kind and humans alike.

Those transgressors who succumbed to their bloodlust were given the opportunity to die as the animal they were before being cursed. It was no different than her own species, who were given the opportunity to walk into the light rather than be killed by another vampyre.

“As you wish.”

The creature had a change of mind, wishing to fight and die with honor as a cheetah. Spotted fur sprouted on its heaving chest, covering the torso and running over the limbs. Red tears stained the beautiful thick fur as they coursed down the beast’s face. The cheetah wheezed, unable to move.

Air hissed through Viv’s lips as Alek’s clothes disappeared and faintly striped tan fur raced up his arms, down his legs and across his torso. The largest cat she’d ever seen smashed down on all fours, causing the ground to tremble. Holy Christ!

What stood there wasn’t lion or tiger but a strange variation of both. The tiger’s lines were faint on the fawn-colored lion’s fur. Muscles rippled down his side and his flank quivered before he reared up and roared.

The solemn sound echoed off the side of the building.