“May the best man win,” I say confidently, making my way toward her.
Her blood… Her scent… Her body…
The last time I was tempted by anyone, I was turned into a monster.
This can only end in disaster.
I’ve been free from craving the bite for so damn long. I’ve been in control for over a decade. It hasn’t controlled me.
But her… I almost did it, and I wouldn’t have stopped until I had taken all she could offer and screamed my name.
Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but I refuse to fall prey to the fucking need to bite again. I control when and who. Not the monster inside me.
The part that freaks me out the most is what else I considered doing.
Voices break through my concentration, and I step back into the shadows just as the embodiment of my loss-of-control comes into sight.
“You sure you’re okay?” the writer asks. I think Dice said her name was Marilyn. He warned me about her before he finally let her into my club to appease her curiosity and quit drawing so much attention to us.
She can write her book, because I know she won’t mention this place by name. He did his homework on her.
“Positive,” my temptress says. “Just too much to drink.”
She staggers, and I inwardly curse. I had her under my thrall, reeling her in. I’ve never been too good with the night stalker perks because of my weaker sire bloodline, but since Gavin turned me into an even bigger freak… Everything about me is stronger.
Including the feral instincts I thought I had under control.
I can hear her pulse from here, and her blood is practically singing to me. It’s been getting harder and harder to ignore my urges, but never this hard. And I’ve never once felt tempted to do what I want to do right now.
“The Pine Shore Inn,” I hear her tell the cab driver as the writer helps her into the car, and I watch her like I’m watching my prey.
Why did I have to hear where she’s staying?
Groaning, I turn and walk into the alley beside the liquor store that conceals the underground club, feeling the vibrations of the music beat lightly against my feet.
“You need to do something about that before it’s too late.” The unknown, feminine voice has me whirling around, making everything in me instantly go on alert.
My eyes settle on a familiar face, but it takes a second to remember where I’ve seen her. Why the fuck is she coming to see me?
“Excuse me?” I ask, playing dumb, wondering if she knows I know who she is.
She slowly walks toward me, seeming timid and unsure of herself as she peeks up from under her dark lashes. Her hair is up in some extravagant, complicated design, and her solid black dress looks like it’s straight out of the nineteenth century.
She notices my quizzical look, and a nervous laugh escapes her.
“I guess I look ridiculous, huh?” she muses, seeming a touch less timid.
“Wondering if you’ve figured out how to time travel,” I reply dryly.
She laughs, but I don’t even so much as smile. Why is she here?
“The Manley Manor had a themed ball tonight.”
I cross my arms over my chest and study her, waiting on her to end this charade.
“And you just chase down random strangers in the street this late after going to a ball?” Deciding to press things farther, I let my eyes slowly crawl to their brightest blue. “Shouldn’t do that. I could be dangerous.”
Fire lights her eyes, and she takes a step toward me. “Believe me, Zee. I know exactly how dangerous you are.” So she admits to knowing me, but I don’t know if she’s baiting me for information on her. “Well, I did know. Until Gavin got ahold of you. Now I don’t think even you realize how dangerous you are.”