Bound (A Faery Story 1)

ears. The two quickly dropped to the ground. They rolled in the sand,

each desperate to gut the other. Vampires, for all their claims to

civilization, were just as feral as the rest.

There were only six left, and two were doing their damndest to

kill each other. A fierce joy raced through him as he brought the hilt

of his sword down on a vamp he had tripped as he attempted to run

away. Silly creature. There was nowhere to run. He raised his sword to bring it down on the vamp’s throat. He was swinging it in an arc

toward the unconscious rival’s body when he was tackled from the

side. Beck roared as he toppled over.

“Quarter!” the vampire yelled as he scrambled to get his knife

properly in his hand. “He is out, Beck. You can’t kill a man who’s

already gone down.”

It was the same vampire who had drawn Dante’s ire. He was

covered in sweat and blood. His hood had fallen back, and his pale

skin was already burning. “Give it a rest, Beck. It’s over. The female

is yours. We give.”

50

Sophie Oak

Beck didn’t really hear him. He simply knew he was on his back

in a submissive position, and that would never do. With a single hand,

he tossed the vampire away like he was a child’s toy. Somewhere in

the back of his rage-addled head, he recognized that the gnomes had

taken to the floor. They were trying to help out the injured

combatants. It no longer mattered. His rage required blood.

“He’s gone insane!” Palgrave shouted, trying to get the referee’s

attention. “You have to put him down.” The vampire backed up as

Beck growled low in his throat and began to stalk him. He tossed

down his knife and showed Beck his empty hands. He had retracted

his claws, but the fangs remained. “I concede, Beck. We all concede.”

A horn blared. It seemed a distant, meaningless thing. There were