Bitten Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 3)

I grew up weak.

Now I’m the hunter, and he’s the prey.

My breaths are as silent as my footsteps when I blur stealthily through the woods, still clutching my slowly healing gut. His heartbeat is hammering in his chest, and his breaths are harsh and labored.

Mortal.

Human.

Weak.

Putting myself right in his line of retreat, I watch as he runs as fast as he can, looking over his shoulder the entire time. His words about never running cross my mind, and I smirk at the irony life has served.

Just as his head turns back to face forward, he stumbles to a halt, barely stopping himself from falling when he sees me.

“Hello, Victor,” I say coldly, stepping out from the shadows and into the streak of moonlight that is beaming through the trees.

His eyes narrow, and a mask of anger takes over his surprise and fear. “You,” he seethes, acting as though he has a right to be pissed.

Taking another step closer, I let my eyes burn their new shade of blue, staring through his false bravado. Once upon a time, he actually scared me.

Now I see him for the coward he is.

“You let them turn you,” he growls.

“I did. Turns out the monsters aren’t as vile as some people I know.”

My eyebrow cocks up, and I pretend like my stomach isn’t still bleeding and aching.

“You must have missed the part where a fucking monster just killed your aunt.”

My jaw grinds. I walked away from her when I was lost to the darkness. The last thing my aunt did was sacrifice herself to save me, and because of this son of a bitch, I was too lost to even tell her goodbye.

I swallow the knot in my throat, fighting against the new surge of emotion, and I force a calm, steady tone.

“Slade shoved the knife in her heart, but you put that knife in his hands and left her with no choice but to find a way to die. He reacted out of instinct, and she forced the sacrifice in order to save the lives of innocent children and people tonight.”

“People?” he hisses, spitting like the thought disgusts him. “They’re not people. You’re not a fucking person anymore, Leah. Animals. Monsters. Blasphemous demons. That’s what you all are.”

He clutches a knife in his hand, probably waiting on the perfect moment to strike. Making sure to keep a firm grip on my wound, I slowly pull out my own knife.

“You don’t want to do this, Leah. Walk away, and I won’t kill you tonight.”

“Aunt Masie died because of you, Victor. I didn’t even get to tell her goodbye because of you. I’m not walking away.”

A dark, sinister smile curls his lips, and he narrows his eyes in challenge. “You never learn your lesson, do you? Little Leah. Always the victim. Always the runner.”

“I’m not running, Victor, but you’re doing an excellent job of stalling.”

He lunges, and I step to the side, narrowly dodging the blade. He turns and faces me, but I’m just toying with him. I thought I was terrible at fighting after nearly dying at Slade’s hand.

Turns out, I’m actually badass, but Slade is just a lot better.

I really should have busted into Victor’s place and piled up the body count. But wasting time on regret won’t change the past.

We fight. We survive. We move forward.

Kya’s words sink to my bones as I study the man in front of me—a weak man with a simple mind. He only sees a puzzle piece and never the full picture. It’s how he’s always been.