Apple cinnamon scented candles lit up the room, but they did nothing to disguise the telltale scent of sex, blood and shame. My stomach turned painfully, and I thought I might be sick.
Like the tragic emotional scene in a movie, everything seemed to slow down. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. There he was, naked in her bed with her atop him, clutching the sheet as if it would hide the truth.
Shaz sat there looking guilty. Bianca watched me expectantly, waiting for my reaction. Maybe she expected me to finish her off this time, like I’d promised. Our eyes met, and I saw the deep-seated satisfaction she couldn’t hide. The tiniest hint of a smile tugged at her lips.
Deeper than my own pain was the sorrow of my wolf. That part of me didn’t understand how he could do this. I backed up until I hit the wall. I tried to form words, needing to say something.
“Alexa, wait! Please, let me explain.” Shaz sprang into action, shoving Bianca aside.
I held up my hands and shook my head. “Stay away from me.”
Unable to contain the tears, I ran. I didn’t stop until I reached the parking lot. I collapsed on the pavement, hysterical sobs building inside me. Blood red tears stained my hands. Knowing Shaz would come after me if I stayed, I got to my feet and continued moving. Maybe Arys was right. Maybe it was time to burn The Wicked Kiss to the ground.
I left my car behind and just walked without a destination. I headed south, away from the downtown core. The agony cut like shards of glass against my insides. I couldn’t do this anymore.
Shaz and I, we were over.
If I’d doubted it before, what I’d seen tonight had only confirmed it. Maybe it had started with Shaz needing a fix, but it had evolved. Now he was lost, consumed by his need to hurt me and to justify it to himself. This wasn’t the Shaz I knew. He had changed, but so had I. And now, here we were. Broken.
I left the busy downtown district behind and with it, the raw, painful truth. I intended just to walk as far as I could possibly get without further thought. That’s all I wanted, to get away, as far away as possible.
The vampires that jumped me had other plans.
Six of them swarmed me, each coming from a different direction. Lost in the gut-wrenching pain of my heartbreak, I hadn’t sensed their approach. Lilah couldn’t have chosen a better time to send her people after me. They were on me so fast that I didn’t stand a chance.
A large fist met my face and stars exploded behind my eyes. I went down immediately, but two of them dragged me to my feet. I struggled against them, but the blows kept coming until I couldn’t tell how many of them were hitting me. If any of them had power, they didn’t use it. This was a good, old-fashioned beating.
“She doesn’t seem so tough,” a gruff voiced vampire said to his buddies. “This is a little disappointing.”
“Aw look, Colin, you made her cry.” A chorus of laughter followed.
I reached for my power with the intent to use it on the guys holding me, but my concentration was scattered, and my vision swam. I’d taken so many hits already, I could barely focus. Lesson learned. Never underestimate the power of a group beating.
The taste of my own blood filled my mouth. I was not going down this way. I lashed out with a metaphysical attack on the two holding me. It threw them both off their feet. However, one pulled me off balance, and I fell to my knees. A psi ball in each hand, I hit two more. I could scarcely keep track of who was where. The remaining two rushed me, wrestling me to the ground. My head smacked the pavement, and everything began to darken.
I expected the blows to rain down upon me, but they never came. A sharp cry came from one of my assailants. It was followed by shouts and commotion. I blinked to clear my vision, finding myself looking up at a man with great silver wings. Aw, shit. Not another fence rider. How could this help me?
But sure enough, he was smacking the vampires around like they were dolls. The swell of his power was stifling and heavy, just like Falon’s. With a groan, I rolled over, trying to catch my breath as I got to my feet.
My head pounded, a throbbing so intense it hurt to open my eyes. A strong hand on my arm sent a surge of panic through me. I found myself staring into sympathetic, gold-flecked green eyes. It took a moment for it to sink in that he wasn’t trying to hurt me.
“You’re alright,” he said, his voice soft and soothing. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I spat blood and swiped a hand across my face. Between the tears and the smacks, my face was a mess of blood. I probably looked like I’d been hit by a bus.
Three of the vampires were dust. The others were long gone. I took a few shuddery breaths and gazed at my rescuer. He was tall and lean with a muscular build and silver wings similar to Falon’s. That’s where the similarities ended. This angel had gentle eyes and a mouth that was made for smiling. His hair was short and thick, a light brown that could have been dirty blonde.