“I know, but I’m not sure I could stop there. The things that bitch did to me; it goes so much deeper than killing. It’s all about the joy, the satisfaction of the terror and the screams.” Though he continued to stare out the window, I could tell by his tone that he now wore a smile as he spoke. “Oh, the screams, I think that’s got to be the part I miss the most.”
The first trace of true fear settled into the pit of my stomach. The lilt to his voice oozed desire for bloodshed and death. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, and I took a deep, calming breath.
“Kale? Are you alright?” I hated asking. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to say something I didn’t want to hear.
A long silence was followed by his voice, low and wickedly smooth. “Did you know your blood smells like pine and earth? And, feels like power? More power than any werewolf should ever have.”
If I thought I was already anxious, I was full blown alarmed now. I turned into his neighborhood, desperately trying to maintain my cool. Every instinct I had told me to pull over and get out of the car.
“Power that I’m not afraid to use.” I murmured the warning as the small hairs along the back of my neck bristled.
“The best victims are the ones that fight the hardest.” He turned to me then, his pupils so huge his eyes appeared to have no color but black. “Please, don’t tempt me.
Everything in me is aching to feel that hot, wolf energy roll over me. All it would take is one bite.”
I met his eyes defiantly. I had no choice. There was no way I was playing the victim.
“Don’t make me kick your ass, Kale.”
“I think you might have to.” The scent of fear filled the interior of the car. Kale was afraid of himself. If he lost control, this was going to go from bad to worse.
Another two blocks, and we’d be at his house. Could we make it that far without killing each other?
“Don’t.” My voice was sharp with warning, laced with the gruffness of wolf. “You didn’t come this far to be taken out by a friend, did you?”
The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Kale. But, knowing that he was thinking about hurting me made me ready to do so. We rounded a bend in the road. I could see his house looming dark and foreboding at the end of the street.
“That sounds like a challenge to me,” he replied viciously, and I knew that I’d lost him.
Before I could reply or react, he’d crossed the small space between us. His breath was hot against my face, and as I struggled to avoid him, the car swerved from one side of the road to the other, tires squealing. I let out a small cry and threw up a hand to ward him off while trying to control the car with the other.
He fought for my throat; his fingers dug into the arm I held between us. I slammed on the brakes, bringing the Charger to a screeching halt. The moment I tapped into it, the energy rose and, I concentrated on forcing him back with it. There wasn’t enough space in the car for a full on attack, and I had no choice but to be physical as well.
Because I was wedged between the steering wheel and my seat, I couldn’t move much. He was fighting to bare my throat while I shoved against his chest with all that I had.
“Kale, stop! You don’t want to do this.” I succeeded in landing a blow to the side of his face, but he never flinched.
His eyes were large and black as sin as they focused in on the pulse leaping beneath my flesh. With both hands tightly squeezing my upper arms, he jerked me roughly to him. The gearshift dug into my hip, and a frustrated growl erupted from me.
In a swift motion, he’d stripped me of the leather choker and tossed it aside. My panic grew as I started to think this might really be it for me. My seatbelt held me trapped, but it also prevented him from dragging me out of my seat.
My mind tried to make sense of the flurry of scents and sensations. Like I’d done with Shawn in the bar, I concentrated and tossed just enough energy to paste him against the passenger door. Once he was off me, I focused the power on keeping him right where he was while fumbling with my seatbelt.
In his blood-crazed state, he took everything I threw at him. When he grasped my wrist and jerked me hard, I grabbed my door handle uselessly with my free hand. Before I could stop him, he brought bared fangs to my wrist, and I watched in horror as he sunk them into my vein.
It hurt, and there was no pleasure in the sting of his needle sharp teeth buried within me. The touch of his tongue brought a snarl from me as he probed the wound. Instinct took over, and I swung my free fist, connecting with his temple.
When I couldn’t free my bleeding wrist, the adrenaline pumped hard and fast. The fifth blow I landed was perfect, and the vampire finally slumped over in his seat, unconscious.
I was examining my injured arm when the tow truck pulled up to the house with Kale’s classic Chevy.
Chapter Three
The adrenaline rush had me shaking, and the cool October wind bit at my skin. I leaned against the hood of my car, trying to catch my breath.