Then, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Even though it all happened so fast, it was like a slow moving sports replay before my eyes.
Kale launched into action in the same moment that the crazy she-wolf did. I hung back, watching and waiting with a flaming ball of blue and golden energy glowing in the palm of my hand.
She rushed him; her garbled snarl sounded all wrong as it came from between her human lips. He anticipated her blow and easily took her off her feet with one outstretched arm. In a flash, she regained her footing and slashed at him with both clawed, bloody hands.
The craving for blood and power grew inside me. I threw the power I held at the rabid she-wolf, and it successfully knocked the breath from her. She went down on her rear end, choking and gasping for air. Kale stood over her, unleashing blows that would have killed most mortals. It didn’t even faze her.
She came up scratching and biting, fighting for his throat even as he beat her back down again. I moved to shadow him in case she gained an advantage, but Kale stunned her with a blast of power at point blank range. It didn’t throw her like I expected, though it did knock her senseless for a moment. She stared with wide eyes, and a high-pitched wail filled the night.
I made the mistake of letting my guard down for a split second. I turned to Kale with a question on my lips, taking my eyes from her as her instinct kicked in, driving her to fight harder. Despite Kale’s reaction, he wasn’t able to block her and searing heat cut through me as three of her claws bit through the material of my sweater. The blood ran from the deep slashes.
“Alexa?” Kale asked, never pausing to look at me as he grasped the Were by the neck and dragged her close. “Are you ok?”
She flailed wildly; her arms beat at the vampire uselessly. He deflected each blow with his free arm, but his eyes now locked on the pulse in her throat. My fury grew with every crimson drop that coursed down my arm. I lashed out with a blast of energy, causing her to cry out in pain. That wasn’t enough for me. With a growl emanating from me, I struggled to get in between them, punching at her with a tight fist. I wanted to tear her apart.
“Let me kill her,” I cried out, irrational in the surge of rage that swept me.
“No way. She’s mine.” Kale jerked the werewolf roughly so that she stumbled against him. Kale was in need of a fix, and it showed. His lips peeled back in a snarl, and he sunk fangs into the thrashing werewolf so hard that I felt it like a kick in the gut as I watched.
Blood poured from the wound as Kale opened the artery. The scent was suddenly heavy and thick all around us. As he drank in both blood and energy, the combination of physical power and hunger struck deep in me. Though I suffered the same weakness as Kale, our hungers were rooted in different places.
Watching him drain the werewolf to the point of death made me feel like I was spying on a personal moment, one that I shouldn’t be seeing. It was as intimate as if I’d been watching him have sex. I have seen Kale kill but never have I seen him feed.
Turning my back on Kale wasn’t something I wanted to do, but watching gave me the same sensation I got when I saw Arys kill: I liked it. I hated that I did, but there was no sense denying it. So, I didn’t move; I stood frozen, feeling like a naïve novice. Every time I thought I knew what world I was a part of, I was thrown for a loop.
It was impossible not to feel the powerful energy rolling off Kale as he feasted on the intoxicating wolf blood. It swept me up in its inviting glow.
The wolf in his grasp put up a pitiful struggle, but it didn’t take long for her strength to wane. She made a series of unintelligible sounds as if she was attempting to speak. It wasn’t long until she was silent and limp as Kale deposited her on the ground at his feet.
My eyes strayed to the punctures in her throat and the blood oozing from the wound.
When I met Kale's eyes, they weren’t crazed or monstrous. However, they were calculating and watchful. I couldn’t help but be affected by him as he crossed the short distance between us. In no way was I prepared for what he did.
Not for one moment did he pause or hesitate as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. There was a strange look in his haunting eyes as he tipped my head up, forcing me to meet his eerie gaze. He kissed me with a depth that instantly transcended physical.
I was pleasantly surprised to find blood still in his mouth. I was also shocked at my own sudden eagerness.