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“Sir,” Jasper spoke up, pushing the human forward. “Here you are.”

“Thanks, Jasper.” Viggo snatched his hoodie and used it to wipe the blood off his neck. “Go ahead, Kali. Feed.”

Apprehension filled me, and I snuck a glance at the human. “I want a blood bag.”

Viggo tsked as he got closer. “You need to learn how to feed from a vein. Blood bags won’t always be an option.”

“I’m fine,” I said, breathing from my mouth, attempting to ignore the addictive scent filling my nostrils.

“You’re lying,” Viggo chastised, his voice teasing. He was enjoying this entirely too much. “You can smell his blood, can’t you?”

I didn’t respond, noticing that every pair of eyes were on me. Some were shooting hungry glances at the man, but none of them pounced. They were leaving him alone so I could feed. Viggo stepped up behind the human, and leaned down, biting the side of his throat. Red blood dribbled down his skin, and I nearly lunged forward when I smelled it.

Viggo pulled away, licking blood off his lips. “Come on, Kali. You’ll like it, I promise.”

Chapter 14

Kali

“Feed,” Rya urged, giving me a push. “You need it.”

I stumbled forward, my face flushing. I didn’t want to show weakness in front of all the Shadows. But I also was fucking terrified of drinking blood. What if I wasn’t myself anymore?

Viggo slid his fingers into the man’s short hair, tilting his head to the side. My eyes were glued to the small drops of blood on his skin. The desire to attack was nearly overwhelming and I steadied myself, wondering if this bloodlust would always be with me.

“I don’t want to kill him,” I whispered, tearing my gaze from the blood to look at Viggo.

“I think you’ll have enough restraint not to,” he replied. “But I can make sure you don’t.”

“Can he be healed if I go too far?”

“Healed?” Rya repeated. “What does that mean?”

“Shadows can heal humans with their blood,” I told her, ignoring Viggo’s protests. “Another reason PARA wanted you all removed from their cities.”

“They didn’t need to know that,” Viggo said with irritation.

“Why?” I shot back. “Because your daddy didn’t want them to know how powerful they are?”

“Feed, Kali,” he ordered impatiently, pushing the man closer to me while keeping a firm hold on his hair.

“How?” I asked shakily. “I don’t have my fangs.”

“You do. And you can make them come out.” His voice grew softer. “Think about feeding. About the blood you need to survive. Your body knows what to do.”

I closed my eyes, inhaling the earthly smell of his blood. My nostrils flared, and I resisted the urge to attack. My Shadow instincts overpowered everything, and a calm washed over me. A new sensation filled my mouth, and I let out a cry when pain flared across my upper gum. My hand flew to my mouth, and shock filled me when I ran my fingertips over my fangs. They were so sharp.Deadly.I didn’t need a weapon to defend myself anymore. I was a weapon.

I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Viggo gawking at me.

“What?” I choked out, opening and closing my mouth. Speaking while my fangs were out was odd and mildly uncomfortable.

“You are going to be a menace in this world,” he grumbled, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “The way your skills come so effortlessly…I’ve never seen it before.”

“She’s going torulethe world,” Rya said, promise filling her voice. “With us standing at her back. You and your family will be nothing.”

Agreement passed over the crowd of Shadows, and Jasper inched closer to Viggo, fear gleaming in his eyes. A shiver shot down my spine, and for a moment, I forgot about feeding. The Shadows were built to be powerful. To be the largest predator in this world. And they looked at me to lead them.

Viggo’s gaze didn’t waver from mine. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but it was clear that Rya’s words impacted him. He wasn’t a threat in this room, and he was more than aware of it.