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“I did, as a matter of fact, feed already. I fucked her on black silk sheets and then drained her of all her blood. She was such a pretty thing, and she screamed so sweetly for me. That moment where screams of pleasure turn into screams of pain… and then it all dies out on a whimper and a gasp… I never get tired of it. And then those sightless eyes that still carry the trace of shock that it all ended this way. I mean, come on, how could the little twit not know I was a vampire? But she was a cheap fast food hamburger, you—my dear—are a delicacy. It won’t be so quick for you.”

I can’t stop the tears moving down my cheeks. I would give anything to go back in time, to not run from Cooper. I thought I could just rejoin the normal world. I didn’t know I was now a permanent part of all this. I didn’t know the dark places my life could go.

“You’d be wise to forget about him. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes we make choices in life that we can never really undo. We just have to live with them. You’ll never see the shifter again. After I bite you, he won’t want you anymore. Even if he could find you, he would discard you as soon as he knew a filthy vampire had defiled you. And I plan to defile you in every way a person can be defiled. So you might want to do whatever a human needs to do to prepare themselves for such a stark ongoing reality.”

Can’t he just fucking shut up? I know villains like to talk, but just…shut up!

I’m sure he heard that thought. I’m sure his guards also heard that thought, given the force with which I delivered it. In the next moment, he strikes. I cry out at the searing pain of fangs in my throat. He grips my shoulders as he drinks. A moment later he flings me away from him and spits the blood out on the concrete as though he’s disgusted.

So much for being a delicacy.

I press a hand to my bleeding throat.

“Ugh. Those drugs are rank,” he says.

“I offered to drain the drugs off, Sir.”

The vampire waves him away. “Just close her wound.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I shrink back as the hulking guard comes closer. His eyes glow briefly red. I had thought he was human. Is he a vampire, too? He pulls me into his arms, and I cringe as he licks the side of my throat.

Then he gets up and returns to stand behind his boss. When I touch my throat again, my hand comes away clean. No bleeding.

“Well? Put the puppy in her crate, she’s useless to me until the drugs have cleared. I’ll feed and play with her properly tomorrow night.”

Rodolfo comes back and picks me up off the floor. Before we’re out of the room, my captor speaks again.

“Poppet, do you know what tomorrow night is?”

When I don’t answer, he fills in the blank.

“The full moon. Even if he could find you, he’s not going to be able to control the beast when he smells me on you. He might just kill you himself. Wouldn’t that be ironic? You needingmyprotection fromhim. I’ve never gotten to play the hero before. It might be amusing.

With that pronouncement, Rodolfo is dismissed with me in his arms. Mycrateturns out to be a cell with a mattress on the floor and a toilet. There’s a mini fridge on one end of the room with what I hope is food and water inside. A large red digital countdown timer hangs on the wall. Twenty-two hours, thirteen minutes, and nine seconds. Eight… seven… six…

Rodolfo speaks then. “That’s the amount of time until the sun sets tomorrow. Marcus will return for you then.”

The vampire’s name is Marcus, and he’s helpfully given me an exact waiting time until my life goes completely to hell, and the real nightmare begins.

14

COOPER

Three hours ago.

It’s just after sunset when I reach my building. My heart hammers in my chest as I get onto the elevator.

You’re being ridiculous, Cooper.

But I don’t believe my own self talk. It’s not ridiculous to not want Rosalie to be alone even a minute past sunset—not with what’s out there. A vampire doesn’t need an invitation to get into a human dwelling. And even if they did, my penthouseisn’ta human dwelling.

I watch the elevator numbers go up so much more slowly than normal.Come on. Come on.

What do I think could have happened? I don’t even know if there are any vampires in this city. I don’t know if anyone caught her scent and put the pieces together. She’s so high off the ground that surely she’s out of any otherworld being’s scent range. It’s the only good part about keeping her locked up like this until the mating. So why am I so upset my meeting ran late? Why am I so on edge?

It’s the moon, dumbass. It’s just the moon making you crazy. Don’t forget that’s how we got the word lunatic. It even affects the humans.