Page 8 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

“Nope.” Hayley made a face. “I promised my parents I’d babysit.”

“Come on people,” Kyle began, “first I get thrown out of the Den and now you two are abandoning me?” Kyle scowled.

Luca shrugged and took to looking around the small living room while the two of them conversed. It was charming, in a somewhat shabby way that worked for the couple well. Luca even recognized his old desk chair in the corner, the one he’d replaced because it wobbled whenever he sat.

“You could help me with my siblings,” Hayley suggested.

“Your Dad won’t throw me out?”

“Eh. If he doesn’t, Adam and Landon probably will,” Hayley said, smiling playfully. “Nice going, punching Adam when Landon’s the one who reported us. Now they’re both mad at you.”

Kyle shrugged. “What can I say? I don’t burn bridges babe.” Kyle smiled back. “I load them with dynamite and get the hell out of there.”

“Yes, you do,” Hayley said, leaning toward him like she was going to kiss him and then backed up quickly.

“Hey!” Kyle complained.

“What? I’m late getting downstairs already,” she teased. She then jumped off the couch and headed for the door. “Great to see you, Luca. You’re welcome anytime,” she said before disappearing through it.

“Almost anytime,” Kyle amended matter-of-factly.

Nick kissed his place-holder of a lover on the mouth and then left his place of residence.

He was thirsty. Yes, Chad was human, but Nick didn’t drink from his lovers.

Having their memories clogging up his brain was far too messy.

Besides, they were always madly in love with him, and he didn’t have space for that.

Love was across the sea somewhere, not in this backwater city in Maine.

Tonight, anyone was fair game. Well not everyone.

The blood of the elderly ran too slow and was often full of too much regret.

Too young. He thought to himself, spotting a human who’d not yet reached maturity.

“Too smelly,” he said after taking a whiff of a passerby. Nick swallowed, his throat scratchy.

He spotted a stunning college age girl. Beautiful brown skin and luscious curls of hair he could twine his fingers in. She walked alone and had headphones in her ears. She’d never even notice him coming. He sped up a little and directed himself onto a collision course.

He crashed into her, knocking her phone to the pavement below. He mumbled a sorry and continued on his way. He’d chosen his prey, she smelled of jasmine and honey.

Doubling back, he locked onto her and followed. Waiting for her to duck too close to a side street or turn a convenient corner.

He saw his moment when she went down a small alley, a short-cut to the public parking lot on the other side. She lifted a hand, pressed her thumb to the key fob, and distantly, her parked car beeped, preparing to drive her away.

It was almost a pity she wouldn’t make it to the end of the alley. With a speed closer to light than human he attacked. He had her around the throat and pinned against the wall in only moments.

She didn’t scream, but swung out an arm he didn’t brace for and stabbed her car key at his neck. It was a good move. “Nice try.” If he’d been human, she may have stunned him enough to have gotten away.

He didn’t look her in the eyes, he never could. But he did listen to her heart beat like thunder in her chest. Inviting him to take and take and take.

His hand found her mouth and his fangs found her neck, sinking deep into her frantic memories as he took his first sip. He drank through her early life. Drank through her first heart break. Drank through the pain of a lost loved one.

Her strength waned and he took on more of her weight.

When he got to her greatest joy he paused. Fresh after birth and crying, she held a tiny baby in her arms.

“What’s her name?” someone asked.

“Nylah,” she replied beaming. A man kissed her. Her daughter’s name escaped her lips in a breath right next to his ear. He pulled back then. Yanking on his own mind, his own lack of control. The little girl’s face was the only bright spot behind his red eyes.

Jules ducked out at the last bell, retreating to her darkened house, to change and wait out the rest of peak sun hours.

Heavy drapes covered all outside access points.

Although being in direct sunlight did kill vampires, it was not as instantaneous as some stories suggested.

Non-direct sunlight drained her energy, weakened her, and gave her a pretty much continuous headache.

Towards evening, once the sun had slipped under some clouds for the day, Jules drove to Monica’s house.

She honked. Monica came bounding out of the house and settled into Jules’s passenger seat, chatting in that happy Monica way.

Multitasking, Monica also changed the music to something on her phone and cranked it way up.

Jules rolled her eyes at the choice of music.

Monica rolled down the windows, letting in the chilly night air.

They both began to sing loudly while Monica bounced in her seat.

At the first red light, Jules stopped singing and glanced over toward the car on their left. Jules’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. She moved her eyes to stare pointedly out the windshield but stayed attuned to the occupants of the car beside them.

“Jules? What is it?” Monica said. When Jules didn’t respond, she repeated the question and turned down the music.

“Werewolves,” Jules said, remaining calm but on guard.

Normally, Jules wouldn’t give this coincidence another thought, but she wasn’t sure what the repercussions of last night’s interaction might be.

Also, having Monica with her if something was going to happen wasn’t a factor Jules was overly fond of.

Monica followed her next glance at the three men, who were illuminated by the streetlights. They were all intently watching her.

“Yikes,” Monica said. “They look… mean.”

“Those wolves were with the Alpha Gabriel had his unfortunate confrontation with last night,” Jules told her. “Since their Alpha is not with them, they may not follow,” she calculated out loud.

Monica stayed silent but began to roll the heavily-tinted windows back up. Blocking them from the werewolf’s direct view. As the stoplight turned green, Jules sped forward.

“Are they following us?” Jules asked, focused on weaving through traffic carefully.

“Yes,” Monica said, sounding a little shaken now.

Jules glanced in the rearview mirror as the driver of the other car cut across traffic, almost hitting an oncoming vehicle. Monica sucked in a breath, and Jules heard her heart begin to race.

“It’s going to be okay, Monica,” Jules said softly. Jules made another daring driving maneuver and hissed a curse when they matched her move. “We’re taking a detour,” Jules said. They turned and again were followed. “If I tell you to do something, don’t hesitate,” she instructed.

“You make that sound so easy,” Monica said with a strained smile. The rate of her heartbeat was tempting Jules, begging her to relish in the adrenaline flowing from the human beside her.

Jules shook herself, slamming the door shut on her temptations. This is Monica . Two more turns were made and duplicated. Jules slammed on the breaks. They were nearing downtown. This can’t go on any longer.

Monica let out a scream as Jules abruptly parallel parked. In one swift movement, she was in the space and the engine was off.

“Get out and head into the tea shop,” Jules instructed.

Monica did as she was told without hesitation and Jules entered the shop close behind her. The Alice in Wonderland themed shop was jam-packed with patrons, just as Jules had hoped.

“They won’t do anything here, it’s too busy. But if they follow us in, I need you to take my car and go.” Jules placed her car keys in Monica’s palm, wrapping her fingers around them. “Home, to the mall, I don’t care. Just go.”

“I can’t leave without you?” Monica protested. Her heart was still racing, and her breath was coming in quick spurts.

“Monica, I need you out of this equation. Don’t worry about me.

I can run faster than they can.” Jules gave her a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be fine.” Jules’s attention shifted when the door opened again.

All three men stormed in but hesitated. Their presence felt contradictory to the frilly surroundings.

“They will follow me. Take the car,” Jules instructed.

“Jules, I don’t like this…” Monica shook her head in protest.

“Here.” She shoved her phone into Monica’s hand. “Switch phones with me. Call Gabriel. And get out of here.” Jules squeezed Monica’s shoulder.

Without looking back, Jules rushed through the shop and out the back door. She was right. All three men came rushing after her.