Page 49 of Claimed By Fangs and Darkness

Kylo revealed the underside of his own arm, putting it next to mine. He had more tattoos than me, but the central, largest sigil on his arm mirrored my own.

“It’s not a collar,” he said. He pulled me against him, his large, frightening cock poking my stomach. “But for now, it will do.”

Nothing could’ve preparedme for Etherdale’s new reality. More born than I’d ever seen in this once mortal-dominated city flooded the streets, even in the vampire-free zones on campus.

There was no such thing as vampire-free zones in Etherdale. Not anymore.

“Keep walking, baby,” Kylo said. “You have to keep walking.”

In broad daylight, a group of born were sitting at a university café, sipping martinis as they ogled young adults milling around campus.

The energy was heavy, mournful. As I studied the kids who passed, I noticed their bloodshot eyes, their puffy skin, and the shocked disbelief that marred their features. I was surprisedthey felt safe enough to be outside today, but Etherdale University students had never shied away from acts of bravery and defiance. Instead of irritation or fear, I now brimmed with solidarity and duty, a drive to protect these young humans.

“She’s not going to want to move,” I said to Kylo. “And I don’t blame her.Idon’t want to move.”

The tiniest flash of hurt passed through Kylo’s eyes before it melted into understanding. He knew what my cottage and garden meant to me.

We were on our way to see Mena. My heart pumped erratically, overcome with input from both my heightened senses and my expansive witchy sight.

I struggled to ground myself. Princeton’s techniques and guidance were the only things keeping me from accidentally leaking shadow.

We kept moving through the grief-stricken streets. I counted three dead bodies. One was clearly turned, my sigil burning as we passed. The others were mortal, perhaps dissenters caught in the crossfire.

Kylo and I mirrored grief, his hand squeezing mine in response.

Ten minutes from Mena’s house, we turned a street corner and ran into a fight between a group of masked turned and born. A giant wolf roared, snapping its jaws at the born. Humans scattered, running for cover. One of the born wielded explosive, fiery magick. In the blink of an eye, it had shattered through a shop window and obliterated everything and everyone inside.

A feral yell built up in my throat.

Kylo grabbed me and pulled me backward before I could make a sound.

“We have to?—”

“I know,” he said.

Relief washed over me. We were both hungry for a fight, even if that protective, hesitant fear lingered in Kylo’s eyes. The agony of potentially losing me and his unhealthy need for control made him hesitate for a brief moment.

“Mask up,” he whispered.

Kylo wanted to hold me back, to shield me from reality, but he set me free instead.

I activated my new sigil for only the second time. The first had been a trial run. I hadn’t realized how soon I’d need the skill, but at the same time, I wasn’t surprised.

I shivered at the strange sensation of shadows crawling across my face and bleeding into my hair, obscuring my identity. They turned my blonde strands black, and they created a hard, protective mask that covered the entirety of my face.

“Remember, do not give anyone time to realize you’re not a vampire,” Kylo hissed. “And if I give you an order, obey it.”

I nodded. Just like Kylo killed his urge to hold me back, I killed mine to question him. It wasn’t the time for ego battles. We were a team.

Another crash boomed, and we moved back around the corner.

“They killed my daughter!” a woman screamed. “They killed her and left her body in the street!”

I homed in on the human woman who’d burst out of a storefront, tear-stricken.

One of the born women rolled her eyes before mimicking the woman in a grating, high-pitched whine. “You stupid, insolent mortals will break the law and assault your rulers and then act surprised when you face consequences. If your daughter hadn’t attacked one of Lord Conrad’s men, she’d still be alive.”

The born man who wielded explosives shot another at one of the turned, who managed to deflect with a shield of shadow in the nick of time. The other four turned were engaged in hand-to-hand, weapons reflecting the afternoon sun. Blood sprayed. Shadows flew. Bodies moved too fast to track.