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Emilio watched the dripping blood twist down the man’s limbs in bright rivulets. The ribbons of red followed the path of the silver ropes in which he’d trussed his mark, like a twisted maypole.

Tilting his head to the side, Emilio watched in fascination as the light in the man’s eyes dimmed and the unknowable secrets of death loomed close.

The soft music he was playing in his family’s warehouse was set to adjust automatically to his target’s weakening heartbeat—a harmonic counterpoint to the rattle of his lungs.

Beautiful.

If only he had the time or energy to draw this out longer. Today was not a day he could linger, though. He had places to be, and he was already running himself ragged trying to help his Alpha cousin figure out who was muscling in on the Lunetti Pack’s arms-dealing territory.

A tug of awareness shot through him from his wolf like someone was watching, and he flicked his focus to his silent onlooker. The young vampire, Seth, was riveted by the sight of the blood to the point he was paying no attention to Emilio. It wasn’t the vampire’s eyes Emilio had sensed, though.

Scanning the warehouse, Emilio searched the few windows for any sign of someone else watching, drawing in a deep breath to catch any scents that didn’t belong.

All he could smell was the metallic blood and stench of the dying man and the surprisingly pleasant scent of the young vampire.

His thumb rubbed over the leather bracelet wrapped around his wrist that would warn him of any witch magic that meant him harm as he searched. It didn’t so much as quiver.

His wary hunt for whatever had put his instincts on edge was interrupted by a text.

Alpha:

I’ll be there in ten.

Emilio sighed in annoyance at his artistic endeavour being cut short.

“I need to get going. Do you want to do the honours?” he asked, glancing over at the vampire again.

The vampire’s nostrils flared, and his pupils dilated. “I can’t. My… manager… would kill me if she knew I’d taken out a client.”

Seth was a potential informant one of Emilio’s international contacts had put him onto a while back.

It had taken him several visits back to the city to find something that would convince the vampire who’d been turned too young to risk betraying his coven for.

Not because Seth had any loyalty to Kyan or his ‘ manager ’ but because he was, rightly, scared.

Being turned into a vampire just to be forced to turn tricks on the street while collecting information for the coven had not endeared Seth’s new species to him.

The coven relied on brutal examples of how they treated traitors to secure loyalty.

That didn’t work all that well when your everyday life on the street was just as brutal, though.

Case in point, what the man hanging in the warehouse had done to deserve his end .

“Won’t she link the death back to you anyway?” Emilio asked.

“I’ll tell her another client got jealous and killed him. She’ll love it. She might even up my fees.”

Emilio nodded. Reaching out, he yanked hard on one of the silver ropes he’d carefully knotted for just this purpose, revelling in the sound of the abusive asshole’s neck snapping.

The music responding to the guy’s heartbeat cut off immediately.

Silence fell across the warehouse as he stood staring at the now-still man swaying where he hung from the ceiling, entranced by the transition from life to death.

A hand traced down his spine—how had one so newly turned moved so silently?—and he spun to face Seth.

“Thank you,” the vampire said, sinking to his knees and blinking up at him with wide eyes filled with false innocence and bright red lips.

Maybe Emilio would’ve been tempted before, maybe not.

Seth was in his mid-twenties, so not too young, and he deserved some pleasure in his life.

Not that Emilio would’ve slept with him if the vampire was doing it out of obligation.

Regardless, as soon as Emilio had scented his fated mate a week ago, he’d lost all interest in fucking anyone else. It was infuriating.

“Hey, none of that. You’re repaying me with information, remember? Anything you can find on the weapons coming into the city that aren’t authorised by the pack.”

Emilio pulled the young man to his feet and tipped his chin up, tracing a gentle finger over the ragged slashes where his cheeks had been sliced open by the dead man.

Who knew what other injuries his clothing hid?

The wounds should’ve healed by now, even as newly turned as he was.

The fact they hadn’t suggested Seth’s pimp had been starving him of the blood he needed to thrive.

Hopefully, she’d let him have what he needed now that the asshole wasn’t around paying to see the results of his handiwork.

Seth leaned into his touch. “You’re hot. I wouldn’t mind.”

“I like my partners a little older and a lot more enthusiastic, sweetheart. Plus, my Alpha will be here any minute,” Emilio said.

Seth huffed a breath, but the tension in him relaxed as he realised Emilio wasn’t going to take advantage.

“I don’t mind an audience,” he teased.

Emilio smirked. “Marco would love you.” In more ways than one. The slender, pretty man with his flowing locks, so eager to drop to his knees, was just his Alpha’s type.

“Dealing with one wolf is more than enough trouble for me.”

Seth turned away to step closer to the dead guy beside them, staring at him like he wanted to bring him back to life and torture him some more.

“You want to feed from me before you go? You look like you could use a meal,” Emilio offered.

The cloying scent of fear rose from the vampire. “I can’t. Not without her permission.”

“Stay out of the sun on your way home or you’ll weaken even more. If you ever want out, we can help you get out of the city and start afresh.”

The scent of Seth’s fear grew stronger.

“I need to get back. Thanks for this. I’ll keep an eye out for your weapons dealer.”