Page 109 of Map of Pain

“You know, in all my years here, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the chance to fuck a vampire,”Owen murmured, his grip moving lower.“I wonder how silent youreallyare...”

Owen’s fingers brushed Luka’s hip.

That was enough.

Luka’s eyes snapped open, meeting Owen’s shocked gaze for a split second before his hand shot up and closed around histhroat. Owen tried to pull back, tried to scream, but Luka’s grip was iron.

Owen’s mouth opened and closedsoundlessly, his face darkening as Luka’s grip tightened. His struggles became more frantic as he saw the predator he’d thoughtsafelycontained.

Luka’s fangs extendedfullyas his beast rose to the surface, thirty minutes of helpless ragefinallyfinding its target. He bit into Owen’s throat with vicious satisfaction, tearing his fangs along the flesh to make it hurt. The operative’s blood flooded his mouth—hot, metallic, tainted with fear and cruelty but rich with the strength Luka needed.

When Owen’s heartfinallystopped, Luka let the body drop to the van floor. He rolled his shoulders, testing his mobility. The blood accelerated his healing—his spine felt solid, his movements fluid and powerful once again.

Now,his beast purred with satisfaction.Now we hunt.

Luka stepped over Owen’s corpse and droppedfrom the van, thankful for the awning it was parked under to shiel him from the sun. Every muscle coiled with predatory grace as he moved toward the diner, following Nick’s scent trail to wherever Shaw was holding him.

Shaw had no idea what was coming for him.

Chapter forty-two

Sitting together in the carnage...

Nick

Time fractured.

Nick stared at Shaw—at the fangs, at the black eyes, at the impossibility of everything he thought he knew crumbling into dust. The knife protruded from his chest like an accusation, blood soaking through his pristine gray suit, but Shaw stood there smiling like they were old friends.

Vampire.The word echoed through Nick’s mind, bouncing between his three internal voices like a pinball in a machine that had tilted beyond repair.

Assess the threat,the hunter said with mechanical precision.Extended canines,enhanced strength,probable accelerated healing.Weapon effectiveness: minimal.

He lied to us,the submissive whispered, shock bleeding through the conditioning.Everything was a lie. He made us hunt his own kind.

Of course he did,Nick replied with bitter clarity.Because Shaw never cared about ideology. This was always about control.

“You’re one of them,”Nick said over the rushing in his ears.

Shaw’s smile widened, fangs glinting in the harsh light.“Clearly.”

Nick’s hands trembled as the implications crashed over him. Every mission. Every kill. Every vampire he’d hunted down while Shaw watched from the shadows, orchestrating it all.

“How long?”

Shaw pulled the knife from his chest, tossing it aside where it clattered against the stainless steel prep counter. The wound was already closing, edges knitting together in real time.

“Seven years,”Shaw said, brushing imaginary lint from his bloodstained jacket.“After the monster you abandoned us for and its friends destroyed our organization the first time.”

Seven years. Nick’s mind reeled backward, calculating dates. Shaw had been a vampire for years before Nick was ever brought into the Society. Everything Nick did, every vampire he killed, had been orchestrated by a vampire who played some sort of long game.

“Why?” The word came out as barely more than breath.

Shaw began moving, slow steps that took him around the edge of the prep table. Nickmirrored the movement, keeping distance between them, his training taking over despite the chaos in his head.

Circle left,the hunter advised.Keep the prep station between you and the target.Maintain mobility.

“Hunting with diminished operatives led us to take too many risks,”Shaw explained, his tone almost professorial.“I had the misfortune of being turned by a maker who was rather indiscriminate.”