Page 31 of Property of Blade (Kings of Anarchy MC: Alaska #1)

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Vex

I ’m high up in the trees, the cold wind biting at my skin, but it doesn’t bother me. Nothing bothers me when I’m up here, where the world below is nothing more than a blur of movement and sound. My senses are sharp, the day slowly stretching into night beneath me as I listen.

Down in the diner, Tessa moves around, her footsteps light but purposeful, the clink of dishes mixing with the low hum of the old refrigerator. Her scent drifts up to me, rich and intoxicating—a scent that fills my lungs and makes my blood burn hot despite the chill in the air.

I can hear her every breath and quiet murmur. Closing my eyes for a moment, I let the sound of her heartbeat, steady and strong, fill me. It’s something I shouldn’t be listening to or even care about.

But I do.

The sound of the diner door opening and closing brings me back to reality. She’s finished for the night and hasn’t told a soul about us. I follow her movements as she walks down the street.

When she reaches her front door, I’m already there, hidden in the shadows, watching her. She slips inside, and I settle myself against the tree closest to her window, watching. Waiting.

The soft sound of water running reaches me first. She’s in the shower. It’s the slightest sound, but to me, it’s as clear as thunder.

I hear the way the water splashes against her skin, the soft gasp she lets out as the heat hits her.

I shouldn’t be listening, but the temptation is too much.

Leaning forward, barely breathing, my pulse pounds in my ears as I imagine what she looks like, her body slick with water, her hair curling against her neck.

A growl rumbles in my chest before I can stop it. I want her. More than I’ve ever wanted anything, but I know it’s futile. She knows now. She knows what I am. What I’ll always be.

It was a pipe dream—a fantasy that’s now shattered.

The sound of her stepping out of the shower and the rustle of a towel against her skin brings me back to the present.

I listen as she dresses, a simple shift in her movements telling me she’s pulling on her favorite sweatshirt.

It’s casual and comfortable. I’ve seen her in it a million times from my perch here in the tree.

When she turns on the television, I force myself to look away, to step back from the edge of the tree, my fingers curling around the bark as I hold myself together.

I can hear the soft murmur of her voice as she talks to herself, the way her breath hitches when the show she’s watching catches her attention.

And then she climbs into bed.

The sheets rustle, and a soft sigh escapes her lips. My chest tightens, the need to be near her almost suffocating, but I stay in the shadows, far from the warmth of her room.

I want to be the one who makes her sigh and makes her feel safe and wanted. But I know that’s never going to happen. Not now. Not after everything she’s learned. She’ll never trust me.

She won’t divulge my secrets or the MC’s. Tessa is stronger than I gave her credit for. Smarter. But she doesn’t know yet how much danger she’s in.

I was born a vampire. My coven was far from the townships of men.

In my early years, we hunted animals, but the humans expanded into our territories, and they became easy prey.

Eventually, they fought back, and we had to flee, burning down most of London as we did.

We burned our enemies, and the great fire of London and the plague live on in history.

My first few human kills left me with a hunger I couldn’t control.

When I think about those times, I’m ashamed.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve avoided Kyler.

He’s not like me. I can see the good still in him, and he was turned, not born.

But I know I need to teach him how to hunt and feed off humans without killing them.

With a shake of my head, my eyes lock on her house one last time. It’s time to move on. Tessa is not mine, and she never will be.

I turn away and head toward Blade’s home, the familiar weight of responsibility settling into my chest. Prophet sent me a text as did Ranger, telling me what happened at Hannah’s. This will give me something to focus on because Tessa—she’s out of reach.