Page 120 of Red Fury

It can’t be.

I thought I was free of him. Turns out I was wrong. I underestimated the male.

But something’s different about him. His shirt is wrinkled and untucked on one side. Dark stubble covers his jaw, and there are shadows under his eyes that weren’t there before. He looks like he hasn’t slept at all.

I frown.

What should I do?

Scream?

Cause a scene?

There is nowhere to run.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, fighting to keep my voice steady. My heart is pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it.

He doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slides into the empty seat next to me, his movements fluid despite his disheveled appearance. Up close, I can see that his eyes are bloodshot, and there’s something wild in them that makes mydragon recoil. His vampire scent is so much stronger. I find it offensive.

“I can’t let you leave, little dragon,” he says, his voice almost gentle. “Not when we were just getting to know each other.”

The pet name irritates the shit out of me. I press myself back into my seat, putting as much distance between us as possible. “Leave me alone, Kozlov. I’m not your little dragon or your pet. I’m not yours at all.”

He laughs, but it’s not the smooth, confident sound I remember. This laugh has a sharp edge to it. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. And I thought we already established that you are mine to do with as I please.” His nostrils flare, and I watch in horror as his canine teeth begin to lengthen into fangs.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.

His eyes are fixed on my throat, and I can see the hunger there, raw and desperate. This isn’t the controlled, calculating man I met before. This is something else entirely. Something much more dangerous.

“You smell…” he murmurs, his voice thick. “You smell incredible. I’ve been thinking about your blood ever since…” He swallows roughly, his throat working.

“Since…?” I whisper.

His eyes flick up to mine, and they’re starting to take on that reddish tinge. “Since I had a sample. Ever since I—”

He stops talking abruptly, his whole body going rigid. When he looks up at me again, his eyes have gone completely blood red.

“I can’t stop thinking about—” He lunges for me.

I react on instinct, my fist connecting with his jaw in a blow that would shatter a human’s bones. The crack echoes through the cabin, and Kozlov goes flying backward, slamming into the seats across the aisle. Thankfully, no one is sitting there, or they might have been injured.

The other passengers start screaming.

Kozlov is on his feet almost before he hits the ground, but so am I. The narrow aisle doesn’t give us much room to maneuver, but that works both ways. He can’t use his full speed, and I can’t—

I can’t shift.

Crap! I’m trapped in this metal tube thirty thousand feet above the ground with a bloodthirsty monster, and I can’t access my greatest weapon. If I shift, I’ll tear the aircraft apart and kill everyone on board. Innocent human lives will be lost.

“Everybody get back!” I shout as Kozlov advances on me again, his fangs fully extended now.

The passengers scramble toward the back of the cabin, their screams filling the confined space. A woman stumbles and falls, and I move to help her.

It’s the opening Kozlov needs.

His fist catches me in the ribs, and I feel something crack. Pain explodes through my torso, but I grit my teeth and swing back at him. My elbow connects with his solar plexus, doubling him over.

“Stay down!” I snarl, but he’s already straightening, that horrible laugh spilling from his lips again.