Page 66 of The Silver Fox Vampire

“Here drink this, it’s anti-inflammatory.” She kept her eyes averted from his chest.

He grunted as he took it from her, sipped and pulled a face. “What is this? It’s bitter as fuck.”

She smirked. “Better for you than whiskey.”

He smirked back. “Probably true.”

And once again, she dared to cast her gaze down. She took in his pecs, the almost translucent pallor of his skin, every part of him razor-sharp muscle. As he turned and put the cup on the bedside table she caught a glimpse of his shoulder blades. There were welts, almost like scars but not quite, as if the skin had a natural rupture point there. And she suddenly realized, of course—that was where his wings would sprout from.

It made her eager to know more of his anatomy. When he had last used those wings. What they looked like unfurled. How would he look in full vampiric form?

What if he made love to her like that?

Stop. Stop. Stop.

“I’ll leave you to get some rest,” she said and ran out of the room.

CHAPTER 20

The light from the flames was getting closer, bobbing bright in the dark. From their hiding place under the stairs, he saw many shadowy figures holding burning torches surge into their front yard. Holding her small hand firmly in his, he told Effie not to run, not to let go of him, not for a moment. Crouched down low, they watched as his parents tried to barricade the door, but there were too many of them. They were bashing at the wood with cudgels, chanting, “Kill. Kill. Kill.”

“Don’t move, Effie,” he whispered again. “Hold on to my hand, and whatever you do, don’t let go.”

“They’re going to kill us,” she whimpered.

“They can’t kill us, we’re vampires. We must be ready to fly when the door opens.”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide, frightened. “I c—can’t, my wings are stuck.”

“You can do this, just focus.”

He would carry Effie on his back if need be, but the only way out was through windows, or the door that was surrounded by humans.

With a loud bang, the door burst inward. The humans stormed in, shouting, their torches lighting up the room. It happened so fast, so very fast.

Horrified, he saw one man raise a huge stake, then heard his father howl as they staked him. Then his mother was stabbed through the chest. She collapsed like a rag doll, her chest spouting blood.

“Mamma! Mamma!” Effie screamed. He tried to grab her arm, tried to hold her, keep her safe, but she managed to escape his grip, and darted out toward her mother’s limp, bleeding body.

“There’s another one!” a human screamed.

‘Don’t let that evil vermin get away.”

“Stake it.”

“Stake the vampire.”

He heard the shouts but couldn’t move. The fear was so strong it froze the marrow of his bones, his muscles, his wings, all motionless. He watched as they took Effie, writhing and screaming, and held her down. And as they brought down the stake, somehow, he found his courage and shot forward from his hiding place.

And then… there was an almighty explosion, searing heat, screams, and everything imploded, the walls and ceiling caving in around him.

The next thing he knew he was being catapulted into the air, through the charred beams of the roof. He burst out through the flames, his wings carrying him higher and higher into the cool night sky, until the burning house was nothing but a glow and his own anguished screams were lost to him, carried away on the wind.

Panic seized him. He paddled his legs desperately, using every bit of his willpower and strength to work against the momentum of his wings, but they only carried him higher.

He had to get back, had to save Effie…

Tears of frustration and grief streamed down his face, and he howled as he was carried further into the heavens…