Page 88 of The Vampire Court

“You’re insane if you think I would willingly bind myself to you. I would rather die.”

He leans forward, putting his mouth next to my ear, his hot breath fanning across my cheek. “Consider it. What human wouldn’t want the long life of a vampire? Added strength and speed, never aging, never suffering a single day from human ailments, and none of the side effects like needing to drink blood.”

I step away, but his hand slides up and tangles in my hair, keeping me in place.

“Me,” I say. “I don’t want that.”

Especially not when it would mean being bound to the vampire who compelled me into decapitating someone.

I’ve had enough. Flexing my fingers, I run through what I need to do in my mind. Then, I shove my elbow back into his gut. Alexander’s hand loosens, and his breath is forced out in a pained whoosh. Then, I’m free.

He snarls, bumping into the frames behind him. “You’ll pay for that, girl!”

I whirl in time just as he backhands me.

The hit forces me to the side. I stumble. There’s a deep thunk, and blinding stars explode before my eyes as my head cracks against stone.

Chapter Thirty-One

Clara

Fiery hot needlesprickle across my cheek in time with my pulse as my face already begins to swell. My vision wavers in and out of focus. Hissing through my teeth, I press a hand to my head to stop the ringing.

Alexander lunges, and I roll away, but I’m too slow. He grips my arm, hauling me to my feet, preventing me from drawing my dagger.

Using his hold to steady me, I widen my feet and sink down into my stance as Cassius taught me to do.

Alexander drags a sharp nail over my heart. I suck in a raspy breath, and he digs deeper, past the skin and into the muscle, drawing a whimper. His lips curl at the sound.

I grab hold of his shoulder, bringing my knee up into his groin. His mouth drops open as he doubles at the waist, stumbling backward, but his momentary distraction doesn’t last long. He strikes out with both hands, fingers curled into claws.

I spin away, but his nails slice through my sleeve, tearing into my arm and sending a searing wave of pain across my skin.

Spinning away, I stumble into the wall. I need to get to the door, but Alexander is careful to keep himself positioned between me and my escape.

A wave of dizziness throws me off balance, and I use the wall to prop myself up, gasping for air more than I should. The vampire bares his fangs and stalks forward, stopping just out of reach. Keeping his gaze locked on me, he drags a nail down his forearm.

“Stop fighting me, pet. Do as I say before you bleed to death.”

I press tighter against the wall. The sight of him cutting his own arm startles me. He inches closer, watching my every movement.

When he’s within reach, I push off the wall and ram him with my shoulder. He grunts and uses his weight to pin me to the wall.

Shit, shit, shit.

He takes both of my hands and holds them above my head. Pain explodes along my right arm where he cut me. Blood continues to seep from my wounds, the tangy smell of copper filling the air. His is already healing.

“If you’re lucky, you might just live through this process.” He hums thoughtfully to himself. “Unless I change my mind and kill you instead.” He leans in and drags his tongue along one of the deep gashes on my arm, watching me from the corners of his eyes. “If you live,” he whispers, “I will chain you up in my room for the rest of eternity and feed on you.”

Demons take me. I will not let that happen.

I spit. The wad of saliva lands below his eye. The shocked expression on his face sends a spark of pride through my veins. The vampire reels back, horrified. His perfectly quaffed hair sticks out wildly.

“Yes,” he growls. “It’s a good thing we will be taking that oath. You are in need of a master to teach you how a proper human ought to behave.”

I don’t bother replying. If Alexander hasn’t guessed by now that I will fight him until one of us kills the other, then he hasn’t been paying attention.

As Alexander wipes his face, I sprint around the edge of the room, racing toward the door. A cold hand with a steel grip catches my arm. I stumble to a halt as he squeezes down on my wounds, digging his fingers in.