Snow’s head whips around. “This cat is out for blood. He won’t be satisfied until he’s burned this apartment to the ground after pissing in all our shoes.”
As if to confirm, Lucifer hisses and swipes a clawed paw at Snow from his perch. My roommate shakes the broom back at the feline with menace.
Strong hands move me aside as Kaison walks into our kitchenette/living room, observing the scene closer.
Then without a care in the world, he gets between the two battling enemies, reaches into the cabinet, and gingerly pulls out the demon cat from our cupboard.
Snow’s mouth drops open with the disbelief I feel.
In seconds, the fucking Satan cat is purring in Kaison’s arms.
“What in the fae fucks is happening right now?” Snow asks in equal parts awe and disgust.
Kaison rubs the cat’s ears and the purr double times. “What can I say? Pussies love me.” Then he throws us that cheeky grin of his.
The broom hits the ground with a clatter as Snow stomps out of the kitchen. “That’s it, I’m out.” The door to her room slams shut behind her.
I grab the dustpan, pick up the broom, and start to clean up the broken glass. “Stupid ass cat.”
Kaison puts the cat down in the living room and crosses over to crouch beside me as if to help.
I reach out and grab a large chunk of glass, but Kaison’s proximity throws me, and my thumb slides across the sharp end, splitting the skin there.
I curse and suck the split digit into my mouth.
Kaison stiffens next to me. My heart thumps erratically, fearfully.
I’m bleeding.
In front of a vampire.
Slowly, I raise my gaze to meet his.
His pupils have swallowed his irises, and he stares at me with blatant hunger. Kaison's Adam's apple bobs in a slow, forced movement.
Fear skitters down my spine like a rodent on the run.
I bite on my thumb with my blunt teeth, as if to force the pain to drown out the sudden terror that grips me.
“Cinder,” he says slowly, as if afraid of spooking me.
It’s already too late.
Adrenaline pumps through me. Any second he’s going to lunge at me. Tackle me to the ground and sink his teeth into me. He won’t stop even when I’m screaming in agony, begging him for mercy.
“Cinder,” he repeats, voice thick with emotion.
Faintness threatens to pull me under, fighting with the adrenaline.
“I’m not going to bite you.”
It takes my rioting senses a minute to register what he says.
“I’m not going to bite you, Cinder,” he repeats.
Even as he says it, he inches closer to me slowly, painstakingly. One hand pulls my wrist, removing my thumb from my mouth. But he doesn’t go for my broken flesh. His dark eyes remain fixed on mine, trapping me in this moment.
I should whack him with the dustpan. I should scream. I should run like hell.
