Page 85 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

The first man materialized out of the shadows near a construction scaffold, moving with that impossible speed that made my brain stutter trying to track the motion. He flew straight at Kit with a sound like a hissing cat.

Vampire.

I didn’t even have a second to process before the second one launched itself at me.

It wasn’t like Seb. Nothing like Seb.

This vampire was younger, wilder, with eyes that caught the streetlight and reflected it back red. His fangs were fully extended, gleaming wet in the yellow glow, and the smell hit me—copper and cold stone and something sweet-rotten underneath that made me cry out.

Too fast. He’s too fast.

My body froze for one terrible second as every instinct screamed predator, danger, run. But then Kit’s voice echoed in my head from all those training sessions: “Don’t freeze. Keep moving. Buy time.”

The vampire’s hand shot out towards my shoulder. I twisted sideways, stumbling but breaking free of his reach, just like Kit had drilled into me. The vampire’s fingers scraped against my hoodie instead of finding purchase on skin.

His face contorted with surprise and frustration. He’d expected easy prey.

Keep moving. Don’t let them pin you.

I backed towards a parked car, using it as a barrier between us. My heart hammered so hard I could taste it, metallic fear coating my tongue. Ten feet away, sounds of Kit’s fight reached me—the sharp crack of impact, a low inhuman snarl—but I couldn’t spare a glance.

The vampire feinted left, then lunged right. I dodged again, barely, my trainers skidding on the damp pavement. But he was learning my pattern now, anticipating my movements.

“Come here, little rabbit,” he hissed, voice wrong somehow—too much sibilance, like speaking around those extended fangs took effort.

He came at me again, faster this time. I tried the move Kit had shown me—step into the attack, use his momentum against him—but my timing was off. The vampire caught my wrist, his grip like marble, cold and impossibly strong.

Pain shot up my arm. The wrong-sweet scent intensified. Hunger blazed in those red-tinged eyes.

Solar plexus. Like Kit showed you.

I drove my free elbow up and into his sternum with everything I had. The vampire doubled over, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench my wrist free.

But he recovered too quickly. Before I could put distance between us, he was upright again, furious now instead of playful.

“Enough games. I’m hungry.”

He moved like liquid shadow, faster than anything had a right to be. I tried to dodge, but my human reflexes weren’t quick enough. His hands slammed into my chest, driving me backward. My spine hit the brick wall with a jarring crack, air leaving my lungs in a rush.

“There we go,” the vampire crooned, pressing closer. One hand pinned my shoulder against the wall while the other tilted my head to expose my throat. His breath was cold against my neck. “Well, aren’t you a darling? This won’t hurt. I promise.”

This is it. The training wasn’t enough. I’m going to die on this street, and Kit is going to have to carry my body home.

Fangs grazed my skin, sharp enough to pierce the surface. A warm trickle of blood slid down my neck.

A wolf-like snarl tore through the air.

The vampire’s weight vanished from me so suddenly I nearly collapsed.

I slid down the wall, legs unable to support me.

The vampire took one look at Kit, made a horrible sound, then bolted. His form almost blurred as he fled down the street, footsteps echoing before fading into silence.

For a split second, Kit looked like he might follow, muscles coiled for pursuit, then he dropped to the ground beside me instead.

“Felix. Felix, look at me.”

There was blood on his knuckles, dark stains across the grey wool of his cardigan. A cut on his forehead leaked crimson down his temple.