Page 19 of Plug and Claim

White-hot anger blinded her, and she wished she’d packed something hard so she could throw it at him. “There will not be a next time!” she shouted after him as he left. The sound of his quiet footsteps faded.

He’d left the door wide open. Kira stared at it for a long moment before slamming it shut. She fumbled with the key as she slid it into place, the sound of metal grating on metal making her feel more secure, even if that safety was only an illusion.

It annoyed her that he’d left it open after warning her to leave it closed, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. Was he toying with her? Or giving her a choice?

Nathaniel’s earlier words echoed in her mind.

Unless you want to be fed on…

She shivered. Why would anyone want to be fed on by a vampire?

Chapter 8

The Poplarin Pack

Kira

Get some sleep , Nathaniel had said.

What a ridiculous notion.

It was a strange room with a strange bed, and the best thing that could be said about it was that she didn’t have to share with anyone else. It was about the size of her room at the cottage, but without so much as a hairbrush to fill it with, it felt empty.

I probably should have packed a few things.

Still, the room’s bareness complemented her goal to reinvent herself. She was no longer the wolf who’d lain dozing on the deck on a spring afternoon while the sun warmed her fur. Nor was she the woman who’d laughed as she tried to deep fry pastry with Mary, whose short, curly red hair had been dusted with icing sugar.

This was a new Kira.

She would guard her secrets close to her heart and lie in wait for the right opportunity to strike. If it meant sacrificing her pride and dignity to play the part of a nervous student, so be it. She would become whatever they wanted her to be. The perfect pupil. An obedient wolf. And as much as it made her cringe—a good pet. These façades would mask what she really was: a snake in the grass.

Nathaniel had thought she was easy prey—at least until she’d bitten him. Then again, he’d come prepared with a collar. It was almost flattering that he considered her to be a formidable adversary.

Oh for fuck’s sake. Who cares what that parasite thinks? We’re not frenemies.

Kira kicked off the sheets in frustration. Hopefully, she would be seeing very little of him at the academy.

Still, she wished she’d taken the opportunity to ask Nathaniel more about his kind. He’d been forthcoming enough in answering her questions, at least once he finally removed the gag, and she knew too little about vampires. Mary and Byron had told her all about the made vampires—their strengths, their weaknesses. The way they burnt beneath the sun, and could not see their reflection in the mirror, and were prone to garlic poisoning. The made vampires felt no pain, making them terrifying opponents in battle, and they lived forever unless staked.

But she’d known nothing of born vampires until this morning. If most of Nathaniel’s kind were born vampires, then she would learn everything she could about them. She’d already learnt that he was hot-blooded; she could still feel the warmth of his body as he’d pressed her against the cottage wall, the heat and lust emanating from him like dark, stormy clouds.

Kira went to the brass pedestal sink and splashed water on her face and neck to refresh herself. Using her fingers, she attempted to tame her dark brown hair. Mary had fondly described her locks as chestnut-coloured, glossy, and thick. She had also called Kira beautiful, commenting on her naturally brown skin and full lips, but those descriptions felt misplaced for someone destined to be a killer.

Which was what she needed to be to restore balance in the world. In their greed for power, the vampires had annihilated the witches, and enslaved the wolf shifters. It seemed the world would be better off without vampires, and her vision for balance involved wiping them out of existence.

A soft knock came at her door.

“Hullo? Kira? Are you awake?”

The female voice sounded friendly enough, and Kira opened the door to find Susie smiling at her. She looked less flustered than when they’d first met a few hours ago, her yellow eyes calm and inquisitive, and her strawberry-blonde hair was neatly braided. She was portly like Mary had been, but much closer to Kira’s age, and she looked far too cheerful for the ominous backdrop of the stone-walled corridor with green flames. She wore a navy blazer, white blouse and a pleated red skirt that was almost too short. Her wolf tail was still present, causing the skirt to flutter as it wagged gently.

Despite their unusual manner of meeting, Kira was glad to see a friendly face, especially one that wasn’t a certain blond-haired vampire.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?”

“Err, fine.” There was no point explaining that she hadn’t slept a wink.

“I’m sorry about a few hours ago,” Susie said, biting her plump lip. “Must have been strange for you to see me and the headmaster like that.”