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The woman rocked back, eyes widening. “Wh-wh?—”
“Don’t stop!”A fierce cry from the man. His eyes were open, but he didn’t seem to be staring at anything. Erin wasn’t even sure he’d noticed them.
The woman’s lips peeled back, and Erin caught sight of her teeth.
Fangs.
Vampire?
The blonde twisted, moving like a snake on the ground as she sized them up and put her prey between them. Her eyes—why hadn’t Erin noticed the woman’s eyes before? They were black. A vamp in hunting mode.
Erin’s breath jerked out. She’d only ever seen two vampires—okay, three now—in her life. The ones she’d seen before had done nothing to make her like the bloodsuckers, or even to have vague semi-warm feelings for them.
The first guy had jumped her in a park when she’d been in New Orleans. Her first week in the city. She’d broken his nose, possibly fractured his jaw, then she’d run like hell.
And she’d run right into another vamp. The two had been some kind of sick team. Caging in their prey.
They’d picked the wrong prey.
That guy had gotten tossed ten feet. By the time he’d gotten up, she’d been gone. But Erin had never forgotten their eyes or the stench of death that clung to them like a second skin.
“Come closer, and I’ll kill him,” the blonde grated, lifting her claws over the man’s throat.
Erin believed her. One swipe would be all that was needed to cut open his jugular and?—
Jude lunged forward. He grabbed the man’s arm and jerked him away from the vamp in a lightning fast move. The vamp’s claws raked across the man’s neck and shoulders, drawing blood and eliciting screams from him.
Jude snapped, “Shut the hell up!” Then he shoved the guy away from him and away from the rising vampire.
The man’s eyes were finally open andaware. He raised a trembling hand to his throat and touched the trickling blood. His saucer-sized eyes stared first at Jude, then the vamp. After a few stunned seconds, he turned and ran.
“Now what are you gonna do?” Jude put his hands on his hips and sized up the vampire. “’Cause I doubt you’re gonna be able to take me.” Erin saw that his claws were out. “But, just for fun, why don’t you come and try?”
Well, damn.
So much for using the victim.
The vamp’s chin lifted even as her eyes narrowed. “You know how hard it is to find a donor in this city? One wholikesthe bite?”
A donor. Nice way of putting it.
“Do I look like I give a shit?” Jude demanded. “Besides, I get the feeling you don’t care if your donors are willing or not.”
A smile from the vamp. One that probably would have been pretty, if the woman hadn’t been flashing bloodstained fangs. “No, I don’t.” Then her gaze shot to Erin.
Shit.
That toothy grin widened. “Hello, there.”
Jude’s hands flew up, and his claws were wicked sharp. “I don’t have much use for vamps, so let’s make this short.”
“Umm...and I don’t have much use for shifters.” Her gaze was still on Erin. “Even those who bring me pretty presents.”
Pretty what?Presents? And why had the blonde been looking at her when she said that?
“She’s not for you.” Jude moved a bit to the right, putting himself between Erin and the vamp.
“Oh?” The woman’s voice was low, taunting. “And I’m to think she’s for you? Humans don’t go for shifters. Everyone knows that. They hate the beasts in you.”
