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“I swear to fuck, Dad,” Zan growled from behind me. “Let me go.”
“She’s fine,” Amaros responded tightly. “Let it play out.”
I didn’t dare take my eyes off the Shadows to look at Zan. Fear slid through my limbs when he didn’t appear beside me. Did Amaros want me dead? The female Shadow cocked her head, watching me curiously. Her dirty-blond hair was in a ponytail, and she played with the ends as she exchanged a look with another Shadow. And then they both sauntered closer. I stood my ground, keeping my spine straight. I nearly reached for the stake in my boot, but there was no way that would help me in this moment. Not against this many of them.
The blonde sniffed, her questioning gaze staying on my throat. “What a gift. Two humans in one night?”
The other Shadow grabbed my wrist, yanking me toward them. I let out a yell, swinging my arm on instinct. I caught him in the throat, but it did absolutely nothing to deter either of them.
“Stop,” Zan roared, his tone full of fury. “None of you will fucking touch her.”
Amaros must still have been holding Zan back because neither of them came to my rescue. I was smashed between two Shadows while many others circled me.
“She smells…different,” the blonde murmured.
I slammed my hands against her chest to try and shove her away, but she didn’t budge. Panic clawed inside my chest from being surrounded. These Shadows were predators just like vampires. They were worse than vampires because they were deadlier.
“Who cares? I’m fucking starving,” the one who was standing behind me replied, hunger in his voice.
Zan was still yelling demands that the Shadows were ignoring. But they weren’t attacking. Which only confused me, putting me more on edge. They weren’t holding me, but I couldn’t escape when I was crushed between two of them. My chest heaved, and I locked gazes with the blonde in front of me.
“Back away,” I snarled, letting anger cover my panic. “I am not a fucking meal. Get the hell away from me.”
Silence fell over the room as I stayed in the stare-off with the female Shadow. Questions lingered in her gaze, and her lips pressed together as she scowled. Shock tore through me when she took a small step back. Then another. The circle broke apart as more Shadows moved away from me. I whirled around, eyeing the Shadow who was behind me.
“You too,” I snapped. “Get the fuck away from me.”
He hesitated for a few moments, and over his shoulder, I saw Zan ripping away from Amaros’s hold. The Shadow finally retreated, his eyes lingering on mine as he joined the others who were farther back. Zan rushed forward, not stopping until his arm was around my waist and I was pressed to his side. But it was Amaros I was focused on. Because he was staring at me so intently that I couldn’t suppress the nerves jolting through my veins.
“Come on,” Zan murmured, leading me toward the door we’d entered through. I glanced over my shoulder to see Amaros following us. And all the Shadows swooped down on the woman’s body, tearing into her flesh wherever they could. I was grateful she was already dead and didn’t have to endure that.
After exiting through the two doors, I sucked in the fresh air, and I realized my hands were trembling. I crossed my arms, not wanting Amaros to see how shaken I was. We passed the vampires who were standing guard, and Zan didn’t slow down until we were near the truck we’d taken here.
“You okay?” he asked when we finally stopped.
“Look at her,” Amaros drawled from behind me. “She’s fine. She shouldn’t be. Yet here she stands without so much as one bite mark.”
I turned around, and Zan moved behind me, his hand never leaving my hip. His grip was tight, as if he physically couldn’t let me go. Amaros was standing a few feet away, and I could barely see him in the moonlight.
“How old are you?” he murmured, an edge of threat in his voice.
“Twenty-five,” I lied, going along with what Zan had told him last time.
In an instant, he was right in front of me, grabbing my jaw and tipping up my face. His fingers dug into my cheeks, and he leaned closer until his eyes met mine. Dread claimed me when I realized what he was trying to do. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let him catch my gaze long enough to try to entrance me. My tattoo protected me, but what if it wasn’t enough against his power?
“Dad,” Zan bit out as he stayed behind me with his hands on my waist. “Don’t.”
“I’ve kept my distance out of respect for you, son,” he growled. “Do not fucking push me right now. She had hawthorn weeks ago. It should be gone.”
I tried jerking my face from his hold, but he only tightened his grip. My eyes were still shut, and I hated not having my sight, but I still didn’t open them.
“Don’t fight me, Kali,” he ordered sharply. “I’m doing this the nice way for Zan’s sake. If you do not comply, I’ll take you back to the house and do this differently.”
Terror clung to me, but I listened, opening my eyes and meeting his stare, letting my loathing for him fill my gaze. I’d rather he find out about my tattoo with Zan at my back than be dragged into that house, where Amaros would most likely torture me.
Amaros didn’t say a word, his gaze making me feel so vulnerable that I wanted nothing more than to try and run away. His grip prevented that.
“I can’t entrance you,” he finally said, a frown on his lips. “How the hell is that possible?”
