At first, they feared me. Everyone had heard my name by then; not a country left intact as I made my way through each one, trying to figure out my purpose.
I met Ryland first. He was just as evil as me and a werewolf; we continued our reign of terror until we met our other mate. I was hoping for a woman, not that I was uncomfortable with my sexuality. It is what it is, and quite frankly, I would fuck anything with legs to fulfill my needs and those of my mates.
Orion, though, is different, weaker. He doesn’t agree with my past and the things we have done; he is much older than both of us and knew of my grandfather. Orion is a vampire and a little old-fashioned, but he is mine, even though he annoys me and frustrates me to no end.
He hated me, but he came to see reason. He has remained by my side, even when he doesn’t agree, trying to talk me down, trying to change me. Though now, I think he has given up.
Sitting on the balcony of my penthouse apartment, I look over the city, my eyes scanning as I watch the crowds of people below, unaware of the monster watching them.
I hear movement behind me, and my eyes snap to the glass sliding doors. She hands me a smoke and I light it breathing in deeply, enjoying the burn in my throat from its harshness.
“When are you going to go home? Haven’t you punished them enough? They did it to protect you. It is time you stop this, whatever it is you are doing.”
“And what is that?” I ask her, looking back toward the city.
“The destruction, what are you trying to prove? Who are you looking for?” She asks and I sigh. Only she would get away with questioning me like this. I always had a soft spot for her. She listens and doesn’t judge, no matter how much I fuck things up.
“I’m not trying to prove anything. I don’t need to.”
“Then why, Thaddeus, why all this?” She asks.
“Because I can, that is why,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “Your mother said there was still good in you, that we just had to find it, that we could pull you back from the darkness. Now, I’m not sure anymore. I can’t watch you destroy yourself, destroy everything you put your hands on. I’m sorry, Thaddeus, but I can’t. I’m going home, come and see me when you see sense,” she says.
“You’re leaving already? You just got here,” I tell her, growling at her.
She steps back, frightened. “I’m sorry Thaddeus, but please, just go home, they will forgive you.” She says before turning away.
“Tell mom I’m not coming back.” I tell her. She smiles sadly before nodding.
She slips inside, closing the door behind her. A few minutes later, the glass door opens again, and Orion comes out before plucking my smoke from my fingers and drawing on it. He leans against the railing, “What did you say to your Aunty Bianca that upset her?” He asks, before passing my smoke back.
“I told her I’m not going back.” Orion sighs loudly, looking over the railing. I move behind him, pressing myself against him, reaching around and grabbing his cock through his pants. His dick twitches in my hand responding to my touch. I groan into his ear before I pull at his belt.
“Not tonight Thaddeus,” he says, smacking my hand away.
I growl loudly before shoving him away. “Fine,” I snap, going inside. Bianca is gone and only her faint lingering scent remains. “Ryland?” I yell. “Hurry up, we are going out,” Ryland walks out, a mischievous grin dancing on his lips. He grabs his jacket and follows me to the elevator.
“Where are we going?” He asks.
“I just want out of this house and I need blood.” I tell him, he nods. I won’t risk feeding on him, my hunger is insatiable and as intoxicating as his scent is, I know I won’t stop once I start. Marking him was a nightmare, I nearly killed him, nearly killed my own mate. Orion was different; he is a vampire, so I didn’t struggle with him.
Walking outside the breeze makes Ryland shiver slightly. The snow crunches under our feet as we make our way down the street, looking for my next victim. Only when the breeze shifts, I pick up the most mouth-watering, intoxicating scent I have ever smelled before. I follow it before I hear a feminine scream. Something twitches inside me, something I haven’t felt in a long time. Fear.
The sound of the woman’s voice sends fear racing through my cold veins. Ryland, feeling it too, looks at me and we walk around the corner which is an alleyway. I can see a man standing over someone. The person is thrashing violently as the man tries to pull her pants down.
Her scream sends rage through me, but before I can even move, Ryland is ripping him to pieces with his bare hands. The figure moves and I can’t take my eyes off them. Stepping into the alleyway, Ryland is pummeling the man, his face completely unrecognizable as human, his blood seeping into the snow.
The figure, I realize, is actually a woman. She tries pulling her pants up, looking between both Ryland and me and I can smell her fear. She thinks we are here to harm her too.
Ryland stops and looks at her fear-stricken face and reaches his hands out toward her. She slaps his hands away. Her entire body is shaking with fear and adrenaline. The cold is biting at her skin. She is wearing a waitress outfit, not properly dressed for this sort of weather.
The closer I get, the stronger the scent is. She is the addictive mouth-watering scent I got a whiff of. She makes my heart race faster. I didn’t think I needed anyone beside my mates, but I want her, need her with every cell in my body. It’s calling to her, wanting to taste her. Wanting to see if her skin is as soft as it looks. Kneeling in front of her, she cowers back, her hazel eyes filled with fear, I can tell she knows what we are.
I place my hand out for her to take, but she slaps it away. “Please, I won’t tell, just let me go. I saw nothing I promise,” she sobs. Her voice is like music to my ears. I could listen to her talk all day. I sweep her light brown hair out of the way so I can see her face, she averts her gaze from my onyx eyes.
“Ours,” I gasp.
She shakes her head, and I feel Ryland touch my shoulder, making me look at him. “We are scaring her,” he says, and for the first time I can tell he doesn’t enjoy the scent of fear, at least not from her. The mate pull is strong, looking back at her, I get up and step back.
“Go,” I tell her, and she gets up before running off. Bending down, I pick up her wallet that she left in her haste. Pulling out her ID, I read it – Evelyn Harper. I have never wanted someone as much as I want her, never craved another person more than I do her, she is ours, and yet we can’t have her.
She is light while we are dark. Monsters of the night to her. Something made of nightmares. I have to fight with myself to stop from chasing her down and claiming her. I thought I was complete until I met her.