Page 73 of Bloody Bones
“Yours?” With a jump that rivalled a cat, he leapt away from her, landing soundlessly on his feet. “You dare to talk to me about taking what is yours, when your brother took what was mine from me.”
I blinked in shock. What the hell did Rawhead have to do with any of this? He had been dead for over a hundred years.
“He took Cassel from me, made her love him over me. Now I will cause you the same pain your brother caused me. I will take the one you love from you.” He stalked forward. “I will make you watch as I force her to scream. She will know pain like she can't even imagine and know you can do nothing to save her.”
“This is about revenge?” We circled each other, each step carefully placed. “You have no interest in Briella at all do you? This is all about hurting me.”
“Why would I be interested in her? She is nothing but a weapon. A way to make you pay.”
Over his shoulder, I watched as Blade stalked forward, the blackness of his robes seemed to drift in and out of the shadows. He was going to Briella.
I turned my attention back to Acco.
Realisation flooded me. My brother, his death. I had always blamed what we were for what happened. Always thought that he couldn't live with his monstrous side, but what if it was more complex than that?
What if he had fallen in love? Just like I had.
What if his love had been snatched from him?
“You killed her didn't you? You killed your Cassel?” I didn't know who this woman was, but it seemed important to say her name.
“She gave me no choice. I would rather see her dead than with him.”
My brother had taken his life because he couldn't live without his mate. Acco was as much to blame for his death as he was the woman’s. And now, the same monster who confessed to murdering the woman he loved planned to take Briella from me.
I launched myself at him, and he met me in mid-air at the same moment the room around us erupted into chaos.
The Legion of Vidar would do whatever was needed. I didn't have to worry about that.
“I am going to...” Acco’s claws ripped across my chest.
He had teeth and claws, but he didn't have what I had. He didn't have Briella. He had nothing to fight for but revenge,
I side stepped his next attack, easily. And this time he wasn't quick enough to escape me. My arms wrapped around his chest. Lifting him from his feet, I squeezed.
Acco might have those razor-sharp claws but I was stronger.
Quicker.
And I had something to fight for.
I tore into his throat with my blunt human teeth. Tearing at the flesh until his blood flowed down my lower jaw.
Not daring to search the room for her to see her reaction, I tightened my grip. His ribs popped. The bones splintered. Soon I would rip him apart literally. I would pull him limb from limb and leave his bones in a pile to rot.
Acco drove his head backwards, my face with none of the flesh to protect me swam with jarring pain. My grip loosened.
Blinking away the pain, I was too slow to catch him as he rushed towards her. Blade's grip on her slipped as she was yanked away.
Acco held her to him. His arm tight around her throat, His face untouched, a sheet of blood covered him from chin downwards where I had torn into his throat like a rabid vampire.
“Choose,Tommy. Will you watch her be mine or will you watch her die?” Glistening fangs lengthened against his bottom lip. Like scythes, they glittered wickedly, the venom that coated them clear to see.
I froze.
Everyone froze.
“Will you make the same choice as me, Bloody Bones?” He lowered his head over her, and she screamed where the venom dripped onto her skin. She clawed at the red blisters that erupted as it burnt like acid. “Or will you walk away defeated?”
