Page 89 of Bloodhunter

“Anything.” They didn’t understand, but I did. I got it.Nothing mattered. Nothing mattered because we were going to die.

So why even bother to fight? To live?

Shane rested his shotgun on his shoulder. “There are two thingsthat can drag you out of the darkness.”

I didn’t ask what those two things were, but he told meanyway.

“Blood,” he said. “Killing. Fighting.”

“And sex.” I looked at him. “It’s always going to be sex.”

He nodded. “But not with me. That wouldn’t bring you back.You need someone almost taboo. Someone who will make you feel something Ican’t.”

“Who?” Miriam took a step closer to us, putting herself betweenme and Clayton. Maybe that was an accident, maybe it wasn’t.

Shane noticed, as well. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “Noteven Clayton could pull her out of this. At least not as fast as she needs out.”

“Then who?” Miriam tilted her head. “Who can drag her out ofthere? Because I’ll go get him.” For a second she perked up, and if I hadn’tbeen so wretched I’d have laughed. “Me?” she asked, and took another steptoward us. “Is it me? Because I’m willing to take one for the team.”

Shane stared down his nose at her. “Full of sex andnightmares,” he murmured. “Aren’t you, Miriam?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. So? I do what makes me feel good.” Shepointed her chin at me. “She could make me feel good.”

“You’re not the one,” Shane said. He looked at me. “Sheknows who it is.”

And suddenly, I did know.

Even the thought of him made a sprout of something red andobsessive and violent burst through the crust of darkness.

“Iam the one,” someone said, and we all turned atthe voice.

Amias Sato slid from the shadows.

He was covered with blood, and I wanted to add to it.

“Oh,” Miriam breathed. “Angus will kill us all if we letthat happen.”

Revulsion rose inside me, turned to anger, morphed intorage, andGod,how I welcomed that rage. It was bigger than thedarkness. More consuming than the despair. I grabbed it with both hands. Then Iripped Silverlight from her sheath, and I leapt at the vampire.

I thought I saw him smile before he turned and flew away,his long, silky hair flowing behind him like a teasing, enticing, irresistiblesong of seduction, and I could only follow with my sweet rage and my need andmy desperation.

Clayton, Miriam, and Shane slipped away, leaving me to themaster.

Tomymaster.

For better, for worse.

So help me God.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Oh, the pain.

The agony that came from my desire to hurt him was sharp andimmediate, and I embraced it. I bathed in it, rolled in it, grabbed it withboth hands and stuffed it down my throat.

That pain was preferable to the gaping chasm of despair theincubus had left behind when he’d stolen everything else.

So I chased him. I chased the master.