Page 108 of Twice Bitten

Beckett scoffed. “That will take too long. I don’t want a Hive’s weaklings. They cannot help me. I need better vampires on my side. Not sycophants.”

“Then find them.”

He smiled. The gesture moved only one side of his mouth. Fear roared in my veins. I wanted to run, but he would kill me. I saw it in his eyes. “I’m already making the people I need. Soon I’ll have enough to rival even the Prime’s power. Today, I’m here for you.”

Beckett thought he had enough self-control to keep me alive. I thought different. His gaze dragged to my neck, focusing on the pulse hammering through my veins.

I shook my head. “I can’t help you. The vampires hate me.”

“They respect power. You have it.” He pointed to his face. “Whatever you did to me isn’t healing. If you could do that to me, you could do that to any vampire who tried to cross you. With what I have living inside my blood and your power…” His voice trailed off, a low laugh revealing exactly what he wanted with me. He wanted to keep me and use me, and if I refused to dance to his tune, he would force me—if he managed to keep me alive once he consumed my blood.

My stomach twisted. I’d already damaged Alric and Vesper.I hadn’t touched them like I had Beckett, but the power was the same.

What twisted magic now lurked in my veins? If I’d damaged the Prime like I’d damaged Beckett, he would find me no matter where I ran.

“I don’t know how to command the power,” I lied. “It comes and goes.”

Beckett didn’t blink. He either didn’t or couldn’t smell the lie, or I was getting used to being around vampires and far better at lying.

The second option didn’t exactly give me the warm and fuzzies.

“We’ll learn together.”

I took a step backward. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll weigh you down, make negotiating with the vampires difficult. The Prime and I don’t have a good relationship.”

He took a step forward. “You’ll come with me whether you want to or not. Pick your purse up.”

I took another step backward. “Leave, Beckett.”

He tutted. “You don’t call the shots, witch. Your blood beckons to me. I can find you anywhere. Even if you somehow escape, I can track you. You won’t make it far.” He spread his arms out wide. “There’s only one choice, and it’s with me. Make it easy on yourself.”

There was no way in hell I was going anywhere with Beckett. I shook my head. “Sorry. I have a dinner date I can’t be late for.”

He chuckled, the sound grating against my skin. “Don’t make me come for you. You won’t like it.”

I called up that strange magic, but it flickered and died in my veins, suppressed by something else—a power that burned hot and angry within me.

I was so tired of being jerked around by shifters, vampires, by everyone. Before this, I lived a quiet life, content to go towork, go home, fill my illegal little orders, and rinse and repeat the next day.

Ever since Beckett came into my life, I’d been afraid. Leaving my house was a chore. Being at work made me constantly anxious he’d come in. Walking back to my car forced my head to act as a swivel, searching for enemies from all directions.

I wanted a good night’s rest in a house free of damage and the influence of his evil.

Darkness rose in me, a foreign magic sparkling through my bloodstream. With it, I felt powerful, and I’d learned long ago no one was invincible. Everyone had a weakness.

Even Beckett. He might be faster and stronger than me, but I’d already proven I could take care of myself. His ruined face was proof of my abilities.

“Don’t come any closer,” I warned.

A sharp burning pain rose in my elbow. I hissed and rubbed at the spot, but there was nothing there. That damned implant.

If I made it out of here alive, I’d visit Marinka again first thing in the morning. Whatever fix she’d made hadn’t worked very well, and I hadn’t had the time to have the implant adjusted again. A mistake if the thing failed at a critical time.

Beckett stopped abruptly. An odd look crossed his face. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

I stared at him. My eyes felt perfectly fine. When I worked in my basement, they occasionally glowed when I set a spell, but that was all. We weren’t like vampires?—

Shit.