Page 24 of Bite Me Baby
But again, I have more pressing matters to attend to because the hunters are moving into my living room.
“Wake up, Lyra.”
Lyra mutters something under her breath, then lifts her hand and swats at me like I am a pesky fly. “No, Xavier. I’m tired, and I’m not in the mood for your games.”
“As much as I relish the wicked games we can play, that’s not the reason I’m waking you. Get up and get dressed, and do so quietly because we have guests.”
Her eyes flicker open, and she turns onto her back, casting a sideways glance at me. “What kind of guests?”
I rise from the bed; the sheets falling from my naked body. Lyra’s eyes linger on me, a glimmer of appreciation dancing across her face, while her tongue darts out to moisten her plump, enticing lip. My cock twitches in response, but I push the need aside because it’s a momentary indulgence that will have to wait until after I take care of the hunters downstairs. Hopefully, carnage and spilled blood in the name of protecting her will awaken her desire and make Lyra more receptive to my enticements. Though I dare not hold my breath for such an outcome. Well, technically, I don’t hold my breath at all since breathing is a bit of a redundant activity for a vampire.
“Dangerous ones. Three hunters and a shadow schemer,” I answer. “They bear the scent of lies and betrayal.”
“Do you know what they want?”
“They’re hunters, and I am a vampire; it’s quite obvious what they’re after, isn’t it?” I lie because I don’t want to waste time explaining to her that the bloody bastards are here for her when I don’t have all the answers myself.
Lyra swings her legs over the edge of the bed, a determined energy radiating from her every movement. “Then we shouldn’t keep them waiting,” she proclaims, joining me at the armoire, where I hastily select clothes for us both. “What’s our plan?”
“There is no ‘our’ in this,” I emphasize, casting her a pointed gaze while slipping into a pair of trousers and swiftly buttoning up a pristine white shirt. My eyes briefly trace the contours of her golden skin, admiring the subtle play of light on her toned body as she gracefully removes her black satiny nightgown, replacing it with her own clothes. I avert my gaze, determined to maintain focus. “You will stay hidden until I have eliminated the threat.” The hunters have set their sights on her, and while she possesses her own brand of resilience, I won’t risk compromising her safety.
“I’m not going to hide; I’m going with you.”
“You are not, because I won’t allow it.” My hand ventures into the depths of the wardrobe, retrieving the concealed silver knife along with a revolver loaded with lethal silver bullets. I extend them to her, a tangible symbol of my trust. With an ease that speaks of my vampiric strength, I push the armor aside, unveiling the hidden passage behind it. “This passageway leads to the outside. You won’t be able to escape due to the Limenia lock spell, but you can hide within until I return.”
“You are not shoving me into a dark hole, Count Not-So-Charming.”
I shake my head, a heavy sigh escaping my lips. How does she conjure these names she keeps hurling at me?
“Bloody hell, woman, it’s not a dark hole,” I counter, my hand sweeping across the entrance. With a flick of a switch, a row of bulbs dangling from the ceiling flickers to life, illuminating the weathered wooden walls and the cold concrete floor. “You’re going in there, little wolf. Discussion’s over.”
“Oh, I am nowhere near finished discussing this. I can fight, Xavier; I’m stronger than humans. You can’t take on three hunters and a shadow schemer; they will kill you.”
“One would almost believe that you care about me,” I smirk.
“I don’t. You keep talking about how we are fated mates, calling me a warrior, and begging me to stay with you. You try to convince me that my pack doesn’t want me, that they see me as less, only to turn around and treat me no better than they do.”
I don’t see her as less; she is everything. “You’re not immortal, love, and I’m not risking your life.”
“Fine,” she snaps, and she steps into the passage, shoving the revolver into the waistband of her pants and strapping the silver knife to her thigh. Her glare bores into me, a mix of defiance and warning. “Don’t come crying to me when you end up with a stake through your heart.”
A dark, mirthless chuckle escapes my lips. “Firstly, I won’t be shedding tears; I’ll be as lifeless as the grave. And secondly, I can handle three pitiful human hunters and a shadow schemer without breaking a sweat.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I push the armoire back into place, closing the opening firmly before one more word can escape her lips. Her muffled curses are barely audible through the thick wood. I can only imagine the lovely things she is calling me. However, I know she will come around eventually and see that my plan is the best course of action. After all, I have been doing this for three centuries and have never failed before. I make my way downstairs, doing nothing to mask my steps, as I want the hunters to know that I am coming for them. Stepping into the living room, I am met by the three hunters. Stakes, silver blades, and vials of what I assume are holy water are attached to their belts.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. What brings you to my home?”
Their expressions hold a mixture of boldness and bloodlust, but also surprise. They didn’t expect me to be awake. The irony is mouthwatering, their cunning transforms into a sick joke. They have unwittingly walked right into their own fucking trap, oblivious to the predator waiting for them.
The absence of the slippery shadow schemer reeks of a ploy, a cheap trick meant to distract me. I see the strings they’re trying to pull, and I am ready to cut them loose. It is time to shatter the illusion and reveal the true depths of my darkness.
The room seems to hold its breath as I move to the center. Each muscle ripples beneath my flesh, a masterpiece of controlled tension. Shadows encircle us like silent allies, amplifying the gravity of the impending clash.
A scarred man sneers, sizing me up. “We are here for the wolf.”
“Mmm,” I hum, stroking my chin. “I see. And what makes you think the wolf is here?”
“We know she is here; we have a shadow schemer, and he led us to her.”
