I grabbed at him, but he was already gone. All I could do was watch the two of them circle each other like jackals. Physically, they were evenly matched, Forge making up for his lack of bulk with smooth, predatory movements. I just hoped he was as agile as he looked, because Cade looked… God, he looked deadly. His hand was as big as my entire head.
The other vampires closed in, but instead of anticipatory, their expressions were thoughtful, as if this contest was something they hadn’t considered. I caught fragments of doubtful thoughts as they maneuvered around us for a better view.
“I think Cade made a terrible mistake tonight,” the blonde beside me whispered, her words deeply accented. Or maybe it was from her fangs. “My guess is, Bastian will be reducing our numbers even further.”
I hoped she was right with all my heart.
Never had I thought it would come to this.
Killing, now that I’d experienced it firsthand, was something I’d like to go the rest of my life without seeing. Especially all of this gruesome, dispassionate killing. Their voices drifted through my head, each of them looking to use this situation to their advantage. Even my blond bodyguard, whose sinfully sensual thoughts about Forge made jealousy swirl in the pit of my stomach.
But there was no doubt that Bastian was something to see, a lean whipcord of muscles and sinew, his expression ferocious, his fangs longer than anything I’d ever imagined coming out of someone’s mouth. Damn, he was sexy. Sexier than I’d ever given him credit for, and now—seeing him like this—I wondered why, exactly, he’d been hiding this side of himself from me.
Because I liked this version of him.
Far more than I should.
17
I knew Selena was scared, and I hated not being able to reassure her that this final contest was all part of my plan. Even though I’d expected this, I’d have to use everything to beat Cade, since he was the deadliest fighter in our clan. As for Dobson, I’d run that little shit down once this contest was over and take him apart, piece by cowardly piece.
She’d stayed on top of the situation, though, warning me about the first attack. It was also apparent that she’d overheard something else, but we’d have to go over that later. Right now, Cade was my concern.
Cade was a hundred years older than me. He’d been Mara’s Maker—and lover—for a century by the time she decided she wanted me instead. He was the only other vampire in our clan who was strong enough to take me on, something I’d considered when deciding to face them all. He might be older than me, perhaps even bigger, but I was confident I’d end this. That confidence was the only reason I’d let Selena anywhere near the rest of these bloodsuckers.
Granted, I should have told Selena about Cade and Mara and me from the beginning, but somehow…I hadn’t found the opportunity to delve into my complicated past. Maybe I’d been hoping none of it would come up.
Cade vanished, moving so fast that the naked eye couldn’t track him, but I didn’t need to see Cade to kill him.
His signature move was to materialize directly behind his victim, then slit their throat before they even knew he existed. He’d done it often enough that it became predictable. The slightest rush of air on my left was all the warning I needed. My right hand shot out and connected with his chest, stopping him cold. In the second before Cade could recover, my other hand shot out and tore through his chest, leaving a long, bloody wound.
He vanished again, then materialized a few feet away, his expression murderous.
This time when he vanished there was no warning, only the red-hot slicing of a knife through my side, followed by the warm gush of blood. Selena screamed, then clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes huge. Cade chuckled, gesturing toward her.
“I do love when my audience is receptive.”
Her expression changed from horrified to thunderous, and she dropped her hand to reveal a perfectly blank face. Except for her narrowed eyes that brimmed with rage.
We crashed into each other, hands tearing flesh, teeth gnashing. Despite his size, I flipped Cade over, and he landed on his front, then pressed him against the dirt as he flailed and shouted. One hard strike against the back of his neck and blood splattered everywhere. He went still, his eyes going dim.
“Leave him for the sun,” I ordered the rest of them, then went to find the Elder. I intended to ensure there’d be no repeat performance of tonight. He wanted to play by thousand-year-old rules, so be it. I’d do the same.
I slowed down when I drew even with Selena. “Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute,” I told her, and at my nod, the blonde gripped her arm so Selena did just that. I didn’t want her anywhere near that old bastard. Not when I knew what he was capable of.
Her face screwed up. She wasn’t happy, and I didn’t blame her one bit, but I either handled this now, or it haunted us forever.
The Elder was still seated in the dining room, both guards stationed behind him, looking for all the world like a desiccated corpse.
“Cade’s dead, and your little coup d’état is over. I met the conditions of our little blood match, which means you and I are finished. Clear enough?”
He looked me over like I was still a newborn. Smiling, I leaned closer, watching his guards out of the corner of my eye. I raised my hand to my mouth, then ran a fang along my palm. Blood bloomed, and I nodded for the Elder to do the same.
“You want to come after me again. I assure you, that would be a mistake. I have satisfied the rules you set down for this contest. You lost, and we are done. Believe me when I tell you that I won’t play
