“You mean … Ourkind?”
Wrapping his fist inthe Vampire’s hair, he yanked the Vampire’s head back, his face amere breath away from the once sophisticated Michael who now lookedlike a battered drab of dead meat.
“I am not part of yourkind.” Nathan punched the words out.
“You might want tolook in a mirror.” A sickly, blood-filled smile stretched acrossMichael’s chapped lips.
I saw the tensionripple through Nathan’s body, but the way in which he snapped theVampire’s head to one side took me by surprise. A distinct crunchfollowed, and I realized that Nathan has just broken Michael’sneck.
Carter remained a footto his side, simply studying Nathan who wasn’t moving, his feetrooted to the spot and his fist still in Michael’s hair. He lookedlike a statue. Frozen and lost in the moment.
Getting out of myseat, I forced myself to walk toward him. “Than?”
“What the fuck?” Thewords escaped him on a whisper of disbelief.
I reached out andtouched his right shoulder. “Than, it’s okay.”
He looked at me, blackeyes staring in confusion, his jaw tense, blood trickling down hischin due to the puncture marks on his bottom lips.
I watched in amazementas his extended fangs shrank, as that blackness in his irisesswirled like ink in water. “It’s alright.”
“No. No, it’s so farfrom being alright.” The words were broken, his voice strained.
“You should kill him.”Carter’s voice was low. “Put him out of his misery.”
Nathan’s gaze dartedto the Alpha. “Both my life and death were taken from me. I will bedamned if I allow anyone t’take my misery from me as well.”
I glanced at theAlpha. “He’s as much a victim as Brendan and Heather havebeen.”
“And I’m bloody goingto make sure no one else ever is.”
My brow furrowed. Isqueezed his shoulder to bring his focus back to me. “What d’youmean?”
He relaxed hisfingers, sliding them from between the corpse’s hair. Rubbing hishand on his borrowed jeans, he stared at Michael.
“I’m going to makesure that this never happens again. No one is ever going to end uplike me or Freddie.” He looked at me. Determination blazing in hisblue eyes. “I’m going to take over the Colony.”
***
~ Nathan ~
“What the actualhell?” the teen said in awe as she circled Michael, peering upat his face which had dropped back to his chest. “You actuallykilled a Vampire and the big cheese. Shit, Than, you’ve reallygrown a set.”
I stared at the top ofthe Vampire’s head, thinking about all the things I had read abouthim. He had been a bastard, and despite the fact that theWerewolves were still wanting to kill me, he had wronged them.Killing him had felt right, and I wasn’t sure how I felt aboutthat.
“It’s in yournature now.”
I don’t want it t’be.I don’t want t’go around killing people.
“He’s a Vampire,not a person.”
Once upon a time, hewas a person.
“He was still a badperson.”
“Than?” Elle shook me.“What are you on about? Are you crazy?”
Was I crazy? Yeah, Iprobably was, but I hadn’t wanted this, and after the rundown ofeverything that had happened over the last couple of weeks, a lotof people didn’t want to be involved in this.
“You said it yourself,no Vampires in the UK and no Leader means that this territory isvulnerable t’Vampires from other countries stepping in.”
“That was a privateconversation,” Graham stated.
I glared over at thedoctor. “I was present.”
“You were in theboot.”
“I was in storage, andI don’t sleep. Just because I didn’t partake in the conversationdidn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention.” I looked back at Elle. “Yousaid there could be consequences?”
“Yeah, for the Pack.The Vampires will no doubt want t’get payback.”
“Not if someone stepsup and keeps them away. Not if the UK Colony and Pack have anunderstanding.”
Carter barked a laughas he moved past us. “You want us to form an alliance?”
“Aye, why not?”
“Because we don’t workwith Leeches.”
“You haven’tworked with Leeches because they’re all selfish arseholes. That’snot me.”
Elle arched an eyebrowat my remark.
“Hush, you.” I movedback to the three males. “Look, I’ve been thinking about this allday. I take place as Leader, and I make sure that innocent peoplearen’t getting attacked and changed against their will, and I willmake sure no one starts trouble or tries to kidnap and experimenton Werewolves.”
Carter only laughedmore. “The Pack doesn’t need your help, little boy.”
“No, but I need yours,and I think we can all agree that none of us wants any more ofthese bastards coming over and making decisions over ourlives.”
“I don’t reallythink that Vampires decide what these guys do, Than.”
I ignored the teenagerwho had wedged herself between Graham and Carter.
I’m sure that theWerewolves hadn’t guessed that their own would be taken. That ishaving no control. They never thought it would happen. They won’twant it happening again.
“I think it is areasonable solution,” Dante agreed.
Carter snorted. “Andyou’re clearly too bloody tired to think straight, brother.”
“These two arebrothers?” The teen stared at their faces. “I don’t see it.Do you?”
“We’re all too tired.”Dante sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.“The last thing we need is more Vampires at our door. We haveenough to deal with at this moment in time, and we’re going to havea lot more on our plates real soon.” He gave his brother a pointedlook. “This … Nathan doesn’t exactly fit the profile of those whohave created him, and the way Danielle trusts him … I personallywould feel better knowing that a decent individual has taken chargeof any Leeches that might remain.”
“Think that was acompliment.”
“Thanks, Dante.” Ilooked at Carter. “Do we have a deal?”
“Hang on.” Ellegrabbed my hand and dragged me past Michael to the dark corner.“What t’hell are you thinking? Do you have any idea what it wouldmean if you did this?”
“Aye. It means no oneelse will end up like me.”
Her eyes were wide.She threw her hands in the air. “You think Leeches are just goingto accept you as their Leader? No. You will have t’fight them andwin. Prove you are worthy t’lead them.”
“God, I didn’t realizewe lived in the barbarian age.”
“Well, they do.They’re still creatures, and it’s all about dominance.”
I folded my armsacross my chest. “You don’t think I can be dominant?”
“I don’t
