Page 117 of Bloodhunter

“And her hold is once again established,” I realized.

I think he would have broken down right then, if he couldhave. Instead, he set me aside and strode toward the door. Before he pulled itopen, I thought I heard him sigh. “What you’ve given me will stay with meforever, Trinity. I will lose myself in those memories when life gets…” Heshrugged, then turned to look at me. “Too difficult.”

“Clayton.” My heart broke for him. Clayton was once again aslave to Miriam and her darkness, and Angus was dying. It was more than I couldhandle.

“I could have tried to end my life while the incubus wasinside me,” he said. “I didn’t. This is not your fault. Neither is Angus.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s my fault or not. It’s unbearable.All of it.”

He gave me—and my bare body—one last, lingering look, thenturned away once more. “She calls, and I must answer.”

His pain from delaying was extreme.

I wouldn’t have known except for the flinching around hiseyes and the way he held his body, stiff and careful, as though he mightshatter if he moved too quickly. Clayton could hide anything, even the agony ofdisobedience. Didn’t mean he didn’t feel it, though, and my heart broke alittle more.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

Miriam would be ecstatic.

Then Clayton opened the door.

And the world outside sprang to a nightmarish life.

Infecteds flung themselves at us, shrieking their pain andrage and devastating hunger.

Clayton slammed the door shut, then bent forward, his jawclenched and sweat beading on his face. “Fuck,” he ground out.

He couldn’t resist for long. The vampires would tear him toshreds, but his will did not belong to him. It belonged to Miriam, and shewould force him to go to her, no matter what.

I ran to the window, yanked down the dusty curtains, andstared with horror. I hadn’t even been aware night had fallen. And outside thecabin vampires had gathered, waiting.

There weren’t a few vampires or even a few dozen. There appearedto be hundreds. Hundreds of mad, ravenous vampires.

They surrounded the cabin. They surrounded us.

Not even Silverlight could get us through a crowd like that.I ran to the backdoor, yanked it open, then managed to slam it shut amillisecond before vampires began throwing themselves against it.

Vampires couldn’t enter a house without an invitation. Butthose were infecteds, and I really had no idea what they could or could not do.

I wasn’t taking any chances.

But even as I turned back to Clayton, I realized thefutility of our situation. He huddled against the wall, his hands curled intofists, the cords of his neck standing in sharp relief.

“I have to go. Trinity. I have to go.”

Miriam had said he couldn’t die. If the vampires got hold ofhim, I was pretty sure they’d prove her wrong. Very, very wrong.

I raced to my scattered clothes and dug my cell phone out ofmy jacket pocket. I put it on speaker, then hurried to get dressed as it rang.

Miriam answered. “Trinity, whereareyou? We’ve beentrying to call you.”

“Miriam,” I yelled, yanking on my boots, “stop summoningClayton. We’re surrounded by infecteds and if he leaves this cabin, he’sfuckingdead.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re in the cabin in the woods.” I ran to Clayton. “Wherewe caught the incubus.”

“You and Clayton,” she said, deadly calm. “You’re together.”