Page 32 of Protected by the Vampire

Bones cracking.

The sound was wet, wrong, and unnatural in a way that made my gut twist and drew my attention back. Riker’s body folded in on itself, limbs reshaping, spine bending as fur burst through skin. It should’ve been horrifying.

Admittedly, it was.

And yet it was something amazing too.

“What the fuck?” Coms shouted, whipping his head back around despite himself.

“Holy shit,” Monkey breathed, as though he couldn’t decide if he should run or get closer.

Where a man had stood seconds ago, a fox now shook itself out, sleek and alert, eyes bright with intelligence that didn’t normally belong to any animal. Riker let out a sharp little yip, almost playful, before darting in a tight circle around Razor.

Prez’s expression softened, making it clear he thought Riker was cute. Hell, he was, but I’d heard he was deadly in this form too. Razor crouched, reaching out to pet the fox between the ears. “Be careful,” he ordered.

Riker yipped again, softer this time, like reassurance.

Prez gave a short nod. “I’ll be fine.”

Another bang echoed through the space, louder and closer this time.

Should I call Soren?

No, there was no point. I was already feeling his fear mixing with my own inside our bond. He knew something was happening. He’d be on his way. Calling would be useless and just make him worry even more. I was sure the shifters had already considered this too.

We just had to take control of whatever the fuck this was and stay safe. I didn’t want him to walk in on…. Christ. What the fuck’s gonna happen?

Then came the heavy and purposeful footsteps. Too many to know how many were about to ambush us. Christ, I hoped whoever was on guard outside was all right.

The door burst open hard enough to slam against the wall, and ten men and women, all with fangs bared, flooded in, spreading out with practiced precision. They didn’t hesitate. Didn’t falter. Predators who knew exactly what they were doing.

“Well, well,” a voice drawled, thick with mockery. “The little human pet is here.” Patrick stepped forward from the line, that same twisted, satisfied smile stretching across his face like he’d already won.

I’d bared my teeth before I even realized it. “You’ve got balls showin’ up here.”

He sneered, dragging his gaze over the room like everything in it disgusted him. “I go where I please.” His lip curled. “Though I must say, stepping inside these horrid walls is a sacrifice.”

“What do you want?” I asked, even though I was sure I already knew.

The fucker was a jealous prick.

He must have heard of our bond.

Patrick’s expression shifted, something ugly tightening his features. “Destruction,” he said simply. Then his eyes lit with something unhinged. “Because he can have no one but me.”

My stomach twisted, fury and worry mixing together.

“You know Soren and I are fated,” I said, forcing steel into my voice even as dread coiled in my chest. “If you kill me, he’ll never forgive you. He’ll never want you. And he’ll come after you.” I took a step forward despite the danger. “Leave now, and we won’t have to tell him.”

Because if he found out like this—if he walked into the aftermath to find me dead… it would destroy him.

I knew it with absolute certainty because if the roles were reversed, I’d burn the world to ash.

Patrick scoffed, like the idea amused him. “Eventually he’ll understand I acted for his own good. He didn’t know what he was doing, tying himself to a human.” His smile sharpened. “And until he sees reason, I’ll simply… disappear.”

“You’re delusional,” Razor said flatly.

Crouched beside Razor, a low growl rumbled from Riker, his small body was tense, front paws pressed to the ground like he was seconds from launching.