Page 69 of Twice Bitten

Six hours later, my feet and back ached, but we’d made it through the morning rush with zero complaints and a hefty number of tips left in the jar. I shrugged my vest off, the enamel buttons clinking together like windchimes, and also removed the band securing my hair into an updo, ruffling my hair into some semblance of neatness.

Addy spotted me and held up a hand, hurrying over before I left. I slung my purse over my shoulder and waited.

She pulled me into the storeroom and shut the door. “There’s been a dark SUV waiting outside all day. Are you being followed?”

I sighed and rubbed my face. “It must be Leo. As vampires go, he’s not bad.”

Addy’s brow furrowed. “Sounds like youarebeing followed, but you’ve resigned yourself to your fate?”

“Something like that. He hasn’t said why he’s following me, but he doesn’t do anything away from the eyes of the Prime.”

Addy’s lips thinned. “I don’t like him having so much interest in you.”

“Me neither,” I admitted. “He’s not actively pursuing me, so there’s not much I can do right now.”

Addy squeezed my forearm. “Be careful, Alex. Something doesn’t feel right.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’m always careful.”

My boss held open the door. “Text me when you get home.”

“I will.” My heart warmed at her care. “See you the day after next.”

Addy waved and walked me out, waiting by the door. I turned to wave goodbye and spotted Quinn hovering in the window, watching me with wide eyes. Addy didn’t shut the door until she saw me get into my car and pull away. Surprisingly, Leo didn’t follow this time.

G’s magical brew had worn off, and I drove home bleary-eyed and foggy-minded, which is why I wasn’t paying attention when a shadow burst from the side of my neighbor’s house just as I was getting out of my car.

A large body crashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. The contents of my purse went flying, and I hit the concrete with a loud thump. My hands went up to protect myself just as a flash of white teeth snapped toward my face.

Pain ripped through my forearm, blood spraying in an arc.

Beckett’s red-eyed face loomed above me, fangs extended into three-inch lengths, dripping with the numbing agent vamps used to subdue their prey. A scream ripped from my throat, but I was trapped under his bulk, the only thing separating me from certain death was my arms blocking him from reaching my neck.

“The Prime isn’t here to save you this time,” Beckett hissed, liquid dripping from his fangs.

Beckett must have done something to keep Leo from following me home.

“What do you want?” It took every bit of effort to keep Beckett’s teeth at bay, and I knew I couldn’t hold out forever. My muscles screamed with effort.

I brought a knee up, but Beckett shifted before I could make contact. He might have a lean frame, but he outweighed me by at least sixty pounds, and I couldn’t get away. His eyes took on a sickly green shimmer, one I’d never seen on a vamp before.

Fear curled down my spine. I bucked and struggled,fighting with everything I had, but the fact remained that Beckett was a vampire and I was a witch. No witch could outmatch a vampire in sheer strength. If I moved my hand, I’d risk a debilitating bite, but my resilience was waning. I had to do something.

Shouts rang out somewhere above my head. Beckett’s attention jerked up, but he dismissed whatever it was and pressed his weight down on me, making it difficult to breathe.

“One little sip, Alex,” he breathed, “and I’ll go away.”

“Fuck. You,” I panted, shifting to bring my left arm up, blocking him from accessing my throat. He snapped, his teeth shearing a painful line down my inner forearm.

Fury roared through my veins. I slapped my left hand against his face, digging my fingers into his cheek, unable to care how badly he might chew my arm up. With my right hand, I reached up and over, yanking the flower from my hair.

When he noticed what I held, Beckett laughed. “Your little flower magic won’t do much.”

A word formed in my mind, unfamiliar and foreign, pressing against my lips, willing itself to come out.

I clenched my teeth, foreign magic welling through my body like a flood. Violet power, mixed with a tinge of sparkling black, exploded from my fingers, searing Beckett’s skin. He squealed like a pig. I latched onto his face and held on, the word bursting from my lips.

“Ardere.”