Page 4 of A Trial By Blood

My hand was on the door, shoving it open before I knew what I was doing. Red covered my vision as I searched the room. The sounds of at least thirty heartbeats were a chaotic pounding in my head, along with the rush of blood pumping through veins.

A female stood across the room. She was smaller than me, intoxicated by the looks. Easy prey. Hers wasn’t the blood I wanted, but I’d take anything at this point.

My fangs tingled and elongated. I took an unsteady step toward her, then another—

Someone moved in front of me. I tried to go around them, but they grabbed my shoulder, and I was too weak to pull away.

I looked up through the red haze at the male who stood between me and my prey. Shifter. But not animal, not of this world at least.

Hellhound.

The big male scented me. “What do you want, dhampir?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, my throat too dry to form words.

He growled. “I know you weren’t gonna try and fucking feed in my bar, motherfucker.”

I swayed and he righted me. Then his eyes narrowed, and he scented me again. He cursed. “I know you. Your scent’s similar to your sister’s. She’s looking for you.”

I shook my head, or tried to.

“You don’t want to be found?” he muttered.

I shook my head again, then my legs collapsed from under me, and I hit the floor.

I was jostled, then I was moving. Consciousness came and went. I had no idea how much time had passed, but when I opened my eyes again, another hound was holding a glass to my lips. I tried to pull away, then the scent hit me.

Blood.

I grabbed it and gulped it down. It was still warm. I’d only ever drank Sir’s blood. My whole life, only his. This was good, but it wasn’t enough. My thirst could only be quenched by him. I finished the glass and threw it across the room, jumping to my feet. A hound tackled me to the floor before I could take another step.

“Release me. I need his blood. I need Azel’s blood,” I rasped, my throat still raw.

The big hound’s brows snapped together. “You don’t know?”

I fought, trying to dislodge him, but I wasn’t yet at full strength, and it was impossible.

The hound shook me. “Azel’s dead. Your sister killed him.”

I stilled. I felt nothing. I was incapable of it. But I knew if I was released now, I would kill, then I would keep on killing, trying to quench a thirst that could never be sated. “Have you told anyone I’m here?”

“No.”

“I would like it to stay that way.” I may not understand emotions, but I had faint memories of them and understood the concept. Luna suffered when she was near me, and though I didn’t feel any emotional tie to her, I did feel a connection. She deserved my loyalty. I had unknowingly caused her pain, and I found I didn’t like the idea of repeating that, not in any way.

I was mostly numb to physical contact, to pain and pleasure. But what rose in me now, slicing through me, causing me to grit my teeth as my thirst grew again, was as bad as it got. “Do you have a strong cage or a cell? I need something that will bind my powers and stop me from escaping.”

“We have a cage made from Hell-forged steel. No being, not even Lucifer himself could break free from it,” the other male said.

“Lock me in it. Now.”

CHAPTER 1

Ronan

Three years later

The sun was only just rising when I got out of my car and headed down the street. No one would see it there, it was as simple as a thought for me to use my power to conceal it and myself. No one would know I was here because that’s the way I wanted it.