“What message?” I forced the words out, keeping them steady. I’d be damned if I let him know his big knife was getting to me. Pain I’d play up, but panic? I didn’t think I could. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

  Anton slipped the blade under my shirt, at the bottom. It became immediately clear what his intentions were. He began to cut the fabric with ease. He cut my shirt off slowly. It made me wonder if he was trying to savor my panic. It didn’t matter. I didn’t move and I didn’t flinch. My pride wouldn’t allow me. Anton was very careful to not let the blade knick my skin even when it came to the neck line. “The girl, of course. Ah… Perhaps you did not receive it in time,” he shrugged. “No matter.”

  Realization slapped me. “It was you. You killed Rachel!”

  “Is that her name? I didn’t ask for it. She invited me into her home all too willingly.”

  I didn’t comment after that. I knew everything he was saying was well thought out to get a reaction out of me. He wanted to see me angry or in panic. It would make this game he was playing more fun for him.

  He pushed the fabric aside, exposing my bare stomach and black bra, which I was regretting greatly at the moment. My lungs pumped out air harder as my anger grew into rage, especially when Anton’s eyes locked on my breasts and his own breathing grew heavier. He tensed like he was restraining himself. If he was, I was glad. I doubted how long I could play along if he tried to touch me. He took the blade and began tracing it across my exposed skin. He drew designs against my flesh careful not to break my skin. I could feel my body trying to react, to release a shiver, a twitch, but I refused. I sat perfectly still while Anton tried a different tactic since his words didn’t seem to get the reaction he wanted.

  I was glad I kept my muscles tense. If I hadn’t, when Anton slipped the blade under my bra, between my breast, I would have flinched.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered. He pulled the blade back and I was surprised he hadn’t drawn blood. My surprise was short lived when lightning fast, Anton swiped the blade across my chest. No noise escaped my mouth, but the action did make me jolt. The cut burned as warmth began spilling from it. Reaching out, he glided his fingers, not holding the blade, over the visible mound of my breast playing in the blood that was now beginning to cover them. No matter how hard I tried, the thought of Anton still disgusted me and I couldn’t help it. Without thought, I cringe away.

  My jaw lit up in pain when Anton’s hand came hard and fast across my face. “You let some human of no worth between your legs, but cringe away when I barely touch you!” he screamed and slapped me again.

  I spat blood from the gash on my lip onto the floor. Spitting it at him would have only pissed him off more. I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. “That’s because YOU DISGUST ME!” I hollered back.

  Dazed from the slap, I was unaware of Anton’s next move as he plunged the blade to the hilt into my stomach. There was no up playing the scream that was ripped from my throat. The pain was white hot tearing through me, much like the blade. When I stopped screaming and opened my eyes, Anton’s smug wicked grin filled my vision. The sick bastard was enjoying himself. This time I didn’t care about pissing him off, I spat in his face if only to rid him of his grin.

  “I often wonder about that kiss,” he commented, wiping away my saliva with a handkerchief from his pocket.

  I tried my best not to breathe heavy because when I did, it shifted the blade, but the need to take deep breathes was constant. “It was a mistake.”

  “You kissed me, yet you say I disgust you?”

  “Because you do,” I whispered, feeling impaired from the burn of the blade.

  Just as quickly, the blade was pulled from me. I screamed but nothing came out. Before I even had a chance to recover, he lunged the blade back into me again, in the same overly tender spot. Agony pulsed around the blade, matching the rapid throb of my heart.

  “And you felt nothing, when you kissed me.”

  I shook my head. “Nothing,” I hissed through the pain.

  “Hmm… Your heart rate is too high for me to tell if you are lying.”

  “Why. Would. I. Lie?” I glanced up at him long enough to see him shrug.

  “I do not know, Gabriella. Why did you let Ava follow you for many weeks? Keep tabs on you and your human? Why?”

  I was biting my lip to stop from screaming causing blood to pool in my mouth. I spit it out. “I didn’t let her.”

  “Oh come now. You are a vampire. You would have known you were being followed. The hunter in you would have been aware that you were being tracked”

  The pain began to subside, which wasn’t good. The blade was still inside. It meant my body was healing around it. I’d scar if he didn’t pull it out soon and if he hit any of my major organs, which I was sure he had, it could mean difficulties for them. I needed to piss him off and fast.

  “I guess I was too busy playing human, with my human lover. Letting him fuck me anywhere and everywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted, to pay attention to your lap dog following me around in order to feed you breadcrumbs. Believe it or not, when he fucks me, the rest of the world fades away and with how often, I’m surprised you even found time to catch him.” That did the trick. Anton’s face molded into fury before yanking the blade from me. It was far more painful than before. I screamed like I never had in my life. My gaze dropped down and I realized why. Instead of pulling the blade out, he ripped it to the side cutting across my stomach.

  I let my body shake with the affliction that I hoped he would attribute to the blood loss. If I could make him think I was weaker, I might be able to find my opening.

  He let out a satisfied chuckle. “Do you know Gabriella,” my hooded gaze drifted to his face, “I have always wondered what you taste like.” He smiled devilishly as he raised the blade reopening the wound across my chest. I hissed as the blade cut my flesh like butter. The sick bastard couldn’t even use the blood from the newest wound. No, he had to make a new incision. Anton latched on to my wound, putting him way to close too my breasts for comfort. My body spasmed with disgust as I writhed to try and get away from him. If only I could get the blade. He ran his tongue across the wound like he was enjoying himself then abruptly, he stopped. Thank God.

  He spat my blood from his mouth, then backhanded me so hard my head swung the other way. “You’re mated?”

  I let my head fall back in place. “What? You can’t smell it?” I said snidely. “Your sense of smell used to be stronger. Just like that night when I kissed you. You picked up his scent,” I shrugged. “I had to do something. And trust me, the reward I got for keeping Grayson safe from you that night outweighed the disgust I felt from having my lips against yours.”

  His pupils dilated, the black eclipsed the rest. His rage was rising. He was doing just what I wanted. The hunter inside of me, the side I had kept hidden for so long was coming to the surface. I knew that his temper and pride would force him to strike and when he did, I’d finally have my opening.

  I saw the decision twitch across his face a millisecond before he struck. I yanked hard against my restraints. They came loose like they were made from thread. I threw my weight to the left, but not fast enough. The blade hit, but instead of my heart, it was just my upper arm.

  I used Anton’s shock of my sudden escape to my advantage by bringing my leg to his face. There was a loud crunching noise when my shin made contact with his nose. I pulled the blade from my arm. Quickly patting myself down, I realized the blade was my only weapon. Damn it! With Anton incapacitated for the moment I scurried away on my hands and knees.

  I needed to get to Grayson, but first I needed to know where he was. I heard movement. Looking over my shoulder, Anton turned to me with blood dripping down his face. He grabbed my ankle yanking me toward him. I tried another kick to his face but he saw it coming and was able to deflect it. Out of nowhere, he pulled out another blade and stabbed it into my leg. The blade itself was smaller, but it still hurt like hell when it pierced me. I cried out. My outburst distracted him and I was able to land the kick to his face without problem. With shaky hands I reach down and pulled the blade from my leg followed quickly by a burst of blood. I slid the knife away so it would be far out of his reach. I placed my hand over my wound applying pressure hoping it would heal quickly. I looked up just as Anton’s fist streaked across my vision. Stars engulfed my sight when his fist made contact with the side of my face. He didn’t relent. He managed a few more punches before I sliced the large blade that I still held in my hand, through the air. In a blur, Anton launched himself from me, barely missing the sharp sting of the silver blade.

  I needed a moment to rest and catch my breath, but I didn’t have one. I rolled over to stand but felt my hair being pulled. I cried out as I was drug to my feet. Anton slammed me against a wall pinning me there with his body. His hand held tight to my hair, forcing me to face him. I was breathing heavy, almost panting, but when my eyes took him in, I noticed he was too.

  “You are no match for me Gabriella. I have four hundred years on you. You are not even in the same league as me on your best day.”

  “I guess I’ll just have to try harder,” I said just before sheathing the blade in his side. He wailed in surprise before landing his fist across my face hard enough that I fell to the floor, ripping the blade out on my way down since my grip was so tight and I refused to let go of it.

  I turned to face Anton in time to see him lunge at me at the same moment I decided to lunge at him. I knew he was prepared to overpower me, after all, he was right. He did have four hundred years on me, but then I remembered what my mother said. “You are not half human. You are more vampire than even the oldest master and you can muster up three times the strength. You can take down Anton without even breaking a sweat if you just believe in yourself.” I recalled when I shoved him away outside my bedroom and when I threw him across the parking garage. I had always been stronger than him. I had just never let myself realize it. I was from the original. That blood ran through my veins. It wasn’t diluted like Anton’s. I was born who I was, not created. I grinned showing all my teeth. My fangs dropped down and my eyes shifted from midnight blue to honey green as I let my vampire instincts take over. Our bodies collided in the air. We fell to the ground tangled together, landing punches and kicks wherever ever we could. Blood spewed and I had no idea who’s it was. We were both bleeding and it was too mingled together. I felt Anton try to throw his weight to put me at the disadvantage. But I countered it and shifted my weight on top of Anton, overpowering him. I saw the surprise douse his smug face. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Tell me where Grayson is,” I whispered, twirling the blade between my fingers I wanted to see how he liked his game reversed. I sat on top of him with one leg pinning one of Anton’s arms and my free hand pinning the other. He was not going anywhere and from the look of panic on his face as he struggled beneath me, he knew it too.

  “What does it matter? He’s dead anyways.”

  I sunk the blade between his ribs just barely missing his heart. He cried out in agony and I couldn’t help to feel a jolt of pleasure that he was getting a taste of his own medicine.

  “I missed on purpose, Anton. I have studied anatomy. I know where to strike to make it count. Where in this building is he?”

  He smiled cocky at me. “He’s just on the other side of that door.” I used my senses but I couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth. Even the worst liar can beat the vampire lie detector under this pressure. Their heartbeat becomes frantic and it’s impossible to tell which is causing it, the stress from the pressure or the lie. “But like I said he’s most likely dead.”

  I remembered my mother said about knowing that Grayson was alive. “You would know if he was not.” I didn’t know how or what she meant but I put my trust in her words.

  “If he is…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. Anger gripped me. I removed the blade only to the plunge my hand into Anton’s chest. I could feel him struggling underneath me, trying his best to get away. I could only imagine the discomfort he was feeling having my hand invade his chest.

  “Impossible!” he groaned almost choking on his own words.

  “Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that. Not half human.” I shrugged like it didn’t matter, then beamed my biggest grin. “Part original.”

  His eyes widened with shock and realization then they froze that way as I ripped his heart from his chest. “That was for Rachel.”

  I didn’t even wait for the telltale signs of death before I was in the room where Anton said Grayson would be. And there he was, lying in a pool of expanding crimson. I blurred to him hoping to stop the bleeding.

  “Grayson!” I cried. I was afraid to move him. I took a deep breath and focused. I could hear his heart. I sighed with relief. He was still alive but knowing for sure was much better than relying on some metaphysical bond. “Grayson?” I began scanning his neck for wounds, but found none. Where the hell was he bleeding from?

  “Gaby?” Grayson began coughing. From the sound of blood gurgling in his throat, I knew he had internal bleeding. I lifted his shirt and gasped in shock. His once perfect abs were now unrecognizable. His beautiful skin was now a field of red gashes with almost deep burgundy punctures. I instantly felt guilty for how long it took me to get to him. I knew there was no way he would make it to the hospital. I didn’t even know how he was still a live, much less conscious.

  “How bad does it hurt?” I grimaced.

  “Honestly, not that bad anymore. I’m just cold,” he whispered. That wasn’t good. It meant he was losing too much blood. “I’m glad you’re here.” He tried to reach out to touch my face but his hand flopped heavily back to his chest. His face contorted with severe discomfort.

  I grabbed his palm, pulling it flush with my cheek and that was when I felt the first of the tears stream down my face. “Please Grayson you have to stay with me. I can’t lose you. I’m so sorry. If you had never met me…”

  He sighed then winced in pain. “I love you Gabriella…more than anything else…in this world…and I will never regret you…coming into my life.”

  “We’ve never talked about it, but I can change you.”

  His brow furrowed. “You said you couldn’t.”

  “I didn’t know I could, but I can. I can’t lose you Grayson. I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.”

  “Gaby, I…”

  I didn’t wait to hear Grayson’s response. I was too worried if he told me he didn’t want to be like me that I would do as he wished, which meant I’d lose him. Biting my wrist, I pressed it to Grayson’s mouth forcing him to drink. I looked at the pool surrounding him and knew the majority his blood had already drained from him; the rest would flow out within minutes with no help needed from me. All I had to do was make him take all my blood in return and pray I had enough after my torture session with Anton. I would bleed myself dry if I had to. It wouldn’t kill me but I’d be weakened, and that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I had to save Grayson, even if he hated me.

  I could feel blood drying on my face not sure whose it was. My life source was draining from me and into Grayson. There was no sexual desire in that moment, only the desire to be able to spend one more day with Grayson. I continued to bleed myself into him until I heard his heart slow even more. With one final pulse, it stopped. I pulled back my wrist, my wound which normally would instantly heal, stayed opened. Suddenly, pain sliced through me tearing at my heart. It felt like a piece of me was being ripped away. It didn’t last more than a few seconds, but I would have taken Anton plunging his blade into me a thousand times over than to ever experience that again. The loss was unbearable placed on top of the grief I was feeling for Grayson. My mother’s words floated back into my mind, “You would know if he was not.” Was that how I would know? I looked down at him. He laid there motionless with blood trickling down his mouth and throat. We were connected and when his life-force left him it took a little piece of me with him.

  There is something indescribable about a sound. Something, about when you’re trying so hard to hear a sound that will not come, you’re not aware of the thousands of other insignificant noises going on around you because you are focused on the one you’re not hearing. And when you finally realize that it’s never going to come, you know that life will never be the same.

  Grief engulfed me as I fell against Grayson’s chest. The tears I had been trying so hard to hold back, came crashing down in a rush, like the floodgates of a dam opening, releasing the pressure that had been building inside so long. There was nothing left that I could do. So I did the only thing I could, I waited.

  Epilogue

  Ava returned to the apartment building that had become her home where she lived surrounded by other vampires, feeling overly giddy. She felt confident that her plan to win Anton over was a success. After following Gabriella around for weeks and gathering the information that Anton would need, she knew that Gabriella’s indiscretion with the human Grayson would never be forgiven due to Anton and his overwhelming ego. Ava was no fool. She knew that Anton had been using her for his own physical needs, but the heart wants what the heart want, just like her mother had always told her. And hers wanted her sire.

  Stepping up to the building, she noticed the chaos swarming around her. The front door had been shattered like it had exploded inward. Vampires scurried around inside try to clean the mess preparing for dawn. The humans outside the building paid very little attention. That was one good thing about New Yorkers, very little seemed unusual for them, which she was sure was why Anton had picked Manhattan to build his nest and turn it into one of the most elite in the country.

  His was powerful, but that wasn’t the only reason why she wanted him or at least that’s what she told herself.

  “Oh, there you are Ava. Last meal will be served soon.” A young, female vampire with dark ebony hair that was managing the mess informed her. Ava went to ask where Anton was, she was in a hurry for them to start their new lives together now that Gabriella was banished and out of the picture. Gabriella had sided with her human lover, but when Ava tried to ask the vampire about Anton, the female was summoned away.