“You can’t… I don’t…” God damn, I couldn’t speak.

He broke out into deep laughter, slapping his thigh.

“Lighten up, sweetcheeks, I’m shitting with you. I just want to get to know you better. Don’t you think if I’m going to be your brother-in-law one day then you ought to make the effort to get along with me?”

“No.”

“I can play nice too, you know. So nice that you won’t walk straight for a week.”

“Well, be still my beating heart, the master of romance is upon me.” I rolled my eyes.

The galloping of my pulse threatened to make me pass out. It was unlikely any amount of sarcasm could hide that, but it was worth a try. Had I really believed I was only there to save Anna? It felt like there was another reason, looming behind a door inside me. I was leaning hard on that door, trying to keep it shut.

“Has Zachariah told you about his secret, yet? Sorry, secrets, plural.” He absently rubbed a finger over the scar on his cheek.

His sharp conversation changes left me dizzy. I stared resolutely ahead of me.

“You’re too scared to ask him?! Why don’t you ask me instead?” he suggested.

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?”

He laughed and we sat in silence for a beat.

“So many questions in your head, Jess. I dare you to ask me them. I won’t be as evasive with the answers as he is.”

“He told me about sanguine mating. He played it down as just folklore, but I think if we’re fated to be together, our souls destined to meet, then that’s about as romantic as it gets. Are you jealous of that?”

“Oh, he’s your soulmate, alright. The one you’re destined to be with. But not as lovers, or even as equals. He’s fated to kill you. That’s what he desires above all else,” he paused. “Still think that’s sweet?”

“You all want to kill me. I’m over it.”

He bit his bottom lip, shaking his head. It was the most hesitant I’d ever seen him look.

“If a vampire finds that human, their sanguine mate, they’re expected to keep them. As a blood slave, to feed from when they desire, or to kill when they choose,” he paused again, weighing up the blank expression I was struggling to maintain, before he continued.

“They often draw out the pleasure as long as they possibly can, feeding frequently, little and often. Then they’ll indulge in the best night of their lives, by killing them. Usually at a big organised event, in front of everyone. Like a fucking wedding. Other vampires will come to watch, congratulate them, celebrate with them. Is this the wedding you’ve dreamed of?”

“No, but sounds like it’s one you’ve dreamed of?” I fake smiled, wondering if this new information was actually going to have me vomiting all over him.

It was fine. Zac told me it was ritual bullshit that he wouldn’t acknowledge… but did he want it, deep down? Is that what he really desired? Would turning me into a vampire change it? Maybe he’d get the best of both that way? Presumably he’d need to feed from me to make the latter happen?

“You asked him to make you a vampire?!” Alex beamed.

“Yeah, that went down well.” One big argument amongst the daily rotation of other arguments.

His eyes reached for the ceiling. “Have you never had a single day without fighting him?”

“Get out of my head.”

“I don’t need to be in your head to know that. He’s all about free will and not messing with minds. But that’s the horseshit. He wants to change you.”

“And I suppose you don’t, right?”

“Congratulations on fucking the Chief, by the way,” he said with sudden airiness. “Damn, I wish I could have seen Zachariah’s face when he found out. Did he cry?”

“Are we done here, yet?”

“Not even close. And before we continue, my little nympho headcase, here’s another one for the record – I wouldn’t be mad at you for fucking other guys. In fact, I’d encourage it. We’d do it together.”

* * *

I opened my mouth to say something, although I hadn’t worked out what, when he put a hand up to stop me.

“We don’t have much time left for banter, so save the retorts. Don’t miss this chance to ask the questions that matter,” he urged.

He was right; there were a shit-ton of questions I wanted to ask him. But all I could think about right then was all the humans in that house. How many of them would end up dead. And if my knowledge of them being there made me an accessory to murder?

But then, aside from wheelchair woman… and maybe that missing girl from the beach… everyone I’d seen looked healthy. Willing. Happy, even. Then again, no doubt Alex could influence that with his mind control games. Could he make them look happy, when they weren’t? Or were they genuinely eager to give themselves over? Was that what I was like?

“Is that your question?” he raised an eyebrow. “Because that seems like one you should ask yourself.”

I huffed at the invasion into my mind. At least that answered the first questions. He could get inside their heads and warp them any way he wanted. How long before he did that to me? Again…

“The missing girl,” I said.

“I picked her up from an event. A vampire one, where the organisers spend months rounding up a load of homeless people, or those who are isolated and alone, ones nobody will miss. Once they’ve done their research and found enough, they’re invited to a party, free booze all night. The vampires arrive and mingle as guests for a while, get some fun out of playing with their food before the main entertainment.”

“That’s disgusting.”

He grinned, “It’s fun. But mistakes were made. She was missed enough for someone to put out a missing persons notice. And one of my men let her off the leash, that was a mistake that didn’t go unpunished. Anyway, I’d chosen her and brought her home from that event. But believe me, she was treated like a princess here compared to what could have befallen her. Despite my brother’s opinions, I’m not the worst monster out there.”

“You think you did her a favour?” I scoffed.

“I know I did. Next question, different subject please.”

“The fire—”

“I didn’t kill them,” he cut in. “I didn’t start that fire, you know this.”

“The doors were locked.”

“The doors are always locked. I can’t have anyone just wandering into my club when they feel like it. Now, are you seriously going to keep asking questions about other, irrelevant people?”

“You tried to kill me with a dodgy bungee cord.”

“Better,” he smiled. “It was an impulsive first response. One of my men was trailing you and it seemed an opportune moment to fuck with Zachariah. Apologies.”

“Apologies? That’s it? You prick!” I made a move to stand up, but he pressed his palms into my thighs and pushed me back down.

“You know what I am, Jess. But I still don’t understand exactly what you are, which puts you ahead of me.”

“I’m just a girl. A crazy one.” I drew my arms around myself, as if that might help protect my mind from the thoughts about myself, ones I didn’t want him seeing.

“You’re far from just a girl, that was established long ago.”

I shifted, pulling my legs up and away from the vampire still sitting at my feet.

“When will you realise that you need to fear him just as much as me, if not more?” His face lost the usual mischievous sparkle, eyes turning serious.

“Are you going to elaborate on that or make me ask?”

“He wasn’t always all sweetness and ‘I am the light’ crap. His need for power and control goes back way before he even became a vampire,” he absently ran a finger down the scar on his cheek. “This was a little gift from him when we were only eight years old. Didn’t get what he wanted, so he slashed me. If this was the work of a child, imagine what he’s capable of now.”

“Is there a point to all this? You’re all killers, you’re all capable of terrible things, I’m not hiding from that. Why do you care what he does? I thought you wanted him to activate this Legacy crap, yet now you sound like you don’t want him to let go?”

“You came along and complicated things. The Legacy is, and always will be, my primary concern, but I’d quite like it if he didn’t kill you in the process. I think I could enjoy having you around.”

“Legacy schmegacy,” I snorted.

“You’re mocking it?” His eyebrows shot up, the familiar smile pulling at his lips.

“I’m a little sick of the vampire dramatics.”

“You’re right. Damn, my manners are shot to fucking shit tonight. Whiskey, right?” He suddenly leapt up and moved to a futuristic-looking desk in the corner, all glass and steel.

“No, thanks.”

“No? Smack, then? You like that too, right?”

I pressed my lips together.

“I guess it’s all tame compared to the high from making out with a vampire,” he sighed, dumping a syringe back on the table and sitting down, next to me this time. “If we’re done with question time, perhaps we should get straight to the hardcore stuff?”

He took hold of my hand and turned it over, his fingers tracing the vein along my wrist. I tried to wrench myself away, but my body didn’t move a single muscle. I could barely even breathe as he pulled my wrist up and kissed it tenderly. The idea of his teeth sinking in like a hot knife on butter made me shiver. What would it be like? Would it hurt? It didn’t look like it hurt…

Unfortunately his lips continued slowly up my arm, leaving tingling patches where the kisses fell. Across my collarbone, finding my throat. He sucked at the skin below my ear. Fuck, would he drink from my neck? He still had hold of my wrist in one hand and I was aware of a dull pain as the grip tightened.

“I know what you want, Jess. You want me to fuck you so rough that you’re begging me to stop, knowing full well it will make me go at it harder. You need an animal to plunder you,” he whispered the words straight in my ear.

Pulling back a fraction, he stared at me, and ran his tongue along his bottom lip. His eyes narrowed as his tongue moved to probe something else – two sharp, white teeth. This time I did find the power to move and launched myself away from him. I did it with such force that I began toppling backwards off the bed, but he still had hold of my wrist and yanked me back.

Deep amusement spread over his face as he raised his eyebrows at me. “Zachariah never showed you his fangs before?”

I’d caught sight of them on occasion when he’d nearly lost it, but not up close like that. Not bearing down on me with primal intention.

“You know, my brother might think I can’t control myself, but he’s wrong. I just choose not to most of the time. There’s a difference. But look, see,” he bared his normal teeth at me. “Just in the nick of time, too.”

Leaping to his feet, he leaned into a feral, crouching position facing the door.

It flew open in an explosion of shattering wood. A large splintered piece flew past me and caught my cheek with a sting. Warm blood trickled down.

I couldn’t see what happened next, it was too fast. Zac tore into the room like a tornado, with a flurry of motion and growling. Then he was standing helplessly before me in a headlock, Alex snarling at his throat.

* * *

“So rude to storm into someone’s private room like that, Zachariah,” Alex hissed.

A bunch of his men stood just inside the room, Parker at the front, all hissing and snarling at Zac’s back. Too many fangs in one place. No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening. I forced myself to look at Zac’s face. There was only pain and rage, directed right at me.

“I’m so sorry.” I swear my lungs collapsed as the words left me. Another panic attack threatened to rip through me, great spasming sobs causing me to choke as the reality of the situation hit me.

Alex’s teeth were at Zac’s throat, threatening to close in.

“Don’t hurt him,” I wailed, punching Alex’s back. He shoved me away and I hit the floor hard, cracking my temple on the edge of the bed frame. More blood rushed down my face.

Zac let out a thunderous snarl and lurched forward, flinging Alex over his back and onto the floor. He hoisted me to my feet and held me behind him, adopting a defensive stance. Alex was back on his feet, but all the aggression had left his body.

He stood relaxed, hands in his pockets, eyeballing us, taunting us with his nonchalance. “You think having murderers holed-up in your basement makes you stronger, Zachariah? Somehow more worthy of her attention?” Alex asked. “Newsflash, brother, there’s nothing special about you. It just makes you a psycho—”

Zac cut him off with a snarl.

And what? What basement?!

I gaped at Zac, who glared pure venom at Alex.

“They’re hungering for this fight,” Alex shrugged, nodding to the pack of animals in the doorway. Obedient creatures, waiting for their orders. “Leave.”

“This isn’t over,” Zac growled.

“I’m counting on that,” he replied.

Zac marched me over to the window, smashed it with the back of his hand and leapt out with me pressed to his back. It happened so quickly that I could hardly register it. One second I was standing there, then I was on his back and landing gracefully onto the driveway three storeys down.

He dropped me to my feet a lot less gently than he could have, and pushed me towards my bike.

“Ride. Straight to mine. I’ll be right behind you,” he ordered.

I gunned it down the crunching, gravel driveway, wheels spinning out and sliding. The redness of the water in the pool seemed to have intensified as I passed.

Darker, thicker. A naked man submerged himself into the depths and shot from one end to the other in a heartbeat. He emerged from the water, red clinging to every curve, glossy and slick, sliding down his body.

It wasn’t lights making that pool red.