Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that he’s just as insane as the rest of us.
He hides his monster well—buries it beneath carefully curated smiles and flirty winks designed to lure you in.
“You’re going to die for what you did to those women, Dennis,” I tell him, folding my arms over my chest.
I don’t feel an ounce of pity or guilt as I stare at the pathetic waste of space. He brought this on himself.
All of those human women he tore apart…
Dennis is the worst kind of monster because his acts were intentionally insidious. Hebroughtthose women to his house. He shifted into his wolf, knowing what his beast would do. He ate them alive, then he buried what was left of their bodies the next day.
“But I’ll let you choose how you die.” Krystian’s grin widens, revealing the dimple in his right cheek that drives sane womencrazy. “You can either let the arrows do their work, or…” He glances towards the far wall where Rafael has been watching the entire exchange silently. “You can let my friend end you.”
Dennis starts sobbing harder, obviously knowing his death is inevitable.
He turns tear-filled eyes towards Rafael, snot pouring from his nose. “Please. Make it quick.”
Krystian, Zaid, and I all wince.
They always choose Rafael.
And they always come to regret that decision.
“I’ll make it as quick as you made your kills,” Rafael says in a singsong voice, his normally stoic expression morphing into a demented, playful smile.
Then he pounces.
I quickly look away, my stomach muscles cramping. It’s not because I’m disgusted by the display of violence or feel pity for Dennis.
It’s because I hate that my teammate has turned into this…monster.
As a blood fae, Rafe has to drink blood more often than a vampire in order to utilize his powers. But the bloodlust has corroded away his mind—chipping away a piece at a time—until all he cares about is violence and death. Herevelsintearing his victims apart. Listening to them scream. Having them beg for it all to end.
Krystian catches my gaze and nods at my unspoken question. “I put a glamour up. No one should be able to see or hear what’s happening here.”
“We’re going to need a goddamn trash bag for all the body parts,” Zaid huffs, frowning. “Again.”
As Rafe rips Dennis apart one limb at a time, I can’t help but think this is the only life we’ll ever know. We’re trapped in this routine, with no hope of escaping.
We get summoned.
We kill.
Then we repeat.
It’s what we were trained for, but I can’t help but wish for…more. What that “more” is evades me.
There’s no use wishing for something that will never be.
We’re stuck like this forever, so we better get used to it.
CHAPTER FOUR
ZAID
It’s surreal for me to think about how much has changed since we were first put to sleep—nearly four centuries earlier.
Phones. Cars. Internet. Televisions.
