“Victor, maybe this isn’t a good idea,” one of the vampires said, edging backward. “I’m leaving.”
But Victor didn’t care that he was now alone in the woods on pack land, surrounded by wolves. Victor seethed. “You let that animal touch you?” Victor growled. “You lethimfuck you?”
“Stop,” Lilliane screamed. “You don’t get to talk to me like that. I am not yours. I never was. You can’t manipulate me into leaving my family and keep me under threat of hurting them and expect me to be loyal to you or fall in love with you.”
As he listened to her, Atlas understood something. He was different than Victor because of the way he looked at her now.
It wasn’t love. There was no kindness in that vampire.
Victor looked at Lilliane like she was a piece of steak. Something he wanted to possess, devour, and forget. There was no kindness in Victor, but there sure was a lot of evil.
Atlas took Lilliane’s arm and tugged her behind him. He rolled back his shoulders and crossed his arms, daring Victor to speak to her again.
“Out of my way, wolf,” the vamp snapped. “This is between me and my fiancée.”
He chuckled and said, “She’s not your anything, vampy boy. You won’t be talking tomymateagain.”
Realization sparked in the vampire’s eyes. “You bitch!” He lunged at Atlas, snarling. There was no doubt in Atlas’s mind that the vamp intended to make quick work of him.
Mistake.
Atlas gripped the vamp by the throat and shoved him back. “Nope.” He made sure to keep himself between his mate and Victor. “You don’t speak to her. And you sure as shit don’t go for her like that.”
“Do you really think you can stop me?” Victor laughed and lunged right for Atlas.
Her wolf man was ready, and he shifted into his animal, rolling out of the way mid-shift to avoid Victor. Swiftly, Atlas spun back and snapped at Victor’s legs.
* * *
Lilliane
The smellof blood scented the air. The injury only served to enrage Victor further. He slashed at Atlas with his nails, suddenly long talons … a sure sign Victor was an ancient vampire.
She really hadn’t known what she was getting into with Victor. Her dad was a vampire. She was half of one. Though she didn’t exactly have the best opinion of vampires, she couldn’t help but feel tricked.
Victor never told her he was one of the first vampires.
It was dangerous to mix with the ancients, and she never would have spoken to Victor if she had known who he was. That’s what he had wanted. To ensnare her. To hoodwink her. He had centuries of perfecting his game. She couldn’t truly be silly for falling for it, right?
Watching the man she loved … her wolf man, her mate … fight a vampire for her was painful. Terrible. Every time Victor landed the blow, she felt it in her soul. Accepting responsibility for this felt wrong. She wouldneverhurt Atlas.
Ever.
Yet, here they were.
The fur of his neck was matted with blood. She wanted to join the fight, defend her guy, beat the shit out of Victor for all the pain he caused. But Atlas would never let her. He would find a way to get her out of there at every turn.
Victor didn’t fight fair, so she could understand Atlas’s instincts like they were her own. She knew the wrong move when Victor made it. A fatal mistake.
Atlas didn’t hesitate.
He ripped out Victor’s throat.
The dead vampire fell to the ground. Thick, nearly black blood oozed from his throat. Victor would never hurt her … or anyone else … ever again.
Lilliane hugged her wolf close. “Let’s go home,” she whispered to him.
THIRTY
