God, she hoped so. Apparently, a vampire's ability to hear a heart beating grew more acute the hungrier they were, and if their ruse had any shot of working, she had to appear very, very dead.
She waited as he mouthed her throat, his tongue swirling and flicking on her hyper-sensitive skin. How was she supposed to play dead when every lick brought her body to shivering, vibrant awareness?
And wait. He'd said later. Did he mean it? Could there be a later?
She'd have to find out -- later -- because he pushed away from her. With a vicious, but oddly careful shove, he nudged her aside with his foot like a dead animal he'd found on the road. She lay motionless, trying to not even breathe as he paced.
She wondered if this was how he'd been while he waited for Gabrielle to turn into a werewolf, this restless energy that kept him prowling back and forth and grumbling to himself. Had he prayed for her life, as Andrea had prayed for Dee's?
Poor, brave Dee. She'd been only one year younger than Andrea, and she'd wanted to stay and fight the demons that had attacked their parents. Instead, she'd fought when Andrea had dragged Dee, screaming, from the house. Six months later, it had been Dee who had been approached by The Aegis to join their cause. Apparently, her bitter and rather public insistence that demons were real had snagged the organization's attention, and they were always looking for new recruits -- especially those who wanted vengeance.
Andrea had joined too, desperate to uphold her promise to keep Dee safe. But Dee had never forgiven Andrea for deserting their parents, and she'd ditched Andrea whenever she could. Within a year of joining The Aegis, Dee's reckless pursuit of revenge had gotten her killed when she'd slipped away from Andrea to hunt down a demon in an alley.
She didn't know how long they went on like that, with her playing dead and Kaden wearing a rut in the ground like a big cat in a cage. Finally, she heard the ominous thump of footsteps.
"Kaden." The psycho vamp's voice sent a chill slithering up her spine. "You are now one of us."
Chapter Six
You are now one of us.
The words rang through Kaden in a deafening clang. Yeah, he was one of them. No, he hadn't killed anyone. But he'd fed. He'd sunk his fangs into a human -- a human Guardian -- and had filled up on her lifeblood.
And he'd enjoyed it. God help him, he'd enjoyed it.
He allowed Cedric to see his pleasure and his misery before averting his gaze in a show of shame. Which wasn't much of an act. But he needed the other vampire to believe he had gone over to the dark side...reluctantly. Cedric wasn't stupid enough to think Kaden would convert without a fight. He'd have to play this smart if he wanted to get Andrea out of this alive.
"You've killed a slayer, slayer," Cedric said. "You are the worst kind of enemy to them. You know you can never go back. We can keep you alive."
"Go to hell."
Cedric didn't miss a beat. "The Aegis will hunt you to the ends of the earth. We can protect you. You know I'm right."
He was, but once he was free, Kaden would kill Cedric, which would draw the wrath of Cedric's entire clan. It was a trade-off Kaden was willing to live with. He'd survive as long as he could, inflicting damage and racking up vampire casualties until he could no longer fight.
Until either Cedric's clan or The Aegis took him down.
Kaden swung his gaze back around to the bastard, nailing him with every ounce of hatred he could muster. "The Aegis won't hunt me specifically. They'll assume I'm dead."
Cedric laughed. "We allowed one of the captured slayers to witness you killing the girl. Then we released him. I doubt it will be long before The Aegis issues an order of execution with your name on it."
Fuck. Kaden's death would be a priority by sunrise. "You son of a bitch."
Through the narrow window, Kaden saw the light of victory in Cedric's pale eyes. "So. Are you willing to work with us? I've tenderized a few slayers, and now they're just waiting to be eaten."
That shouldn't have made Kaden's mouth water, and the fact that it did pissed him off even more.
"Yes," Cedric purred. "I can sense your hunger." The crisp clang of the sliding lock vibrated the air in a concussion wave.