My fingers twitched, itching to wrap around the man's throat. The urge to end him pulsed through my veins like molten steel, hot and demanding. But those eyes—her eyes—wide and pleading, locked onto mine from across the bar. Something in their warm brown depths reached past the predator inside me and touched something I thought had been extinguished long ago.
I exhaled slowly, unclenching my fists beneath the wooden table. The beast within me snarled in protest, but I forced it back down. Not here. Not now. Not with her watching.
It wouldn't be the first life I've taken. This world is crowded with souls so tainted they're beyond redemption—walking infections spreading their poison to everyone they touch. Removing them has always felt like a service, like cleansing a wound. But tonight, something had changed.
I watched as Seraphina gathered her things to leave, her delicate fingers wrapping around her small purse. Her friends circled around her, laughing at something she said. The sound of her laughter danced through the air—light and musical, like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. For a moment, I considered approaching her, offering to walk her home.
My foot slid forward before I caught myself. The beast inside me growled with anticipation, but I reined it in. The last thing I wanted was to frighten her with my intensity. What was happening to me? I'd never cared about someone's comfort before. I'd never worried about how I came across. Yet here I was, analyzing my every potential move like a lovesick teenager.
I remained rooted to my spot, nursing my untouched whiskey as she disappeared through the front door, the scent of jasmine and vanilla lingering in her wake.
Twenty minutes later, it hit me.
A searing pain ripped through my chest, as if someone had plunged a white-hot blade directly into my heart. I doubled over, the glass slipping from my fingers and shattering against the hardwood floor. The bartender shouted something, but his voice sounded distant, underwater.
*Seraphina*.
Her name pulsed through my mind with the certainty of truth. She was in danger—I could feel it resonating in my bones.
I staggered to my feet, ignoring the bartender's protests about the broken glass. The front entrance was crowded with new arrivals, blocking my path. My nostrils flared as I caught her lingering scent, and I turned toward the back exit, shouldering my way through the kitchen staff without apology.
The cool night air hit my face as I burst into the alley behind the bar. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, letting my senses take over. There—jasmine and vanilla, mixed now with the acrid stench of fear. I followed it like a bloodhound, my pace quickening with each step.
The trail led me to a narrow passageway between two abandoned buildings. Before I even turned the corner, I heard it—soft, broken sobs punctuated by ragged breaths. The sound of hope dying.
"Please... don't... please stop..." Her voice was barely audible, choked with tears.
Something primitive broke loose inside me. The restraints I'd so carefully maintained snapped like brittle twigs. My vision tinged red at the edges as I rounded the corner.
There they were—the same two men from the bar. One held her arms above her head, pinning her against the rough brick wall while the other tore at her blouse, buttons scattering across the dirty pavement like tiny stars. Her pale skin gleamed in the dim light filtering from a distant streetlamp, marred by angry red marks where their fingers had bruised her.
I didn't think. I didn't plan. The beast took over, and I surrendered to its rage.
I moved with inhuman speed, crossing the distance in a heartbeat. My hand closed around the throat of the man on top of her, yanking him backward with such force that I heard the vertebrae in his neck crack. He didn't even have time to scream before my fingers plunged into his chest, tearing through flesh and bone to find his lungs. The wet, squelching sound as I pulled them free echoed in the narrow alley. I tossed him aside like garbage, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud, still twitching as life drained from him.
The second man tried to run, but I was on him in an instant. My fingers closed around his throat, squeezing until his eyes bulged and his face turned purple. I could feel his pulse fluttering beneath my grip like a trapped butterfly. With my free hand, I reached into his chest cavity, grasping his still-beating heart. I ripped it free and held it before his dying eyes, letting him see it pulse once, twice, before darkness claimed him. I dropped the organ beside his body with contempt.
Only when both men lay still did the red haze begin to clear from my vision. I turned slowly, my chest heaving, blood dripping from my hands to form dark pools at my feet.
Seraphina stood frozen against the wall, her torn blouse hanging open to reveal a lacy white bra. Her eyes were wide with horror, fixed not on the bodies at my feet, but on my face—my true face, the one I kept hidden from the world. I realized too late that the beast had fully emerged, transforming my features into something no human should ever witness.
Her mouth opened in a scream that never came. I crossed to her in a flash, pulling her into my arms and covering her mouth with my blood-stained hand. Her body trembled against mine like a leaf in a storm.
"Shhh," I whispered, feeling the beast recede as her scent—fear and all—filled my nostrils. My features shifted back to human form, bones realigning beneath my skin with an audible crack. "I won't hurt you. I promise."
She struggled against my hold, her tiny fists beating against my chest. Each blow might as well have been a butterfly's wing for all the impact it made. I swept her into my arms, throwing her over my shoulder as gently as I could manage. She continued to fight as I carried her away from the carnage, her feet kicking uselessly against my midsection.
My car sat two blocks away, a sleek black Audi that blended with the shadows. I opened the passenger door with one hand, keeping her secure with the other, and lowered her into the seat. Her struggles had diminished, replaced by a stillness that worried me more than her fighting had. I secured her seatbelt, my fingers lingering for a moment on the soft skin of her collarbone before I withdrew and closed the door.
When I slid into the driver's side, she didn't look at me. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Tears continued to trace silent paths down her cheeks, glistening in the dim glow of the dashboard lights.
I started the engine, its purr filling the silence between us. There was only one place I could take her now—my home. I couldn't risk bringing her back to her apartment, not in this state. Her sister and friend would ask questions, questions that neither of us could answer.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" The endearment slipped out before I could stop it.
Her only response was a soft sniff, followed by a heart-wrenching sob that seemed to break free from somewhere deep inside her. The sound cut through me like a blade.
I pulled over at a deserted parking lot fronting a closed shopping mall. The streetlights cast long shadows across her face as I turned to her, really seeing her for the first time since the alley.
"Seraphina," I said softly. "Look at me."
She kept her face averted, shoulders shaking with silent tears. Gently, I placed my fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face toward mine. The sight nearly undid me. Her porcelain cheeks were flushed crimson, tear-stained and blotchy. Those expressive brown eyes that had captivated me from the first moment were now swimming with a pain so profound it stole my breath. Her lips, usually soft and pink, were chapped from her nervous biting, tiny droplets of blood beading where the skin had cracked.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Seraph," I began, my voice rough with emotion I rarely allowed myself to feel. "I know—"
I never finished the sentence. She launched herself across the center console, climbing onto my lap and burying her face against my chest. Her arms wound around my neck with surprising strength, clinging to me as if I were the only solid thing in a world falling apart. Her body shook with sobs that tore from her throat, raw and primal.
I fumbled with my seatbelt, freeing myself from its restriction so I could hold her properly. One arm encircled her waist while my free hand stroked through her silken hair, now tangled and mussed from the night's events.
"I was so scared, Lucian," she whispered against my neck, her warm breath sending shivers down my spine despite the gravity of the moment. "I thought it was going to happen again. I don't know if I could survive if it happened again. Thank you... thank you so much."
Her words froze the blood in my veins. *Again*. The implication struck me like a physical blow. Someone had hurt her before, violated her in a way that had left scars deeper than any eye could see. The beast inside me roared with renewed fury, demanding retribution.
I held her tighter, cradling her against me as if I could absorb her pain through the contact of our bodies. "It's okay, sweetheart," I murmured into her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo mingled with fear-sweat and something uniquely her. "I've got you now. No one will ever hurt you again."
I meant those words with every fiber of my being. In that moment, I made a silent vow—anyone who had ever caused her pain would pay. I would hunt them down one by one if necessary, and they would learn the true meaning of suffering before I granted them the mercy of death.
Her sobs gradually subsided, her breathing becoming deeper and more even. The tension in her body melted away as she nestled against me, her head finding the perfect spot in the crook of my neck. Within minutes, she had drifted to sleep, completely vulnerable and trusting in the arms of a monster.
I gazed down at her sleeping face, marveling at how peaceful she looked despite everything. A strand of hair had fallen across her cheek, and I brushed it away with gentle fingers, careful not to wake her. A strange warmth bloomed in my chest—unfamiliar yet not unwelcome.
Starting the car again with Seraphina still curled in my lap, I pulled carefully back onto the road. My penthouse on Maison Street awaited us, a sanctuary where I could keep her safe while she recovered from the night's horrors.
As I drove through the silent streets, one thought echoed in my mind: she was my mate, and I would burn the world to ashes before I let anyone hurt her again.