Rule Read Free Page A

someone more powerful … like Sayer … he wouldn’t have survived. He couldn’t have.
    “Never seen it before,” the collector said, picking it up.
    “I have. It was the human’s. Why would it be all the way over here?”
    The man shrugged. “Must have fallen out when we were transferring the body.”
    “We? You mean to tell me you were one of the men to take him from my room?” Fury was seeping back in. Seeping back, because I couldn’t remember. My attention had been on Tessa as I soaked in her last moments.
    “Yes, Master. I was one of the men.”
    Before I could stop myself, I was lunging toward him. A hiss left my mouth, muffling as my fangs sunk into his neck. Memories and more information of who he was all barreled into me. The bright colors of days flashed and I sped through his life before the underground at astronomical speed. I could feel myself soak in who he was like a sponge, feeding me strength that normally wouldn’t have done anything for me. Yet, in the moment, they were a shot of speed to my weak self. My adrenaline raced, making my pulse slam hard into my chest.
    I felt the moment the human received the internal call on that horrible day. It wasn’t from me, but Marie. The man instinctually grasped the connection and raced toward my room with every ounce of devotion he held for this dark, fucked up place. Footsteps pounded behind him—another collector. The moment he came through my door, I could see the scene through his eyes.
    Resting on the floor not feet away, I held Tessa while Margo and Marie looked on. The collector’s heart grew tight in grief. The emotion was so real in the moment that I almost pulled back and sobbed. It was Marie’s words that kept me hanging on.
    “But he lives.”
    Margo looked down at Hunter with disgust, then back to me and Tessa. Ultimately, she returned her gaze to Marie. “His heart may still beat, but not for long. He will not survive. Let him die outside of this room, alone. He should never have been among us to begin with.”
    The collector I was living through stepped forward at Margo’s gesture. The attraction I felt for her was immediate. Her dark skin and even darker eyes called to me, promising of nightmares I’d bask in. I knew what I was feeling wasn’t me, but the collector’s. The headdress she wore draped gold braided stands over her forehead and he kept looking, curious about her status. I pushed through his thoughts faster, jolting to awareness as he and the other man came up and began to lift Hunter. A gasp escaped the soldier, tugging at my temper as I continued to watch a steady repeat of breaths.
    “He smells of Sayer,” Marie whispered. “He is here, isn’t he? I haven’t seen him.”
    “He was,” Margo said just as lowly . “I feel he’s dead now. His blood … it …. rest on the human. Such a waste. This whole situation. Aetas will not be happy.” She grew quiet, waving us collectors to hurry. I felt the impatience through the man as he struggled with the mass of Hunter’s weight.
    The door opened as Reggie came in with cleaning materials. Although I knew of him, I wasn’t aware of his name until the collector thought of it. The tall, thin Native American held the large wooden door as we rushed away. Warmth was beginning to run onto my forearm. I didn’t feel my stomach turn at the fact that it was blood. Quite the opposite.
    “This bastard weighs a ton.” The bald man on the other side of Hunter groaned as he shifted. I could feel myself nod, but otherwise I stayed quiet. My mind was on the dark skinned woman whose blood made me want to bow and serve. I’d become immune to the fearful sensations the vampires put off. Now all I focused on was my addiction.
    Heads in the heart of the city turned toward us as we shifted through at a relatively fast pace. Whispering ensued, a hum of shocked tones, but the large crowd stayed back. Darkness once again engulfed us and my arm flexed against Hunter’s back. What