Carpathian 16 - Dark Demon

little pale, like maybe you're not quite up to par. I'll hold the fort while you go feed . She couldn't let him think she was ecstatic that he was coming to her.
    Where do you get these sayings ? And I thought I would feed on you . She received the immediate impression of strong white teeth snapping together, and a flood of very erotic images.
    Pervert . She was not going to admit to the excitement racing through her or the heat in her bloodstream.
    She turned her attention back to Brent Barstow. The man reeked of fear and violence, a very dangerous combination. He kept shaking his head and insisting that Slavica and her family consorted with vampires, enabling them to acquire victims to fill their ranks.

    Sickened by his unnatural hatred and his closed mind, she leaned down, her face inches from his, allowing the tigress to rise, so he could see the urge to kill in her eyes. "You count on people being civilized when you're not, but this time, buddy, you made a bad mistake.
    When my friends are threatened, I don't do civilized."
    "Natalya," Jubal warned. "He's a fanatical imbecile. Let's turn him over to the authorities."
    "If you kill vampires as you claim," Barstow said, "then we're on the same side. There's no need for this."
    Natalya's eyebrow shot up. "No need? When you have Slavica's husband and daughter, a young innocent girl who couldn't possibly have anything to do with vampires, tied up in their own home? I'm not on your side and I never will be."
    "In any war there are sacrifices. And we are at war," Barstow declared.
    Slavica had been silent, but a single sound escaped and it went straight to Natalya's heart.
    She wanted to rip the man to shreds. She could feel her hands curling into claws and a wildness rose up in her.
    Gabrielle slipped between them and put a gentle, restraining hand on Natalya's arm.
    "This man isn't the problem right now. His friends are. The most important thing to do is to figure out how to get Slavica's family back safely."
    "They are in league with the vampires," Barstow reiterated, glaring at Slavica. "Her entire family hangs out with vampires."
    "Hangs out? You just said hangs out," Natalya repeated. "Do you have any idea how utterly stupid you sound? Vampires do not hang out. They tear your throat out and drain every drop of blood from your body. They do not hang out. Where do people like you come from?" She turned away from him unable to stomach looking at him.
    She could feel Vikirnoff. He was close, feeding, his manner respectful, even gentle as he ensured he didn't take enough blood to make the farmer dizzy. She liked that trait in him, that old-world courtesy and the care he seemed to take with others. With her. She ached to see him. She told herself it was only because he could read minds and extract information as well as becoming invisible.
    "He's got a knife!" Jubal yelled.
    Slavica screamed. Gabrielle gasped. It was that sound, so telltale in Natalya's world, that small breathless gasp of utter shock, that had her whirling around. Gabrielle stared at her, eyes wide, the blood draining from her face. She reached out to Natalya, her hand trembling. Natalya caught her, felt her collapsing and tried to ease her to the floor.
    Vikirnoff ! She screamed for him. This couldn't be happening. Gabrielle with her bright smile and intelligence blazing in her eyes. She had even stepped protectively in front of Barstow to keep the tigress from a kill. It made no sense. None. She wept inside even as rage grew into a monster roaring for release.
    Jubal was already on the floor, fighting for the knife. He took a slash across his chest before pinning Brent's wrist and slamming his hand repeatedly against the floor, forcing him to drop the knife.
    Slavica leapt into action, helping Natalya lower Gabrielle to the floor, turning her to see the extent of the injury. "He stabbed her several times." There was a catch in her voice.
    "Look at the blade. It's notched all the way down."
    Natalya looked into her eyes. There was sorrow. Resignation. Three times in the kidney and, as Gabrielle turned, he stabbed her repeatedly in the chest.
    Vikirnoff! I need you now!
    "I am here." He came striding through the door, tall and powerful, wearing that mantle of authority and complete confidence that usually set her teeth on edge, but now sent relief flooding through her.
    She sat on the floor, holding Gabrielle in her arms as both Slavica and she tried to stem the flow of blood.
    Vikirnoff reached down