Vicious In Love by D.D. Dass (ebook reader with highlight function TXT) 📕

Beth approached the punching bag, placing her hands on either side of its leathery texture, concentrating hard. Everything she’d been taught rushed back as she threw the first blow, feeling her hands sting underneath the gloves.

Sucking it up, she circled the thing, wishing it were an actual other. At least their skin wasn’t as unwelcoming.

As the songs played on, they sunk in, she fought harder, heart thudding in her ears as the familiar high settled in. She felt so alive this way.

Let bygones be bygones could never work for her. The emotional weaknesses needed to heal over.

The room was chilling slightly, as she whirled in a kick, wincing at the pain that ran up her leg. Immediately, another presence overrode her focus, powerful and dangerous enough that she froze, ripping her headphones from her ringing ears and risking a glance over.

She choked on her breath. Hair in her face, body sticky with precipitation, she caught sight of Derik, looking composed and handsome as ever from where he leaned on the wall, arms flexing as he crossed them. Goddess, why, oh why, did he look so…good? Better yet, why couldn’t she have had blonde hair, and a pixie body?

Though his pale eyes were unreadable, his eyebrow was arched in question. For a moment, she caught her breath, staring wide eyed at him as he stared at her. A delicious desire pooled at the junction of her thighs under that stare, some invisible force trying to pull her closer, making her wonder if he felt it too? Probably not.

As if on cue, shocks of pain shot up her body, and she dropped her hands to her knees, gasping for breaths before she managed—with a lot of effort—to straighten, still swaying a bit, but catching herself against the punching bag, highly aware of Derik’s impassive gaze.

Pain wasn’t her friend, though neither was the leader, and she was attracted to him. Idiot.

She hemmed twice before she found her voice. “Have you been here…long?” Being as self-conscious as she, Beth kept her eyes on the ground, worried he was laughing at her for being so weak, nearly human.

“Have you?” She shook her head no, too out of breath to say anything. His next query caused her head to snap up.

“What were you thinking of before?” Why did he care?

“Nothing,” she mumbled nonchalantly, making sure she kept thoughts of Vince and Magda away in case he could read minds. But, she missed them, and it was hard to since it was more than wrong.

“Anger makes you sloppy,” he drawled, voice closed off. Her mouth dropped open, as she blinked. Was he called her sloppy now?

“What are you implying?” she asked, slightly annoyed.

“You were sloppy.” Blunt much?

“Sloppy,” she echoed, trying to squish her anger. He pushed from the wall, taking a step closer, and she automatically took one back. His smirk fueled her anger as he practically spoke his thought: coward.

Around him anyone would be, but she was stubborn, and inwardly took a deep breath, lifting her chin and taking a sure step forward, smiling sourly when his eyebrows furrowed and his hands twitched.

Did he want to hit her then? Was he that type? she wondered, trying not to gawk at the amount of tattoos that littered his skin. They were banded around his muscular arms, symbols of the Axvem she’d never learnt thoroughly. She tried to make them out, but was only able to catch one, ‘drown in the light of those you seek out’. She blinked at the unexpected message.

His voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Your anger directed your actions, and you attacked at all the wrong angles,” he paused, taking another step forward. “If that’d been an actual battle, you’d have been dead before you blinked.” Beth glowered, wondering why the hell she appreciated his candor.

Maybe ‘cause the man you loved never gave it to you, her conscious supplied, causing her to flinch away from nobody. Lovely.

“Betrayal,” she muttered, the word leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.  Her gloved hands tangled together uneasily, unsure of his reaction because well, he was unpredictable as they come.

Although he was more than several feet away, she felt him stiffen. Not exactly a good reaction.

“Begging your pardon?” From under her lashes, she could see the confusion on his expression. Could it possibly be real? Was the most heartless Vampire alive confused? A smile blossomed her lips.

“I was thinking of betrayal,” she blurted a bit more confident. His green eyes blazed then, with so much…fury that she cringed away from him. Oh yeah, she reminded herself, never get to comfortable around men, they were weird creatures.

“What do you know of betrayal?” She went frigid because who the hell did he think he was? He hadn’t even known she existed until yesterday. She knew everything about betrayal, she was its victim.

All he knew about was being a careless asshole! Anger clouding her brain, she stomped up to him until they were close enough that their noses would have been touching were it not for the height difference. Behind her anger was embarrassment, because he was so much more intimidating than her, but she brushed the pesky emotion off. Arrogant green eyes bored into her blue blazing ones as they challenged each other.

Try me, she wanted to shoot, but she had enough mind not to, instead pressing closer. “You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed, her finger lifting to poke him in the muscular plains of his chest. Such a damn male. Arrogant bastards they all were, especially this one.

In response, he growled low in his chest, making her grit her teeth to keep from backing off. She wouldn’t back down to him.

“I know that you haven’t the slightest notion as to how betrayal feels, you insolent child,” he gritted, fangs flashing threateningly.

“Insolent child? How old are you, grandpa!” Without any indication, his hands shot out, shoving her away just as his lip curled, fangs revealed, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

Fear had her stumbling further away, tripping so that she fell, her belly twisting in pain, and her hand landed on her throat, to make sure he actually hadn’t bitten her. With sheer will, she stood, unable to meet his gaze this times as multiple insults sped through her mind.

The will to fight lost, she settled on plain ‘ole, “Males.” Her eyes closed away from his burning ones. That moment someone traced into the room, a freesia scent overwhelming her as she looked in the direction; both human and vampire glared at the intruder, though Beth had no idea why. She should be grateful someone interrupted before she killed the arrogant jerk, or worse, he killed her.

The female was tall and curvy in a grey muscle shirt and tights that left her legs partially bare. Beautiful, transitioned, and worse, blonde Beth noted with a sigh. What the hell was she still doing arguing anyway? He was obviously beyond her ‘insolent child’ views.

The woman’s face was pert and beaming as she looked between Beth and Derik, her smile slowly fading as she tamped into the tension that surrounded them. Tension that animated from the leader.

She snorted, so much for unfeeling then, since his face was fixed in annoyance.

“Am I interrupt—,” everything. Beth cut her off quickly.

“No, no,” she glanced at Derik with a false, eager smile. “Lord Derik was just helping me with my er, balance, but I have to go now.” With that she started for the door, happy to escape as she kept her gaze forward, the heated daggers in her back making her want to turn around and stick her tongue out, but she didn’t, feeling the air smooth over with a chill.

He wasn’t going to let her go, was he? What had she gotten herself into now?

∞∞∞

Ian’s blood roared in his ears as he watched the girls retreating back. Inside he had an internal battle, his arrogant half told him to let her leave, but as he kept watching her edge closer to the door it hit him that she was really leaving, and he still hadn’t gotten her name.

The female was as irritating as they came, yet he was worried about the damned name. What the hell was wrong with him?

Right, everything.

Though being honest, he’d already argued with her, and didn’t even know her name, a pathetic slam on his part.

Something stirred within him, something forbidden and unwelcome, but it made up his mind. Swallowing his pride, he traced before the door, his demon smiling with glee when she walked into him, her creamy throat far too close. He quickly pushed her away, again using a bit too much strength since she went stumbling, glaring when she caught her footing and advanced him. The ramai raised male in him wanted to apologize, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” he stated lowly, trying to keep his voice curt as possible though he was seething with irritation caused by bloodlust. She froze mid-step, falling forward and making the female in the sidelines giggle. The girl’s face flushed, looking mortified.  Huh, not so tough around other females then? He grasped instantly, though defensive, he shot the blonde a glare.

He expected the girl’s answer, ‘you can’t stop me!’, though instead, she surprised him, smiling a very fake smile. So, she was an actress too? Wonderful. Though how could she know anything? Despite the pale color of her eyes, she had to be around eighteen, her innocence radiated from her.

“My lord, you flatter me,” she began almost sweetly.

“Please,” he scoffed in disbelief, but she simply smiled wider, continuing as if he hadn’t spoken. “But I really gatta go.” Not a chance.

He composedly answered, “You mean to skip training then? I’m sure your father would be thrilled to hear this.” He inwardly smiled with satisfaction at her gape.

“You wouldn’t,” she whispered fiercely, probably unaware that the blonde could still hear her. Loud and clear actually.

Glancing at the other female whose name he didn’t bother to learn, he leaned forward, closer to her ear to whisper as lowly as possible. She was so stiff that he wanted to laugh, because surely he wasn’t so scary? Like the big bad Vamp. “Try me.”

He inhaled purposefully, forcing himself to move away, risking another glance at the blond.  She wasn’t looking their way, too preoccupied with a message, most likely the newest gossip. He gritted his teeth, trying to convince himself not to hurt her. Blondes were not his type of the late; they were becoming much too dense.

The girl that held his attention narrowed her eyes, boldly holding his gaze before looking away, biting her bottom lips, seemingly torn. His demon smiled in triumph. She didn’t reply, but stalked passed him, close enough that he caught her scent, citrus seduction, making his throat burn, and his fangs elongate. Unconsciously, he ran his tongue along the sharp points, watching the sway of her curvy hips in those tights, making his groin tighten uncomfortably.  Goddess, she was trouble. Her personality was a fire waiting to be lit and his, the flames. The explosion of emotions was alien, annoying and fascinating all at once, a terrible combination. Why, he speculated angrily, was this female, his best friend’s daughter, so…enthralling. It was enough to drive him mad; with curiosity, bloodlust, anger, and worst of all, lust in general. Feeling so much at one time was new, and he sure as hell didn’t like it. How could he lust after someone he didn’t even consider pretty?

How couldn’t he find her pretty?

Hell, the female was particularly lovely. How hadn’t he noticed that before? Was he that caught up in her scent? He glanced at her again, feeling his breathing hitch as she glared. Yeah, that was definitely it. His vision didn’t deceive him now though, stubborn became her.

Hair thick and dark was unfortunately pulled away from her face, making him want to know how long it would fall. The heart shaped face was flushed with anger, her pointed