44. Forty-Four

Isaw the light split through the walls, the roof—and I knew. Without a shadow of a doubt, the door I stood in front of had Vastian.

I tore apart that manor, went through every Vampyr like paper. I didn’t stop until I found him.

He was mine. And it took everything in me to remain calm when I saw what was seconds from happening.

If I had taken a minute longer. If I had wasted another moment—

Damian rushed me. But I caught him. Surprise washed over his face, and I smiled, shoving him back into the room. He tripped over his feet. Vastian struggled to get his pants up, but that was fine. I’d get this fucker ready for when the frenzy started.

“I”ll kill you!” Damian shrieked, tossing the sofa into the fireplace where the embers clutched to the fabric like living tendrils.

“Do you know how many people have said that? Word for word? Especially in the last ten minutes? Gods, it’s redundant.” I rolled my shoulders, cracking my neck after.

Seething, he flashed to Vastian, holding him in a headlock and backing up. “You chose him? Over me? This scrawny mortal?”

Vastian was obviously weak. His fists clenched like his jaw, but he couldn’t fight yet.

“There was never a choice,” I said, kicking the remains of the table out of the way. It was like kicking pebbles.

Vastian’s eyes widened. “I’ll kill him then!” Damian plunged his fist into Vastian’s chest.

I moved. I was unable to stop as my fingers wrapped around his arm and I ripped it off. Gods, that felt good. He screamed, dropping Vastian.

I scooped Vastian off the floor, wanting to cry because he was in my arms again. I kissed his forehead, his nose, and his lips. He melted into me, weakly holding my waist.

Damian cupped his bloodied stump and went to flash for the door, but he tripped, launching himself face-first into the wall. If that wasn”t poetic justice, I didn”t know what was.

“Better get your strength back quick, baby.” I set Vastian on the edge of the couch.

Grabbing Damian’s ankles, I dragged him before Vastian. His beautiful teal eyes focused and narrowed. He took three deep breaths, and his nails bit into the cushioned armrest. Lifting the shit smear, I held him steady as he fought against my hold.

“You’ll regret this! Queen Verali already knows you’re here! You won’t get out of this!” He spit everywhere.

“Let go, Vastian. Let go.”Vastian snapped his eyes to mine. “That’s it, baby. Take it back. Take back what he took from you,” I coaxed him.

Standing, he reached between Damian’s legs, cupping him. A flash of jealousy hit me through the chest, but I didn’t waiver. This wasn’t sexual. This was fucking revenge. Damian screamed as I only assumed Vastian squeezed. “You will never use this again. You will never hold power over me again!”

The sound that followed forced me to gag. I turned my chin, just for a moment, as the squishing and tearing had my cock shrivel in on itself. Holding up the detached member wrapped in the shreds of pants, Vastian met my eyes.

“Open his mouth.”

You’d think after getting your cock ripped off, you’d lose all fight. Not Damian. He really didn’t want to open his mouth, and I might have broken his jaw, forcing it to obey. Ha! Would you look at that?

Vastian rammed it down his throat and slammed his lips closed. Damian choked and vibrated like he was seizing. I didn’t let go.

“I am not weak!” Vastian screamed at him.

He plunged his fist so far into Damian’s chest that it hit mine. I backed up, looking down in horror at the fisted heart in his grasp. Every part of me wanted to be the one to rip that fuckers head off, but this was for Vastian.

This was his justice.

Jerking it through the gaping hole, he squished it under his heel and dug his fingers into Damian’s throat until blood spewed everywhere. The strangled noise that left him was final.

Tossing the head to the floor, Vastian screamed again. The corpse dropped between us and I ripped my shirt up and over my head. Vastian needed to feed.

He needed my blood.