Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory #2)(45)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Olivia realized that how the guy had become a werewolf didn’t matter—not then. All that mattered was that he was the enemy, and she couldn’t let him win. The blade of the knife cut into her. Olivia twisted, shoving out with her feet, and she hit the senator in the stomach. He grunted and staggered back. She took that opportunity and rolled, as fast and hard as she could. She would get away. Somehow. That bastard wasn’t cutting out her heart!

The blade sliced over her arm. He grabbed her legs. “Soon, you’ll never fight me again.”

She’d fight him until she died.

“Get your f**king hands off her!”

Shane’s voice. Shane’s wonderful roar of rage.

Then he was there, yanking the senator back, tossing him away from her. Shane reached for her legs. Ripped the rope away. He caught her hands and jerked—

A white werewolf—fully shifted—tackled him. Shane tumbled to the ground, rolling with that beast. The wolf sank his teeth into Shane’s neck.

She twisted and yanked her hands as she struggled to get out of the rope. The rope wasn’t giving, so—screw it. Olivia contorted her body as best she could. Her shoulder popped, and she knew she’d dislocated it, but she managed to get her hands around her bunched up legs so that her bound hands weren’t behind her anymore. They were in front of her, and she could reach her gag.

She grabbed for the gag just as Shane locked his fingers around the werewolf’s jaws.

Shane pried the jaws off him.

Olivia yanked out her gag.

“I wish the beast would be a man!”

The werewolf shifted before her, changing instantly. The white fur melted. His bones snapped and popped. Shane lost his grip on the werewolf—a man now—and David curled into a ball on the ground.

David was completely na**d and—sobbing?

“You f**king killed him!” David yelled as he tipped back his head and glared at her. “I felt it—you killed my beast!”

The senator had gotten back to his feet. He also had his knife—now pressed over his daughter’s heart.

“Lost it,” David muttered as he rocked back and forth. “Lost my beast, lost my beast!”

Shane, bleeding but still standing, crossed to Olivia’s side. He tore the ropes away from her raw wrists even as he kept his glare on David. “Guess that means you aren’t an alpha any longer.”

Shane was looking at the wrong threat. “I wish you’d let her go,” Olivia said to Donald.

He nodded. “Right…” His voice was soft. “I will…let her go…”

And he shoved the knife into his daughter’s chest.

Olivia screamed as Chloe fell to the ground.

“I let her go,” Donald whispered.

Horror froze Olivia. Too late, she remembered that a djinn’s wishes were twisted. What had she been told? That they could turn dreams into nightmares?

She’d just killed Chloe! “I wish she was alive!” The words tumbled from her in a frantic shout. “I wish—”

“Olivia, no!” Shane grabbed her and held tight. “Stop it! He’s pushing you! Manipulating you!”

But Chloe was moving now. Gasping. Shuddering. Alive.

“You are as strong as they say,” Donald murmured, with a flash of his fangs. “How f**king wonderful.”

Another vehicle raced to the scene. A big, black van. The driver’s side opened and Pate leapt out. Connor and Duncan jumped out, too, and they rushed toward the senator.

David kept whimpering on the ground. “Lost my beast, lost…”

“It’s over, senator.” Pate’s voice rang out, strong and clear. “You’re done.”

“Oh? And here I thought I was just getting started…”

Olivia had clamped her lips together. She wanted to make another wish. Wanted it so badly.

But it was a dark wish. Evil.

I shouldn’t wish for a man’s death.

“They’ve been using you, Olivia,” Donald called out as Pate and Connor closed in on him. Duncan stalked toward David. “I told you…the way to control a djinn is through the heart. I would’ve kept your heart safe, but what do you think the vampire will do to it?”

Shane’s arms tightened around her.

“His family is corrupt. They’ve bathed in blood for centuries. Do you know how many innocents your lover slaughtered? He and his family—they’re the reason vampires exist today. The reason so many humans hunt and kill.”

Pate yanked the bloody knife from Donald’s hand. “Guess where you’re going, senator? I’m glad you liked Purgatory so much because it’s going to be your new home.”

Donald didn’t look at him. His eyes were on Olivia. “He didn’t even have to cut out your heart in order to control you. All the vampire had to do was make you love him. You gave him your heart, and he’ll use it. He’ll use your power. You’ll do anything, everything, he wants now, and you’ll be helpless.”

Pate locked his hands around the senator’s shoulder, but Donald jerked away from him.

“They’ve all been using you!” He screamed at Olivia.

She kept her mouth closed. Don’t wish his death…don’t!

“The vampire marked you because he wanted that power for himself! He doesn’t love you, he’s just screwing you for—”

Shane rushed at the senator. He grabbed the man’s shirt. Lifted him high into the air. “You were going to cut out her heart!”

The senator smiled. “One day, I will,” he promised. “I’ll come back. I won’t stop, I’ll have everything—”

“You’ll have nothing.” Then Shane sank his teeth into the senator’s throat. Donald howled and slashed out at Shane with his claws. He punched and twisted, but Shane didn’t let him go.

He kept drinking. Kept taking.

Kept…killing?

“Stop,” Olivia whispered.

Shane instantly stilled.

“Send him to Purgatory,” she said, her voice weak, but determined. Because death would be too easy for that bastard. “Let the prisoners there torture him.” You can see what it’s like to be locked up with them.

Shane dropped the senator to the ground. Donald didn’t move as the blood gushed from his throat. He didn’t move…at first.

Then he started to laugh. The laugh was rough and broken, and evil. “I…made Purgatory. My monsters…planning to attack. They won’t hurt me.” He pushed to his feet. “We’ll be stronger. We’ll never stop! No one will ever stop me—”