Midnight’s Master (Midnight #3)(22)
Author: Cynthia Eden

" Why?" The intensity in the guy’s eyes and voice was just…creepy.

She remembered Marc’s warning. Oh, hell, what was this, some kind of secret password shit?

"Uh, to play?"

The taser dropped. "Then have fun."

Doubt it.

"Maybe they won’t use you up too much."

And maybe she wouldn’t come back with a camera crew and broadcast that ass**le’s face all over Atlanta.

"The party’s waitin’," he murmured. "Hope you like blood."

Not particularly.

Holly.

Niol tensed, his gaze on the gleaming red hair of the woman who strode toward the house.

He’d know that hair– know her –anywhere.

Shit.

What the hell was his reporter doing at the biggest blood party in Atlanta?

A human like her-she’d be a meal before she even made it past the foyer.

Then he’d have to stake a vampire. Or maybe ten.

Dammit. He’d come to the house for information, to see what dark whispers were circulating about the dead demons.

This wasn’t a place for a human.

Not one like her.

His hands fisted as he watched her through the third-floor window. Leave. The word whispered through his mind, but he didn’t use the compulsion.

He could, it would be so easy. She was close enough to control. He could push, and she’d turn around, walk that sexy ass away and-

No.

He wouldn’t do that, not to her.

The woman was making him weak.

Time to f**king get her out of his system.

If the vamps didn’t get to her first.

Niol stalked toward the stairs.

When the front door of the mansion opened, the stench of blood hit her like a slap in the face.

Oh, damn. No denying it now, she was at a freaking blood party.

Holly tried not to gape as she crept over the threshold. She’d heard about blood parties, of course.

Carl had told her about them and said that if she was smart, she’d make absolutely sure she never attended a blood fest.

Because the humans were the dinner at the parties.

A vampire stood just inside the entranceway, his fangs embedded in a woman’s throat. Her eyes were wide open, staring at Holly. The vamp was gulping, sucking, drinking as fast and greedily as he could.

The woman smiled.

Shit.

Holly stumbled past them, only to see a female vampire with two men on the staircase. One guy sat at her feet, kind of like he was worshipping her. Another, with black hair and freakishly pale skin, stood on the step above her. Her red fingernails were on the sitting man’s neck. Her mouth had locked onto the wrist of the too-pale one and Holly could see the lady’s throat working as she swallowed.

Shit, shit, shit.

A big part of her wanted to turn tail and run right then. She’d seen vamps drinking at Paradise before, but this was different. Everywhere she turned, they were feeding.

And f**king.

She could hear them. The cries of passion and pleasure. The moans.

She was in way over her head.

Stumbling, she rammed her elbow into a man’s back. He spun around and locked pitch-black eyes on her. Not black like Niol’s, every part of Niol’s eyes were dark.

This was different. Only the guy’s irises were black. Hunting mode. A vamp’s irises flashed dark when he hunted or when he screwed.

"I-I’m looking for Niol." Coming in alone probably hadn’t been the best idea, but she’d had little choice. The house looked like a freaking photo spread in Southern Times –it shouldn’t have been a cover for a bloodbath.

"Haven’t seen him," the vampire said, his gaze sliding over her. "Shame on him, for leaving you all alone at such a good party." Then he smiled.

Uh, oh. She knew that smile. Vamp or human, she recognized a predatory glance.

"Why don’t we go someplace quiet…" He took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed her palm. "To talk."

Right. What, was "talk" some kind of euphemism for sucking her blood? "I don’t think I’m up for talking with you." The whole blood thing was not her style.

She was too much of a fainter and her weak stomach sure wouldn’t let her indulge-that was one of the reasons she’d nearly slammed onto the floor in the ME’s office.

His hold on her wrist tightened and the smile dimmed a bit. "Then let’s just-"

"Take your damn hand off her, Carter."

Holly didn’t wait for the vampire to free her. She yanked her hand away from him and spun to face Niol.

Alive.

Safe.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy to see someone.

So she kissed him.

Holly threw her arms around his neck, yanked his head down, and crushed her mouth against his.

His lips met hers with a voracious hunger. Mouth, tongue. Taking, driving her wild and feeding the desire that burned right below the surface.

Niol’s hands clamped on her hips, dragging her body tightly against his. The bulge of his arousal pushed at her, the length long and hard.

Her sex moistened, the inner muscles clenching as yearning swept through her.

Niol lifted his head. Swiped his tongue across his lips as if he wanted to take every last drop of her taste.

The silence hit her then. Heavy, overwhelming.

Glancing to the right, she saw that the vamps on the stairs were watching them. Two men-

demons-walked out of another room, and their eyes narrowed on her and Niol.

No, on her .

" She’s the reporter, " one of them snarled.

Oh, finally, someone recognized her. Not recognized at the bar, not at the gate-but now . She’d always had shitty luck.

"She’s mine." Niol snarled right back, his arms still chaining her against him. "You got a f**king problem with that?"

The demons backed up a step.

Smart guys.

But the female vampire on the stairs gave a hard laugh and sauntered down three steps. "Maybe I do. Depends on just why she’s here." A smile that should have been beautiful-because the woman’s face was freaking gorgeous with glass-cutting cheekbones, red, red lips, a dainty nose, and a curving jaw-lifted her mouth. But the smile, it was just cruel…and a bit creepy.

Maybe because of the fangs.

Or the blood. The blood staining her teeth-yeah, that could be causing the creepiness.

"Why are you here, News Flash Five reporter? Are we your scoop for the night?"

The air seemed even thicker. Maybe it was. Maybe Niol was using his powers and he was about to send the black-haired bitch flying back up the stairs so she could finish her meals.

And then all hell would break loose because Niol was seriously outnumbered. She didn’t think that even he could take down a whole house full of vampires and demons.

Maybe, but…

She didn’t want to take the chance.