Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 26

It stopped.

A hairsbreadth away from my face, it stilled, hovering midair. It took me a second to realize I was controlling it.

Air stiffening in silence, the vampires all quietened. They blinked slowly, their eyes growing large by measures. "What the hell's happening?" someone asked quietly.

Frederick whispered, "I think... I think the dog's performing some kind of trick for us."

Willing the knife, I flipped it so the sharpened tip faced his direction. He rose his hands in the air, throat bobbing. "Hey, mate, it was just a harmless ribbing, yeah?"

Dmitri all the while watched me and the knife with growing fascination. Dark, greedy fascination. Anxiety instantly slithered up my spine.

He stood, and slowly approached me.

Standing before me now, his black claw trailed the length of my cheek. I averted my face, saying, "Hey, keep your hands to yourself, creep." I made to stand, but his strong hand on my shoulder immediately stilled me, slamming me back down on my seat.

I gazed up at him in shock. "What the hell's gotten over you?"

He continued on as if I hadn't spoken. "Fascinating..." an amazed whisper. "I haven't seen your kind in centuries."

Right then and there, I would admit, I was tempted to ask him what I was. But I didn't, instead, with fear rapidly coursing through me, I thought up all the combat moves I'd been taught yesterday, looking for one I could apply if things got out of hand.

An ugly smirk twisted his lips. "Oh, I see the question in your eyes, Hilda." He went back to caressing the side of my face. "I know what you are... And I also know what you're worth." With that he suddenly left me, going away.

My stomach sank when he gave an order, "Tie her up and bring her over to the cell."

The vampires all stood and began  advancing towards me, taunting smiles on their lips, unpitying looks in their eyes.

Jumping to my feet, I braced my legs. When the first one traced to me, I dug an elbow into his solar plexus, jamming the heel of my palm up his nose. He stumbled away, clutching at his nose.

A female traced to stand behind me, kicking the backs of my legs. I toppled down. Adrenalin shot through me; still on the floor, I turned and hugged her calves to me, bringing her down with me. Even as her claws scratched at my arms, I brought my elbow down on her gut with a grunt.

A hand fisted in my hair and I was dragged up to my feet. A bald boy with hoop earrings punched me in the stomach. Gushes of air instantly left me and I hunched over. Someone slapped me in the face; I looked up and saw it was Isabella.

Gritting my teeth in a taunting smile, I wheezed out, "A slap? Should've... Known... You were a pu*sy."

She drew her fist back to deliver a punch in my face. Concentrating hard, I willed it to still. A haze fell over me, and something stoked the anger within me further until it burned hot with fury, then I ruthlessly twisted her hand.

She screeched in agony, her eyes burning a bright red.

The sound of her bones cracking filled the space. After a while, Isabella fell flat on her face, passed out. 

The haze cleared, replaced by sharp guilt and a memory of me falling down in father's cell, weak from the dose of wolfsbane. I stared at Isabella's prone body in dread, a new fear gripping me; I had inflicted severe pain... 

I was no different from father.

Someone grabbed me by my forearms and brought me level with their face. My feet dangling in the air, my gaze connected with the angry ones of the hulking vampire. The rings on his nose shivered as he rapidly shook me. He yelled in my face, "You, bitch! What the f*ck did you do to her?!"