Half-Blooded | The Dark Child Prophecy Series [✔️]

Chapter 13.5: Wicked Games [Part 2, Mature]

Thomas charged me, his body bending in half to barrel his shoulder into my stomach. I was forced to double in half by the sheer force and immediately grabbed at the back of his tank top when my feet came off the ground. As he started to straighten in order to slam me onto the ground, I pulled against his shirt and bucked my legs so he couldn't hold onto them. It was enough to make his next step stutter off-balance and I was able to wrap my arms around his middle. I pointed my toes to use the force of my legs in order to flip all the way over his shoulder and my feet touched the ground again.

Before he could turn, I lashed out with another hard kick. My boot landed on the spot above his kidneys and he made a soft grunt of pain. Again on recoil, I kicked. This time, it was hard enough to knock him forward and to the ground. Thomas stayed on his hands and knees for several seconds, and I could see his back and chest heaving for breath. More blood dripped onto the floor.

"Are you done?" I asked harshly, touching my mouth and nose again to make sure both were healing. I glanced at Vraal Hellmuth.

"Thomas, finish it," Victoria said in a growling bark from behind her husband.

The redhead spit another mouthful of blood onto the ground and got back to his feet, staggering slightly. "Yes, my queen," he answered, his voice hoarse and lacking enthusiasm for the order.

I fought back the need to snarl again. My pulse thumped behind my eyes and in my jaw, and I became deaf as the rest of the world faded into the background. My hands tightened into fists as I focused in on Tom. He wiped his bleeding nose again as he turned to face me.

Don't think about the blood, don't think about the blood, my lucid brain began to chant as both my aggression and bloodlust fought to take over my conscious mind. I inhaled heavily, watching him stand up. Anger ran through me as he persevered. He should have stayed down.

Serenity, you don't have to do this. Walk away. Walk away from it, Jason's voice suddenly breached my mind's repetitive phrase, sounding panicked.

Buzz off, my temper fired back. I tried to shake myself free of the thirst building up inside me, but my eyes had zeroed in on Thomas's blood that covered his nose and lips. They asked for a vampire. They're getting a vampire.

Thomas charged me and I waited patiently, moving out of the way at the last minute with vampire speed. I heard the crowd gasp in awe. When Tom backpedaled to stop himself, he turned to look for me over his shoulder, surprised.

"Over here," I said flatly.

Tom advanced again, this time more slowly. He was cautious, but I'd made him mad enough that he wasn't strategizing anymore. He moved within striking distance and I kept my body squared up to his, the rest of the room blurry around us. He threw a left then right punch and I stepped backward, dodging both with my heightened abilities.

"Too slow," I said in the same tone. I glanced from his eyes to his mouth where blood had begun to dry. His pulse thundered in my ears and I inhaled slowly, smelling the blood and sweat that overpowered everything else. My mouth began to water.

The redhead growled and attacked again. I ducked another punch and used the flat of my arm to block a sideways kick. When he threw another fist at me, I snatched his whole hand, my fingers just long enough to catch the flat of his knuckles in the palm of my hand. I clamped my fingers down as my strength filled me. His bones weakened beneath my grip. I shoved his whole arm back at him without letting go. He was forced back a step, and I repeated the gesture until he stumbled backward. I dropped into a crouch and swept my leg across the back of his ankles, spinning back up to my feet without sacrificing my grasp on his wrist.