Read Feral Hunger (2010) for Free Online

suitor, twirling her deftly, but she noted his eyes were fixed on their prey. They turned and she caught a glimpse of the dark-haired man leading a blonde woman off toward the back hallway that led to the alley.
    Memories swamped her mind. The past night's events came flooding back. He'd led her down the same hallway. It had seemed a reasonable enough idea at the time. They'd danced. He'd said he smoked, that she should come with him while he had a cigarette. Tobacco smoke bothered her asthma and made her breath hitch, but she'd gone with him anyway. Looking up into those flat dark eyes, she'd found she couldn't refuse.
    The next thing she knew, they'd been out in the cool air and he'd...
    Vlad's pace increased as he led them toward the hallway. He gave up the pretense of dancing and grasped her hand. Hurry, he's heading for the door.
    He seemed as interested in tracking down the dark man as she was. She hurried after him, trying to keep up in his former girlfriend's spiked heels. With her enhanced eyesight she could plainly see the man in black leading the blonde woman down the hall.
    Just like in her memory, he wore the same leather coat. His ponytail hung to the middle of his back. Beneath he had on dark pants and a pair of expensive-looking leather boots. His pale skin all but gleamed in the dim light. She caught a glimpse of the woman he'd tucked under his arm, a woman he was practically dragging down the tiled hall. Jaelyn smothered a gasp. The woman bore a passing resemblance to her.
    Her blonde hair was longer and curlier. Blue eyes flashed as she stared up at the man rushing her along. She didn't want to go with him any more than Jaelyn had. It didn't look like she was being given much of a choice.
    Vlad pushed through the last of the crowd, taking Jaelyn with him. The dark man and his prey disappeared through the back door leading to the alley. There was no one else in the hall now. They hurried after them.
    Jaelyn's heightened hearing brought her the sound of the woman's heels scraping across the concrete ground outside. She heard a gasp and then a smothered protest. Vlad shoved the heavy door. It opened into darkness, but with her sharpened vampire sight Jaelyn could see the blonde woman wedged against the wall. The dark man thrust her against the bricks. His incisors gleamed in the dim light as he brought his mouth down to her neck.
    The woman struggled in his grasp. No, she pleaded. Her panicked eyes scanned his face for mercy and found none. She tried to dart to the side, moving her neck out of his reach. The vampire's mouth closed with an audible click as he missed his target. Anger tightened his jaw. Quickly, he wrestled her back under his control. He opened his mouth again, making sure she saw his razor-sharp fangs as he closed the precious inches between his mouth and her throat.
    Jaelyn remembered that feeling of being overpowered, of having no choice but to surrender. Fury tightened every one of her muscles. Stop! Her voice echoed off the brick.
    At the sound of Jaelyn's voice, the other vampire raised his head. His dark eyes centered on her. Recognition crossed his face, followed quickly by cold anger.
    Jaelyn sprang. Cool air rushed by her. She barreled into him, momentarily throwing him off balance. The side of his body hit the wall, but he didn't release his prey.
    Leave her alone! Jaelyn put the sum of her fury into another hard shove, but the long-haired man was stronger and he refused to let the woman go.
    Jaelyn, no! She heard Vlad holler. He leapt into the fray. Jaelyn's assault had distracted the attacker, giving Vlad an opening. Using his longer reach, he seized the dark man by the collar of his trench coat and ripped him away from the blonde woman. Even overpowered, he still wouldn't willingly release his meal. His hands left long claw marks on her arms as Vlad hauled him away. I didn't hear the lady give you her consent.
    For a moment, the blonde woman stared at them, stark fear plain in her