Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [576]
As abhorrent as the outlawed practice of blood clubs was among Breed society, attempting to kill a first-generation vampire was an even bigger offense. Nikolai couldn’t raise a hand against the bastard, no matter how badly he wanted to.
And Yakut knew as much. He wiped his mouth with the hem of his dark tunic, dabbing at Renata’s sweet-scented blood.
“Hunting is in our nature, boy.” Yakut’s voice was deadly calm, utterly confident, as he strode toward Nikolai. “You are young, born of weaker stock than some of us. Maybe your blood is so diluted with humanity, you simply cannot understand the need in its purest form. Maybe if you had a taste of the hunt, you’d be less sanctimonious of those of us who prefer to live as we were meant to be.”
Niko gave a slow shake of his head. “Blood clubs aren’t about hunting. They’re about slaughter. You can shovel your bullshit however deep you want it, but in the end, it’s still bullshit. You’re an animal. What you really need is a muzzle and a choke collar. Someone needs to shut you down.”
“And you think that you or the Order is up for that task?”
“Do you think we’re not?” Niko challenged, some reckless part of him hoping the Gen One would give him a reason to draw his weapons. He didn’t expect he’d walk away from a confrontation with the elder vampire, but he sure as hell wouldn’t go down without a damned vicious fight.
Instead, Yakut backed off, amber eyes blazing, their elliptical pupils tiny slivers of black. His bearded chin came up, head cocked severely to the side. His lips parted with his savage, fang-baring grin. Like this, it wasn’t hard at all to see the alien part of him—the part that made him and all the rest of the Breed what they were: blood-drinking predators not quite belonging to this mortal, Earth-born world.
“I told you once that you were not welcome in my domain, warrior. I have no use for you, or for your proposed alliance with the Order. My patience is at its end, and so is your stay here.”
“Yeah,” Niko agreed. “I’m fucking gone from this place, and gladly. But don’t think this is the last you’ll hear from me.”
He couldn’t help glancing over at Renata as he said it. As contemptuous as he found Yakut to be, he couldn’t muster the same kind of fury for her. He waited for her to tell him that she didn’t know about the crimes taking place on this patch of blood-soaked land. He wanted her to say that—to say anything to convince him that she wasn’t actually a knowing party to Yakut’s sick practices.
She merely stared back at him, her arms crossed over her chest. One hand reached up to idly fìnger the healing wound on her neck, but she remained silent.
Watching as Nikolai stalked out of the open door and past Yakut’s befuddled guards.
“Return the warrior’s personal effects and see that he leaves the property without incident,” Yakut instructed the pair of armed men outside his private chamber.
When the two set off to carry out the command, Renata started to follow after them. Some unbalanced part of her hoped she might be able to catch up to Nikolai privately and…
And what?
Explain the truth of how things were for her here? Try to justify the choices she’d been forced to make?
To what end?
Nikolai was leaving. He would never have to return to this place, while she would be here to her dying breath. What good would it do to explain any of this to him, a stranger who probably wouldn’t understand, let alone care?
And still, Renata’s feet kept moving.
She didn’t even get as far as the door. Yakut’s hand clamped down on her wrist, holding her back.
“Not you, Renata. You stay.”
She glanced at him with a look she hoped was devoid of the queasiness