Read a sneak peak of A Vampire’s Thirst: A Deadly Masquerade!

Flint chuckled, shook his head and strode over to her, taking her into his arms and lifted her up so they were face to face. “Cool my jets, huh?”

“Aye, you need to just calm it, or you’ll have a heart attack, and that’s not happening.” Kenzie snorted. “Oh right, you won’t but you know what I mean.”

He leaned forward, his lips caressing hers in a soft kiss. A barely there meeting of their mouths, but as soon as they touched, passion ignited deep inside him. He knew she felt it too, her heart rate sped up, thundering in her chest, blood rushing through her body and her hands wound around his neck to tug him to her and hold him fiercely while she panted into his mouth. Her legs scrambled up his body, wrapping around his waist and his cock hardened so fast it was straining against his pants painfully.

Shit. It was cold out here…the ground was still wet, and he couldn’t possibly continue this. Not now. Not here. Yet…he wasn’t sure he, or Kenzie could wait. Her moans fell down his throat as their teeth crashed together, tongues dancing in a frenzy when moments ago the last thing on his mind was…this.

A twig snapped. A pad of paws. A snarl. And Flint dropped Kenzie to her feet and pushed her behind him.

“What?” she looked dazed, her eyes glazed with lust and her lips plump and red from their passion.

“Shh.” Flint held a finger to his lips, sending his senses out to locate the threat. And make no mistake, he knew there was a threat.

None of Quinn’s Wolves would fucking snarl at them. Not a chance in hell would that happen. And he’d heard it.

“Phone, now,” he hissed low, “we’ve got a problem. Tell Victor there’s strange Wolves here and we need help. Do it Kenzie.”

Flint cocked his head to the side, listening and looking around, wondering if he could make it back with Kenzie in his arms. He was fast. Faster than mangy dogs. But…where were they? How many? Could they cut him and Kenzie off? Cut him down with her in his arms? If they did she’d be torn apart…fuck!

That thought almost brought him to his knees. His legs shook, and his belly roiled. His skin grew cold and his fangs sprang free, fury engulfed him at the vision of Kenzie being mauled by a Wolf.

“Not fucking happening.” He snarled aloud.

“Victor, we’re on the opposite side of the lake. We’re in trouble. We need help. Wolves.”

Kenzie whispered frantically but Flint noticed she did it without a waiver in her voice. His fierce Bloodmate sounded strong and sure as she relayed the message, and he’d never felt prouder than he did at that moment. He knew she was scared. He could feel it. Scent it. But she didn’t fucking sound it.

He heard Victor’s curt reply. “Hang on! We’re coming.”

His sensitive ears honed in on every sound around them, birds wings fluttering, small animals moving around in the forest, some not so small, and then he heard them…large paws padding through damp leaves on the ground. His head spun around, his eyes zeroing in on the location…two. Damn. One was behind them and one was just off to their side.

They were blocked. Other than carrying on…away from help…they were stuck.

Only one thing for it. Stay where they were and do what he did best; fight.

“Kenzie, baby, we can’t go back the way we came, there’s one behind us and one to the side. So, we need to keep you safe. I need you to go to the edge of the water. The very edge. If they get by me then you go in. I know it’ll be cold. Very cold. But you’ll stand a chance in there…out here you won’t. Understand? Victor’s coming with help and I’ll do what I do best. You know what that is? Right?”

Kenzie’s lip trembled, her eyes filled with tears and her hand reached up to run down the side of his face. “Yes, I do, but…”

“No buts, Kenzie. It’s the only way. I can’t take you further away from help. That’s what they want me to do. They want me to take you further away and then they’ll attack. There’s two of them. One will attack me and while I’m dealing with him the other will go for you. I can’t have that. Not a fucking chance, babe. So, this is what we’re doing and that’s that.”

“Flint! They’ll both come for you. Two Wolves.” Tears now slid from her eyes to fall down her cheeks.

The sight would’ve undone most men, but he wasn’t most men. He was Flint. Hard as Flint. And those tears unleashed something deep inside him. Fury didn’t come close to naming what he felt. Rage didn’t come close. There was no name for what now ran through him at the thought of his Bloodmate being in danger from two dirty dogs. He’d show those fuckers they’d made the biggest mistake of their lives by even coming close to the most precious thing in the universe to him.

“Kenzie! Do what I say. Now.” Flint’s tone was harsh before he leaned down, crushing his lips to hers in a searing hot kiss. “I love you, but you have to do this. Please stop arguing with me and just go.”

Kenzie’s face ran with tears as she nodded, backing away from him slowly, she moved toward the water’s edge. Her eyes never left his and he allowed her that until her feet touched the lapping waves…then he turned back to the trees. His hands reached for his weapons, firstly searching for his special blades. The ones that were dipped in silver and which he knew would do the most damage to a Wolf. He’d use those first to, hopefully, slow one down so he could deal with the other. He only had three of those on him, so he had to use them wisely and ensure they hit their mark.

Shit, he had to. Kenzie’s life depended on it.

“Stay there, Kenzie. No matter what. You stay there and wait for Victor and if one of them gets by me then you go into the water. Okay, babe?”

“I know!”

Kenzie’s voice sounded more exasperated than anything which pleased him. If he’d heard fear, or worse…terror in it he was sure he’d have lost his shit. But she didn’t and that was good because he needed to focus. On keeping her alive. That was the main thing right now. Keep those damn Wolves away from his Bloodmate and hopefully kill them before they got anywhere near her.

Flint cracked his neck, turning the blade in his right hand over and over and keeping the other two in his left, holding them loosely and ready for easy transfer once he’d released the primary one. Whenever the silver touched his skin sharp stings kept him alert assuring him they would inflict the damage they were meant for.

He was adept with both hands so once he’d thrown one he could quickly hurl the other two in quick succession. Hopefully with all three hitting their mark within seconds and putting down, or at the very least, slowing down greatly one beast. After that he’d concentrate on the other, using his faster speed to close in on it, and at the same time pitching the rest of his weapons on the run. By the time he reached the Wolf, it should be injured and in a weakened state, enough for him to be able to take it down without too much effort.

Or that was the plan.

After he’d dealt with that one. He could return to the first and finish it off. Then he could get Kenzie and get the hell out of there and take her to safety as quickly as possible. That was all he cared about; getting Kenzie the hell out of there.

A low growl from his left alerted him to the presence of the enemy and true enough, with a rustle of branches, a huge beast revealed itself. Dark as night, a black Wolf emerged from the trees, its head hung low as it prowled closer with its eyes locked on him and drool dripping from its open jaws. Jaws that revealed a mouth full of huge sharp teeth made for ripping apart its victims. Only he was no damn victim.

He was a killer, and that fucker would find that out soon enough.

With another snarl immediately in front of him, Flint’s head snapped forward and caught sight of another Wolf. This one was larger, dark brown, and definitely the more dangerous of the two. Its head was higher, proud, and its lips drew back in a vicious growl as it stalked forwards. He saw it moving slightly to catch a glimpse of Kenzie, then back to him. Hell no. It wasn’t getting anywhere near her. Not a fucking chance in hell.

“Hey, you mangy mutt! You look like you’ve got fleas! You should go to the vet and get something for that…must be real uncomfortable for you with all the itching ‘n all.”

Its head swung back to him, snarling and snapping. Good. That’s what he wanted. All attention on him and he just needed it to get a little closer to get it within throwing distance. Or rather, a better throwing distance. He wanted to ensure the silver blades hit the mark before he took off after the black one which was farther away and then he could return and finish this fucker off. He wished it was the other way around. This one was larger, deadlier, and nearer his love…but he had to work with the hand he’d been dealt. And he’d been in tighter corners than this and lived.

Only difference was those times…it was his life on the line…this time he had Kenzie to worry about and that was a whole different ball game.

His vision zeroed in on the damnable creature who dared to threaten her. Threaten them. Threaten their life together, their future, their fucking love. He saw the hatred in its eyes, heard its heart beat in its chest, watched as its paws hit the ground and drew it nearer to his killing zone. One, two, three…just a few more and he’d unleash his knives. Unleash the silver that would weaken it and put it down. Just long enough for him to deal with the other. Hopefully.

There! Flint’s hand rose, flew through the air, and one blade was on its way. Transferring another to his right hand and both hands rose together to release two blades simultaneously. They hurled toward the beast as the first blade struck. A howl sprang free from it as the silver sank deep into it just a second before the other two collided with its hide. One crashed into its side and the other smashed right beside the first on the Wolf’s neck, embedding deep within its skin. Howls of pain and anger flew out from it before it collapsed to the ground, mewling like a damn kitten.

Flint didn’t blink, turning and sprinting for the other who was now rushing toward him at full speed. His hands were already reaching for his smaller throwing knives that were along the back of his belt, tugging them free and throwing them as he ran…all four hit home and the Wolf howled each time. Then he reached down, first with his right hand and then with his left and retrieved his Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knives from his boots. Two double-edged, seven and a half inch weapons in his hands, and he was careening toward the Wolf at breakneck speed.

He knew what he wanted to do. Where he planned on striking with his blades. He just needed the fucking animal to keep on coming straight for him…that was all.

And it did. Dumb damn dog.

It ran right for him. Snarling, snapping, jaws readying to take a chunk out of him and if he were human it would break him in two. But he wasn’t.

Closer and closer they drew to each other. He saw the hairs on its coat flattened against the body with the speed it ran toward him. The fangs in its mouth as it readied to sink into his flesh. The fury in its eyes because he’d injured its partner in crime. Flint took it all in and when they were mere inches apart, when the beast was almost upon him, he leaped into the air, tucked his feet up beneath him and sailed over it…reaching down and slashing, cutting, and wreaking bloody havoc with his best friends; his blades.

Long wounds appeared on the body of the Wolf beneath him while he flew over it as his hands moved frantically with a speed only a Vampire could wield. Many large, ugly, bloody and deep injuries, including one where he severed the tendons on its hind legs which left it falling head over ass in a tumbled mess on the ground as it roared in agony. Flint landed deftly on his feet, spinning around and sprinting back to the downed beast. He didn’t falter, didn’t hesitate, instead he reached down to slash its throat in a final death blow before rising to look back to ensure Kenzie was still safe.

That was when his heart stopped dead in his chest.

Kenzie was still at the water’s edge, but she was by far no longer safe. The beast he’d put down with his silver daggers was up and heading her way…but she wasn’t aware of it. Her eyes were on him.

“Kenzie! Baby! Get in the water! Go! Now!” Flint roared at the same time as his feet started to move, taking off back the way he’d just come, this time he ran as if his life depended on it…and it did.

If anything happened to her he knew he’d die too. He’d wither up and cease to exist if that fucker took her from him. He had to get to her. Had to kill him. He. Just. Had. To.

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