The Vampire King by Heather Killough-Walden Page B

short lived before Roman felt his eyes glow in his face and his fangs grow in his mouth once more.
    He turned with Evie, tucking her into his chest despite her mounting fear. Stop , he commanded. After a few seconds in which she fought his mental control, which seemed an impossibility in and of itself, Evie finally went still, hypnotized by him once more. A part of him felt like roaring in anger. He hated that he was doing this to her again. He wanted to be gentle with her. He had only wanted to sit and talk with her. But the Hunters were making any attempt at normalcy an impossibility for him. They’d come for him and he had no idea how or why. Since when did Hunters hunt anyone but werewolves?
    Outside, those same Hunters picked themselves up off of the ground and regrouped with uncommon efficiency. Roman felt the focus in their brains and sensed their sights upon him once more. It had been mere seconds since the first attack. This was different.
    But it was shoot first, ask questions later when targeted in such a manner, and Roman didn’t hesitate before releasing a second pulse of power. This one was stronger than the first, meant to bring the situation to an abrupt end.
    A visible rivulet of force cascaded out from Roman’s tall form, enveloping the entirety of the coffee shop as it once more struck the windows and walls. The glass was already gone, but the walls cracked under the pressure. Beyond those, the cars that were lined up along the side of the walk leapt into the air and flew back several yards. One truck flipped onto its tailgate. A female Hunter was slammed against the vehicle’s undercarriage, and her gun went flying.
    Roman scanned her system quickly to reassure himself that she was alive. As he did, he ruthlessly scoured her brain, hoping to extract the information he was looking for. But someone had taken the pains to protect her from just such an intrusion, and he got nothing worth while.
    A second later, he spoke a quick word of magic and transported both him and Evie to safety. As he and his small charge warped through time and space, the Vampire King sent out a mental call.
    David Cade and Jaxon were waiting for him when he rematerialized outside of one of the various safe houses he kept around the globe. David’s expression was grim when he saw the glow in his king’s eyes. Jaxon immediately recognized Evie.
    “What happened?” Cade asked, his tone somber.
    “Hunters,” replied Roman simply. He pulled back a little and looked down at Evie’s face. It was passive, as it had been the first time he’d hypnotized her, but there was something in her eyes that wasn’t there before. It looked like knowledge.
    “Hunters?” Cade frowned. “Sam was right, then. They’ve become stronger.”
    “You have no idea,” Roman told him. “Cade, I need you to take several Offspring to the attack site and clean it up. The last thing we need is more press, as Hunters seem to be using it to their advantage.”
    Cade nodded, spoke a word of transportation, and disappeared.
    “Sir, is miss Farrow alright?”
    For once in his long life Roman wasn’t certain how to answer a question. “I….”
    Was Evie alright? It had taken far too much pressure to put her under this time around, and even now, he could sense some kind of struggle going on inside of her. Physically, she was unharmed. But there was so much more to a person than the physical, especially, it seemed, where Evie was concerned.
    “I’m not sure, Jax,” he finally said. “I’m taking her inside. Please have some of her belongings brought to the house.” He took a deep breath, and a new kind of dread unraveled within him. Little by little, he could feel his influence over Evie slip. It had never happened before, not ever . The fact that it was happening now and with her, of all people, was more than slightly unsettling. “I have a feeling the next few days are going to be difficult.”

 
    Chapter Eight
    There was a hollowness to the air