Page 17 (1/2)

Avoid bloodshed? Not danored"

Viper shrugged "As long as you keep Darcy well guarded what does it matter if the man plots to steal her? Besides, would it not be best to avoid any direct confrontations until you have thery curse His old friend was treading on dangerous ground What he did or did not do with Darcy was no one’s concern but his own

"There will be nonegotiations until I have discovered what he wants of her," he rasped

There was a startled pause before Viper tilted back his head to chuckle with seeht

"I see"

"What?" Styxva?"

"You"

"Me?" Styx clenched his hands with an i, fiercely lethal But he had never, ever been a his coh at his leader, Styx was suddenly distracted by an unexpected scent "Hold on, Viper, so amusement at his friend’s obvious befuddle Styx brought firmly to his knees For now, he was farcurs

"They’re trying to surround us," he ers he had tucked into his jacket before leaving his club

Weapons--never leave ho time

Styx tilted back his head to sniff the air "Three frorinned in anticipation Hisin recreational battles Like many women, she simply didn’t have a taste for violence and there was always a lecture waiting hiashes

But tonight she couldn’t possibly expect hiht snack for curs

"Good" He twirled the daggers in his hands "You take the north, I’ll take the south"

Styx lifted an eyebrow "They’re after me I’ll take the south"

"Flip you for it?"

"Just take the north," Styx co his back to Viper so they each faced one end of the alley

"Aren’t you supposed to be a little more democratic? You are, after all, an A the thick shadows

"I’m a vampire, and until someone takes ue the arrogant claim

His as law

And since it had been Viper who had killed the old leader to put Styx on the throne, he couldn’t really complain now

"Fine, have it your way"

"I always do," Styx sue that either

The chilled breeze swirled through the alley and Viper tightened his grip on his daggers The curs were near Very near

There was the faintest sound of claws scraping against the paveed into the alley at full force

They had already shifted, but even in wolf forth They were also as vicious as hell

With red eyes glowing in the dark they lunged toward Viper, indifferent to the knowledge that they were severely outmatched It would take more than five curs to best two vampires Especially when both of those va his feet, Viper crouched low A cur would always go for the throat first It was as predictable as the sun rising

Hair-raising howls split the air as the curs rushed to their death Viper waited until he could feel the hot breath on his face before thrusting out his arers deep into the wide chests

One dagger struck true, sinking into the heart of the charging cur, er merely nicked the heart, and with a snarl the beast opened his maw to close about Viper’s throat

"Bloody hell, you stink," Viper rasped as he pulled back his arm to backhand the cur

There was a startled squeal as the creature sailed through the air and hit the brick building with a sickening thud There was a brief pause before the aniain In his wolf for froain waited until the cur was nearly upon him before he struck out with his foot There was a crunch as the bone and cartilage of the cur’s muzzle was smashed at the blow, but maddened by the instinct to kill and the scent of his own blood, the cur continued to struggle forward