Free Stunner by Trina M Lee Page B

Terrified. I
was all those things and more as he reached out to touch
me.
    I trembled in anticipation, fearing how
he might be planning to finish me off. The wolf inside me demanded
that I run or attack. I had to at least go down fighting. Instead,
I stood frozen, caught up in the heady pull of his
allure.
    Arys was as beautiful as he was deadly.
There was a hard set to his jaw that hinted at a ruthlessness I had
no desire to bear witness to. Silver rings shone in his ears, nose
and bottom lip, enhancing his edgy but eye catching good looks. His
eyes were sapphire pools that beckoned me to fall headlong into
their depths.
    I gasped at his touch. His skin was
cool, indicating he hadn’t fed recently. That wasn’t going to help
me get out of this. When his gaze strayed to my bitten neck I began
to visibly tremble.
    “ Do I frighten you, little
wolf?” His husky murmur slid down my spine like an icy
hand.
    His power was strong and intoxicating.
It reached out to me and my own power burst forth in response. His
energy mingled with mine in a dizzying union that crushed the
breath from me. I’d never felt anything like it.
    Our two separate powers coiled
together, becoming something else entirely. It was a sudden and
strong connection. My knees grew weak. I had to get the hell out of
there. Giving in to a vampire’s thrall was not part of the plan. Of
course, my plan had been blown out of the water long
ago.
    I forced myself to meet his hypnotizing
gaze and I lied. “Not in the least.”
    A grin lit up his face, revealing
straight white teeth and wickedly sharp fangs. He leaned in close
and I braced myself for the bite that would drain my life away. My
heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out the sound of my rapid
breaths.
    His lips were warm against my ear when
he whispered, “Liar.”
    I shuddered, coaxing a chuckle from
him. I couldn’t prevent my body from responding to his dark charm.
As afraid as I was, I wanted him. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
Our power writhed and flowed around us, an entity all its own. I
couldn’t break free of his hold on me. Part of me didn’t even want
to. That realization only served to heighten my terror.
    “ Please,” I heard myself
beg. “Let me go.”
    He was going to kill me and I was
making it easy for him. I had to take my power back. Arys lingered,
breathing in the scent of the blood that trickled from my neck. He
sighed, a ragged sound so unexpected and human that it momentarily
stunned me.
    “ How is it even possible
that you exist? So much power for one so mortal and
fragile.”
    He wasn’t the first vampire to say
something like that to me. He was however, the first to stare at me
with such wonder and intrigue. Was this guy crazy? Just kill me and
get it over with.
    “ I was born this way,” I
squeaked out. I’d been able to manipulate energy in various ways
all my life. What started as basic telekinesis and psionic skills
had evolved over the years.
    I stood stiffly as he ran a hand
through my long, ash blonde hair. Pausing to study the tendrils
that drifted through his fingers, Arys grew contemplative.
“Unreal.”
    He pushed me away so suddenly I
stumbled. Hunger shone in his eyes. Run or fight. I had a split
second to choose. Arys chose for me.
    “ Go, now,” he said through
bared teeth. “Before I change my mind.”
    His gaze wavered, straying to my bloody
wound. The magnetic but brief spell was broken. I wasn’t dumb
enough to stick around to ask questions. With a last parting glance
at Arys, I turned tail and fled.
    I wasn’t sure why he let me go. I was a
hunter. A killer of those supernaturals who risked public exposure
with their actions. My target had been Octavia. It was my blunder
that I’d crashed a party of six. I didn’t know a damn thing about
Arys, had never seen him before tonight, and certainly hadn’t
expected a run in with him.
    His manipulative touch had reached deep
within me, awakening both intrigue and fear. I disappeared