Free Vampire Betrayed (Vampires Destined) by Rachel Carrington

sword. Gritting her teeth, she focused on the stake. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
    Joaquin grinned. “Not as long as I have.”
    Momentarily caught off guard, she faltered. “You’ve been waiting to die?”
    He laughed good-naturedly, and Ariana regretted that she hadn’t known him as a man instead of just thinking of him as such. She wondered what he had been like before he’d become this...this vile creature he now was.
    “I have chosen to allow you to live, and the only reason I’m here now is because you believed Charon actually has your best interests at heart. I doubt I can convince you otherwise which leaves me no choice, Ariana.”
    She liked the way he said her name, husky and warm, in spite of the intention behind the words. Perspiration coated her upper lip. The stake slipped a notch.  How could she do this when her hand refused to move?
    “Don’t think I’m an easy mark, Joaquin. I strike first.” So why didn’t she move forward? Her feet remained frozen to the ground, unwilling to obey her commands.
    He took a step closer to her and held his arms wide. “Well?”
    The nervousness intensified. “Well what?”
    Joaquin tapped his chest. “Kill me, then. I’m waiting.”
    She heard her own breath, battling with the whisper of the wind. “Don’t be a martyr.” Her palms began to sweat. He laughed again, and the sound stirred something within her. Feelings, possibly? She squared her shoulders. “You think that by dying nobly, you will be remembered as a hero to your people? I hate to disillusion you, Joaquin, but vampires are a notably ignoble lot.”
    All humor faded from his face, and Ariana watched the changes taking place within the darkness of his eyes. She knew the vampire’s abilities, but she could match his strength, his agility. Charon had not been lax when gifting her with the powers she needed.
     “I have given you the opening you require, but make no mistake, Ariana. It will be the only opportunity you have to destroy me.” He again bowed low at the waist, one hand sweeping out in a courtly gesture. “Vampires have existed since the dawn of time, my sweet, and when your life has faded to dust, we will still exist. ’Tis both our blessing and our curse.”
    “Really? Is that why your kind has been so easy to kill?” The taunt struck home.
    Joaquin’s shoulders tensed. “Only the young ones. To my knowledge, you’ve only tangled with one vampire close to my age. You bested him, but he wasn’t me.”
    “True, but you’ll die just as easily. I’ve tracked so many of you now it’s become second nature. You coming to me just made my job a little bit easier.”
    “We’re prey to you, aren’t we? Disgusting creatures that don’t deserve to live.”
    “You aren’t alive!” she practically screamed.
    “Then make it so!” he shouted back.
    Ariana lunged forward, but the stake missed its mark, embedding into the wall just over Joaquin’s shoulder. She straightened and stared at her hand. The sounds of the night faded away as she opened her hand and flexed her fingers.
    Joaquin couldn’t have moved that fast. And she never missed. But it was like something unnatural had guided her hand, forcing it to one side...and away from Joaquin’s heart.
    “I-I don’t understand what happened.” She stumbled back against the wall, still staring at her palm.
    “You can’t kill me,” he whispered, the deep undertones of his voice warning Ariana he spoke the truth.
    She clenched her hand behind her back. “Why?”
    He walked closer, and Ariana saw the gleam in his eyes. It didn’t matter to her that she would greet death soon. She’d known it would arrive eventually and thought it apropos she would die by a vampire’s bite.
    Joaquin’s touch surprised her by its gentleness. He brushed a curl away from her cheek and slid his fingertips to a spot just beneath her chin. He tipped her face up to see her eyes. “Only you can answer that.”
    “I will not