Antares

“No,” Alexis whimpered on a trembling gasp. “What have you done?” 

Death permeated the air! The bodies of military soldiers littered the massive hall, some mutilated and others drained. Pools of blood flowed out over the marble flooring, matching the crimson splashes along the walls. 

Tristan stood there, surrounded by the dead, his lips stained red. Specks of crimson dotted his face and shimmering silver hair. The scarlet glow from his eyes rested on her. 

At his feet, the council member lay, no longer struggling to breathe. The little life he had left had been snatched away by the creature who stood above him. 

Why did he bring me here? Why would he force me to witness this? 

“Tristan…” She repeatedly muttered his name, hoping he would tell her to wake up. That this was all just a bad dream. “No, Tristan…” But he didn’t. Why would he, when he was the creator of this nightmare? 

As he stood there, posing as the centerpiece of death, not one sign of remorse resided on his beautiful face. In fact, a spark of savage determination flashed in his demonic eyes. 

The bloodshed wasn’t over, which meant more people would die by his hand. 

A shudder of rage rushed down her spine. Her heart thundered rapidly, her breathing escalated. She clutched the sword in her grip, squeezing it so tight, the leather-wrapped hilt bit into her palm. 

“Lexi.” He licked the blood from his lips. “I told you if you knew, you would hate me…” 

If I could hate him, I wouldn’t be in this fucked up predicament. 

“…That’s why I wanted you to stay in the room.” 

No matter how much I love him, I have to stop him. I have to… 

Leveling the blade, she scrambled back. She tried to gather her thoughts enough to speak, but the words wouldn’t come to her. Why? She knew he was a vampire. Hell, if he was like the other nightwalkers—mindless, blood-thirsty demons—she could deal with that. But no, he was so much worse than just a vampire. He was a calculated, level-headed, cold-blooded killer. 

He’s a monster! 

The scarlet faded from his gaze, giving way to his hypnotic, greyish-blue irises. “You’re right, I AM a monster.” His voice filtered through her mind, increasing her panic. “Fortunately for you, I’m YOUR monster, so what I do next is entirely up to you.”