“I was too busy killing the vampires that had us surrounded.”
“I don’t want to kill him,” Grace mumbled. “I can’t.”
“Well, I can.” In a flash, Andrea grabbed the stake from Grace’s hand and made the movement to attack the man on the ground.
Something inside Grace snapped, and she caught Andrea’s wrist, shoved her friend back, and showed her her canines. Andrea paused as she looked into Grace’s deadly eyes.
Baring her teeth and claws at her friend, Grace muttered, “You’ll have to go through me to get to him.”
Andrea blanched and dropped the stake to the floor. “What do you mean, Grace? Have you lost your mind?”
“Mine,” Grace growled as she faced Andrea. “Do you understand?”
“What’s going on?”
Grace’s attention was drawn to Craig and Lori. They were both covered in ashes, an indication that they had been on a killing spree and had done their job of protecting the academy.
“Why’s that one still alive?” Craig grabbed a stake from behind his back and walked to the vampire resting on the grass.
Grace sped in front of him and held a hand up. “Off-limits.”
Arching an eyebrow, he stopped. “What do you mean?”
Andrea edged closer to them. “She doesn’t want us to kill him. He looks like an angel, and he’s hers.”
Craig frowned and scratched the back of his head. “Are you serious?”
Grace growled at him to make her point prevail.
“He’s trespassing,” Craig argued.
“My prisoner,” Grace declared. “You’ll have to go through me to get to him.”
“I told you,” Andrea muttered with folded arms.
Craig waved in dismissal. “Whatever, princess. Your grandfather will decide then.”
The mention of her grandfather made Grace’s heart stop beating for a second as coherency returned to her mind. The fear of losing the unconscious male on the grass grew stronger.
How could she defy her grandfather? She wasn’t strong enough to protect the young man if Vincent Delacroix wanted to claim his life. One thing was to face her friends, who she was able to submit to her will if she truly wanted. Another was to face her grandfather and disrespect the man she loved most in the world.
Andrea leaned closer. “Are you coming back to your senses?”
Grace’s heart fluttered as she looked at her friend. “Help me carry him home.”
Her friend stepped back. “Who? The vampire? You want me to touch one of those things?”
“I promise you that I’m not mad. Help me, Andrea.”
Huffing, her bestie grumbled, “Fine. I’ll grab his legs.”
Grace smiled as the possessiveness and irrationality decreased.
“Wait!” Craig waved as he marched behind his teammates, who carried the vampire down the pathway and into the mansion. “Are you serious? I thought you were pulling a prank on me. Are we really taking him home?”
Grace ignored all the protests as her eyes lingered on the guy’s handsome face, and her heart kept beating out of control. The strange energy coming from him wrapped around her body and touched the depths of her soul. It was hypnotic, and she had no idea how to snap out of that state. Or if she wanted to do that.
Minutes later, Vincent Delacroix stood at the large French doors. His brows furrowed, and Grace could see a vein throbbing at his neck, betraying his calm exterior.