Void - CoraLee June, Raven Kennedy Page 0,4

had to get myself under control. I wanted to run in the other direction, but what good would that do with a supernatural who had super-speed? I should’ve stayed in the attic with Reed. Shuffling my feet, I followed him into Mistress Cock’s office and flinched when the door slammed shut behind us.

I took a steadying breath and clenched my teeth, trying to get my intense cravings under control. He tsked under his tongue like he found me lacking. “You don’t seem nearly as impressive as everyone claims. Are you shaking?” the smooth voice asked with a chuckle, making me snap my eyes back to his. He regarded my face with a hum before his nose picked up my scent. “You’re bleeding,” he said with a scowl, not giving me a chance to even take in his appearance. He flashed forward toward me, quicker than I could blink, invading my space with his cinnamon smell. His nose was on my neck in an instant, sniffing me as my pulse thudded.

What the fuck was my mother doing sending a godsdamn vampire?

I finally lifted my head. “Looking for this?” I asked while holding my hand up. The blood was still freshly flowing from my palm, coating my skin with sticky warmth. This was a risk, testing his ability to hold back despite the treat I offered. There weren’t many vampires that could restrain themselves. It would make any vampire instantly hungry. I understood hunger all too well. I was constantly starving. But unlike vampires, it wasn’t blood that my immortality craved. It was power.

“You like tempting vampires?” he asked while eyeing my hand. I recognized his disgust at his own cravings, had even felt the guilty hatred within myself more times than I could count. I didn’t like that my hunger took over my better judgment. I craved control, and the darkness was something uncontrollable. “Too bad you’re just a dirty Void,” he sneered before grabbing my wrist and flicking his tongue out to lick the wound. Vampires had healing properties in their saliva. It allowed them to drink from humans without leaving a mark. Their venom had other abilities...like the ability to induce mind-numbing lust and pleasure.

“Can’t handle the temptation?” I grimaced as his tongue traveled over my skin.

“You don’t tempt me,” he replied, as I watched the puncture in my palm seal shut. He quickly pulled away and wiped his mouth with his hand, like he wanted to erase the taste from his lips. I’d never been tasted by a vampire before. Even though he hadn’t used any venom on me, the sight of him licking my palm had been almost sensual.

I swiped my hand on my sweats, trying to act nonplussed. He made his way across the room to the roaring fireplace which was crackling with warmth. He wanted more, I could tell. But to him and every other supe, I was like a disease. He wanted nothing to do with me. He fought his basic instinct to sink his fangs into me and drink more of my blood because of what I was—deadly.

My eyes moved to take in his appearance, and I looked at his angular face. He was about my age, maybe a bit older, with a sharp nose and steely eyes filled with loathing. Thick eyelashes cast shadows along his hard cheeks and dark scruff covered his jaw. He was taller than I was. The cloak he wore hid his body, but I sensed he was just as chiseled as every other vampire in existence. They were always painfully strong. A perk of their power. The man was hot and dangerous. I could feel his power in the room like a heavy blanket over my shoulders.

“Who are you?” I asked, reaching up to grab my amulet.

“Render Tillson, Vampire Paragon for the council and now, your babysitter,” he said with a frown while looking me over. He ran a hand through his dark hair before casting his gaze on the amulet perched between my breasts.

My blonde brows shot up in surprise. There are only four paragons in all of America, chosen by the council leaders, one of each: vampire, shifter, elemental, and necromancer. The four most powerful supernatural breeds. As a paragon, he was being groomed at Thibault Academy to one day take over as a council member and lead the other vampires. The fact that he was even here was a big deal, and dread filled me like a boiling pot of water.

Now that the temptation