Chapter 357: What I’m Capable Of
Meredith.
The vampire’s steps were unhurried, her heeled boots tapping lightly on the blood-slicked tiles.
Then her lips curled back in a smile as her sharp teeth glistened. "Ah... what have we here?" Her voice was low and melodic, like poison wrapped in silk.
She tilted her head as she studied me, her red eyes bright with something between hunger and intrigue. "Not human. No... you smell different."
My heart rate increased that second.
She inhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring. Then her smile widened into something feral.
"A wolf... but not just any wolf. There is fae blood in your veins." She licked her lips, savouring the taste of her own words. "An interesting specie indeed."
My stomach dropped as my pulse thudded harder.
"She sees you for what you are," Valmora whispered, her tone neither surprised nor alarmed, but amused. "And now she wants to play with her food."
The vampire’s gaze raked over me slowly, like claws dragging across skin. Then, she circled, forcing me to turn with her, the way a rabbit might be made to dance before the hawk’s talons struck.
"Pretty little hybrid," she crooned softly. "Rare. Fragile. I wonder what your blood tastes like—warm like a wolf’s, or sweet like a fae’s."
Her laughter was soft, chilling, and slipping beneath my skin at the same time.
My fists clenched so tightly my nails bit into my palms. I forced myself not to back away, even as fear clawed at me.
"She wants to rattle you," Valmora warned sharply. "And she is succeeding. Steady your heart, girl."
Just then, the vampire stopped a few steps away, her crimson eyes gleaming as she tilted her head again.
"So tell me, wolf-girl," she whispered, "will you run, or will you beg?"
Her words slithered around me. My heart hammered against my ribs so violently I swore it might shatter.
But her smile deepened as though she could hear it. "Ah... yes. That fear. I can smell it in your veins."
Immediately, she moved, her body blurring faster than I could follow. One moment, she was smirking; the next, her claws sliced through the air where my throat had been just a heartbeat earlier.
I staggered backwards, nearly falling against the table as the world spun in a rush of panic.
Gasps and screams echoed in my head. And before I could recover, she lunged again, and this time I ducked, but her claws snagged strands of my hair instead of my flesh.
I hit the floor hard, the cold tiles shocking against my palms.
"Up! On your feet, Meredith!" Valmora roared. "You will not crawl!"
It for a few seconds before I forced myself up despite my trembling legs and ragged breath.
My gaze stayed fixed on the vampire as she slowly straightened, licking her fingers as if the strands of my hair were enough to whet her appetite.
Then she hissed, her movements smooth and tinged with mockery as she circled me once more,
"Sloppy," she whispered. "So fragile. You are all bark and no bite."
Something in me snapped.
The sound of her voice—mocking, smooth, and cruel ignited something hot in my chest.
I wasn’t afraid anymore. I was furious.
How dare she belittle me? How dare she think I would stand here trembling while she toyed with me?
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms until they nearly broke skin.
Her grin widened, as if she could taste my anger. "That’s it," she purred, stepping closer, her movements almost lazy. "Show me those pretty teeth before I break them."
The second she finished her last word, she lunged at me.
I jumped back as the swipe of her claws sliced through the air where my face had been a second ago. My breath hitched, my heart thundering, but my legs held steady.
She came again, faster this time and made two quick slashes aimed for my neck. I ducked under the second and drove my elbow into her ribs.
The impact made a sick, satisfying sound. She hissed and stumbled back, looking utterly surprised.
"Good," Valmora whispered, her voice smooth as smoke.
I rushed forward before the vampire could recover, throwing my weight behind a punch that landed squarely across her jaw.
Her head snapped to the side, and she snarled—an ugly, guttural sound that vibrated through the space.
Her claws struck out again, but it was too quick for me to dodge. I felt them cut through the side of my arm and across my shoulder.
"Ah!" I cried as a hot, sharp pain shot through my nerves, but I chose not to retreat.
She smirked as her fangs gleamed. Then she lunged again. This time, I caught her wrist midair and twisted it.
Her bone cracked. She shrieked, and I kicked her stomach, sending her crashing into one of the tables.
The table splintered as ice cream cups scattered and rolled across the floor.
I was breathing hard now, as every muscle was burning, my pulse roaring in my ears. Still, I advanced because I wasn’t done dealing with her yet.
The vampire hissed, her face contorting in rage as she rushed me again.
She struck me across the face once, then twice. My vision blurred, but instinct took over. I dodged the third blow, pivoted, and drove my knee into her abdomen.
Then another hit, and my knuckles connected with her cheek, my breath ragging with every motion.
For a moment, I thought I was winning. Until I realized she wasn’t slowing down.
Her smirk returned as blood dripped down her chin. "You are strong," she hissed, "for a mutt."
I froze for a beat as my chest heaved up and down. And then it hit me. None of this mattered.
Beating her down wasn’t working because she wasn’t human. Her body absorbed every blow like water soaking into stone.
And I had had enough of it.
Without batting an eye, I grabbed her by the neck with all the force I could summon. Her hands clawed at my wrist, her nails scraping my skin.
I refused to let go. I twisted her neck hard until it snapped sharply. Then her body went limp, sliding down to the floor in a heap.
I staggered back, gasping for air, as my arms trembled from the effort. My whole body pulsed with heat and adrenaline.
"You didn’t kill that thing." Valmora’s amused voice slithered into my head, calm and amused.
"What?" My head jerked toward the body, and right before my very eyes, it twitched.
And then slowly she began to rise.
Her neck was bent grotesquely to one side, her head hanging like a broken doll’s. Then, with an awful crack, she twisted it herself, realigning the bones.
Her smile returned, the corner of her mouth curling in a blood-slick grin.
Without allowing myself to think or even breathe, I lunged forward with a speed that surprised even me.
My hand cut through the air before I could register what I was doing. Then, my right hand plunged into her chest, the resistance of flesh and bone giving way with a wet, sick sound.
Her red eyes went wide as my fingers closed around something hot and pulsing.
Her heart.
For a heartbeat, everything stopped. Even the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
The vampire’s mouth opened, but no sound came out, only a faint hiss that died in her throat.
I felt her heart beating violently in my palm, every pulse weaker than the last. And then, I tore it out without a second thought.
The vampire staggered back, staring down at the gaping hole in her chest. She raised her trembling hands, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Her lips moved, but before she could form a word, her body collapsed to the floor with a thud that echoed through the silent ice cream shop.
Her heart, slick and heavy, thumped twice in my hand before going still.
I stared at it, unable to move. My breath came in short, sharp bursts. My knees almost gave way. The smell of blood—thick and metallic filled my lungs, and for the first time, I realized I was trembling.
"You did it," Valmora said softly. Her voice was no longer sharp or commanding. It was quiet. Almost proud. "You killed her."
I swallowed hard and finally opened my fingers. The heart slipped from my hand and hit the tiled floor with a wet sound. Blood spattered my shoes, my clothes, my hands.
The vampire’s body began to disintegrate — slowly at first, then faster. Her skin turned grey, cracking like dry earth before crumbling into ash that scattered across the floor.
Within seconds, there was nothing left but the faint shimmer of black dust.
I stared at the mess in front of me, chest rising and falling. My reflection on the glossy floor looked foreign — eyes wide, face pale, blood staining my fingers up to the wrist.
My stomach churned, and I stumbled backwards until the back of my knees hit a chair. Then I sank into it, the shock finally catching up with me.
My voice came out small. "I... killed her."
"Yes," Valmora murmured, a hint of satisfaction in her tone. "And now, you understand."
"Understand what?" I whispered.
"What you are capable of."