Read Online Frenzy (The Frenzy Series Book 1) by Casey L. Bond - Free Book Online Page A

unless an animal had gotten to her first.
    My appetite left in a rush. “Tell me something about yourself,” I asked Saul. It was more of a plea.
    He finished chewing and then took a swallow of water. “I don’t like how that vampire looks at you.”
    “Tage? The one who—”
    “I don’t like him either, but I was talking about Roman, the leader.”
    My heart fluttered like hummingbird wings. “I think Tage is the one to be worried about. He seems intense.”
    Saul growled, grasping his fork until his fingers turned white. “He’s psychotic. He almost killed you.”
    “That’s what they do though, right? I mean, if the treaty wasn’t in place, they would kill us.”
    “They could try,” Saul bit out. “I want you to stick close to me tonight. We’re splitting up, but we don’t have to put distance between the two of us – just the other pairs.”
    “I agree. I’ll stay close. My father taught me a few things this afternoon.”
    Saul smiled, looking up at the evening sky. The sun was inching slower toward the Western hills. “It’s almost time.”
    “I know.” Dread oozed into my veins and crawled through my body. I didn’t want to ever see Tage again, but I would have to face him soon.
    “They shouldn’t even let him feed from you tonight.”
    I swallowed my fear. “They will. They don’t care about us.”
    We packed up our dinner and the blanket. “Can we swing by my porch and get rid of this stuff?”
    “Sure.” I’d forgotten that he lived along the fastest route to the pavilion. We made tracks toward his house, Mercedes’ sturdy boots carrying me forward beside Saul. His house, a brick Colonial that looked a lot like mine but with a beautiful new porch that spanned the length of the front, was lit up from within. Candles burned inside the windows, flickering like the stars above. I waited near the sidewalk while he quickly jogged to the porch and laid his blanket and bag down.
    He hurried to me. “If my mom sees you, we’ll be here till midnight.”
    “She doesn’t know about your hasty proposal?”
    Saul smirked, clasping my hand and pulling me toward the pavilion. “Not yet. I haven’t gotten a yes from you. We’ll tell her after you agree.”
    I smiled over at him. We walked quickly, arriving just as the sun set. But this time, we were the last ones to arrive. Roman looked irritated at our tardiness and at our locked hands. “Change of partners,” he announced brusquely. Tage’s eyes tore through me as he stalked toward Mary. Roman watched him like a hawk.
    I squeezed Saul’s hand once before he left to sit on his own bench. I sat on mine and waited. Roman stood and watched as Tage numbed Mary’s skin with a disgustingly slimy lick and then sank his teeth into her neck. He groaned as he drawled deeply three times and then pulled away, licking the wound to seal it. Her blood tinged his fangs a pink-red as he sneered at me.
    I felt a warm body slide behind me and then Roman’s voice slid over my ear. “I won’t hurt you.”
    I knew he wouldn’t. He didn’t let Tage kill me this morning, and he made sure he didn’t hurt Mary this evening. “Why did you sic him on her ?”
    “It’s a form of punishment. He likes your blood. Hers? Not so much.”
    Punishment I could accept, but what wasn’t acceptable was making that monster hurt someone else.
    “I’ll be quick.” His warm breath fanned my ear as he pushed an errant strand of hair out of the way. I’d worn it up this evening for the hunt. Twisted braids were pinned into place at the nape of my neck, but none of it ever stayed in place. My stomach tightened when his hand pulled me backward, his chest against my back. I glanced at Saul, who was holding his neck. The girl who’d fed from him had already stood and was waiting with Tage by the fountain.
    Mary’s eyes fell on mine and then she looked away. Was she angry with me? Tim, Victor, and James were also finished.
    Roman’s tongue traced a path up my neck,