Normally Alexis agreed with Byron’s approach, but Katie’s safety was everything to her, and her stress over protecting Katie was even more heightened after last night. She had tasted Katie’s blood again and it was like tasting Elysium. She closed her eyes and listened to the heavy thud in her chest. Normally her heart beat only every so often, but since last night it had been pounding like a mortal’s.

A crash was heard from inside the room, and Alexis heard Josie shout, “Get me that girl’s blood now.”

Alexis’s temper was near breaking. She burst into the room and found blood bags burst over the floor, and one of her vampires trying to clear it up.

“Leave us, Nathan.”

Josie was breathing heavily and leaning on the back of the chair. She didn’t look good. Dried blood was all around her mouth, and she looked dishevelled and wild. “The big boss is back,” Josie said with a sneer.

“I’m not the boss. Byron is our clan leader, and if you wish to become part of the Debrek clan, then you had better drink the blood we are giving you and start behaving properly.”

“I don’t want that blood. It’s not working. I need the girl from last night—Katie. She’s the only one who can satisfy me.”

“Katie is not going to be an option for you, so you’d better get used to the blood offered to you,” Alexis said.

“Why are you keeping her from me? I found her, I tasted her, she’s mine.”

Alexis grabbed Josie’s T-shirt and pulled her up to her full height. “Katie is not yours and never will be.”

“Why do you care so much?” Josie spat. Alexis stayed silent and Josie said, “Is she your girlfriend?”

“Katie is not my girlfriend, but she is off the menu for you and always will be, newbie.”

A smirk appeared on Josie’s face. “Oh, I get it. You’d like her to be, wouldn’t you? Well you’re out of luck. She’s mine. I tasted her blood and claimed it. She tastes so sweet. I think I’ll make her moan while I drink her.”

Alexis couldn’t hold her restraint any longer. She was sick of other vampires feeding on Katie and hiding her emotions. All of her repressed anger rose up in a flash, and she smashed Josie against the wall, still holding her T-shirt. Josie’s body made an indentation in the wall, and the plaster crumbled to the floor.

She grasped Josie’s jaw and squeezed tightly. “If you get within a hundred yards of Katie, I will take the head from your body, and you will die a vampire death. Do you understand me?”

“Put her down, Duca.”

Alexis turned to the side and saw Byron standing in the room. She had been so caught up in her fury that she hadn’t heard her enter.

“Duca?” Byron said firmly.

Alexis took a breath and the red mist started to fall from her eyes. She let go of Josie and went to stand by Byron.