Mike sprang back to his feet and attacked, with all his men running right behind him. Six against two. Not bad odds. Actually kind of good considering the bikers were human and—

Keenan jumped in front of her, swinging out with his fist and sending two guys flying back. The men hit the walls of the alley and didn’t get up.

Okay, four against two. Even better.

Keenan grabbed the next guy around the throat. The stake dropped from the blond’s hand as he clawed at Keenan’s hold, struggling to get free. His pale face began to purple.

She grabbed for Keenan’s arm, afraid the guy was about to die right there. “Keenan, no.”

“Callin’ back your dog?” Mike was there, charging by Keenan and coming for her. “Nothin’ can save you, bitch, nothin’!”

He ran at her with the stake up. His buddies took Keenan, swarming him. Her teeth burned, her claws lengthened, and when Mike lunged at her with that stake—

She just ripped it out of his hands, broke it, and tossed the pieces behind her.

That didn’t stop Mike. No, he swung at her and slammed his fist right into her face.

Definitely remember that.

The bloodlust rose but she stumbled back.

“That’s right, run, get ready to bleed.”

Um, no. She wouldn’t be bleeding for him. His fist came at her again. She caught it in her left hand. Then her fist went at him, plowing into his cheek. Not the light hit of her pre-vamp days. Nicole swung with a blow strong enough to break Mike’s jaw. When the bones crunched, she knew the punch had broken his jaw.

He kicked out, his booted heel aiming for her stomach, but she twisted and he missed her, and he fell to the ground.

“I’m sorry about your brother,” she said the words between pants. “If I had it all to do again …” But there’d been no choice at the end. He’d fought her and if she hadn’t killed him, he would have taken her head.

“Fuckin’ bitch …” Mike shoved up and yanked a knife out of his boot. “He should’ve killed you.” He shot off the ground and sliced with his knife.

The blade never touched her skin. Keenan grabbed Mike’s hand, twisted, broke the guy’s wrist, and the knife clattered to the ground.

“I said you’d lose this hand,” Keenan reminded him.

Veins bulged along Mike’s neck.

Behind them, she saw the scattered remains of Mike’s crew. Still alive—she could see their chests moving—but out of commission. No backup for Mike.

Nicole stalked to the biker. She didn’t touch him. Wouldn’t.

“Gonna bite me now?” Blood dripped from his lips.

Oh, she wanted to. Even more, she needed that blood.

Keenan’s shove had the guy sinking to his knees and staring up at her with his throat bared.

“Gonna kill me like you did Jeff?”

Her gaze swept to the unconscious men once more, and she held onto her control with all the strength she possessed. “Do you always hunt in a pack?” Wolves weren’t the only ones smart enough to do that. Mike hunted vampires, but he was human. Humans against vamps—that equaled a serious disadvantage. One he’d tried to make up for with the numbers tonight.

“Not tellin’ you a damn thing about how I hunt.” Deep lines bracketed his mouth. Keenan still had a grip on Mike’s hand and she could see the sweat that beaded Mike’s upper lip. “Not talkin’ so you might as well rip me open.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry about your brother.” She could understand Mike wanting her blood. The other vamps he’d killed—maybe they’d deserved to be put down. But maybe they hadn’t. We’re not all evil. Not when we have a choice.

“Bull … shit … just a … damn … bloodsucker.”

Right. She was. And he could see her fangs. But …

But she wasn’t under the control of the Born Master anymore. Her gaze slipped to Keenan because what she had to say was for him as much as Mike. “You know—you know when vampires are Taken …” Taken, the term for vampires who were made through the blood exchange. Made, not Born. Only a very few were actually born as vampires. The Born Masters were the strongest, baddest, and hardest to kill vamps out there.

She took a breath and glanced back at Mike. “When they’re Taken, they’re linked to the vamps that changed them.” Only the vamp who changed her had been dead. So she hadn’t been told anything about vamp rules and powers. She’d had to find everything out the hard way.