Prey Drive by Jen Stevens
Chapter 29
the wolf
goodbyes awkward or drawn out. In her delusional mind, we aren’t over, we’re just on a pause while she “ kickstarts her career and gets the most out of her life before she settles down for good.” Those are her words, not mine.
She has no idea that once she steps out of my car, I don’t plan on ever being intimate with her again. In fact, I only agreed to this dinner to keep up appearances and possibly use her in an attempt to get Stardust out of my system. I won’t wait on the sidelines for her to decide she’s ready to be domesticated and breed more spoiled brats for this gluttonous world.
Fuck our families and their disgusting wealth. None of it is worth preserving.
She was only around because she served a purpose in my plan. I’m not interested in any relationship with her outside of a simple wave when we inevitably see each other at a dinner party. I’m happy to be rid of her. With her gone, I can focus more on Stardust and my kills, like I want to.
I’m closing in on the truth, nearing the finish line for Sienna’s justice. This era is coming to an end, and I need to be ready to transition into the next one when the time comes.
And for some unknown reason, I want it to include Stardust.
“How long have you been here?” she asks with a quiver in her voice. She’s pinned against the front door, her handbag hugged tightly to her chest.
I watch her eyes scan the room for what I assume is a weapon, and I allow myself to chuckle. That’s right, I laugh. It’s a foreign sound—one I haven’t heard since before Sienna died, I think.
Stardust isn’t amused. Her dark eyes snap back to me, a scowl deepening between her brows. “You think any of this is funny?” she spits, eyes narrowed.
“You’re afraid of me,” I point out, refusing to answer her obvious question.
Of course, I think it’s funny. I had my fingers buried inside of her less than two hours ago, and now she’s looking for an item to smash against my head.
“I’m not afraid of you.” She stomps her foot, still refusing to move from her spot in the foyer.
“Then come closer,” I challenge.
Stabbing a finger toward the ground, she says, “This is my house.”
“I thought we already cleared up that this was my house,” I point out uselessly, because it doesn't matter either way. I just want to irritate her as much as she irritates me.
And I do. My words meet their mark, burying themselves underneath her skin enough to force her to rush toward me into the kitchen. Stopping right before me, she grinds out, “I pay the bills. It’s my home.”
From this close, I can see the way her anger darkens her eyes into an even deeper brown. They're nearly as black as my soul feels. Her furrowed brows cast a shadow over them that makes her much more menacing than the little innocent lamb I’ve come to know.
I like this side of her. I want to pull it out and bottle it up to carry around with me. To shrink the image of her right now down into my locket and wear it around my neck.
I’m smirking at that thought as I deliver another blow that will fuel her fury. “Yes, soon you’ll be paying those bills with your shiny new job at Lancaster Tech, correct?”
Her furious expression falls. “How did you know about that?”
“How else do you think you got the position?”
Realization dawns on her all at once. From fury to confusion to terror in a matter of minutes. The rapid transitions have me grinning like a cat.
I do love to play with my meal.
“You didn’t… But how… Why?” she stutters out, taking a big step away from me.
When she does, my arm snakes around her back and pulls her toward me. Her heartbeat flutters against my chest, kickstarting mine for the first time in what feels like years.
“Have I forgotten to tell you my full name, Stardust?”
She stares up into my face, head shaking in disbelief. And because I know she’s done her homework on her new company like a good little employee, I lean forward until my lips graze against her ear and whisper, “Sebastian Lancaster.”