Half Blood Rising (Moonlight Academy Book 1)

The creature in front of me was disgusting. Everything about him reeked of death, and his darkness brushed against me like black boiling tar in the blazing heat of summer. I hated being here with him, repeating the same thing all over again. The werewolf was in his human form, so I had to be careful. I'd been tracking him every night for the past seven days.

The humidity in this part of Ukraine was unbearable this time of year, as usual, but at least a drizzle of rain had begun to fall. An annoying mosquito was buzzing around my ear, but I couldn't lose focus now. I couldn't risk taking my eyes off that bastard.

His breathing was whizzed, and saliva was trickling from his mouth. I inhaled, sensing his dirty energy—his aura. It was repulsive, and he deserved to die for all the terrible things he'd done to others.

"Pretty, you don't have to do this. I have over five hundred Hryvnia in my side pocket. Take it and let me go," he said, his voice creepy, the tones vibrating inside my chest. I had to try and keep it together. The pain of his victims—children and little girls—affected me so much tonight; he was rotten from the inside out, and I had to clear my mind, stop thinking about it.

I gripped my knife tighter, cutting the circulation to my fingers. What had started as a drizzle was now becoming heavier—a possible storm was approaching—dark clouds were gathering in the south, but the moon still shone brightly above me.

I'd heard many stories about him, but he had been careful. Almost too careful. He had watched the elementary schools, particularly kindergarteners in the early mornings. He'd been selective when choosing his victims.

A while back he'd managed to escape prison, and the High Council seemed useless. It had taken me some time to figure out his modus operandi and finally track him down. I'd yet to see his darker form, but what I had sensed had been enough. I'd witnessed a lot of disgusting shit in my short life as a half-vampire. I had been doing this for way too long, killing and eliminating creatures that didn't deserve to walk on this earth.

"This will be quick, although you deserve to die slowly and very, very painfully," I said through gritted teeth, staring at his dark filthy hair and almost-translucent skin. He was skinny, his bones protruded, and he looked malnourished. He wore a loose grey shirt that was stained in what appeared to be blood.

Another vision. Damn it. Not now… I really had to focus on the task at hand, but these visions were hard to ignore.

I was seeing him leaning over a little girl, and he was panting with excitement. She couldn't have been more than eleven years old. Tears were slipping down her cheeks. She was petrified, seeing him in his true form. Drool was dripping from his fangs and clinging to his matted dark fur. She parted her lips …

I quickly shook my head, pushing the vile images out of my mind. This had gone on for far too long. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't bear seeing the victims… their torture. It was just too much.

Earlier on, he hadn't expected me to attack. I had lunged forward, crouching low at the same time, and on a quick turn of my foot, I'd caught him off guard, then sliced his leg from Achilles heel to calf—the bastard couldn't run any longer. My vampire speed, agility, and strength had always given me an advantage, allowing me to strike within a moment's notice.