“Nothing. My, my, you have quite a temper. And a suspicious mind. Not a good pairing if you wish to have friends. Or do you prefer the lonely existence of a worthless cop? Tell me. Do you feel powerless against me? Do I threaten you?”
“I can threaten you,” I counter.
He spreads out his hands. “I’m waiting.”
I hesitate and opt not to reveal the bone dagger to him. This is a calculated gamble. This may be stupid.
But he’s right. I have no way to find those missing people.
If there even are any missing.
He may be playing me, but human lives are at stake. That potential is too great for me to ignore.
“How about we come to an understanding,” I say slowly, against my better judgment.
Amarok nods.
“Let’s make a deal. You will free the hostages. All of them. None of them have better been harmed.”
“How can I do that if I’m in here?”
“I’m not finished,” I snap. “You will also leave Bethlehem. Do you agree?”
“Yes.”
My stomach churns. This is terrible. Is there really no other way?
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“You can’t.”
I close my eyes. When I open them, I set him free.
For a moment, he remains in the cage, staring at me. His face is impassive. Then his lips curl into a vicious smile. He winks and leaves, his movement strangely feline.
And he’s gone.
Chapter 42
Lieutenant Reynolds is fit to be tied when he learns Amarok is gone. Of course, I take the fall. I’m the one who did it.
“Every death is on you,” he shouts, spit flying, landing on my face. He’s standing over his desk like he wants to jump over it and strangle me.
I don’t move to wipe it away.
“You’ve pulled a lot of reckless, stupid stunts lately, Tempest, but this one really takes the cake.” He eyes my badge.
Worried, anxious, my hand flies to it. “I did the only thing I could to help those people. We had no leads. We never would’ve found them. You know that.”
“To let him go—“
“Those deaths will be on me if there are any. We’re meant to protect our people. I saw no other way.”
I lower my head. Either he’ll understand my reasoning, or he won’t. Am I terrified I made the wrong choice? Yes! Would I hesitate before doing it again? Yes, but I probably would do it again and again.
“I hope you can make up for this serious lack of judgment. If you can’t, you’ll be more than demoted. Is that understood?”
I nod.
No more screw ups. Doesn’t matter if I’m worried or afraid. I’m also eager and excited.
No matter what I have got to stay on the straight and narrow. This job is my life. No matter what happens, though, I will always fight the good fight. I’ll always have Bethlehem’s back.
Even if Amarok returns.
Even if vamps and wolves go to war.
Even if another creature lurks in the shadows.
One day, Bethlehem’s bedlam will cease.
One day, we will have peace.
I just hope it’s one day soon.
Clarissa’s story continues with When Sirens Screech!
And if you’re ready to start another series, why not check out Magic Incarnate? Book One is free on all platforms!
Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed When Vamps Bite! I love to read my reviews. Thank you!
Until next book,
~Nicole
Other Books By Nicole Zoltack
Bedlam in Bethlehem series
Cops plus Supernatural Creatures
The Vampire Hunter Tribulations
Magical Hunters Academy trilogy
A school for paranormal teens to train to fight evil creatures
Magical Prison trilogy
A fairy tries to free her twin from prison and save the world
Rebel, Supernatural Bounty Hunter trilogy
A human hunts supernaturals
Magic Incarnate Series
Magic + Faith + Teens
Heroes of Falledge trilogy
A superhero struggles to find love and save his town
Age of Dragons Series
A tale of lost magic and dragon riders
Once Upon a Darkened Night Series
Twisted Fairy Tales
The Queenmaker Series
YA Female King Arthur Retelling
The Winged Beast Chronicles
Dragons enslave humans.
Magical Awakening written as Nicole Beyer
Friends attempt to save a friend from a magical sickness
A Magical Sickness
A Magical Adventure
A Magical Misadventure
A Magical Awareness
A Magical Journey
A Magical Odyssey
A Magical Disaster
A Magical Crisis
Beyond Boundaries
Can love cross class boundaries?
Masked Love
Starry Love
Standalones
Moonstruck
Gender-bent Cinderella set in NOLA
Dark Hunt
Vampires vs witches vs humans
Bloodlust
Epic fantasy with forbidden love
Not on Her Watch
A military romance
The Test of Time
Unpredictable time travel
Love Before Honor
Medieval knight. Regency lady. Magical Christmas.
Joy to the World
One lady. Two dukes, one an imposter
Christmas Kisses
Two gentlemen, only one Lady Anna’s mother approves of
Starving for Love
The Little Mermaid with a zombie twist
Guns and Fangs
A vampire huntress turns into that which she hates
About the Author
Nicole Zoltack is a USA Today bestselling author who loves to write romances. Of course. She did marry her first kiss, after all!
When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or witches, she enjoys spending time with her loving husband, three energetic young boys, and precious baby girl. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the PA Renaissance Faire dressed in garb. She’ll also read anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV shows are The Witcher and Stranger Things.
Sign up for her newsletter to learn when her next book is released as well as excerpts, cover reveals, and giveaways!
For more information
www.NicoleZoltack.com
[email protected]
Acknowledgments
First and always, I have to thank my husband. I’m sure it can’t be easy being married to a writer, and I am so appreciative of all the support over the years. I love you, Todd! Thank you to my wonderful children for understanding that Mommy has work she has to do, but she still does and always will love you!
To some of the best writer friends a girl could ever have. You know who you are and I can’t wait until we can retreat again!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wonderful street team. You keep me going, and I’m writing for you and for all of my fans. Thank you for all you do for me!
And finally, I want to acknowledge my readers. You are why I write. As long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing. So please keep reading, all right?
Author’s Note
Hi, readers! I absolutely hate proofreading errors. My editor, proofreaders, and I try to find them all, but sometimes, a few will slip through. If you find any, please feel free to email at [email protected] or message me on FB with the errors. I’ll correct the file as soon as I can get to it!
Oh, and if you’d like, feel free to tell me anything else you like—something about the stories, the characters, if there’s any story you would want me to tell?
&nb
sp; Finally, if you would like to join my beta reader team or my ARC team, be sure to mention that too!
I’m off to write the next book!
~Nicole
When Wolves Howl: A Mayhem of Magic World Story (Bedlam in Bethlehem Book 2) Page 22
