Aetas paced as we glared at each other.
“You’ll rule Dallas upon the rebuild. You can rule, that’s not the problem. But I don’t think you’ll have it in you to lead our kind. You’re going to have a lot to prove to me in our lessons to convince me otherwise.”
“What if I don’t want your lessons?”
An evil smile stretched across his face and I braced myself for him to come at me again. “You don’t have a choice. I’m starting them right now. Lesson number one, Hunter.” Aetas’ hand rose and he looked up at the cement ceiling. “Time to stir things up from above. You need to see what your competition is capable of. How far do you think the princess will go to protect her people when she really has to fight to survive? Is she willing to sacrifice herself like she said?”
Chapter 7
Marko
The multiple thrum of pulses from outside had me frowning as I stopped just short of the east entrance. It was the same at the north. There were humans outside of both and from the complete silence, I didn’t doubt these were professionals. They were calm, collected, unlike the impatient rebels that tried to attack on occasion.
My head tilted back even more and I took the smallest step forward to peer into the light coming down from the grate above. I knew the only reason they hadn’t acted out yet was because of the intense uneasiness they were feeling from Tessa’s shield. It would have instilled a fear so great that it would have been impossible for them to act upon. Maybe one or two would try to brave coming down, but I doubted they’d do it if they weren’t being accompanied by their team.
“Let’s head back,” I whispered to Beatrice and Bufar. “We can meet up with the rest of the members.”
I gave a quick point to the guard who stayed hidden deeper in the shadows at our presence. At my signal, he headed to the side of the tunnel to go back to sitting watch.
“They’re debating to leave.” I kept my voice low as the members followed me back toward the heart of the city. “What they feel, they’re not prepared to face. I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“All clear. Headed back.”
Tessa’s voice came into my mind just as I expected it to. I could already feel her energy begin to move closer.
“The number of potential attacks are increasing.” Beatrice’s face was devoid of emotion, but I could detect her anxiety. “It’s only a matter of time before the humans grow immune to the sensations they feel and breach our walls. Once they do, it’ll become constant. They’ll keep returning, trying to kill us in our sleep.”
I smiled, only for it to melt immediately. A rush of power cut right through me and with it, the shield to our city disappeared. I jerked to a stop, scanning the darkness.
“What was that?” Bufar breathed out, heavily. “Did the princess drop her protection?”
“No.” I turned to face the entrance we’d just left. Aetas. It had to have been him. But…why? “Beatrice, head back to stand with the guard. Bufar, go to the north entrance. Be ready to fight. I have to protect the princess.”
All three of us took off running. Tessa’s words came pushing back into my head, feeding my need to go faster.
They’re coming! Ready yourself!”
Doors flew open on my sides as vampires began to peer out of their rooms. “Get inside! If a human opens your door, kill them,” I yelled.
My claws were already down, my fangs cutting into my lip as I neared the light of the heart of the city. Sounds were still coming from the room and I slowed as I broke into the large space. Marie was ushering Tessa in, but my concubine was obviously not happy about it.
“Come, we can get you into the bedroom. You can stay there until this passes.”
Panic had me sliding to a stop to reach for her. I didn’t mind the fight, but I wanted her safe. The mate in me was worried. The member in me stilled as she threw me a look.
“Do my words means nothing to any of you? Are you all not listening to what I say?” Black began to take over her green color and the whites were quickly disappearing as she pointed one of her claws toward me. “I may not be at the entrance, but I will not cower away in a room until this passes. We fight. I fight. If you want to join me, take your position at my side. But do not for one second think about stopping me.”
The biggest battle of my life played out before me as the bonded male wanted to throw Tessa over his shoulder and spank her ass for not listening. Her second in command had me scowling and stepping to her side.
“Then we fight.”
Tessa didn’t appear to hear me as her lids closed and her arms came out. “They’re breaching all entrances.” Her head jerked the smallest amount to the side and I knew she was in tune with the city—with the energy, the sounds. Seconds went by as she grew quiet. Then a good minute. Two.
“Wait…” Her eyes snapped open and she immediately looked to the far left of the room. It was the tunnel that held lockdown, but there were openings that led to the outside. “They’re not alone,” she whispered. “The officers…they’re being joined by more. Rebels. They’re coming, too. They’re pouring in. They’ve been waiting. They knew …”
“Marko.” Marie moved closer to Tessa’s left side and I stepped up on the opposite to be even with her. Our ruler wasn’t here in the moment. She was too deep into her mind, watching what was happening.
“Anastasia,” Tessa said, lifting her index finger, “Beatrice, Demetrius…John is still locked down…”
My eyes darted to Marie whose claws were lowering at Tessa’s headcount.
“Bufar….no. No!” A sound equivalent to growl poured from her. “Bufar is dead. He’s…” Her hand came out before her. “They’re going into the rooms. They’re killing us…”
Dark hair flared out as Tessa spun and her blacked out eyes met mine. Dark smoke began to lift from her body and span across the floor in all directions.
“Both of you take cover in one of the shops and wait for my order. They’re on their way here. Only when I say, do you both come out. From there we’ll finish them off.”
Her words barely reached my sense of hearing before her body evaporated toward the ceiling. Marie was already running, already obeying. Just as I went to turn, I caught Aetas’ energy. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he and Hunter were here. They were watching.
Rage sparked and it took everything I had not to storm in their direction. Instead, I put my back to them, racing for the front of the city where all the shops were lined. Marie headed into George’s and I followed. But my mind wasn’t on waiting for our enemies to arrive. No, the real threat was already here, assessing and testing us. This was his fault. I knew he was the cause of Tessa’s shield-failure. Why, was the question.
“I can’t believe Bufar is dead,” Marie breathed out as I settled down in front of the glass, next to her. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
I glanced over, moving my attention to the peer into the dimly lit room. “I just left him. I almost can’t believe it, myself, but I know what Tessa saw was true. There’s a lot of humans within our walls.”
“We have a lot of vampires, though. They’ll come to join us in the fight. I know this. I’ve seen it.”
My head whipped back over to her. “You saw this happening?”
She nodded. “Moments before I came to your door. But…I didn’t see Bufar dying. In my dream, it was Anastasia.”
“How bad is it going to be?”
Marie frowned. “We will win. But at a cost.”
“What cost?”
Yelling erupted in the distance and I could feel the humans growing closer. They were coming at alarming speed which told me they were rushing past the doors that held our kind.
“Tessa will be okay, won’t she?”
Marie shifted, but kept her focus ahead. “I would die before I let anything happen to our leader. If I feared she would be killed, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’d be out there with her.”
“Then what is the cost?”
�
��I’m not sure,” she whispered. “It was a feeling. The vision didn’t provide the answer.”
I frowned, moving my attention to the dark layer hovering just below the ceiling. Footsteps echoed loudly from all directions and I watched as men in tactical gear burst into the heart of the city from three different tunnels. Others, who I knew were rogue fighters, quickly joined them. As seconds passed, they moved in toward the center, training their weapons to the different entrances. They were cautious, inching in and taking their time. I licked my lips, feeling energy move in from the tunnel closest to us. But they were headed toward the center, too, only glancing in our directions as they scanned the large area.
“Shit. What is this place?” One of the civilians mumbled the question, but it was loud enough for me to hear the fear deep within his words. Closer, they gathered, weaving around the tables as they stayed close together. I glanced at Marie, bringing myself back to take in the swirl of Tessa’s energy. Faster, it was rotating, growing darker and thicker as her anger increased. The intensity made it almost impossible to sit still. I wanted to be out there with her. I wanted to do what came natural to my vampire.
“The leader has to be here somewhere. We made it in. Now I think we should pick a tunnel and start our search. If we can kill the one in charge, the rest will be easy.”
Deep tones were beginning to push against my throat. I held steady, flattening my hands against the cold floor to ground my need to attack. But I didn’t have to focus on controlling myself for long. The men began to notice the air fluctuate. What started as a gust grew faster, whipping around them with such brutality some held to the tables and each other, crouching low against the force. I rose, higher, in awe of Tessa’s strength. She’d never gone this far before and I wasn’t sure what to expect with the fury she held over her dead followers.
Shots began to go off, echoing loudly throughout the room as some of the men began to yell. The dark smoke drew in, funneling down in the middle of the group, revealing first Tessa’s feet, working its way up until her crown was visible and she was once again whole. The curls that hung down her back and shoulders were just as wild as the expression in her light green eyes. Green…she was still in control of her vampire which surprised me.
Tessa began to turn in a slow circle, staring down each one. “You wished to find the leader of this city?” her voice boomed. “Well, here I am. What are you waiting for?” Her arms slowly rose up from here sides and her lids closed while her head drew back. I couldn’t help but jump to my feet. The explosion of round after round penetrated the air. Marie clasped to my wrist, trying to keep me still. Harder she tugged as I uncontrollably kept stepping toward the door.
Bullets and stakes hung in the air, hovering just outside of the invisible shield. Vampires were emerging from the tunnels, watching, waiting, just as I was. Seconds went by, and then minutes as the shots eventually ceased. Silence was broken by the clinks of metal and wood falling to the cement floor. Tessa’s deep laughing echoed against the walls and her eyes opened. Dark smoke began to seep past her lips as her laughter grew. When I caught the blacks of her eyes, I took a deep breath. The men shot to their feet and turned to run, but hit a barrier they couldn’t see. They were trapped and so was anyone else who wanted in.
Wind began to increase in the bubble until the haze lifted to the top, hovering above their heads. Like a flash, the darkness gathered and Tessa shot through one of the men’s lips. His arms went crazy, dropping the gun as a red hue began to tint his face. Darker, it became, while he tore into his throat. One second he was fighting against her invisible threat, the next his body exploded out in all directions, replaced with her own. Blood covered her dress and face, matting in her hair. Tessa reared back, slicing through one of the men’s cheeks before diving for his neck. Screams increased and suddenly the humans were falling over each other as the wall gave way. Tessa tossed the officer over, looking right at me, using our bond to pull me closer. My body hummed, going crazy for her. Her powers or what she was doing didn’t scare me, they turned me on more than I could believe.
“These men spilled the blood of our kind. They owe me theirs. Make your ruler happy. Kill them!”
Vampires poured through the tunnels, snarling and baring their fangs as they headed toward the humans. They were searching for a way out, juking to the side as they looked desperately for somewhere to go. But there was nowhere. The vampires were gaining ground, becoming more animalist the closer they got to the mens’ fearful scent.
I stalked forward, breaking my stare from Tessa’s as I zeroed in on an officer holding a jagged knife. His breaths were coming out in heavy pants and he was swinging it at a group of vampires that were circling around him. At my energy burst, they paused, glancing over at me. My strides never slowed as I broke through them and deflected his blow. My grip tightened around his neck and I lifted his feet off the floor. I tapped into Tessa’s powers, letting it mix with my own. Heat blazed in my stomach and her hand shoot up to aim toward me. I let the dark smoke mix with my fire until the bright fog was leaving my mouth, into his. Overkill—definitely. But to strengthen our gift, we needed to use them, and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. Especially with Aetas watching. He needed to see. He had to know that together, Tessa and I were worthy. I’d show him there was no better choice than my concubine. She’d get what she deserved. I’d make sure of it.
Chapter 8
Tessa
“Go! Search the tunnels. The humans still in our city cannot escape. I want them dead!”
My order sent vampires scattering from our main room, thirsty to quench the burn embedded in their throats. Blood hung thickly in the air and it was worse for me being soaked in the substance.
As I turned to see crimson pouring from the officer’s mouth Marko held, I couldn’t take it anymore. The rest my people could finish this on their own. We were safe from the majority of the threat. Men were dying with every breath I took and I needed my mate. He seemed to sense that as he dropped the body, walking toward me at a brisk pace. I didn’t think as I threw myself in his arms and jumped up to straddle his waist.
“Take me to our room.” I barely got the words out as I crushed my lips into his. I craved the roughness I knew his touch could bring. I needed it after the victory and death of my enemies.
Marko’s tongue slid hungrily against mine and his fingers dug into my lower back making me break our connection to gasp.
“First, Aetas. He’s here. He’s been watching the entire time.”
I blinked past the lust associated with my brutality. “Of course he is.”
Marko lowered me and I gripped just above his elbow as he led me toward our tunnel. Aetas was leaned just outside of it, with Hunter at his side. The glare Hunter held had my own lids lowering. I was still ready to fight. To kill. I had barely tapped into a quarter of what I knew I was capable of and I was dying to test my skills at a much grander scale. Hunter wasn’t it. Not yet.
“Bravo.” Aetas’ clapped, sarcastically. “But just as boring as Hunter. I’ve already seen you do that. I was hoping to catch something new. Something … worthy of a leader. Marko on the other hand impressed me. Perhaps I should train him.”
I suppressed the need to hiss and snarl at him. My vampire was out of control. I could already feel the darkness covering my vision. She was ready to provoke if need be, and that’s exactly what she was doing to Aetas.
“What should I have done, turned this room to an inferno? A death bomb with a shock wave of poison to wipe them all out in one single blow? What sort of leader would I have been if I would have done that? I would have kept all the fun to myself. My people need the challenge and hunt. It does them good. They can only be contained so much. They rarely get to go out now as it is. It’s not safe for our kind on the streets.”
“Surely you could have thought of something a little more creative than what you just did.”
My eyes flickered over to Hunter’s. His jaw was set tight and he was star
ing at me. Slowly, I cocked my head to the side, reading his energy.
“You need to feed again. You wish you could have joined my people in their fight when they came to protect me.”
Pale blue eyes cut over to Aetas before he nodded. “Yes, Princess.”
“Aetas told you no?”
Again, he nodded, but kept quiet. Pressure pushed against my back and I turned, watching Marie approached with her head down. I could feel her anger at Hunter.
“Princess, I wish to make rounds and gather up the members if it is alright with you. I think after tonight we should have shifts. We can plan them and take it from here if you wish to give your blessing.”
Her eyes lifted, flicking with anger as they went from Hunter to me.
“I approve. Come to me if anything else happens.”
She nodded, spinning to hurry away from us.
“Who is that?” Hunter asked quietly.
“No one worthy enough for you to bother with.” Aetas pushed from the wall. “Time to feed you again.”
Hardness tightened Hunter’s features and I stepped back, giving my own greeting of goodbye to Aetas. When I turned to follow Marko toward the tunnel, my body jolted. I was ripped back so fast that before I could process the movement, fire burned into the side of my neck. I gasped through the sting and poison that pushed its way into my vein.
Marko’s roar internally and throughout the large room deafened me to anything else. My wide eyes were locked on his face and his expression was of rage that I’d never seen before. He was beating against the shield, but it wasn’t me who had placed it. A buzzing began to register just as my body exploded to life with lust. Still, Hunter fed from me, biting down viciously as he held my arms pinned.
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