“What the fuck are those?” Zavier screams, backing away with Celine slung over his shoulder. Even he knows these creatures, whatever they are, aren’t worth messing with.
“No idea,” I scream, running after him as he jets off.
“They’re like vampire dogs!” Ava shrieks as the animals chase us down one of the many halls. “They have huge fangs!”
My sole thought is of getting Ava out of here. I have to get my mate to a safe place. But with whatever those things are chasing us and vampires coming from the other direction, we’re basically sitting ducks.
“Come on,” Zavier encourages, turning down another corridor. “Faster.”
I overtake the ginger vampire and silently beg that we all make it out of this alive. I didn’t find my mate just to end up captured again.
We zigzag through the maze of tunnels, losing the creatures somewhere along the way. Somehow we silently work in sync. I have no idea how long we go for, but we aren’t finding a way out.
“I think we need to go back up,” Zavier says. “We’re getting nowhere.”
Unfortunately, he’s right.
“Are you ready to fight?” I ask him.
He grins wickedly, green eyes flashing. “Always.”
Using our own scents to guide us, we turn backthe way we came. My skin prickles with the thought that we could run into the dogs or vampires at any time.
“How many do you think?” I ask Zavier.
“I can’t tell by smell,” he hisses in annoyance. “How the fuck are they hiding their scent?” He cocks his head to the side. “By the sound of them … minimum twenty, maybe thirty.”
We exchange a look. Even as strong as we are, twenty against two is going to be tough, let alone more than that. Chances are we’re going to end up hurt, or worse, but we have to try.
We only make it about halfway back to our starting point when we encounter them.
My eyes rake over the horde of vampires waiting for us. It’s more than Zavier’s estimate of twenty. We set the girls down behind us. I don’t bother telling them to run. There’s no point. If Zav and I couldn’t find a way out, there’s little chance they will either.
Zav and I stand shoulder to shoulder, facing the vampires. One in front with hair cropped close to his scalp takes a step forward.
“Come with us, Valen, and we won’t hurt your friends.”
I narrow my eyes.
He clucks his tongue. “You don’t believe me? Understandable.” He takes another step closer. “I probably wouldn’t believe me either. But we need you, you see, and we’re willing to negotiate.”
“Who’s we?” I growl.
He grins, fangs flashing. “I can’t tell you that now, can I?” He peers around me, eyes flashing with interest. “Nice hair,” he coos at Ava. “You’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you? How about once we take out the trash, we have some fun with this one?” he says to the vamps behind him, who chuckle.
He reaches between Zav and me like he’s going to touch her.Violence jolts through my system. I grab his wrist and twist his arm. He screams in pain and drops to his knees.
“You’re strong,” he says through gritted teeth.
“I won’t be taken again,” I hiss.
He smirks. “He always gets what he wants in the end, and he will have you.”
My eyes widen in shock when the vampire’s head separates from his body. Zav drops the decapitated head to the ground.
“Oops,” he laughs. “He was talking too much, don’t you think?”
All hell breaks loose as Zav throws the head at the remaining vampires.
