Three more guards rushed through the doorway simultaneously. Viktor met them head-on, moving with the brutal efficiency of someone who’d been fighting before those vampires had even been born. He caught the first by the wrist, used the vampire’s own momentum to flip him over Viktor’s shoulder, and slammed him into the floor hard enough to crack wood. The second guard swung at Viktor’s head. Viktor ducked, drove his fist into the guard’s solar plexus, and followed up with an uppercut that sent teeth flying.
The third guard managed to get past Viktor’s defenses and lunged toward the bed where Ant sat. Big mistake. Viktor caught the guard mid-lunge, wrapped both hands around the vampire’s spine, and twisted. Bones popped, and tendons tore. It wasn’t enough to kill, because Ant hated lethal force, but more than enough to ensure that particular guard wouldn’t be walking for a day or two.
Viktor hurled the broken guard back through the doorway and bared his fangs at the remaining pack. “If one more person steps through that door, I’ll forget my mate doesn’t appreciate lethal force.”
Claudius stood in the corridor, his expression icy with fury. “You can’t fight all of us, Viktor. You’re outnumbered.”
“I’ve been outnumbered before. It didn’t stop me then, and it won’t stop me now.” Viktor’s voice came out as a guttural growl, barely human. “You want my mate? You’ll have to go through me. And I guarantee you’ll lose more people than you can afford.”
For a long moment, Claudius stared at Viktor, clearly weighing his options. Then he stepped backward, gesturing for his guards to fall back into the corridor.
“Fine. Barricade yourselves in your little cage.” Claudius’s smile was cruel. “You have nowhere to go, no way to call for help, and no method of escape. Eventually, you’ll have to sleep. Eventually, you’ll run out of food and water. And when you’re weak enough” - his eyes shifted to Ant - “I’ll drain your precious pet dry while you watch.”
Viktor roared and lunged forward, but Claudius was already disappearing down the hallway, his remaining guards covering his withdrawal.
Viktor grabbed the shattered door - what was left of it - and slammed it back into the frame. It wouldn’t hold, not with the lock torn free and the wood splintered, so he grabbed the heavy dresser and shoved it against the door instead. Then he dragged the desk across the room and wedged it against the dresser for additional reinforcement. It wouldn’t stop a determined assault, but it would buy them time and prevent anyone from sneaking in on them.
Looking over to where the second door in the room was - the one that led into Finch’s room, Viktor considered barricading that as well, but he was limited by furniture options. But he still went over and ensured the lock was turned. Again, it wouldn’t stop a vampire or two, but it would give them a warning if someone was trying to get in.
Determined that they were as secure as they possibly could be for the moment, Viktor stood with his chest heaving, trying to pull his second form back. It took a few moments because his vampire side knew the threat was still present, even if it was skulking down the hallway. But Viktor persisted, and eventually he was back in his human form, his shirt in tattered shreds still hanging off his shoulders.
Behind him, Ant’s voice was still as calm as it always was. “Viktor. Look at me.”
Viktor turned slowly. Ant sat on the bed exactly where Viktor had left him, one hand back on Able’s head, the other one reaching for him. Viktor’s hands were shaking, but he crossed the room and pulled Ant into his arms, careful despite his need to be rough. “He threatened to kill you while I watched.”
“I know.” Ant’s arms wrapped around Viktor’s waist. “But he didn’t. We’re still here.”
“If I’d been a second slower...” Viktor cut himself off, pressing his face into Ant’s hair.
“You weren’t.” Ant pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “You’re never too slow when it comes to protecting me.”
Viktor kissed him then - hard - pouring all his fear, fury, and love into it. When they finally broke apart, Ant’s lips were swollen and his breathing unsteady.
“Feel better now?” Ant smiled softly. “We’re going to be fine, I have a plan.”
A plan?They didn’t need a plan, they needed a fucking army - preferably one with tanks that could blow Claudius’s estate to pieces. But Viktor forced himself to gentle his hold on his mate, and sat on the edge of the bed.
“What’s the plan?” he managed. He’d settle for having five minutes to breathe, but his urge to leave the estate was as strong as ever.
Ant tightened his grip on Viktor’s hand. “Not a plan as such, as a plausible idea. We already know the fountain in the garden is the keystone for all of Claudius’s secondary defenses – or at least the artifact underneath it - including the lockdown wards he just activated. If we destroy that, the entire magical structure will collapse.”
Viktor stared at his mate. “We’re barely behind a locked door. Now you’re telling me you want to blow up a centuries-old magical artifact hidden under a concrete fountain, while we’re trapped inside an enemy vampire estate with no backup and no way to call for help.”
“Yes.”
“That’s your plan.”
“That’s the first part of the plan.” Ant’s expression remained perfectly serious. “The second part involves us being able to leave so I can testify about everything I witnessed, ensuring Claudius spends the rest of his extremely long life in a Justiciary prison cell.”
As far as the plan went, it was remarkably short on details, but despite that, Viktor felt his lips twitch up at the edges.My mate is absolutely fucking insane,he thought.And I wouldn’t have him any other way.
“Alright, babe,” Viktor said. “Tell me how we’re going to destroy that fountain.”
Chapter Fifteen
“The fountain is approximately one hundred and forty meters from this window,” Ant said, forcing his exhausted mind to focus on logistics rather than the dull throb behind his eyes. “Assuming we can reach it without being intercepted by guards, I’ll need roughly twelve seconds to gather enough magical energy to shatter the stone structure and disrupt the talisman network beneath it.”
Viktor’s brow furrowed. “Twelve seconds is a long time when you’ve got vampires coming at you from all directions.”
