Page 69 of Vampire Savage

Windows shatter, and I’m twisted to the side as Oberon moves behind me. He brings the blade to my neck, the edge cutting into my flesh but not enough to do more than sting.

“Ah, perfect. I had hoped you’d make it in time,” he taunts. “I wanted you to see another person you care about die.”

Landon and Ambrose stand less than ten feet away. I’m a sobbing mess. Ambrose looks like a devil, his fangs bared and the nails on his hands long and sharp. Landon, though, looks like a hungry death god. His eyes are pure red, his fangs nearly an inch long as he snarls at Oberon. Power ripples from him and I understand how a single vampire is capable of killing hundreds of soldiers by themselves.

He flings himself forward, only to slam into the invisible radiating force created by Oberon’s chanting.

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t be prepared for you, did you?” Oberon laughs. “I’ve learned more than just this spell of life over the years. I’ve learned exactly what runes are required to keep creatures like you out.”

Lan and my gaze both go to the floor where he’d encountered the barrier. A marking drawn in what I think is blood is there, and Lan snarls. It’s a sound that should inspire fear in anything living, and even my instincts make me question him. I don’t recognize this Lan. There is no humanity in him, and even through our weak bond, his unadulterated rage is overwhelming.

Another gunshot goes off, making me jolt against the blade and I bite back a cry. Ambrose curses and as my father laughs, I see the bullet flattened on the floor.

Oberon leans down next to me and I try to pull away but he’s too strong. Lan is watching us and I hate that he’s going to have to watch me die, just like he watched his friends die because of this man.

“I love you,” I breathe out, barely audible. Lan hears them though, his vermillion eyes locking onto mine.

“I will always win, Landon Polastri.”

I can’t hold back the scream as the blade slices through my throat, but the sound is cut off as I start to choke. Oberon releases me and I fall forward, my hands going to my throat as I try futilely to stop the bleeding. Oberon shoves the chalice under my hands, my blood flowing into the cup. He’s chanting again. It’s drowned out by sound filled with such pain and rage that my heart aches for the creature.

Oberon removes the chalice and I slide to the floor, finding Lan in my hazy sight. The floor rocks under me once, then again. I gasp for air and begin to cough. I must be drowning in my own blood. The floor shakes again and I realize what my mate and the vampire king are doing. They’re pummeling the marble floor, shattering it with violent blows.

“No!” Oberon’s shout feels distant. My pain grows faint, my body going numb and cold.

Lan charges past the rubble, towards us. Good. My eyes are too heavy to keep open. At least I know Lan will destroy my father so he can never do this again. I hear Oberon’s screams as if underwater. I’m close to the end, then. Strangely, I’m not afraid or happy or anything. I’m just ... blank.

Someone jostles me and I crack my eyes open. A hand strokes my face and I only catch a glimpse of Lan’s bared fangs descending before death claims me.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

LAN

“You need to rest.”

Eloise is right.

“I will later,” I say, knowing how vulnerable I sound but unable to care. Watching Oberon slit Wren’s throat obliterated any remaining walls I had to protect myself. Madness had driven me to break the damn floor, desperate to destroy the rune magic keeping me from my mate. I shattered every bone in my hands, but it hadn’t stopped me from ripping Oberon apart.

Looking at Wren, skin nearly translucent, as she lies in my bed, threatens to rekindle the anger. I killed him too quickly. His death was merciful compared to what he deserved.

“She just needs time,” Eloise tries again, putting her hand on my shoulder.

I shrug it off. “Leave,” I bark out, not bothering to look at her. I can’t look away from my mate, not after I felt her die in my arms.

“Watch how you talk to her,” Ambrose growls, but Eloise shushes him.

I close my eyes, taking in a shuddering breath before opening them again. I glance over at where Ambrose leans against my open door, Eloise now standing beside him. She fits him, and he her. I never understood it before, what drew him to a measly single woman. Never understood how he’d look for her first in every room, rather than potential threats. Never understood the expression he often had even when she was only reading in his office.

I understand it all with perfect clarity now.

“How’s Ashe?” My voice is still gruff, but I’m doing my best. Ambrose seems to understand that as he doesn’t reprimand me again.

It’d been a week since Oberon shot Ashe in the chest and killed Wren. Fortunately it takes a hell of a lot more than a bullet to the chest to take out a vampire, even if it had nicked a major artery.

“He’s almost fully recovered,” Ambrose answers. “It helps that Eris, for all her animosity towards him, has been more than willing to offer blood to aid his recovery.”

Eloise sighs, and I look back to my mate. The only movement is the slow, prolonged rise and fall of her chest. “I think she cares about him a lot more than she lets on. I heard Cassandra talking to him while he was resting.”

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