Page 80 of Nitro

That told me my opponent had mental powers and that worried me.

I was clearly way over my head, but I couldn’t just sit around and wait for Nitro to arrive.

The cold, rough walls of the mine seemed to close in, and every step I took felt like a gamble in this underground maze.

Doubts gnawed at my resolve. I replayed the events leading to this moment. Had Corey reached out to Nitro? Was help on its way?

What if this supernatural enemy had already killed Marc by the time I arrived? Even worse, was I going to die in his dark and dank place?

If that happened, death would claim Nitro next, because our life forces were linked.

Unexpected pain hit me in the chest at that thought.

"Don't think about now," I reminded myself.

The idea of losing Marc and failing Nitro continued to claw at my thoughts, threatening to overwhelm me.

Yet, with each step, I banished the paralyzing fear. I had to keep moving forward and wouldn't let fear consume me.

It felt like I'd been wandering through this maze for hours, the twisting passages and branching tunnels disorienting me at every turn.

But finally, after what seemed like forever, I stumbled upon a chamber deep within the quarry.

I took a moment to catch my breath, the cold sweat on my forehead beginning to chill as the adrenaline that had propelled me here started to fade.

My senses heightened, and I could feel Nitro's presence nearby. The bond we shared allowed me to sense him even in the dark mine.

Unlike me, Nitro would probably be able to navigate these tunnels more effortlessly. He wouldn’t be far behind.

For the first time since I had entered the mine, a spark of hope ignited inside me.

That glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished as I stumbled upon Marc's figure a few feet from me.

A chill crept up my spine, and my heart sank at the sight before me.

My brother, bound at the wrists and ankles, was alarmingly pale and he wasn’t moving.

Panic gripped me as I unthinkingly rushed to his side, my hands frantically examining the bindings that held him captive.

Horror filled me as I saw Marc's blood splattered neck. I let out a cry as I forced myself to examine the gruesome wounds.

Unlike Dylan's neat bites, these wounds were savage.

"Tommy, you sure took your time," a voice, unfamiliar and silky, cut through the silence.

Startled, I looked up to find a thin figure with a skeletal-like pale face standing a few feet away.

Hatred burned in his coal black eyes, and an unsettling smile twisted his features.

Recognition dawned on me, though I couldn't place where I had seen him before at first.

"You were really outside my window," I whispered, the pieces slowly falling into place.

This creature had been stalking me for awhile.

He flashed me that hideous smile again, revealing sharp canines. Vampire? A surge of thoughts flooded my mind.

If this creature could easily overwhelm an alpha shifter like Marc, my chances in direct combat were slim to none.

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