Page 92 of A Debt of Darkness

26

NOT FORGIVEN

HENRY

Idecapitate another vampire and it’s fucking tedious. I’ve been fighting for hours and Rowan’s coven will be depleted. It was a mistake to rush to attack him when Ryan first noticed the threat. Rowan lured us out and we’ve had to work to hold our ground and regain our advantage.

Rowan’s coven isn’t weak. They’re strong and well-trained. They’re vicious, but the lower-ranking vampires are stupid, and once we’d stabilized the situation, we’d started picking them off.

The arrival of a second coven was a surprise. I should have seen it coming. Rowan’s usually predictable and some of his moves haven’t been. I should have realized someone else was working with him—or pulling the strings.

We’ll figure it out later.

Now’s not the time.

We need to finish this and I need to get to Ivy. Matt kept her safe in the room until the castle was attacked and made the mistake of letting himself get lured out. He never should have left her and when this is over, I’ll make my feelings on the matter quite clear.

But now’s not the time.

She’s had to run and we’ve been pinned down for far too long. Thank fuck Ryan slipped away and went after her. She’ll run for the woods and if we can finish off these final few fuckers, then I can catch up with them.

Matt launches at a vampire and my coven surges forward. We’ve got the numbers now and they’re attacking as they’ve been trained to—effectively, efficiently, and viciously.

I roar and it’s over minutes later. The remaining members of Rowan’s coven are reduced to dust and I catch a single breath, relieved my coven’s safe. For now, at least.

Even with two large covens, we’ve done enough damage that it’d be suicide to launch another attack. A pact between two covens is unusual, one between three is impossible with all the rivalries, and Rowan and his ally will need to count their losses and rebuild.

Matt stares at me and his eyes dart to the woods.

“Go,” he says. “I’ll hold here.”

I hesitate. He’s made a mistake already and my trust has been eroded a little. Matt catches it and I’m sure it stings. I don’t give a damn. He put Ivy at risk and now she’s out there, possibly fighting for her life.

“Go. For fuck’s sake go.”

My body turns and I call for some of the coven to follow me. I should be more than capable of dealing with whatever lies ahead, but I’ve been caught out once already today.

This was supposed to be Ivy’s day. It’s become a goddamnmess.

I race through the castle grounds, sweeping through the courtyards and formal gardens as if they were insignificant. I'm faster than the rest of the coven and I’m already ahead of them by the time I’m sprinting across the lawn.

The woods loom and I catch Ivy’s scent. She was afraid when she ran and she was moving quickly. For a human. Not for a vampire and if anyone was chasing her, they’d have caught her by now.

It’s enough to cause a flash of panic and I run faster, charging past trees and through the undergrowth. I’m gaining ground and her scent gets stronger, but other smells catch my attention. In a fucking bad way. There’s dust and dirt. Sweat and tears. The smell of iron and copper.

That means there’s blood.

Human blood.

Its metal tang is invigorating, and there’s a hint of ecstasy in the subtle mix of the smell of blood. Fuck, it’s Ivy’s. That’s why it’s so damn intoxicating and it’s setting me alight. I’m exhilarated by the scent of my mate’s blood, even though she’s injured. I’m caught between my primal excitement and my self-loathing and disgust as I run toward her, praying she’s alive.

I charge into a clearing and see a sight I never thought I’d witness. It shocks me to my fucking core and I stare in disbelief. I blink, questioning whether I’m seeing what the fuck my eyes tell me I’m seeing.

Ryan is cradling Ivy, and her lifeless body hangs in his arms. There’s blood dripping from his face. He’s full of color when she is pale. He’s alive and she’s barely breathing—and there’s blood on her wrist.

He’s fucking holding her.

He’s fucking fed from her.

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