Page 34 of Hellfire

“Get down!” I shouted, as I launched myself forward, shifting before my feet hit the ground.

The vampire fired his weapon, but Steele was too quick, and knocked it aside with a quick toss of a throwing knife. The vampire screamed out as the blade embedded into the palm of his hand, and his gun clattered to the ground. Steele’s crow swooped down, his talons raking across the vampire’s face, blinding him. Nate fluttered forward, his wings beating furiously. The vampire’s eyes went wide as he stumbled backwards, his expression morphing into confusion.

Reaper appeared in a cloud of thick black smoke, his scythe gleamed in the dim light. He swung it down, and the guard fell to the ground, his body disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. My Cerberus growled in frustration, wanting to be the one to deliver the final blow.

Murmuring caught my attention, and I took off to investigate. I rounded the corner and Venom stood before me. A low, menacing growl tumbled from my throat.

“Tank, so nice of you to join us,” he said with a sneer.

Beside him stood a petite girl, her long black hair shielding her face from view. Inhaling deeply, a familiar scent hit my nose.

Rose.

Without hesitation, I charged towards the girl, my heart pounded in my chest. A nagging voice in the back of my mind told me that something was wrong. But my Cerberus had control. All he wanted was to reach Rose.

We pushed the thought away, our mind consumed by the smell of eucalyptus and rain, and the need to protectherat all costs.

Venom suddenly lunged forward, unsheathing a sword. He lifted it above his head and swung downward. I barely managed to dodge in time, and I switched my focus to defending myself. His sword connected with the concrete floor. The force of his blow shattered it like glass.

Chaos erupted. The Hive swarmed in from all sides. In the distraction, I lost sight of the girl and Venom.

Damn it.

They outnumbered Nate and Steele. A swarm of five or more vampires cornered them. Scar and Reaper were fighting their way through the masses, slowly making their way over.

Where is Snake?

An ear-piercing scream pulled my attention from the battle. Snake crashed into a row of crates, knocking them on the ground as he fell. Launching myself across the warehouse, I shifted back to my human form, ignoring the surrounding chaos. I had to focus on getting my crew out of here alive.

“Snake, we gotta get you out of here,” I said, feeling a lump form in my throat.

Blood seeped from a gash on his leg, and his movements were slow and labored as he tried to sit up. Guilt burned in my chest. I had failed to protect him.

“Looks like you get to make a lei after all,” Snake said.

“Shut up,” I said with a smirk.

He winced as he slowly got to his feet, favoring his right leg. Quickly, I looped my arm under his and helped him to his feet, trying my best to be gentle as he let out a low groan of pain.

“Fall out!” I bellowed over my shoulder.

Making our way towards the exit. Steele and Nate were right on our heels. Snake leaned heavily on me as we limped along the hallway. Every step seemed to be agony for him, and I felt another surge of guilt wash over me.

As we burst out of the warehouse and into the night air, I couldn’t help but feel like we had failed. We had come so close to finding the girls, only to be ambushed by the Hive. I lowered Snake gently to the ground and examined his wound. I released a breath. Thankfully, it wasn’t life-threatening.

“It’s not that deep,” I reassured him, ripping a strip of fabric from my shirt.

“That’s what she said,’ Snake joked.

I rolled my eyes, making him laugh. With my shirt, I applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Snake winced, but didn’t protest. I gritted my teeth in frustration.

How could I be so stupid but to think that girl was Rose? Rose died six years ago, and she was never coming back. And now, one of our own was injured because of my mistake.

“It’s not your fault, Tank,” Steele said, coming up behind us. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile as I helped Snake back to his feet.

“You okay to ride Snake? Or do I finally get to make you my bitch?” Steele grinned at his best friend.

“Ouch,” Snake chuckled. “I’m not gonna leave my bike. I’ll be fine.”

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