Page 40 of Vampire Bite

“We leave in ten minutes.”

I watched him go, a strange mix of emotions swirling in my chest. There was no going back now, no space for hesitation or fear. I needed to keep my head clear.

I pulled on my jacket, the weight of it unfamiliar but grounding. The voices of the others filtered in through the thin walls. I could hear Lena barking out orders, Callum making some dry joke that only half the room chuckled at. They were all ready, or at least pretending to be. I wondered how many of them were just as scared as I was.

Before I could reply, a small figure appeared in the doorway. Evan stood there, clutching the edge of the frame. His wide eyes darted between us, then down to the knife on my belt. He didn’t need to speak for me to know what he was thinking.

“Hey, Evan,” I said softly, crouching down to his level. “What are you doing up?”

He looked at me, his lips parting like he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. His silence was louder than any words could have been. Instead, he pointed at the knife on my belt, then at me, his small hand trembling.

I reached out to him instinctively. “It’s okay,” I said, though my throat felt tight. “I’ll be careful.”

He shook his head, his dark eyes filled with worry. He grabbed my hand, squeezing it so tightly it almost hurt.

“Evan,” I said, forcing a smile despite the knot forming in my chest. “I’ll be back before you know it. Lucas will be with me, and he’s really good at this kind of thing.”

Evan glanced at Lucas, his brow furrowing. He didn’t look convinced. His free hand moved to his chest, and he tapped it twice. It was his signal for a question. I didn’t know what it meant this time, but I could see the fear in his eyes.

Lucas stepped forward, crouching down beside me. “She’ll come back,” he said firmly. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Evan looked between us, his small frame trembling as he stared at me. He pointed to the door, then tapped his chest again. Stay.

My heart twisted. I reached out, brushing a hand over his hair. “I wish I could,” I whispered. “But I have to do this. I’ll be back, okay? I promise.”

Evan’s lip trembled, but he nodded reluctantly. I hugged him tightly before standing. My legs felt like lead as I walked him back to Lena, leaving him in her care. He didn’t look back at me as I left, and I felt the weight of that more than I cared to admit.

When I returned to the meeting point, Lucas was waiting, leaning against the wall. His gaze softened when he saw me.

“Ready?” he asked.

No, I wasn’t ready. Not for this fight, not for this night. Not for the ache of leaving Evan behind or the uncertainty of what lay ahead. But I nodded anyway.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Let’s do this.”

Half an hour later, we were all out. It was pitch black all around us. My heart pounded against my ribs as we crouched behind the underbrush, waiting for the signal. The air was thick with tension, the kind that prickled your skin and made every sound seem louder than it was.

I glanced at Lucas beside me. He was calm… of course he was. His eyes scanned the perimeter with sharp precision, and his hand rested lightly on the hilt of his blade. He didn’t need to look at me to know I was nervous.

“Breathe,” he murmured, his voice low and steady.

I nodded, though the lump in my throat didn’t dissolve. My fingers tightened around the handle of the knife strapped to my belt, the unfamiliar weight of it a constant reminder of how far out of my depth I was. I was a detective, used to danger, but this was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

A rustle in the distance made me stiffen. Lucas raised a hand, signaling for silence. My breaths became shallow as we watched the dark silhouettes of shifters patrolling the entrance. They were huge, their forms monstrous and animalistic even in human shape. I shivered despite myself.

The first explosion ripped through the stillness, lighting up the night sky. It came from the far side of the stronghold, just as planned. The shifters’ heads snapped toward the noise, and chaos erupted as the sentries scattered.

“Now,” Lucas hissed, pulling me to my feet.

We moved as one, darting through the shadows toward the stronghold. My legs felt like jelly, but adrenaline pushed me forward. Around me, the others were a blur of motion. Lena, Callum, and the rest of the group, each with their role to play.

The second explosion was deafening, closer this time. The shifters roared in fury, their guttural cries sending chills down my spine. I could barely hear Lucas shouting orders over the noise, but his presence beside me was the only thing keeping me grounded.

We slipped into the stronghold through a breached wall, the air inside thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burning wood. My eyes stung as I followed Lucas through the maze-like corridors, my heart pounding in sync with the chaos outside.

A shifter lunged at us from the shadows, its claws glinting in the dim light. Lucas was faster. His blade sliced through the air with deadly precision, and the creature crumpled to the ground. I froze, my stomach lurching at the sight of blood pooling on the floor.

“Annika!” Lucas’ voice snapped me back to reality. His hand gripped my arm, pulling me forward. “Keep moving.”

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