Page 50 of Vampire Bite

He pulled me closer, his embrace like a shield against the chaos in my mind. “Whenever you're ready,” he said softly.

I nodded, grateful for his patience, even as my thoughts refused to quiet. Still, I managed to sleep well, which was what I considered an impossible feat in this place. Safely in his arms, I completely relaxed, waking up to peaceful thoughts. At least for a moment. Then, the storm inside of me started to rage again.

We got dressed, occasionally exchanging mysterious smiles, neither of us willing to break the magic of the silent moment we shared. Nothing needed to be said.

About half an hour later, we were in the main room. I could sense the tension in the room immediately. Maps were spread across the long table at the center, dotted with markings, circles, and hastily drawn arrows. Everyone moved with determination, their faces set with grim resolve as they worked to finalize the plans for the biggest attack yet. The sound of voices layered over each other, strategizing, debating, confirming details.

I hovered near the entrance for a moment, taking it all in. The gravity of what we were about to do settled on me like a weight I wasn’t entirely sure I could carry. Lucas stood at the head of the table, his posture commanding as he spoke with Callum, Lena, and a few others I didn’t recognize. His presence seemed to steady the room, as it always did. His voice was calm but firm, cutting through the noise with authority.

When his gaze found mine, his expression softened for a fraction of a second. He didn’t say anything, but the brief flicker of reassurance in his eyes was enough to anchor me. I steppedfurther into the room, my arms wrapping around myself as I moved closer to the table.

“Annika,” Lena said, nodding as she jotted something down on a notepad. “We’re working on splitting the teams for the initial push. Lucas thinks—”

“I think we need a clear fallback plan,” Lucas interrupted, his focus shifting back to the group. “We can’t afford to lose anyone because we don’t have an exit strategy.”

“Fallback?” Callum scoffed, his tone bristling. “We’re going in to win, not to run.”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “We’re not throwing lives away, Callum. If things go south, we need a way out, especially for the civilians we’re trying to free.”

I stayed quiet, watching the exchange. The stakes were so much higher now. It wasn’t just about strategy. It was about all lives, human, vampire, and even shifter. I couldn’t help but feel out of place amidst all these warriors, but I was here, and somehow, I had to contribute.

“Annika,” Lucas called, pulling me from my thoughts. “Come here.”

I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as the attention in the room shifted to me. “What do you need?”

“You’re going to be with me,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We’ll be part of the central group, heading for the main stronghold.”

My stomach twisted. I wasn’t sure if his insistence on keeping me close was because he trusted me or because he thought I needed protection. Maybe both.

“Okay,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

“And Evan?” I asked, glancing around. The boy was sitting in a corner, flipping through one of his comics, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around him.

“He stays here,” Lucas said without hesitation. “It’s too dangerous to bring him.”

“Of course,” I immediately agreed. “But someone needs to stay behind with him and the others.”

“I’ll take care of it,” one of the women close by suggested. Lena nodded at her, placing a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder.

The conversation shifted again, back to logistics and details, but my mind was stuck on what lay ahead. The thought of facing the shifters in their main stronghold was terrifying. It would be much more dangerous than any of the times before, and I realized that I was petrified. Only, not for myself, but for others and mainly for him.

Losing Lucas was not something I dared to think about, and yet, the danger was there, all around us, like the air we were breathing. When he urged me to leave him behind and bring all the prisoners to safety, it took all of my conscious effort not to go back for him. But what could I do?

Still, they were all right. The idea of doing nothing, of letting the shifters continue their reign of terror, was worse than anything I could imagine doing or not doing.

As I stood there, taking in their voices, their energies, I had no idea if I was ready for all of this or not. But I knew I had to try. For Lucas, for Evan, for all the people we were trying to save.

And, maybe… for myself as well.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lucas

The night was darker than any I had ever seen before. Annika and I moved silently through the trees, our steps carefully placed to avoid snapping twigs or crunching leaves. The others were holding the perimeter, drawing attention away from our approach. It was risky, but it was the only way to get inside without alerting the entire base.

Annika was just ahead of me, her figure a shadow against the dark backdrop. She was quiet but focused. I could smell her fear. She turned her head slightly, glancing back at me for a moment. I nodded, signaling her to keep going.

The main stronghold loomed ahead. It was a massive structure carved from stone and iron, its imposing walls a reminder of the shifters’ brutal hold on this region. I scanned the area, searching for any signs of patrols. There were two guards near the eastern entrance, but their movements were sluggish, as if they didn’t expect trouble tonight. That would be their mistake.

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