Page 53 of Vampire Bite

“Lucas, down!”

Lena’s voice was sharp and commanding. I dropped to a crouch just as her dagger whizzed past my ear, embedding itself in the shifter’s eye. He fell back, convulsing, and finally stilled.

I looked up at her, breathing hard. “Nice shot.”

“Don’t get used to it,” she said with a smirk before turning back to the fight.

The tide was turning in our favor, but the cost was high. Bodies, both shifters and rebels, littered the ground, and blood trickled down in rivers all around us.

Through the haze of battle, my gaze found Annika again. She was holding a trembling prisoner, her expression one of fierce protectiveness. For a moment, everything else faded, and I felt a surge of something I couldn’t name.

A shifter lunged toward her, breaking through the defensive line.

“Annika!” I shouted, moving before I could think.

Callum intercepted, his axe cleaving through the creature just before it reached her. He turned to her with a nod. “You good?”

“Yes,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.

By the time the last shifter fell, we were all bloody, battered, and exhausted. The silence that followed was almost deafening, broken only by the ragged breaths of the survivors.

“We need to move,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Before more come.”

Callum and Lena nodded, rallying the group to head back toward the tunnels.

But before any of us could take a step in that direction, a dark, deep voice cut through the chaos.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… look at the mess you’ve made, Lucas.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Annika

He appeared from the shadows, like the specter from Lucas’ past that he was. His presence was commanding, his eyes sharp with anger, and the resemblance to Lucas was striking, though his features were harder, colder.

I tensed as Lucas stiffened beside me. “Damien,” he said, his voice low and laced with venom.

“Lucas,” he responded, his tone deceptively calm. “You’ve certainly made quite the mess, haven’t you?”

Lucas stepped forward, putting himself between his uncle and the rest of us. I could feel the anger radiating off him, but his voice was steady.

“I won’t let you hurt anyone else,” he snarled.

“You’ve always been reckless, Lucas, but this… siding with humans, aligning yourself with these... rebels? You’ve lost your way.”

I bristled, but Lucas raised a hand, a silent plea for me to stay out of it.

“My way is my own,” Lucas shot back.

Damien’s smirk vanished, replaced by a scowl. “You’re a fool, boy. Do you think these… these people will stand by you when it matters? You belong with us, your family. Your kind.”

“Shifters are not my kind,” Lucas said, his voice sharp. “And I’ll die before I join you.”

Damien’s eyes narrowed. “Careful with your words. I’m offering you a chance to come back, to fix this mess you’ve made. Stand with us, Lucas. Leave these... distractions behind. You know the alternative.”

I held my breath, my fists clenched at my sides. Lucas was silent for a moment, his head bowed as if considering the offer.

Then he looked up, his gaze burning with fury. “You disgust me,” he said, his voice dripping with the bile of contempt. “You think I’d betray them? Betray her? You don’t know me at all.”

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