Page 73 of Vampire Blood

As we walked through the town, the sound of voices reached us. My eyes fell on Callum, his broad shoulders set in a posture of quiet resolve, as he helped the townspeople clear the debris. As always, he was directing them with a calm yet unwavering authority.

The sight of him, moving among the survivors, brought a strange sense of relief. Despite everything that had happened, despite the chaos, there was still strength here. There were still people fighting to rebuild.

Lucas must have seen him at the same moment I did. Without a word, he quickened his pace, his hand tightening around mine as he led us toward Callum.

When Callum saw us, a brief flicker of something vulnerable crossed his face, but just as quickly, it was masked by his usual calm demeanor. His eyes lingered on Lucas for a moment, as though measuring him, and then, without a word, he pulled him into a tight hug.

It was brief, not overly emotional, but there was something in that hug, something unspoken. A silent acknowledgment of what they’d both endured, of the battles they had fought side by side.

“You’re still standing,” Callum said with a faint grin, clapping Lucas on the back. There was a lightness in his voice, but the weariness in his eyes told a different story.

Lucas gave a small, wry smile in return, though his eyes didn’t lose the intensity that had been there since we’d returned.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve survived,” he said, his voice steady but soft, almost as if trying to hold back a wave of emotion. He stepped back, his gaze meeting mine for a brief second, and in that moment, everything else faded.

Callum gave us a nod, then he turned back to the townspeople. “Let’s get everything sorted out. We’ll rebuild this.”

Lucas, despite the emotions that flickered behind his eyes, nodded. “Right. We’ll get it done,” he agreed, his voice strong again. His hand found mine once more, and for a moment, the world seemed a little less heavy.

As we moved through the wreckage, working alongside the others to restore some semblance of order, something caught my eye. It was a figure stumbling through the debris, looking far too worn out for anyone to have survived what had happened.

My heart skipped a beat, and before I could even process it fully, I was already rushing toward him.

It was Kael.

He was limping, his clothes torn and stained with blood. His face, normally so composed, was twisted in pain, but there was a quiet determination in his eyes as he made his way toward us.

I couldn’t stop myself. I reached him in a few long strides, my breath catching as I saw how badly he was hurt. I grabbed onto his arm to steady him, feeling the tremor in his muscles as he leaned on me for support.

“Kael!” I breathed out, my voice filled with worry. “You’re hurt!”

He gave me a pained smile, but his eyes were dimmer than usual, exhaustion heavy in every line of his face. “Nothing I can't handle,” he said, though his voice lacked the usual sharpness.

Before I could say anything else, I felt a familiar presence behind me. It was Lucas.

He must have sensed my distress because his hand was on my shoulder, in a show of silent support. He wasn’t angry anymore, not with Kael, and I could feel that weight lifting from between us as he gave Kael a long, meaningful look.

Kael turned to him then, his gaze firm despite his obvious wounds. “I’m sorry it took so long,” he said quietly, his voice rough, and Lucas just nodded, his lips thinning.

“You did what you could,” Lucas replied, his voice steady. “We all did.”

And then, in that moment, I realized how far we’d all come, how much Kael had done for us, for me. The bitterness Lucas had held in his heart for him had been replaced with something softer, something I hadn’t expected. A quiet gratitude. And when I looked into his eyes, I saw the same recognition in him.

“Thank you, Kael,” Lucas said, his hand gently resting on Kael’s shoulder. “For everything. For helping us, for protecting Annika. I don’t know if we could’ve done it without you.”

He didn’t speak immediately, but the tension in his face eased just a little, and I saw a flicker of something close to appreciation in his eyes. Finally, he nodded, his voice low and sincere.

“I did what needed to be done.”

Lucas placed a hand on Kael’s other shoulder then, giving him a firm, reassuring squeeze. “We’ll get you patched up. Come on, let’s get you to our healer. We’re not leaving anyone behind.”

As we helped Kael into the healer’s cottage, I couldn’t help but notice the way he moved, somehow too stiff and labored. He was hurt, that much was clear, but there was something else there. A sadness in his eyes that I didn’t know how to read. It felt like he was slipping away, in more ways than one.

The healer was already at work, tending to his wounds. I watched her carefully, but my mind kept drifting to Kael, wondering what was going on in his head.

Lucas stood beside me, his shoulders tense, his eyes focused on Kael.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” His voice was low, hesitant. He didn’t want to push, but he needed to know. Me, too.

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