Page 98 of Wicked Fate

We moved forward in near-total darkness, our eyes adjusting to reveal a low-ceilinged tunnel. I traced my fingers along the rough stone walls for balance, feeling cold, wet liquid there. The passageway was eerily silent—no skittering of tiny feet, no distant drips of water, nothing living seeming to have been here in what felt like decades.

Something crunched under my boot. I froze, heart pounding, and squinted, trying to make out what I'd stepped on.

Bones.

Small animal bones, picked clean and scattered across the floor. But they were old, crumbling to dust under pressure.

There are no live rats or mice down here.My stomach churned uncomfortably.

Ryker paused, his broad shoulders tensing. He crouched down, examining the ground with heightened senses. "You're right. No fresh droppings, no nest materials."

A chill crawled up my spine that had nothing to do with the damp air.It seems likely that a strong witch or several witches live here, to make the animals leave like that.

Ryker frowned.We need to keep moving.

After another hundred yards, the tunnel began to slope upward, and the air gradually became less stale. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, sensing we were approaching our destination. Muffled sounds filtered down from above—voices.

Ryker stopped.

The distinct murmur of multiple people talking drifted through the tunnel. Their words were unintelligible, but the cadence suggested a meeting of some kind.

They’re in the royal meeting chambers.Ryker began moving forward again at a steady pace.

The voices grew clearer, and then I recognized a voice that had me stopping in my tracks.

Felix.

The vampire queen’s son, who’d been punished for turning a human who’d attacked me.

His entitled ass was discussing security breaches and patrol adjustments. My pulse quickened. We reached the end of the tunnel, where a small grate next to a wooden door allowed us to peer into the chamber.

Through the thin slats, I could see a massive oak table surrounded by vampires in formal attire. Maps were spread across the surface and weighted down with ornate daggers. Felix stood at the head, his pale fingers tracing lines across territories, while officers nodded solemnly. There were about fifteen vampires with him, and my stomach revolted when I saw Lucinda, Bella, Martin, and even Simon among them.

Ryker signaled silently, directing our group to get ready and to use daggers, not guns, so we wouldn’t alert more vampires. Each of us mimicked his movements to ensure that everyone knew what was about to happen.

We were going to attack.

We’re ready,Briar replied from the very end of the group.

Ryker's muscles bunched, and he braced against the door. One powerful kick, and the wood shattered inward with a deafening crash. He was through the opening before the vampires could process what was happening, a blur of lethal movement.

Adrenaline made everything clearer as I jumped onto the middle of the table. The room erupted into chaos, chairs scraping the wooden floor and the vampires shouting for help.

"Wolf shifters," Felix spat as his face contorted with fury and shock. “Why are you shouting for help? Handle them!”

Lucinda, Bella, and Martin brandished their weapons and attacked.

I launched myself off the table, knocking Lucinda backward. Her head cracked against the wooden floor as I rolled to my feet, already facing the next threat. Ryker lunged forward with his dagger out, slicing through Martin’s throat, while Bella turned and ran out the regular door.

Around me, the witches used their daggers to attack in ways that proved they’d trained with a blade. The wolf shifters held their own, taking down a few vampires with their daggers.

Ryker pinned Felix to the wall with his forearm pressed against the vampire prince’s throat. Felix hissed as Ryker leaned in close, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"You thought you could hurt her and live?" Ryker got in his face, not seeming worried Felix might try to bite him. "This is for trying to kill my mate."

“I’d do it all over again if given the chance,” Felix said and spat in his face.

Ryker's hand plunged into his chest with a sickening crunch. Blood spurted across the wall. The vampire prince's scream died in his throat as Ryker yanked his hand back, clutching Felix's still-beating heart.

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