Page 44 of How to Dump a Vampire

Anthony listens intently, his usual mirth replaced by solemn empathy. He knows me better than any, like the brother I never had because, let’s be honest, mine is a piece of work.

“By the gods, she sounds like quite the woman to shake your composure so,” he muses, “but fret not. We’ll find her again. You have my oath on that. Nomagical teleportation can keep destined souls apart for long.”

My throat tightens at his steadfast loyalty. With Anthony by my side, the bleak despair and heartache I’d been drowning in feels a little lighter.

“Thank you, my friend,” I say quietly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you through all my misadventures over the years.”

Anthony clasps my shoulder, gray eyes warm with affection. “Oh, you’d find plenty of trouble regardless, I’m sure, but we’ll weather this storm together, as always.”

17

Thorn

The memory of his touch still burns on my skin as I step outside the cottage, bundled against the cold. Our joining should have completed the fated mate bond, yet I tore us apart in a fit of stubborn defiance before his bite could seal it. Even now, my traitorous body craves his fingers trailing fire across my flesh, our hearts beating as one. I ache at the severed connection, feeling his absence like a missing limb.

No, I cannot relinquish control, not even for my destined mate.

In the distance, a chorus of shouts shatters the perfect stillness. My breath catches in my throat as the raucous hunting party comes into view, moving swiftly through the trees. At their lead is he, his cruel visage unmistakable even at this distance.

The vampire king.

Fear lances through me, muscles locking in panic. No. It cannot be. Not here, not now.

I grab Luna close with trembling hands, stumbling back toward the cottage, but there is no time. Wildly, I look around, spying a dense copse of evergreens nearby, and I dive into their concealing branches, huddling down and willing my pounding heart to stillness.

I look back to my old home I just emerged from and groan as I realize I was already near a good hiding spot.

The baying grows louder as they draw near, the king’s melodious laughter drifting above it all. Bile rises in my throat. I squeeze my eyes shut against the memories that vision triggers, of fire and anguish and loss.

After an eternity, the sounds fade into the distance once more. Still, I remain frozen, struggling to rein in my careening emotions.You are safe,I tell myself.He did not see you.But the familiar cold dread in my veins belies those words. I cannot linger here.

Shakily, I take Luna’s paw. “Come,” I whisper. “We must go.”With Luna at my side, I focus my energy, and we vanish from the woods in a swirl of magic, reappearing in a remote snow-blanketed glen far fromthe vampire king’s hunting party. My heart is still racing, my mind flooded with traumatic memories I’ve tried so hard to suppress.

I kneel in the deep snow, struggling to slow my panicked breaths. Luna whines softly and presses her body against mine. Her warmth and unconditional love help anchor me, keeping my darkest memories at bay. I bury my face in her soft fur, clinging to this innocent creature who depends on me for protection.

Thorn, be still. Breathe the crisp, cold air in deeply. Center yourself in this moment. The past cannot harm you here, she says, her gentle voice soothing in my mind.

Once I’ve regained some control, I stand on shaky legs and take in our new surroundings. The glen is utterly still and quiet, the ancient pines muffled under heavy layers of snow. Icicles hang frozen in time on their bowed branches. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

In the distance, the icy surface of a half-frozen waterfall catches the pale sunlight. I make my way toward it, my boots breaking the perfect smoothness of the untouched snow. Kneeling at the waterfall’s edge, I wipe away the thin crust of ice and glimpse my reflection in the water beneath.

The scared young girl who once hid from the vampire king stares back at me, but now, her eyes blaze with an inner fire. I am not that helpless child anymore. The king did take my loved ones from me, but he did not manage to steal my spirit.

I splash the frigid water on my face, letting it wash away the last shaky remnants of fear. When I rise, droplets glitter like diamonds on my skin in the winter sun. I am renewed.

A thunderous crash echoes through the glen, and Luna growls low at my side. I turn to see an enormous frost giant barreling out of the tree line, its footsteps booming as it charges straight toward us.

My surprise turns swiftly to defiant anger. So this is how it will be? The very day I vow to reclaim my power, the world sends a monster to test my resolve.

“Stay back, Luna!” I shout.

Clenching my fists, I unleash a streaming torrent of flames from my palms. The giant bellows as the fiery onslaught engulfs its torso, blackening its icy armor. It swipes a meaty hand at me, but I leap aside and summon a barrage of glowing violet energy bolts, pummeling the giant’s skull relentlessly.

Staggering, the giant rips an entire pine tree from the snowdrifts and hurls it my way. I slice my hand through the air, magically shredding the massive projectile into mere splinters. With a guttural cry, I blast the giant back with a shockwave of pure force. The magical winds drive the creature to its knees.

Still, it rises, blood trickling from its ruined eye. Roaring, the giant slams its fists down. Jagged ice spikes erupt from the earth all around me. I cry out as a spike rakes my shoulder, staining the pure snow crimson. The pain only fuels my anger. How dare this beast harm me when I’ve already endured so much torment?

I leap into the air on a gust of wind, flying swiftly around the lumbering giant. Gathering my power in clenched fists glowing violet, I unleash my magic mercilessly. Bolts of lightning slice into its body. Shards of razor-sharp ice shred its limbs. My onslaught drives the giant to the very edge of the frozen waterfall as I batter it from all sides.

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