Page 43 of The Depraved Prince
And like the Red Sea being parted by Moses...there stands the Devil’s Advocate.
Hayden.
He’s not alone. His eyes are beaming red like lasers, and he’s dressed in all black and has more northern vampires at his sides. He’s not even trying to hide that he’s not human, which makes me believe that I’m not at any other concert.
The music still goes on. There must be thousands of people here, and most of them act oblivious to what’s unfolding. The ones near Hayden begin to run the opposite way of him. Screaming and speeding their way out like blurs of rain.
Hayden and I lock eyes together. He stands with a vengeance, conviction written into his balled fists, a fuming creature ready to finish what he started earlier.
“He found me,” I mutter sadly. I grab the man’s wrist, standing from the bench, and hold onto his arm.
“We have to go. That’s him! That’s the man who took me!” I beg the man to turn and leave with me, refusing to let these men’s lives be collateral damage.
“Millie, after all we’ve been through, we’re still not on a first-name basis, my beautiful girl?” Hayden calls me over the music, and people watch him like he’s a God. The way they look at him, it’s evident they fear him.
I shudder at his penetrating voice. He plays with his watch on his wrist, ascending closer to me. The men gather in front of me like a wall.
“It seems my plaything got out of her cage. Please, hand her over to me.” He motions his fingers towards him, but the men don’t sway.
They block my vision from Hayden instead.
I’m about to say fuck it, and just run while I can. They’re not listening to me anyway.
I spin around and take in my surroundings. Hundreds of cars and travel buses are parked in the distance, picking up and dropping off concert attendees.
I start to run, but someone pulls my arm back, and the husky man’s fingers dig into my skin.
“What? What are you doing? We have to go! He’ll kill us!” I stare at his curled grasp, but then a bright blue glow on the skin of my wrist catches me from the corner of my eye. My blood runs cold.
With a shaky, slow turn, I raise my head to see that the men who were supposed to be my saviors are actually Southern vampires. He pulls me in front of him, and the others swarm me. They force me forward, holding my limbs and the hollows of my cheeks, making me face Hayden.
“You think you can steal from King Davenport, Prince Drago, and there will be no consequences?” Cal taunts Hayden.
They pull my head to the side, and Cal hovers over my neck, baring his fangs like I’m nothing to him. I shout at them, but it only backfires. It fuels their tactics to restrain me more. People continue to dance to 80s music while these men stare each other down.
“I would think twice about what you are doing with her. She belongs to me.You are in my region.My kingdom. There willbe fatal consequences for putting your hands on her like that.” Hayden narrows his bright red eyes.
“You started this war, Hayden.” Cal chuckles, knowing his presence provokes Hayden’s wrath more.
“If that’s what you want to believe, then so be it. But I’ll tell you this. I always finish what I start, and I never lose,” Hayden replies.
Concertgoers begin to walk away from the two groups of men. They sense the battle that’s about to ensue. We all do.
“The Depraved Prince.” Cal shakes his head. “What are you doing out here anyway? Word has it that you haven’t shown your face in a long time. Ever since King Davenport executed your uncle.” Cal spits his words like insults. He licks my neck, causing Hayden to clench his jaw tight. His brows pull inward, and he snarls like a creature, almost like a warning to stop.
His uncle was murdered?
“We’re going to take this Valkyrie to the rightful King. But it won’t stop there, Hayden. We’re going to rape and torture her just to spite you before we kill her. But don’t worry, I will mail her head to you.” Cal’s grip on me worsens. Fuck it hurts so bad. Not even Hayden has grabbed me like this.
I whimper at the threat. Cal’s friend, who is also a vampire, pulls my shorts down, and they pool around my ankles, stripping me of my freedom and clothes. I muster the strength, bite down on the man’s hand, and elbow the other in his balls.
I’m free for one second, but that one second gives me a chance of survival—a blip of hope.I pick up my shorts just before I begin my escape.
“Run!” Hayden instructs me just before an explosion of chaos ensues, and I can no longer see what’s in front of me. I take off running through the crowd, desperate to escapeeveryone. I’m running from every single one of them,including Hayden.
It dawns on me. I can’t trust any person here. This must be a concert exclusive to vampires.
I bump into body after body, weaving through the crowd frantically. Some swing around to confront me, but I don’t stop moving. On any other day, I would apologize. Pushing and pulling through the crowd, I turn around to see if a pair of bright blue or red eyes is following me.
