*VICKY*After my evening with Leon, things went radio silent between us for a few days; at work and in our personal life. He was angry—and had every right to be—-but he was also giving me space to come to my own conclusions. Conclusions I realized I needed to deal with before it was too late. Leon was right. He could protect himself, and if he was willing to jump into the fire with me, who was I to deny him that? He was his own person making his own decisions, and he deserved the opportunity to make those choices for himself. Not have me do it for him. I picked up my phone and dialed his number. If someone was using him as a bargaining chip, and his life truly was in danger, he needed to know. The call rang three, then four times. For a minute, I wasn't sure he was going to answer. Then I heard the phone line click."Hello?"I felt instantly comforted by the sound of his voice. He was okay. The man I had talked to in the park wasn't lying, at least about that. "I'm ready to ta
*VICKY*As I made my way into Newtons City, I came to the realization that whoever was hunting me wouldn't let go of the opportunity to seize me. The fact that the silver-masked man let me go the other day proved me right. They were planning something bigger, and I had a feeling it was going to happen sooner rather than later. I picked up the pace and followed the path that the Elders Messenger had taken me on to the Elders Church. If anyone knew what to do, it was Lord Tybrius. I came to a halt outside of the entrance. Now that I was here, I realized that I had no idea how I was to approach this situation. You can't just knock on the secret entrance to the Elders Church, and I had no idea what spell the Elder Messenger used to grant us access. Turns out, I didn't have to. A minute later, the ground began to shake, and the fountain sunk in, just as it had before. The stairs then appeared, and near the top of them was Lord Tybrius. "Vicky," he said. "I thought I sensed you." He
*VICKY*The next day, the morning sun beat down on my face as I waited outside the fountain for Leon's arrival. I continuously looked around for movement and smelt the air for Leon's distinctive smell. Nothing. I'd been here for over an hour, long past when Lord Tybrius said they'd arrive and still saw nothing. Just then, a gust of wind came flying toward me, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the Elder Messenger and a flustered Leon carrying a duffle bag on his shoulder. The strap fell as they came to a complete halt. "When you said you'd send a Messenger…that was not what I was anticipating." I couldn't contain myself anymore. Knowing he was here and safe, I rushed into his arms and was happy to feel the hug reciprocated. "I'm so glad you're okay," I muttered into his chest. His body relaxed at my touch, and he bent down to kiss the top of my head. "Me too." He then pushed me back and held me at arms length. "But I need you to tell me what's going on. Everything." I nodded
*VICKY*That night, in addition to the pleasing sex, Leon also talked to me a lot about his history. I also reciprocated by telling him a lot of my past stories—about my life as a CEO, a designer, a pilot, a Queen. He deserved to know everything, and the weight I felt fall off my shoulders was unlike anything else I'd experienced. Leon's hand ran lazily through my hair as he pushed it to the side. "You know," he began. "The darkness and whole medieval vibe down here is something I could get used to." "Yeah?" I replied with a smirk.Leon buried his head into my neck. "Yeah. As long as you're here…I can overcome anything." I groaned and pushed him away. "What?! I thought you lived for the sappiness." "I did, but then I realized how much I liked being on my own. I should really reconsider that idea…" I teased, shooting a wink at him. "Oh, that's it. You've asked for it now." Leon lunged for me and pushed me back onto the bed, climbing on top of me and restraining my hands.
*LEON*At night, the manor was brightly lit by prearranged lights. The young ladies and heirs of various rich families were dressed generously in expensive semi-formal dresses and button-downs. Everyone looked like a model, but my attention was fixed on the woman beside me.Vicky was wearing the champagne-coloured strapless dress I had Mason grab for her. Despite being a last-minute outfit, it was an ideal fit. The hem of the dress just covered her thighs, and the matching high heels on her feet accentuated the perfect curve of her calves. Her middle-length hair was casually draped over her shoulders. She looked so natural, but in my eyes, she was the most beautiful woman tonight. But I also saw the worry on her face as she folded up the piece of paper in her hand and held it there."What?" she asked once she realized I was staring. "You good?" I pointed toward her hand."Oh," she said shaking her head. "Yeah, just a piece of garbage. Don't worry about it. Now go. Do your thing
*VICKY*The note that the silver mask had left me sat in my hand as I sat on a step at the back of the country club. From afar, I could see guests intermingling in the acres below. The last I saw Leon, he was talking to Mr. Spenser, and it seemed like a normal conversation. I'm sure if he had found something, he would've come to me by now. No matter what, I needed to find something. We came here for evidence, clues, or intel into what was happening. I knew the Blood Hunter's helpers were here…I just didn't know who. No, I needed to stop dwelling. I kicked up my confidence and pushed aside my internal struggles. It was time to be a warrior, and warriors had no room for doubt or fear. Only duty. I quietly returned to our rented room and changed into the casual clothes I had prepared beforehand. If I was sneaky enough, I could make it through without anyone noticing. I covered my face with a hat and walked to the surroundings of the villa. I used my senses to survey the area.I coul
*VICKY*After the cocktail party, we returned to the Elders Church and discussed the night's events with Lord Tybrius and the other Elders before retiring to bed. I didn't know when I fell asleep. The following day, I was awakened by the alarm on my phone. Today was the first day of the competition. We had to get there in time. Just as I was about to get up, I realized Leon had already woken up. Walking out of the bedroom, I saw that he had already had breakfast sent to our room."Good morning. White or rye?"I stretched and smiled. "Rye, please.""Absolutely." He took the bread and began buttering it, then handed me a plate consisting of salad, bacon, and sausages on the table, I took one smell and my stomach responded with a growl. "You know, I could definitely get used to this 'in-house' service. I feel like I'm in a hotel, albeit the dungeon decor." I smirked and took a bite of my breakfast. Fuck, it was delicious.After enjoying a good meal, we changed our clothes and
*VICKY*The clock was ticking. The entire room was heart-stoppingly quiet. "Are you fucking CRAZY!?" I spat out. "I'd never join you.""Hmm.." Rupert hummed. "I see. You know, it's sad that the Kindred have resorted to this…to fighting amongst each other. Humans have been at Kindred mercy for centuries, even long before you and I. It's time that stopped."He was right. Indeed, in the past few hundred years, Kindred had been a nightmare to humans. We used to hunt them for food, and unlike the Lycans who lived in seclusion, we had always been among humans.That explained the assorted myths about vampires. The population of Netwons City and surrounding areas in the Middle Ages had decreased drastically. History books attributed it to a terrifying plague brought there by the Mastinese from the east. Some cities had no survivors at all. However, we all knew the true story. The Mastinese were victims as well. Kindred weren't biased when it came to feeding. Less than ten percent of