“What!?” Daisy’s eyes snap wide. “I’m not a vampire! You said I didn’t get turned! Trust me, I’ve eaten a ton since then and I haven’t craved blood once!”
“I’m just telling you what I saw,” I say. “Maybe you bit one of them because they were about to kill me or something.”
“Well, I’d definitely do that,” Daisy mutters, shaking her head. “But drinking their blood? Gross.”
We keep talking until the plan is in place. Tonight, we’re going to kill the vampires.
Every last one of them.
CHAPTER 33
Jaxton
I’m the biggest now. A true Alpha.
It’s strange, feeling this much power coursing through my veins. For centuries, I was broken and incomplete. A shadow of what an Alpha should be. That hurt almost as much as the void in my chest.
Now I tower over even Hayden, my muscles coiled with strength I’ve never known. And my wolf? Almost a thousand pounds of pure fury, yet every movement feels effortless. Every breath fills me with energy.
For the first time since Joanna died, I don’t want to die. I feel alive. I want to protect my mate. My brothers. The child growing in Ansley’s belly. I want to tear apart every vampire that threatens the future we can now have.
And for the first time since that horrible night, I feel Joanna’s presence. Even now, a part of her still lingers, melded into mymate’s soul. A love so deep, it left a mark across generations until it found a way back to me.
“It’s getting dark,” I transmit my words to the entire pack silently. “As soon as the sun sets, we’ll strike.”
“Wait, am I supposed to be able to hear that? I heard the big guy talking in my head!” Daisy exclaims. “Have you guys been talking telepathically this entire time?”
“Sometimes,” Hayden says. “But the mating ritual is complete, the pack is complete, and you’re Mitra. You’re part of the bond, just like Ansley.”
“Hmm, okay. That’s wild, and very convenient,” Daisy’s face is full of wonder and possibly devious planning. “What other secrets are you keeping from me?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Ansley says, apparently unready to share her newest secret with her friend.
We’re approaching the vampire lair. I’m feeling uneasy about this. Wyatt showed Ansley a few things, but she’s not fighter. I’m not sure that sword is going to do much in her hand, no matter how confident she is.
I also don’t like that we’ve brought Daisy along. She’s unarmed. Basically defenseless, except for the fact the vampires can’t feed on her. Doesn’t mean they can’t hurt her. But we’re trusting our mate’s vision. Ansley has to be here. Daisy has to be here. It’s up to us to protect them, if things go wrong.
“Almost there,” Hayden transmits and we slow down.
Lincoln Elementary School is a brooding gloom looming up out of the surrounding darkness. All of us are in our Natural Form. Ansley is on Hayden’s back. Daisy is on mine. There’s nojealousy. No anger or rage, except for the vampires. This is just the most logical way to get all of us inside.
“Remember, Daisy,” I speak to her through our pack bond and feel her startle a bit. “Once we’re inside, you have to get off my back so I can fight. I won’t be able to do much if I’m protecting a rider.”
“Yeah, I remember. Get off your back. Find somewhere to hide,” Daisy chimes, reiterating the plan we settled on. “I plan to keep as many of you between me and the vampires as possible.”
We wait in still silence until the sun has long since disappeared. Thankfully, the abandoned area is dark and lonely with no humans wandering around. Hayden gives the order and we charge as one. We don’t worry about staying hidden, or how much damage we’re causing when we run. Now isn’t the time for that.
Get in. Kill the vampires. Burn this lair to the fucking ground.
Then we can live happily ever after.
“They’ve spotted us!” Remy transmits. “Vampires!”
Remy’s not at full speed, and I still don’t know which one of us would be faster if we raced, but I rush past him and skid to a stop.
I was hoping we’d make it inside before they spotted us, but they must have posted lookouts. I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise, considering how many we’ve killed so far. We also left our latest kill on the ground not far from the here.
“Off!” I transmit to Daisy.
