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Juniper lifted her hands outward and light shot out of them, shimmering in the air as it curved into a protective shield around the pack. The vampire realized what she was doing and hurled his blood spears downward.
Juniper’s shield had not encased the entire square completely, but it was enough. It caught all the spears, which burst into shimmering pieces like a red rain.
The vampire shrieked, a loud, terrible sound. “What are you doing, witch? Why do you waste your talents on these dogs?”
Rowan cleared his mind. His pack and mate were safe. It was time to end this. This was his fight, and he was determined to put an end to it.
He made a running start and leaped upward toward the vampire. A sudden shout rang out from below and Rowan glanced down in surprise.
He caught sight of Elena dashing out of the barrier toward the vampire. “You monster!” she screamed. “You killed my mother!”
Rowan missed the vampire, having misjudged his trajectory thanks to the distraction.That fool, he thought to himself as he crashed into the ground. The force of his landing rocked the ground with another tremor, which sent Elena stumbling off-balance and falling.
The vampire descended toward her and drew a blood spear out of mid-air. He had a wicked smile on his face as he raised the deadly weapon over his head.
Rowan was too far out to shield Elena in time. As the vampire launched his attack, Juniper floated in front of her sister and blocked the spear with another magic shield.
One moment, the vampire was there, the next he wasn’t. His speed was blinding, and Rowan realized it was probably his special gift. In addition to how old he was, his powers had grown exponentially.
Rowan searched around for where the vampire had gone, but his heart almost stopped when he heard Juniper yelp in surprise. Rowan turned in alarm and saw the vampire standing behind Juniper, an arm around her neck and a knife made of blood held against her throat.
“NO!” Rowan screamed in terror.
The vampire smiled a sick smile. “It’s obvious to me now that you’re not on my side after all, my dear. A shame. I could have given you the world.”
He pressed the dagger’s tip into her neck and turned to Rowan. “Tell me, dog. How valuable is she to you? Would you trade her life for that of your pack?”
Rowan stumbled to his knees, His eyes were wide with fear as he saw the dagger press deeper into Juniper’s neck. “You can do anything you desire with me,” Rowan said. “But please, don’t hurt her.”
As Rowan watched the vampire decide, he knew then that he would exchange her life for his. He knew that he would gladly die to give Juniper life, and that made the decision the easiest one he had ever made in his life.
Chapter 19 - Juniper
Rowan is just going to let himself die to save me?
Juniper struggled to believe it. She couldn’t believe that he was willing to sacrifice himself for her. Watching him kneel in a crater of his own making, she felt her heart bleed for him. She wept.
The vampire threw his head back and laughed maniacally. He held the whole town hostage. He was judge, jury, and executioner, and he had all the power. Worst of all, he wasraving mad.
He formed another spear in the air and it hovered beside his head. He shoved Juniper casually, ever so absentmindedly, to the ground. She crashed into the ground and bumped her knees as she fell.
Pain lanced through her. Her palms felt like she wielded two balls of fire, and she couldn’t feel her legs. She stretched out on the ground, taking stock of her injuries. She never suffered any real damage from injuries, thanks to her powers, but she still felt pain.
She watched the vampire as he floated toward Rowan. Her chest squeezed with fear when she looked at the long, thin spear that moved before him. He had a look of pure evil on his face.
Rowan, on the other hand, looked resigned to his fate. He looked like someone who was waiting to die. He looked ready for it, like he had been waiting his entire life to do this.
He watched the vampire approach him and Juniper saw that he had no fear in his eyes. Whatever was going to happen to him, this was his decision. There was no doubt in his mind, no hesitation. He had made his peace with it.
He had told her that he would never deny her again. When he had said that, she had taken it lightly. She had not expected him to solidify his promise by offering himself as a sacrifice for her. Too late, she realized he had meant everything he’d said to her.
What better way to show it to her than this? What better time to show it than now? It seemed like a cruel joke, but the only person laughing was the spear-wielding vampire.
Rowan turned to look at her and he smiled. A sad smile that said a thousand words. Juniper wanted to tear her eyes away, to shut her eyes from the world while the only man she had ever been with faced his death.
But she couldn’t look away. Her eyes were glued to Rowan. In his eyes, she saw the truth. He loved her. He had always loved her.
Belatedly, she admitted that she loved him too. How could she not?
