Chapter 84: Waiting Game
Nelly
It has been a week, and still nothing. The silence on the home front is deafening. Vincent has informed us that they have spotted Peter twice, but he has managed to slip away both times. As time passes, my pregnancy will become more apparent, and I will not be able to keep it hidden from the Count if this continues much longer.
Tonight, he has invited me to join him for dinner. I have agreed, but I will be on high alert.
Hunter and I have formed a strong bond, and he is constantly by my side. Once this ordeal is over, I intend to help him find a companion. He is a handsome and kind-hearted individual who deserves someone special. "Are you prepared to descend now, Hunter?"
"Let's do this," he replied confidently.
"Come along, my little princess," I said as I scooped up Alexis and we made our way to the dining hall. It may seem amusing that we have these gatherings, considering we don't eat. However, it's all part of the show for the others.
As we entered, Stephen greeted us warmly. Seated at the table were a few unfamiliar faces, all human. A sense of unease washed over me, and I could tell Hunter felt it too. Something was not right. We needed to stay alert and keep our defenses up.
Stephen introduced us, "Nelly, meet my friends visiting from England - Jeffory, Westin, and Lan. And this is Nelly, her daughter Alexis, and her friend Hunter." They nodded in acknowledgment as Hunter and I took our seats across from them, with me still holding Alexis in my arms. My eyes scanned the room, searching for any signs of danger.
"I've prepared a delicious steak dinner for you all. I hope you enjoy it," Stephen announced, his gaze sweeping over our group. "We have one more guest who's running late, but I'm sure you're all famished."
The food is placed in front of us, the rare meat making my stomach churn. Hunter shoots me a worried glance as I catch a whiff of the raw meat. I focus on a spot on the table, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling in my gut.
One of the men asks about Alexis, and I quickly fabricate a story about finding her abandoned in the forest. "So, how do you know that Count?" I inquire. They exchange suspicious glances. Something is amiss.
Finally, one of them reveals they are researchers, but I can sense there's more to the story. I need to come up with a plan and find an escape route quickly.
Vincent
I am fed up with this never-ending cat-and-mouse game. Quinn and I have come to the mutual understanding that he is deliberately luring us out to keep us occupied. As we stand in my office, meticulously analyzing the property to determine our best strategic position, a wolf enters with one of Peter's men in tow. Following hours of intense interrogation, the man reveals that Peter is collaborating with another vampire in an attempt to end us, but he is unaware of the identity of this mysterious ally.
Without exchanging a single word, Quinn and I share a knowing glance before simultaneously bolting towards our cars. We are now hurtling towards the Count's domain, determined to confront this imminent threat head-on. “Fuck! We both knew something was off. Damnit! I handed my wife and child over to him!”
Alec's firm hand rests on my shoulder, his voice filled with determination. "Boss, we will find her."
I must cling to hope, though faith has never come easily to me. We arrive at the Count's castle and burst inside. "Nelly!"
Quinn's cry echoes through the halls, "Hunter!" We race towards her chambers, only to find them in disarray.
My heart drops. "Vincent, they're gone. We were too late. The dining room is a disaster. Come down here," he commands, his voice booming with urgency.
I sprinted down to the scene and was met with a gruesome sight - a fight had taken place. Fuck! Fur littered the ground, a heartbreaking sight for poor Hunter. Desperate for answers, I scoured the area for any clues, pleading for some sign to guide me. "Come on," I urged, "talk to me. Leave me a trace...anything."
Suddenly, Peter's voice cut through the tension, his sneer dripping with malice. "You won't find her," he taunted.
As we turn around, our eyes meet Peter's smirking face as he casually leans against the wall. "Where are they?" I didn't anticipate him revealing their location, but perhaps I can deduce it from his sly expression.
“Someplace you won't find them,” he arrogantly replies. I go to lunge at him, and he evades me and laughs as he runs out the door and disappears. I fell to the ground. My reason to live is gone. They have my wife, my little princess, and my unborn child. When I found them both, I would end them. They had sealed their fate. Alec pulls me from my misery and hands me a phone.
"Vincent?" I hear her voice, filled with tears and fear. The desperation in her tone is palpable. If any harm comes to them...
"...they won't give me Alexis. They took her from me. I can hear her crying," she sobs.
"Where are you?" I demand.
"I don't know. They're going to test on me and Alexis. They're trying to replicate us," she confesses.
"Stay calm. Focus. What do you smell, or hear?" I urge.
Alec interjects, "They're an hour outside of here. I have their location." Thank goodness for Alec and his technological prowess.
"We've got you. We're on our way!"
"Hurry, guys. Please hurry," she pleads. Those are the last words I hear before we race to rescue my family.