Chapter 131: Chapter 131

Moments later, his sharp fangs left her skin, and he licked up the remnants of blood on her neck, planting a kiss on the purple mark she now bore on her skin. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he observed her with unmistakable worry in his gaze. His irises had returned to their original blue color for now, crystal clear, and even his complexion appeared healthier than before. Elena was relieved.

“Are you okay, buttercup? Did I take too much?” he asked when she leaned against him, needing to catch her breath. Ryder embraced her smaller, more delicate body. His little flower was so fragile, and the thought of Jacob stealing her blood, biting her against her will, enraged him. As he held her protectively, he wished he could have shielded her from the other vampire’s cruelty.

“I’m fine, this is nothing. I will heal the bite and be as good as new,” she smiled up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand. His skin felt warm to the touch. “Don’t worry about me, Ryder.”

Her sunny smile was out of place—it didn’t belong in this forlorn prison. He wondered how she was still able to smile so brightly, even after witnessing countless horrible events. She put her palm on her neck and prepared to tap into her magic, but Alan’s voice stopped her. “Wait, Elena. Let me do it. You should save your remaining strength for later.”

Suddenly, she remembered that she wasn’t alone. Of course not, how could she have forgotten? She had been hyperfocused on her soulmate, so much so that she had forgotten about the presence of her friends and clan members. The vampires had assembled behind Ryder, watching over them in silence. Helen and Kelsey gave her a comforting smile, but the other clan members appeared grim, seething with anger. Dorian and Snake guarded the doorway in case any unwanted guests made their way downstairs. They were shocked at how badly Elena and the others had been treated and inspected the underground prison with contempt.

Turning around to her companions, Elena met Alan’s gaze and found Charles, Alex, Wendy, and Belle observing her as well. “That’s very kind. Thank you, Alan.”

Ryder’s arm remained on her waist to steady her as the wizard came closer, hesitantly glancing at him as if he expected Ryder to interfere. However, nothing of the sort happened. Ryder calmly watched Alan work his magic on his soulmate, healing the bruise on her neck. While he was busy, the clan members approached the couple, but were mindful of the apprehensive stares they received from the wizards and witches.

“You’re free to leave if you want to. We won’t stand in your way,” Edgar addressed them. “My clan and the council will deal with Louis and ensure that something like this never happens again. Our allies are already fighting him and his clan as we speak.”

“I can’t leave yet,” Alex answered and grinned ominously. “Not before I got revenge. I never thought I would get an opportunity like this.” A flame licked over his jawline, disappearing into his skin. The air around him began to flicker with heat. “So if you don’t mind, I will fight with you.”

“The more the better. Louis’s clan is powerful and has many members.”

“Don’t forget about the scroll for the ritual. We need to find and destroy it; otherwise, someone else might use it one day. I don’t trust the vampire council. They never cared about us witches,” Wendy scowled, crossing her arms. Belle, next to her, nodded in agreement.

“Louis probably has the scroll,” Ryder growled. “I doubt the greedy bastard would hand it over to someone else. He’s our main target… aside from Jacob. I will kill him myself.”

“Oh, you already know about the scroll and the ritual?” Elena wondered. “I wasn’t able to tell you everything when we last spoke.”

“It doesn’t matter, I found out thanks to the council’s leader.”

“We shouldn’t waste time,” Chump impatiently reminded them. His eyes kept darting to the doorway—the loud noises reaching him from above were concerning. “If you want to fight with us, then come along. If not, leave.”

The witches and wizards exchanged glances, reaching a quick decision. They had submitted to Louis’s clan and were ready to fight back. It included all of them, even the timid Belle and Alan, who had neglected his magic until recently.

“Let’s go. The sooner it’s done, the better,” Charles said.

“Be careful, though, the fights that have erupted everywhere in the building are brutal. Stick to my clan, and we’ll provide cover for you,” Edgar advised and threw Ryder and Elena a warning glance before he walked up the stairway. The group followed him. Alan seemed nervous, but Alex patted his back and whispered something to him. Whatever it was, it helped. The young wizard tightened his shoulders and joined his friends with his head held high.

Ryder took Elena’s hand and led her to the stairs. She felt refreshed since Alan had healed her, and the blood loss didn’t bother her as much as before. The closer they came to the chaos above them, the more sounds she heard. They had been muffled before, so she hadn’t been able to estimate the extent of the fights raging in the building. Screams and curses filled the air, loud banging and shattering of glass. Their allies didn’t mess around—were they planning on killing all members of Louis’s clan? Or were they trying to detain them? Knowing the nature of vampires, it was most likely the first option, unless their enemies surrendered.

She took a deep breath and gazed ahead at the end of the stairway. It loomed above her like a portal into a different world. As soon as she stepped through, she would face an incredibly dangerous situation. Maybe she would soon meet the murderer of her family again… The thought ignited contradictory emotions in the green witch. The pain of losing her parents was challenged by fury. It wasn’t fair that they were dead when Jacob still lived as if nothing ever happened.

Sensing her deep unrest, Ryder squeezed her hand as they ascended the stairs. He watched her from the corner of his eye. “Always stay close to me, do you understand? The clan and I will protect you from these monsters.”

“I will fight with you.”

“You don’t need to get involved, Elena.”

“But I want to.”