Chapter 160
RYDEN
“No, no, no!” When Archibald screamed, I instantly knew something had gone wrong.
“What’s going on, Archibald?” Lucius’s shoulders tightened.
Amelia came beside me and took off her sword. The look on her face told me she’d sensed something.
“Chance is hurt. The fledglings just betrayed and deceived him.” He headed towards the door.
“Hey! What about my friend?” Amelia followed him. “I will kill your brother if something happens to Ren.”
“I know you will, Amelia, that’s why I’m going down to help him.”
“We’re coming with you,” I volunteered.
“I can’t guarantee your safety.” He opened the door. “Let’s go. They’re heading up via stairs.”
Lucius went behind the wet bars and dropped a duffel bag on the counter. I didn’t realize he came prepared even though Archibald was a friend. He grabbed sticks and sidearms.
“Nora, Theia, and Drak stay here. Kill everyone that moves. Drak will provide you with weapons. Stay alive.” Lucius nodded at Drak, following us.
“How many are they?” I took the stick and the sidearm from Lucius. “Thanks.”
“Eight. Chance said something was wrong with them. They seemed not themselves,” Archibald said urgently as we headed to the exit.
“They’re probably roofied with Imperium,” I told him. “Amelia, call Nora to open the lights in the penthouse.”
She picked up her phone and dialed Nora while Lucius flicked on the light switches on every floor as we headed down.
“Aim at the head, Amelia. Remember, they’re fast,” I told her. “Stay behind me.”
“That sword can kill them. You just have to be fast,” Lucius said to Amelia.
“Noted.” She stopped and listened. “Can you guys climb?”
“Yes.” Archibald looked at her.
“I can hear them. They’re heading to the penthouse, and I’m sure it’s not your brother. I can’t feel Ren, but sure there’s a lot of them.”
“You’re so interesting, Nephilim,” he told her. “I’ll wait here to watch my brother. That’s probably the plan, creating a diversion. I’ll call for help if I need one. Go!”
“Be careful, Baldy.” Amelia gripped his arm. “If you get hurt, I will give you a sip of my blood, but don’t do it intentionally.”
Archie grinned at Amelia and licked his lips. “I’ll make sure to let one of them bite me, my dear.”
“You never change.” I shook my head in amusement before climbing back upstairs with Amelia in the middle.
We just arrived back at the main door of the penthouse when the window from the hallway crashed and the male vampire snarled, eyes red, exposing his fangs.
He moved so fast, almost like a blur. I could barely see him in motion but a flight of air I knew he was close to me.
As Amelia sandwiched between me and Lucius to protect her, and all my senses heightened, the sound of the sword swinging made the hair at the back of my neck stand.
“Alpha!”
“Yeah,” Lucius and I replied in unison.
A thud and a spray of blood were the next sounds I heard. I looked at the head of the vampire drop and roll into my foot.
“My alpha, Lucius.”
I chuckled and smirked at him.
“Good job, angel,” Lucius said, making me inwardly groan.
“You might wanna tone down that angel, Lucius when you’re both armed,” she said. Despite Lucius calling her angel made my heart ache, I was proud of her.
“That’s my girl.” I watched the elevator number get up fast. “Coming in hot, Lucius. I’ll wait for the elevator to open, you take care of the broken window.”
“Damn it. How did they get access to my private elevator?”
“Vamps have zero regard for human life, Lucius. They probably threatened or killed the security guard.”
“Well, shit, Sherlock. They’ll be double dead before sunrise,” he said confidently. “Amelia, watch your back.”
“How about we watch each other’s asses?”
“Good idea,” he agreed, chuckling, “As much as I want to rip your mates’ hearts out, I can’t watch you drown in sorrow.”
“Try and I’ll kill you first,” Amelia said, making me smile.
“Dude, you’re outnumbered here. You might wanna think first before you speak.”
Lucius laughed. “You would have been dead a long time ago if I wanted you dead. I was just joking, Ryden. Chill out.”
“Are we really gonna talk about it right now?” She glared at me and Lucius. “Baby, they’re coming.”
“I really looked forward to this moment, you and me, fighting bad guys, side by side, Amelia,” Lucius said with pride, almost exhilarated.
“Will you shut up?” Adrenaline rushed through my veins. My heart pounded in my chest as the elevator slid open, and no one was inside.
“What the hell? Where are they?” Amelia asked, stalking towards the elevator.
“Amelia, no!” I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Two vampires just jumped down and hid above the elevator ceiling. I threw a fireball at them but they were faster. They ducked and bounced against the fire.
She could have been hurt if I wasn’t fast. Another vampire, a female ran in my direction. Before she could grab me, a stick speared through her chest, coming from Lucius. He just saved my life. Now I was indebted to him.
The last vampire, I shot it in the head when he tried to pin Amelia and aimed his fangs at her neck. The head exploded, falling on Amelia’s shoulder.
“There’s more coming.” Lucius came to help get rid of the body on top of Amelia.
“Are you okay?” I offered a hand to help her up.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“You guys get inside, I’ll go down and find Archibald and Chance.”
“No. Now is not the time to separate,” Amelia said. I sensed her deep concern for Lucius.
Ignoring the pang in my chest, I said, “I agree with Amelia, but Ren is also out there. Get inside, ladybug. I’ll go with Lucius to find them.”
“I said no. We’re all going down.” As stubborn as she was, she headed back to the exit without waiting for my order.
“Amelia, get inside the penthouse. That’s an order.”
She turned and glared at me. “The last time I checked you kicked me out a week ago. I no longer have a pack, so I don’t take orders from you anymore.”
“How about as her husband?” Lucius interjected.
“I’m not your wife anymore, Lucius.”
“I wasn’t talking about me. He’s concerned with you. I promise I will keep him safe and return to you alive.”
“I promise not to kill him, Amelia, but please, just get in. It made me feel a lot better knowing you’re safe inside.”
“News flash, Alpha. I’ll be on the front line to kill the director, and you can’t stop me, but right now, I need my friend alive, and you better not kill each other.” She threw herself at me and hugged me tight. “Watch your back, I don’t want you to be Niklaus.”
“Nick who?”
“I’ll tell you later.” She smiled. “Be careful.”
“I will, my love.”
I groaned as she pulled away and hugged Lucius. “Don’t die by vampires’ bite. It’s nasty.”
Once she got inside, Lucius and I went to the exit door.
We hadn’t gotten to the next floor, I heard growling, hissing, and snarling not far from us. We shared a look as we tiptoed down. Vampires had high sensitivity to earing even a small movement, and they could hear someone’s heartbeat from a distance.
As I peeped on the next floor, I saw blood on the floor. I gestured at Lucius, and he nodded. I’d never imagined us fighting vampires side by side. He was literally my foe, but right now, I was grateful for him. He wasn’t only strong, but we both wanted the same thing, it was Amelia’s safety. I pulled up the sidearm and silently counted to three.
He went ahead, aiming at the empty hallway.
I followed suit. I hadn’t gotten far when a vampire came from behind. He must have been hiding in the corner or climbed up the ceiling and waited for us to make a move.
I hissed in pain as I felt my skin cut open on my shoulder. The vampire just clawed into my skin about to bite my neck.
My first mistake— I could have burned him, but it happened so fast. My instinct was to pull the trigger. I shot him in the head point blank. The gunfire echoed, alerting the last remaining of their coven.
“I’ll follow the blood trail,” Lucius whispered, “Are you okay?”
“Got cuts on my shoulder, but I’ll live.” I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t feel my wound healing.
“You have to explain that to our mate that I didn’t watch your ass.”
“My mate, dickhead.” I snorted. “I can easily turn her back on you.”
“I know. Still wondering why haven’t you.” He briefly looked at me before he kicked a door went to check inside and came out quickly. “Clear.”
“Deep inside, I know she also cares about you.”
“Stop.” He flashed his hand on me, tipping his head to the door with a trail of blood on the floor.
I nodded, and he pushed the door open. Archibald had a deep cut on his neck. He was bleeding, and I could tell he was not going to make it long.
When he moved his eyes, Lucius stepped back and shot the gap between the door. The body fell on the floor.
“Where’s your brother and Ren?”