A Hunter’s Betrayal

The air was thick with tension as Evelyn and Lucian moved through the city streets, their steps silent but purposeful. The meeting place was an abandoned rooftop, chosen carefully—neutral ground, no escape routes except the ones they controlled.

Evelyn’s heart pounded, but she forced herself to stay calm. Dante had once been her friend, someone she trusted. Now, he was a hunter sent to kill her.

Lucian stayed close, his presence grounding her. “Are you ready for this?”

She nodded. “I have to be.”

As they reached the rooftop, a figure was already waiting. Dante stood near the edge, his posture relaxed, but Evelyn wasn’t fooled. His hand hovered near the dagger strapped to his side—a weapon designed to kill vampires.

He turned slowly, his piercing blue eyes locking onto her. “You actually came.”

Evelyn’s breath caught. He looked the same, yet entirely different. Gone was the warmth she once knew—his expression was unreadable, his stance controlled.

“Why?” she asked, keeping her voice steady. “Why are you doing this?”

Dante exhaled, tilting his head slightly. “You already know the answer, Evelyn.”

“No,” she said firmly. “I don’t.”

Lucian took a step closer, his presence a warning. “You betrayed her.”

Dante’s gaze flickered to Lucian, then back to Evelyn. “I didn’t betray her.” His voice was calm, almost gentle. “I made a choice.”

Evelyn’s fingers curled into fists. “A choice to kill me?”

Dante sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t understand, Evelyn. The Council—”

“I don’t care about the Council,” she cut in. “I care about you. About the friend I thought I had.”

Something flashed in Dante’s eyes—regret? Guilt? But it was gone too quickly to be sure.

“They told me what you are,” he said quietly. “The Crimson Queen’s heir. Do you have any idea what that means?”

Evelyn took a step forward. “It means I have a target on my back. But it doesn’t mean I’m their enemy.”

Dante shook his head. “They won’t see it that way.”

“And you?” she challenged. “How do you see it?”

He hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough.

Lucian moved in a blur, seizing Dante by the collar and slamming him against the rooftop railing.

“Then you’re either with us,” Lucian growled, “or against us.”

Dante didn’t fight back. He just looked at Evelyn, something unreadable in his expression.

“I never wanted this,” he whispered. “But it’s too late, Evelyn. They’re coming for you.”

Evelyn’s blood ran cold. “Who?”

Dante’s lips parted—then a sharp whistle cut through the night.

A signal.

Before anyone could react, a dagger sliced through the air—aimed straight for Evelyn’s heart.

Evelyn’s reflexes took over. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the dagger as it grazed her shoulder. Pain flared, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Lucian lunged forward, his grip on Dante tightening as he shoved him against the railing. “Was this your plan all along?” he snarled.

Dante gritted his teeth, struggling but not fighting back. “I told you—it’s too late.”

Evelyn turned, her eyes scanning the darkness. The rooftop wasn’t safe anymore. Shadows moved between the buildings. The hunters were here.

Lucian must have sensed it too because he released Dante and stepped back toward Evelyn, shielding her with his body. “We need to move.”

Dante didn’t make a move to stop them. Instead, he exhaled sharply and muttered, “Go. Now.”

Evelyn hesitated. “What?”

Dante’s eyes flicked toward the advancing figures. “I warned you, didn’t I? They’re not just here to kill you. They want him too.” He nodded at Lucian. “You’re both targets now.”

Lucian let out a low growl, his fangs elongating. “I’d like to see them try.”

Evelyn didn’t know what to believe anymore. Dante had betrayed her, but was he trying to save her now?

A crossbow bolt shot past them, embedding itself in the concrete just inches from her feet. No more time for questions.

Lucian grabbed Evelyn’s hand and pulled her toward the fire escape. “We have to go.”

Dante didn’t follow. He simply watched, his expression unreadable as they disappeared into the night.

But Evelyn knew this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

The cold wind howled through the alleyways as Lucian and Evelyn landed on the damp pavement below. The city pulsed with distant sirens, oblivious to the war unfolding in the shadows.

Lucian kept his grip firm on Evelyn’s wrist as they moved. “We need to find shelter. They’ll be tracking us.”

Evelyn’s mind raced. Dante’s betrayal still burned in her chest, but something about his last words unsettled her. He had warned them—why? If he wanted them dead, why not finish the job himself?

She pulled back, forcing Lucian to stop. “Wait. Dante let us go.”

Lucian exhaled sharply, frustration evident. “He put a blade to your throat, Evelyn. I don’t care what games he’s playing—he’s a threat.”

She swallowed, her shoulder throbbing from the wound. “Maybe. But he also warned us about the others.” She scanned the rooftops. “He said we’re both targets now. If they wanted me dead, why go after you too?”

Lucian’s expression darkened. “Because I’m in their way.”

A sudden movement in the shadows caught their attention. Evelyn barely had time to react before a figure lunged at them. Lucian twisted, shoving her aside as he blocked the attacker’s blade with his forearm.

Another hunter.

The man moved fast, his strikes precise, his blade coated in something silver. Poison.

Lucian fought with deadly grace, dodging and countering with inhuman speed. But the hunter was skilled. He ducked beneath Lucian’s swing, his knife cutting deep into his side.

Lucian hissed in pain.

Evelyn’s instincts took over. She didn’t think—she just moved. Within seconds, she was behind the hunter. Her fingers curled around his throat, her grip iron-clad as she pulled him back.

The hunter struggled, but he wasn’t prepared for her strength. Her nails elongated into claws, her grip tightening until she heard a crack.

The hunter’s body went limp. She released him, her breath coming fast and heavy.

Lucian wiped the blood from his mouth, staring at her. “Your powers…”

Evelyn felt it too. A strange, intoxicating heat pulsed through her veins. The blood bond. Was this part of it?

She took a step back, but Lucian caught her wrist. His eyes, red and burning, locked onto hers. “We need to go. Now.”

This was just the beginning.