Chapter 30 The Luna Has Been Taken
It was a quiet, late night at the hospital, and the atmosphere around Ella’s ward was unusually calm. The guards stationed by her door stretched and exchanged glances, sensing the peace that settled over the building like a blanket. The muted hum of hospital lights and the faint echo of distant voices in the hall only deepened the stillness.
“I think we’re finally getting a break tonight,” murmured Jake, one of the younger guards. He rolled his shoulders, yawning as he leaned against the wall. “It’s been days since anyone even tried getting close to the Luna.”
"Don’t get too comfortable," said his older partner, Greg, his voice carrying a note of warning. “We’re here for a reason. Can’t ever let our guard down.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jake replied with a tired smile, nudging his partner. “But a coffee run wouldn’t hurt. We’ve got it covered here.”
Reluctantly, Greg relented. He gestured to two other guards on rotation, nodding toward the café down the hall. “Fine. Grab some for us too.”
The two guards strolled away, leaving Jake and Greg to continue their watch. As they settled in, the familiar figure of Nurse Sara approached from down the hallway, her gaze flickering with that calm efficiency they’d come to trust. She cradled a small tray with a vial and syringe, and the guards relaxed as she came closer.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Sara greeted warmly. “The patient requested some medication to help her sleep,” Sara explained, holding up a syringe filled with a harmless sedative.
Greg nodded, stepping aside to let her pass. “Good to see you, Nurse Sara. It’s been a long night for us.”
Sara offered a small smile as she stepped into Ella’s ward, her movements practiced, almost reassuring. “You’re doing a fine job, as always. I’ll just be a minute.”
Inside, she approached Ella guiltily and injected the sedative quickly and quietly, watching as Ella’s breathing deepened under the effects of the medication. Sara’s heart twisted as she watched her friend’s peaceful face, her guilt pressing down on her like a weight.
A few moments later, Sara exited the room, offering the guards a bright smile as she closed the door behind her. “She’s sleeping soundly now. You all deserve a rest yourselves. I know it’s not easy, standing watch every night.”
Jake chuckled, giving her a nod. “Thank you, Nurse Sara. We’re just doing our duty. Couldn’t bear to see anything happen to her, you know?”
“Of course,” Sara replied, her tone light yet somehow tense. “In fact, how about some coffee? It’s the least I can do for all the hard work you put in.”
Greg shook his head politely. “Actually, our partners already went to fetch some. Thank you, though.”
But Sara persisted, her smile widening. “Oh, nonsense! A fresh cup won’t hurt. Just let me bring it over—you’ll see it’ll be worth it.”
After a slight hesitation, the guards agreed, and Sara disappeared down the hall. Moments later, she returned, handing each of them a cup of steaming coffee. She kept her tone casual as they sipped the brew, but her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her coat, her eyes darting between them.
Minutes passed in silence, until Greg’s hand loosened on the coffee cup, his head tilting as his eyelids fluttered closed. Jake followed moments later, his body slumping against the wall as the drug took hold. They sank into unconsciousness, the coffee cups slipping from their hands.
Sara exhaled, pulling out her phone as she whispered into it, “The coast is clear.”
The words had barely left her lips when four figures materialized in the dim hallway, their movements swift and soundless. Vampire warriors, each cloaked in shadow, their eyes gleaming with an unnatural hunger. Sara led them silently into Ella’s room, her heart pounding as she gestured toward the sleeping Luna.
With delicate precision, they lifted Ella’s unconscious form. One of the vampires slung her over his shoulder, his gaze cold and unreadable. Sara took a single, lingering look at her friend, whispering, “I’m so sorry, Ella,” before she turned and disappeared into the shadows.
As the vampires made their way out of the ward with Ella in tow, the hall echoed with the faint sound of footsteps—a sound they had not anticipated. Rounding the corner, they came face-to-face with the other two guards who had gone to get coffee. Their eyes widened as the scent of vampires filled the air, sharp and unmistakable. In a split second, they took in the scene: the four vampires cloaked in darkness, Ella’s unconscious body hanging limply over one of their shoulders. The guards’ shock morphed into instant, fierce determination.
“Drop her. Now!” one of the guards snarled, his voice low and filled with menace as he shifted into a defensive stance. His partner mirrored his position, their combined presence filling the corridor with a powerful aura of threat.
The vampire holding Ella merely smirked, his red eyes glinting. “I’d love to see you try and stop us,” he taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. Without hesitation, he motioned to his companions. In an instant, the hallway erupted in chaos.
The werewolf guards lunged forward, transforming mid-air with a swift and powerful burst. Claws extended, fangs bared, they attacked the vampires with relentless fury. The sound of tearing flesh and growls echoed through the sterile hospital walls, turning the peaceful night into a battleground. One of the vampires countered swiftly, his speed blurring as he dodged a swipe aimed at his neck and retaliated with a vicious kick to the wolf chest, sending him crashing into the wall.
The guard shook it off, ignoring the pain and lunged forward again. He clawed at the vampire with brutal strength, his movements a blur of rage and determination. This was their Luna—she was worth every ounce of his strength, every drop of blood.
Another wolf sank his claws into the shoulder of a second vampire, ripping a scream from his throat. But the vampire twisted free, his fangs flashing as he slashed back, clawing deep gashes across the werewolf’s arm. Blood sprayed across the corridor, mingling with the scent of adrenaline and desperation.
Meanwhile, the vampire holding Ella took advantage of the distraction, edging toward the exit with his prize. One of the werewolf guard noticed the movement and let out a furious roar, barreling toward him. But two vampires intercepted, blocking his path with merciless precision. He was outnumbered, but his loyalty to the Luna drove him forward, striking out with everything he had.
In a brutal exchange of blows, the werewolf guard tore into his opponents, clawing and snarling as he fought to clear a path to Ella. But the vampires were fast—too fast. Their blows landed with bone-crunching force, each strike weakening him, pushing him back.
The hallway was strewn with blood and debris by the time the two werewolves finally fell. Bruised, battered, and breathing heavily, they slumped to the floor, their eyes dimming but still fixed on their captors, refusing to surrender even in defeat. The vampires’ smiles were smug as they surveyed the scene, their victory secure.
Without another word, the vampires turned, vanishing into the shadows with Ella’s unconscious form. The corridor fell silent, broken only by the shallow breaths of the defeated guards as they struggled to hold onto consciousness. One managed to reach for his radio, his voice weak but resolute.
“... They’ve taken the Luna… inform the Alpha… the vampires… heading east…”
The message trailed off as darkness finally claimed him, leaving the hospital eerily quiet once more.