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Why?

This was what he wanted.

He knew without doubt that returning to his home world wasabsolutelythe thing that he wanted, more than anything else apart from Wynter herself. He could think of little else, ever since he found out that returning to his home world might be a possibility. He knew Wynter wanted this, too, and the rest of those with him, and he knew, deep in his gut it would be the best thing for them.

This was the decision his family had made.

He knew it was right.

Heknewit.

His resolve hardened at the thought.

He took a step forward.

Then another.

Then another still.

Now he was so close, his teeth vibrated against one another. Nick clenched them to control the uncomfortable sensation, but it gave him a thrill, too. It felt like a drug almost, like it was reordering some part of his mind, making his muscles loose.

He took another step.

He started to take anoth––

“HALT!” a voice shouted.

Nick froze.

His foot hung briefly in the air.

Briefly, he considered just running.

He considered making a dash for the dimensional door.

But he couldn’t do that, of course.

He wasn’t alone. He had people with him, people he was responsible for, people he loved. He couldn’t just bolt and leave them behind. It wasn’t even a question.

Slowly, Nick turned his head.

As he did, his vampire eyes picked the new forms out of the dark.

He counted them as he found faces.

Over two dozen people he could see and now smell had joined them in the clearing near the dimensional tear. More and more emerged from the darkness, even now, likely more than Nick could see, even with his vampire eyes.

He wondered how many Wynter saw, much less James Morley, Charlie, and Kit, the humans who were with them.

However many it was, they at least saw some of them. They seemed to understand instinctively, like Nick did, that they were surrounded, and heavily outnumbered.

Nick saw Wynter, Kit, and Forrest Keanu Walker stiffen.

He saw Damon stare, his eyes glowing red.

He saw Tai and Malek move closer together, instinctively.

When Nick glanced around at them, he saw them staring in roughly the same direction that Nick had been staring when he first realized they were no longer alone.