Page 3 of Finn (Vampire Vows #1)

CHAPTER THREE

FINN

FIVE YEARS LATER

My tiny room felt even smaller than usual that night, the walls pressing in on me like a cell.

I’d outgrown the shared quarters of trainee life, but the so-called “upgrade” of a single room still didn’t feel like much of a reward.

The narrow cot, scarred wooden desk, and the single small window high up on the wall weren’t exactly anything to be excited about.

It didn’t matter; I’d lived with less. But tonight, everything felt suffocating.

Dropping to the floor, I started a set of pushups, counting out reps in a whisper, trying to exhaust myself into a dreamless sleep.

Tomorrow, the Elders would assign me my final mission. The one that would prove I’d earned the rank of senior hunter.

My stomach twisted at the thought, nerves snaking through me no matter how many pushups I ground out.

After the hundredth rep, I flopped back onto my bed, breath heaving, but still, I couldn’t relax.

I found myself thinking about Gabriel.

The memory of his last kiss burned into me, a moment stolen just before his final mission five years ago.

The Elders had said it was a success, that his team had taken down the vampire nest in the mountains.

Half of his team didn’t make it, including Gabriel, but I’d always doubted their explanation.

Their reports had been clinical, dismissive, like Gabriel had just been a disposable piece on a chessboard.

I’d tried to dig deeper, to find out the truth of how he’d really died.

My brothers, Asher and Donovan, had told me to drop it, said I needed to move on and focus on my training.

Still, Gabriel was gone, and the hole he left felt as deep as ever, especially tonight.

I could almost see his lopsided smile, feel the light press of his fingers brushing my cheek. My throat closed up.

Shutting my eyes, I fought the tight ache in my chest, then forced myself to turn and stare up at the ceiling.

I counted every single dot and crack until it grew bright enough outside to count the first hint of light seeping through the window.

Resigned to my sleeplessness, I finally threw on some clothes and headed to the cafeteria.

There, I grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, some fruit, and a coffee.

But my stomach knotted the moment I tried to eat, so I ended up pushing the food away, sipping the coffee in small, nervous sips that didn’t settle me at all.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Elders would have something special, or worse, something sinister waiting for me.

I nearly choked on a gulp of coffee when Asher and Donovan appeared, sliding into the seats across from me.

Donovan grinned, his usual cocky smirk in place.

“Nervous, little brother?” he teased, elbowing me.

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.” I forced a smile, trying to appreciate their attempt at support or whatever this was supposed to be.

But the truth was, I wished it was Gabriel or even my cousin Blake sitting here, grinning at me, maybe making fun of me for being nervous.

But Blake was gone, and Gabriel… Well, I could only dream he’d still be here.

“You’ve worked your butt off for this moment for years,” Asher said, his voice low but steady. “Don’t screw it up.”

I laughed bitterly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Finishing my coffee, I left them at the table and went to join the other junior hunters gathered outside the Elders’ hall, waiting for our names to be called.

One by one, names were summoned, and I watched as they went in, anticipation and dread pooling in my gut.

Finally, my name echoed down the hall, and I found myself facing Elder Marcus and Elder Anastasia.

I sat down, feeling like I was being called into the principal’s office.

Elder Anastasia gave me a smile, thin and tight-lipped, her dark eyes almost reptilian.

“Finn, it’s good to see you,” she said, the false sweetness in her voice sending a chill down my spine.

“Thank you,” I said, keeping my tone as polite as possible. “I’m looking forward to my assignment.”

“Are you now?” She flashed another of those smiles, the kind that made you want to take a step back.

Marcus slid a thick file across the desk toward me. I picked it up, feeling the weight of their eyes, and opened it.

I flipped open the file, hoping for some sort of useful information.

But there was hardly anything: a sparse description of my target, no name. Just an alias, a contact to speak with, and coordinates to a location.

The lack of any details gnawed at me, but I knew better than to question them too closely.

I studied the text, the words blurring for a moment as my mind tried to catch up with what they were actually assigning me.

According to the file, this target was a member of the Craven Hill Nest. Just reading the name made my blood run cold.

It was the third largest vampire nest in the country and it was infamous even among seasoned hunters.

From the little intel I’d managed to gather over the years, Craven Hill was ruled by an ancient vampire queen with a vast network of powerful allies, both supernatural and human.

The nest's members were rumored to have deep political and economic ties.

And now, they were sending me, a lone junior hunter fresh from training, into one of the most dangerous vampire nests in the country?

My heart beat harder as I tried to make sense of it.

I’d expected them to send me after a rogue shifter or maybe a single vampire operating on their own, something manageable for a hunter still earning his stripes.

But this? A powerful vampire in Craven Hill?

I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Elders were either testing me in the most brutal way possible or setting me up for something I wasn’t supposed to survive.

The mission felt both reckless and insulting. The Elders knew this.

They knew that if I didn’t plan meticulously, if I didn’t outthink every possible outcome, my death was all but guaranteed.

I felt a faint heat simmering under my skin. Was it anger, fear? Maybe both.

This wasn’t typical, I thought, grinding my teeth, but I wasn’t surprised.

Unlike Asher and Donovan, the Elders had never been fond of me.

“A vampire, huh?” I tried to keep my voice neutral as I glanced back up, but they were both watching me, expressions unreadable.

“Yes,” Elder Marcus said, his voice as hollow and unfeeling as his gaze. “We consider this target an immediate threat that needs to be eliminated.”

“An immediate threat?” I echoed, feigning a confidence I didn’t quite feel.

“Yes,” Anastasia interjected, her gaze slithering over me with unsettling intensity. “We wouldn’t be assigning this mission if we didn’t believe you capable. But we’ll need complete commitment to see this done. Do you understand?”

I fought the urge to grit my teeth. “Of course,” I said evenly.

“Good.” She tilted her head, that smile flashing again. “Your success will be watched with great interest, Finn. After all, we’ve invested considerable resources into your training. We expect results.”

I nodded, forcing myself not to break eye contact. “I’ll make the preparations.”

But as I turned to leave, a question burned in my mind. I hesitated. “Why is there so little information in the file? If it’s a high-priority target?—”

Elder Marcus’s face tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“We are not here to explain ourselves to junior hunters, Finn. Or are you implying you’re unfit for this mission?” Elder Marcus asked.

“No,” I said quickly. “I just wanted to be prepared, is all.”

“Focus on execution, not curiosity,” he replied, dismissive and final.

I clenched my jaw, nodding tightly, and left.

Their words echoed in my head as I walked back down the hall, fists balled at my sides.

This mission felt wrong, like a trap. And I couldn’t help the sharp pang in my chest that came with it.

Gabriel had been given an assignment just like this, one that felt off, but he hadn’t questioned it.

He’d trusted the Elders, and it had cost him his life.

Outside, I leaned against the wall and drew in a breath, struggling to steady myself.

Gabriel’s face swam before my eyes again, the way he’d looked at me the last time I saw him, that faintly teasing smile before he brushed a kiss against my lips.

“Don’t let them break you,” he’d whispered, fingers trailing along my cheek. “Keep that fire in you, Finn.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. How was I supposed to keep that fire alive if it was doused every time I tried to get closer to the truth?

“Hey,” Asher’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I opened my eyes to see him standing beside me, arms crossed.

“What did they say?” he asked, his face drawn and serious.

“Something’s not right,” I replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of my tone. “They didn’t even give me the name of my target. Just an alias, the name of my contact, a location, and my target’s a member of the Craven Hill Nest.”

Asher furrowed his brows, his gaze narrowing as he tried to make sense of it. He placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm.

“I should speak with them,” he said, sounding resolute. “Maybe there’s been a mistake. Or you’ve been given insufficient information.”

“No, I can handle this,” I blurted, almost instinctively.

For all of Asher’s faults, I knew he just wanted to protect me. But I had to do this myself.

I continued, “But... Asher… something feels really off. You know what happened to Gabriel. He trusted them, and look where it got him.”

Asher’s face hardened, and he dropped his hand, his jaw clenched. “Don’t bring Gabriel into this.”

“How can I not?” I hissed, unable to contain the anger and hurt that had been bubbling under the surface for years. “You and Donovan told me to forget about him, to move on, but I can’t. Gabriel didn’t die for nothing, Asher. He died because?—”

“Enough,” he cut in sharply, his voice cold. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Finn. Gabriel’s gone, and nothing you say or do will change that.”

I took a step back, his words stinging more than I wanted to admit.

Gabriel was more than a memory to me. He was the one person who had believed in me.

And the truth was, I didn’t want to forget about him. Not ever.

“Fine,” I said, swallowing hard, pushing down the ache in my chest.

If Asher couldn’t understand, then I didn’t need him to. This was my final mission, my life. Whatever was left of it.

Asher ran a hand over his face, looking away for a moment as if gathering his thoughts.

“Look, just let me speak to the Elders,” he began, softer this time. “I’ll see if there’s any way to get more details on your target or a team to back you up. I don’t like this any more than you do.”

“You don’t get it,” I said quietly. “For the past five years, I’ve been working my ass off to make sure you and Donovan don’t have to fight my battles for me anymore.”

I turned toward the door, trying to put some distance between us before I said something I’d regret.

“Finn,” Asher called after me, his voice catching slightly.

I stopped, still facing the door, but didn’t turn around. I was too close to losing my composure to look at him.

“If you do this,” he said, his voice now almost pleading, “just... just make sure you come back. Whatever you think of the Elders, whatever you think you know about Gabriel… you and Donovan are the only family I have left that I can protect.”

I let his words sink in, feeling the weight of his concern but knowing it was too late.

Gabriel’s death had changed me irrevocably, and Asher’s desire to shield me couldn’t touch the part of me that had already resolved to see this mission through.

“Don’t worry,” I said, voice steady as I fought the tightness in my chest. “I’ve got this.”

Then, without looking back, I stepped out, leaving Asher in the silence of the hallway.