Page 24 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

“I’ve never been to this side,” the guard on the right admits.

“Neither have I,” the other one in front adds.

“Then let me take the lead.” Baspin pushes through me and Bran, but Bran stops him.

“Best you stay behind us.” Bran gives the blond fae a leveled look. “I can lead so that on the off chance we run into anyone, or anything, in the forest, I can easily and quickly vouch for you all.”

It sounds logical when he explains it that way, but I know Bran well enough by now to know something else is afoot.

“Careful, vampire,” the burly fae beside me warns. “If we don’t return to the fae realm, there will be war.”

“Of course.” Bran gives a shallow bow. It’s all for show. Bran doesn’t bow to anyone. “I would never risk such a thing.”

Yes he would.

He turns and heads down the dirt path.

Goosebumps rise on my forearms the deeper we get into the woods. The trees are so thick with leaves, it’s hard to see the stars above.

The path curves around a cluster of pine trees and for a moment, Bran disappears from my sight.

I hear his voice though, whispering from the dark…in Greek.

A chill slithers down my spine.

I glance at Damien, just a pace behind me. His eyes are glowing blue in the dark.

Oh shit.

Damien replies in Greek.

And then it’s chaos.

Vampires dart across the path, their movements a blur.

A fae cries out. Another grunts and hits his knees. A third tries to pull his sword out, but there’s already a long gash in his throat, blood spilling out in a curtain.

The burly fae grabs for me, putting me in front of him like a shield.

Something slams into him from behind. I hear the familiar sound of a bone breaking.

The fae howls.

Bran is suddenly in front of me, blood splattered across his face, dripping from his mouth, his fangs sharp in his mouth.

“Your first mistake,” he tells the burly man, “was existing.”

The wind kicks up and the buzzing of fae magic starts down my back. But it’s too late. Bran sinks an iron blade into the fae’s chest and my back is immediately coated in the hot geyser of his blood.

The man takes me down with him, but I quickly roll onto all fours, then scramble to my feet. He coughs up blood, his big body trembling. The wind dies and fae magic dissipates.

It’s over within minutes.

That’s all it took for Bran, Damien, and several vampires strategically hiding in the woods with iron weapons to take out six highly trained fae guards.

I stand in the middle of the carnage trying to decide how I feel about it while their blood drips from my fingertips.

“Why the fuck would you do that?” I finally ask, my body trembling from the shock and the chill in the air.