Page 76 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Three

What about Kelly and Damien and—

Another vampire punches Bran in the chest and his ribs cave in. He gasps for air as blood spills from his mouth.

Those who aren’t ready for a fight scatter from the room, screaming and flailing, ducking when a body flies overhead.

This isn’t right.

Everyone I love is in this room.

There is the sharp tang of blood in the air and the whiff of defeat.

We don’t have enough witches on our side. Julian has the entire Renshaw house.

I’m not cattle. I cannot be bought or bartered for, but if my mother really promised me to Julian…then by law, I have to go with him. It’s an old rule left over from the founding days of Midnight Harbor. No one uses it anymore.

I never would have thought my own mother would turn on me. And worse yet, I can’t even yell at her.

Bran goes down when a vampire and a witch gang up on him.

He’s covered in blood. He’s healing just as fast as they’re beating him.

If something happens to Kelly and Bran, I will not survive it.

What is the point of being terrifying if I can’t do anything to save them?

“Stop,” I hear myself saying in a shaky whine, tears blurring in my eyes. “Please stop.”

Julian comes up on Bran and takes a fistful of his hair, yanking him to his feet.

“No,” I whisper and take a step, goosebumps lifting on my arms, a chill racing up my back.

A witch throws a hit at Cal and the Alpha is tossed into a row of seats.

“No.”

Everywhere I look, there is carnage and pain.

“Your problem,” Julian says to Bran as Bran sways on his feet, “is your arrogance. You and your brother always assume you’ll be the most powerful person in the room. What you don’t factor in, is someone who is smarter.”

Bran spits in Julian’s face, splattering blood across Julian’s cheek. “You’re the dumbest little shit I’ve ever met,” Bran says. “I’ve never doubted that.”

One of the Renshaw witches flicks her hand at Bran and Bran’s body lets out a horrible crunch.

Fire comes to Bran’s eyes as he grits against the pain.

Behind him, one of Julian’s vamps grabs a chair and snaps the leg in two.

“No, please…” My voice rises, hands shaking.

Two witches stand over Cal, hands raised in a spell. The Alpha roars.

Damien and Kelly still aren’t moving.

Fox is cornered by two Locke vamps as more shifters are caught in battle.

“I will be glad to be rid of you,” Julian says.

The Locke vampire lifts the makeshift stake behind Bran, ready to strike at his heart.