Page 102 of How to Stake a Vampire

She’s a vampire,Samuel growled.

Ludvik blurred into view beside the wraith. The little girl flinched.

My wolf stilled and blinked.

A thin red chain had just shimmered into view. It connected the wraith to Ludvik.

Is that the binding?!

Samuel shot a confused look at me.What binding?

“Can anyone else see that crimson line connecting that bastard to his ghost?!” Ellie asked in a low voice.

Barney and Gregory looked equally perplexed at her words.

“I can,” Mindy ground out. The ghost was scowling.

My heart raced. Mindy, Ellie, and I were the only ones who could see the connection.

“We need to find the binding object.” Frustration made Mindy’s eyes glow. “It has to be here somewhere!”

She was right. It was the only way to slow Ludvik’s insane speed so we could stop him. I lowered my head and curled my lips on a threatening growl as I approached the altar.

Ludvik sneered. “You can try all you want. You’ll never find it.” He cocked his head to the side, his expression mocking. “Now, how about I kill you all? Your bodies will make a nice offering for this ritual.”

I braced as he vanished.

His attacks when they came were even faster than before.

My wolf detected the change in the air next to me a fraction of a second before he struck. I jumped, narrowly missing the claws aimed at my eye.

Power rolled off Ellie and Barney as they leapt, their faces dark with bloodlust. Ludvik grabbed them by the throat and hurled them across the cavern. They struck the wall hard and plummeted to the ground.

Samuel sprung, Gregory coordinating with him. Ludvik flickered out of view just as the wolf’s fangs and the vampire’s claws were about to carve his chest and back open. He reappeared beside them, took hold of their heads, and smashed their skulls together.

The sound made my wolf whimper.

Samuel and Gregory dropped to the floor with a groan. Blood streamed from a gash on my alpha’s forehead as he struggled to rise, the sight making my stomach clench with dread. Gregoryshook his head dazedly and tried to get back up, his temple bleeding where his skin has broken.

There was movement behind them.

Finnic dashed past with a throaty ululation. He leapt and managed to land a glancing blow on Ludvik’s arm.

The vampire scowled at the sight of the thin line of blood blooming on his skin. He backhanded the dwarf violently across the face. Finnic went flying into Samuel and Gregory, taking them to the ground again.

The rest of the dwarves attacked, their battle cries rending the air.

Virgil’s shout had my head snapping around.

“The base of that wall!” The vampire indicated the left side of the cavern with an urgent tilt of his head, the chains rattling around him. “He hid something there!”

I watched as Mindy, Bo, Didi, and Gavin headed swiftly to the location he’d indicated. Ludvik snarled and made to attack them.

I moved, my wolf letting loose a bloodcurdling sound.

Ellie got to Ludvik first, her figure moving so fast my pulse spiked.

“Oh no, you don’t!” She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground before he could vanish.