Page 169 of Immortal Bastard (The Order of Vampires)

Her fangs and claws lengthened as she waited in frantic terror. The house wouldn’t hold him off for long.

Eleazar… Eleazar, he’s here!

Her friend’s mind was closed to her. She’d recently given Christian so much of her blood, her link to the bishop wasn’t at its usual strength. Taking his blood was a precaution they routinely kept up for three hundred years, but it had been some time since he’d offered. She should have requested more of his blood the moment she started offering hers to her son.

A loud crash shook the front of the house, knocking several needlepoints off the wall. Her breath came fast as Cer’s chilling voice called from outside.

“Little pig, little pig, let me in.” Claws scraped over the exterior, as planks creaked on the front porch. The front door rattled as he jiggled the lock. “I know you’re in there. I can smell you.”

Adriel backed further into the shadows, holding the rifle upright, her finger hooked on the trigger and her head pressed into the wall.

“I have a surprise for you, girl. Come to the window and see.”

She had no intention of going near the windows until she heard the whimper of a female. Panic gripped her heart as she caught the distinct scent of Delilah. Where was Christian?

“Adriel, don’t let him in!” Her warning cut off with a grunt and Adriel winced, certain he’d already hurt the young female.

She panicked, thinking of her son and his newfound happiness. If something happened to Delilah, it would devastate him. She couldn’t let him hurt her.

Heart pounding, she pressed her back into the corner and watched the front door with unblinking eyes. “Where is Christian?”

“Our son has been detained. He sends his love and apologizes for not making it back in time to say goodbye.”

That meant Christian was still alive. “Let his mate go—"

Delilah screamed and Adriel rushed forward only to draw back in fear. Eleazar, please! I need help.

“Yes, Eleazar,” Cer yelled. “Come out and play. You and I have a score to settle.”

She took a step toward the door then stilled when Delilah yelled, “Stay in there, Adriel!” Another horrific scream.

Eleazar, where are you? Cerberus is here and he has Christian’s mate!

“Please don’t hurt the girl!” Adriel yelled. “She’s innocent and belongs to our son—”

“Our son is weak!” He bellowed, shaking the walls of the house hard enough that the jars on the shelves tremored. “You had no right to keep him from me!”

Her lungs labored as she tried to think of a plan. “Now, we’re all here. We can start over. A family.”

“You have three seconds to show yourself or our family is going to shrink by one. Three. Two.”

She hesitated, frozen by panic and indecision.

“One.”

Another scream, this one followed by an agonizing broken sob. She could only imagine what he was doing to the poor child.

Eleazar, I need you now!

Then a shot blared in the distance and she flinched. It was too far to involve her and Cer wasn’t fazed. Another blast echoed, and then another. What was happening? No one ever used firearms on The Order’s land.

The house shook, rattling the windows and building force. The foundation creaked and the shutters clattered.

“Time’s up, girl.” The candles flared and a curtain blazed when it caught the flame.

She rushed to the kitchen at the back of the house, gathering a pail of water only to double back when the glass burst from the window, the shudders splintering into the house as the flames shot higher, licking up the wall.

Canisters flew from the shelves and shattered against the floor and walls. She ducked when the table flipped on end. He was going to push her out one way or another.

That cold, maniacal laugh cut through the chaos, and she knew she was done. He wasn’t leaving without her, and she couldn’t go back to that kind of existence.

Ducking low, she raced to the kitchen and ripped open the drawer. Knives and cleavers scattered to the floor. She searched for the sharpest blade and set down the gun. She had to save Delilah. If he couldn’t get to her, he had no use for the girl. She lifted the largest cleaver, her reflection glinting across the blade as the flames crawled closer. If she cut fast and hard, she might make it all the way through.

Another window burst and smoke filled the house. Bricks loosened from the hearth and flung into the den, crashing into walls and furniture. Dishes shattered.

She sat on the floor with the gun on her lap and the knife in her trembling hands. She had one chance of getting this right. Aligning the blade with her throat, she lifted her chin and did a slow test swing. She would have to use all of her strength.

A tear fell from her eye. She wanted her son to know how much she loved him and how proud she was of the honorable male he’d become. She wanted to remind him that sometimes joy should come before duty. She wanted to thank Eleazar one last time and remind Dane that he deserved a good life. But she would never have the chance to say any of those things now.