Page 64 of Those That Are Lost (Hidden Vampires #2)

AURORA

T he house is quiet as we leave the common room. Noise and shouts come from outside as we divert to the rear exit, following the voices.

What we find outside is both a relief and a horror show.

I immediately seek our vampires, scanning those moving versus those lying in pieces on the ground. It’s hard to discern in the darkness, the only light is beams spilling out from the house.

Thankfully, our vampires have more than held their own, the three other wolves that prowl amongst them look battered but not mortally injured. The fighting, for the most part, looks over. Those of Adicious’s pack we identified as enemies are either dead or being held by our guys.

“Antares,” I shout as I spot him and Atlas regrouping, having just dispatched one of Adicious’s members between them. He’s as covered in blood as I am and his shirt is ripped but doesn’t appear wounded in any way. I jog over.

“Finally,” he replies, tone mocking. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I could say the same to you.” I shove his shoulder and then grab him into a tight hug. His arms immediately lock around me.

I see Atlas from over Antares’s shoulder throw down the body in a pile they’re creating, then freeze. I release Antares quickly, spinning to see what danger there is.

Ty is striding towards him, blood staining his side but the wound looking less aggressive now. The two embrace as they meet on the grass. They say something to each other in low voices that I can't hear but the joy radiates from both of them.

Henry and Ash come stand with me, Antares gasps at Henry’s arm but relaxes as Henry shows us that he can now move his fingers and his wrist. Atlas and Ty join us a few moments later.

“Give me a summary, someone. What’s the result?” Ty looks between those that fought out here.

“They put up a strong fight until they felt the bond snap. I’m guessing that’s down to you two?

” Atlas nods to me and my mate. Ty nods.

“Most gave in after that, not that we didn’t have the advantage.

They really weren’t expecting the wolves.

Good work getting them, by the way.” He looks at Ash who sits at Henry’s side.

“Losses?” Ty asks and my breath hitches.

“One, Jackson. Cairn took him out pretty quickly at the beginning. I tried to get to him but he didn’t have any fighting experience and it was over too quickly.”

I take a slow inhale as that sinks in. The male had seemed sweet. The weight of not reaching out to him sooner settles heavy on my shoulders, maybe he could’ve been protected better. I’m also happy that Ash chewed Cairn’s head off not long after.

“Mitch is injured pretty badly too, but he’ll live,” Antares adds.

My gaze immediately seeks him out, I’d spotted him earlier but as he’d been upright, I hadn’t lingered on him in my haste to check the others were alive.

Indeed, one of the wolves is by his side as he and Bartie are starting to build a fire. I can tell from his posture that he’s not putting weight on one leg.

“We should go help them,” I tell the group, needing to be active.

“We need your decision on those two.” Antares gestures to where two males are sitting on the ground, being guarded by two of the wolves—one I recognise as Kai, and the other I’m unsure of—and a male vampire I don’t know.

“Silas and Miller returned tonight. It’s the reason this whole thing kicked off.

They brought back footage of you and Ty. ”

“Adicious told me about that, it’s why he sought me out. He said one of Fillias’s pack captured it.”

I watch as the group takes in that information. Every face falls into a grim line. What the connection was between Fillias and Adicious we don’t know, but if they were passing information between each other, it can’t be good. Right now, though, we have more pressing matters.

“We were all in the common room when they arrived. Adicious wouldn’t let Antares leave to come get you. He resisted pulling out his magic until Adicious had left and that we had no other option but to blow our cover.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you, to help you. The bond burned so badly.” His face screws up as he remembers the pain.

“It’s okay. I was cursing you at the time, but thankfully, Ty got here and brought the cavalry.”

“They all need to die.” Ty’s stern voice cuts across our conversation, eyes shooting daggers towards the males sitting across the lawn and their captors.

“I wouldn’t be so hasty,” Atlas responds. “I gave Silas the ultimatum and he was pretty fucking happy that we were starting a revolution. He even helped me take down a couple of them.”

“They brought the evidence to Adicious, I don’t trust them.”

“He’s holding Miller hostage right now. He’s done nothing but help our side.

I would give him a chance. It was Miller who was given the footage from the Scotian Pack, who alerted Adicious to it, and you know full well Silas wouldn’t have been able to do anything even if he wanted, they didn’t know what we were planning. ”

“Fine. But one foot out of line and he’s going in the fire with the rest of them.”

Atlas seems satisfied with that.

“I have to agree. If he helped these guys take out most of the pack, we need to at least offer him a chance.” I step up to Ty and place my arm around his waist. Subtly, I feel around his healing wound, happy to feel only dried blood. He’s healing.

“What about Miller?”

“Oh, he tried to run. Along with the other one,” Antares pipes up. “Only reason they’re not dead is because I had to focus my power to save Mitch. It’s holding them there right now, if they try to get up, they’ll quickly find they can’t breathe.”

“And we weren’t sure what to do about deserters.” Atlas adds in, sounding like he’s repeated that phrase too much already tonight. I’m guessing Antares was arguing to simply end them from the looks they fire at each other.

“Fine. Let’s go see what they have to say. And then we need to start getting rid of the evidence,” Ty says, taking my hand and leading us over to the hostages and their guards.

Interviewing the two vampire males is an out of body experience.

It's the moment the power of what we’re doing hits me.

As we question them both, Ty and I are protected by several of the others.

They’re all prepared to launch at the captives should they try and hurt either one of us.

Only Henry and Antares might be bonded but the rest have already submitted to our leadership.

I feel it, like the bonds are already there.

Ty commands the interrogation smoothly, keeping his voice level and calm the entire time.

Although, the edge of authority and the show of his fangs does not emit the vibe that he’s willing to be lenient.

Even covered in blood, and with a healing wound on his side, he takes control with effortless ease. It’s hot as fuck.

His shadows curl around our legs and bind the limbs of Miller, who tries to run again rather than answer some of our questions. Failing escape, he lashes out, nearly injuring Ash, and seals his fate. Ty and Antares take him out together.

The other one, who I find out is called Nahzir, is much more willing to cooperate.

It turns out he only joined this pack as part of a deal with the one over in Carnio.

A deal which has since soured greatly but Adicious had refused to break the bond over Nahzir, forcing him to stay here rather than return.

“I didn’t realise,” Ty puffs out, like the revelation hurts him physically.

“You wouldn’t, the deal was struck before you rejoined the pack and nobody talked about it. I didn’t talk about it. Adicious would’ve punished my family more.”

“You can go.” Ty drops his hands and the shadows fall away from Nahzir’s wrists. “Back to them that is. I understand if you want to leave right away but if you want to stay a few days and rest. I’ll help ensure you have safe passage as well.”

The male on the floor looks up, brows knitted together. “You’d do that?”

“It’s the least we can do,” I add .

“I’ve been in contact with the Carnio pack recently. They are going to recognise my mate bond to Aurora, help us establish an underground network between the packs, and get some connections built again. If you stay, I can send you with some plans.”

“Share information?” He looks even more perplexed. I guess after years under Adicious’s rule, this does sound too good to be true.

“This pack isn’t going to run like it was a moment more. I want to build the legacy my parents once had. I want to connect the packs again. It’s the only way we have any hope of surviving long-term.”

There are more shocked faces from the group around us. The only ones not looking slightly slacked jawed are our two bonded and Mitch. Even Atlas seems a little surprised at the declaration, although it's not long before his face breaks into a huge grin.

Ty addresses them all, “We will make the same offer to all of you. You’re free to leave if you wish.

You’re free to stay. We will offer you a few weeks' refuge here before we ask you to bond to us. But should you choose that option, know that we will be running this as a pack should be. You will be expected to contribute but we want you to live, to thrive.”

“Of course I’m in.” Atlas barely allows Ty to finish speaking before he’s jumping us.

“You’re finally doing it, and I don’t want to be anywhere but here.

” He lifts Ty off his feet in a bear vice-like hug.

That is until Ty winces from the healing wound.

As Atlas lets him go another moment passes between them and the mate bond floods with emotion, it tastes like hope and relief.

I see their losses. I see the pack they once were and are about to be again.

Tears start threatening to streak down my cheeks.

After the moment passes the rest also take it in turns to agree to stay, including Nahzir. He wants to contact his brother but says he’ll stay and help in any way he can. That his brother, the pack leader, will want an alliance.

With weariness setting in and the adrenaline in all our systems draining at a fast pace now the fighting is over, we set about hauling body parts to a central spot on the lawn. Ty and Atlas are adding to the fire, ensuing it’s hot enough that we can burn the corpses and put an end to this night.

“Set Jackson aside. I don’t want to burn him with the others. He deserves a better send off,” Ty calls to Henry as he emerges from the house carrying out the bloodied headless body of the vampire we failed.

As we wait for the fire to rise, Ty returns to my side. I’d been gathering up the remnants of a wooden bench near the veranda, thinking that it may as well be used as firewood now.

‘How are you doing?’ His voice in my head gives away how exhausted he’s feeling.

‘I’m strangely okay. I think maybe this might all hit me tomorrow.’ I feel his hand come to my hip as I balance the snapped planks in my arms.

‘Yeah, I think I might be in the same place. It all feels too surreal right now.’

‘How’s your chest?’

‘It feels almost fine.’

I shoot him a look over my shoulder as we reach the fire and I drop my gathering beside it for Atlas to add.

‘If I asked you to drink more blood, would you?’

‘Everyone needs blood. I can’t take priority.’

‘You can and you will.’ I peel his blood crusted t-shirt away from the wound and find that under all the dried blood, the skin looks paper thin and there’s now swelling around the ribs either side. It still looks like it should be fatal, would be fatal to a human.

‘Mitch is worse off than I am currently.’ Ty flicks his gaze to where Mitch has sat on the grass, as ordered, to rest his clearly broken ankle.

Two of the wolves have shifted back and are sitting with him, looking as exhausted as the rest of us.

I was right and one of them is Kai, the other is Altair.

“I’ll go grab the rest of the packets from the fridge,” I reply aloud, turning back towards the house. There weren’t many, but even a few mouthfuls will help the injured.

“Stop!” Atlas yells. “We have company.”