Page 50 of Those That Don’t Exist (Hidden Vampires #1)

TY

I f I had a weaker heart I would be dead already.

The first shock was finding Red with a torn up, and bleeding, male down a narrow street.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, her instincts would’ve been heightened on her little escape run, bringing the urge to hunt to the surface.

She’s shown incredible control until this point but every newbie slips. She just could’ve had better timing.

Thankfully, I managed to save the bastard with a hell of a lot of my saliva and using my tongue to help knit the wound back together. It's never the best sensation but I’d rather deal with an injured body than a dead one.

The second heart stopping moment of the night, however, I may not recover from. I swear all of the blood in my system drains to my feet as I stand to face Ronan.

“Well, look here, I think we’ve walked in on a date night,” he croons as he saunters into the street. “I guess she chose the special.”

He gives me a smirk, I immediately want to smack it off his face.

“We got lucky boys!” he calls out a moment before I hear them. Four other sets of footprints. Two to flank Ronan and two coming from behind us, from the other end of this narrow path.

We’re trapped. Completely fucked.

Aurora lets out a gasp beside me. She might be covered in blood but fear is the strongest scent coming from her now. I take a step forward, placing my hand out to offer her some semblance of a shield from the monster in front of us.

I inhale a few times in quick succession. From their scents I can tell one of the guys behind us is Atlas. The other is Tripp. Maybe if I took Tripp out, Atlas would let us pass. In the seconds I would need, however, Ronan, Cairn and Demetri, who’ve joined him at the top entrance, would be on us.

“It's no use, Ty. You’re trapped. I have to hand it to you, staying hidden for three days was a very good effort.”

“You’re not taking her,” I snarl. My fangs are already extended from tasting the male on the floor behind me, but I show them fully to the cunt standing in my way.

“No, I was rather hoping she’d come willingly.” His gaze moves to behind me. “Aurora? How about we take you somewhere to clean up? You‘re late for your meeting with Adicious after all.”

I sink into a fighting stance as he addresses her. I want to rip his head clean off his body.

“I… er… was just heading home.” Aurora straightens. I commend her ability to pull herself together. Apart from the stammer, her voice is much stronger than it was moments ago. Hopefully she can sense the danger we’re both in. “Who are you exactly?” she asks, far more inquisitive than I would like.

“Apologies, I forgot we haven’t been formally introduced yet.

” Ronan places a hand to his chest like he’s actually sorry.

“I’m Ronan, right hand man to Adicious. He’s so looking forward to showing you around our estate.

It’s lovely this time of year. Whilst I’m at it, this is Cairn and Demetri.

” He gestures to his left and right. “And behind you is Atlas and Tripp.”

They all either offer a smile or hand gesture as Ronan says their names. It seems to soothe the panic in Red which is real fucking concerning.

Please, please Red, don’t trust these assholes. I plead silently as if she would be able to hear my thoughts.

“So, shall we get going?” Ronan uses his thumb to point over his shoulder as he takes a step forward. “It’s not wise to hang around here too long, we don’t want to be seen with a mangled body covered in blood after all.”

Ronan takes another step towards us, the growl I unleash is automatic. My shadows also ripple across the ground thickening around my legs and out towards the remaining pavement between all of us.

“Come closer and I’ll end you,” I threaten, showing him my fangs again.

“Ty, come on. It's five on one. You’re no longer part of this pack. So kindly fuck off, or we will be killing you,” he says it in such a light tone but the threat is very real.

I highly doubt the ‘fuck off’ option is legit, I wouldn’t make it two blocks from here before they caught me, they just don’t want to show their vicious side to Red with this little nice act they’re playing.

“You mean you’d actually let me go?” I decide to press him on his bullshit.

“If you let us all leave, including Aurora, without a commotion right now I’ll give you a head start. Adicious only said to bring you in if we grabbed you so I’ll grant you time to get to the border.”

He’s bluffing, there’s no way they’d allow me to get that far.

“Ty.” Red’s voice breaks through the intense death stare I’m firing Ronan’s way. Her arm brushes mine forcing my gaze to swing to her. “Maybe you should go.”

What?! She can’t be serious. Not a chance in this lifetime Red. In any lifetime.

She might’ve run from me tonight but I still want to make her mine. She is mine. I’m not leaving her for a second with any of these pricks. Even Atlas I can’t trust at the moment, he’s blood bound afterall.

The guy on the floor chooses this exact moment to begin to regain consciousness. Red lets out a shriek like he’s returned from the dead. Which to be fair, he basically has. Before I can do anything I hear Ronan speak.

“Deal with that already,” he orders Cairn, who moves at vampiric speed past me and Red, snapping the male’s neck with a sickening crunch before I can intervene. I wince at the pointless death.

It’s a mistake on his part though. They fucked up. Aurora gasps in horror, as the comprehension washes through her. She’s seeing the pack for who they truly are.

“What the fuck? Why did you kill him?” She turns to Ronan, sidestepping me, her voice laced in pure loathing. I quickly move with her, placing my hand on her back. It's a possessive move but I need to be able to grab her if he so much as tries to touch her.

“Easier to clean up a body than have to deal with medical staff tonight. There’s already too much to do with cleaning up all this blood,” Ronan responds like he’s bored with the drama, but I can tell he’s secretly loving this.

There's a lethal glint in his dark eyes.

“Anyway let's go, I’m done with this conversation.”

He goes to grab Red, but I’m quicker. I grab the back of her dress to force her backward as I step in, my fist already up to swing at Ronan. It makes a satisfying crunch against his jaw as I make contact.

All hell breaks loose. Cairn is right at our backs from killing the male on the floor, he grabs Aurora whilst I defend a punch Ronan throws back my way. Tripp joins in too so it's two against one. I can handle those odds in my sleep but not when Red’s in the clutches of a third.

I swing again and again, my fists hitting flesh more than they miss but my vision is stuck on my female as she struggles against Cairn.

The shadows do their best to darken around me, making my form harder to read, but the proximity of my opponents means they have little effect.

I darken the entire alley to make it harder for the pack.

It’ll stop any onlookers from seeing the brawl currently happening too.

The last thing we need is any enforcers turning up.

As I twist away from my opponents I take half a second to find the other two males who haven’t immediately moved from their positions. Atlas thankfully hasn’t joined in yet but Demetri is aiding Cairn in getting a hold on Red. She’s never practised against multiple opponents, only me.

One of the fuckers trying to knock me out gets a lucky swipe in at my left side which I’d left exposed. The other seizes the opportunity to pin one of my arms behind my back.

I swing and snarl and almost break free of their hold several times before Ronan once again flips the tables on me and produces a knife.

The blade is cold at my throat, I freeze.

It's totally against our nature to fight with weapons, our entire body is a gods damned weapon. But I can’t fight it.

If he slices me open I’ll have only seconds of consciousness to react. I stop struggling.

“Finally, this gets you listening,” he pants, the fight having exerted him substantially. I’d have overpowered the bastard if he fought with any honour. “Now, come quietly or I slit your throat and you come back with us with your head practically severed. Your choice.”

I stare at Aurora being held with her arms gripped tight by the two male vampires, and Atlas, having moved into the frey, at her back.

Our eyes lock as I register my failure, my chest tight.

I should’ve anticipated this. I should’ve been able to get us out of this.

But I see no way out. I close my eyes, unable to look at the female staring at me with terror in her eyes.

“Ok.” I let out a defeated sigh.