Page 20 of Vampire Blood (Vampire Bite #2)

Lucas

The ground trembled beneath our feet. Dust and loose stones rattled, and the air grew thick, heavy and suffocating. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as my gaze locked on the crypt's sealed entrance.

It was opening.

The stone slab groaned as it shifted, ancient mechanisms grinding against each other in protest. Light didn’t pour out. There was only darkness, seeping like smoke, curling along the cracks as if the shadows themselves were alive.

A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. Even the shifters, arrogant and bloodthirsty, stepped back. The townspeople trembled, eyes wide with terror. I felt their fear clawing at my own resolve, but I swallowed it down.

Zaros stood beside me, his lips curling into a dark smile. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice was sharp, hungry. “Power unlike anything you've ever known.”

I ignored him, my eyes fixed on the crypt. The air crackled with energy. My skin prickled, my instincts screaming at me to run. But I stood my ground.

I had to.

With one last groan, the slab slid away completely, revealing the darkness inside. Silence fell… a suffocating, unnatural stillness.

And then he stepped out.

Aurelius.

Tall. Regal. Terrible.

His skin was pale as death, stretched taut over sharp cheekbones and hollowed eyes that burned with crimson fire. His hair, dark and sleek, framed a face that was both ageless and ancient, beautiful and monstrous.

He wore black robes that seemed to drink the light, flowing like smoke around his towering frame. Power radiated off him, heavy and suffocating.

A slow, predatory smile curved his lips as his eyes swept the crowd. His gaze landed on me, and I felt it like ice in my veins.

“You,” he said, his voice a low purr that echoed unnaturally. “The descendant.”

I didn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Zaros bowed deeply beside me, his voice trembling with reverence. “Master Aurelius, we have freed you. I… have freed you. I made this possible.” He bowed even deeper, so low his forehead nearly touched the ground. “Together, we will rule. The world will kneel before us.”

A tense silence stretched, heavy as iron. No one moved. Not the shifters, not the vampires, not the terrified townspeople. My breath caught, every muscle in my body coiled tight, waiting for Aurelius to speak.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he turned to Zaros with slow, deliberate grace. His eyes burned like coals, and there was something in them, something ancient and cruel.

Zaros looked up, expectant. Eager.

It happened so fast, I barely saw it.

Aurelius’s hand shot out, wrapping around Zaros’ throat. The vampire leader’s eyes bulged, a strangled gasp escaping his lips. Aurelius lifted him like he weighed nothing, like he was a toy, something fragile and meaningless.

“No,” Aurelius said, his voice smooth as silk and twice as deadly. “You are nothing.”

And then he threw him.

Zaros hit the stone wall with a sickening crack. Blood sprayed. His body crumpled to the ground, unmoving. Lifeless.

The silence that followed was louder than any scream.

I couldn’t breathe. No one could.

Aurelius turned back to us, as if nothing had happened. His crimson eyes swept over the crowd, measuring, calculating.

“Let this be clear,” he said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “There is no ruler but me.”

My heart hammered in my chest. I felt the weight of his words, the finality of them. Whatever hope Zaros had clung to—that he could control this monster—was dead.

Just like him.

Aurelius stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over us like a predator sizing up prey. His presence filled the crypt, pressing against my chest, heavy and suffocating.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand tall, even as every instinct screamed at me to run. He wasn’t just a vampire. He was something older. Darker. A force that shouldn’t have been woken.

The townspeople shrank back, fear rippling through the crowd. Even the shifters, who moments ago stood proud and menacing, looked uneasy now.

But Aurelius barely seemed to notice them. His attention flickered past them, settling somewhere deeper, like he was looking through us.

“You.” His voice was sharp, slicing through the tension. It took me a heartbeat to realize he was looking at me.

I clenched my fists. “What about me?”

His lips curved, and it wasn’t a smile. It was something cold and hollow. “You’re the one who’s been meddling. Fighting so hard to stop me.”

I didn’t answer. My pulse roared in my ears.

Aurelius tilted his head. “And yet… I can taste it. The fear. You know you can’t win.”

I took a step closer, ignoring the weight of every eye on me. “You don’t know what I can do.”

His expression darkened. “I know enough.”

He moved then, too fast. One moment he stood by Zaros’ broken body, the next he was in front of me, inches away.

I didn’t flinch. I couldn’t show weakness.

“You reek of desperation,” he murmured, eyes boring into mine. “And love.” He spat the word like it disgusted him. “A weakness. One that will cost you everything.”

I refused to let him see the way his words hit me. Refused to let him know that all I could think about was Annika. Was she safe? Did she make it out?

Aurelius leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper meant for me alone.

“I will find her,” he said. “And when I do, you’ll watch her bleed.”

Rage flared, white-hot and blinding. My hand shot out before I could think, grabbing the dagger at my side and driving it toward his chest.

But he caught my wrist. Effortless. Like I was nothing.

He squeezed, and pain shot up my arm. I gritted my teeth, refusing to cry out.

“You have fire,” Aurelius said, amused. “Good. It will make breaking you more enjoyable.”

He shoved me back, and I staggered, barely keeping my footing.

The shifters circled closer, sensing blood.

I forced myself to stay upright. I glanced at the townspeople, then back at the monster.

“You don’t need them. They’re just pawns. They’re nothing to you. Let them go, and I’ll stay. You want me, right? Just let them walk free.”

Aurelius’ lips curled into a cruel smile, and his eyes flashed with a dark amusement. “Let them go?” His voice was low, mocking. “You really think I’m here for your townspeople, vampire prince? No, you’re wrong. They’re a means to an end. And you? You’re my prize. The one I’ve been waiting for. You, with your bloodline, your defiance… you’re exactly what I need to rule.”

My stomach twisted, my fists clenching. “I’m not your prize. And I’m not afraid of you.”

Aurelius chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his presence suffocating. “Afraid? Oh, I know you’re afraid. I can smell it. You’ve been fighting this, fighting me, for so long. But there’s nothing you can do now. Not when I have everything I need.” He gestured to the shifters, his followers, and then toward the people who trembled in the corners of the crypt.

He took another step forward, his face inches from mine. “You should have known, Lucas. You’ve always been a part of this. You’ve always been mine.”

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay composed. “I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours.”

Aurelius’ eyes flashed, his lips curling in an almost predatory smile. “That’s what they all say. And yet, here you are, surrounded by the very people who will suffer because of you. Because of your stubbornness. Your love.” He sneered at the word. “You think I care about any of them? I care about power, Lucas. I care about what’s mine. And you—” He stepped closer, his gaze hard and final. “You will be mine.”

I refused to back down, my mind racing, trying to figure out how to turn this around, but nothing in that moment seemed to make sense. His hold on everything, on me, on my town, on Annika was suffocating. And yet, something inside me still refused to break. Something told me that if I kept fighting, kept pushing, there had to be a way to stop him.

“You’re wrong,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “I’ll stop you. I’ll stop everything you want.”

Aurelius tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “You will try, Lucas. In fact, I will give you a chance to prove yourself right now. Let’s see if you’re truly as strong as you think you are.”

I barely had time to register his words before he was on me, his speed unnerving, almost supernatural. I threw a punch, my fist aiming for his jaw, but he dodged it effortlessly, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.

“You’re slow,” he taunted, and before I could react, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back with an ease that sent a jolt of pain up my spine.

I gritted my teeth, trying to fight through the agony. “I’m not done yet.”

Aurelius chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating through my bones. He released my arm with a flick, pushing me away. I staggered back, trying to regain my footing, but he was already moving again, too fast for my eyes to track. It was like he knew my every move before I even thought of making it. I swung again, desperate to land a blow, but he sidestepped with a speed that left me swinging at air.

“How predictable,” he sneered. “You’re just like all the others, Lucas. You think you can win this fight with willpower alone. But power isn’t about strength. It’s about control. Something you will never have.”

I growled, feeling the frustration build in my chest. Each move I made, he anticipated, dodging with supernatural ease. I was so slow compared to him, my instincts sluggish, my reflexes nothing compared to his. My muscles screamed for relief, my heart racing as I tried to think of something, anything, to get ahead of him.

I lunged again, trying a different angle, but Aurelius was already behind me. His arm wrapped around my neck in a tight grip, choking off my breath. I could feel his power coursing through him, so much stronger than mine. He was toying with me, enjoying the struggle.

“Is this really the best you can do, Lucas?” he mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re nothing. Weak.”

I gasped for air, trying to twist free, but it was like fighting against a wall. Every time I thought I had a chance, he would disappear, reappearing somewhere else in the blink of an eye. His movements were a blur, his strength unimaginable.

I was drowning in frustration, my vision clouding, my body growing heavier with each passing second.

Aurelius’s dark chuckle echoed through the crypt as he let go of me, his grip leaving a burning imprint around my throat. I staggered backward, gasping for air, my body still reeling from his strength. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

“Enough of this,” he sneered. “It’s time to end this charade.”

Without warning, he raised his hand, and a signal went out. The shifters, waiting in the shadows, surged forward, their snarls and growls filling the room as they charged at us.

Panic spread like wildfire through the crowd. The townspeople screamed, scattering in every direction, trying to avoid being caught by the oncoming assault. I had no time to process what was happening before the first wave of shifters was on us, claws outstretched, teeth bared.

“Protect the others!” I shouted to the few who were still standing.

Callum, standing nearby, lunged at the nearest shifter, his sword flashing as he engaged. I pulled my own weapon from its sheath, a sense of dread creeping in as I realized the odds stacked against us.

But there was no time to hesitate. The fight had already begun, and I had to act.