Page 129 of Blood So Brutal

“You’re not allowed to die,” I argued. “I already got pissed at you for it once. We’re going to fight those bastards and prove to everyone that the vampyres deserve to live in peace.”

He nodded in agreement, leaning down to kiss me again before freezing and looking somewhere in the distance.

Every ounce of my now-fueled senses lit up.

“What? What is it?”

Wolf stood with a calmness and fierceness I only saw on him once before. It was the vision of a warrior. A soldier. “They’re coming.”

Chapter 49

Wolf

The air shifted. The wind warned us of the attackers minutes before I felt it in the ground—the low rumble of horses in the distance, the fluttering of wings miles away.

There was no room for fear here.

No room for hesitation.

I reached out to Huntyr through the bond, reached out to feel her emotions, but she felt no fear either—only a fierce, reassuring determination.

The only option here was to win. Win and survive. Win not only for us, but for every single person with a weapon drawn, ready to fight for our freedom. For our future.

They would never control us. They would never eradicate us.

Asmodeus thought he was gaining an inside man when he sacrificed my soul to Era, when he turned me to this half-vampyre, but he was wrong. He had no idea where my loyalties would lie after that betrayal. He had no idea I would finally find myself here, among these blood-sucking monsters.

They would find out how much of a monster I could be.

They would all find out.

I gripped my sword with steady hands.

Huntyr wasn’t far, but dammit if every single one of my instincts didn’t urge me to turn around and run after her.

She was a strong fighter. She spent her entire life learning to kill, after all.

But that was why she needed to protect the others. Rummy, the kids, the women—they were deep in the ruins, hiding in the bunker.

It was our job to keep them safe. It was our job not to let those evil, power-hungry bastards anywhere near the kingdom.

I looked to my right. Hundreds of vampyres—females and males both—lined the trees. They created a barricade of bodies, ready to rip apart anyone who dared enter, anyone who dared attack us.

Then, I looked to my left. My chest swelled even further as I saw the same thing—hundreds more vampyres with swords drawn and teeth barred, ready to protect this kingdom.

They weren’t going to lose it for a second time.

I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Anticipation thickened the air, but not fear. Nobody was afraid.

Fear came when you had something to lose. This? Us? We fought for a chance to live. A chance to build a home. A chance to build a kingdom.

We had no kingdom to lose, no home to savor, and that’s what made us dangerous.

I braced myself as the sound of men grew closer and closer. They weren’t even trying to conceal their approach—they were too big-headed. With the magic of the angels, they thought they were no match for us.

The first fae came into view ahead, sword raised and mouth open with a battle cry.

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