Page 63 of Donovan
And we weren’t in any position to stick around and offer that preparation. Leaving had to be our number one priority.
If we disappeared off the Guild’s radar, if we found somewhere they couldn’t track us, then maybe once the heat died down, we could come back.
I reached across the table, my fingers brushing against his.
Declan looked at me, his eyes searching mine, as if he was still trying to figure out if I was going to fight him on this, if I was going to pull away.
For a moment, I allowed myself to believe that maybe we could do this. Leave, find safety, and eventually, come back.
We could rebuild. But that thought was fleeting, overshadowed by the gnawing worry in the back of my mind about the flock.
Before either of us could speak again, a frantic knock shattered the silence, loud and insistent.
I tensed, Declan’s posture immediately stiffening beside me. My heart kicked into a faster beat, as the knock came again, rapid and desperate.
I was on my feet in an instant, Declan following close behind as I rushed to the door. Without a word, I wrenched it open.
Lena stood there, panting, her chest rising and falling in quick, sharp bursts. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with panic.
“They’re coming,” she gasped, and for a moment, I thought I might lose my grip on the doorframe. The air in my lungs turned to lead.
“Who?” I managed to croak.
“The rabid vampires,” she said, swallowing hard. “Only this time, it’s different.”
Declan stiffened next to me. “Different how?” Declan demanded.
Lena hesitated, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting something or someone, to leap from the shadows.
“There’s someone leading them,” she said, her voice hoarse with fear. “A bigger vampire. He’s somehow controlling them. They’re not acting like mindless predators anymore. They’re organized.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. A leader?
A cold dread slithered down my spine.
I thought of Kit’s team, the Guild, and what they might do if they found us. And now these rogue vampires, with a leader at their helm. Luck wasn’t really on our side.
“Now’s not a good time for this,” Declan muttered.
I took a breath, forcing myself to focus. This wasn’t just about surviving anymore.
This was about figuring out how to get ahead of both the Guild and these vampires. Kit was part of the equation, whether I wanted him to be or not.
I turned back to Lena, my gaze locking with hers.
“Tell me everything you know about this leader,” I demanded. “How many rabid vampires are under his control?”
She blinked, startled by the shift in my tone, but quickly nodded."At least twenty."
I looked to Declan, my mind racing.
This wasn’t just a matter of survival anymore. This was about making sure we didn’t get caught up in the Guild’s web or fall prey to these rogue vampires.
“Donovan,” Declan started, his voice a low warning, but I held up my hand, cutting him off.
“I have an idea,” I said, a plan already forming in my head.
It wasn’t a perfect plan. Nothing ever was, but it was the only option we had left.
