Chapter 8 8

With my renewed energy, provided by the vampire king's blood, I shot to my feet. This time, I stood steady as a rock, a sense of strength humming through my bones. The expected vertigo didn't hit. My vision was sharp, my senses heightened, and the dull ache in my limbs had vanished as though it had never existed.

Adrenaline streamed through my veins, making me feel invincible. My heart pounded in sync with this newfound power, each beat echoing the surge of energy coursing through me. But I warned myself not to get ahead of things. That kind of arrogance could easily get me killed in this place, especially considering the dangers lurking beyond these walls.

I jogged out of the cell, my legs steady, my breath even, and followed the vampire down the dim, shadowed corridor. His broad form moved with a grace that was almost unnatural, barely making a sound on the stone floor, but there was a tension in his shoulders that I didn't miss. He was focused, his eyes scanning the darkness as though he expected something-or someone-to jump out at us.

Still, the quiet was unsettling. "Why are you staring at the wall, man?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and jerking my thumb in the opposite direction. "We should go that way."

Jason didn't even glance at me. He simply snorted, dismissing me as though I hadn't said a word. That irked me more than it should've. I narrowed my eyes and tugged at his sleeve, trying to snap him out of whatever contemplative stupor he was in. This wasn't the time to brood or strategise or whatever vampires did in moments of silent thought. We needed to move. Fast.

"Hey! Snap out of it! I'm out now, remember?" I pressed, my tone light but laced with urgency.

My power stirred in my belly, a slow, insistent heat spreading through me. It was waking up after being repressed for so long, confined within that wretched cell that had voided any trace of magic I had. For the first time in what felt like ages, I felt my magic flex, stretching as if it had been dormant and was now eager to be used.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension there, feeling the sweet, spicy tang of power thrumming just beneath my skin. It was intoxicating, but I had to remain focused.

"Look," I said, catching Jason's eye for a second as he paused, still glaring at the wall as though it had wronged him in some way. "You've done an awesome job freeing me." I flashed him a grin, despite his brooding silence. "Now it's my turn. I can take it from here, and you're welcome to follow my lead."

He glanced down at me, his frown deepening. His response was typical-cold and detached. He jerked his arm upward, shrugging off my grip with an almost imperceptible show of irritation.

I couldn't help but laugh. "There's no place for attitude, sweetness," I teased, winking at him. I was in an unbelievably good mood considering the circumstances. After spending what felt like an eternity locked in that cell, the mere act of moving freely was a thrill, and my tongue was looser than usual. Even with danger lurking around every corner, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of elation.

"We're in this together now. Partners in crime." I gave him a playful nudge, although I knew he wouldn't appreciate it. "And trust me, neither of us wants to end up sharing that cell again, especially not the one you so elegantly busted open."

Jason's gaze darkened, his lips tightening. Clearly, he didn't share my enthusiasm, but that wasn't exactly surprising. I wasn't sure if Jason even had a sense of humor. Or maybe he'd lost it somewhere in the centuries he'd been walking this earth.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of invincibility that hummed through me. Maybe it was reckless optimism, or maybe it was the vampire king's blood still working its magic inside me, but I felt ready for whatever came next. My magic was back, pulsing just under the surface, and it wanted out. Every fibre of my being ached to be used. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt alive. Dangerous, even.

Jason, however, wasn't so easily swayed. He turned his gaze forward, his eyes hardening as he scanned the corridor. "Keep your wits about you," he said finally, his voice low, almost a growl. "You may feel powerful now, but that can change in an instant."

I frowned, a sliver of unease creeping in. He was right, of course. I couldn't let the rush of power make me complacent. But even as he spoke, a part of me couldn't help but feel that for once, I had the upper hand.

Jason had freed me, and I wasn't going to waste this second chance. No, if anything, I was going to make damn sure that the people who'd locked me up would regret it.

I squared my shoulders, feeling the pulse of magic thrum in response, and grinned.

But he was still looking at the wall as if he wanted to bite it or punch through it.

"If you're thinking of doing what I think you're trying to do, it won't work," I informed him, folding my arms across my chest.

"Why the hell not?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Because that wall is like five feet of solid concrete. This jail is reserved for the worst criminals-the ones who have royally pissed off the shifters. The very bad-" My words hung in the air for a moment before the realisation hit me. I was the only prisoner here. I swallowed hard, my stomach twisting. Oh my gods, I'm the worst criminal here. The thought settled over me like a thick, suffocating fog. And what had I done to earn that title?

Trust me, I did not kill the alpha, fuck his luna, or take her so many Birkins and channel bags.

All I did was refuse to let the Alpha's son touch me ever again. That was my crime. I stood my ground against him, and this is where it got me-chained and left to rot in a prison designed for monsters.

Still ignoring me, Jason stood, his gaze locked on the stone wall as if he were calculating something, then he raised his brow at the ceiling.

I shook my head, "Nope, that won't do either," pushing the bitterness away. Now wasn't the time to get lost in my own misery. We had to focus on getting out of here. Jason had done the hard part by breaking me out of the cell. Now we just had to figure out how to get past the guards and escape this hellhole.

"We'll have to fight our way out," I continued, pacing the small space between us. My heart thudded in my chest, adrenaline buzzing through me. "But if you can, stun them instead of killing them. I mean, I haven't been tainted enough by the world to be too jaded, you know? I'm not exactly softhearted, but I still want to make a difference. Show everyone that violence isn't always the answer."

"Bullocks!"

"I'm serious! You can't just kill them. Some of them are my, um, well, friends. Not super close, but some of them owe a bakery, and they bake cake that is out of this world yummy. I just-"

"Shut up!"

I glanced at him irritably, but his gaze remained fixed on the wall, as though he wasn't even listening to me. Typical. But I kept talking anyway, needing to fill the silence with something other than my racing thoughts. "To be honest, I don't even consider most of the shifters my enemies, even though their alpha's son locked me up. This isn't about them. It's about him. The bastard."

My voice softened for a moment, thinking of Patrick, the one shifter I still trusted. He was my friend, and some of the people we'd have to fight our way through might be his friends, too. Some of them might even be loyal to him. I didn't want to hurt anyone more than I had to.

"But..." I paused, a flicker of steel entering my tone. "If they try to kill me, that's a different story." I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of my words. "I'll defend myself, and you'll defend me."

Jason's response was nothing but silence. He didn't even blink, his sharp gaze still locked on the wall. I sighed, exasperated, running a hand through my hair. Why was it always so hard to get through to him?