Chapter 9 9

It was close to midnight by the time we had crossed the endless valley, traversed a couple of mountains, and stood at the base of a rusty-red rocky hill.

I was spent, but I hadn't bitched about it. Jason had offered to carry me, but he was very tired too, as he was unable to fully recover from the sun without replenishing his strength by taking in blood.

We overlooked a terrain of low bushes and hard red dirt.

"That's the border," Jason said, looking ahead, then glancing at me to check my state again.

"We're going to make it, sweety pie." I grinned at him. "Let's race for the final few miles."

Once we crossed the red terrain and reached the other side, the shifters wouldn't be able to track us as easily, and they might just give up. As for the witches and other hunters, they wouldn't be in their element in the western wilderness.

"Halt," Jason called before I sprang, ready to put the past behind me forever.

The wind stirred, then stilled, then picked up again.

A sheet of red dirt ascended into the sky along the horizon, as if a storm was coming.

Then all over the surrounding hills, packs of wolves howled. A flare of red light shot into the sky above one of the rocky hills to signal the beginning of the hunt.

They considered us the prey. Rage burnt my body.

"Ambush," Jason said calmly. "They set all the pieces in place while we slept. They herded us here. The shifters and the witches have joined forces to go against my kind."

All because they wanted to catch me, a common goal for them now.

"Peachy," I sneered, although not on Jason's level. "So we'll have to fight another hard battle. I thought life would be all roses and sugar once you busted me out."

He frowned at me. "You'd be bored if life was all roses and sugar."

"I'd like a boring life more than this," I said, gesturing at the unfolding drama ahead of us. "I'll be honest with you, sweety pie, I'm a little tired to be fighting another battle. I don't even remember the last time I had dinner."

"You had a meal a couple of hours ago," he grated. "I always made sure to feed you."

"How can you remember all the trivial things?" I threw up my hands. "Aren't you the vampire king?" Don't you have minions to worry about all the small things and carry your shoes?"

"Carry my shoes? For what end?" He snorted. "You need to make sense when you let words out of your little mouth, Ollivara. Words matter. And since I don't have any minions with me at the moment, I'll have to take care of everything, including you."

"There's no win in debating you," I said. "Anyway, I hope you at least agree that the situation is very bad." I tugged the open front of his trench coat as worry nagged at me. "I'm not sure if we will make it this time. Trust me, sweety pie, we won't always get lucky. When worst comes to worst, I want you to leave me behind."

"They'll have to get to you over my dead body," he promised viciously.

"That's what I'm worried about," I said, licking my parched lips. "I might not be too fond of you, since you carry this attitude that few women would be able to put up with, but I don't want you to die."

He gave me a long look, his throat bobbing up and down. A riot of emotions darted across his eyes like dark fire, and then they were gone.

"Your sentiment is touching but unnecessary," he said. "I won't abandon you."

No amount of persuasion could make him leave me to preserve himself. Warmth swelled in my chest until he added, "It's time for you to be tough."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I growled. "I'm the toughest shit out there."

A faint smile tugged up his curvy lips. Then I realised he was helping me keep my fear at bay. It was the first time I'd actually seen him smile, and the awakening monster in me purred.

"And to whatever bitter end together," I added.

"It won't be a bitter end today," he said. "I assure you, Ollivara."

"Now you're talking," I said. "You follow my lead, vampire. Remember, I'm the brain, and you're the muscle. When I say charge, you charge. When I say run, we run like there's hellfire on our butts. As long as we establish this dynamic, nothing can go wrong."

He ignored me but surveyed the battlefield ahead with a vicious and calculating light in his darkened eyes.

"Charge!" I bellowed and ran across the terrain, jumping over the bushes, not looking back to see if the vampire was following. "Bitches, come out! No need to hide. Your cunts stink!"

I stopped cold as I spotted two rows of archers ahead when the dust settled. Seven men in the front dropped to one knee, strings taut and arrows nocked. Five men stood behind them, their arrows trained on me as well, ready to fly, to harm, and to murder.

"Fuck, they have a formation," I murmured. "And thirteen is definitely a cult number. There's a Judas among them."

Then I spotted that there were more than thirteen archers. Behind them, dozens of witches in white robes, as if they were virgins, spread their legs wide and stretched their arms, ready to unleash their nasty spells. Fuckers were already chanting, probably summoning Satan.

Flanking the witches were shifters, probably two hundred of them. They covered all the exit routes with raised guns, unsheathed claws, and armoured jeeps backing them up. Thankfully, the shifters from the hills had stopped howling to intimidate us since they were busy running down the mountains on all fours. I prayed half of them broke their ankles and fell on their asses.

They had herded us here and planned to box us in.

It blew my mind even as my blood chilled at the thought that Asshole would go to such extremes to catch a nobody like me. A man's ego could really destroy the world. And now I was left to deal with the ridiculous, spectacular scene in front of me.

I wondered if he was here. I hoped I'd get an amazing chance to maul his fucking face. If he threatened my life or my vampire's life, I would tear out his throat to remind him how I never bent for any man.

And then I just giggled.

Jason eyed me warily. I hadn't seen him follow me, but when I halted, he was right beside me. He showed no fear, but there was worry in his deep eyes. I knew the worry was for me.

"It's just us now, sweety pie," I said softly, looking at the enemy army approaching the two of us. "Fancy finally meeting you before this final battle."

"This won't be our last, Sunshine," the vampire said.

Wow, the darkly moody vampire called me Sunshine for a farewell. I quite liked it. I'd die with the memory of sunshine after I took down as many foes as possible.

I bared my teeth at him in a half-grin and half-snarl. "Call me Phia. The hybrid vamwolf with magical power."

Too bad he wouldn't get to see and admire my magical pearl white wolf form. Maybe I'd shift in the heat of the coming battle and let the vamp have a glimpse, but the distraction might kill him if he got caught up admiring the rare beauty of my wolf.

Before I could resume my sprint toward the enemy army, Jason grabbed me by the arm, pulled me back, and shoved me behind him with a vicious growl. "You do not charge blindly."

"I never charge blindly when I have my wind with me," I said, but even I knew I hadn't recovered fully and that my magic might not come when I wasn't strong enough. It didn't matter, though. The battle had come for us, and we were very much surrounded. "I'll use my meek appearance to deceive our enemies. I'll even pretend to surrender and cry a little when I get closer to them. Then I'll roar and unleash my storm before they have a chance to release those nasty arrows. I'm a strategic thinker. And now I've revealed my brilliant plan; those fuckers shall suffer my wrath."

I also knew that neither of us would get out of here alive, but we'd go down in style.

Jason shook his head. "This isn't a street fight. It'll be a military battle. You'll stay behind me the whole time. I lead, and you'll be my shadow."

No fucking way.

But I didn't say that. I wasn't going to sow any contention between us before a military battle, as he called it.

His eyes turned ebony, a predator in full battle mode. There was no time or room for me to tremble.

"Let's soldier on," I said. "I really don't like those arrows. They hurt worse than fire."

The memory of an arrow burying itself in my shoulder made me shiver for a second. Jason didn't spare me a look, but rage seared his eyes.

Then he charged under the deep azure sky without informing me first. His trench coat billowed in the wind, his twin blades glinting with murderous light as he brandished them in front of him. They'd cut down any arrows that came near us. I had seen him do it. But wait, where did he get the other blade? This whole time, I'd only seen his black sword.

The vampire was full of surprises and was good at hiding secrets.

I sprang after him, roaring, yet the vampire was still louder than me. His thunderous bellows rocked the hills that studded the horizon in a half circle. The rocks and mountains were the silent witnesses to the battle. When all of us were gone, they would still be standing.