Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
I throw myself backwards, twisting just enough to feel the whisper of air as his razor-sharp claws slice past my face.
Too close.
He’s too fast.
I’m going to die.
Leonidas laughs and lunges, his snarling face filling my vision. His claws are mere centimetres from my throat when a surge of magic explodes through the room. The force is violent, slamming into the vampire. His red eyes widen in shock as he freezes mid-strike, locked in place by the spell.
He is solid.
Frozen.
I crash onto the floor, pain shooting up my spine from the jarring impact. My breath comes in short, frantic gasps as I scramble backwards, my shoulders hitting the wall.
That wasn’t me. That was not my magic. I didn’t even think of using it.
Powerful energy crackles in the air, buzzing across my skin like static. Whatever spell holds Leonidas is potent, thrumming like a live wire. Yet it didn’t touch me, even though I was right there.
“What the heck just happened?” I whisper, pressing a trembling hand to my chest. Was it the building’s magic?
The answer strides through the French doors, calm and unhurried. Lander’s wand spins lazily between his fingers as he gives me a wave, his smug smile broadening as he surveys the immobilised vampire.
Before I can process his presence, the main door bursts open. Merrick and Riker charge in, their expressions feral.
I blink, my body still shaking so violently that my vision blurs. Merrick crosses the room in three swift strides and scoops me into his arms, his hands roaming over me in a frantic search for injuries.
He’s here. He came for me.
This is all my fault.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” I rasp, my throat raw.
Merrick came for me just like he promised.
He pulls me close, his lips grazing my forehead. “I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “You are safe now. We got him.”
A sob breaks free, and I collapse against his chest, clinging to him as though he might vanish. Everything feels too raw—too much—but he is here.
That was too close. Far too close.
“Merrick!” Lander’s sharp voice cuts through the moment.
Merrick pulls back reluctantly, his thumb skimming my cheek. His expression is shadowed with guilt and something darker—something I can’t quite name. “I need to handle this,” he says quietly. “I will be right there.”
I nod, unable to form words.
“Stay here. You are safe now.”
Riker offers me a small, reassuring smile and a quick wink as he follows Merrick. “Nice chompers,” he teases, tapping his teeth.
Chompers? My hand flies to my mouth, and I realise my teeth are still wolfed out. Mortified, I focus on pulling the shifter magic back. Slowly, my teeth and claws shrink, returning to normal.
My knees threaten to buckle, but I force myself to move. I grab my necklace from the bathroom, fumbling to secure it around my neck. The cool weight offers a thin veneer of security. Back in the main room, I shove my feet into my boots, craving something solid beneath me.
Still shaking, I edge closer to the group. I need to see what they do with the vampire—and I need to tell Merrick the truth, that Leonidas has been in my head, pillaging my thoughts.
I’m the mole.
And Paul—Paul’s dead.
My stomach twists, but I shove down the sob that threatens to erupt.
One thing at a time, Lark. One thing at a time.
“We got him, then,” Lander says, voice aggravatingly casual. He claps Merrick on the back, grin widening. “Great plan, pal.”
Plan? What plan?
I clear my throat, my voice small as I ask, “Can you tell me what is going on?”
But my question is lost under Merrick’s vicious growl. The frozen ancient vampire and the Alpha Prime lock eyes, both radiating raw fury as they size each other up. Leonidas’s red gaze burns, but behind that mad arrogance, I see a flicker of unease.
“I know about the blood-borne link,” Merrick snarls.
I flinch, dread curling in my stomach.
“I knew for certain you were in Lark’s head after the Human First stunt,” he continues. “There was no way you could have found those men without inside help. I spoke to Lander, and together, we arranged the Council meeting here in the Magic Sector.” His voice hardens. “We knew you wouldn’t be able to resist hunting Lark here. Every single step to trap you was meticulously planned.”
Oh no.
“In your arrogance,” Merrick growls, “you walked right into it.”
“Here’s the daylight spell,” Lander says, tossing a bright yellow vial.
Merrick catches it without breaking eye contact with the vampire. A cruel smile reveals the sharp edges of his teeth. “Once you knew she was mine,” he says, his voice low and dangerous, “you should’ve stayed far away. Hunting my fated mate? This was never going to end well for you.”
With no hesitation, Merrick plunges his hand into the frozen barrier around Leonidas. The second their skin meets, the vial’s magic activates in a blinding flash of light.
I shield my eyes, heart pounding, every nerve on fire.
When the light fades, and I look again, the vampire is gone. Nothing remains but a dark pile of ash scattered across the floor.
It’s over. Leonidas is dead.
I sway on my feet, lightheaded, and my head spins as Merrick’s words echo in my mind, louder and sharper with every beat of my heart:
“I know about the blood-borne link.”
“I knew for certain you were in Lark’s head after the Human First stunt.”
They knew.
They knew the vampire was in my mind, violating my thoughts, stealing every private moment.
They didn’t stop him.
They used me.
I. Was. Bait.
The realisation hits like a hammer to my chest, knocking the breath from my lungs. An ache swells in my throat. My legs threaten to give way beneath the weight of it.
They planned this.
And my heart… my heart shatters.