Natalie“I’ll have someone pick her up,” Adrian said calmly.I opened my mouth to argue—some small part of me still trying to hold on to control—but one look at him silenced me. His eyes were steady, certain. He wasn’t suggesting. He had decided.I gave him a slight nod, my trust still outweighing my doubts.“Hello? Nat?” Alison’s voice crackled through the phone, laced with fear. “Are you still there?”“Someone will come for you,” I said quietly. “They’ll bring you to where I am.”She let out a breath of relief. “Thank God. I thought I’d have to turn back. I was scared I wouldn’t see you.”Normally, that would’ve earned a small laugh from me. Something to soften the moment. But I couldn’t find one. Not with my mother lying inches from death, her body fighting off a venom I didn’t even understand.I ended the call without another word and handed the phone to Nikolas, giving him Alison’s number. He nodded and exited quietly to carry out Adrian’s instructions.Adrian crossed the room an
NatalieI didn’t know what was happening to my mother. The sight of that thick, dark blood chilled me to my core. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.Strigoi venom.Nikolas’s words echoed in my skull like a curse. Had one of them bitten her during the attack? Was it slow-acting? Hidden?Adrian didn’t wait. He lifted her effortlessly and vanished with her—just a blur of speed and wind. Gone before I could even ask what he was going to do.I stood frozen for a heartbeat, then turned to Nikolas. “Where did he go?”“The infirmary,” he said calmly. “I’ll lead you.”I noticed then—he was slowing his steps, keeping pace with me. Probably could’ve carried me there in half the time, but chose not to. Respect or pity, I couldn’t tell.The stairs twisted downward, endless and cold. Shadows stretched along the walls, flickering with light from old sconces. It felt like we were descending into another world.At the landing, a familiar face stopped me short—Arya.She wasn’t expecting to see me. H
Natalie“Yes, Mom,” I said quietly. “Everything Uncle Michael did—every calculated move—was to ensure I became the sacrifice. Not his daughter.”My mother’s expression changed in an instant—from sorrow to fury. Her hands clenched into fists.“How dare he?” she hissed. “He had the money, the influence. He could’ve protected both of you. And still, he chose to offer his brother’s child while shielding his own? How could he?!”“He’ll claim Dad never finished the ritual,” I said, my voice sharper now. “That the deal wasn’t sealed. But he knew the truth. He knew what Dad intended. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have accepted the wealth, the estate, everything. He took it knowing the price.”Her breath was ragged now. “Coward. He let Brian die, and still… still tried to feed you to those monsters.”I nodded slowly. “That’s what I think happened. The Strigoi came to collect their debt. That’s why I was attacked on campus. But the werewolves—Dad’s old allies—they came. They saved me.”She looked at me
Natalie“Calm down, Mom. You need to breathe,” I said gently, though my voice wavered.Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she nodded—just barely. Then, trembling, she started to speak.“A girl knocked on my door in the middle of the night,” she said, her voice tight with disbelief. “Said she was headed to the university. Said her car broke down. She looked young—barely more than a teenager. She told me she was on her period and needed a bathroom.”Her hands trembled as she wiped her face. “She was so small, Natalie. I figured if she was crazy, I could take her. I just... wanted to help.”Her voice broke, and I could feel her guilt crawling up the walls around us.“I should have known something was wrong,” she whispered. “But who thinks vampires are real? That’s movie stuff. TV. I walked away from the door, expecting her to follow me in—but she didn’t. I turned back and told her, ‘You can come in.’ That’s when she stepped over the threshold.”She swallowed hard. “I was heading upstair
NatalieWe reached the door to my mother’s room, and someone was already standing guard—tall, composed, with a quiet presence that spoke more of control than force.“Natalie, this is my assistant, Nikolas,” Adrian said. “He’s been watching over your mother since the Meet and Greet Ball.”Nikolas gave a respectful nod, eyes sharp and unreadable.“That was the only way I could protect you,” Adrian continued, his voice low, edged with something close to guilt. “I didn’t expect things to spiral the way they have. I didn’t think the Strigoi would break the rules and come for you on neutral ground.”I didn’t hold it against him. After everything I’d seen—what he’d done to the wolves without even fully unleashing himself—I knew now: Adrian would burn the world to keep me safe. And if he hadn’t watched my mother, she might not have been here at all.“You were the one on the phone,” I said to Nikolas, my gaze narrowing slightly as I placed his voice.He nodded once. “Yes, ma’am.”I blinked. “M
Natalie Adrian and I didn’t rise until the sun was high and heavy in the sky—noon, maybe later. The light pooled through the windows, painting golden streaks across the floor, yet the room felt wrapped in shadows. I felt... off. Dizzy.My limbs were slow to wake, my thoughts tangled in something more than sleep. Maybe it was the remnants of this morning—the feel of Adrian’s lips on my skin, the weight of everything I’d learned.Alison was coming. The thought sat on my chest like a stone. After what I now knew, I couldn’t shake the questions: Why now? Why here? Uncle Mike had forbidden her from Cainebrille, cut her off like a diseased limb.Was she really visiting of her own will—or was he using her, baiting a hook he knew I’d bite? The Strigoi wanted me. That much was certain. But was Alison a warning… or a trap?I lingered in the shower longer than usual, letting the water scour the unease from my skin. When I glanced at my shoulder, where Adrian had bitten me—it was smooth. Clean.