MasukI was about to charge straight at Manuel the moment he lunged toward us, but Damon stepped in front of me before I could even move. "We need to figure out what his power is first instead of charging in blindly," Damon whispered lowly. "I’ll fight him first, so watch how he moves and study his powers. That might be our way out." Before I could argue, he breathed in sharply and charged forward, catching Manuel’s oncoming fist directly in his palm. The sound of the impact echoed even through the chaos of the distant battlefield as Damon forced Manuel back, their hands still locked. Manuel let himself be pushed, but not for long; he planted his feet firmly on the floor, forcing Damon to break the hold. Both of them began to circle each other, and I stood at a distance, watching intently. Manuel hadn’t displayed any special ability yet. Could it be that only Azrael and Orion were the ones with true powers? Had he just been hiding behind them all this time? If that was the case, then
Third-Person POV "What the hell do you mean he escaped?!" Manuel yelled, shoving a bloody Sean backward. "I was gone for less than two fucking hours! So how, Sean? How irresponsible are you that a dying man was able to slip through your fingers?" he seethed, his heels bouncing on the floor in agitation. "My only means of negotiation—gone, because you were too weak to stop one man... one man," he yelled again, approaching Sean, whose back was now glued to the wall. "We chased him, Manuel! We chased him the moment he ran out, but people were waiting in ambush not far from here, like they knew we were holding him here," Sean muttered, his voice tight with panic. "The Beta took him away and the others attacked us. I’m the only one who survived out of all the guards I took with me. That man... that vampire, and the other one, they were too strong! I had to run back to warn you. We need to get out of here before they come back with reinforcements." "There is no way they found out wher
My heart was close to shattering when I burst into the pack territory, still carrying Robin. I hadn’t stopped for even a single second since I left Damon. My legs burned with exhaustion, but it was nothing compared to the pain and sheer fear ripping through me as Robin remained entirely limp in my arms. Lucy and Aries ran toward me the moment I approached the pack house, panting heavily. "We need help!" I cried out, my eyes peeling away from Robin to look at Lucy. "He’s not moving, Lucy, please... please help him," I breathed. She nodded quickly, tears welling in her eyes too. "Let’s head to the medical wing so I can check what’s wrong," she said. I nodded, turning toward it immediately. I arrived before any of them, gently placing Robin on the bed in an empty room. I laced my fingers through his, hoping, praying that the physical touch would somehow help him come back to me. This couldn’t be our end. Not now. Within seconds, Lucy burst through the doors, with Aries and a desper
I waited patiently at the same spot where Manuel had left me and Aries, staring blankly into the sky, praying for Raven to return. Hopefully with some news. Aries had left a few hours ago to inform the others about Manuel’s unreasonable demands, but I couldn’t bring myself to do the same. I was scared— scared to see the look in their eyes if they heard about Robin dying so I didn’t plan on going back until Raven returned. That was my plan, initially. But Damon and Lucian showed up not even thirty minutes after Aries left. I could see in their eyes that they were choosing their words carefully, even Damon, surprisingly. "Why is she still not here yet?" Lucian muttered tightly, his neck cranked towards the sky. He had been sitting like that since he got here. "All your questions won’t change a single thing, so stop complaining already," Damon called sharply, glaring at him. "The one who should be the most eager isn’t saying a word yet," he added, his eyes settling on me. "I don’t
Robin’s POV The impact of my punch travelled straight through my arm, and I staggered backwards just like Sean, biting back a hiss. I watched a curse escape his lips as he tried to steady himself, and in that second, some sort of hope surged through me—that maybe I could really do this. That I could get out of here in one piece and make it back to Julian. Sean wiped the tiny bit of blood that stained his lips and stared at it for a second before facing me again. A breathy laugh escaped him as he wiped the blood on his clothes. “You’re supposed to be dying, Delta,” he muttered, shaking his head lightly, “and somehow you’re still throwing punches like that?” “I’m full of surprises,” I breathed heavily, trying not to let my growing exhaustion show. Because the truth was that my vision was starting to cloud already, and my body felt heavier with every step too. I felt like my legs would give up underneath me any moment from now, but that didn’t mean I could stop just yet. As long as
Robin’s POV I thought it would be easy. That getting out of here now that Manuel wasn’t around would be easy. But with the way my legs struggled to stay firm as I tiptoed over to the closed door, I instantly knew I had thought wrong. I had not even the slightest idea where I was being held, so even if I did manage to sneak out of this room unnoticed, finding my way out entirely might be even harder. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. I was willing to try anything as long as it led me back home. I didn’t for a second want Julian and the others to make such a decision—saving the pack or letting me die. If, according to Sean, I was dying already, then at least the pack should remain safe even in my absence. I pressed my ear against the door for a long while, listening for any nearby footsteps or even breathing, but I heard nothing. Could it be that Manuel didn’t have guards hounding me anymore because death wasn’t far from me? If that was the case, then his cockiness was a
I wasn’t sure if I slept even a minute that night. Whether it was anticipation, fear, or hope that kept me awake, I couldn’t tell, but one of them held my eyes open as I stared at the bars I was supposed to break. I stayed like that until the faint warmth of morning leaked through the cracks in th
Julian’s POV I didn’t know where the idea came from when I opened my mouth. Maybe it was delusion. Maybe desperation. Maybe madness. But the moment I started speaking with every shred of confidence I had left—I began to believe my own words. What I said made sense. My powers weren’t restr
Damon’s POV I never thought I would hear that name again. Not in this lifetime. Not after everything. I truly believed that the chapter of my life involving them had closed the moment I was thrown in here. I accepted defeat without much resistance because I was certain they wouldn’t live lo
“The Men of the Shadows?” I repeated, taken aback by their reactions. All three of them were staring at me like I’d just mentioned something forbidden. “Do you… know them?” I asked slowly. Damon shook his head, jaw clenched, eyes darkening. “The real question is how you know them, Julian.” His v







