Anthony remained in a stance, a foot, a knee, and palms on the earth, his glowing eyes surveying his surrounding. Newborn vampires. Fledglings. They were everywhere around. They were aiming his way. He could smell them, their courage, confidence, and their readiness. He even smelled their deaths. Both far and near, he heard every single sound they made. His right ear twitched. There were two vampires on different trees in his vicinity, fifteen coming at him. They were two hundred in the forest right then, but only a few were after him.The newborn on the tree descended, one coming from his front and three from his left. Anthony yanked his machine gun off his shoulder, sprang up from the ground, and shot the newborn descending from the tree. He threw the machine gun up in the air, sliced the neck of one of the vampires with his poisonous claws, snapped and pulled the other's head. Then he caught the machine gun once it came down, and shot the five coming at him. Their screams, hisses,

Anthony and Amber made it back into the building after fighting their way through. They were met with unusual changes when they stepped into the lobby. The whole place now seemed digitalized and modern, rather than an ordinary palace lobby.“Where are we?” Amber asked.Anthony continued strides and Amber followed. “This building is technical. A complicated great work of science. It changes form.”“So, you know where we're going? How do we know where Marcus is?” “Follow me.”Amber retrieved a pistol from his pocket and shot a newborn alighting from the stairs above ground and the newborn burst. Her light brown eyes bore into Anthony's. “Get your head in the game.” She was giving the pistol back when another vampire that had killed his opponent came at them. She spun around and shot the vampire. “I’ll keep this.”They continued further to the rolling staircase.Anthony and Amber stood before a wall that was sliding open. Both froze at the situation on sight. The place was large like a

One of the elders lifted Catelyn from the floor and slammed her against the wall on the platform. The elder with fire radiating from his hands zoomed to the platform and unleashed the fire on her. Catelyn still on the floor, quickly put out her hand and blocked his fire. A hand wasn't enough, as his fire conquered hers, she added another hand.Fierce rumbles erupted from Jacob as he took a defense stance in his hybrid form, ready to take on an ascendant that was baring his fangs in front of him. The ascendant zoomed forward. Jacob met him midway and pulled his head off his body. An elder came behind Jacob's back and lifted him from the floor, trying to dismember him with telekinesis. Jacob growled in pain as the elder spread his limbs apart, pulling them from his torso. Unable to endure the energy and pain, he shifted back to his human form the second his hand fell off his body.Tally spotted Jacob. He growled with rage and zoomed toward the elder that was dismembering Jacob. Another

Marcus switched to his vampire form—a pale ash skin, visible veins poking out on the layer of his body, long fangs, pointy ears, dark eyes like midnight, a face like an animal, and longer claws. Kicking Anthony in the torso, he slashed the claws of his hands at him, slicing his throat and face, blood surging out of Anthony's wounds with pressure. Anthony bounced back and healed.Making another slash with the claws of his left hand, Anthony bent backward and let his hand swing past his face, then he sprang up to claw back at him but he leaned backward. Marcus stood upright and stabbed his claws into Anthony's stomach, pulled him closer with his claws in his stomach, and buried his fangs into his neck. Anthony growled in pain. Retracting his fangs and claws, he shoved Anthony aside by his neck.Anthony fell and changed back to his human form, convulsing, grunting, and groaning. Kayla heaved herself from the floor and ran up to him, holding him closer in her arms, while he struggled to h

Three years later.A prolonged silence reigned in a bedroom. The silence had nearly grown beyond silence, but the sound of vacuum cleaners broke through the door as muffled sounds. Anthony lay shirtless in the bed. His eyes were closed as though he were asleep, his hand laying over Kayla's back. Kayla lay with her head and half of her torso on him. Her eyes were wide open. Unlike a shirtless Anthony, she had a gray nightshirt on.Kayla's mind couldn't go through so many thoughts and imaginations without her remembering the hot sex they had last night. It was hot—so hot and rough that she gulped down two bottles of chilled water and energy drinks after. Thank goodness their neighbors lived many blocks away, and their house was soundproofed. Their bedroom including. She and Anthony were glad the kids didn't interrupt, Eaven especially.It was seven in the morning, yet she and Anthony were stuck in the bed like heaven would fall if one of them had left the bedroom. “I went to the hospita