Chapter Ten

P earl urged her horse onward, the rhythmic pounding of hooves against the dusty trail echoing the turbulent thoughts racing through her mind. The weight of her mission hung heavy on her shoulders, the stark reality of what she might have to do settling like a leaden knot in her stomach. Harlan, Esmerelda, Clyde—they were Maverick's gang, his family. The thought of driving a stake through their hearts, of watching the light fade from their eyes, made her feel sick.

But there was no time for hesitation, no room for doubt. The Pinkertons were counting on her, and the fate of countless innocent lives hung in the balance. She had to be strong, had to do what needed to be done, no matter the cost.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through her wrist, yanking her from her troubled thoughts. Pearl glanced down, her eyes widening as she saw the rose tattoo—the mark of her bond with Maverick—throbbing and weeping crimson blood. The sight of it sent a jolt of fear through her, mingling with a strange, insistent tugging sensation that seemed to emanate from the very core of her being.

Maverick was in danger. She could feel it with every fiber of her soul, a bone-deep certainty that overrode all other concerns. The pull was leading her away from the mine, away from Maverick's gang and toward an unknown destination.

For a moment, Pearl hesitated, torn between her duty to the Pinkertons and the irresistible call of her mate bond. But in the end, there was no choice to be made. Maverick needed her, and she would move heaven and earth to get to him.

With a sharp tug on the reins, Pearl wheeled her horse around, urging the animal into a gallop as she gave herself over to the insistent tug of the bond. The landscape blurred around her, the wind whipping at her face as she rode harder and faster than she ever had before.

As the miles fell away beneath her horse's pounding hooves, a sickening realization began to dawn on Pearl. The direction she was heading, the landmarks flashing by—they were all too familiar. She was riding straight toward one of the locations the Pinkertons had marked on their map, a place they suspected was one of John's hidden strongholds. It was a cabin, deep inside a forest. The path was overrun with weeds and branches, so she was forced to tie up her horse and go on foot.

She crept up on the cabin with her Colt revolvers drawn and her hickory wood stakes tucked into her belt. The first of John's minions lunged at her from where it had been hiding behind a tree. It was a grotesque creature with mottled gray skin and razor-sharp claws. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, fixing upon her with a hungry intensity. For a fleeting moment, Pearl worried that her newfound mating bond might have weakened her, dulling the lightning-quick reflexes that had served her so well in the past. But as she raised her revolvers and took aim, she found that her hands were as steady as ever, her focus razor-sharp.

She squeezed the triggers, the guns bucking in her hands as the bullets found their mark. The creature stumbled back, dark blood oozing from the wounds in its chest before it crumpled to the ground, twitching in its death throes.

More minions emerged from the trees, a nightmarish assortment of shapeshifters and twisted abominations. Pearl moved like a woman possessed, her revolvers barking out a staccato rhythm as she danced amidst the horde. She sidestepped a lunging werewolf, putting a bullet between its eyes, before whirling to face a charging vampire. Dropping one revolver, she pulled out her stake. The sharpened point plunged into the creature's chest, piercing its dead heart. It let out a shriek of agony before bursting into a cloud of ash that swirled around her like a macabre veil. She quickly picked up her pistol and moved on.

The acrid scent of gunpowder mingled with the cloying stench of blood and decay. Her revolvers spoke again and again, each shot finding its mark with unerring precision. When the guns ran empty, she holstered them smoothly, relying on her stake and her wits to carry her through the fray.

A towering brute of a vampire lunged at her, its massive fists swinging with terrifying force. Pearl ducked beneath its grasp, her stake lashing out to bury itself in the creature's thigh. It roared in pain and fury, but she was already moving, ripping the stake free and plunging it into the vampire's back, piercing its heart from behind. It stiffened, a look of shock and fury etched upon its monstrous face, before it crumbled into a heap of ash at her feet.

But even as she dispatched the last of the creatures, Pearl knew that the true battle still lay ahead. She could feel Maverick's presence, could sense his pain and desperation, a force that tugged at her very soul.

She burst into the cabin, her eyes frantically searching the room, only to find a sight that made her blood run cold. Maverick was on his knees, his face a mask of agony, as John loomed over him, his fangs bared in a triumphant grin. The vampire lord was a vision of unholy power, his eyes blazing with a malevolent red light, his aura pulsing with an ancient, evil energy.

"Ah, the brave little Pinkerton arrives at last," John sneered, his voice a silken purr that sent shivers down Pearl's spine. "Just in time to watch your mate die."

"Mate?" Maverick whispered.

"Did you think I couldn't sense it?" John's talons ripped Maverick's shirt open. There on his chest, over Maverick's heart, was a sheriff's badge tattoo.

Pearl's heart seized in her chest, a wave of terror and desperation crashing over her. She could see the thrall taking hold of Maverick, could feel the bond between them straining as John's influence sought to sever it forever.

But even in that moment of utter darkness, Pearl refused to give in to despair. She reached out through the bond, pouring every ounce of her love, her faith, her unshakable belief in Maverick into that shining thread that connected their souls.

"Fight it, Maverick!" she cried, her voice raw with emotion. "You're stronger than him, stronger than his power. I love you."

For a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, Maverick remained motionless, caught between the pull of John's thrall and the fierce, unyielding love of his mate. Then, with a roar of defiance that shook the very foundations of the stronghold, he surged to his feet, breaking free of John's control in a blinding flash of power.

John's face contorted with rage, his eyes blazing with malevolent fury as he turned to face Pearl. "You meddlesome little fool," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "You think your love can save him? You think you can stand against me?"

He lunged forward, his movements a blur of preternatural speed and strength. Pearl barely had time to raise her stake before he was upon her, his claws tearing at her flesh, his fangs snapping mere inches from her throat.

But Maverick was there, his own strength renewed by the power of their bond. He slammed into John, sending the vampire lord flying across the room to crash into the far wall. The two vampires grappled, trading blows that shook the very foundations of the cabin, their snarls and roars echoing through the night.

Pearl struggled to her feet, ignoring the pain of her wounds, her eyes fixed on the battling vampires. She knew that even with their combined strength, she and Maverick were outmatched. John was ancient, his power vast and terrible. They needed an edge, a way to turn the tide in their favor.

Her gaze fell upon the hickory stake, lying where it had fallen during John's initial attack. An idea formed in her mind, a desperate gamble born of love and desperation.

She snatched up the stake and raced forward, ducking and weaving through the whirling maelstrom of the battling vampires. She could feel Maverick's presence, could sense his thoughts and emotions as if they were her own. In that moment, they were one, their hearts and minds and souls united in a single, unshakable purpose.

As John reared back, his claws poised to strike a killing blow, Pearl leaped forward, the stake held high. She channeled every ounce of her love, her faith, her unbreakable bond with Maverick into the sharpened point, willing it to find its mark.

The stake plunged into John's back, piercing his black heart. The vampire lord stiffened, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. A scream of agony tore from his throat, a sound that seemed to shatter the very air around them.

And then he was gone, his body crumbling to dust, scattering on the wind like the ashes of a long-forgotten nightmare.

Pearl fell to her knees, her strength suddenly deserting her. Maverick was there in an instant, his arms wrapping around her, holding her close. She could feel his love, his relief, his gratitude pouring through their bond, a warm and comforting presence that filled her entire being.

"I love you," he said, his voice rough with emotion.