Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Angelo

I struggled to keep my composure as I cradled the unconscious young woman in my arms. Her body radiated an otherworldly light, such a stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed me for so long. She was exactly what I needed. I studied her face, seeing remnants of angelic features, which confirmed her true identity—a Nephilim. She had been the most valuable item at tonight's auction, and now she was mine. Her power surged through me, igniting a fierce protectiveness in my heart such as I had never experienced. With her at my side, we could bring life back to the dying Aeternum Stone and restore balance to our world. I was certain of it.

I would never let her go. She was mine.

Angels rarely mated with humans, and when they did, they kept any offspring well-hidden. How in the world had Simon stumbled upon this rare gem? Most humans couldn't see auras, and I doubted Simon, Maximo, or any of their goons recognized what she was. Even Simon's witch seemed not to know.

Unfortunately, my two rivals weren't so dense.

I could see the lust and desire in their eyes. Across the room, Keir's gaze cut through my tight chest, a silent challenge etched in his sharp features. Trystan, always the embodiment of stoic resolve, observed from a distance, his now-glowing golden eyes saying that he would do anything to possess the Nephilim.

Keir and Trystan slowly advanced toward me. For once, I felt like the prey instead of the predator. I flashed my fangs, warning them to stay back, but it had about as much impact as a three-year-old sticking out his tongue. Neither of them cared.

A ball of panic fluttered in my chest, something I rarely experienced. I had to get out of here before I had to fight Keir and Trystan for the Nephilim. Marsha would never stand for that, and I couldn't afford to have her cast some draining spell on the Aeternum Stone.

Simon rushed over, dabbing at his sweaty brow with a handkerchief. "King Santi, my most sincere apologies. She's been...problematic. I fear the diazepam dose was perhaps too generous," he stammered, the worry in his voice bordering on panic.

"You fool." I flashed my fangs again. "Carelessness with her life would be a mistake you'd soon learn to regret, Simon. "

Sweat rolled down his temples, and the blood drained from his face. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. My reputation as the Angel of Death preceded me.

My enemies approached me and my prize. I refused to back down and show fear—fear wasn't an option.

Keir tilted his head back and forth thoughtfully as he assessed the Nephilim. He drew his slender brows into a frown, then moved to put his palm on her forehead.

"Don't touch her," I growled instantly.

He stepped back. "Very well." He hovered his palm over her forehead but didn't make contact with her skin. "She clings to life, but just barely," he announced, concern lacing his tone. Clearly he was as desperate to save his people's Anchoring Obsidian as I was our Aeternum Stone.

Trystan sniffed and shook his head miserably. "A grave mistake, Simon. Her value is beyond measure." His voice was laden with a mix of sorrow and condemnation.

Simon's face paled, and a tense breath escaped him. "B-beyond measure?" He looked down at the girl as if trying to figure out what made her so special.

Maximo looked down at the girl with disinterest. "She's beautiful, but lovelies like her are a dime a dozen. She's barely breathing, Santi. Let her go."

"No. I won't let her die." I shouldered my way through the onlookers, parting them like the Red Sea.

I didn't want to admit it, but Maximo was right. She was barely conscious, her breathing getting shallower by the minute.

Using my vampire speed, I raced up the grand staircase. I could feel her heart beating weakly against my chest. I kicked open a door to one of Simon's luxurious bedrooms and gently laid her down on a red canopy bed. Without hesitation, I bit open my wrist and pressed it to her lips.

"Drink," I commanded. My blood would heal her injuries but wouldn't turn her into a vampire unless I willed it. And that was the last thing I wanted to do. If she became a vampire, she would be useless to me.

She lay on the canopy bed, her skin pale against the brilliantly white sheets beneath her. A thin red line of blood trickled down her chin, leaving a trail of crimson against her ghostly complexion. She remained motionless, resembling a sculpture of the Roman goddess Venus.

My muscles tensed. I balled my hands into tight fists, and as I tapped into my powers of persuasion, the familiar prickling sensation ran over my skin, every hair standing on end. I focused all my energy on her still form.

"Drink." My low voice echoed around the bedroom. The air crackled with my power.

I felt a slight tug on my wrist, and the corners of my mouth pulled up into a grin. Her lips pressed against my skin and sucked and sucked. She coughed and choked, twisting her head back and forth on the pillow. I pulled my arm away from her grasp and watched as she groaned and gasped for air. She was still under the effects of diazepam, but she was alive, and the realization shot a spark of hope through my tight chest.

The sound of boots thudding down the hallway caught my attention, and I spun around with a low growl. The door crashed open, and Keir burst into the room. His face was tense, but he attempted to flash me a smile. His eyes flicked to the girl stretched out on the bed.

"You saved her?"

I bared my teeth at him. "She's mine."

"Perhaps you should speak with Trystan and Simon." Keir tilted his head. "Trystan has made a higher bid for her if she survives."

I stiffened. "Remember what I took care of for you?" When Keir first came here, he had used my services to eliminate a deadly enemy.

Keir nodded solemnly. "Yes. And I told you I owed you."

"Exactly. So watch her. No one, and I mean no one, comes in here." I pointed directly at the girl. "And don't touch her."

Keir nodded slightly. "I won't let anyone take her…" I could hear the hidden message in his voice. His type never did anything without expecting something in return, but he also wouldn't want to defy me, not after I had helped him.

I stormed down the stairs to find Trystan and Simon conversing quietly in the corner.

As soon as Simon saw me, he let out a terrified shriek and ran away like a scared rabbit—as if he could outrun the Angel of Death.

Trystan's blue eyes turned gold, warning me he was about to shift into a wolf. But I didn't care—he wasn't my intended target.

With an angry snarl, I seized Simon by the throat, lifting him off the floor. He squirmed and struggled, kicking his feet in the air, but I held him firmly in place. As I bared my razor-sharp fangs, his eyes bulged, threatening to pop out of his skull.

Bringing him closer, I hissed at him. "You declared her sold to me. Do you honestly think you can go back on that?"

"But…he…" Simon gasped for air.

I squeezed his neck tighter, causing his face to turn bright red.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and spit ran out the corners of his mouth as he choked out the words, "No…she's…she's yours."

I dropped him like a sack of bricks, and he landed on the ground with a loud thud.

When I turned around, Trystan had gone, but I heard angry voices upstairs. Adrenaline pumping through me, I rushed up the stairs two steps at a time. Keir stood in front of the canopy bed with a sword drawn. I had no idea where Keir had gotten a sword, but I didn't care.

"Stand down, Keir," Trystan growled, the undercurrent of desperation in his voice cutting through the tension. His eyes, usually such a stoic mask of resolve, now betrayed his desperation. "I want the girl."

It wasn't just a demand—it was a plea. The Luparion Crystal, the heart of their unity and strength, was also fading, its once-vibrant pulse now a mere echo of its former power. This weakening not only risked the pack's cohesion but left them vulnerable to the enemies lurking at their borders.

As Trystan stood there, a formidable figure of raw power and barely contained need, the importance of the Nephilim to his cause became abundantly clear. I knew I would have a fight on my hands, but when did I ever back down from a fight?

"I bought her, Trystan." I walked around him. "You can't have her."

Trystan whirled around, his golden eyes glowing and his fingernails lengthening. "Only because you threatened Simon."

I glared at him. "You didn't even want her until I saved her."

Trystan laughed menacingly. "I'm a wolf. You actually think I couldn't smell whether or not she was alive?"

The bedroom was shrouded in darkness, lit only by the faint glow of moonlight filtering in through the curtains. The air crackled with tension as I stood my ground.

I gritted my teeth. "You'll have to get past me first, cur."

Trystan broke into a deadly smile. "With pleasure, vampire." With that, he shed his clothing piece by piece until he stood before me in all his naked glory.

As our gazes locked in a silent challenge, he began to shift. His muscles lengthened and bones cracked, fur sprouting rapidly until he stood before me not as a man, but as a beast of legend—the Wolf King himself. His golden eyes burned with a primal fury that set every killing instinct inside me on fire.

I could shift into a wolf, but he was more experienced at fighting as a wolf, so I stayed as I was.

Keir watched from the sidelines, his expressionless mask of boredom concealing his true thoughts well. I guessed his plan without him saying a word—use the chaos to his advantage and escape with the one capable of saving us all .

Trystan took a step toward me, gnashing his teeth.

My fingernails lengthened and my muscles tensed as Trystan lunged at me, his large wolf form bristling with fury. We collided in a fierce clash of vampire and werewolf, ancient enemies locked in an ancient battle.

The sound of snarls and growls filled the air as we fought, our movements fluid and calculated. I sank my teeth into his neck as he clawed my face, leaving deep gashes. Stinging pain exploded across my cheek. Blood poured from the wound. I could barely breathe.

I could feel Keir's gaze burning into me from the edge of my vision. Keir stood motionless, arms crossed and lips pressed to a thin line, calmly watching us tear each other apart.

I bit, slashed, and punched Trystan as hard as I could. His fur flew around me in bloody clumps. Waves and waves of vampire strength pumped through me like roaring floodwaters. I would have easily killed any other wolf by now, but this wasn't any other wolf. This was the Wolf King. He met each strike with equal force—ripping into my flesh, crunching his powerful jaws into my bones, spraying blood across the walls. Agony pulsed through me, but I didn't back down.

Neither did he.

Exhaustion started to settle into my muscles, and my strikes slowed. Trystan was panting as he backed up from me, weariness and pain flickering in his golden eyes. I gasped for breath, resting my hands on my knees, trying to regain my strength. The stakes were too high for me to give up. The fate of my people and possibly our very existence depended on the outcome of this fight.

Trystan snarled and lunged again, aiming for my throat. His feverish breath brushed over my sweaty face. I summoned every ounce of strength and smacked his snout as hard as I could. He whimpered, but still he wasn't done. He circled me as I panted hard.

I followed his movements, preparing for another attack. His hackles stood straight up, and he pulled back his lower lip into a snarl. I glanced over his head to see Keir lifting the Nephilim into his arms.

I locked eyes with Keir and gritted my teeth. "She's mine."

Trystan snapped his head around. I drew on every strained muscle and in that split second, when he was distracted, pushed the massive Wolf King, knocking him to the ground.

I leaped over the fallen wolf and raced toward Keir who held the captive girl in his arms.

"Keir," I roared, the force of the anger raging within me causing my chest to tighten and my body to tremble.

He paused, a flash of panic crossing his features. I punched him square in the jaw. Blood spewed onto his pristine shirt. The impact sent him reeling backward, and in his surprise, he loosened his hold on the girl just enough for me to wrench her from his arms, a jolt of adrenaline bursting through me and lending me strength I scarcely knew I possessed.

I hoisted her over my shoulder and looked around desperately for a means of escape. Trystan had risen, blocking the door. Keir stood poised, fury flashing in his eyes as he advanced on me. The only way out was through the picture window.

Keir saw what I meant to do. "Santi, no."

The room around me turned to a blur as I charged toward the closed window that stood as the only barrier between us and escape. The fury surging through my veins screamed for action, not caution.

Trystan was getting closer, his hot breath burning the back of my neck.

I put my shoulder to the glass like a wrecking ball. The window shattered with a resounding crash, shards flying like raindrops whipped up by a tempest. We were airborne for a moment that stretched into eternity, the night air rushing to meet us as we descended, the ground zooming up toward us.

We landed hard, a jarring impact that I somehow managed to shield her from with my own body. The grass beneath us did little to cushion the fall, but it was the softness of freedom compared to the bloody fray we had left behind. She would have the power to save my family, if I could only get her back to Crescent Manor.

I hurried to my waiting limousine, the sleek black vehicle already idling at the curb. Dimitri revved the powerful engine as I climbed inside. The tires squealed as we peeled out of the driveway and left Simon's grand antebellum estates. With each ragged breath I took, fresh agony pulsed through me and blood spurted down my body from the long gashes from the Wolf King's claws. My flesh hung from my arms, exposing the very bone. Exhaustion and agony gripped me. It would take some time for me to heal, especially with the Aeternum Stone fading. What used to only take a couple of hours to heal would need at least a day. I glanced through the tinted back window. I could see Trystan, still in his wolf form, and Keir standing in the dust kicked up by my speeding limo. Their grim expressions told me that I had just declared war on both the Wolf and the Dark Fae Mafias.