Chapter 6

KERI UNTANGLED HERSELF from his embrace and stood, nervous energy not allowing her to sit still any longer. "We need to free the humans and vampires that are trapped in his harem right now."

Joshua rose from the couch, his movements fluid despite the tension evident in his shoulders. "I can't lose focus on my mission. I'm here to kill Anatol. Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies."

"If we take away his minions, though, we can weaken him," Keri argued, trying to think strategically like a vampire. "It could make your job easier."

Joshua shook his head, his expression conflicted. "My clan sent me here for one reason: to eliminate Anatol. Every moment we delay puts more lives at risk."

"Those people are suffering right now," Keri pressed, her guilt threatening to overwhelm her. "Who knows what I did to them when I was under Anatol's control? Or what he's making them do against their will. We have to make this right."

"This is war," Joshua said stonily. "And in war, sometimes difficult choices must be made for the greater good. My clan is counting on me to end this threat."

"Easy for you to say when you're not the one still being held captive," Keri shot back, immediately regretting her words as she saw rage cross Joshua's face.

A muscle ticked in Joshua's jaw. "You think I don't understand the weight of this mission? The lives at stake? Don't presume to lecture me on the cost of this war."

The raw emotion in his voice made Keri pause. She took a deep breath, trying to rein in her own feelings. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Joshua's expression softened slightly. "Of course you didn't." He ran a hand through his hair, a surprisingly human gesture for a vampire. "It's not something I talk about ever. But maybe you need to understand."

Keri moved closer to him, drawn by the vulnerability she sensed beneath his tough exterior. "Tell me," she said softly. "Help me understand."

Joshua was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on some distant point. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a whisper. "I was born in 1914 in a New York slum that makes modern ghettos look like paradise."

Keri's eyes widened. "You're over a hundred years old?"

A wry smile tugged at Joshua's lips. "Give or take a few years. When you've lived as long as I have, you stop counting."

He moved to the window, staring out at the night sky. "I was just a kid when my parents died of influenza. One day they were there, the next..." He shrugged, the gesture failing to hide the pain in his eyes. "I was alone. I survived on the streets, stealing, begging, doing whatever it took. And then, one night in 1930, I thought my luck had finally run out. I was cornered by a gang, sure they were going to kill me. Instead, I met Victor Nicolau."

"Was he the head of the clan?”

“Still is,” Joshua said, a hint of warmth entering his voice. "He saw something in me that night – potential, he called it. He offered me a choice – stay in the human world that had done nothing but take from me, or join his family and gain the power never to be helpless again."

"And you chose to join them," Keri said

“Wouldn’t you?”

She thought about it and slowly nodded. “Yeah.”

"The transformation was difficult, but what came after changed everything. For the first time in my life, I had a family.”

Keri swallowed hard. She would become a vampire for that, too.

“Victor became the father I'd lost. Elena, his mate, showed me kindness I'd never known, and their son Markus became the brother I'd always wanted."

His eyes took on a distant look, filled with a mix of emotions. "They trained me, honed my skills, gave me purpose. And now, they've entrusted me with this crucial mission."

"To kill Anatol," Keri said, understanding dawning.

Joshua nodded, his expression grave. "The Vasiles have been a thorn in our side for decades. Their experiments, their disregard for both human and vampire life – it threatens the delicate balance we've worked so hard to maintain. Anatol is the worst of them all."

He turned to face Keri, his eyes intense. "This isn't just about following orders. My clan saved me. They gave me a home, a purpose. I owe them everything. And now, they're counting on me to end this threat once and for all."

Keri felt torn, understanding his loyalty but unable to ignore the plight of Anatol's captives. She wanted to argue further, but she knew he had a point. "All right," she conceded. "We'll do it your way."

"We'll free them," Joshua assured her. "But we have to be strategic about it. Come on, let’s start with the harem and see if they can lead us to Anatol."

They slipped out of the sitting room and into the mansion proper. Keri's enhanced senses picked up the faint scent of blood and fear underlying the expensive perfumes and polished wood.

They moved silently, ducking into alcoves and behind heavy curtains whenever footsteps approached. In one heart-stopping moment, they pressed themselves into a narrow space between a bookcase and the wall as a pair of vampires passed by, discussing guard rotations. Keri held her breath, acutely aware of Joshua's body against hers, his superfluous breath tickling her ear.

Each time, Joshua would ambush the guards and silently kill them. He was a vicious assassin who killed quickly and without mercy. Why wasn’t she terrified of him? Why did she want to join him in snapping necks and ripping out hearts? She’d probably barf.

But as they navigated the mansion, fragmented memories began to surface in Keri's mind – disjointed flashes that left her dizzy and disoriented. She saw herself walking these same halls with a strange vampire’s hand possessively on her lower back. In another flash, she was in a laboratory, watching impassively as a human writhed in agony on an examination table.

The most disturbing vision came as they climbed a sweeping staircase. For a moment, Keri saw herself standing over Joshua's unconscious form, a triumphant smile on her face as Anatol praised her for luring the assassin into their trap. The image was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving Keri shaken and nauseous.

"What is it?" Joshua asked, his hand on her arm steadying her.

Keri swallowed hard. "I think I might have helped Anatol capture you," she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "I saw... God, what if I'm the reason you were trapped here?"

Joshua was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to Keri's surprise, he squeezed her arm gently. "Whatever you did, it wasn't you. Anatol was controlling you."

"But —"

"No," Joshua cut her off firmly. "We can't change the past. All that matters now is stopping Anatol. Understood?"

Keri nodded, grateful for his understanding even as guilt gnawed at her. They pressed on.

Finally, they reached a set of ornate double doors. Even from outside, Keri could hear the soft murmur of voices and the shuffling of many bodies. Her heart raced as Joshua carefully eased one door open, revealing the harem beyond.

The room was vast, easily the size of a ballroom. Plush divans and silk cushions were scattered throughout, occupied by glassy-eyed humans and vampires in various stages of undress. The air was thick with the cloying scent of incense and something darker, more chemical.

Keri's gaze darted from face to face, searching for Chrissy. She spotted her friend near the back of the room, slumped against a marble column. Chrissy's usually vibrant features were slack, and her eyes were unfocused.

"Chrissy," Keri breathed, taking a step forward.

Joshua's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. "Wait," he hissed. "Guards approaching."

Sure enough, Keri's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of heavy footsteps heading their way. Joshua ducked behind a large potted plant as two burly vampires entered the harem.

"Time for another dose," one guard announced, pulling out a case filled with syringes.

No one reacted when Joshua killed the guards in front of them. While he bent down to examine the case, she ran over to Chrissy and gently shook her shoulder.

"Chrissy, can you hear me?"

Chrissy's eyes fluttered, a faint spark of recognition lighting up her face. "Keri?" she mumbled. "Is it... are the devices set?"

Keri frowned, confused. "What devices? What are you talking about?"

"The trackers," Chrissy slurred. "And the... the listening things. Did you plant them like Anatol said?"

Before Keri could respond, the doors burst open. A group of guards flooded in, fangs bared and eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"There you are. Now you’ll die, Nicolau.”

Keri sprang to her feet, falling into a defensive stance without conscious thought. Joshua was already in motion, a blur of deadly grace as he engaged the first wave of attackers.

To Keri's shock, her body seemed to move of its own accord. She ducked under a guard's wild swing, retaliating with a precise strike to his solar plexus that left him gasping. As another vampire lunged for her, Keri executed a complex maneuver that sent him flying into his comrades.

The fight was a chaotic dance of violence, Keri and Joshua moving in perfect synchronization. She found herself anticipating his moves, covering his blind spots as if they'd trained together for years. It was exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

When the last guard fell, Keri stood panting, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She turned to Joshua, a question in her eyes.

"How did I do that?" she asked, voice shaking. "I've never fought like that in my life."

Joshua studied her intently. "It must be the mate bond," he said after a moment. "You're drawing on my knowledge and abilities."

Before Keri could process this, Chrissy's voice cut through the haze of confusion. "Keri, you have to run," she said urgently, struggling to sit up. "Anatol will kill us both for failing to trap the assassin."

Keri knelt beside her friend. "It's okay, Chrissy. Joshua is my mate now. We're not what the Vasiles were expecting."

Chrissy's eyes widened in shock, darting between Keri and Joshua. "It worked.”

"It's a long story," Keri said, helping Chrissy to her feet. "Listen, we need you to get everyone out of here. Joshua, is there somewhere safe they can go?"

Joshua nodded, quickly giving Chrissy the address of a Nicolau family safehouse. "They'll provide sanctuary until this is over," he assured her.

As Chrissy began rousing the other occupants of the harem, she turned back to Keri, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I never meant for you to get caught up in all this. I couldn’t help myself."

Keri squeezed her hand. "It's not your fault. We're going to stop Anatol and make sure he can't do this to anyone else."

“Stop him how? He’ll never stop.”

“He will if he’s dead,” Joshua said.

Chrissy's expression grew grave. "When Anatol dies, the power of his serum dies with him. You’ll no longer be mates. Keri, Nicolau will kill you for helping Anatol capture him. He’ll kill us all."

A chill ran down Keri's spine at the words. She glanced at Joshua, seeing the tension in his jaw and the conflict in his eyes. "That will not happen," Joshua said firmly, meeting Keri's gaze. The intensity of his stare made her breath catch. "I swear it."