Chapter 14 Vivian

S liding his arm beneath Ethan's legs and his other arm around his back, Greyson picks him up and cradles him against his chest. "Can you grab his bag?"

Nodding, I grab Ethan's backpack from the bench and sling it over my shoulder. Thankfully, the hallway is empty as we head outside. I pull open the back passenger door, and Greyson carefully lays a very submissive Ethan into the back seat of Greyson's car.

Ethan can't help the subservient demeanor; the venom and loss of blood are the causes. But there's something different about his mind. I opened my senses to him immediately when I got there, and I didn't feel anything coming from him. Like there were no emotions at all to be felt.

Whoever did this to him tampered with his mind in some way, whether it was from an overdose of the venom or another sinister form. It's too early to know exactly what is causing this. But I will get to the bottom of this, and I will destroy the vampire that dared to do this to him.

Something catches my eye on his wrist as he settles into the seats, and I bunch his sleeve up, exposing a whole new level of horror.

The vampire didn't just bite Ethan's neck—he bit his wrists, the same disgusting venomous wounds left behind on his arms. A vampire would only do that if they wanted to inflict the most agonizing pain possible. It's cruel and sadistic on a whole new level.

My blood boils as I study Ethan, memorizing every single mark and discoloration on him, committing it to memory. No human that participates in the Culling should ever suffer like this. They volunteer as a bloodling, auctioning their blood to keep us sustained. Every vampire knows the High Council's motto: Enough to sustain, never drain .

"He bit him there too?" Greyson's voice is disconnected, cold, and quiet.

"Exactly what you think it is," I murmur, pulling Ethan's sleeves back down and gently shutting the car door.

"Take him to our house, and don't let anyone in," I order him.

"Where are you going?" he questions, his brows furrowed, his worry on the tip of my tongue.

Guiding him to the driver's-side door, I open it for him. "To meet with the High Council. We're going to track down the vampire responsible for this before it's too late."

I usher him inside, and he slides into the seat. Before I shut the door, I lean down, cup his face, and kiss him as deeply as I possibly can before vanishing, running to the Barlowe, crossing miles in a matter of seconds.

And I don't stop until I burst through the High Council office doors.

BOOM.

Like a bomb going off, the doors splinter apart, exploding into a million pieces as Jason jumps from his chair and takes cover.

Woah.

The doorknob falls from my hand, crashing to the pile of splintered wood. All I meant to do was grab the doorknob and open the door, not destroy the whole thing. I guess this is what Autumn was talking about when she said I'm getting stronger.

"Vivian?" Jason gasps, standing up from behind the desk. "Is that you?"

Taking heavy breaths does little to calm my erratic heart. And it has nothing to do with what just happened to the threshold of the office. "I need the records from the Culling. A boy named Ethan. Brown hair, brown eyes, maybe five foot ten inches tall. I need to know who his chosen was. And I need it now ."

He remains frozen for a moment, processing my words before jumping into action. "Yes, of course. One second." He pauses, rapidly typing into his computer. "His chosen was Sarah Albrightson. What's going on?"

"Sarah?" I scoff. She would never have done this. "Text me her address, please. Sarah's bloodling has been nearly drained. He was forced to take the bite, and I don't know how long we have before the venom runs its course." His face pales, the same disgust and disappointment setting into his features as I feel. "I'm going to her house to see what she has to say about it. I doubt she would have done it. But you never know. Meet me there when you've called the rest of the council."

"You've got it," he states, immediately reaching for his phone.

Checking the text he sent, I look to see where her house is located. Not too far from my home. I take off running, racing out of the building, traveling faster than I ever have, feeling the power course through my veins with each step I take.

My senses are wide open when I near the house, not feeling anything coming from inside.

Knocking on the door, I wait all of two seconds before twisting the doorknob, finding it unlocked. Pushing it open, I prepare myself for anything, my shoulders stiff and reflexes sharp.

"Sarah? Are you home?" I call out, carefully stepping into the dark room, dimly lit by the sun peeking around the curtains.

No answer.

Sliding my hand up the wall, I feel the light switch and flick it on, immediately discovering exactly why Sarah didn't answer me.

Her body lies face down on the living room floor, the only exposed skin of her arms dried and shriveled, her veins now black as coal. Deadly nightshade poisoning.

If there was any doubt this was an accident, there isn't now. This was intentional. It would be damn near impossible to accidentally intake the amount needed to kill one of us. She was murdered, and her bloodling was taken.

Digging my phone out of my pocket, I call Jason, and he answers on the first ring. "We're on our way."

I fill him in on what I know so far. "She's dead. Nightshade poisoning. We'll need to take her body back to the Barlowe for now." I pause, an idea coming to mind. "I need to reach out to a friend of mine who might be able to help track down whoever did this, and then I'm going home to check on Ethan and Greyson. Keep me updated on what you guys find."

"We'll get Sarah to the hotel and see what evidence might have been left behind. Be careful. We don't know who's behind this or if they're working alone," he warns me, and I can't help but smile. I wish I would run into them—it would make this a hell of a lot easier.

Ending the call, I let myself out of the house, securing the door behind me before speeding off to my next stop, Hale Bar.

Werewolves and vampires like to keep their distance from each other. There's no rivalry like there is in the movies, no wars. At least not for a long time. Before I established the High Council and the network beneath us, vampires had a well-earned reputation for using humans like Capri Suns. Since the Culling became rooted in tradition, the relationship between werewolves and us has improved greatly since we aren't actively draining humans left and right.

Lachlan Hale is the alpha of his pack, heading the strongest and one of the largest packs in the country right out of Saint Eldritch. I've known him for a few years now. We met after a little girl in his pack went missing, allegedly abducted by a vampire.

I offered my assistance immediately, but they didn't want my help. I couldn't blame them though—I was the first one to approach them with good intentions.

He told me to stay out of it, but of course, I didn't listen. I tracked the vampire down within hours, thanks to decades of honing my hunting skills. They would have been able to find him faster had they had his scent. But they didn't know where the little girl was taken from, and they had no place to start looking.

I wasn't going to sit by and let this vampire drain this little girl. But I also wasn't going to directly piss off the local alpha either. I wanted our relationship to grow, not suffer.

Having venom antidotes readily available, all I needed was a few drops of the rogue vampire's blood to stop it from spreading in her system.

When I finally located the vampire, I used my mind-altering abilities to order him to safely bring the girl home, surrender himself to Lachlan's pack, hand over the antidote, and confess what he had done to her.

It was hard not killing him myself. But his life wasn't mine to take.

My gift works on humans and vampires. Thankfully, my encouraging words led him to bring the girl to the bar, walking straight into a room full of werewolves that dealt with him in ways that would challenge even our brutality.

Lachlan approached me days later, telling me that before they killed him, he confessed that a girl named Vivian was responsible for her safe return.

That was the beginning of our respected partnership. Every now and then, we need the abilities of one another, like our abilities required for different, unique situations. Now, I need Lachlan to help me sniff out this vampire before we run out of time.

Barely slowing down, I burst through the door of Hale Bar, thankfully not shattering it into a million pieces like I did at my hotel. Approaching the countertop, I stop right before Lachlan.

"Jesus," he gasps, jumping back like he's seen a ghost.

"I need your help." I skip the formalities of hello, getting right to the point.

He continues to casually wipe the inside of a glass. "What's going on?"

"I need you to help me track down a vampire. One that's gone rogue," I murmur, a second from grabbing the glass he's incessantly cleaning and throwing it against the wall.

"Yeah, okay. I can help after work?—"

" Now . I need your help right now," I order him, feeling annoyance radiating from him. "Really? You're annoyed right now? So am I ." Grabbing his shirt, I yank him forward, smashing his ribs against the counter, the glass in his hand falling to the ground and shattering.

Every chair in the building squeaks on the floor as everyone rises to their feet, ready to protect their alpha. But I don't care if he's the big boss in charge.

"The rogue murdered one of us, kidnapped their bloodling, and nearly drained him. The venom is already pulsing through his veins. I know you know what that does to a human." I pause, feeling his annoyance shift to sympathy as he remembers the little girl, who I have since come to learn is named Gracie. "Are you willing to help me or not?" I demand, my voice booming through the room by the time I finish.

"I'll help." He exhales, raising his hands in surrender, the tiniest amount of humor lifting the corner of his lips. "Now, put your fangs away."

Shit, I didn't even realize they came out to play.

Between the intense emotions and changes my body is going through right now, I feel like I've just turned, still learning how to control my power.

Taking a shaky breath, I calm myself down, my fangs retreating into my gums as I release him from my death grip, patting the shirt over his chest, which looks permanently wrinkled.

Grabbing a napkin and a pen from the bar top, I scribble my address down and slide it to him. "Meet me here as quickly as you can. I'm heading there now."

He picks it up and nods. "I'll bring a few other members that can help."

"Thank you," I murmur, holding his stare for a moment longer to express my gratitude.

Racing out of the bar, I fly down the streets, winding left and right as I run back home.

I can't stop thinking about how easily it could have been Greyson in Ethan's place. An image of Ethan's marks on Greyson's body flashes in my mind, and I clench my fists so tightly my nails draw blood.

The thought makes me want to break every bone in the rogue's body, forcing him in a position so he never heals, and trap him in ash wood for decades, making him beg for death but never giving it.

If it had been Greyson that was targeted… I can't even finish that thought.

I have been alive for a long time, always secretly missing a piece of myself, and I didn't know how or where to find it. I didn't expect the missing piece to be a person.

The night we met and I immediately was drawn to him. The way his words found their way across the room, filling my mind. The way I haven't been able to get enough of him, his touch, his blood, his presence, everything. It all makes sense now.

Since the moment I stepped into that bar, I knew I wouldn't be able to walk away from him. At first, I was scared to even think that I could let a human into my life. I was terrified of losing someone close to me again. I didn't want to fall for Greyson, but I couldn't help it. Fate may have brought us together, but it didn't make us choose one another.

My fear of losing someone I love has kept a wedge between Greyson and my heart. But I'm tired of living that way. I'm tired of staying in the shadows. If someone dares to go after what's mine, they will pay with their lives.

The only way I can guarantee his safety is by staying right by his side, protecting him every step of the way. Which is exactly what I plan to do for a very long time.

Winding along my driveway, my legs carry me to the steps with powerful strides, leading me up to my front door.

Autumn was right about the power increase for sure. Every day, I feel stronger.

I clear my mind, readying myself for the task at hand as I open the door and step inside, immediately spotting Greyson and Ethan across the foyer in the living room, sitting on the sofa, Ethan sound asleep, snoring.

Greyson quietly rises to his feet and crosses the open space. I meet him halfway, sliding my arms around his waist and squeezing him tight.

His arms embrace me, and I breathe him in, smelling my own personal heaven.

He wheezes. "Baby, you're squeezing really hard."

Releasing him, I step back, an embarrassed flush spreading across my lips. "I'm sorry."

He smirks and takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us once again. "If you missed me that much, you could have just said so instead of trying to crush my ribs."

Lightly, and I mean lightly , I shove his chest. "I missed you. This whole thing with Ethan has me lost in my thoughts."

He tips my chin up, and that pretty baby blue stare, perfectly framed by his glasses, entrances me. "About what?"

"You. Me. Us." I take a shaky breath, sliding my fingers up his waist. "Greyson…" I take another breath for confidence. He's human, and although there are ways to grant him immortality, time is fleeting, and I don't want to hold my feelings back any longer. "I lov?—"

Sporadic, wet coughing cuts me off, coming from the living room from Ethan. I speed over and suck in a sharp inhale when I discover he looks worse.

Our venom's effects work slowly through a human, prolonging their pain, and right now, we need all the time we can get. But because he's been fed on so much and mercilessly, there's so much venom in his system, speeding up the process.

"Has he talked to you at all yet?" I ask Greyson as he approaches. He shakes his head, heart-aching concern pouring off him.

"Only once, at school. I asked if he knew me, but he said he didn't. After what he's been through, I don't blame him, obviously," He sighs, sitting down by Ethan's feet.

His mind is clearly suffering more than just the bite can give. An idea flutters in my mind. Grabbing Ethan's shoulder, I lightly nudge him awake.

He opens his bloodshot eyes, silently staring straight at the ceiling.

"Help me sit him up," I tell Greyson, contemplating if what I'm about to do is a good idea.

This won't hurt him physically, but I'm nervous about messing with his mind at all if it will permanently harm him since so much damage seems to have already been done. But we don't have too much of a choice right now. We need answers.

Greyson helps without question, guiding his feet to the floor as I lift his torso, leaning him against the back of the couch.

Standing between his legs, I cup Ethan's face and take a deep breath, forcing him to look at me while releasing my power, stretching it out from my mind and latching onto his.

Forcing my question into his consciousness, I demand an answer. "Tell me who did this to you."

Ethan's voice is scratchy and raw, emotionless. "I can't."

"Why not?"

He pauses before robotically answering, "I-I don't know. But I can't tell you."

My suspicion was right—someone tampered with his consciousness, the same way I can alter other's minds. I can feel it in him, a block standing in the way of my connection to Ethan like a brick wall.

Mentally, I try to push past it, forcing my power against the block, but it doesn't budge.

Everything about my abilities has intensified thus far. Maybe it's time to test this part of it out.

Taking a steady inhale, I close my eyes, envisioning the blockage falling away, the aura of my power breaking it down.

Surging my energy through the tether, I gasp, sensing the wall beginning to come down in his mind.

Opening my eyes, I find the slightest spark igniting in Ethan's stare, the light flickering, teetering on the edge of powering on or shutting off again.

There's only one other vampire I know of that can control minds like this, other than myself.

"Ethan? Can you hear me?" Greyson pleads, his voice ragged.

Securing my grip on his mind, I command him, "Remember everything that he made you forget." Forcing my power through the cracks in his mental wall, I encourage him, "You are in control, Ethan. Remember everything ."

As if he's pulling on the bricks from the other side, he creates an opening, large enough for my power to burst through the wall completely, shattering it apart until nothing stands between our connection.

He sucks in a sharp breath and blinks rapidly, the cloudiness in his stare fading away, his gaze locking onto Greyson's as his eyes well with tears. "G-Greyson? Is…is that you?"

Greyson throws his arms around him, and I step back, letting them embrace each other as tears flow down Ethan's face and he violently cries out. Ethan stays like that for a moment, shouting in agony as everything comes back to him.

This hasn't cured him. It only restored his memory. We are still battling the clock to get the antidote into his system. I want to give them privacy, but I also need him to confirm who his assaulter is. But I remain quiet for a little longer, giving Ethan's mind a few minutes to settle.

He's not in pain, and that only means one thing—the venom has spread far enough that it's numbed his nervous system, one of the last steps before it takes his life.

"Where am I?" Ethan asks as they pull apart, and he looks around my living room, taking everything in.

Taking a seat on the coffee table across from him, I clear my throat. "You're in my home. We brought you here after Greyson found you at the university."

Something clicks in his gaze like he recognizes me. "You're Ms. Barlowe."

Nodding, I smile. "Call me Vivian."

"Vivian. Thank you," he murmurs, his eyes wrought with pain. His gaze falls to his hands and his wrists before he lifts the sleeve of his sweatshirt and studies the spider vein lines leading out of dark bite marks, spreading further along his skin with each passing second.

"We will find whoever did this to you. He will never be able to hurt you or anyone else ever again. I can promise you that."

His head snaps up to me. "You said he . You know who it is?"

Wetting my lips, my jaw ticking, I say, "I have an idea of who it might be, based on his ability to nearly wipe your mind." I take a breath. "Do you remember what he looked like? Could you describe him to me?"

His eyes slam shut, his face contorting with fear, anger, and disgust. His hands start shaking in his lap, and I hate that I have to make him go through that trauma again right now.

"H-He's older-looking. His hair is dark brown, longer, stopping at his shoulders. A couple of inches taller than me." He pauses, and I reach out and take his hands in mine, opening my senses to him. My eyes burn from the emotional agony coursing through him.

You're doing amazing. He can't hurt you anymore.

He huffs, his eyes fluttering open as his thumping heart rate spikes. "A tattoo—he had a scorpion on the side of his neck."

It's him. Victor Archer .

His voice shakes, tears pooling in his eyes. "Can I ask you a question? And you promise to tell me the truth no matter what?"

"I promise," I tell him, meaning it.

His words ghost across his lips, almost too quietly to hear. "Am I going to die?"

Squeezing his hands, I shake my head. "Not if I have any say in the matter. I'm going to find him, finish the antidote, and you will be just fine."

He mouths the words Thank you.

Lachlan's wolfy odor invades my nose. He's here.

Speeding over to the door, I open it before he even knocks, his hand raised in the air. "Come in."

"Thank you," he grumbles, stepping inside and following me into the living room. "This is Maeve and Pierce."

"Thank you for coming. I'm Vivian," I introduce myself to them as we step into the living room. "Lachlan, Maeve, and Pierce, this is Ethan and Greyson."

"Hi," Ethan murmurs, looking up, the purple rings around his eyes still deep and dark.

"Do you smell him?" I ask Lachlan as he takes a deep breath.

He nods, pinching his nose and wincing. "Oh yeah. I couldn't miss that stench a mile away."

Hope blooms in my chest. "So you'll be able to find him?"

Lachlan's gaze shifts from Ethan to me. The chocolate brown of his eyes starts glowing the deepest shade of gold. He scoffs arrogantly, "Yeah, we'll find him."