Chapter 16 Vivian

M y patience is wearing incredibly thin as the minutes tick by and we still haven't found Victor. Lachlan and a few select members of his pack have been tracking him, even crossing state lines into Connecticut and back. They think Victor is toying with them, forcing them to run in circles while we try to catch up, two steps behind.

But finally, as we return to Saint Eldritch, Lachlan starts acting like an alpha and latches onto a stronger scent, finally leading us out of this labyrinth of a hunt.

I hear someone whisper incoherently, and I turn, searching their faces, trying to decipher who it was, but no one is looking at me.

" Vivian ." I hear the voice again and immediately recognize it.

Greyson .

"Greyson?" I call out, and everyone's attention snaps my way, their eyes wide and brows furrowed.

"What is it?" Lachlan demands, walking over to me, but I don't pay him any attention, instead focusing my hearing to find Greyson's voice again.

But all I hear is the sounds of nature and Lachlan's vocalized concern.

A pit forms in my stomach, ripping my gut apart as a coldness settles into every cell in my body. "Something's wrong."

"What? What's happening?" Ava grabs my hand, begging me to answer.

I release my fangs, tapping into the power in my chest and opening all of my senses.

"Ahh!" I cry out as pain erupts in my neck.

My hand flies to it, the pain immediately fading into a strange tingling sensation, pinpointed in two perfect dots.

Oh my god.

"He's at my house. He's at my house right now. And he's…" I can't even finish the sentence. I'm already running, racing as hard and fast as I can, my feet pounding into the ground.

I'm coming. Just hold on. I'm coming.

The world around me blurs as I run with abandon, my neck burning in the two points where fangs have bitten into Greyson's neck.

Oh my god, I am going to rip the vampire to pieces.

I can't seem to move fast enough, and my chest tightens as I gasp for air. It's not for the shortness of breath but for the despair repeatedly stabbing my heart.

Tears burn in my eyes as I picture his smile in my mind. I should've listened to him when he wanted me to stay this morning. In his embrace, that's where I should be. If I had done that, this wouldn't be happening. I would have been there to protect him.

Turning onto my street, I fly down the block, tapping into the rage and uncontrollable power in my body fueling me forward. Rushing up the steps, I pause, only for a second, as I find Jason's body crumpled to the ground.

I'm so sorry, Jason.

With no time to mourn my friend, I burst through the open doors, frantically searching for Greyson, and the second I spot him out of the corner of my eye, my world shatters.

Greyson convulses on the ground as Victor holds his head up, his blood-soaked, fanged mouth buried in Greyson's throat.

My vision turns red as something inside of me snaps, every cell in my body tearing in half and healing back together with newfound and untapped power, waves of dark red energy radiating from me.

I blink and reach them, digging my fingers into the flesh of Victor's neck.

"Get off of him!" I roar, my voice tearing through the house like an earthquake.

I don't want to rip him off if I don't have to. The pain of the fangs coming out against their will would be excruciating for Greyson.

Victor laughs, and I see the venom dancing beneath Grey's paling skin, spidering out from Victor's mouth.

Greyson's blood runs down Victor's chin and neck, soaking into his shirt. Sinking my fingertips an inch into his flesh, I secure him in my grip.

"This is going to hurt, Greyson. And I'm so sorry," I warn him before lifting up on Victor's head, holding him in place as I slide my other hand into his mouth, pressing down on his tongue.

As easily as I snap a twig in half, I push down, a deafening, wet pop bursting in the air as I snap his jaw in half.

He growls in pain, releasing Greyson and falling backward, my fingers still buried in his neck.

His arms flail around him as he tries to break free of my grasp, and all I can do is laugh and smile at him because he has no idea what's coming to him. Excruciating agony is all he will ever know from this moment forward. He will beg me for mercy, and I will never grant it.

Fisting his shirt in my hands, I lift him from the ground and toss him across the room like a stuffed animal. He explodes through the wall, tearing straight through the Sheetrock and every layer until he bursts through the brick on the outside of the house.

I speed outside, catching him by the throat before he even has a chance to land and run.

My vision pulses red as anger overwhelms me, surrounding me completely as I grab him by his leg with one hand and his throat with the other. In one swift movement, I lift him up and slam him down, thrusting my knee upward. A bone-curdling crunch snaps through the air as I drive my knee through his break, snapping it in half.

The best part about torturing a vampire is that they'll heal up just as strong as before. I can break his spine over and over, and he'll heal every single time, feeling the pain just as intensely as the first time.

Rage and an animalistic desire to break every single bone in Victor's body courses through my veins. Throwing him over my shoulder like a towel, I look up, bend my knees, and push off the ground.

As if gravity struggles to control me, I fly up onto the roof, Victor slung over my back. Grabbing his ankle, I whip him off me, slamming him against the black shingles.

He stares up at me, his jaw dangling from his face. It has to be set properly before it will start to heal. Which means until then, he feels every second of pain.

Grabbing him by the waist, I raise him up over my head, his weight as light as a feather above my arms. Facing the edge of the roof, my eyes lock onto the black fountain.

Digging my feet into the ground, I take a few running steps before pushing off the roof, soaring through the air toward the large fountain.

He had the audacity to bite Greyson. To break into my home and hurt the one I love. He wanted to challenge me, and this will be his outcome. He deserves an eternity in agony, and that is exactly what I will grant him.

As we descend through the cold night air, I tighten my grip and swing his body down hard on top of the decorative point. The black marble bursts through his chest, blood exploding into the air like a water feature, spraying me in drops of his insides as I skewer him on the post, forcing him down to the hilt. He screams out in agony, and I bathe in the sounds of his horror.

Grabbing his hair, I turn his head, forcing him to look at me, my words a spitting growl. "You never should have touched him." Grabbing his other hand with mine, I snap his index finger and twist, ripping the flesh apart at the knuckle. "When you lie entombed in your coffin with nightshade filling your every breath and you question what got you there, I want you to remember this moment. That I'm the reason you will writhe in pain for all of eternity. I'm the reason Death will never greet you and bring you peace, and I'm the reason Mercy will never offer you a helping hand."

Lachlan rushes over to me, jumping up the edges of the fountain, his face twisting in horror. "Go to him. We've got Victor."

Greyson needs me, as does Ethan. I can keep punishing Victor later. But in the meantime, I need to finish and add the final ingredient—Victor's blood.

"Vivian." Greyson's distant whisper tears my attention from the bloody mess before me.

"Don't you dare kill him. He's not done paying for his sins."

Lachlan nods, and I kick off the fountain and race inside, heading straight for Greyson, passing the other wolves. I can feel his heartbeat pound into my ears and the connection between us pulsing strongly, a gravity of its own pulling us to one another.

The sight of him lying on the ground rips my heart out of my chest. He's holding his throat, writhing in pain, and it makes me want to turn around and break Victor's back all over again. But I don't. I have forever to torture Victor. Right now, Greyson needs me.

Grabbing the box of antidote mixes I keep stashed in the coffee table in my living room, I race over to Greyson, tears welling in my eyes. My anger fades to the background, and pure, gut-wrenching fear overwhelms my body.

"It's okay, baby. I'm right here. Everything's going to be okay." His eyes bulge from his head as he tries to catch his breath, his hands wrapped tightly around his throat.

"Vivian! What can I do?" Autumn calls out, dropping to her knees beside me.

Setting the vials down, I pop the cork off the top, hold Victor's severed finger over it, and squeeze drops of his blood, finishing the potion.

"Mix the other one and get it to Ethan," I order her, and she jumps into action, taking Victor's finger from me and running to find Ethan.

Caressing Greyson's jaw, I tip his head back, his mouth falling open, and I press the glass vial against his lips before pouring it into his mouth.

"Swallow it," I murmur to him, my chest erupting in pain as I watch the agony warp his features.

He gulps it down, and I wait for the relief to kick in, but nothing happens. I wait another five seconds, but again, nothing changes.

"Stop, make it stop. Why isn't it working?" I cry out, my words heaving with my desperate gasps as I cry out for help. "Autumn! Autumn!"

I can feel her presence, sense her emotions inside of the house.

My scream builds deep in my lungs, and I release it like a weapon. "Autumn!"

The ground shakes beneath us, the paintings and chandelier rattling with intense power as my cry rips through the house.

My head whips to the side as Autumn rushes over, heading straight for us.

Fear strikes her core as she meets my eyes, faltering her step slightly before she pushes it away and focuses on Greyson. "W-What's happening?"

"It's not working. Why isn't it working?!" I beg her for an answer.

She examines him as he groans and whimpers in pain, the anger boiling back up inside of me.

Her voice is shaky and ragged. "The antidote will work, but only once the venom finishes spreading through his entire body."

"We can't leave him like this! Do something!" I snap at her.

Tears well in his eyes as Autumn stutters, "I c-can't. We have to wait for the venom to run its course in his system. But the second it does, the antidote will heal him. Y-You know that."

Turning back to Greyson, I stroke his cheeks. His eyes lock with mine before slamming shut, his face twisting, tears rolling down his face.

"Make it stop, please. Make it stop ," I sob.

Hope blossoms in my chest, and it takes me a second to realize the feeling isn't my own. It's Autumn's emotion.

"Say it. What are you thinking? What can I do?" I beg her, not turning away from Greyson.

Sadness and fear sink into her chest. "There's something else, but I don't even know if it will work. You're better off leaving things be."

I warn her, "Autumn, I like you. But please, don't make me ask again."

Her eyes bulge as she sees it, feeling shocked and surprised. "I've never seen it done, okay?" She pauses, and I glare at her. "You have to get the venom out of his system. But I don't know if it will even take his pain or if it will work at all. But it will certainly infect you as if Victor bit you himself. And then you're in the same position as Greyson, suffering until the venom runs its course. We'll have to get another antidote. It's too risky, Vivian. You should wait."

My mind is already made up. "Go. If you don't want to watch, then leave. Or go grab another antidote bottle from the living room and mix it with Victor's blood because I'm going to need it. I'm not going to sit here and let him suffer!"

I can't. I can't just sit here and watch this. If there's a chance I can take his pain away, I'm going to try. I don't care if it hurts me—I'll do it a thousand times over for him. But it doesn't matter what warning she gives me…my decision is already made.

Tears fall down my face, splashing onto his torn and tattered shirt. "It'll be okay, Grey. I'll make it all better."

There's only one fast way to get the venom out of his system.

Gently peeling his hands away, I give him no time to protest before I latch onto his neck, sinking my fangs into the same puncture wounds that Victor left behind.

Vampire venom is not all the same; we each create our own unique strain, only being immune to the venom our own bodies produce.

My insides burst into flames the second Victor's venom hits my tongue. It feels like I drank a gallon of gasoline and swallowed a lit match. But I don't stop. I suck hard, taking every drop of it from Greyson's veins.

As long as I can get it all out, he'll be okay. He has to be okay.

My hands start shaking as I cradle his head and grip his shoulder, holding on for dear life. I can take this pain if it means he doesn't have to. I can stomach it. I repeat it like a mantra. I have to do this.

My brain pounds against my skull, trying to shatter it into a million pieces while the sensation of a thousand knives slices into my body.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to keep going even though everything inside of me is begging me to stop. But looking at Greyson's blond hair and holding his limp shoulder gives me all of the strength I need to carry on.

I won't fail him like I failed Genevieve. I didn't have the chance to save her. She was drained dry, and I know if I hadn't gotten here in time, Victor would have drained Greyson too.

Time becomes a blur as I swallow the venom, drop after drop. My mind begins to melt, and my confidence begins to waver.

But the second Greyson's blood hits my tongue, I know I've done it. His bloodstream is clear; his body is clear. He relaxes in my grip, every stiff muscle melting to the ground. I release my fangs and sit up, sliding my hands along Greyson's jaw.

His eyes are more alert, livelier, his stare telling me everything he wants to say without speaking a single word. I smile back at him, tears continuing to flow down my cheeks as the pain becomes overwhelming, stars bursting in my eyes. Resting my head on Greyson's chest, I know that if they can't get the antidote to me in time and this is what kills me, I will die in my happiest place in the world, in Greyson's arms.

The pain begins to fade, but I don't know if that is my body beating the side effects or the venom paralyzing me.

"Vivian, hold on!" Autumn yells from somewhere in the house.

She'll do it. She'll mix the antidote in time. She'll save me.

When a human is bitten, the venom works slowly through their system. Depending on the amount injected, the side effects will activate slower or faster. But the inevitable outcome is the same.

Because a vampire's metabolism is so quick, the effects hit us twenty times faster.

Ava announces to anyone listening, "Ethan is doing better. The antidote is already working on him!"

Skylar runs over, coming from who knows where, and gasps when she sees me. "Oh my god, Vivian. What can I do?"

Enough worrying about me. They need to make sure Greyson is okay.

"Take care of him," I order her, but she stays still.

Autumn's brows furrow as she desperately tries to understand me. " Tool cup oh fast? I don't get it."

What? That is not what I said at all.

It's the venom—it's hitting my nervous system and fucking with my speech.

I hold her stare before nodding and flicking my gaze at Greyson, using the only part of me I seem to still be able to use.

"I've got him, don't worry," Ava assures me before gently sliding Greyson out from beneath my head and picking him up. "Autumn, where should I take him?"

Autumn rushes over to my side, a look of determination on her face. "Take him upstairs. He needs to rest. I'll check on him in a minute."

As Greyson is carried away from me, the sound of his whisper roars into my ears, bringing me back to life just enough to hold on. " Vivian ."

I want to tell him, I'm right here and it's okay . But I know my body isn't functioning right. I need to take this one step at a time. Taking a deep breath, I steady my racing heart, just trying to survive.

They will take care of him. He'll be okay now.

Ava rushes over, crouching down beside Autumn.

Autumn takes charge, her voice commanding but strained. "We need to flip her over. Get her mouth open."

My body is limp and lifeless as they roll me over and part my lips. My mind feels fuzzy, and I feel light, like I'm floating in the air.

A disgusting metallic liquid hits my tongue as she tips the vial into my mouth. Mustering all of the energy I have left, I swallow the antidote. Let's just hope there's still time.

Autumn's heavy breathing fills my ears as she wraps her arms around me and squeezes me tight. "It has to work, Vivian. It has to." She rocks me back and forth, rubbing my back before pulling away.

"What do we do now?" Ava asks, panic still shaking her voice.

"Take her up to her bed. All we can do is wait and hope that we got it to her in time." Autumn wipes the tears from her cheeks as Ava scoops me into her arms.

The ceiling above me blurs for seconds as Ava hyper-speeds me to my bedroom, carefully laying me down on the bed.

Pressure digs into my chest, and I quickly realize it's Lucy. She nestles her head into the crook of my neck. My sweet girl.

Autumn rushes into the room, not stopping until she reaches my side and grabs my hand. "Greyson and Ethan are resting in separate rooms. They'll be just fine, Vivian. You did it. You saved them."

Her words become soft and muffled, and I wonder why she's covering her mouth or why I can't see her face as silence trickles into my ears, her voice cutting in and out.

Why can't I hear her? Why can't I see anything, for that matter?

My thoughts are beginning to scramble, and everything around me falls eerily quiet as my mind falls victim to the venom.