38. Hayden

38

HAYDEN

The site before me makes me sick. His waist is pressed into Millie's like he's about to enter her. Her underwear is torn, and his fangs are inside her neck. He's feeding on her; I can almost taste her blood from where I'm standing.

I'm going to add his eyes to my crown and throne by the time this is all over.

"Get your fucking hands off my future wife!" I growl loudly; my entire body shakes, and I want to rip him apart piece by piece slowly, but what is the fun in that?

No, no, no. I want him to rot in his mistake of trying to take what's mine. He needs to get a taste of why I earned the name of depravity amongst our world of immortals.

He stiffens, and Millie goes limp on the couch. Her black waves of hair fall off the cushion, and her sleeping, pained face breaks my spirit. She's whimpering in her sleep.

I'm flexing my jaw so hard it burns.

Finally, he gets off her with a victorious smirk to taunt me. And it's working.

"When you are known as The Depraved Prince and when Millie found out her father was dead, it was so fucking easy planting it in everyone's heads that you were the one responsible. No one blinked an eye. No one suspected it could be a lie when all you're known for is being a selfish, evil vampire." Cole confesses as he licks Millie's blood off his lips with a sinister smile. I can feel myself wanting to implode from the madness. No one gets to taste what heaven is like, and he has. I'm going to fucking turn his power of immortality into a joke. He has his hand on her chest like he's ready to rip her heart out. He stares at me, antagonizing me like I've fallen into a trap.

"There are rumors about your blackouts in the community, King Drago."

How the fuck does he know ?

I stalk forward, about to flash to him and kill him, but his threat shatters me.

"You come closer, and I'll rip it out of her chest." He points to her heart, and it makes me stop.

Motherfucker . He knows I'm nothing without her. Everyone in our world knows the Depraved Prince has fallen in love.

"I had to turn earlier than scheduled. I was forced to avenge my father's death…just like you avenged your uncle. Revenge just tastes better when you get to do it in front of them. Isn't that right, Drago? How did it feel when you killed my father in front of Millie?"

"Not as good as it'll feel when I rip your head off," I snarl.

He scoffs before laughing, and I return the demented smile at him. My teeth almost slice into my lips as I try to keep my demons inside.

"Here's what's going to happen, Cole. You're going to leave this house, and I'll grant you a head fucking start to run away from me. Give me my girl, and I'll spare you tonight. But only tonight." I offer him mercy. I never propose weak deals, but I'll do anything to save Millie.

His vision darts to me and then to her sleeping figure on the couch. He grabs her wrist, the one that was broken, and squeezes it. Millie is so out of it she doesn't feel him hurting her.

"What the fuck do you want?!" I hiss so loud the entire house shakes.

He lets her hand go and looks dead in my eyes with his vibrant blue eyes. "I want you to suffer."

He knows killing Millie would end me.

"This is a war, Hayden. And the war isn't over. It's just begun." He grabs Millie, lifts her into his arms, and uses her as a shield to walk out of the house. His palm is on her throat, making sure I see that he's a second away from ripping her throat out if I come too close.

A shotgun racks loudly, and a gunshot goes off midair. Cole and I growl towards the source.

Who the hell has a gun?

Nash stands in the doorway, holding a giant cross with Jesus Christ tight in his palm. Cole starts to laugh at Nash like he's a joke.

"Drop my sister, you bloodsucker!" Nash demands while the grip on his weapon trembles. His long black hair sways in the wind from the rainstorm outside. He holds it still, pointing straight at Cole's face. Lightning strikes and thunder erupts right after.

I take advantage of Nash being a decoy. His finger is on the trigger, and I lunge for Cole. The blow from tackling him into the wall forces him to drop Millie. I can't look at her, or I'll die if I see that she's bleeding or hurt.

I have to focus on ending the man who tasted my little Bambi. Cole and I wrestle. He clocks me in the jaw which only makes my grin more potent. I laugh as blood spurts out of my crooked smile. It's another battle of princes, and I know I'll win. Anyone who looks at Millie, let alone cause her pain will know what it's like to fear me. Our brawl doesn't last long. My age grants me the upper hand.

"I'm going to end you!" Cole growls. He lunges for my throat while I take joy in making him squirm for his life.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I twist his neck until it breaks. It won't kill him. He'll heal, which is precisely what I want right now. He falls to the ground, unconscious. Landon, Kolton, and others swarm inside fast to chain him in silver. Chains that will have him under control until I get him back to the Cathedral. I love to fight my battles solo. Even if it ends in my demise, I love the journey.

It takes every dead patient bone in my body to refrain from ripping him to shreds. I have beautiful plans for him.

I fall back to my knees with shaking muscles and bittersweet nerves. I've been dreaming of our reunion every single day, waking up in a cold sweat, turning in my bed, pretending she's right by me. Then the disappointment follows right after, and I want to destroy Drago's Cathedral because her absence demolishes me. Now I have her again.

I turn Millie around so I can see her. I need to touch, feel, and smell her. I need to awaken the fire inside me by ensuring she's real.

When I scoop her into my arms, she groans sleepily. She makes that same sweet tune when she's peacefully resting. I've grown fond of it over the past months of having her in my arms when we sleep every day. My lovely, sweet, angelic Millie that has a fire in her heart and hope that lasts mountains high. She's alive. She's okay. And she's all mine again.

My wife . My little bride . My haven .

I hold her tight, my rough palms securing into my body. I smile as I descend from her father's house and prepare for the rain outside. I don't make it three steps before Nash points his shotgun at me from behind and racks it.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going with my little sister, you evil vampire! You're the one who killed my father, aren't you?!" Nash threatens with panic laced in his voice. I tilt my head to the side, my red eyes brightening and daring him to challenge me. I will kill anyone who tries to get in the way of the life I have planned for Millie and me, including her brother. I don't give a flying fuck who it is.

I smile. He's scared of me. I can feel it.

"The blonde-haired man with the bad haircut?" I point out Cole.

Nash narrows his brows at me, confused, with a slanted, bewildered mouth like he doesn't know who I'm talking about. He still doesn't lower his weapon, and my patience is growing thin.

"The man whose neck I snapped? Cole. He's the one responsible for the death of your father. Not me, believe it or not." I shrug nonchalantly, not caring if he believes me or not. Either way, I'm walking out of here with the love of my life. She belongs in Drago's Cathedral, not here in Texas unprotected.

"Let her go," he insists.

I scoff out a chuckle, raise my brows, and darken my eyes.

"No," I state simply.

He puts his finger on the trigger, daring me, and I'm about to snap this boy's gun in half.

I sigh heavily. "She will be safe. I love your sister more than life. More than me. More than anything. I won't hurt her. But she's mine to take. Not yours. I'll have her call you when she wakes if that makes you feel better."

"I just got her back," he murmurs sadly.

He regrets leaving her behind when she was a child. But I don't give a fuck.

She's mine .

"I know…" My throat rolls. "But so did I," I reply with no remorse. A tear falls out of Nash's eye. I've had enough of all these emotions. I've met my limit of chaos for the night.

"Nash," I growl.

"Yes?"

"Do not tell a fucking soul about our kind. If you do, and I will fucking know if you do, I will kill you myself, and you will never see your sister again," I promise him as I hold his sleeping little sister in my arms tighter. I bring her sleeping body closer to my chest and walk out with my little bride.

"Where are you taking her? Are you going to hurt her? Kill her? Turn her into a vampire?!" He racks his gun again and points it at me. I stop walking and turn to him. He places his finger on the trigger, and I reach out and lower his gun.

"I don't care that you're pointing the gun at me, but don't you dare point it while I have your sister in my arms!" I snarl protectively. He complies, but his stern gaze never wavers. He drops the weapon to the floor after putting it on safety. Cooper stirs and limps toward Nash, licking his hand. Millie's dog looks at me with a softened glance.

He's finally warmed up to me.

"If those were my plans, and if weapons could kill me, I'd grab that gun of yours and shoot myself. I'd rather die than have one thought of harming her cross my mind. I love Millie with all that I am. I'm keeping her, and you're going to let me. No one can keep me from her anymore. Not even herself."