Chapter 127

Tessa’s POV

I was woken once again by the sharp pain of the new vampire’s fangs against the back of my neck. it was feeding time, and I was the only thing on his menu.

I wondered how long I had been here. Hours? Days? Weeks?

Was I missing school right now? Was Ruby worried about me?

I was fading in and out of consciousness without the use of his drugs now. Darkness was becoming my home. After a while, the pain was no longer an issue for me. My body had gone numb. It almost felt like I was floating into oblivion.

He was still speaking words to me as he drank from me, but I couldn’t hear him. His words were muffled and irrelevant.

There was still no sign of Ryan though. I remember this new vampire saying something about Ryan fetching a moonstone pendant because he needs it to turn me into a blood slave without the help of the elders.

The destination of this pendant must have been far away because he still hasn’t returned. But I knew he’d be back before the full moon.

If this new vampire didn’t stop drinking for me and bleeding me dry, I would die before Ryan returned. The thought of dying before he had a chance to turn me into a blood slave was almost comforting. He wouldn’t be able to use me, and all of this would be for nothing.

I almost invited death to come.

As this vampire drank from me, something had changed in his overall demeanor. He completely tensed and he pulled away from me as if I had just struck him. But I hadn’t moved.

I heard his voice, deep and angry, but I didn’t hear what he was saying. But I knew he was speaking; was he talking to someone? Had Ryan returned?

I wished I could move so I could see what was going on. I heard other muffled voices and then something that sounded like fighting.

I allowed my eyes to flutter shut, no longer having the strength to stay away. Darkness was coming back for me and this time, I feared it was coming to stay.

…

Joseph’s POV

As soon as we were walking down the stairs of the dark hideout, the scent of Tessa’s blood hit me with such force it made me run past Fae, nearly knocking her down the stairs.

Thankfully, Connor was there to catch her.

The warriors picked up speed behind me, drawing their weapons, they were prepared to fight. Just as I was.

I didn’t pick up the scent of Ryan, but I did smell that new vampire I was searching for. So, he was hiding under the ground after all. Ryan was the one hiding him.

I followed Tessa’s scent and weaved my way through multiple sections of the underground cave until I finally found the one where her scent was the strongest. There was a hidden doorway that kept that part of the cave closed, but with one kick I was able to break through the door and it swung open with force.

I walked into what looked like a dungeon and what I saw made my stomach turn into a giant tight knot.

Tessa was lying on the ground, covered in her own blood with that new vampire leaning over her and licking the blood off her body. Her body was face down, but I could just make out the cuts and bruises that decorated her fair skin.

Her hair was soaked in blood and her fingers were twitching probably from the pain and discomfort she felt, which meant she was still alive. I could hear her faint heartbeat without even being near her as well.

The warriors piled in after me and the sound of us at the entrance was enough to alert the new vampire.

He quickly stood to his feet, and I saw how red and angry his eyes were. His mouth was dripping with Tessa’s blood and snarled angrily at us.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he hissed.

Without much thought, I ran to him with all my speed and punched him across the open cell. His body flew and landed on the cement wall with a thud. Without giving him a chance to recover, I ran to him and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him in the air.

“Where the hell is Ryan?” I said through my teeth.

“I’ll… never…. Tell…” he struggled to speak.

I punched him hard in the face; blood splattered from his now broken nose. I knew I couldn’t kill him with just a few punches and his body would heal him quickly. But we had weapons that would certainly end his pathetic life if he didn’t cooperate.

“Tell me where the hell he is!!” I growled.

A smile was placed on this new vampire’s lips, and it only pissed me off that much more. I threw him across the cell and ran toward him, kicking him square in the face. Blood spilled from the mouth, and he spits it onto the ground around him.

“Search the hideout!” I heard Connor ordering his men.

The warriors jumped into action; so far, it was only this new vampire in this hideout. Did Ryan seriously only have one vampire keeping his eye on Tessa?

“If Ryan isn’t here, he most likely went to search for the moonstone pendant,” Bernard said from behind me.

Of course, he wouldn’t be able to turn Tessa into a blood slave without that pendant. Only Elders had that pendant, but he might be able to get one from the black market, but the black market was at least a day's trip.

The new vampire gritted his teeth and spit his blood in my direction, missing me by only a hair.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who wants her blood,” he seethed through his teeth.

I narrowed my eyes at him and watched as his eyes looked beyond me. I turned slightly to see Fae staring at Tessa with her eyes glowing red and her fangs growing large as hunger consumed her.

In only seconds she would lunge at Tessa; though, I could tell she was trying to keep herself from doing that.

“Bernard! Get Fae out of here!” I ordered.

Bernard jumped toward Fae and grabbed her by the arms. She screamed out in agony of being deprived of Tessa’s addictively sweet blood. She struggled to get free, but Bernard was much stronger than her. I knew once they were outside, he would use his abilities to calm her, but he needed to get out fresh air first, so she wasn’t being consumed by this hunger.

I turned back to the new vampire who was cackling through his swollen face. I clenched my jaw and began to beat the living shit out of him. Blood spilled from his face, and I heard the cracking of his bones as I slammed his head against the hard ground.

“The hideout is clear,” Connor said as he returned.

I heard him kneeling beside Tessa.

“She’s not looking so good,” Connor said as he examined Tessa.

I was too consumed with fury to even pay attention to him. I couldn’t stop punching this vampire. I wanted to bleed him of every ounce of blood just as he was doing to Tessa. I wanted him to feel the same pain he made her feel.

Connor didn’t bother stopping me; he knew I needed to do this. As did the other warriors. They watched silently, allowing me to get all my anger out.

I heard the clattering of a blade being thrown beside me. I glanced at the silver blade that sat beside me; it must have been thrown by one of the warriors.

I grabbed the blade and held it to the throat of this new vampire. He looked at me through his swollen and bleeding eyes, no ounce of remorse in them.

“Y…you… can’t… keep her… safe…” he sputtered as more blood pooled in his mouth.

I gritted my teeth and lowered myself, so I was at eye level with him, keeping the blade in place against his throat with one and the other hand gripping the top of his hair.

Through my teeth, I hissed, “Watch me.”

With one quick motion, I swiped the blade across his chest and watched as blood spilled from him. He gagged on his own blood, and I dug the blade deeper into his throat before removing it and dropping him to the ground.

I drove the blade into his stomach and removed it with a quick motion before making the same gesture to his heart.

I knew he would die instantly from the silver blade.

As predicted, he stopped squirming and he lay limp on the ground as blood pooled underneath her.

I dropped the blade beside him and struggled to maintain my rapid heartbeat.

“Joseph!” I heard Connor say quickly from behind me.

I turned to look at him; he was lifting Tessa into his arms. She laid limp against him and that was the first time I was able to get a look at her face.

It was beaten and cut; there were bite marks all over her. She was incredibly pale through the thick layer of blood that covered her features.

Seeing her brought me back to the present moment and unfroze my body.

“We need to get her back to the infirmary,” Connor said in a breath. “She stopped breathing.”