Chapter 168

Shade sent me a disapproving glance for the first time since our encounter. Right, shifters weren’t about hiding. They were all brazen and charged into the enemies’ ranks, snarling, tearing, and biting. The younger prince was trying to tell me that I didn’t need to cower while he was there to protect me.

I was only being practical. There was no shame in skulking when the situation called for it. I wasn’t going to risk myself if I didn’t have to. The bloodsuckers were lurking behind the trees outside the clearing while closing in on the shifters from all directions.

From what I could count, there were at least fifty vampires coming at us, which was two to one against the shifters. Plus the vamps carried long swords, which indicated that they were coldhearted killers. I was being smart cowering here.

Luckily, I found a ball cap amid the supplies. I threw it over my head and hid my hair inside. The vampires would have a hard time recognizing me if they happened to be hunting me.

I could never fault myself for being careful. Settling myself nicely, I peeked out of the pile of equipment, my heart pounding in my throat.

Shade stood near me, his disappointment in me switching to rage as his eyes trained on a horde of vampires coming toward us like a surge of

 

 shadows.

A black wind picked up. Trees trembled. Bushes shuffled. A flock of

mockingbirds let out rasps and trills, flapped their wings, and flew away. Violence pulsed in the air.

The shifters waited, ready to burst into action. A dozen or so soldiers

were in their warrior forms, their clawed hands grasping a sword, an ax, or a spear; the other dozen remained in their animal forms. I saw a colossal bear, a leopard, and twin panthers mixed among the wolves. Each soldier in his warrior form paired with a shifter in his animal form.

The vampires, on the other hand, weren’t as bulky as the shifters. They were mostly tall and lean and looked refined. All of them wore dark trench coats. It was impossible to tell whether they hid nasty weapons inside them or not.

The lead vampire, who carried himself with regal poise and icy beauty, strode toward Sideburns but stopped at a certain distance. He also didn’t draw his weapon, the long sword strapped behind his back.

Suddenly, a flash of images pierced through my skull with a blinding pain.

Agony filled my every fiber.

Cold steel pressed against my back.

I was lying on a table, masked faces hovering above me. I couldn’t

move, icy lead in my limbs, terror drenching my mind.

Who were those people? What were they going to do to me? A needle

pricked my skin. A moment later, my blood pumped into a syringe. It was dark red and thick.

I tried to scream. I tried to kick, but I was bound and drugged. My eyes slowly rolled to the side and spotted a display of sharp surgical tools.