Chapter 11

I felt his foul breath against my neck and braced myself, wondering what it would feel like to die at the hands of a vampire. I couldn’t even believe that my life had reached this point. Not too long ago, I had been a normal girl going to a kickboxing class and now, I was living my last moments.

I gulped, my mouth drying up. My lips felt like they were glued together. Suddenly, there was a loud thud nearby, like something had slammed into a tree. Seconds later, the stench of the vampire’s foul breath was gone. I opened my eyes to see Elroy standing there, holding down the man with the dreadlocks. The man fought back, his long, sharp nails reaching out, trying to claw at Elroy’s face.

He looked at me, his eyes full of concern. “Run!” He told me, but I was too afraid to move. It was like the forest had rooted me in place. “Run! Dammit!” He urged me again. Suddenly, the second vampire swooped in, grabbing Elroy by the collar and throwing him into a nearby tree. It cracked and collapsed with the force of the blow. Elroy’s cry of pain finally broke my paralysis.

Without thinking, I ran forward. Remembering my kickboxing lessons, I planted my feet into the ground before I swung out at the knee and straightened out my leg, driving my heel into the vampire’s back.

Immediately, I regained my posture, looking ready to deal out a few jabs. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins as my vision blurred. I knew that if it really came down to it, I would be no match for a vampire but still I had to give it a shot. “Kyla! I told you to run.” Elroy grabbed me, yanking me out of harm’s way as a vampire lunged toward me.

We fell onto the ground, our legs tangling together. I looked at him, feeling his body against mine for the very first time. Despite the circumstances, I felt my hormones kicking in. I almost forgot the situation we were in.

Suddenly, before our lips could gravitate together, the vampires took hold of Elroy. Their fingers dug into his arms. “Is this the one who marked you?” The vampire with the trench coat asked. “Is he the one you love?” He grinned. “Because he’s about to die for you. For getting in the way of our meal.”

I sprung to my feet. “Don’t you dare hurt him!”

“So you do love him.” The dreadlock vampire asked with a vicious grin. “How will you feel when you watch him die, I wonder?” His grin widened.

Elroy tried to struggle, but it was no use. He hung his head, knowing his existence was limited. “Let him go!” I pounced on their chests, but they wouldn’t budge. It was as if they had turned into statues. I continued my assault, but now, they just laughed at me.

Seconds later, I was kicked aside. I fell into a pile of leaves. I was about to get up when I saw them looking at each other, their eyes locked. Their grasp on Elroy tightened and I knew they were mere seconds away from killing him. “No!” There was a deep pang in my heart and in that moment, I knew I loved Elroy just as much as I loved Quin. I couldn’t see him die.

I ran up to them just as a blur entered the corner of my vision. In a matter of seconds, the two vampires dropped Elroy’s arms and howled in pain. Their shoulders slumped and their arms hung limply by their sides. I stood in place, trying to figure out what had happened.

“Are you okay?” Quin was suddenly by my side. His body was covered with dirt, his hair littered with foliage. His pants, the only article of clothing on his body, were decorated with mud. The hems were worn-out and he was barefoot. He looked like he had been stuck in the wilderness for ages.

“Quin…?” I asked in disbelief. It was hard to believe it was really him.

“Reunions later.” Elroy’s voice suddenly cut through the silence. The two vampires had popped their dislocated shoulders back in and looked even angrier than before.

“Enough of these silly games.” One of them growled, his voice hollow and deadly. I stepped behind Quin. They were getting closer and my heart threatened to drown out all other sound.

“Hide behind the rock,” Quin whispered to me. “I don’t want you to see this.” I reached up, touching this back, seeing the scars that lined his body. His shoulder blades shuddered at my touch before I obediently hid behind the rock. With my back against the rough surface, I closed my eyes and strained my vision. I didn’t know what was about to happen, but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty.

My heart beat was even louder than before, making it hard for me to figure out what was going on. My body was covered with a thin layer of sweat as I sat there, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, I heard it. A long, drawn-out whisper that reminded me of the woman in the red dress. Seconds later, there was a reverberating cracking noise and then the sound of footsteps. I tensed up, wondering if these were the footsteps of friends or foes. I held my breath and waited, my heart thumping rapid fire.

“Kyla.” The sound made me jump out of my skin. My eyes shot open and I was relieved to see Quin and Elroy. There were a few splatters of blood across their chests as they stood there, looking so different and yet so much like brothers.

With shaky legs, I got up with their help. “Let’s get you home,” Quin said, his voice soft and soothing. “It’s all over now.” He picked me up and carried me as if I weighed nothing at all. Elroy trailed behind with a dark expression on his face. He looked at me with a sense of longing and my heart ached. Now that Quin was back, would I be forced to choose between the two men? Could I even make such a decision?