Cage

She had told me everything she knew, I was sure of it. Unfortunately, she had no knowledge that would explain why her scent was distinct from that of a bloodline vampire.

I got up then. I had been dreading this phase the most. When I sat down with her on the couch, she gave me a doubtful look. I leaned in her direction and said, "I'm sorry...I'll finish it quickly.

Her lip trembled once again as her large blue doe eyes widened. "Make what quick?"

I was honest with her. At least she earned that. "You pose a threat. You cannot live with me. Although I don't want to, I am forced to do this."

With big tears streaming down her cheeks and cresting her eyelashes, she questioned incredulously, "I'm dangerous?" I fought the urge to gently remove them. I was unable to respond to her query. Though everything in me wanted to run away, I had to kill her.

"No, I won't let you do that!" Her entire body tensed in preparation for my strike as fury washed across her features.

I detested seeing the terrified and scared look on her face as she got ready to defend herself. Perhaps I should have told her what was about to happen. You know you can't fight me, I murmured softly. You know I told you the truth, even though you didn't want to believe it. As a vampire, I am.

"It doesn't matter who you are! Her fingers balled into fists, she spat angrily, "I am not just going to accept death!"

"Dulce Tigru..." I whispered.

She had so much fire in her.

Well, time was on.

Her eyes went glassy, and she said, "Do you feel that?"

I looked at her, perplexed. Not just because of her strange query, but also because of the sudden change in her body. Her eyes were a million miles away as her heart rate dropped and she went completely motionless.

"Feel what?"

In a hypnotic reply, she said, "There's a slight hum, a vibration in the atmosphere. You're not hearing or feeling that?" Seemingly attempting to touch something in the air, she raised her fingertips.

I felt a wave of anxiety go over me, wondering whether she was trying to escape by playing a game. Her pulse rate would not have slowed down so much if she had been lying. Since she hadn't sounded insane when we chatted, I had thought that she was lucid, but now I didn't know what to make of her actions.

We were stopped by a loud tap on the door. I tensed up. Her focus returned to the here and now, and she waved her head in the direction of the entrance, hoping for assistance. With a quiet warning, "If you scream, I will kill them too," I subdued her.

With a shiver, she nodded.

In a rush, I walked across the room to peer through the spyhole. A guy with a mobile serving cart stood, dressed in a chalet uniform.

There was a problem.

Three people were in my line of sight because I could smell them.

"Room service for Raine Deonte," came from behind the door in a loud voice.

I shot her a hard glance in return.

She hurriedly shook her head and pursed her lips. "I didn't order anything!"

I held out my hand to signal her to come on. With hesitation, she got up and came to stand at the entrance. I said to myself, "Tell them to go away."

You have the incorrect person, she said, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke without opening the door. I'm not hungry and I didn't order room service. Please remove it.

Before the man's seductive voice attempted to persuade her to alter her decision, there was a moment of stillness. "You are Raine Deonte, right? It is a managerial gift. Very wonderful, I'm sure."

He couldn't see her through the door, but she shook her head and declared emphatically, "I'm exhausted. It's not what I desire. Please remove it.

"I don't want to get fired for not doing my job," he said, seeking to win her compassion even as he attempted to speak in a casual manner. I'll leave it if you could open the door. I swear, it will just take a moment, and I'll be out of your hair."

This was all wrong.

He was clearly not a member of the chalet staff and was making a lot of effort to get her to open the door. And why in the world were the other two hiding? Just as the door was being kicked in, I snatched her out of the entryway and quickly fled to the opposite side of the room. The three men hurried over.

I dropped to a fighting stance and gave a fierce warning roar. They definitely did not expect me to be with her since they froze in their tracks. "I told you!" the man wearing the staff uniform screamed at the two men behind him, over his shoulder. It's shown by that fucker's existence," he said, pointing at me. Obviously, he knew what I was, or who I was. But what did it show that I was here?

They carefully dispersed. "What should we do with him?" muttered the large, muscular one on the left.

"Death him too," their commander yelled.

Now that I knew, they were hunters. I was baffled as to why they desired Raine. I was certain they meant to kill her based on their statements and the manner they broke through the entryway. This was definitely not her night, damn it.

I chuckled, focusing on the hunter in the center, saying, "It's going to take a hell of a lot more than three of you to take me down."

He watched me closely. The hunter on the right snarled, "Fuck...It's their Prince!" when he recognized the target.

I grinned.

As they finally recognized the enemy they were facing, fear spread across each of their faces. I thought they would take the sensible decision and depart now that they knew. Rather, the man in the middle spat out, clenching his teeth, "It makes no difference who he is. She's already communicated with them. Now is the time to get things done. Try not to perish while killing the girl."

It astounded me.

They mourned her loss more than their own!

She was who the fuck was?

And why did they think she had been with me for so long?

Beside me, Raine remained still. It seemed strange to me that she had not run for it, especially since it was obvious they wanted to hurt her. Rather, she seemed intent on sticking by my side. In addition, she appeared far too composed given the pandemonium all around her. Her heartbeat was steady but slower than usual.

All three of the hunters moved out of position before I could continue to ponder. One went around to attempt to reach her from the other side, while the other two followed me.

Fuck, we weren't exactly in the best situation. It would be hard for me to beat them off and protect her at the same time. I had no idea why I was going to attack them. At this point, I could go and let them do the task I came for. But I was filled with burning rage at the notion of their murdering her.

Raine responded to their attack at the same moment as me, and she shocked the hell out of me by flipping out of his reach. She spun around and landed deftly 10 feet distant on the balls of her feet.

He reached out and caught the void where she had been, then turned to locate her. She wasn't waiting for him to come to her this time. Rather, she did a backflip, landed on the couch's back, and utilized the momentum to twist her body and give him a hard kick to the jaw. His body smashed into the floor, sending his head flying to the side.

I had repelled the two who had assaulted me with well-placed blows. However, I was preoccupied with her actions and failed to observe that one of the hunters had drawn a crossbow from his back.

Still, she did.

She was moving and screaming "No!" in the moment it took him to aim at me, flinging her body between me and the lethal wooden stake.

Her corpse sank to the floor at my feet as the spike tore through the rich flesh of her chest. Her T-shirt was soaked in blood that trickled onto the carpet from the cut.

I was stunned and in shock.

How come she sacrificed her life to rescue mine?

She was aware that I would murder her! It all made no sense at all. Unbridled wrath rushed through me as I glanced at the blood collecting around her body. They would have to pay for their actions.

I vanished, launching myself into action, all of my attention now on the battle. I took out two of their hearts and severed the head of the last one in less than a minute.

A tiny moan behind me made me spin around, and I fell to my knees at her side. The fact that she was still alive astounded me. I was certain it was a fatal wound. She continued to hold on despite her ragged and strained breathing. I pulled out the stake fast, severing my wrist with a single bite of my fangs. Pressing it to her lips, I commanded, "Swallow, damn it!"

With her eyes wide, she shook her head and said, "No...I don't want to be a..."

"This won't make you a different person," I quickly said. "Now drink!"

She sucked, wrinkles showing on her nose from disgust.

Using my free hand, I press the speed dial on my phone. I had to tidy up. The first ring was taken up by Kieran. I yelled commands and ended the call. I gazed at the trio of lifeless hunters. Ick. To put it mildly, Armand was not going to be pleased.

After giving up alcohol, Raine closed her eyes and continued to breathe raspily and shallowly. I didn't know how to handle her. There would be hell to pay if I brought her back with me, but I couldn't leave her here.

I waited, confused by my own ideas.

An alarm began to grow in me as the minutes passed.

She had not healed!

I gave her a closer look. My blood was in her mouth and on her lips. Without a doubt, she had consumed it. Why, then, wasn't she recovering? The information jangled in my head: she was uncontainable, her fighting style transcended human limitations, she had offered her life in exchange for mine, and there was no way to heal her.

I was thinking crazy thoughts as Kieran suddenly broke through the now worthless door. "What the fuck happened?" he said, surveying the mayhem surrounding him.

I was too busy to talk about it. I had no other alternatives because she was not getting better. She had to go back with me. I grabbed a throw from the back of the couch, encircled her body with it, and pulled her into my arms. "Get this handled and meet me back at the estate immediately."

He realized what I was going to do and just gazed at me in shock, asking no questions. Rather, he took out his phone and followed my instructions. With Raine asleep in my arms, I turned my back on him and fled into the darkness. I hoped that I would return in time.