CHAPTER 4 Gabrielle’s POV
1516 Words
The three figures stepped through the shattered doorway, their crimson eyes glowing through the drifting smoke as a cold, unnatural silence filled the office.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then one of them smiled.
It wasn’t a human smile.
It was slow, elegant… and filled with hunger.
“Well,” the man said smoothly, his voice rich with amusement as he stepped forward, “this evening has turned out to be far more interesting than expected.”
My fingers tightened around Núñez’s sleeve as fear crawled down my spine, the memory of the vampire I’d seen feeding in the club flashing vividly through my mind.
These creatures were the same.
But somehow… worse.
The man standing in the center was tall and impossibly handsome, his dark hair falling loosely around a pale, aristocratic face that might have belonged to a prince in another century. His suit was immaculate despite the chaos downstairs, and the calm confidence in his posture made it clear that he felt completely at home here.
The two vampires behind him stood slightly back, their expressions colder and far more predatory as their glowing eyes remained fixed on me.
“Adrian,” Núñez said coldly beside me, his body going rigid as he stepped slightly in front of me.
So this was the vampire prince.
Adrian’s nocturne gaze shifted lazily toward him before returning to me, his smile widening as though he had just discovered something delightful.
“Well, well,” he murmured, tilting his head slightly as he studied my face. “So the rumors are true.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“What rumors?” I whispered.
Núñez didn’t answer, though the low growl vibrating in his chest told me he wasn’t pleased with the conversation.
Adrian took another slow step into the room, his movements graceful and deliberate as though he were strolling into a formal gathering instead of an enemy’s territory.
“You really should improve your security,” he said lightly, glancing around the luxurious office. “Breaking into your tower was embarrassingly easy.”
“That’s because you were invited,” Núñez replied flatly.
Adrian chuckled.
“Oh, come now,” he said, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve as he continued walking forward. “You know very well that I rarely wait for invitations.”
The tension between the two men was thick enough to choke on, and standing between them felt like being trapped in the middle of a storm.
I glanced nervously at the shattered door, wondering if running was an option.
It wasn’t.
The other two vampires had already positioned themselves near the exit, their glowing eyes watching me with unsettling focus.
My stomach twisted.
Adrian followed my gaze and laughed softly, clearly amused by my realization.
“Trying to escape already?” he asked.
“I prefer the term surviving,” I muttered.
His crimson eyes sparkled with interest.
“I like her,” he said, glancing briefly at Núñez. “She has spirit.”
“She’s not part of this,” Núñez replied sharply.
Adrian’s smile widened.
“Oh, but she is.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as he stopped only a few steps away, his gaze sliding slowly over me in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Gabrielle Montaña,” he said smoothly, tasting my name like it was a rare delicacy.
My breath caught.
“How do you know my name?”
“My dear,” he replied softly, “the moment you walked into that nightclub tonight, you became the most interesting woman in New Avalon.”
Núñez shifted slightly in front of me, his broad shoulders blocking part of Adrian’s view as a low, dangerous growl rolled through his chest.
“That’s close enough,” he warned.
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Possessive already?” he teased.
His gaze flicked between us, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes as though he had just uncovered a delicious secret.
“Ah,” he murmured thoughtfully. “So it’s true.”
Núñez’s voice turned deadly quiet.
“Leave.”
Adrian ignored him completely, focusing on me instead as he tilted his head curiously.
“Tell me something, Gabrielle,” he said, his voice suddenly softer, almost hypnotic. “Did he explain what you are?”
A cold knot formed in my stomach.
“What am I?”
“Yes.”
I glanced at Núñez instinctively, but his expression remained unreadable as he kept his attention locked on the vampire prince.
“Don’t answer him,” he said quietly.
Adrian sighed dramatically.
“You wolves are always so secretive,” he said, shaking his head as though disappointed. “It’s terribly boring.”
His crimson eyes returned to mine, their glow intensifying slightly as he leaned forward just enough to capture my full attention.
“You see,” he continued smoothly, “your bloodline is quite famous among certain… circles.”
My pulse quickened.
“My bloodline?”
“Yes.”
Núñez’s growl deepened.
“Adrian.”
The vampire prince raised a hand lazily, silencing him without even looking in his direction.
“I’m simply educating her,” he said calmly.
Something about the way he spoke made my skin crawl, yet an uneasy curiosity stirred inside me despite the fear.
“What about my bloodline?” I asked cautiously.
Adrian’s smile widened.
“Well,” he said, his crimson gaze gleaming with excitement, “let’s just say your existence solves a very old problem for my kind.”
My stomach dropped.
“What problem?”
Before he could answer, Núñez moved.
It happened so fast I barely saw it.
One second he stood beside me, and the next he had crossed the room, grabbing Adrian by the collar and slamming him violently against the wall.
The impact cracked the marble behind them.
“Don’t,” Núñez growled, his voice vibrating with barely controlled fury.
The other two vampires reacted instantly, stepping forward with snarls as their eyes burned brighter.
But Adrian simply laughed.
Actually I laughed.
“You always did have a temper,” he said lightly, his voice completely unbothered despite the werewolf threatening to crush his throat.
Núñez’s grip tightened.
“If you came here for a fight, you’re going to regret it.”
“Oh, I didn’t come for a fight,” Adrian replied smoothly.
His crimson gaze shifted past Núñez’s shoulder, locking onto me again with unsettling intensity.
“I came for her.”
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
Núñez went perfectly still.
“She’s not yours.”
Adrian smiled.
“We’ll see about that.”
The words had barely left his mouth when everything exploded into chaos.
One of the vampires lunged forward with unnatural speed, aiming straight for me as a blur of movement filled the room.
Núñez reacted instantly.
He shoved Adrian away and moved in front of me in a single fluid motion, his body shifting slightly as a deep, animalistic growl tore from his throat.
The sound was terrifying.
Not human.
The vampire attacking me froze mid-step, his expression flickering with surprise as Núñez’s silver eyes began glowing faintly in the dim light.
“Leave,” Núñez snarled.
The air itself seemed to vibrate with the command.
For a brief second, the entire room held its breath.
Then Adrian clapped slowly, clearly delighted by the display.
“Impressive,” he said, straightening his jacket casually. “Though I must admit, I was hoping you’d show her your wolf tonight.”
My breath caught.
Show me his wolf?
Núñez didn’t respond, though the tension rolling off him felt almost electric as he kept himself firmly between me and the vampires.
Adrian studied him for a long moment before sighing softly.
“Very well,” he said, sounding almost bored. “We’ll do this another night.”
My stomach twisted.
Another night?
He turned toward the door, motioning casually for his companions to follow as though this entire invasion had been nothing more than a social visit.
But before leaving, he paused beside the shattered doorway and glanced back at me.
His crimson eyes gleamed with dark promise.
“Enjoy your time with the wolf, Gabrielle,” he said softly. “Because sooner or later…”
His smile widened.
“You’ll belong to the vampire court.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine as the three vampires disappeared into the hallway, leaving the office silent once again.
For several long seconds, neither of us moved.
Then Núñez exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as the tension finally left his shoulders.
My legs felt weak as I sank into the chair behind me.
“That,” I whispered shakily, “was the worst night of my life.”
Núñez glanced back at me, his silver eyes still glowing faintly as a grim expression settled across his face.
“No,” he said quietly.
Something about his tone made my stomach twist again.
“That,” he continued, looking toward the destroyed doorway, “was just the beginning.”
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