the blood pack

blood pack chapter 10

THE BLOOD PACK

Chapter Ten: The Hunters' Trap

The horn echoed through the abandoned town, and every vampire in the pack heard it. Darius immediately returned to the cabin and woke the others. Within seconds, weapons were in their hands. Seraphina stepped outside and looked toward the forest.

"They're surrounding us," she said.

Victor looked at her.

"How many?"

"More than before."

Marcus moved toward Darius.

"We can't fight them here."

Darius nodded.

"We don't have a choice."

They moved through the abandoned buildings, using the darkness as cover. Adrian stayed beside Marcus while Victor guarded the rear. Lucian walked close to Seraphina, watching the trees.

Then an arrow struck the ground between them.

Silver.

Darius shouted, "Down!"

Dozens of arrows flew from the darkness.

The pack scattered.

Victor charged toward the hunters while Marcus pulled Adrian behind a stone wall. Lucian disappeared into the shadows, striking hunters one by one before they even knew he was there.

Seraphina stood beside Darius.

"You need to get out of here."

Darius shook his head.

"We stay together."

A hunter stepped from behind a building.

He wore black armor and carried a silver sword.

Darius recognized him.

"Gabriel."

The hunter smiled.

"You remember me."

Darius raised his weapon.

"You should have stayed away."

Gabriel looked past him toward Seraphina.

"She's the reason I'm here."

Seraphina stepped forward.

"Then come get me."

Darius grabbed her arm.

"No."

Gabriel laughed.

"Still protecting her, Alpha?"

Darius's eyes turned red.

"Until I'm dead."

Gabriel charged.

Darius blocked the first strike, but Gabriel was stronger than before. Their weapons collided again and again. Gabriel finally struck Darius across the chest, sending him crashing against a wall.

Seraphina screamed his name.

She attacked Gabriel.

The two moved so quickly that even the other vampires could barely follow them.

Seraphina struck him across the face.

Gabriel stumbled.

He looked at the blood on his hand.

Then he smiled.

"Yes."

Seraphina stopped.

Gabriel whispered, "That's the power they told us about."

He pulled a small glass vial from his coat.

Inside was a single drop of Seraphina's blood.

Her expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

Gabriel smiled.

"From the church."

Darius looked at Seraphina.

"You didn't tell me."

"I didn't know they had it."

Gabriel lifted the vial.

"With this, the Order can wake Malachi."

Seraphina's face went pale.

Darius stood.

"Then you won't leave with it."

The entire pack attacked at once.

Victor knocked Gabriel into a building.

Lucian grabbed the vial.

Marcus and Adrian drove the remaining hunters back.

But Gabriel had planned for this.

Explosives hidden beneath the town exploded.

The ground collapsed.

The vampires fell into an underground tunnel.

Darius grabbed Seraphina's hand before she disappeared into the darkness.

Lucian reached for them.

He missed.

The tunnel swallowed Darius and Seraphina.

Victor shouted their names.

But the earth closed above them.

Silence.

Lucian stared at the collapsed ground.

"They're trapped."

Marcus looked at him.

"Then we get them out."

Lucian clenched his fists.

"No."

He looked toward the forest.

"First, we find Gabriel."

Adrian stared at him.

"Why?"

Lucian's eyes burned with anger.

"Because he took the blood."

Deep beneath the ground, Darius opened his eyes.

He was lying beside Seraphina in an ancient underground chamber.

Stone walls surrounded them.

Seraphina slowly sat up.

"Darius."

He looked around.

"Where are we?"

Seraphina stared at the enormous stone doors at the end of the chamber.

"I don't know."

Then the doors began to open.

A voice came from the darkness beyond them.

"Welcome home, Seraphina."

She froze.

Darius reached for his weapon.

But Seraphina whispered one terrifying word.

"Malachi."