the blood pack

blood pack chapter 13

THE BLOOD PACK

Chapter Thirteen: The Last Two

The night exploded into war.

Hundreds of vampires poured from the forest, surrounding the farmhouse where Darius and his pack stood waiting. Behind them came the hunters of the Order, carrying silver weapons and burning torches. For the first time, vampires and humans fought side by side against a common enemy. At the center of the darkness stood Malachi, watching silently as his army moved toward the pack.

Darius looked at Victor, Adrian, Marcus, Lucian, and finally Seraphina.

"Whatever happens," he said, "we stay together."

Victor smiled.

"Like we always have."

The battle began.

Victor charged first, crashing into Malachi's vampires with enough force to send them flying. Marcus fought beside him, protecting Adrian as they moved through the enemy ranks. Lucian disappeared into the darkness, using the strange power inside him against Malachi's army. Darius stayed beside Seraphina, refusing to let anyone reach her.

Then Malachi appeared.

He moved through the battlefield like a shadow.

One strike sent Victor crashing into a stone wall.

Another knocked Marcus to the ground.

Adrian screamed and rushed toward them, but a group of vampires surrounded him.

Lucian arrived just in time.

"Run!"

Adrian shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you!"

Lucian smiled.

"You're the youngest. That's an order."

Lucian turned toward the enemy.

The darkness inside him exploded.

He unleashed everything Malachi had placed inside his blood, destroying the vampires surrounding them.

But the power consumed him.

Adrian watched as Lucian fell.

"No!"

Lucian looked at him one last time.

"Keep the pack alive."

Then he closed his eyes.

Across the battlefield, Victor saw Marcus fall beneath a wave of vampires.

He tried to reach him.

He was too late.

Marcus looked at Victor and smiled.

"Don't stop."

Victor screamed and attacked with everything he had.

One by one, the pack was disappearing.

Darius fought Malachi beneath the ruins of the mansion.

Their battle shook the earth.

Darius was fast, but Malachi was stronger.

Malachi grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the ground.

"You were always weak," Malachi said.

Darius struggled.

"No."

Malachi smiled.

"You're afraid to lose her."

Darius looked toward Seraphina.

She was surrounded.

"I am."

Malachi tightened his grip.

"Then watch."

He threw Darius aside.

Seraphina fought through the vampires surrounding her, but there were too many. She was knocked to the ground.

Malachi walked toward her.

"Your blood belongs to me."

Seraphina looked up.

"No."

She stood.

"My blood belongs to me."

Her eyes turned crimson.

The entire battlefield went silent.

Seraphina raised her hands.

A wave of power exploded from her body.

Every vampire created by Malachi was thrown backward.

The hunters dropped their weapons.

Even Malachi stepped back.

Seraphina walked toward him.

"You wanted my blood."

She raised her hand.

"You should have been afraid of it."

She struck Malachi in the chest.

A crack of energy ripped through the night.

Malachi screamed.

His body began turning to ash.

For the first time in centuries, the first vampire was afraid.

"No!"

Seraphina held him there.

"You don't own me."

Malachi disintegrated into the wind.

The darkness disappeared.

The war was over.

But the victory came at a terrible price.

Victor was gone.

Marcus was gone.

Adrian was gone.

Lucian was gone.

The pack that had once been five brothers was now nothing but memories.

Seraphina searched through the ruins until she found Darius.

He was lying beneath a broken stone wall.

His eyes were closed.

"Darius."

She pulled the stones away.

He didn't move.

She dropped beside him.

"No."

She placed her hand against his chest.

Nothing.

For the first time since becoming a vampire, Seraphina cried.

She leaned over him.

"You can't leave me."

Then she remembered the Blood Pact.

One blood.

One hunt.

One life.

Seraphina pressed her wrist against his mouth.

"Take my blood."

Darius didn't move.

She opened a wound in her wrist.

"Please."

Darius finally opened his eyes.

He drank.

The wounds across his body began healing.

Seraphina pulled him close.

Darius looked at her.

"They're gone."

She nodded.

"Yes."

"The pack..."

"There's no pack anymore."

Darius looked around at the ruins.

For centuries, he had believed the pack would last forever.

Now only he and Seraphina remained.

They buried their brothers beneath the old oak tree outside the ruins of the mansion.

Darius placed Marcus's weapon on the grave.

Victor's necklace beside it.

Lucian's broken blade.

Adrian's ring.

Seraphina stood beside him.

"They died protecting us."

Darius nodded.

"They gave us a chance to live."

The sun began rising beyond the mountains.

Darius looked at Seraphina.

"What happens now?"

She smiled through her tears.

"We survive."

Darius reached for her hand.

"Together?"

She squeezed his hand.

"Together."

They walked away from the graves as the first light appeared over the mountains.

The mansion was gone.

The pack was gone.

The hunters were gone.

Malachi was gone.

Only two vampires remained.

Darius stopped and looked at Seraphina.

"For a long time, I thought being an alpha meant protecting everyone."

She looked at him.

"And now?"

He smiled.

"Now I think it means knowing who you're willing to fight for."

Seraphina stepped closer.

"And who are you willing to fight for?"

Darius looked into her eyes.

"You."

She smiled.

"I've been waiting for you to say that."

They kissed beneath the morning sky.

For the first time in centuries, Darius wasn't thinking about blood, war, or survival.

He was thinking about forever.

Seraphina rested her head against his shoulder.

They were the last two.

But they were not alone.

They had each other.

And somewhere beyond the mountains, a new night was waiting.

Their story wasn't over.

It was only beginning.