the blood pack

blood pack chapter 8

THE BLOOD PACK

Chapter Eight: The Hunter's Blade

Gabriel charged across the church floor with impossible speed. Darius barely raised his sword before Gabriel's blade struck it with enough force to knock him backward. Sparks flew through the darkness as the two enemies locked eyes. Around them, the church became a battlefield. Hunters poured through the broken windows while Victor and Lucian attacked from opposite sides. Marcus was still wounded, but he forced himself back onto his feet. Adrian stayed close to Seraphina, determined not to let anyone reach her.

"Get her out of here!" Darius shouted.

Seraphina shook her head. "I'm not leaving you."

Darius blocked another strike from Gabriel. "That's an order!"

"I'm not part of your pack just because you made a pact with my blood."

Gabriel suddenly kicked Darius across the room. Darius crashed into the stone wall and dropped to one knee. Gabriel raised his silver sword, preparing to finish him.

Seraphina moved.

She crossed the distance between them in an instant and caught Gabriel's wrist. The hunter stared at her in shock. Seraphina's eyes had changed. They were no longer dark. They burned with an intense crimson glow.

"Touch him again," she whispered, "and I'll show you what the last blood can do."

Gabriel smiled.

"Finally."

He pulled a small silver dagger from his belt and drove it toward her chest. Seraphina twisted away, but the blade sliced her side. She stumbled backward, and Darius immediately rushed between them.

"Seraphina!"

"I'm fine."

She wasn't.

Blood ran down her side, and the moment it touched the floor, the entire church shook. Ancient symbols carved into the stone walls began glowing. The hunters stopped fighting. Even Gabriel looked nervous.

Marcus stared at the symbols.

"That's not possible."

Darius looked at him.

"What?"

Marcus pointed toward the walls.

"The church is responding to her blood."

Seraphina looked down at the blood on her hand.

"I didn't know it could do that."

The floor suddenly cracked beneath them.

A deep roar came from underground.

Every vampire in the church froze.

Gabriel slowly backed away.

"No."

Darius looked toward him.

"You know what that is."

Gabriel's face had lost all its confidence.

"He's waking up."

The ground exploded.

A wave of black energy blasted through the church, throwing vampires and hunters into the walls. The roof collapsed in several places, sending stone crashing down around them. Darius grabbed Seraphina and shielded her with his body.

When the dust finally settled, Gabriel was gone.

So were most of the hunters.

The remaining members of the pack gathered in the ruins.

Marcus was barely standing.

Victor had blood covering his face.

Adrian had a deep wound across his arm.

Lucian was staring at Seraphina.

"You knew this would happen."

She looked at him.

"No."

"You knew something would happen."

Seraphina didn't answer.

Lucian stepped closer.

"How many more secrets are you keeping from us?"

Darius stepped between them.

"That's enough."

Lucian looked at Darius.

"No. It isn't."

For a moment, the two vampires stared at one another.

Then Lucian walked away.

Seraphina looked at Darius.

"Your pack is breaking."

Darius looked toward his wounded brothers.

"I won't let it."

"You can't control what they feel."

"No," Darius said. "But I can remind them who they are."

He turned toward the others.

"We lost our home tonight. We lost our safety. And we may lose more before this is over. But we're still alive."

Victor looked at him.

Marcus nodded.

Adrian stepped closer.

Even Lucian eventually returned.

Darius looked at all five vampires.

"Nobody hunts alone. Nobody leaves the pack. Nobody betrays the pack."

Seraphina stepped beside him.

"And nobody gives me to the hunters."

Darius looked at her.

"Never."

Far away, beneath the ruins of the mansion, a pair of ancient eyes opened.

A voice whispered through the darkness.

"Bring me the girl."

And for the first time in centuries, the first vampire began to rise.