
Related Chapters
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 95
I knew it would happen, but it still hurt that it did. After our discussion about the culling and my admittance that there was nothing I could do to stop it, Sofia avoided spending time with me. I knew her well enough to know that she had the tendency to do this when she needed to think things through. She needed space and I willingly gave it to her. I did, however, station guards to keep an eye on her and update me on what she was doing. I couldn't risk leaving her unprotected because of the recent bout I had with my father. Despite the regular updates, however, I still found myself missing her sorely. I spent most of my time at the training grounds, focusing my energies on the military training I knew The Shade was in desperate need for. I'd just finished a rather tough fight with one of the best fighters we had—Xavier Vaughn—when a familiar face showed up at the training grounds. Ashley. I hadn't dared visit her since her turning, but I'd kept up-to-date with her through Kyle an
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 96
It all happened so fast, I could barely catch up with what was going on. One minute, I was exchanging jokes and witty banter with Gavin. The next minute, he was lying on the ground, staring defiantly at Derek. One look at Derek's blue eyes was enough to let me know that he was more than ready to make a kill. "Derek…" I had meant to shout, but his name came out in a breathless, choked whisper.Derek's hand coiled around Gavin's neck. "So this is why you've been avoiding me? To be with him?" It was as if Derek wasn't there. His blue gaze seemed vacant and deadly in a surreal way. Gavin was choking but there was no fear in his eyes—just resignation. I, on the other hand, was panicking. "Derek…" I held him by the arm, wondering if this was one of his blackouts. He didn't even seem to feel my touch. "Come back to me." He let go of Gavin's neck and for a moment, I thought that I'd succeeded in getting through to him, only to find myself completely knocked out of breath when Derek pushed
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 97
We were already on the level of The Catacombs below where my quarters were when a beautiful young woman with black hair, pale skin and stunning moss green eyes approached Gavin. "Hi, Gavin…" she greeted shyly as she fidgeted with her fingers. Gavin's sharp eyes softened at the sight of her. "Hello, Anna…how've you been?" he asked in a manner so patronizing, it was almost as if he was talking to a child. I then remembered what he told me before when he was talking about Migrates used and discarded by vampires who once professed love to them. I could introduce you to one. Anna—stunning beauty, but degraded to nothing but a whimpering child. I stared at her, suddenly becoming uncomfortable. Gavin was right. She was gorgeous, but her eyes—though beautiful—were vacant of life. I wondered what the vampire could've done to her to make her thus. I also wondered who the vampire who did this to her was. I quickly got my answer. "They took my doll…" Anna told Gavin. "Felix gave me that doll
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 98
My suspicions were solidified the moment Derek said, "…she wouldn't have given up her whole life outside of the island just to come back here to me." If my conclusions were correct, Ben and Sofia had already been outside the island after their captivity. Only Sofia came back. I knew then the message that I was going to relay to Lucas. I was about to find a scout in order to relay a note to Natalie Borgia, but just as I was about to head off to the port, Yuri Lazaroff showed up. The same strange mixture of irritation and affection came over me. I owed the handsome young man so much more than I was willing to admit. Though I couldn't relate to Derek and his lunacy over the redheaded human, I could relate to the feeling that I didn't deserve the person I loved. I would rather die than admit it to anyone at The Shade, but I'd always been in love with Yuri, a man I knew I would never in a million years deserve. "What are you up to, Claudia?" Yuri asked, giving me an irritated glare. "Y
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 99
Gavin straightened on his seat. "Sofia, just talk to Corrine. She barely knows any of us and she'd probably just laugh us off if we spoke to her, but if you talk to her, then maybe she can shed some wisdom on all of this, because we all know that a revolt would just get us all killed and I don't want that to happen." I glared at Gavin, hating that he managed to put me in the predicament I was in. Why are you doing this? "I'll see what I can do, but for now, don't do anything foolish. This revolt of yours will be more trouble than you could ever imagine." They all agreed as long as I promised to have a word with Corrine. When Gavin and I left, I couldn't keep myself from confronting him. "You know how I feel for Derek and how much I love him. Why would you put me on the spot, Gavin?" "Because I want you to realize that if the vampires proceed with a culling, the humans aren't just going to stand back and take it. They probably don't even realize it, but there'll be more bloodshed th
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 100
Corrine patiently laid her palms over the top of the wooden desk she was seated behind. "There are some things you can't change here at The Shade, Sofia. One of them is that the vampires need to feed on human blood. Take that away from them and everything falls apart." "So it's okay for them to massacre the weak and the defenseless?" I spat out. "Can you think of a better alternative?" I stared at Corrine with utter disbelief. "Well, yeah! Force the vampires to live on animal blood!" "Trust me, Sofia. That would cause more chaos than you can possibly wrap your mind around, but if that's what has to happen." She shrugged. "Then so be it." I couldn't understand her nonchalance. We were practically talking about genocide and she was just sitting there talking as if life didn't matter. "I can't believe it. Doesn't life matter to anyone here at The Shade?" "It's going to be over soon, Sofia," was the only assurance I got from the witch. I stood from my seat and began pacing the marb
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 101
I glared at my father. "What's going on?" I hissed as I tried to fight against the restraints.Seated on his throne, my father smirked at me. "How the mighty have fallen…this is just a father giving his son a lesson in humility," he said as he leaned back and crossed his legs, wicked glee evident in his eyes. "Do you really think you can kill me without the rest of the Elite destroying you for it?" I spat at him. "Kill you? There are worse ways to make you suffer than just end your life, son." I pulled against the chains, mainly to gauge just how strong the guards were. I couldn't remember seeing any of them at the training grounds. I wondered then if Felix had been doing training of his own. The guards were strong, perhaps the best he had. My father rose from his seat and began walking down the balcony to the stand where I was restrained. I glared at him as he approached. "What do you want?" "A trusted source of mine revealed to me that some of the Naturals are planning to inci
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 102
I saw the flash of confusion that crossed Derek's eyes as he withdrew his hands from my face. I felt the exact same confusion. What is this guy talking about? "Lies." Derek shook his head, but for a moment he looked at me as though I might have been a wholly different person. Desperation began eating at me. I knew how much he hated the Maslens. "My mother's name is Camilla Claremont," I told him trying to stay calm. "She's been in an insane asylum for the majority of the past decade. You know this. Your father's bluffing, Derek." "I'm not bluffing. I can prove everything," Gregor said confidently. "I have all the background checks to prove it. Ingrid Maslen was once Camilla Claremont, wife of Aiden Claremont. They only have one daughter—your pretty little redhead right there." I shook my head. "No. It's not true. Ingrid Maslen is not my mother." "When was the last time you saw Camilla Claremont, Sofia?" Gregor continued to pry. "Did you actually ever even see her in an insane asy
Latest Chapter
Chapter 124
I nodded. He stepped in and I closed the door behind him. He spun around to face me. "Every single human in this building—me included—perhaps my daughter being the only exception—wants you dead." At that, I couldn't help but chuckle wryly. "So I've gathered." "The great Derek Novak. One of the best hunters the order has ever known…now prince of the vampires." King actually…I looked up at him…but then you don't really need to know that. "This thing you have with my daughter stops now. You can't keep using her for whatever reason you have for wanting her." "I'm in love with her," I said through gritted teeth. "I fully intend to marry her." "Marry her? She's mortal! If you loved her, you wouldn't deprive her of the future she deserves. You wouldn't deprive her of an education, a family, children of her own…" At that, I couldn't find a proper response. I'd been plagued by that thought ever since Sofia returned to The Shade. I knew I was being selfish with her. "Be straight with me
Chapter 123
I knew then that should Derek ever ask, I would willingly let him have my blood. The thought scared me, because it was a stunning realization of how much I was willing to give up for him. I drifted off to sleep for the rest of the flight, leaning my head on Derek's shoulder, hoping to escape everything through peaceful slumber. It was the sudden jolt caused by the wheels of the plane hitting the tarmac that woke me. My immediate instinct was to check out the window for the sun and I was relieved to find that it was dark. I knew we were in the US—that much I'd gathered from overhearing several conversations between the hunters, but where exactly in the States we were, I had no clue. I checked on Derek and found him unbuckling his seatbelt. "Hey, beautiful," he said before quickly looking away.Something about him felt distant and cold. I looked toward my father and wondered what he would have to say if I went to him to ask for blood to feed Derek. The prospect seemed insane. I grabb
Chapter 122
It felt like I was riding to my death. I was surrounded by hunters and I was willingly heading toward the last place any vampire should be. The hunters' headquarters.I could feel Aiden's glare burning through me. I knew that in his eyes, I was the enemy. In his eyes, I had brainwashed Sofia into loving me. I knew that he would do everything to take Sofia away from me. It's the way I would've thought had I still been a hunter. I clung to Sofia, driven mad by how much I was craving her blood. I swallowed hard as I pressed my lips against her cheek. I couldn't remember ever wanting anyone as much as I wanted her. The fact that I was in love with her only added to the heavy ache that seemed to permanently settle on my chest. No wonder Lucas couldn't keep himself away from her… Lucas. My jaw tightened at the recollection of seeing my brother burst into flames. I'd never liked him, but he was still my brother. Seeing him meet his end brought no satisfaction whatsoever. I found myself w
Chapter 121
Amidst all the bedlam surrounding me, I was certain of one thing and one thing alone. Claudia had reverted to her old mad and twisted self. I knew it the moment she attacked Sofia and sank her fangs into her neck. "What is wrong with you?!" I hissed at her after seeing her claws come out, ready to put me through another painful ordeal. "She's safer as a vampire than she is as the pathetic little twig that she is," she told me. "I was doing her a favor." She wasn't feeding on Sofia. She was turning her. I couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her mind. "This place is filled with hunters. Nobody is safe, you crazy bitch." Her claws retracted and she pressed her palm over my chest to keep me down. "You were going to shoot me," she accused. "You were sinking your bloody teeth into Sofia's neck. Of course I was going to shoot you." I pushed her away from me and was slightly surprised when she actually backed off. I searched for Sofia in time to see her pinned to a wall
Chapter 120
The moment the circular glass elevator stopped at level four, I saw my father rising up to his feet as he pulled a wooden stake from a vampire's chest. At the sight of me, his eyes widened. More questions than I could make sense of flashed through my mind at the sight of him. My mother was a vampire and my father was a hunter. It felt like my entire life had been a lie. However, I knew that I wasn't about to get any answers, because this was no time for teary-eyed reunions. War was breaking out all around us. As I stepped out of the elevator, I realized that my father had just begun to take note of the dress I was wearing and the blood on my wrists. He then saw Derek stepping out of the elevator right behind me. My heart stopped when I realized what it looked like. "Dad, no!" I screamed, but he was already pulling out a gun and aiming it at Derek. I immediately acted out of instinct and used myself to cover Derek. I was about to tell Aiden—who was running toward me—that if he ever
Chapter 119
I stepped away when Borys began to run his hand down my shoulder. Borys responded by using one strong arm to grab my waist and pull my back against him, holding me in position so that he could touch me any way he pleased right in front of Derek. I kept my eyes on Derek's, wondering if things would really end this way. I was grasping for any thread of hope. I wanted to be strong for Derek, but I had no idea how to do it. We were both too weak, too broken. When a soft knock interrupted Borys' shameless display, I could hear Derek sigh with relief. "What?!" Borys screamed. A guard entered. He looked terrified. "Your highness…" His voice trembled. "The boy…Ben…he escaped with the blonde vampire. They both left The Oasis…they haven't yet returned." I could feel Borys' breathing suddenly get heavy. His arms clamped around me so tightly, I thought he wanted to snap me in two. Instead, he pushed me to the ground and marched toward the guard. He grabbed the guard's neck. "How long have th
Chapter 118
Despite my tears, I laughed wryly. "It's you who's been brainwashed, Ingrid…or maybe I ought to call you Camilla…is there still any part of her left in you? Dad was right about you. You are insane. You left your own family to blindly serve this villain of a king." "You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know what my life was like. I loved Aiden. He was everything to me, and then you came along. I never wanted you, but I gave in to his requests for a child, because I loved him. You stole him from me." She was saying the words calmly, her eyes set on the bite marks on my neck as she proceeded to tend to the wound. The spite every word contained mixed with the calmness and affection by which she expressed them made her one of the scariest people I'd ever met. I couldn't begin to fathom how broken a creature my own mother was. I was certain, however, that even though I had been born of her womb, she was now a complete stranger. No more words were exchanged until she was
Chapter 117
Borys let go of her and the moment he did, she ran into my arms, tears streaming down her face. I held her tight, unwilling to let go, sickened by the thought of what she'd been through since she arrived at The Oasis. I didn't need to ask if she was alright or if they hurt her. It was clear to see that she wasn't. It was obvious that they had. "Get me out of here, Derek," she sobbed against my chest. "He's going to destroy me. Everyone here is insane. Especially my mother…" She knows. I shut my eyes, trying to find words to soothe her, wondering how on earth I was going to get her out of there. I could smell the blood on her neck. My mouth watered at the scent, but I was too mortified by the idea that Borys had already tasted her blood to even start craving her. "Sofia, I'm so sorry," was all I could think of to say. She shook her head. "You didn't do this." "I've failed to protect you so many times…" "Don't do this, Derek. Just don't. We have to get out of here—you, me and Ben
Chapter 116
I sat up on the bed and backed away from her. She reached out for me and I flinched when her fingers brushed over my shoulder. I glared at her, expecting to see the same glint of manic glee in her eyes—the same look she always gave me when she held me captive at The Shade. Instead, the look on her eyes was soft and pensive—practically moist with tears. "Do you love her, Ben?" "Love who?" I practically spat the words out. I was sickened by the way she was acting. I felt as if someone like her had no business talking about love. "Sofia…" I stared at her incredulously. She didn't have the right to talk about Sofia and I had every right not to give her a response. "And if I do?" I managed to say. She shrugged one shoulder. Her head bowed slightly, a mass of curls falling over her shoulders. "I love someone too. I didn't realize how much until I got here. I never should've left The Shade. I need him." I practically gawked at her. I had no idea who I was facing at that moment. Gone wa