“And where do you think you’re going, baby girl? You can’t miss the fun, my lady,” he purred.

Without warning, he swept me off my feet and sped back into the circle. One second, we were outside,next, he dropped me on my feet in the center and vanished.

April, who had been dangling in his grip just seconds ago, now lay curled up on the ground.

In less than three seconds, he returned this time with a chair and a rope. He forced me into the chair and began tying my hands and legs. I struggled, but the ropes were so tight that all I managed to do was bruise myself.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you tonight,” Azriel said, tightening the last knot, “it’s that you love running. So sit still, baby girl, and enjoy the show.”

“Why are you doing this?” I muttered, my voice trembling.

“Doing what exactly?” he replied with a shrug.

“This… this thing you’re doing, hurting people. Why?” I screamed, spitting at him.

As if on cue, the vampires surrounded me in perfect synchronization. Their fangs protruded, black veins pulsing across their faces. My life flashed before my eyes.

“Hold it,” Azriel commanded, his voice slicing through the tension like a whip. “This one’s mine. No one touches her.”

He wiped the spit off his cheek with his thumb and then brought it to his lips.

“Mmm. Tasty,” he said. “This one’s a keeper for sure.”

Then he turned to the others. “As for the rest… do whatever you please.”

“Please! Please spare them,” I sobbed, tears falling freely now. “I’ll do whatever you ask. Just don’t hurt them.”

“Hush now, baby girl,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Seeing tears in your eyes? Breaks my heart.”

“Please…” I begged again, eyes locked with Zoya’s. Hers were red and swollen from crying.

“All right, all right,” Azriel said, as if I’d finally amused him. “If you be a good little girl, I’ll let your friend go.” He reached for Zoya and dragged her closer.

My heart stopped. Be a good little girl? I’d do anything to save my best friend.

“Well, it’s settled then,” he said. At that moment, I realized he could hear my thoughts. Not just mine… probably everyone’s here.

“Tie her to a chair,” he ordered.

One of the vampires stepped forward and bound Zoya. The others stared at me with pleading eyes, silently screaming help,but I had no idea how to.

Azriel walked up to me and tilted my chair backward until I was forced to look up at him.

“Well, well, well… what do I do with the rest of your dear friends, my little angel?”

I swallowed hard. Why did my opinion suddenly matter?

“Set them free,” I said, forcing the words out.

“All right then,” he said. “You heard her, my little angel has spoken. You can all go.”

The vampires stiffened. Their fists clenched in fury, their faces twitching with rage. They looked ready to explode.

The humans in the circle scrambled to their feet, preparing to bolt.

“But before you leave,” Azriel called out with a grin, “I love a good game of chase, you know. So…you have ten minutes to run. After that… we come after you.”

He laughed, a maniacal sound that chilled my blood.

“That’s not a fair run! No one can get out of these woods in ten minutes!” I shouted, trying to defend them.

“Be a good little girl, Aya, and stop interfering,” he said coldly.

“But…” I began.

“No buts. This has nothing to do with you. I gave them a chance at freedom. Whether it’s enough time or not,nobody cares. Or would you rather none of them leave?”

No one waited to debate. They all took off running. Fred glanced back at Zoya and me before disappearing into the dark. But one person didn’t run, he just stood there, unmoved.

The guy from the coffee shop.

Azriel and the other vampires didn’t seem to care about him. Instead, they watched the clock on the wall, eyes trained like predators on prey. When the time hit 12:20, they vanished.

Gone.

Screams followed.

“Please… untie us,” I said to the coffee guy- or whatever his name was.

“Why should I?” he replied calmly.

His words hit me like a slap. “Don’t you want to escape?”

“Why would I?” he said, folding his arms.

“I think he’s working with them,” Zoya whispered.

“I don’t think so…” I replied, whispering back.

Just then, another scream echoed from the woods.

“Oh my God… I think they got them,” I whispered, voice quivering. It hadn’t even been two minutes.

“Wha..what’s going to happen to Fred and Jack?” Zoya asked, stuttering in fear.

“They’ll die. Is that even debatable?” the coffee guy replied, rolling his eyes.

“What kind of deal did you make with those bloodsuckers?” I snapped.

“None of your business,” he snapped back.

The screams continued. Each one sent a fresh wave of dread through me. My heart skipped at every scream I heard, some lasted for seconds some longer, some cut off.

How did I walk into a lion’s den with both feet?

“We should have listened to you when you said you weren’t comfortable with the party location…” Zoya sobbed.

“There’s no way we could’ve known it was a trap.”

I started counting the screams in my head, hoping someone made it out. But the number matched the number of humans that had run.

Seconds later, the vampires returned, mouths stained, smiles wide.

“I think we had a good feast, my good fellows. Now we can head back home,” Azriel said, strolling into the tent like he didn’t just orchestrate a massacre.

“What about me?” The coffee guy rushed to him. “You promised to turn me into one of your kind if I got the humans here for the party. You have to keep your word!”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s true,” Azriel replied lazily, licking a trace of blood from the corner of his lips. “I don’t break my promises.”

He exhaled in relief, too soon.

“But…” Azriel began, his tone shifting, “if I should turn you into one of us… how would I be sure you won’t betray me the same way you betrayed your kind, Marcus?”

Ooh… so that’s his name. I’d been calling him coffee guy all evening.

Marcus froze, his face losing all color. He took a step back. “I… I won’t do that,” he stuttered. “I swear,I won’t. I was just…just trying to survive. I didn’t mean any harm.”

Azriel narrowed his eyes, voice low and mocking. “Of course you will. Once a betrayal… always a betrayal.”

He began circling Marcus like a lion toying with its prey, slow,letting the dread settle.

Marcus’s hands trembled at his sides. “Please, I did everything you asked…”

“And I appreciate that,” Azriel interrupted with a thin smile. “But you see, loyalty built on fear… is still fear. And fear breaks.”

In a flash, Azriel’s hand shot out, grabbing Marcus by the neck and lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

Marcus kicked wildly, gasping. “Wait…pleaseee…!”

But Azriel wasn’t listening.

He turned to his vampires, voice cold and sharp. “Let this be a reminder. Loyalty is earned. Betrayal… is never forgiven.”

“I don’t want anyone purging from drinking the blood of a betrayal.” He added, sending a cold smile to the other vampires.

With one swift motion, a crack echoed through the tent,and Marcus’s body dropped lifelessly to the floor.

I choked in my own saliva.

Azriel dusted his hands as if he’d simply closed a book. “Now then…” he said, turning around with a smirk.

“Who’s ready to go home?”