casspurrjoybell-31

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - The End

Finn Weston (The Consort) Brayden Emanuel (Vampire)

Five years have passed since the Secondaries took the world by storm, ruthlessly killing humankind and vampires alike.

Now, hidden in the shadows, Brayden must band together with an unlikely group of companions to restore justice to the world and save the only man who has ever truly made him feel alive.

Brayden believes rescuing Finn is his final test... the one which stands between him and his happily-ever-after.

Unbeknownst to him, a more powerful test begins to unfold, pushing him to the brink of emotional sanity as he tries to solve the riddle...

How much are you willing to fight for the one you love?

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 20 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 20 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 19 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*      

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 19 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content* 

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 18 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 18 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 17 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 17 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 16 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Finn

'Destroy. Conquer. Victory. Power.'

It beats into my head like a mantra.

The Vampire inside of me howls its praise.

It isn't until I feel a gentle hand touch my shoulder that I snap back to reality.

I tear my fangs away from Gabriel's chest and glance down.

A grey rotting corpse is what's left of him.

The area around his heart is open and festering, oozing with a black tar that I realize is my venom.

I back away on instinct.

The Vampire inside me purrs his admiration, luring me back into its clutches.

I'm drunk on it. The darkness.

It's no wonder The Force is as chaotic as they are.

They haven't been taught to fight their instincts.

I close my eyes and disconnect with my Vampire, locking it away as best I can.

It's harder this time.

Our conquest is fresh and feeds his power.

Brayden catches my gaze and gives me a single nod of reassurance.

Despite his expressionless gaze, there's an emotion of worry that I taste in the air.

It's bitter as it hits the back of my throat.

I hastily wipe away my venom with the back of my hand and grimace as the black tar of my blood smears across my knuckles.

"I'm fine," I mumble.

Brayden's eyes bore into me but I refuse to meet his gaze, fearing he'll see the torment of warring thoughts and pain within me.

Whispers of disbelief and shock sweep through The Force.

The female with the belt of intestines steps forward.

Her bright eyes study the scene before her.

The other members watch as she sinks to her knees and bows her head in our direction.

"You are the victor," she says in a honied tone.

"The Force is now yours to command. We will follow you."

Like blades of grass bending to an unyielding wind, the other Vampires nod their allegiance and give Brayden a knee.

He stares back at them, sparing each a solitary glimpse before moving to the next.

This is his show of acceptance as their leader.

He pulls the heavy burden onto his shoulders like an invisible cloak.

"There is no honor in destruction," Brayden begins.

He rises to his full height and tucks his hands behind his back.

"There is no celebration in death."

He waves behind him to Gabriel's mangled, rotting form.

"You were led by a male who thrived on both. That ends today. At one time, we were all created as weapons. It is that shallow thinking that has birthed the fear around our kind for centuries. I cannot promise that this will be an easy path forward. There will still be moments of destruction and sadness ahead."

A single male raises his fist and cheers.

"Their blood will be ours," Brayden silences him with a scowl of repugnance.

"We will fight for peace. Hear me now, all of you. The disobedience of my orders will not be tolerated. We will fight as one. Grow as one. Build our strength and loyalty as one. Do I make myself clear?"

Silence.

His words echo in the wind.

The timbre of his voice shudders with power.

It's a side of him I haven't seen before.

The males and females of The Force feel it too.

They stare back at their leader and nod their obedience.

"Rise, all of you," Brayden says.

"Remove the entrails and organs you have collected as tokens of war and lay them atop the corpse of Gabriel. They will rot with him."

With that, Brayden swiftly moves away from Gabriel's body, leaving room for them to obey his first order.

The female with the belt of intestines rises first.

She moves with renewed purpose and yanks the bloodied intestines away from her waist.

She dangles them over Gabriel's body.

"May you rot in hell for taking my life from me."

She drops it unceremoniously onto his chest.

The black tar of my venom splatters on contact and I turn away with a grimace.

Brayden reaches my side and lowers his voice to a whisper.

"I know what you did was not easy," he says.

"But I am forever grateful for it."

I open my senses, hoping to glean an emotion from him.

Unlike before, Brayden has mastered the ability to lock them tightly within himself.

He is once again the immortal his followers need him to be.

'Emotionless. Powerful. Stone.'

Without warning, that tendril of want tugs at my chest when I glance up to meet his eyes.

As if sensing it, Brayden's eyes widen half a fraction in surprise.

"What do we do now?" I ask, attempting to ignore whatever is happening between us.

Brayden schools his features once again and gestures in the direction of our safehouse.

"We bring them back to meet the others. We train. We grow. And then we will travel to the Secondary fortress to bring balance back into the world, this time for good."

Most of The Force has made their way to Gabriel's body.

Some of them whisper parting words.

Others simply offer him a look of indifference.

"And me?" I finally ask.

"What do you need me to do now?"

Brayden lowers his voice so much that I have to strain to hear him.

"Stay with us. Fight with us... with me," he murmurs.

"By my side."

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 16 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Finn

I watch from the shadows.

Nature keeps me hidden, surrounding me with enough cover to slip between the trees as I inch my way towards Brayden and Gabriel.

My eyes sweep across the patch of open field.

The other Vampires of The Force have not interfered, offering a respectful distance for Gabriel to stake and keep his claim as leader.

'Not on my watch.'

Brayden predicted the chances of Gabriel submitting to his request and rescinding his power were miniscule.

This fight for dominance was inevitable.

He assured me that when the fight began, the other members of The Force would honor the fighting code of Vampires and not interfere.

Not at first, anyway.

These Vampires aren't like Brayden, though.

They are rogue.

When they become bored of the fight, they will intervene, pissing on the fighting code and doing all they can to take down the newest threat to their band of barbarians.

I can't let that happen.

There will be a pause, Brayden explained, a pause when the Vampires become restless and look to one another before wordlessly agreeing to join the fight.

It is in this pause I will act.

I reach our agreed upon spot and lower into my haunches.

The other Vampires watch the violence with rapt intrigue, a few of them still chewing and licking the entrails of their recent conquest.

One of them takes a string of intestines and attempts to make a belt across her narrow waist.

I try to stay focused on the grotesque actions of Gabriel's immortal followers but my eyes flicker back to Brayden.

His movements are swift and graceful where Gabriel's are fast and brutal.

Together it creates an illusion of an intricate dance.

Brayden's face remains concentrated but emotionless. 

He isn't attempting to win the fight, he's tiring out his opponent.

Gabriel bares his fangs and glowers, the fury and frustration etched into his marble face.

Gabriel transforms into the very creature Reyo brainwashed me into believing was evil.

Perhaps Gabriel is.

But Bogdan... my eyes peruse his muscular form.

His lithe body moves like water, parrying and anticipating every move before it happens.

He is the embodiment of intelligence and poise.

Reyo warned me that Brayden would trick me into believing he was good, he was different.

As I watch him in his purest form of immortality, however, I struggle to marry the image before me with the nightmare Reyo painted.

Brayden holds the key for everything.

Memories of me. Of us.

Watching him now, like this, creates the faintest tendril of want to build in my chest.

It's a foreign feeling, one I have not experienced for as far back as my memory serves.

It's warm and uncomfortable, like an itch I can't scratch.

Movement catches my eye and I tear my gaze back to The Force.

My spiraling thoughts of Brayden come to a screeching halt.

Their glances at one another are hungry and vicious.

They want to become part of the action.

This is it, the pause.

I steady my limbs and focus on unleashing the monster inside of me.

The Vampire side of me.

It greets me with a cold embrace and trickles though me like liquid ice, sharpening my focus.

My body becomes a weapon and I spring into action.

I race through the open field and approach my unsuspecting target in a blur of movement and speed.

Gabriel doesn't sense me but Brayden is ready.

Just before I reach them, Brayden pulls Gabriel against his chest, spinning him around to face me.

There's a brief flicker of confusion that sweeps across Gabriel's features.

It's in this second pause that I take my only shot at victory.

My senses hone on the stilled heart within Gabriel's chest and my fangs elongate.

My venom prickles painfully at the tips of my fangs.

I collide with them.

My fangs tear into the hardened flesh and the venom in me works on instinct.

It courses through me and pulses into Gabriel's silent heart.

'Destroy. Conquer. Victory. Power.'

It beats into my head like a mantra.

The Vampire inside of me howls its praise.

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 15 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Kelly

"You're impossible," I huff.

"Not impossible," she responds smugly.

"Just superior."

I tell myself to get up and walk away.

That'll show her.

But a glint of humor flickers in her emerald eyes and I can't seem to find the will to move.

I hold her gaze and heat creeps up the back of my neck.

With it comes an emotion that I've suppressed for years.

It's one that caused me too much pain in the past.

One I don't want to feel again.

I clear my throat and glance away.

"Douglas said you're not healing fast enough."

"Males are such gossips," is her only response.

A stalemate, then.

She is too prideful to ask for blood and I sure as hell won't take the first step to offer mine.

She already thinks I'm weak... I won't give her any more evidence to support that claim.

I lean back in the chair and thread my fingers together behind my head.

The posture does wonders for my biceps and I have no issue showcasing my assets, knowing full well both my muscles and my veins are on full display.

She narrows her gaze, but not before giving a fleeting glance to my arms.

"As if you'd offer your blood to me anyway," she snarks and her pupils dilating tell me all I need to know.

Douglas was right, she's hungry and she needs my blood.

"You're right," I respond.

"I wouldn't. You're a pompous Secondary who thinks I'm beneath her. I couldn't care less about how quickly you heal. But..."

Instead of immediately offering a rebuttal, to my surprise, Tegan holds her tongue.

Having the upper hand feels glorious.

"If healing you faster means better protection for the rest of the group and Finn, I guess I'd be willing to sacrifice my veins for a few minutes," I say with a shrug.

Indecision dances across her features and I feel a twinge of guilt.

With a dramatic eye roll, Tegan holds out her hand.

"Just give me your arm," she snaps.

I can't stop chuckling as I lean forward again, this time offering up my arm to her.

Tegan's slender fingers curl around my wrist and my pulse gallops at the small touch.

She quirks a brow at the half moon scars that are still there after all these years.

She traces the translucent marks with her fingertips, her feather-light touch brushing against the mangled skin.

"It's from my Vampire," I mutter.

"When I was a human Consort for her."

Tegan swallows and clears her throat.

"Do I really have your permission to feed from you?"

Her tone is hesitant, vulnerable.

With my free hand, I reach towards her, tipping her chin up to meet me eye to eye.

"Yes," I say. "As much as you need."

She nods a single time before bringing her lips to the base of my wrist.

Her teeth break the skin and I grimace at the initial pain... a type of pain I tried to bury along with all the memories from years ago.

She drinks slowly at first, tasting me in small sips.

Despite my better judgment, I tentatively thread my fingers through her hair, encouraging her towards my wrist.

The small sips become gulps and I shudder at the ferocity of it.

The blinding pain subsides and in its place, a burning pleasure licks along my arm.

A low moan slips out of my lips before I can stop it.

When I was a Consort, it was only every pain.

Never pleasure.

Never this.

I am so lost in the moment I don't hear the commotion outside.

I don't hear Douglas' muffled screams.

Nothing comes into focus until Tegan rips her teeth from my wrist, fear seeping into her irises as she focuses her gaze behind me.

My blood dribbles from her lips and slides down her slender chin.

Strong hands jerk me away from the chair, away from Tegan.

I'm slammed against the wall and the temporary fog shatters when a familiar face comes into focus.

"Where. Is. He."

"Reyo..." I sputter, scratching at his hands as they squeeze around my neck.

He looks just as I remembered him but the wildness in his eyes is frantic.

A male possessed.

His gaze searches around the room and he barks for the guards to do a sweep of the house.

He snarls again mere inches from my face.

"Where is Finn," he growls.

My vision winks in and out and I desperately gulp down air when he lessons his hold to hear my response.

"Not here," I say through gasps.

A Secondary guard bounds into the kitchen, two others on his heel.

"Mr. Primary. The house is clear."

Reyo pulls me away from the wall just to slam me against it again.

Without letting me go, he commands over his shoulder...

"Grab the prisoners, bind them and gag them. We found their safe house, so we are close. I'll meet you out front shortly. MOVE."

It's only when the front door closes, signaling their departure, that Reyo turns back to me, a cruel smile spreading across his lips.

"You should have never let me catch you, human," Reyo smirks.

"Now... I will show you why."

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 15 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Kelly

A hurried wind presses against our safe house.

The wooden beams creak with distress in its wake.

I stand and stretch and I swear if my bones and muscles could make the same complaint, they would.

"Anything?"

It's the same damn question he's been asking for the last two hours.

"No, Douglas," I mutter under my breath.

"No sighting of Brayden or Finn yet."

In return, I ask him the same question I've been asking the last two hours.

"How's Tegan?"

He sidles up beside me and crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against the wooden beam for support.

A rough stubble lines his jaw and the skin beneath his eyes are puffy from fatigue.

I wouldn't expect a trained Secondary guard to complain but his perseverance is admirable.

"She's starting to heal," he answers in a sigh.

He glances up at the sky and his dark eyes scan the vast expanse.

"But the process is slow. Way too slow."

My brows pinch in confusion.

"She's a Secondary... half human, half vampire. She'll be healed in no time."

Douglas purses his lips together and slides his gaze to me, a droll look if I ever saw one.

"She needs human blood, man. Fresh, human blood. She'd heal five times faster. You know it, I know it."

My frown of confusion morphs into a scowl.

"Well, you've got two wrists and plenty of veins. Have at it."

Even as the words fall from my lips, that ugly green monster tugs at my insides, making me feel queasy in its aftermath.

Douglas lets out a dry laugh and shakes his head.

"I'd be honored to offer up my blood to her," Douglas says with a shrug.

"But I'm coming to you first and asking if you'd prefer to be the one to do it... out of respect."

"Why the hell would I care?" I snap but it comes off more defensive than it should.

Douglas shifts his gaze back to the sky.

Despite the outwardly calm demeaner, his stance is tense and his muscles are taut with angst.

The two of us are wound tighter than a spool of thread.

Our group is separated and our two strongest members are attempting to take over The Force while the rest of us are doing our best to keep our heads on straight, silently holding our breaths for their return.

"I hated Brayden at first, you know," I say, cutting the anxious silence.

"It was a different time back then. Hell, I was a completely different person then, too."

I think back through the memories... playing guitar with Finn on sunny afternoons, dreading college exams and planning out weekend adventures with Fiona.

Even thinking her name makes a dull ache bloom across my chest, an ache which still reeks of heartbreak and betrayal.

It was a lifetime ago.

The Kelly from back then was carefree and full of love and light.

I'm barely a shadow of that man now.

"It all happened so fast," I whisper, shaking my head.

"I lost everything and everyone from my past life... even myself. The only person I had left was Finn. At first, Brayden was just the male who I shared a common interest with... keeping Finn alive. We banded together for him. Now..."

My voice trails off.

The time it took to heal after Brayden and I escaped the Secondary fortress nearly killed me.

Throughout my healing process, Brayden never left my side.

It was a promise he made to Finn.

It was also a promise he said aloud, a subtle reminder to himself on the days I drove him bat shit crazy.

But over the years, that promise faded and something new bloomed in its place.

Friendship.

"I'd trust him with my life," I say.

"And I can confidently say he'd put his life on the line for me. If Brayden's willing to do that for me, believe me when I say he would move heaven and earth to keep Finn safe too."

Douglas must hear the power of truth in my words because he nods and the tension in his shoulders eases.

"I'll take watch," Douglas says after a beat of silence.

"I'm sure Tegan is tired of seeing my face, anyway."

I scoff and turn towards the door, muttering under my breath.

"She sure as hell won't be happy to see me."

Douglas chuckles as I move into the house.

I think I hear him say something in return, something along the lines of 'you'd be surprised' but it's probably wishful thinking on my end.

I round the corner to the kitchen and keep my face natural when Tegan glances up and our eyes connect.

Douglas adjusted her position since the last time I was in here, arranging towels and blankets to keep her comfortable while she heals.

Her skin is clean from blood and dirt but her complexion is waxen.

Tegan watches my every move as I trudge across the room and plop down on the chair beside her.

"You humans," she mutters with a scratchy voice.

"Always so slow and clunky."

I prop my elbows on my knees and lean in with a scowl.

"That's awful cheeky coming from a Secondary who was quite literally on her deathbed a few hours ago."

Tegan tilts her head back, doing her best to turn her nose down to me.

The subtle movement isn't lost on me and the muscles clench along my jaw with frustration.

I don't even know why I'm here.

I can't stand Tegan to begin with... the female is condescending, infuriating and she consistently pushes my blood pressure to its limit.

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 14 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Brayden

It takes longer than I anticipated to locate The Force.

When we do, it becomes clear they have no worry of being discovered.

On the contrary, they seem hungry for attention in the hopes of another fight.

Most of them wear the entrails of the defeated Secondaries as sashes of victory around their torsos and across their chests.

Dried blood cakes to their clothes and skin.

Several of them carry different body parts and organs of the Secondaries they massacred and drain the remaining blood from their morsels of war.

They are drunk on the blood of their enemies.

They are drunk on power and strength.

They are drunk on the falsehood that they cannot be defeated.

I silently move behind a nearby tree, gesturing Finn to do the same.

The details of our plan click into place as I count the seconds before making my presence known.

There are clusters of vampires moving together but Gabriel sticks out as their leader, even from a distance.

He holds his head higher than the others and his followers obediently cast glances in his direction awaiting his command.

Finn and I lock eyes, and he nods... a silent confirmation that he is prepared for what is to come.

Years ago, I protected him in his human form.

My human.

Now, he has become my equal in strength and power.

He is an immortal and a fierce predator, far greater than he realizes.

He no longer needs my protection and yet I cannot stanch the protectiveness that flows through my veins as we engage in the face of danger.

He would be insulted to know this.

Any vampire would.

I force away the discomforting emotion and return my gaze to Gabriel.

He struts near the front of the pack, varying entrails hanging across his chest.

In his right hand he holds a heart, nearly cleaned of all its blood.

As if sensing my gaze, he glances behind him toward the trees.

He squeezes the heart in his hand like a toy, casually tossing it up once.

Twice.

He raises a brow in my direction, a silent taunt and invitation to whomever is spying on him.

It is my cue for entrance.

Without any additional fanfare, I slip from the protection of the shadowed wood.

The other vampires tense and turn in my direction.

Some of their eyes flicker with recognition from when they rescued Finn and brought him to Maggie's doorstep.

Others bare their teeth in challenge.

My eyes never waiver from Gabriel, a subtle message that they are beneath me.

I am here to challenge their leader.

Every one of my movements is purposeful and I know I am being watched and weighed.

None of them attempt to attack me.

Three move closer to their fearless leader, baring their teeth in warning.

The rest of the pack surrounds us.

Gabriel cocks his head to the side, studying me with curious interest.

"Good news must travel fast," Gabriel says by way of introduction.

He smirks and holds out the heart in his hand.

"Care for a drink?"

"You are drawing too much attention to The Force," I respond, ignoring his attempt at macabre humor.

"Unwanted attention, in my opinion."

Gabriel stares back at me.

Unbeknownst to him, his features dredge up memories of our past.

His love for me.

My attempt to end his life.

I carefully recheck the internal lock chaining my emotions.

He must not sense them.

It will be a sign of weakness, one which I cannot afford.

"And why, pray tell, should I give a shit about your opinion?" Gabriel asks, his smirk turning into a sneer.

"We're taking down our enemy and having a bit of fun along the way."

"Your efforts are now affecting my troops," I respond evenly.

I spare a look around his pack, purposely eyeing their wardrobe decorations.

Keeping my face blank, I once again lock my eyes with Gabriel's.

"Besides," I say, my tone even and bored.

"Your fun is creating an awful stench."

Gabriel bares his teeth.

He pushes aside the males surrounding him and gets close to me, hissing in the hopes of my retreat.

"I'm not backing down," Gabriel snaps.

"The most powerful beings should be in power. Oh, I've heard plenty about you, Brayden. I know all about your gallant efforts and your plan for peace."

He spits the word like a disease.

The others near him sneer in agreement.

"We did our part to help your cause," he continues.

"Stay out of our way or join us. Those are your options."

This time, it is me who is smirking.

"I will do neither."

He straightens his spine and narrows his eyes to slits.

"Are you challenging me?"

My smirk becomes feral.

"Yes," I say, my words both a taunt and a promise.

"I am."

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 14 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Brayden

The residue of blood hangs in the air.

It is a mist of war and it clings to my frozen skin as I deftly move into the forest, capturing me as a participant in its deathly game.

It is a game in which mankind foolishly places their bets time and time again.

History holds the deck of destiny where the outcome is concerned, however and humans need only to peer into their past to see what awaits their future.

'Loss.'

Memories from centuries ago paint a mirage across my mind... one full of blood and violence.

I was created as a weapon, a tool to gain the upper hand in war.

My prior life, my Secondary life, was torn from me.

In his place, a monster was born.

I follow the same path Finn and I traveled mere hours ago when we searched the perimeter.

His scent, although faint, stands out from the rest.

It may no longer be the human blood I crave but his sweet vampiric scent is not like the others.

It is neither cloying nor overpowering.

It is merely a gentle sweetness that passes over my senses like a caress.

My predatory prowess carries me across the broken land with quick feet and agile form and my movements are silenced by the swaying branches and critters of the forest.

My senses sharpen as I push past the perimeter point.

Miles away from our checkpoint and I still cannot help glancing behind me.

To the house that is now out of sight.

To him.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

My thoughts scatter like petals on the wind as eyes bore into my back.

An intruder.

I take a careful sidestep before angling my head in the intruder's direction, bracing myself into my haunches.

My frozen heart squeezes painfully in my chest when familiar eyes stare back at me.

"Finn," I say.

I attempt a clipped tone but his name spills from my lips as a whispered plea.

He watches me from a distance, his eyes a calculating tool as he surveys the space around me.

My nostrils flare, hoping to scent any emotion to explain his arrival.

As always, if he feels anything, the emotions are locked in a vise, hidden from the world to see.

I take a placating step in his direction.

"Finn," I try again.

"Why are you here?"

He frowns, his brows pinching in the same uncertainty that shadows within.

He does not understand why he followed.

By instinct, vampires are solitary creatures.

We have the ability to fight together in packs but it belies our nature.

Instinctively, Finn must know this.

Another beat of silence passes before he offers a response.

"No one should fight alone."

His voice is steady and filled with an unwavering confidence that was missing when he was human.

I do not mention that it is equally dangerous to fight with a distraction.

"What of your guard?" I question.

"You think it wise to leave him behind with an injured Secondary and a mortal man?"

"Douglas has received the finest training under the Secondary army. I wouldn't leave his side if I thought there was a risk in doing so."

My jaw tightens at the admission.

It should not surprise me that Finn would prioritize his guard over me.

Not only does he have no memories of us but he has been brainwashed into loathing me under the guise of Reyo's propaganda.

"How do you plan on taking over The Force?" Finn asks, unaware of the emotions I now keep tightly harnessed.

"Vampires are not easy to kill," I admit.

"Their leader, Gabriel, is no exception. When he became immortal, he had additional protection in his blood. I believe it will prevent most vampires from killing him, myself included."

Finn tilts his head to the side.

He weighs my words and finds the unspoken meaning within them.

"You believe I can kill him?"

"I believe your venom has a strength in it which Reyo has kept hidden from you all these years. Your human blood was powerful enough to change the world. I am sure your vampiric blood and venom are no different."

"And we must kill him? Their leader, Gabriel?" Finn asks, testing my response.

"The leader of a vampire pack can only be removed through submission or death. Once I challenge him, he can choose to step aside and vow to follow my orders or he may choose for us to fight to the death. If he chooses the latter, I must kill him in order to take his place and command The Force."

"Had I not followed," Finn says.

"How would you have killed him?"

A wry smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

"I was letting Fate lead the way."

Finn bristles at my complacent tone.

He surveys the area around us and gracefully moves into place beside me.

"It appears Fate would enjoy seeing your victory today," he mutters, and I smother a laugh at the biting sarcasm of his tone.

"Lead the way then, Vampire of Fate. You can inform me of the rest of your brilliant plan along the way."

[casspurrjoybell-31]

The Consort's Fate - Chapter 13 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Kelly

"We couldn't find any bodies within a two-mile radius of the house, but they could still be out there," Finn adds.

Douglas looks up long enough to give Finn a sweeping assessment.

His eyes scour his body for injuries or any outward forms of distress.

He evaluates Finn in the same manner he does Tegan, I realize and some of the tension in my chest eases.

"Were you able to tell what type of blood it was?" Douglas asks, bringing his attention back to Tegan and reaching for the alcohol.

"It was not rich enough to be human," Brayden says.

"Secondaries?" I question.

A muscle twitches as Brayden clenches his jaw.

"Difficult to say. The traces of blood are in the air but without a body, I cannot tell if it is Secondary or vampire."

My stomach bottoms out at the silent implication.

"You think this could be The Force?"

Brayden and Finn exchange silent glances and my fury doubles.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea adding The Force into the mix. They hate Secondaries. And now we're a moving target for two enemies."

Douglas clears his throat from behind me.

I spin around and tense.

Tegan is nearly naked on the kitchen table.

Naked, hurt and vulnerable... a true warrior deprived of her coat of armor.

My eyes count the small cuts and bruises along her otherwise flawless skin until I reach her thigh.

A gaping wound stares back at me.

Blood streams from its opening and my body moves of its own accord.

Fight or flight.

Minutes pass.

I don't remember helping Douglas clean the wound with sure hands.

I don't remember dressing the wound.

Then dressing it again.

I don't remember Brayden dragging me from the kitchen and telling me we need to talk.

One minute I am at Tegan's side and the next, my mind finally connects with my body and I am in the living room with Brayden, my hands coated with her blood.

"Kelly, I need to go back out there and figure out who did this," Brayden tells me.

"If it's Reyo and the Secondary army, we know we've been compromised."

"But you don't think it's the Secondary army. You believe it's The Force?" I ask.

My eyes focus on the sharp slashes of Brayden's jawline.

If it's possible, his pale skin looks even paler.

He runs a hand through his dark hair.

The motion is so humanlike but it's done with the grace and fluidity of an immortal.

His brow smooths with resolve.

"If it's The Force, I will challenge their leader. No vampire will follow a leader who loses a dual."

I shake my head.

"It's too great a risk, Brayden. If you go out there alone, there could be a trap lying in wait. Hell, the entire Secondary army could be out there waiting for you."

"They are not."

I glare in his direction, wiping the fresh blood against the sides of my pants.

"And what happens if you challenge their leader and you lose? We can't win this without you."

Brayden scoffs, offended.

"I will not lose. You have studied enough about vampires in your human schools. We are fierce creatures and I have centuries of training."

Unease creeps into my stomach.

The combination of the emotion mixed with the stagnant smell of blood makes me want to heave.

Going back out there... alone... is a risk we can't afford to take.

Then again, if it truly is The Force who caused this, we run an even greater risk not overthrowing their leader while we have the chance.

I feel a snarl of anger rip past my lips.

"If The Force did this to Tegan, it was at their leader's command."

Brayden glances behind me towards the kitchen.

He drags his eyes back to me and nods, waiting for me to continue.

"If it was them," I mutter.

"Take him down. Take him down, so he never has the chance to hurt her again."

I stare down at the floor, refusing to see Brayden's expression to whatever 'human emotion' he no doubt smells radiating off me.

He reaches out and grasps my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I will fix this," he whispers.

He nods towards the kitchen.

"Please inform the others."

He knows damn well Finn can hear us but it's an act of trust and loyalty.

He needs them to see we're on their side.

I swallow and pat him on the back as he heads to the door.

"You have to win," I say and I hear the worry in my tone.

Brayden gives a menacing smirk.

"I will return with an army. But above all, I will return, my friend."

His gaze flickers to the kitchen a final time before he lowers his breath to a whisper.

"Until then, keep Finn safe for me."