The sharp blade pierced her skin, feeling cold. Angela became motionless, her breathing stopping abruptly as the other vampire squeezed tighter around her. She could sense death's icy presence right behind the dangerously close edge of the knife.
"If you try to move, I will cut your throat," the vampire murmured, speaking in a quiet and threatening tone.
Angela's thoughts raced as she attempted to assess her choices. She could hear the other vampire waking up behind her, starting to regain awareness after she had crushed its skull with the rock. Time was quickly slipping away.
"What is it that you desire?" she inquired with a tense voice. What prevented her from moving was not fear, but the understanding that one incorrect action could result in the demise of everything.
"The vampire hissed at you." The Alpha King placed a bounty on your head. He isn't fond of unfinished or unresolved matters.
She felt her heart rate increase. The King who is the first and most powerful. She always suspected he was pursuing her, but the confirmation caused a sense of fear in her stomach. However, if this vampire was assigned to apprehend her, it meant she had time left. They didn't desire her to be deceased at present.
"Let's find out your value," whispered the vampire, his chill breath against her neck. Angela sensed his hand firmly holding her shoulder, attempting to restrict her actions.
However, she wasn't going to be easily deceived and led into a dangerous situation.
She slowly wrapped her fingers around the handle of her knife, already scheming in her mind. The situation was dangerous, but she lacked other options. She had faced difficult circumstances previously, but nothing as challenging as this one. The pressure from the knife against her throat increased, making getting away seem even less possible with each passing moment.
The vampire standing behind her changed his position, obviously ready to pull her into the darkness. That error belonged to him. Upon his movement, Angela responded instantly.
With a quick movement, she pivoted, seizing his wrist and twisting it firmly. The vampire let out a groan of agony, releasing the knife as his arm broke under the strain. Angela acted quickly, jamming her elbow into his ribs and causing him to stagger backwards.
Reaching for her dropped knife, she grabbed it off the ground as the confused vampire rushed towards her once more. With a swift slice, she carved deeply into his chest, causing him to reel in pain.
However, the second vampire regained consciousness quicker than she had anticipated. He attacked her fiercely, growling, his eyes filled with rage. Angela managed to avoid it, but his hand grabbed her jacket, pulling her backwards. She tripped, her stability wavering momentarily.
That was everything the vampire required.
He tackled her to the ground before she could stand up, keeping her pinned underneath him. His chilled hands enclosed her neck, exerting frightening pressure. Angela let out a gasp, her eyes becoming blurry as the pressure on her windpipe grew stronger.
He told me in a harsh tone that I would be sorry for resisting, while his hold on me became stronger. "You should have simply surrendered without resistance."
Angela tried to pry his hands off, but his grip was overwhelmingly strong. Black spots swirled in her sight, and her chest felt a fiery ache as her lungs cried out for oxygen. She sensed herself starting to lose control, with her awareness slowly unraveling.
However, she had not finished.
Summoning her final bit of energy, Angela grabbed the knife by her side and plunged it into the vampire's neck. In surprise, his eyes widened as he loosened his grip, allowing her to break free. Gasping for air, she kicked him off and then got to her feet.
The vampire stumbled, holding onto his bleeding neck, hatred evident in his eyes. "Your actions will have consequences," he hissed, his voice bubbling with blood flowing from the injury.
Angela remained silent. She lacked the time. The initial vampire had already risen and was prepared to strike again, his angry gaze ablaze.
She had to put an end to this.
Before either of them had a chance to recover, she snatched a silver-tipped arrow from her belt - the only one she had remaining. With a swift movement of her hand, she threw it at the first vampire. The arrow hit him directly in the chest, penetrating his heart. He hesitated briefly, his eyes filled with surprise, before dropping to the floor, motionless.
Angela , quick as lightning, dodged the final lunge of the second vampire with a bleeding neck, who snarled at her. Dodging his assault, she plunged her knife into his back and twisted it for extra measure. He collapsed onto the floor, completely still.
Angela panted heavily, wiping the blood off her hands as she stood above the defeated vampires, her heart racing. She had managed to stay alive, but it had been a very near miss. She was unable to continue enduring this, battling for survival constantly, without a break. Eventually, her good fortune would come to an end.
She took a step back, looking around the surroundings. The forest had fallen silent once more, but she was aware it was only temporary. There were additional threats present; wolves, vampires, and other more dangerous foes were lurking. She needed to locate Kael and the rest of the group, regather before facing any more challenges.
Another figure stood at the clearing's edge. Tall, shrouded in darkness, yet easily recognizable. The sensation of his presence made her shiver, a sense of dread she knew too well creeping along her skin.
Devin was the one.
Moving closer, he gazed intensely into her eyes with his gray stormy gaze, his emotions hidden. "You just can't seem to avoid getting into trouble, can you?"
Angela 's heart raced and her muscles tightened as she saw him. She wasn't aware of how long he had been observing or his purpose for being there, but his gaze made her feel uneasy.
"Have you been trailing me?" she inquired, her tone cutting.
Devin 's mouth formed a subtle, joyless grin. I have been observing.
"Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. She was not interested in his mysterious games.
"Because you're not as secure as you believe," he answered, his tone now more somber. "And you have company in this battle."
Before Angela was able to reply, the faraway noise of wolves' howls reverberated among the trees.
The wolves approached.