Chapter 25: A Break II

Night had settled fully over the manor by the time Asher went looking for Adrian.

Marcel had left earlier for an important meeting with the vampire council, something about border territories and the ongoing human alliance. He had not given details, only told Asher to rest and that he would return before dawn. Asher had nodded, waited until the sound of the black car faded, and then quietly left the private suite.

He found Adrian in one of the upper galleries.

The younger Vampire Lord was hanging upside down from the high ceiling beams like a bat at rest, arms folded across his chest, dark hair falling toward the floor. He looked completely at ease, as though defying gravity was simply another way to pass the time.

Asher stopped beneath him and cleared his throat.

Adrian’s eyes opened. He smiled, inverted and amused, then dropped in a single fluid motion, landing soundlessly on his feet.

"You’re up late," Adrian said, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeves. "What does my brother’s favorite human want at this hour?"

Asher did not waste time. "I want you to take me back to the human districts."

Adrian’s brows rose. The playful edge in his expression sharpened into genuine interest. "A sudden change of heart. This isn’t because of the coffins, is it?"

"No." Asher shook his head. "It’s not the coffins. I just... need a break. All of this — the ring, the palace, the politics, the constant feeling that something is about to explode, it’s a lot for a human. Marcel won’t let me leave, that’s why I came to you."

Adrian studied him for a long moment. The usual teasing light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something more assessing.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Asher met his gaze and nodded once. "Yes."

Adrian exhaled, then straightened. "Marcel is going to kill me for this. Slowly. Possibly in creative ways." He reached into his pocket and produced a set of car keys, spinning them once around his finger. "But I’ve never been good at saying no to interesting requests. Come on."

He led the way through the quieter corridors of the manor toward the private garage. Asher followed, heart beating faster with every step. Part of him expected Marcel to appear from the shadows and stop them, part of him almost hoped he would, but neither happened.

The garage was dim and cool. Adrian’s car was a sleek, dark vehicle similar to Marcel’s but with a more aggressive design. He unlocked it, gestured for Asher to get in, and then slid behind the wheel.

"Last chance to change your mind," Adrian said as the engine purred to life.

"I’m sure." Asher replied before he had time to overthink his choices.

Adrian grinned, sharp and reckless. "Then hold on."

They drove out of the manor grounds without challenge. The outer gates opened for the Thorne crest, and soon the lights of the vampire capital fell away behind them. The road stretched dark and empty under a sky full of cold stars. Asher watched the landscape change through the window — ordered vampire forests giving way to wilder, less controlled territory.

For a while neither spoke. The only sounds were the low hum of the engine and the occasional rush of wind against the windows.

Then something heavy landed on the roof.

The car shuddered before a massive claw punched through the metal above Asher’s head with a screech of tearing steel, missing him by inches. Adrian cursed and wrenched the wheel hard to the side. The vehicle swerved violently. The weight on the roof was thrown clear, tumbling into the darkness with a snarl.

"Wolves," Adrian said, voice suddenly cold and precise. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. "Multiple."

More shapes poured out of the treeline on both sides of the road. Large, fast, and coordinated. Claws scraped along the doors. Something slammed into the rear bumper hard enough to make the car fishtail. Another impact from the left crumpled the panel near Asher’s leg.

Adrian accelerated, but the wolves kept pace with unnatural speed. One leapt onto the hood, jaws snapping against the windshield. Cracks spiderwebbed across the glass. Another tore at the rear tire. The car began to handle poorly, the steering growing heavy and unresponsive.

"I can’t outrun them like this," Adrian muttered. His knuckles were white on the wheel. "They’re going to wreck us if I keep forcing it."

He slammed on the brakes.

The car skidded to a stop in the middle of the dark road. Adrian was already moving. He threw off his coat, reached across Asher, and hauled him out of the passenger seat in one smooth motion just as a massive claw punched through the door where Asher had been sitting a second earlier.

They hit the ground hard. Adrian shoved Asher behind him and rose to his full height as the wolves closed in.

There were at least a dozen of them — larger than any natural wolf, eyes reflecting the sparse moonlight with a predatory gleam. They circled, low and growling, cutting off every direction of escape. Adrian was fast, but carrying and protecting a human had cost him precious seconds. The wolves had used them.

Adrian’s voice cut through the night, cold and carrying.

"What is the meaning of this? Vampires and wolves are not at war. State your purpose before I decide to interpret this as an act of aggression."

The largest of the wolves, a scarred, dark-furred beast that stood nearly as tall as Adrian at the shoulder, shifted its weight. Its eyes, and the eyes of every wolf in the circle, turned toward Asher.

Adrian’s posture changed instantly. He angled his body more fully in front of the human, one arm extended slightly as if to keep Asher from stepping forward.

"No," Adrian said, quiet and absolute. "You do not get him."

The wolves growled in answer, a low, rolling sound that vibrated through the ground.

Adrian’s expression flattened into something far older and far more dangerous than his usual playful mask. He folded one sleeve back with deliberate care. When he lifted his gaze again, his pupils had turned a vivid, burning red, and the whites of his eyes had gone completely pitch black.

His voice, when it came, was soft and lethal.

"I’m about to rip every one of you to shreds."