"Ew," I said, wiping the dark blood from my hands and arms. "I do hate this stuff."

"You're hilarious," Henry laughed as he snapped a vampire's neck and walked toward me.

"I'm sorry, but this shit is gross," I flicked some vampire flesh off my shoulder and gagged.

"How do you feed?" He laughed.

"Through a glass and my straw, thank you, smartass," I said, wiping my hand across the brickwork. "Should have brought some wipes."

"Right," Henry said, shaking his head.

"Look, the door is open," I pointed. "Dopey idiots,"

"Quickly, before the next ones arrive," Henry said, running to the door.

I could hear muffled voices coming from the rooms below me. We were standing in the dark attic of the warehouse that was full of cobwebs and old rotting boxes piled up in the corner. The damp, dusty smell made my nose tickle.

"This is disgusting," Henry groaned as the wood floor creaked beneath us.

"Can you hear that?" I said, standing still.

"Hear what?"

"That loud, thumping sound, I could hear the sound of something thumping and beating loudly. What is that?" I closed my eyes and listened to the wind, instantly recognizing that sound. "Carter, I can hear Carter's heart beating. He must be here," I smiled to myself as I heard his heart beating, but it was far away.

"I agree with Jake on this one. You guys are disturbing," Henry said, walking towards the door and opening it.

"Come on," I said, walking down the stairs.

"What is the plan here?" Henry said behind me.

"We break everyone free and kill everything that stands still," I said, stopping at the end of the wood staircase and peering down the hall.

"Oh good, an easy plan," Henry said, shaking his head.

"I'm glad you like it," I whispered as two vampires walked out of a room just ahead.

"When do we get to kill that asshole?" One of the vampires said in the next room. "He does think he is a gift to the world, doesn't he?" He said, walking away from us.

"Damn, pretty boy," the other one said.

"Jake," we both said, smiling.

We crept down the hallway to the locked door. "So, we just kick this door in and kill whatever is in here?" Henry said as we stood at the door.

"That's the plan," I shrugged.

"Great," he said, kicking the door and charging in.

"Hey, guys, what up," Jake said, smiling as he sat up, chained up in a chair.

"Do you need help?" I said, walking towards him.

"Nah, all good," Jake smiled as he ripped the chain around him into two pieces and stood up.

"If you could do that, why did you let them chain you up?" Henry said.

"They were trying so hard to be tough, and Vinnie is their boss." Jake started laughing. "Vinnie is their boss, and they needed a little support."

"Did you see Carter?" I said, walking towards the door.

"No, I know Callan is downstairs. They were talking to him as I walked in. He looked in bad shape," Jake said, standing beside me.

"Can you still hear him?" Henry said.

I listened, but the thumping was gone, and I shook my head.

"Well, I guess we do this the old-fashioned way then. Kill first, ask questions later," Jake said happily.

"You are enjoying this a bit too much," I said, watching him stretch his body.

"What can I say? I miss killing things," Jake smiled.

"Who's first?" Henry said, looking down the hallway.

"Callan, he might have a lead on Carter," I said.

"Ok, and plan B?" Henry said, taking in our surroundings.

"Beat the living shit out of Vinnie until he tells us," I smiled.

"Plan B," they both said, nodding.

"Let's just say they are both the plan and whichever happens, happens." I smiled at them.

"See, this is why you're my best friend," Jake said, giving me a high five. "You just get it."

"I know," I battered my eyes. "Ok, boys, let's save the world," I said, stepping out into the hallway as they followed me. We arrived at the warehouse packing floor and stood on the railings as we watched hundreds of vampires and wolves pack the floor below us.

"Tonight, we take over the world, boys!" A loud voice boomed from below us. The warehouse erupted into cheers and whistles. I recognized Leon as he stood in front of them, proud and mighty. As far as he was concerned, he had won this war.

"I have captured my brother and killed his retched human girl. Again I apologize for that. I know you were all looking forward to watching her die," cheers exploded in the room again. "Instead, I bring you his son, my nephew." The crowd cheered loudly at the sight of Callan sitting in a chair. He was beaten and bloody and obviously hadn't been fed for a few days as he sat there slumped over the chair, not being able to move.

"Bring in my brother," Leon demanded, and I watched in complete horror as they dragged in Carter, who was barely conscious and covered in blood.

"Shit Eb, Carter has a stake in his chest," Jake said in my ear.

My whole body pulsed with rage as the crowd booed and hissed at Carter, who was lying on the floor, not moving. A stake had been plunged into his chest, and blood ran down his torso onto the floor, leaving a trail.

"Tonight, we conquer not only this world but our world," Leon bellowed as the crowd cheered loudly. "Tonight we kill my brother and then the king." the cheering was so loud it echoed in my ears. "Tonight, we become the most feared creatures in the entire universe."

"Shit, what do we do?" I said, turning to the boys.

"The only thing we can do," Jake said, shrugging. "Prince dipshit over here warns his father and gathers the army, I create a distraction and get these idiots out of here, and you try to get Carter and Callan to safety."

"That's your plan?" Henry said, confused. "Why don't you wait until I return with help?"

"Because Carter is literally on that floor dying as we speak, and if we wait around, it might be too late," Jake whispered, a little annoyed.

"Can you do this?" I said, looking at Jake. "Can you get them all out of here and survive?"

"I can promise the first bit," he gave me a reassuring smile.

"Jake,"

"We don't have time to debate this, Ebony. Does everyone agree to the plan?" Jake said with authority.

"Understood," Henry said, walking back up the stairs. "I will return as soon as I can," he disappeared into the attic.

"Jake, are you sure about this? I don't want you to get hurt."

"Eb, I have been horrible to people my entire vampire life, and while I have loved every minute of it and have no regrets, I don't want to lose the only family I have because then I fear I will truly become the monster. I want to fight for you," he smiled as he touched my arm. "I want to fight for what we have. To be honest, I miss being close to someone."

"Jake," I said, holding back my tears, "Aww, you actually do care about me."

"Yeah, and tell anyone, and I'll deny it," he pushed me slightly.

"You want to hug?" I teased.

"I'd rather screw you, but right now, I have to concentrate on being bait," he said, looking down at the crowds of vampires around Carter and Callan. "You be ok by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, I hope," I said awkwardly as he walked toward the metal staircase backward.

"If you get into trouble, just howl for me, and I'll find you," he smiled.

"Very funny, smartass," I hissed at him as he raced towards the stairs.

He ran down the stairs and towards the front doors as everyone listened to Leon talk about his new world. Not one of them noticed him, not one!

"Hey, guys, what are you all doing here?" Jake yelled as he jumped on some stacked boxes. "Having a party without little old me?"

"What is he doing? GET HIM!" Leon bellowed as Jake took off out the door, and everyone ran after him.

"How did he get out? Get up there and find the others. They must be here," he yelled to the remaining vampires standing around Carter. "Bring them to me now."

They raced up the stairs to check the rooms up here, and I quickly jumped up onto the wall and crawled onto the high ceiling above Leon and Genevieve, who were dragging Carter towards Callan.

"Mother, why are you doing this to me?" Callan groaned out as he watched Leon kick Carter in the stomach. Carter moaned in pain as Leon continued to kick him.

"You made your choice Callan, you chose them over your own mother, and that hurts," Genevieve said, touching Callan's bruised and bloody face.

"Fuck you, and you chose everything and everyone over me. At least my father was honest about it," Callan said, moving his head away from her.

Leon slapped Callan's face hard. "Don't swear at your mother, boy. I've killed for less," Leon roared as he slapped him again.

Shit! I have to get them out of the room if I want to help. How am I going to do this?

"Boss, we have the pretty boy surrounded, but he is asking to talk to you. He says he has some information about that human girl," a tall, slender vampire yelled as he entered the warehouse.

"The girl? She is dead."

"He says he wants to talk to you," the vampire repeated.

He looked at Genevieve, who shook her head with caution.

"Bring him here," Leon ordered.

"That might be kind of hard, boss."

"Why?" Leon hissed.

"Well, he is kind of hiding from us."

"You said you had him cornered?"

"Well, we actually have the walkie-talkie surrounded, he is hiding, but we know he is close."

I smiled at the image of Jake talking to an army of furious vampires through a walkie-talkie.

Leon roared out in anger. "When I get my hands on that asshole, I will end him. Show me where he is," Leon bellowed as he followed the vampire outside.

Thank you, Jake.

I jumped down onto some empty shipping containers and watched as Genevieve touched Carter's bloody face with her finger very gently.

"We could have had the world you and I, Carter. I gave you everything, and you just walked away from me like I was nothing. How could you just leave me?" She said, cupping his face with her hand.

"You fucked my brother," Carter choked out. "You are nothing more than a willing whore to me, nothing."

"How dare you," she yelled, punching him in the face. "I loved you."

"You are not capable of love," Carter groaned. "You are empty inside, and that is why no one will ever love you. I should have seen that a long time ago."

She grabbed the stake in Carter's chest and pulled it out as he moaned out in pain.

"Who's empty now?" She yelled as she raised the stake above him.

"STOP," I bellowed, jumping down the floor. "You and I have some business to take care of," I sneered as I walked toward her.

"You? You are dead. I saw you." she screamed as she dropped the stake and crawled backward on the floor.

"Yeah, here's a tip about killing me. If you're going to threaten it, you better make damn sure the job is done cos I'll just keep coming back until you're dead," I growled at her as my blood raced through my body like electricity. "You might think I'm the weak one, but girl, things are changing, and in case you didn't hear, I'm the CEO around here, and in my world, that means your ass is terminated."

"That's my girl," Carter said, half-smiling at me from the floor.

"You can't hurt me. I'm pregnant," she said, holding up her hand.

"True, but I can lock you up in the castle for defying the king, who is currently on his way here, and FYI, He's pissed." I ripped off the chains holding Callan to the chair.

"Thanks, Ebony," Callan said, slowly sitting up and stretching.

"You will have to catch me first," Genevieve said, standing and running for the door. I ran just in front of her and punched her right in the face with everything I had. She dropped to the floor on her back, out cold.

"That's what you get for being a bitch," I said in her face.

"Ebony, come on. We have to get out of here. They will be back any second," Callan said, lifting Carter over his shoulder. "Bring her, and let's get out of here."

I picked up her lifeless body and slugged her over my shoulder. "What about Jake?" I said, following Callan out of the warehouse.

"Oh, trust me, Jake will be fine. He's probably halfway home by now. We need to get somewhere safe, so my father can heal and takedown Leon."

"I know just the place," I smiled and ran towards my tiny apartment a few blocks away.