85
Ian’s POV
The warehouse loomed in the distance, a dark, hulking structure against the night sky. It was nondescript, blending in with the industrial surroundings, but the whole atmosphere around it felt wrong. So wrong. We were close now—close to where they were holding Sophia. Every instinct screamed at me to charge in, to tear the place apart until I found her, but I knew that was exactly what they wanted. Charging in recklessly would get us all killed.
Jenny stood beside me, her face pale but determined. Jacob was on my other side, his jaw clenched in concentration as he surveyed the area. We had spent the last hour going over every possible scenario, every potential pitfall, but no matter how much we planned, the risk was enormous. These weren’t just ordinary humans we were up against—they were vampire hunters, and they knew exactly what they were doing.
“They’re expecting me to come alone,” I said, my voice low as we crouched behind the cover of an abandoned truck. “We have to make them think that’s what’s happening.”
Jenny nodded, her eyes flicking toward the warehouse. “I’ll go in first, distract them. They’ll be focused on me, which should give you and Jacob the opening you need.”
I hated the idea of sending Jenny in there alone, but we had agreed it was our best shot. She had insisted on being part of the plan, refusing to stay behind even when I’d tried to argue. And as much as I wanted to protect her, I knew we needed every advantage we could get.
“Just be careful,” I said, my voice tightening with worry. “They won’t hesitate to hurt you if they suspect anything.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jenny said with a small, reassuring smile. “Just make sure you get to Sophia in time.”
Jacob glanced at me, his expression grim. “We’ll get her out, Ian. No matter what.”
I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. There was no room for doubt, no time for second-guessing. Sophia was in there, and I wasn’t leaving without her.
We moved quickly and silently, making our way closer to the warehouse. As we approached, I could see the faint glow of lights through the grimy windows, hear the muffled voices of the hunters inside. My heart pounded in my chest, every nerve on edge as we prepared to execute our plan.
“Remember,” I whispered to Jenny as we crouched near the entrance, “you’re just there to buy us time. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
Jenny nodded, her expression determined. She reached out and gave my hand a quick squeeze before slipping away into the shadows, heading toward the side entrance we had scouted earlier. I watched her go, a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. Jenny was strong, capable. She had proved that so many times. She could handle herself.
Jacob and I waited, counting the seconds as Jenny made her way inside. The plan was simple: she would create a diversion, drawing the hunters’ attention away from the main area where we believed Sophia was being held. With them distracted, Jacob and I would slip in through the back, locate Sophia, and get her out before they knew what was happening.
It was a dangerous plan, but it was the best shot we had.
A few minutes passed, and then we heard it—a loud crash from inside the warehouse, followed by raised voices and the sound of hurried footsteps. Jenny had made her move.
“Now,” I hissed to Jacob, and we moved quickly, slipping through the back entrance and into the dimly lit corridor beyond.
The warehouse was a maze of old machinery, stacked crates, and narrow passageways. The air was thick with the scent of rust and decay, and every shadow seemed to pulse with hidden threats. My senses were on high alert, every sound and movement amplified as we crept deeper into the building.
We could hear the hunters shouting now, their voices laced with frustration as they tried to figure out what was happening. Jenny was doing her job, keeping them occupied and away from us. But we had to move fast—our window of opportunity was small, and we couldn’t afford to waste a single second.
“Over here,” Jacob whispered, pointing to a metal door at the end of the corridor. It was slightly ajar, and I could see a faint light spilling out from inside.
We approached cautiously, listening for any signs of movement. When we were certain the room was empty, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Sophia was there, tied to a chair in the center of the room. Her head was slumped forward, her body limp, but I could see the faint rise and fall of her chest—she was alive. Relief flooded through me, but it was quickly tempered by the sight of the ropes binding her wrists and ankles, the bruises marring her pale skin. They had hurt her.
I crossed the room in an instant, kneeling beside her and gently lifting her head. “Sophia,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “It’s me. I’m here.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she looked disoriented, as if she couldn’t quite believe I was real. But then recognition dawned, and her lips parted in a faint, relieved smile.
“Ian,” she whispered, her voice weak and strained. “You found me.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” I said firmly, already working on the ropes that held her. “We’re getting you out of here.”
Jacob moved to the other side of her, helping to untie the knots. “We have to hurry,” he said, glancing toward the door. “They’ll realize something’s up soon.”
I nodded, focusing on freeing Sophia as quickly as possible. Every second felt like an I was taking too long, but finally, the last of the ropes fell away, and Sophia slumped forward into my arms. She was so weak, her body drained from the vervain and the torture she had been through, but she was alive—that was all that mattered.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured, lifting her into my arms. “We’re going home.”
She nodded weakly, her head resting against my chest as I carried her toward the door. Jacob took the lead, checking the corridor before signaling for us to follow. The warehouse was eerily quiet now—the sounds of the hunters had faded, replaced by an unsettling stillness.
“Where’s Jenny?” Sophia asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“She’s keeping them busy,” I said, though the truth was, I didn’t know what was happening with Jenny. She was supposed to draw them away, but if something had gone wrong—
“We need to get out of here,” Jacob said urgently, cutting off my thoughts. “The longer we stay, the more dangerous it gets.”
I nodded, following him as he led us back through the maze of corridors. Sophia was growing heavier in my arms, her breathing shallow and labored, and I could feel the urgency pressing down on me like a weight. We had to get out before the hunters realized what was happening.
We were almost to the exit when we heard it—a shout, followed by the sound of running footsteps. They had figured it out.
“Move!” Jacob hissed, breaking into a run. I followed, holding Sophia tightly as we raced for the door.
We burst out into the night, the cold air hitting us like a slap to the face. But there was no time to stop, no time to breathe. We had to keep moving, had to get as far away from the warehouse as possible before they caught up to us.
“Over here!” Jacob called, leading us toward a row of parked cars.
But before we could reach them, a group of hunters appeared, blocking our path. There were at least four of them, armed with crossbows and stakes, their eyes burning with hatred.
“Put her down,” one of them snarled, aiming his crossbow at me. “You’re not leaving with her.”
I tightened my grip on Sophia, my mind racing. We were outnumbered, outgunned, and Sophia was too weak to fight. But I couldn’t—wouldn’t—leave her behind.
Jacob stepped forward, placing himself between us and the hunters. “You’ll have to go through me first,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
The hunter sneered, raising his crossbow higher. “That can be arranged.”
Before he could fire, there was a flash of movement from the side—a blur of motion that slammed into the hunter, sending him sprawling to the ground. It was Jenny. She had come from the opposite direction, using the chaos to her advantage. She was panting, a few scrapes and bruises visible on her arms, but she looked fierce, determined.
“You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?” Jenny said, her voice breathless but steady.
The other hunters hesitated, their eyes darting between Jenny, Jacob, and me. For a moment, it looked like they might attack, but then the leader—the same woman who had taunted Sophia—raised her hand, signaling them to stop.
“Let them go,” she said coldly, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t over. We’ll be coming for you—and for him.”
Jacob didn’t wait for her to change her mind. He grabbed one of the cars, hotwiring it in record time, and I carefully placed Sophia in the backseat. Jenny jumped in beside her, helping to keep her upright, while I slid into the passenger seat, my heart pounding with adrenaline.
As the car roared to life, the hunters didn’t move, just watched us with a mixture of anger and frustration. But I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting Sophia out of there, getting her somewhere safe.