Page 130 of Mated By the Alphas
The vampire raises both hands and then the caskets around us begin to open. I look around in a panic, as does my pack. Even Lucifer looks worried.
“Oh no,” I gasp, taking a step back. “He’s not alone.”
“Retreat!” Lucifer calls out.
We back out of the room as the casket lids tumble to the floor and fully armored Crimson Templar vampires emerge from their dark slumber. Some are younger vampires. Some are older. There’s way too many to fight, even with our immunity.
Then we hear it. Footsteps, and not just a few. It sounds like thunder approaching, and I sense them before they get close enough for us to see them.
“We’re not alone either,” I shout as Fae, witches, wolves, bears, and hundreds of Scions begin to fill the huge room.
“Let them fight the Templars,” Hayden speaks to the pack through the bond. “We’ll rescue Gabriel.”
We carve our way through the vampires as the Scions join the battle. I get bitten a few times, as does my pack, but we’re immune to them, so we shrug off the pain. From watching my father fight, I discover that with a quick swipe I can remove a head, drive my sword through the stump of the neck, and pierce the heart. That allows me to kill several vampires on my own while my pack clears the way for us.
“Even if you defeat all of my children, you’ll never defeat me. Think you can remove my heart? Gabriel already tried,” he says, gesturing to the broken angel. “Take a look at what happens to those who dare challenge the Crimson Pope.”
“Doesn’t matter what you call yourself. Doesn’t matter what kind of blood you drink,” Jaxton roars, charging ahead. “You’re still just a fucking vampire.”
Lucifer swings his sword, but the Crimson Pope blocks it, the blade not even breaking skin when it skids across the vampire’s arm, sparks flying. Jaxton hits the vampire’s chest with both paws, but he slings the largest wolf in our pack towards the wall without even looking at him. Jaxton lands in a casket and it shatters, then he comes charging from the darkness, fangs bared for another attack.
“We need to find a way to immobilize him,” I call out through our link. “Just like with the other vampire.”
“Weaken him before we kill him, just like before,” Hayden answers.
The wolves snap at the vampire’s legs, but he leaps into the air to avoid them. Lucifer keeps swinging his sword, zipping around as he tries to break through the vampire’s defenses, but he doesn’t seem to have any luck. The vampire is too quick. His skin is too tough. Even his bones are too hard for us to break them. How is it possible for a creature that looks ready to collapse into a pile of skin and bone be so damned strong?
“I will return,” Lucifer says, then he takes flight, shooting into the darkness overhead.
“Did he just… abandon us?” Hayden asks, then he gets slung into a pillar and goes down with a groan.
“He wouldn’t. Surely he…” I try to form words but then have to deflect several attacks.
“Your blood isn’t as good as an angel, but perhaps you’ll make a nice queen,” the hideous vampire cackles, his blood-red eyes studying me as he continues to attack.
“One of your kind already tried to bite me, unsuccessfully,” I sneer, feeling the fury of the Viking Warrior’s soul as I try to cleave through this Crimson Pope.
“Just because I can’t bite you doesn’t mean I can’t get your blood,” the creature actually laughs, kicking Storm hard enough that he lands in a burial niche several rows up. “And once I’ve had enough, you’ll gladly drink from the angel to taste life again.”
“Never,” I swear.
An explosion catches me by surprise and I look up. The vampire punches me in the chest and I fly back into a row of caskets as chunks of the ceiling cave in. I lay in the rubble for a moment, trying to convince my lungs to start working again.
“Tell your pack to be ready, daughter,” Lucifer transmits.
I can see the stars overhead. Lucifer has opened a hole that goes all the way to the top of the Vatican. But why? I transmit his message to the pack, drag myself up, and we continue fighting the vampire.
It’s hardly a fight. The vampire zips around and moves through the air so fast it’s hard to even get a swing, much less a hit. Every time he strikes, one of the wolves goes flying, yelping or whimpering as they crash into caskets and concrete. I take a hit that makes my spine feel like it’s going to disintegrate as I go to my knees.
Then there’s a streak above us and it catches the vampire’s attention. Lucifer descends so fast he’s almost a blur.
“You think that will be strong enough to stop me?” the vampire cackles, preparing to fight Lucifer.
“I’m not the one that will stop you,” Lucifer rumbles, spinning his sword. “I’m just the distraction!” Then I hear Lucifer’s voice in my head. “Now, daughter! Attack!”
The vampire’s back is to us. His attention is on Lucifer. I force myself to my feet, and my pack joins me. We rush the vampire’s back and I swing my sword hard enough to lodge the blade into the side of the vampire’s neck while he’s distracted.
“Tear him apart!” Hayden roars.
