7. Darlene

I can’t believe he got away again. We had him—he was right there.

Frustration boiled over as I slammed my fist down on the desk. The loud thud startled Razor, who flinched back like I’d hit him.

“I’m sorry, boss,” he muttered, bowing his head. “I really thought we had him this time. I just don’t know how he slipped through—”

“Save it,” I snapped, my voice razor-sharp. My bloodshot eyes locked onto his. “I don’t wanna hear excuses right now.”

Razor hesitated, but he didn’t stay quiet. “Boss, I swear, I’ll take full responsibility. Next time, we’ll—”

“Did I tell you to keep talking?” I cut him off, my tone cold enough to freeze the air.

He swallowed hard and lowered his head further. “I’m sorry, boss.”

“Get out.” I jabbed a finger toward the door. “Now.”

He didn’t waste a second, practically bolting out of the room.

As soon as the door slammed shut, I yanked at my tie, trying to loosen the suffocating knot around my neck. Everything suddenly felt too tight, too small, like the walls were closing in.

How did Alistair slip away again? We were so damn close this time. I could practically feel his presence—he was within reach, and yet, he vanished.

For centuries, I’ve hunted that bastard. Over a thousand years of his terror and violence, and I’m still chasing him like a shadow I can’t catch. But this isn’t just about justice. It’s personal.

Darlene.

He killed her. The only woman I’ve ever loved. She was human, pure, and beautiful in a way that made me forget my own darkness. She knew what I was…a monster, a vampire, but she still loved me. She loved me despite everything.

And Alistair wanted her. He was obsessed with her, the way she looked, the way she smelled, her innocence, her light. But she didn’t want him. She was loyal to me, even with all my flaws. She chose me over him, and he couldn’t handle it.

I should’ve been there to protect her. But I wasn’t.

I left her unguarded to go hunting with the clan. And they betrayed me. They warned me to stay away from her because of her bloodline, she was a descendant of Ramon, the legendary vampire hunter who nearly wiped out the vampire race centuries ago. I didn’t care. I loved her.

But they cared. They used my absence to strike. Alistair was the one they sent to kill her.

He didn’t just kill her…he tortured her. He tried to force himself on her, and when she fought back, he beat her. Then he cut off her head.

I came back to find her gone, her blood staining the ground where she once stood.

At that moment, I completely lost it. Rage consumed me, and before I knew it, I’d slaughtered over a hundred vampires from the clan. It was my way of paying them back for what they’d done. But, of course, that kind of fury came with a price…I got captured.

They couldn’t believe the carnage I caused. A newly turned vampire, taking out dozens of older, stronger ones? They thought my strength came from some kind of relic I was hiding in my rags.

But the truth? It was Darlene’s blood. Before I left for the hunt, she’d given me a taste. I remember that first time—it was like fire coursing through my veins, making me stronger, sharper. She didn’t offer it often, but every time I went on a dangerous mission, she insisted. Her blood became my secret weapon.

Then came the darkest years of my life. Four hundred years. Locked away in the clan’s dungeons. No blood, not even a drop. Just endless darkness. It was pure torture, but they wanted to break me. They failed.

While I rotted in that dungeon, the clan went on a rampage, wiping out every last descendant of Ramon they could find. And as if that wasn’t enough, Alistair staged a coup. With the help of a twisted sorceress named Iris, he overthrew the vampire elders and claimed control. Iris was a force of nature, wielding dark magic like it was second nature. Some say she’s dead now, but I’m not so sure.

Edward, my closest friend and one of the few loyal ones left, saved me. When Alistair tried to come for me, Edward gave me his own blood, draining himself completely to give me a fighting chance. He carried me out of that hellhole, urging me to run and never look back. I begged him to come with me, but he refused, pushing me to safety. The last thing I saw was his exhausted smile before I ran into the night.

After that, I stayed in the shadows, keeping a low profile. I’d heard whispers about Alistair’s obsession with taking out older, more powerful vampires, and it was clear I was on his list.

A few loyal vampires from the old days managed to track me down. Together, we formed a new clan, united by one goal…revenge. Since then, it’s been an endless battle between us and Alistair’s followers.

One of the rare bright spots in those years was finding my little brother, Lorenzo. He was just a kid when we were separated, eight years younger than me. We hadn’t seen each other then, for over five centuries, back when we were human.

I still remember the day the bandits came. They tore through our village, stealing, killing, destroying everything in their path. I watched, powerless, as they murdered our parents and left Lorenzo injured. When they dragged me away to another village to be their slave, I thought I’d never see him again.

I tried to escape once, but they caught me and left me for dead outside the village. That’s when Edward found me. He told me he was a vampire and gave me a choice: die or turn. I chose to turn, and after my transformation, I went straight back to the village to find Lorenzo.

I searched everywhere, but he was gone. I convinced myself he didn’t survive. Losing him broke me. He was my little shadow, always looking up to me, wanting to be like me. And I failed him. I couldn’t protect him, just like I couldn’t protect our parents or Darlene.

Centuries later, I was at a tavern, drowning my sorrows and trying to keep to myself. I noticed a group of young vampires plotting something reckless—an attack on some bandits. I followed them outside, planning to stop their stupidity. And that’s when I saw him.

Lorenzo.

We were both frozen, staring at each other in shock. Then I rushed to him, pulling him into a hug, all the guilt and pain pouring out in that one moment. He cried, thinking I’d died all those years ago. At first, he blamed me for not coming back for him, but I explained everything, and the anger faded.

Turns out, a wanderer(a vampire with no coven) had saved him and raised him. Lorenzo had been searching for me too, but we kept missing each other. In his grief and anger, he took revenge on the bandits who destroyed our family.

But his revenge didn’t stop there. He became cold, ruthless, killing any bandit he came across. My sweet, innocent little brother had turned into something dark, something I couldn’t recognize. And it was my fault. I wasn’t there to protect him, to guide him.

I failed Darlene. I failed my parents. I failed Lorenzo. But I swore I wouldn’t fail him again. This time, I’d protect him. I’d keep him safe, no matter what. I wouldn’t let him down again.

………

I was sitting back in my chair, nice and relaxed, when I heard a light knock on the door. "Come in," I said without much thought.

Razor stepped into the study, looking a little on edge. There was something anxious about the way he moved.

"What is it now, Razor?" I asked lazily, not even bothering to look at him for more than a second before my eyes drifted to the ceiling.

"The girl’s awake, Boss," he said.

Finally, something worth my attention.