Chapter 4 A wolf and a vampire?

The reality of Sienna death stung, though Malakai couldn't quite understand why it should. She had never been his true blood host. She was human, and despite everything she had offered him, he had never been able to return her affection.

His heart had never beaten for anyone.

Not once.

A vampire's heart beat only for their true blood host. And after years of silence, Malakai had gradually accepted that perhaps his did not exist. So, he started dating a human.

With all the thoughts scrambling through his mind, Malakai pressed his foot harder against the accelerator.

The car surged forward, racing deeper into the winding mountain roads.

The fog thickened around him. His thoughts remained tangled in the events of the night, and the adrenaline still burning through his veins made it difficult to focus on anything beyond the road ahead.

He didn't see the headlights until they pierced through the mist directly in front of him.

There was no time to react.

The impact sounded like a detonating bomb.

Tons of metal collided at breakneck speed. The force launched his car into the air. It flipped before slamming upside down onto the asphalt, showering the road with sparks.

Malakai's body crashed against the interior. Shattered glass pierced his skin, and warm blood rushed from a dozen deep wounds.

The pain was blinding.

With the last of his strength, he kicked upwards, snapping the metal hinges of the crumpled door. He dragged his battered body out into the frigid rain.

Blood poured down his forehead, covering his left eye as the world spun around him.

Forcing himself to stand took everything he had. Every movement sent another wave of agony through his ribs.

He limped towards the second vehicle.

It was severely damaged. Its bonnet had crumpled upwards like crushed paper, and the windshield was shattered.

Through the broken glass, he spotted a girl trapped inside.

She was bruised, with blood running from a cut on her forehead. Her hands struggled against the jammed door, but it refused to open.

Malakai took another painful step towards the vehicle.

The girl stopped struggling.

She looked up through the broken glass.

Their eyes met.

His breath caught in his throat.

The world stopped spinning. The rain seemed to disappear. Even the pain tearing through his body faded into the background.

Then something impossible happened.

Thump.

An agonising spasm ripped through his chest.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips as his hand clamped over his heart.

Thump.

Thump.

It beat again, faster this time. Relentlessly. He could feel it hammering against his ribs like a caged creature fighting to break free.

Malakai's eyes widened.

His dead heart was beating.

The realisation struck him with terrifying force.

The Vorago.

But how?

Why her?

Why now?

He stared at the girl trapped inside the wreckage, his mind refusing to accept what was happening.

He had spent months dating Sienna. He had even waged war for her tonight. Yet his heart had never offered so much as a flutter for her, or for anyone else.

But now, in front of a complete stranger bleeding inside a wrecked car, it was beating so violently that the rhythm hurt.

His knees suddenly gave way.

The asphalt rushed towards his face.

The last thing he heard was the distant wail of an ambulance siren, followed by the girl's scream.

Then everything went black.

+RAVNEHALL PARKING GARAGE

Halloway stepped into a dark corner of the parking garage, away from the flashing lights and the commotion surrounding the VIP entrance.

He checked his surroundings before retrieving his phone and dialling a number.

The call connected after a few rings.

"Boss," he said quietly.

"Did he take the bait?" a deep voice asked from the other end.

"Yes, he did."

"And the girl?"

"Sadly, she was killed in the process."

There was a brief silence.

"She served her purpose. We will send her mother what was promised and make her believe the Prince was responsible. Now ensure he returns to London. The next piece must be set in motion."

"Understood."

The call ended.

Halloway slipped the phone into his pocket and stepped out of the shadows, his expression giving nothing away.

Everything was moving exactly as planned.

---

+THE HOSPITAL - LYRA

The harsh stench of antiseptic was the first thing that filtered through the haze.

Lyra's eyes snapped open.

Every bone in her body felt pulverised. She tried to sit up, but a sharp gasp escaped her throat as pain shot through her bruised ribs.

Then the memories surged back.

The suffocating pain of the severed bond. The winding mountain roads she had driven through without thinking. The blinding headlights.

The explosive crunch of metal folding in on itself.

And then the boy.

He had kicked his way out of his overturned car, bleeding in the rain. Their eyes had met through her shattered windscreen. He had clutched his chest, staring at her as though she were a ghost, before his legs finally gave out.

The hospital door swung open.

Her mother rushed to the bedside and threw her arms around Lyra's neck.

"Lyra."

Elena's voice trembled. Her eyes were red and wet as she pulled back, examining her daughter's face and shoulders, checking every visible part of her.

"Oh Goddess. You scared me half to death."

Her mother's thumb lingered against her cheek before her hand finally fell.

"I know what happened with Kaelen. I know you were hurting. But you cannot disappear into those mountains like that."

"I wasn't trying to die," Lyra whispered as she understood were her mother was concluding that she wanted to take her life because of kealen.

Elena's expression softened, but the fear in her eyes remained.

Before she could say anything else, someone stepped into the room.

Alpha Vane, Lyra's father.

The temperature seemed to plummet.

Lyra instinctively shrank against the pillows, her heart hammering painfully against her fractured ribs.

"Vane," Elena said quietly, rising to her feet. "She has only just woken up. Give her a moment."

"She has had three years of moments," he replied without looking at her.

Tears spilled down Lyra's cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Dad." She pleaded.

She clutched the bedsheets, waiting for some indication that her apology had reached him.

Vane didn't flinch. He offered no comfort.

"Three years ago, I warned you what would happen if you chose that boy over your bloodline."

His gaze settled on her, cold and unyielding.

"You refused to listen. Now you've finally discovered why I objected. When he showed you the true colours I warned you about, you drove recklessly into the mountains and tried to kill yourself."

"No." Lyra's fingers dug into the sheets. The rest of her explanation caught somewhere behind her teeth. "I wasn't trying to..."

"Silence!"

His roar shook the room.

"A Thorne Chen who tries to end her life over a boy is a Thorne Chen I have no need for."

"Vane, that is enough!"

Elena's voice cut through his anger, sharper than Lyra had ever heard her use with him.

"She almost died."

"She almost died running from a mistake I told her not to make."

"She is still your daughter."

Vane said nothing to that.

He simply turned towards the door as it opened again.

A doctor in a crisp white coat stepped inside, carrying a medical tablet. The earthy scent of pine and musk immediately gave away his identity.

The doctor is their pack wolf.

"Alpha Vane," the doctor greeted him with a deep bow. "Her vehicle's distress tracker signalled a crash. I extracted her before the human emergency units arrived. Her wolf is already healing the tissue damage. She can be discharged today."

"Good."

Vane gave a sharp nod.

"Was anyone else hurt?"

The question escaped Lyra before she could stop herself.

The doctor's eyes flicked towards Vane, as though seeking permission to answer. Her father gave him none.

After a brief hesitation, the doctor spoke.

"There was a second vehicle, Alpha. I found the other driver unconscious on the asphalt."

"What about him?" Vane demanded.

The doctor swallowed hard.

"The occupant is a vampire."

Vane's expression changed instantly.