Chapter 217

Robert’s Pov

Less than a mile left before I come up to the vampire's gate. I can’t believe I got myself into this mess. This is all Almara’s fault. If she kept her nonsense accusations to herself, I would be back with the pack.

I almost went running back when I heard that horrendous howl. Who was that anyway? Then I heard Almara call back and figured she could handle it. I’m doing her enough favors.

This land gives me the creeps. It’s like there’s something lurking in the shadows, and to be honest there probably is. What makes this barren, desert-like land even more ghostly is the fact that we’re about to enter nightfall.

I try to just focus on the mission, ignoring the feeling- or knowing that I’m being watched. Soon enough, I’ll be under everyone’s scrutiny anyway.

I reach the gate. A mile-long black metal ironed gate that separates two stretches of barren soil. “Identify yourself.” A voice that sounds to be a thousand years old breaks through the intercom. Showtime.

“Robert from the Covington Pack. I come in Peace and surrender.” I say and even bend a knee. Damn, I’m pretty good.

“Wait here,” the voice says and I pick myself back up on my two feet.

“You got it,” I mumble under my breath. When nearly an hour go by and I’m still waiting, I begin to wonder if this is all a joke. Night comes fast and hard in this part of the world. It seems we skip right over sunset and go right into a black sky, causing the already lifeless land to drop to chilling degrees.

“Have you forgotten that I’m here?” I call out, not even knowing if whoever first spoke to me is still there. I quickly get my answer when no reply comes. “Ridiculous,” I spit. Of course we didn’t cover this in the plan. What do we do if I’m not even let in? Come in by force?

Arthur and Almara did say I’d have to use my best judgement and well, it spears that the best thing to do is ram down this gate into the fuc-

I see a shadow coming closer in the distance. I stop in my tracks, not even noticing that I was pacing. I put my hands in the air to show that I mean no harm, though I wouldn’t believe that if I was them either.

As the shadow comes nearer, I see there are two figures coming towards me. Everything in me wants to fight and it takes all my will power to remain docile.

“Robert,” The one figure greets me and though he’s hooded in a black cloack I know instantly it’s Delfino. The other figure does not identify himself.

I bend the knee again. “Delfino, long time no see” I say as if we’re old friends.

“Well, that’s bound to happen when you abandon your dual nature and choose the wrong side.” Delfino says with disgust and I pretend to hang my head in shame.

“I regret my decisions deeply. It’s what compeled me to come here,” I say the lie burning on my tongue.

“Is that so?” Delfino tilts his nose to the air. “You do realize, of course that-” Delfino speaks with an air of importance, “I don’t believe you,” he says dropping his tone down as though hanging me over a cliff with his hand just before dropping me.

“Allow me to prove myself,” I quickly interject.

Delfino laughs, “Oh, I intend to do exactly that.” He spans his fingers and the figure next to him reaches into his pocket and removes a large key. I stand abck and wait for the immaculate doors to be opened.

When they are, I step towards the enterence but I’m veryquikcly caught up in the strong grip of the unidentified hooded figre.

Instinct is to jerk away and I get about a millisecond into my reactin before I force myself to drop still. Comply, comply, comply, I tell myself through gritted teeth.

Though it’s dark, I’m close enough to Delfino that he defiantly caught on to my irritation. He smiles and I know he’s enjoying this. I also know he doesn’t believe me, not for even one second.

“Your Honor,” I say hoping to offer some form of respect, “I want to serve you-” Just then something hard and powerful striked me across the face. My head whips with the sudden force.

“Silence,” Delfino says apathetically. He picks up his robe and the fabric swooshes behind him as he leads us away. The other hooded figure kicks my legs to get me moving. I curse Almara and Arthur the rest of the walk.

As we get further into the town, I keep my head downcast as to avoice stares from nosy onlookers, but I bring my eyes up to scan my surroundings only to take note of what changes have taken place.

It’s hard to tell what’s new, but one thing is for certain: the vampires don’t run the town anymore. Grotesque familiars make up the majority of the population, in fact many of them barely take notice of me as they fly across the sky, slither across the ground, and gallop the streets.

I’ve gotten used to their hellish appearance on the battlefield, but seeing them in en-mass like this is repulsive. I get so distracted by their distorted figures and horrific features that I almost forget I’m supposed to be looking for my niece.

Though I doubt they would just let her be out in the streets, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that they have her here. No advertisements indicating where the daughter of the Alpha can be seen locked in a cage and tortured. There’s no sign that anyone threw a party of her being captured.

Instead, the creatures roaming the streets seem more preoccupied with dominating the town and claiming it as their own than they do with some measly little girl. Where are all the vampires?

We come up to a building that looks no different than any of the other worn-out, falling-apart brick buildings we’ve passed except that it’s the one Delfino chose so it has to be special.

“Enjoy your new home,” Delfino says, a wicked grin spreading across his face showing up razor-sharp teeth stained with blood.