A/N: This chapter is can get quite violent and graphic.  For my younger readers and those easily disturbed by violence or violent thoughts you've been warned. 

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I had never been more nervous in my life than I was in that moment as we made our way out of our prison into the large house that was filled with vampires who wanted nothing more than to destroy the world. Luca walked in front of Asher and I looking around with a serious expression. He paused when we reached the end of a long hallway than motioned with his hand for us to wait. Luca ascended the stairs when he opened the door at the top where I could hear the voices and laughter of men. 

 My anger boiled under the surface as I thought about the vampires up there joyously celebrating there work while my mother had been locked away in that dark room for who knows how long. I felt pressure on my shoulder and turned see that Asher hand was resting there. I looked up to his eyes meeting his steely gaze, "Don't worry we will give them back double what they have dealt out to others." His voice is low but I can hear the promise of blood in it. Asher might be a rogue but in someways his convictions and way of being didn't seem so different from the enforcers. They all lived their lives by codes of honor and violence.

 I hadn't ever imagined myself as someone other than peaceful but after everything I had been through I was beginning to think that perhaps there was a darknesses inside of me that thirsted for blood—only I wasn't going to let it be used against the innocent. The only blood that I would ever use to quench that thirst would be the blood of my enemies. The very enemies laughing and carrying on the floor above me, who seemed completely unawares of the violent thoughts swirling through my mind. I looked away from Asher toward the staircase the beast inside rearing it's ugly head, "I can't stand this..." I mumble as I shift forward. I rubbed my fingers to my temples hoping to push back the imagines that were becoming hard to ignore.

 Blood. I wanted their blood on my hands as I ripped them apart. I wanted to watch as they were destroyed. More than anything I wanted to see the look in their eyes when they knew that they were about to die and by my hands. I felt something in my mind snap as the thirst for vengeance became overwhelming. 

 "Wait!" Asher whisper yells as if he caught onto my thoughts but it was to late was already flash stepping myself up the stairs and into the large room. To say that I surprised them was an understatement. Luca eyes widen at the sight of me standing in the doorway. I know he had planned something completely different but I was helpless against the fury that burned inside of me, begging to be released.

"How the hell did you get of those chains?" One of the vampires yelled. I turned my attention to him a slow smile creeping over my face. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath the sweet scent of their blood filling the room, "You smell delicious..." I say as my eye pop back open and focus in on my prey, "Tell me what do you think you taste like?" I taunt him. The vampire looks around at his friends in an edgy way before focusing his attention on me. 

I took a couple of steps further into the room, "I can tell you that you're not nearly as sweet as you smell."

He hisses at me, "You're going to wish you had stayed in that damn dungeon princess." He flashed towards me but I easily avoided his attempt to grab me.

He glared at me where I stood ten feet from him, "No I probably won't but you definitely will when I'm done." He readied himself to charge for me again but Asher suddenly appeared at the top the steps right behind him. Our eyes caught each other for a split second before he reach out and grabbed the vampires head between his large hands and twisted. His neck made a sick crack and the room became deadly still the only sound was the weight of the dead vampire smacking against the hard floor. Everyone stared at the scene unmoving and then suddenly the room broke into chaos. 

 Asher let out a loud roar as he shifted into his large wolf, charging forward into a small group of vampires. I watched the scene with a dark smile on my lips as I watched him catch one of the vampires mid leap and rip it apart with his powerful jaws.

Thinking I was unaware a vampire spilt form the group and charged at me. I caught him by his throat with my hand and squeezed tightly bringing him closer to my face, "You would have had better chances against the wolf." I hiss as he grabbed at my hand that was wrapped around his throat trying to pry it off. I kept squeezing tighter, watching as blood began to gather in his eyes and drip down from his nose. I felt the sting of something breaking through my flesh. I look over my shoulder to see another vampire had stabbed me through the shoulder with a sliver knife. I open my mouth and hissed at him before I spun around quickly using the vampire in my hand as a weapon. I threw them both back away from me and then reached back with my hand, ripping the knife free with a groan of pain. 

I held the knife in my hand and stared down at the frightened vampire who was pinned underneath is unconscious friend. I smiled, "Don't worry this shouldn't take long." I raced towards them with my speed and plunges the silver knife right through the unconscious vampires back and out his chest. The other vampire let out a loud screech of pain when the knife plunged into his chest and squirmed unable to free himself. I flashed him my fangs, "Too bad that didn't kill you. Guess I'll just have to cut my way out of you." His eyes widened in horror as I began to wiggle the knife around in his chest though movement was difficult while I wearing the other vampire around my arm like jewelry.

 I heard quick steps behind me and turned my head, a vampire stood frozen two feet from me with a piece of wood sticking out of his chest. I heard a masculine grunt as the wooden like spear was dislodged and the mummifying vampire fell to the ground beside me. Luca stood in its place looking down with disgust before chucking the wooden spear away.

"You saved me?" I said more as a question, the slightly heroic act breaking through the blood lusting haze of my mind.

 Luca's gaze met mine, "I told you I would didn't I?" 

 I noticed quick movements behind Luca, "Watch out!" I yell. Quickly I am yanking the knife free from the vampires I had skewered. Without much thought I throw the knife towards the moving target. I hit the vampire right between the eyes, the silver knife imbedding itself deep into it skull. Luca looks quickly over his shoulder as the vampire falls back into the ground with a loud thud. He looks back to me, "Come on, let's get you the hell out of here." 

 I pull myself up off the ground and follow quickly behind Luca my eye observing the chaos that I had helped to unleash. The scene looked something straight out of a horror movie, blood and bodies thrown about the room. My eyes spotted Asher leaning against the wall near the door, his body was covered with scrapes and cuts but other than that he looked unharmed.

 I kept myself aware as we approached him waiting for the horde of vampires that my father had acquired to drop down on us from the shadows. Luca stopped when we reached the door, "Well since you two decided to go all Rambo and disregard the escape plan that I had thought up—" He sounded annoyed as he looked back and forth between the two of us. Asher looked to me and gave me a sheepish grin. I wanted to smile back but now that I felt like I was in control of myself again I felt extremely unnerved by what I had done.

 I looked down at my hand which were covered in blood. I frantically wiped them across my dirty shirt in hopes of ridding myself of the awful thoughts swirling around in my mind. How could I have done something like that? Was I some kind of monster? Was I just like my father? I felt a sweat break out on my forehead as the urge to throw up continued to build along with the thoughts. 

 "—Lex. Lex. LEX!" Lucas voice broke through and I looked up to see both him and Asher staring at me with tense expressions.

"Are you okay?" Asher asks me. I nod my head but bite my tongue to keep from screaming that no I wasn't okay nor did I think I ever would be. He continued to keep me under his scrutinizing stare for a moment longer and then turned away. I let out a small sigh of relief that he hadn't pushed the topic further or I probably would have had a mental breakdown which we couldn't afford right now. 

"My original plan was just to cast an illusion and have you guys escape without any trouble but since neither of you seem to understand how to listen—" Luca growls in annoyance, "I'm going to have to come up with a logical explanation for why I am the only one who survived..." 

"Well, I could just kill you and save you the trouble." Asher suggests with a toothy grin. 

"That's actually not a terrible idea..." Luca says as he looks around thoughtfully. I look towards him with surprise, "What?" Asher and I question at the same time.

 He looks back to us, "Well, You're not actually going to kill me but I do need you to beat me within an inch of my life."

Asher gave him a disgruntled expression, "Is there something wrong with your head fairy boy?" 

"Trust me this is the only way to make your escape believable while still allowing me to maintain my cover." Luca presses. 

Asher looks him over skeptically, "So you want me to beat the shit out of you?" 

"Not particularly but it's necessary." Luca replies.  

There is a long pause, "Alright..." Asher agrees with a shrug of his shoulders. Luca turns his attention to me, "Lex—Remember that you need to tell Eris about the witches curse. She will know what to do and how to find her. Also under no circumstances are you to come back to this place. Do you understand me?"

I swallow hard and nod my head. 

He gives me a faint smile, "Good girl. Now get the hell out of here—run towards the east that's where Eris said she'd be waiting." I stand still unmoving as I look between the two of them chewing on my lip. 

 Asher nods his head toward the door, "Go on. I catch up to you kid—you really don't need to see this." He says with an apologetic expression. 

"What about if more vampires come?" I ask.

"Don't worry they won't. You guys killed all the ones that were here—the others are with the king at another undisclosed location." Luca explains. 

"You heard it right from the traitors lips. Now get your ass out of here. I'm pretty sure your mate is worrying himself over you." Asher says with a slight tone of bitterness but the thought of Victor send a wave of hope and determination through me. I moved past the two of them, opening the door. The cool air of the night washed over me and I took in a deep breath ready to put the house of blood far behind me. 

I looked over my shoulder toward Luca, "Stay alive and watch over her for me." He nodded his head and then I turned away from them racing off under the cover of night with new goals in mind.