Chapter 219: Chapter 219 

~ NYSSA

Rowan pulled me away from the window in a flash, positioning himself between me and the potential threat.

His eyes scanned the landscape, searching for the source of the sound while keeping one hand firmly around me to hold me behind him.

“No one is going to harm me from here,” I whispered softly to him as I tried to peer over his shoulder.

The scream came again—louder, more heart wrenching and behind it came the rushing of feet. This time, my eyes zeroed in on the source of it.

A woman stumbled towards the courtyard, her hand flat against her throat. Blood dripped down her hands and throat, and the mere sight of it had my stomach churning, both in worry and want.

“What the hell is happening?” I asked, peering further over the window to see.

Behind her, I saw people running. There were so many of them that it just looked like an avalanche, and in front of the sea of people was a single black car. I couldn’t tell if they were chasing after it for harm or just following. Rowan cursed, tugging me inside before slamming the windows shut.

“Stay here,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “I need to find out what this is.”

“Like hell you do,” I snapped. “I’m going with you. I need to know as well.”

He sighed, his hands running down his face. “She’s bleeding, Nyssa, you don’t… if you’re around it.”

His words were like a slap to my face. It was bad enough that Aria already didn’t trust me, but to know that even he didn’t think me capable of controlling myself made my insides twist. He believed in me more than anyone… more than myself.

“Nyssa—” he began, face twisted with pain as he took a step closer to me.

I shook my head, stepping back as I wrung my hands together in front of me, trying to hold my head up straight. “You should go. I’ll just wait here.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the door, then back at me, his lips pursed as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. I turned away from him, heading back towards the window when he grabbed my arm in a firm grip.

“Rowan—”

“Stay behind me,” he said firmly. “Eric is going to be next to you at all times. If you feel uneasy, then leave, Nyssa, I don’t care what the fuck is going on. Do you understand?”

It took me a second to understand that he was going to take me with him.

I nodded eagerly. “Of course.”

He murmured something under his breath before pulling me with him. His back was taut, the muscles in his arms bulging as he moved through the palace halls with purpose.

By the time we reached the front doors, the smell of blood was so profound that my knees went weak. The bleeding woman was seated on a little bench while another doctor in gloves inspected her throat.

“What the hell happened?” Rowan asked, voice firm.

The doctor glanced at Rowan, her eyes wary. “She says… she says someone bit her, your majesty.”

I went still.

I suspected the minute I saw her with her hand over her throat, but hearing it and thinking it were two different things.

“Can you describe the person?” Rowan asked.

She shook her head. “I didn’t see his face. One minute I was alone, and the next, there was this blinding pain in my neck and I… I screamed vampire and ran.”

Before Rowan could speak, loud clamoring erupted from outside.

Through the open doors, I glanced into the courtyard and winced at the sheer number of people I saw standing outside. They hammered their fists around the same black car I saw earlier, hurling stones and screaming expletives.

“I will be back,” Rowan murmured before heading straight for the door.

I followed behind him without a word and Eric slipped effortlessly to my side. “What the hell is going on?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s find out.”

The doors of the car opened and to my surprise, Jeremiah stepped out first. His hands and arms were covered in cuts and his shirt was ripped in a few places. Sweat formed across his brows and his eyes were wild and harsh.

“We found it,” he snarled. “The vampire who attacked at the watch.”

As if on cue, two guards stepped out of the car, pulling with them a man bound in chains. His eyes were bloodshot and blood dripped down the corners of his mouth. His skin was deathly pale and he seemed to have taken a beating; there were bruises all over his skin and a black eye was forming over his left cheekbone.

Despite the fact that he was in chains, he did not look defeated. He smirked wide when he was brought towards Rowan and after he was pushed to his knees, his grin only grew.

“Why did you bring him?” Rowan asked coldly. “You should have killed him.”

“I thought you would want to question him,” Jeremiah said, voice trailing off with meaning.

Rowan’s lips pursed, but he nodded. “Take him to the cells.”

The vampire was tugged to his feet once more but I couldn’t help but think about how convenient it was. We hadn’t caught a single vampire since, but somehow, one was stupid enough to attack a full square with guards around.

It seemed very unlikely.

“What are you thinking about?” Eric asked.

“I think it’s a trap.”

No sooner than the words left my mouth the vampire spoke. “More of us will keep coming!”

His voice was louder than I expected. It echoed through the courtyard, booming over the sound of the crowd clamoring for his death.

“If you want peace, then you will give him her,” he turned to me, pointing a long crooked finger at me. “The king wants his heir, and come tomorrow, he will have her, or he will burn the fucking pack to the ground.”

For one long minute, there was silence as everyone processed what he had said, and then, pandemonium broke loose.

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