CHAPTER 3

As soon as I hear the word vampires I can feel my heart beating in my chest. I could feel my palms getting all sweaty and clammy and I knew that this was more than just one town being wiped out. 

Vampires have never launched an attack like this, and I had a feeling that this was just the beginning. And I think everyone in this room had the same feeling. 

They were all looking very stoic and not their usual casual selves. 

We weren’t the biggest pack in the country, but we definitely weren’t the smallest. So dad knew that it was our responsibility to do something. We were in a position to do something. 

Not like the smaller packs. And we weren’t like the smaller packs. They didn’t want anything to do with this sort of thing, but protecting humans was what we did. Mostly, protecting them against vampires. That was what we considered to be our main cause for being here. To protect humans against the one thing that was out there wanting to kill them. Just for food. 

“Dad. That doesn’t make any sense. Why the hell would they do something like that?” I asked, after I finally regained my composure. 

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. And we know that they aren’t going to stop at one town. They’ve made themselves known. Why would they stop at just one? They’re too ruthless for that.” 

“No. They’re just getting started.” I said. 

“Exactly.” He said. 

“What do you need me to do?” I asked. 

“I need you to get onto the dark web. You need to listen for any chatter about this attack. If this is larger than we think it is then they will be communicating through there. And you are the only one that knows how to navigate that thing.” He said.

So I walked over to my desk on the other side of the room and I turned the computer on. 

I logging in and I started hacking into the dark web immediately and immediately I started looking at all different chatter that was happening. But none of it was vampires. 

It was all about the town that was taken out, but it was mostly werewolves talking about it. Communicating with other packs to try and find out more information. 

I’m searching on the web for hours without even realizing it when someone knocks on the door. 

“Miss Meadow.” My lady in waiting, Violet, said at the door. 

“Yeah.” I said, looking up. 

“There’s someone here to see you.” She said. And she opened the door a little wider so I could see Landon standing outside the office. 

So I got up and I walked out of the office with my father watching me the whole time. 

I took Landon outside of the packhouse and I hadn’t even realized that the sun was starting to set. 

“What are you doing here Landon? Things are pretty up in the air at the moment.” I said. 

“I know. That’s why I’m here. Everyone in town is talking about it. They’re all talking about the attack on that town.” Landon said. 

“Landon. Even if I did know anything about it, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. You know that.” I said. 

“Yeah. I guess I was just hoping.” He said. 

“Listen, you can go back and tell everyone that we’re not in danger. They don’t need to worry about us.” I said. 

“Alright. That might give them some sort of comfort.” He said. 

“I have to get back inside. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I said. 

“Will you be at school?” He asked. 

“I have to. I have detention.” I smirked, and he smirked back as I turned around and I went back inside. 

When I got back to the office I saw my dinner sitting on my desk which I was really happy to see. 

“You and Landon seem to be pretty close.” Dad said, without looking up from his computer. 

“We’re friends. You know that. We’ve known each other forever.” I said. 

“Is that all it is?” Dad asked. 

“What are you asking me dad? Am I screwing him?” I asked. 

“I’ve told you about saving yourself for your mate.” He said. 

“First of all, my sex life is none of your business. And I already told you, Landon and I are just friends. I have several male friends and we are perfectly capable of keeping our hands off of each other.” I snapped. So he looked up from his computer at me and he nodded his head. 

I got back to work, trying to find anything that could point me in the right direction while I was eating dinner at my desk. But there was nothing that I could find that could be of any use to us.

Dad and I had kept working with people running in and out of the office, but it was mostly just us two in there. Until my stepmother Jillian walked in with a martini in her hand. Probably her 15th for the day. 

“What the hell is going on around here? Why are there so many people in our house?” Jillian asked, slurring her words. But I just rolled my eyes. 

“Honey, why don’t you go to bed. It’s been a really long day.” Dad said. 

“I don’t need to go to bed.” 

“Where’s your mistress?” Dad asked. 

“She’s around here somewhere. Following me around like a lost little puppy.” Lillian said. So dad got up and took Jillian out of the office to go and find her lady in waiting and got her settled before he came back to the office. 

He just looked at me, but I didn’t say anything. He knew how I felt about Jillian so I didn’t need to say anything about it. 

By 1am that morning dad had left the office to go and talk to some of the warriors that were still hanging around the packhouse when I got a text message on my phone. 

I got up and I walked to the door of the office. 

I looked out into the house and I couldn’t see or hear anyone near the foyer of the house. 

So I snuck to the door and I walked outside. 

I knew the schedule for the patrols so it was easy to slip past them and I got to the border without any problems at all. 

I walked further into the woods that was beyond the border and a male figure finally came into view. 

I walked closer to him, and the closer I got it was obvious that he was a vampire that was leaning against a tree waiting. 

“Meadow.” He said. 

“They’re going to kill you if they know that you’re here Benjamin.” I said.