Chapter twelve: Undead army

Alina Pov:

We stepped out of the car, and a cold wind greeted us. The forest around us was still, too still. I looked up—the sky was overcast, but not in a way that meant rain. It just felt... heavy. Like the world knew something bad was about to happen.

Valerian stood ahead of us, eyes on the cave entrance that was hidden between the trees and wrapped in thick vines. It looked ancient, untouched for years.

He hadn’t explained much earlier—just walked into my room without knocking and said, “Get ready. We’re leaving in five minutes.”

I didn’t know what he was up to when we arrived at the house, all he told me was that it belonged to him and they did since operations there

“We’re going in,” Valerian said quietly. “There are undead inside, vampires, werewolves" he said stressing the last word looking at me "Be ready.”

I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t going to make a fuss about killing the werewolves. It still hurt, somewhere deep inside. But putting them down was mercy at this point. They weren’t alive—not truly. Just shells of what they used to be. Soulless and in pain. They deserved peace.

Inside, the cave swallowed us in darkness. But we could see—perfectly. Our vision adjusted almost instantly, and everything became clear. The walls were rough, wet in some places. The air was thick and carried the smell of rot and old blood.

We moved silently.

We moved deeper, quiet except for the occasional whisper from Refeal behind us, The red-haired vampire, whose name I still didn’t know, muttered sarcastic jokes under his breath every few minutes—his way lifing up the mood. the cave was large and we've been walking for some time

“Stay alert,” Valerian said, his voice low. “They’ll come fast.”

He was right.

The moment we stepped deeper, I heard it. Shuffling. Then growls. Then the rush of footsteps from the dark.

“Left!” Refeal shouted.

I turned just as two undead vampires lunged at us. One came straight at me. I dropped low and stabbed upward, my blade piercing its jaw. It screeched, blood splashing on my hands.

Valerian moved like a blur. He punched one across the cave wall, its bones snapping loud. Another came for him and he kicked it back with force that didn’t feel human.

A werewolf slammed into Refeal, claws dragging sparks as they hit his blade. He pushed it off, shot it in the head, and turned like it was just another day at work.

“We’ve got more coming!” one of the vampires called from behind.

Valerian barked orders fast. “Keep the line. Don’t let them surround us.”

I stayed close, fighting instinct more than skill. They didn’t stop coming. It was like they had no fear—just hunger. I slashed one across the throat, ducked a claw swipe, then stabbed again.

A werewolf charged at Valerian from the side. I tried to warn him but he was already there, grabbing it by the throat and smashing it into the cave wall with a sickening crunch.

One of the undead tried to sneak behind me. Refeal took it down before I could turn, his blade slicing through its neck.

“You okay?” he asked quickly.

“Yeah,” I said, breathing hard.

The last of them fell moments later, its skull caved in by Valerian’s boot.

I watched him, chest heaving, blood splattered across his jaw. I wanted to touch him. To feel that spark again. But it wasn’t real—just the mate bond pulling at us. We needed to do something about it before it ruined both of us.

“Let’s move,” Valerian said, wiping blood off his hands. “we need to clear them all”

We went deeper.

The tunnel narrowed before opening up again into a massive chamber. I stepped forward—and froze.

My eyes widening, seeing this I realized just how serious this was

Rows and rows of bodies—vampires and werewolves—laid out like they were sleeping. counting them they would be over a hundred

“No way this is random,” Refeal muttered. “This was a burial ground or some kind of nest.”

“Someone’s planning to wake them,” Valerian said. “Or already tried.”

I stared at the dead. So many. If they rose at once, we’d be torn apart in seconds, or if they got out into the city, it would be the end of the humans staying here, was this what the ritual was for?, Was that what the witches had been planning all along? Using the villagers as fuel for a ritual—to raise this undead army?

"We could destroy the place.”

Valerian nodded. “We’ll collapse it., burning the place down, it would destroy the bodies”

The two vampires behind us got to work, placing charges along the weak points in the cave.

I stood beside Valerian, watching everything. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I saw the horde

“You’re quiet,” he said, glancing at me.

“I’m trying not to freak out,” I replied honestly, these numbers of warewolves here, killed, I need to warn brother, inform the other pack about the witches kidnapping and killing of warewolves

His lips twitched like he wanted to smile, but didn’t.

“Good instinct, back there,” he said. “You didn’t freeze.”

“I almost did.”

“But you didn’t.”

I nodded, then looked back at the bodies, wanting to say more to him, I looked at him. There was something unspoken between us—he felt it too. I could see it in his eyes, from behind him I could see a vampire suddenly leap from the pile. Straight at Valerian.

“Valerian!” I screamed.

He turned—but too slow.

I didn’t think. the urge to protect him washed over me, so intense, I couldn't watch him hurt

I shoved him aside and the vampire struck me instead, claws sinking into my side. I screamed as fire tore through my body. But it wasn’t just pain. It was cold. Sharp. Poisonous.

Venom.

Vampire venom.

I dropped to the ground, my body already convulsing. My blood felt like it was boiling, I couldn't hold my scream, Kaia was in pain, my head felt tight and ringing, my eyes flickering between white and black

“Alina!” Valerian was above me in seconds, catching me before I hit the ground, he dragged the vampire away from me, throwing the vampire to the wall

“Damn it,” Refeal cursed. I heard gunfire again, but everything felt distant.

My vision blurred. My limbs went numb. I couldn’t breathe.

I’d been struck. Injected with vampire venom, just as sliver is dangerous to us, Vampire venom in a lycan body was lethal. It didn’t just paralyze—it stopped the heartbeat. until it kills the Lycan in the most agonizing way

And it was spreading fast.

“Don’t sleep,” Valerian said, voice tight. “Alina—look at me. Don’t close your eyes.”

I tried. I really did.

But everything was slipping. Everything was cold.

The last thing I saw was his face. His eyes locked on mine.

He looked terrified

Why was he looking at me like that?

I couldn’t describe it.