I had never quite become used to pain, even after enduring so much. Every time it ripped the breath from my lungs, unique in how it seared and tore at my insides.

As I clutched my shoulder, feeling the heat of my own blood as it wept in between my fingers, its sweet scent spilled into the air. I ground my teeth together and steeled my spine, even though the dark spots dancing behind my eyes grew in size.

I could hear Asher’s muffled yet powerful voice, silencing the deafening thunder that came from hundreds of snarls. He eased the panic from the crowd, and the tension from the warriors among them.

My shoulder was throbbing and burning from the silver bullet lodged within it. Once I managed to straighten without vomiting, I peeled back the layers of my shirt and swallowed as I looked at the gaping hole in my shoulder.

I’ll admit, it wasn’t the most pleasant of plans, but we knew this moment would draw them out. The crusade of Vampire&rsqu