Darkness Chapter 21: Horde Meeting

**Nelly**

He's on me faster than I can even blink. His arms envelop me in a tight embrace. "We can make time for that," he suggests with a sly grin.

I nervously bite my lip. "Uh, I think I left something in my room."

He chuckles and heads to his closet. "It could have been a nice little break before our meeting."

"Yeah, but you don't strike me as the quickie type," I tease.

"I'm not," he admits. He emerges from the closet looking incredibly handsome in a black suit and partially unbuttoned white dress shirt, revealing his chiseled chest and intricate tattoos. It should be illegal to look this good.

"You're staring again, Nelly," he points out with a smirk.

"Damn it," I mutter under my breath.

**Vincent**

As we entered the hall, we were met with the presence of all the head leaders of the hordes. Without hesitation, I decided to cut straight to the chase. "Alright, we have received new intelligence and it's not looking good."

Alec immediately spoke up, "They have an army of two thousand." The room erupted in shock and concern.

Peter quickly proposed, "We need to unite all our forces if we want to stand a chance against this threat."

Alec added, "We have reached out to the wolves and other factions for support."

Feeling the weight of the situation, I suggested, "I believe our best strategy is to divide our forces to the north and south."

Peter challenged, "But why split up when the enemy army is to the north?"

Nelly stepped forward, her voice firm, "Because the smaller rebel groups on the outskirts will join forces and attack from the other sides. If we focus all our defenses to the north, we will be vulnerable from the south."

Peter scoffed, "And why should we trust your opinion, Vincent's pet?"

Nelly's gaze turned steely, "Because I was their top assassin. I understand their tactics and I know how the rebel leader operates. Ignore my advice and risk being reduced to ashes. The choice is yours."

I nod to Nelly before I look at Peter, “Plus, she's got a bounty on her head by them now. They see her as being compromised.”

Peter scoffs, “Like you would fight against your own.”

Nelly glares at him. “I would and have, dipshit. I fight for my survival.”

Alec smiles, “You've seen firsthand what she can do. The rest of you have heard rumors. Those rumors are true. I plan to survive this, so I am listening to her.”

“I don't like this any more than you, but I have a reason to fight by you,” Nelly said as she looked back at me. That made me feel good. After we survive this, I need to tell her how I feel.

Peter asks, “What about the others?”

“They will fight. We need to send out to the others tonight and organize. They will be here in a few days. We need to be prepared for smaller attacks as well.”

We assign duties, and we stand to leave when Peter comes over to us. “Pet, you better not be screwing with us. If I find out you are, I will kill you myself.”

Nelly clenched her fists before she calmly addressed him, “I get it. Don't trust me, but know this, if I had wanted to kill any of you, you wouldn't be here right now.”

We left and headed up to the bedrooms. As she started to make her way to her room, she suddenly stopped at her door and glanced back at me. "Vincent...I'm sorry about all this," she said.

I took her hand and replied, "It's not your fault, Nelly. You don't need to keep apologizing for your parents. They're the ones to blame, not you."

After what felt like an eternity, I heard my door creak open. I felt the bed shift as she climbed in and wrapped her body around mine. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked timidly.

"I was just about to drag you in here if you didn't," I quipped.

Nelly confessed, "I'm scared. I don't know who to trust. How could the people I fought for want me dead?"

I rolled over and gently held her face in my hand. "I have no idea, but I'm not going to let them take you without a fight."

Nelly smiled and said, "Thank you."

I sarcastically replied, "For what?"

"For being you, you have completely changed my perspective on vampires. You are not the monsters they have portrayed you to be," she confesses. "Some of us may be, but many of us were forced to embrace our monstrous side in order to survive. It was easier to blend in when humans believed we were nothing more than myths, legends, or fictional characters created for their entertainment."

I chuckle as I pull her on top of me, her top lifting to press her bare chest against mine. She sits up, removing her top to reveal her beautiful curves. Leaning down, she gently brushes her lips against mine. "Nelly," I whisper her name like a sacred mantra.

She smiles and softly replies, "Vincent." I don’t know what this is between us, but I can’t resist it anymore, and I won’t lose this or her.