110

110

Ian’s POV

The restaurant was one of those high-end places that served food in portions too small to satisfy even a child. But I wasn’t here for the food. Neither was Jacob, Jenny, or Sophia. Tonight was about taking a break—pretending that the chaos of the vampire world, the constant danger we faced, and the stress of keeping secrets didn’t exist. Tonight, it was just the four of us, trying to be normal, whatever that meant.

I glanced across the table at Sophia, who was laughing at something Jenny had said. That laugh—her laugh—had the power to lift the weight off my shoulders, even if just for a moment. She caught me looking, and a smile spread across her face, her eyes twinkling in the dim candlelight. God, she was beautiful. She was everything.

“You’re staring again,” Jacob muttered next to me, his tone laced with amusement.

I smirked, not bothering to hide it. “Can you blame me?”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t push it. Instead, he turned his attention to Jenny, who was playfully nudging him with her elbow. It was strange, seeing him like this. Relaxed. Happy. They were good together, Jacob and Jenny. She softened him in ways I never thought possible.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Jenny asked, narrowing her eyes at us suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Jacob replied innocently, though his smirk betrayed him.

Sophia leaned in closer to me, resting her hand on my knee under the table. “They’re plotting something,” she whispered, a grin tugging at her lips.

“Probably,” I murmured, covering her hand with mine. “But whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll handle it.”

Jenny arched an eyebrow. “I don’t trust you two for a second.”

“You shouldn’t,” Jacob said, flashing her that grin of his that usually got him out of trouble. “We’re notorious troublemakers, remember?”

Jenny shook her head, though she couldn’t hide her smile. “That you are.”

I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the ease of the moment. It wasn’t often that we got to just… exist like this. No Council breathing down my neck, no vampire hunters lurking in the shadows, no ancient lineage hanging over our heads. It was rare, and I intended to make the most of it.

The waiter appeared then, delivering our drinks—wine for the ladies, whiskey for Jacob and me. I took a sip, savoring the burn as it slid down my throat. The alcohol didn’t affect me much, but the taste was enough to remind me of simpler times. Times when things were less complicated.

“Alright,” Jenny said, her eyes bright as she looked around the table. “I think it’s time for some fun.”

Jacob groaned. “What kind of fun?”

“The kind where we ask ridiculous questions and learn embarrassing things about each other,” she replied, her grin widening.

“Oh, this should be good,” Sophia said, laughing softly as she settled back into her chair, her hand still resting on my knee.

I raised an eyebrow. “Embarrassing how?”

Jenny shrugged. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Jacob sighed, but I could see the amusement in his eyes. “Fine. What’s the first question?”

Jenny tapped her chin, pretending to think. “Alright. If you could have dinner with any three people—dead or alive—who would they be?”

Jacob snorted. “That’s easy. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon.”

Sophia rolled her eyes. “Of course it’d be a bunch of warlords.”

“Hey, those guys were brilliant strategists,” Jacob said defensively. “I could learn a thing or two.”

Jenny shook her head, clearly unimpressed. “What about you, Ian?”

I paused, thinking for a moment. “Nikola Tesla, Oscar Wilde, and Leonardo da Vinci.”

Sophia grinned. “That’s a good one.”

“What about you?” I asked, turning the question back on her.

“Hmmm,” she mused, tapping her fingers against her glass. “Marie Curie, Jane Austen, and… hmm, maybe Cleopatra.”

“Interesting choices,” Jenny said. “I like the mix of science, literature, and history.”

Sophia smiled. “I like to keep things balanced.”

Jenny laughed before turning to Jacob. “Your turn to ask a question.”

He smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Alright. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?”

“Oh God,” Sophia groaned, covering her face with her hand. “This is going to be embarrassing.”

“That’s the point,” Jenny said with a mischievous grin.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at me. “Come on, brother. Spill it.”

I shrugged. “I’ve lived a long time. Hard to pick just one thing.”

“Oh, come on,” Sophia said, nudging me. “There has to be something.”

I thought about it for a moment, then chuckled. “Alright. Back in the 1800s, I got into a duel over… well, something incredibly stupid.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “A duel? Like, with pistols?”

I nodded. “Yep. Pistols at dawn. It was ridiculous.”

“What happened?” Sophia asked, looking amused.

“I won, obviously,” I said, smirking. “But in hindsight, it was a waste of time. Could’ve handled it differently.”

“Wow,” Jenny said, shaking her head. “I did not expect that.”

Jacob laughed. “I’d pay good money to see that.”

“What about you?” I asked him. “What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done?”

Jacob grinned. “There was this one time in Paris when I—”

Before he could finish, a loud crash from the front of the restaurant interrupted us. I tensed immediately, my senses going on high alert. Something was wrong.

Jenny glanced around, frowning. “What was that?”

Sophia’s grip on my knee tightened, and I could feel her pulse quicken. She was feeling it too—the shift in the air, the sudden tension that now hung over the room.

“Stay here,” I murmured to her, standing up as I scanned the restaurant.

Jacob was already on his feet, his expression deadly serious. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, my eyes narrowing as I saw a group of men enter the restaurant. They moved with purpose, their eyes scanning the room until they landed on us.

Vampire hunters.

Damn it.

I barely had time to react before the first shot was fired, a wooden stake zooming through the air toward me. I moved quickly, catching it midair before it could make contact.

“Get down!” I barked at the others as chaos erupted around us.

Sophia ducked behind the table, her eyes wide with fear but also determination. She wasn’t the same girl she’d been before. She could handle herself. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to protect her with everything I had.

Jacob was already moving, a snarl on his face as he lunged at the nearest hunter. I followed suit, my mind going into battle mode as I tore through the attackers. They were fast, well-trained, but they were no match for us.

I caught one of them by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease. “Who sent you?” I growled, my fangs bared.

The hunter gasped for air, his eyes filled with hatred. “You and the girl… you’ll both die.”

I tightened my grip, feeling his pulse slow under my fingers. “Wrong answer.”

With a quick twist, I snapped his neck and tossed him aside.

Jacob was beside me now, wiping blood from his hands. “There’s more outside.”

I nodded, my mind already racing. “We need to get them out of here.”

Jenny and Sophia had stayed low during the attack, but now they stood, both of them clearly shaken but unharmed. Sophia’s eyes met mine, and I could see the fear there—but also the determination.

“I’m okay,” she said quietly, as if reading my thoughts.

I nodded, though the tightness in my chest didn’t ease. “We need to go.”

Without another word, we moved as one, making our way out of the restaurant and into the night. The streets were empty, but I could feel the hunters lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next move.

“They won’t stop,” Jacob said, his voice low. “Not until they get what they want.”

“They won’t get it,” I replied, my jaw clenched. “Not as long as I’m breathing.”

But even as I said the words, I knew this was far from over. The hunters weren’t going to stop. Not until one of us was dead.

And I had no intention of letting it be me or Sophia.