One of the guards smirked. “To the little blonde vampire.”

Terror filled me. “But Ingrid just said…”

The guard hit me on the face, making my surroundings dim and blur. “You are not to call her by name. She is your superior in every way.”

I gritted my teeth as I fought to stay conscious. One guard had already grabbed me by the arm. That’s when an adrenaline rush took over. I wasn’t going to be handed to Claudia on a silver platter. No. Not again. Not without a fight. Summoning all my strength, I managed to tackle him to the ground. He fell with a loud thud. The only way I knew how to kill one without a stake or a UV gun was to rip their hearts out, but I doubted I had enough strength to do it.

Thus, with one vampire down and the other still in shock that a human would dare fight back, I made a run for it. Of course, I was no match for the vampires’ speed and agility, so I didn’t get far before they hit me on the back of my head and forced me unconscious.

When I opened my eyes, my stomach turned, because I was sprawled on a large bed, with Claudia looking down at me.

“Hi, Ben.” She smiled. “I missed you.”

I thought that I would be terrified at the sight of her. I was expecting to feel fear and dread over what she was going to put me through, but there was none of that. Just hatred, hatred the likes of which I’d never felt for anyone or anything before.

I sat up on the bed and backed away from her. She reached out for me and I flinched when her fingers brushed over my shoulder. I glared at her, expecting to see the same glint of manic glee in her eyes—the same look she always gave me when she held me captive at The Shade. Instead, the look on her eyes was soft and pensive—practically moist with tears.

“Do you love her, Ben?”

“Love who?” I practically spat the words out. I was sickened by the way she was acting. I felt as if someone like her had no business talking about love.

“Sofia…”

I stared at her incredulously. She didn’t have the right to talk about Sofia and I had every right not to give her a response. “And if I do?” I managed to say.

She shrugged one shoulder. Her head bowed slightly, a mass of curls falling over her shoulders. “I love someone too. I didn’t realize how much until I got here. I never should’ve left The Shade. I need him.”

I practically gawked at her. I had no idea who I was facing at that moment. Gone was the evil, sadistic vampire who made my life a living hell. In her place was this broken young woman looking for love. Does she really expect me to sympathize with her?

“Why are you telling me this?”

She began pacing the room as she scratched her head. “I don’t know…because you’re here. I promised Lucas I would help him, and in return he arranged for me to have you. I thought perhaps you could get rid of this longing I have for Yuri, but when they brought you here…just when I was about to feed on you, all I could think about was what Yuri would think of me if I once again tormented you for things you did not do.”

“Just let me go, Claudia. I can’t stand the sight of you. I can’t stand being in the same room with you. When I look at you, I really just want to kill you.” I was probably crazy for saying those words out loud, because they could only get me into more trouble. Still, the truth remained. I didn’t care about this soft side of Claudia any more than I cared for her wicked villainess act. I just wanted to get as far away from her as I could.

I was expecting her to slap me in the face and put me in my place, remind me that she was my mistress and I was her slave, but she just stopped pacing and looked at me with a bitter smile.

What on earth is going on in her mind? Is this for real? Is this Claudia having a heart for once?

I searched myself for some sort of compassion, any form of empathy for her, and I found none. I still wanted to see her pay. I wanted to kill her myself. Fury was still burning in my veins over what she did to me, over how she ruined the life that I knew. However, deep inside me, I knew that I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be able to kill her if I had the chance. My time with the hunters had completely eradicated my thirst for vengeance, because I knew without a doubt in my mind that no matter how tempting the notion of killing Claudia was, seeing the life drain out of her would not satisfy me.

Sofia knew the way all along. No matter what she’d been through, she was never a captive. She’d always been free to love and trust and accept others. She never built walls around herself to protect her from what others could put her through. She remained ready to forgive and to embrace the things that actually mattered in life.

At that moment, it felt like I understood Sofia completely for the first time. It was the fulfillment of Vivienne’s prophecy about me.

“What do you want from me, Claudia?”

She sank over the edge of the bed and buried her face in her palms. She was the abject picture of dejection and I had no idea how to handle it. “I don’t know what I want. I still want to taste you. That much is true, but I want Yuri…I want Yuri more than anything.”

I didn’t even know who Yuri was. “Then why the hell are you here at The Oasis when whoever this guy you’re pining for is way back at The Shade, where your home is.”

“I can’t get back to The Shade, not after I betrayed Derek, not after I brought Sofia here.”

“Derek might not be able to forgive you, but I know Sofia will.” I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.

She scoffed in response. “Sofia hates me. After what I did to you…after what I wanted to do to Gavin…”

I shook my head. “You don’t know Sofia. If you’re actually sincere in what you’re saying, I’m sure she’ll find it in her heart to forgive you.” I scoffed. “Assuming that you’re sincere, of course…I still think you’re playing mind games with me.”

“Maybe I am…” she said softly.

“Are you?”

She shook her head. After a rather awkward silence, she then spoke up, “I want to go back to The Shade.”

“I don’t.” I grimaced. “I don’t get it...just go back. Who the hell will care?”

“You don’t understand. If I go back, I don’t think Yuri will ever be able to forgive me. He is fiercely loyal to Derek. Unless I get back in Derek’s and Sofia’s good graces, he would never take me back.”

I stared at her. I was still wondering who Yuri was and why he was so important to Claudia. I had a vague recollection of a guy paying her a visit once in a while. She never let him in her home. It was as if she was afraid that he would see what she was doing. She always was in a better mood than usual after spending time with him. Maybe that’s Yuri.

“Will you help me get back there?”

“How on earth am I supposed to do that?”

“I know Derek will come here. He loves Sofia enough to come here alone. He won’t stand a chance against the Maslens. Not on their turf. I’m going to help you out of here, but you have to call the hunters. I’d call the vampires and help them get in unnoticed, but they’re too far away and they don’t have the means to get here quicker than the hunters will. If I help Derek and Sofia get out of here alive, knowing that I helped you and that you got the hunters to destroy the Maslens, then Yuri might be willing to give me a second chance…if they die, I’ve lost him. Perhaps forever.”

I stared at Claudia unbelievingly. I was still waiting for a catch, some cruel twisted thing she had in mind in an exchange for what she was proposing. I narrowed my eyes at her. “If the hunters come, I might not be able to stop them from killing you. I’m not even sure I would want to stop them.”

“If I can’t go back to The Shade, back to him, then I might as well die.” She sighed with resignation. “Just make sure that Derek and Sofia make it out of here.”

I blinked my eyes several times to make sure I was hearing right, but I chose not to question her. I chose not to pry. I had to take advantage of Claudia’s momentary lapse of insanity—if this was what was going on. I didn’t have to understand her. I just needed to get Sofia out of here.

I knew what Reuben would do once I revealed the location of the Maslens’ coven. He wouldn’t hesitate to destroy the place. I knew that Sofia would be spared, but I wasn’t so sure about Derek and I couldn’t help but wonder if Sofia would ever be able to forgive me if anything happened to Derek. That’s when I realized that more than anything, I wanted Sofia to be happy, and I knew that wouldn’t be possible if she had to live a life apart from Derek. I completely let go of any hopes that I could still be with Sofia.

It’s time to let go of my Rose Red and help fight for her to get her happy ending.

CHAPTER 49: DEREK

I knew that it was crazy for me to walk into The Oasis alone. I knew that it was possible that I could be walking toward my own death, but it felt like I had no choice.

Standing in the middle of the throne room, surrounded by dozens of guards, who were well briefed on my strength and capabilities, I felt vulnerable in a way that I never had before. However, it didn’t matter, because all I could think of was Sofia.

Thus, when Borys stepped into the room, dragging her beside him, his hand clamped around her arm as she held her bleeding neck, every muscle in my body tensed. I knew right then that there were no peace talks on the horizon. I was going to draw blood—if only to avenge Sofia.

Borys let go of her and the moment he did, she ran into my arms, tears streaming down her face. I held her tight, unwilling to let go, sickened by the thought of what she’d been through since she arrived at The Oasis.

I didn’t need to ask if she was alright or if they hurt her. It was clear to see that she wasn’t. It was obvious that they had.

“Get me out of here, Derek,” she sobbed against my chest. “He’s going to destroy me. Everyone here is insane. Especially my mother…”

She knows. I shut my eyes, trying to find words to soothe her, wondering how on earth I was going to get her out of there. I could smell the blood on her neck. My mouth watered at the scent, but I was too mortified by the idea that Borys had already tasted her blood to even start craving her. “Sofia, I’m so sorry,” was all I could think of to say.