The roar of Kimberly's motorcycle echoed along the narrow road leading back to Salt Blake. The cold night wind whipped through her loose hair, while Tory held tight behind her, blue eyes burning with a mix of anger and unease.
Kim didn't take her straight to the hideout as promised. Instead, she made a sharp turn and stopped in a secluded alley behind Blood's Bar. Laughter, muffled music, and chatter spilled faintly from inside, but out here, the only sound was the engine dying out.
"Stay here," Kim ordered, removing her helmet.
"You don't trust me…" Tory muttered, crossing her arms.
"It's not about trust. It's about survival."
Moments later, Roberto, Mandy, and Roshi appeared, their faces shifting from surprise to alarm the second they saw Tory.
"What the hell, Kimberly?!" Mandy blurted, furious.
"You brought a vampire here? To our territory?"
"Are you out of your mind?" Roberto clenched his fists. "You're begging for trouble!"
"I thought you'd just hand her over and be done with it…" Roshi added, suspicious.
Kim exhaled heavily.
"I was going to. But I didn't want us walking straight into an ambush."
Before the argument could heat up, Kimberly's phone vibrated. Sophie flashed on the screen. She answered.
"Well?" Sophie's voice was calm, commanding.
"I've got the girl," Kim replied, glancing at Tory.
"Excellent. Bring her to the location I'm sending you. I'll be waiting."
Kim pressed her lips together.
"Where exactly?"
"A meeting hall on the outskirts of Salt Lake. You'll know it when you see it. Discreet, but secure."
She hung up before Sophie could say more. When Kim turned, Tory's gaze was fixed on her — full of resentment.
"So… you're going to hand me over," Tory said, her voice low, almost breaking.
"Don't take it personally, blondie. I just want my payment," Kim said, trying to sound cold — but the hesitation in her chest betrayed her.
Hours later, the motorcycle stopped before an old stone building on the edge of Salt Lake. Its facade was tall and grim, windows covered with dark glass. It looked abandoned, but faint golden light leaked from inside.
Kim entered, guiding Tory through the main hall. The place was vast — chandeliers hanging from above, torches burning along the walls, long wooden tables arranged across the floor. Vampires waited around them in silence.
At the center stood Sophie — composed, flawless, regal.
"Welcome, Kimberly," she said with a measured smile.
"I see you've done your part."
Tory froze as her eyes scanned the room. Her breath caught in her throat. The people gathered here weren't just any vampires — they were the Ashthorne Clan.
The Ashthornes were among the oldest vampire bloodlines, descendants of one of the first vampire lords to set foot in America, rulers of territories and smaller families. Their sigil — a raven with open wings beneath a blood-red moon — was carved into the stone walls.
"I shouldn't be here…" Tory whispered, barely audible.
Sophie stepped closer.
"Tory, your escape was foolish. You know your destiny."
"Destiny, mother?" Tory's fists clenched.
"I don't want to be anyone's leader! Ever since father died, you've tried to make me your pawn. I don't want that throne!"
Silence fell over the hall. Vampires exchanged wary looks — some outraged, others intrigued.
Kim frowned. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but the pain in the girl's eyes was real.
Sophie's calm never faltered, though her tone turned razor-sharp.
"This isn't about choice, Tory. It's your duty. The clan needs an Ashthorne blood heir in command. I offered a lot of money to bring you here, don't make me regret it"
"I have nothing to do with it. I won't be a prisoner to your damn 'tradition'!"
Tory shouted, stepping forward.
Kim crossed her arms.
"I've done my job, Sophie. I just want my money."
Sophie sighed softly, then gestured toward her guards.
"Take her by force, then."
That was the breaking point. Tory snapped.
In a blur of motion, she struck the nearest vampire, flipping a table over in the process. The room exploded into chaos.
"I'M NOT GOING BACK!" she screamed, kicking another attacker away, her blue eyes blazing with fury.
Blades clashed, claws tore through air, chairs splintered on impact. Kimberly stepped back for a moment, assessing. The hall descended into pandemonium, vampires against vampires, Tory at the center of it all, Sophie trying and failing to control the riot.
Kim's pulse quickened. Logic told her to stay out of it and collect the reward. But her gut screamed that leaving Tory there meant signing her death sentence.
And deep down, she couldn't do it.
The hall was a battlefield now — overturned tables, shattered wood, the air thick with smoke and blood. Tory fought fiercely but was hopelessly outnumbered. Two vampires surrounded her; one slipped behind, claws ready to tear into her back.
"Look out!" Kimberly shouted.
She moved on instinct — her silver pistol fired, echoing like thunder in the confined hall. The bullet pierced the vampire's shoulder, hurling him to the floor.
Tory's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You… saved me?"
Kim twirled the pistol in her hand, smirking.
"Don't get used to it, blondie. You're still my mission."
No time for words — Tory gritted her teeth and lunged at another enemy, while Kim covered her flank. They fought back-to-back — Tory's feral speed blending with Kimberly's deadly precision. Bullets and blades carved through the chaos in perfect rhythm.
For a moment, it seemed they might win.
Then Sophie's voice cut through the air like a blade:
"ENOUGH!"
The shout reverberated with supernatural force, silencing the room instantly. Vampires froze mid-motion, gasping, as the echo faded into the heavy stillness.
Sophie stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Tory.
"You dare raise your hand against your own clan… against your mother?" she said coldly, though sorrow trembled beneath her words.
"I never asked for any of this!" Tory cried, tears glinting in her furious eyes. "I don't want to rule. I don't want this life!"
Sophie stared at her for a long, unbearable moment — then sighed, her expression hardening.
"If you reject the Ashthorne blood… then you are no daughter of mine."
The words struck Tory like a dagger to the heart. She froze, eyes wide.
"What…?"
Sophie lifted her chin, voice turning to ice.
"From this moment, you are a renegade. You no longer belong among us."
One by one, the remaining vampires backed away, following their matriarch. The shadows swallowed them whole, and in seconds, the hall was empty — except for Tory and Kimberly.
The silence that followed was crushing. Tory collapsed to her knees, tears finally breaking free.
"She… she really abandoned me…" her voice trembled, small, broken. "My own mother…"
Kim holstered her gun and approached slowly, staring at something rare — a monster crying.
She knelt beside her and, instead of pity, tilted her head with that same dry humor of hers.
"Well, look on the bright side — no more awkward family dinners."
Tory blinked through her tears, confused by the joke — and let out a weak, trembling laugh amid her sobs.
Kim patted her shoulder lightly.
"Hey. Don't beat yourself up. I know what it's like to be alone, to have no one left. The difference is — I survived. And you will too."
She stood, extending a hand.
"How about you join my 'crew' back at Blood's Bar? They're a crazy bunch, but… you might find a better family there than the one you just lost."
Tory wiped her tears, hesitant, but took Kimberly's hand.
"You… really think there's a place for me there?"
"Of course." Kim smirked. "If they can handle the old man, they can handle you."
The two walked out of the empty hall together, leaving behind the echoes of a shattered bloodline.
For Tory, life had just changed forever.
For Kimberly… the job was no longer just about the money.