Avenging Luna
Chapter 121: A Rogue Vampire

Chapter 121: A Rogue Vampire

Chase POV:

The night air felt thick with tension as I stood in the middle of the street, my senses on high alert. Something was wrong. The usual buzz of the city seemed muted, the distant sounds of cars and voices dimming under the weight of the impending danger. I could feel it creeping in from every direction—something dark, something twisted.

A rogue vampire.

It wasn’t just the sudden chill that warned me. It was the way the shadows seemed to twist unnaturally, how the air shifted as though the very atmosphere was in upheaval. The rogue’s scent was pungent, a rancid mixture of old blood and decay. A vampire turned rogue was no longer a creature of reason or morality; it was a mindless monster, driven solely by an insatiable hunger for blood. It was a killer, devoid of all humanity.

I had encountered rogues before, of course. It came with the job. I was part of the Order, a faction of hunters dedicated to keeping the peace within our kind by eliminating rogue vampires who refused to follow the rules. The Order was strict. It kept us in check, kept us from going too far, from becoming like them. But when a vampire fell to rogue status, it was no longer something to reason with. It was just a thing to destroy.

I could feel the rogue drawing closer, its presence like a dark cloud hovering just beyond my vision, lurking in the alleyway to my left. I clenched my fists, grounding myself, preparing for the inevitable fight. It had been a frustrating night already—Leila, my mate, my other half—had been a damn mystery to me ever since I realized what she was. A wolf with an alpha’s child.

I still couldn’t get over it. I wasn’t sure how or why, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered more than keeping her safe now. And that meant clearing my mind and focusing on the rogue that was getting closer, drawn to the same energy that pulsed around me.

The rogue vampire, hissing low in its throat, finally emerged from the darkness of the alley, its eyes glowing with predatory hunger. Its skin was pale, nearly translucent in the moonlight, and the jagged, broken teeth glinted in the streetlight. Its movements were erratic, unstable—but its strength was still formidable. It didn’t care who or what it killed, as long as it could feed.

I readied myself, my senses humming. I took a step forward, then another, making sure I kept my distance. The rogue lunged at me with terrifying speed. I ducked and twisted, narrowly avoiding its claws as they slashed the air just where my throat had been a second earlier.

I moved faster than it expected, closing the gap between us. In one fluid motion, I grabbed its arm and twisted it, hearing the sickening snap of bone as I wrenched it out of its socket. The rogue shrieked, but the sound was low and guttural, no longer a human cry. It was pure savagery.

"Is this all you’ve got?" I growled, wrenching the rogue’s arm behind its back. But the thing was a monster—it didn’t stop fighting. It twisted and turned, bringing its teeth to my neck, attempting to bite into my flesh. I barely managed to push it away, the rogue’s strength unnerving, its desperation palpable.

The rogue was fast, unpredictable, and stronger than I had anticipated. It was one of the most vicious I’d faced in a long time. Its movements were erratic, almost like it was driven by pure instinct. There was no reasoning with it. No negotiating. It was a monster, and that made the battle so much harder.

I dodged another strike, spinning out of the way just in time to avoid being shredded by its claws. I could feel my fangs beginning to show, the bloodlust rising in my chest as the fight dragged on. But I fought the urge to let go completely. I needed to end this quickly. I needed to get it over with before it got worse.

I managed to catch its wrist mid-swing, my fingers digging into its flesh like a vice. I twisted hard, pulling it down to the ground. But the rogue fought back even harder, desperate and relentless. It lashed out with its teeth, catching my shoulder in a brutal, bone-crunching bite. Pain flared through me, but I gritted my teeth and held on.

This was going to be tough. Too tough. I could already feel my own strength beginning to wane. I needed to end this, fast.

But as I fought to subdue the rogue, something else happened. I heard it—soft footsteps behind me. A familiar scent. That earthy, sweet fragrance I knew all too well.

Leila.

She was here. What the hell was she doing here?

Before I could process it, Leila’s voice rang out in the night air. "Chase!" she called out, her tone filled with concern.

I froze for just a second—just long enough for the rogue to take advantage of my hesitation. It ripped itself out of my grip and launched itself at me once again. It was faster than ever, catching me off guard. It slammed me into the concrete, knocking the wind from my chest. The rogue was relentless, clawing at me with the force of a storm.

I fought back, pushing the rogue off, but in the struggle, I saw Leila approaching, her eyes wide with fear, her body stiff with confusion.

"Chase, what’s happening?" she asked, her voice trembling. She was standing at the edge of the street now, her gaze darting between the rogue and me.

I knew I couldn’t explain the truth to her right now. She was a wolf, and wolves didn’t trust vampires. But I couldn’t stop myself from yelling at her, trying to keep her away from the danger. "Get back! It’s too dangerous!" I snarled, my fangs gleaming as I spat out the words.

But Leila wasn’t listening. Instead, she stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she regarded the rogue. She wasn’t afraid. In fact, she was angry—a fury like I’d never seen before.

The rogue didn’t even notice her approach, too focused on me as I tried to wrestle it back to the ground. But as she got closer, something shifted in the air—a palpable tension. Leila was a wolf, and her instincts were screaming at her. I could feel the power rolling off her, the deep, primal strength of her bloodline.

Without warning, she pounced.

In an instant, the rogue’s attention was torn away from me. Leila landed on its back, claws slashing at its throat. The rogue screamed, trying to buck her off, but she was too fast, too strong. She was in control now. Her ferocity was on full display as she ripped into the rogue with a savagery that made my heart race.

She was unstoppable. And she was mine.

I watched in awe as she tore through the rogue like a whirlwind, her strength on full display. The rogue’s struggles grew weaker with each passing second until, finally, with a final snarl from Leila, the rogue’s head rolled free from its body, landing in the street with a sickening thud.

The battle was over.

Leila stood over the body, her chest heaving, her eyes wild with adrenaline. The power around her was undeniable, the air thick with the energy of her victory.

But then her gaze flicked to me.

Her eyes locked onto mine, and the world seemed to stop.

She knew.

She knew what I was.

The truth was out.

"Chase..." she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear, disbelief, and something else. I couldn’t quite read it. Her eyes were wide, scanning me as though she was seeing me for the first time. "What... what are you?"

I froze, my body going still, my heart racing in my chest. The mask I’d been wearing—the one I’d held up so carefully—had cracked. Leila had seen the truth.

And now, there was no going back.