Finding our Serenity (Stryders # 0.5) HOLD

Chapter 3

I thought I would update Prince of Vampires and this sooner, but COVID hit me in the past week-ish :'(

Sorry for the delay, and I promise I'm always thinking about these stories and you amazing people! 

Enjoy and thanks for staying with me~

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Relief. Complete relief.

Being alone without eyes watching her for the first time in almost a year felt so relieving.  The quietness of the forest with the stillness of the trees made Serenity pause for a moment, appreciating the nature.

Lance was asleep on the baby wrap, thankfully so he didn't make any noise that would arouse anyone's attention. By anyone, it could be hunters, human or the supernatural kind.

Knowing how late he got home, and how no one checked up on her anyways, she wondered how long she did have. Before Xavier figured out she was gone.

Hopefully he wouldn't even notice.

Serenity smiled. She let out a little laugh, overcome with delirious joy at the realization of what she just did.

"I did it," she whispered to herself. "I got out."

Just because the forest was quiet didn't mean she didn't have her small blade ready to go. Her cursed eyes would only be useful for supernatural beings. Still, she was ready at whatever came to her. She would fight back this time. 

Let them come.

XXXX

Serenity paused as she saw a figure coming towards her by the river she was following.

She clutched Lance a little tighter to her side, as he was out of his baby carrier for a moment.

"I'm warning you," Serenity took out the blade with her other hand, her threat not a bluff. No one was going to stand a chance against her if they tried to harm Lance.

The figure staggered towards her. For only one second, did she find it off. But she didn't have time to think too much on it. The figure was imposing, huge, and she was alone.

She stabbed the figure, a clean cut. Not at his heart, but close. Her aim was very off. Something she would have to revisit another time.

Stepping back, she watched as the figure staggered then backwards, catching himself- that growl of pain was unmistakably man- as he fell down rather gracefully at the tree that caught his fall.

His voice was gruff and deep, but he only whispered, "I wasn't going to hurt you."

To her utter and complete horror, she looked down to get a better look at him. Covered in blood. From head to toe. All over. His face, his body. Almost drenched in it.

Her own stab wound was somewhere in the mess of his bloody self. Was it the final blow? 

He started laughing.

"W-w-what's so funny?" Serenity demanded, feeling a bit guilty for doing more damage to this man's tattered body.  Man? He was no human. Not from the strange aura around him as she kept on observing him. Something powerful lurked underneath all that blood. 

"My mate killing me is exactly the kind of fate this world has for me."

Shocked, she tried not to make an audible gasp. Mate?