The Vampire Prince (Stryders #2) PUBLISHED

Chapter 4: Making Ways

Lou won against the guy that had like a few hundred pounds on her. Everyone in the crowd cheered, and I found myself clapping for her too.

No, I don't know why she's beating people up, but I will support her.

"That's her?" Zeke whispered to me, as Lou was crowned the winner by the announcer, a short man wearing rainbow glasses.

"That's Lou," I nodded at him. Relief that she was here, and not taken from a vampire or gone. Safe. Well, as safe as she could get.

My eyes followed where she was headed to- a corner that had a seat.

As I neared her, I shouted, "Lou!"

Lou had a water bottle on her hand, and was drinking it until she saw me. Sputtering out the water violently.

"Stella?! What are you doing here!"

"I came to look for you!" I exclaimed, nearing her. I was going to hug her, but her entire body language screamed she wasn't happy to see me. Why wasn't she happy to see me? "I'm sure happy to see you."

Lou's demeanor didn't change. She was frowning at me, and shook her head. "Stella, you shouldn't be here. How did you even get inside here?"

Her tone threw me off, and my face heated as I looked back to where Zeke was right behind me, hearing all this. Gesturing behind me awkwardly, not knowing how to introduce him. Wasn't going to let her know there's a vampire here.

"Um, well- my friend here, Zeke got me in."

"Hello," Zeke waves cordially to her, but his body is turned towards me. Whatever he heard from Lou, it didn't look like he liked it.

Lou looked over at him in appraisal. She couldn't really see him fully as he was covered by wearing the hoodie- didn't want to ask him why exactly he was wearing it.

Widely smiling and changing her tune she says, "Good, Zeke, is it? Would you be so kind to take Stella home?" Lou turned to me before I could argue. "Stella, go home. This isn't a place for you."

This is the place for you? I wanted to shout at her for being so stubborn. Okay, but she's right it isn't my place at all.

"I'm not leaving without you," I argued with her, losing the hope that she would be happy to see me. I knew Lou was hurting about Marie. Still. Her reaction could've been a little less...disapproval.

She wasn't paying me any attention. She was still looking at Zeke."Please, Zeke. My friend here doesn't know what's good for her. Take her home."

"Okay," I don't know why Zeke was nodding and agreeing to this.

"Lou-" I started, now getting irritated by her. I could've died trying to make sure she was okay, but she wasn't having any of it.

The announcer blared out something, and there was movement nearby us. Two men in black suits were motioning at Lou to come. What was that about?

"Stella," she said mockingly, pushing me towards the exit quickly. Hiding something. "Seriously get out of here."

As I almost stumbled towards the exit, a person almost ran me over. Zeke easily brushed him off, and I mumbled a thank you to him.

I turned back to see if Lou would be standing there, but she was walking in the directions to where the two men in the suites were, laughing at whatever they were saying. One of them was looking at our direction, specifically towards the hooded vampire.

Depleted, I went up the spiraling staircase with my heart heavy. Getting out of the heavy smoke was a gift as I gulped in the fresh cool night air.