New Kingdom: European Court Ch. 03

"She should reject you," Edward responded.

All three fell silent as they watched the plan of attack move into action. Several male vampires moved to Emma's table at once startling her speechless. One of the men reached for Emma but was quickly avoided and then slapped by her in a self protective instinct. Hearing his friends laugh at him, he grabbed the girl enjoying her rising terror.

"Did I surprise ya, honey?" he asked in an American accent. "Well get prepared to be scared shitless."

Emma watched in paralyzed horror as the man smiled revealing incisors that extended to his bottom lip. Wide eyed, she turned to see the other men surrounding the table had the same elongated fangs. Slowly they crept forward until she could no longer see anything except her tormentors.

"I have to stop this," Anthony said leaping from his perch to land quietly on the dance floor.

"You better be able to handle all of them. Quickly," Edward said earning a look of disgust from his brother below. "What do we do?"

"Same as last night," Gabriel answered jumping to land on the floor below. "Redundant but effective."

"Antony has royally fuck this up," Edward said in disgust quickly following him to the ground floor.

"No," Gabriel said moving quickly through the crowd. "He has just started putting things in order."

"Gabe," Edward said grabbing his brother's arm. "That was a bullshit answer about mates feeding from each other. Why did you allow it?"

"Because, Antony had lost a lover to the contaminated blood and he doesn't trust anyone in his home or office to not poison his supply. He had her transferred here because he knew she was the one. It wasn't right but it was necessary. He was starving."

Emma opened her mouth and screamed in terror but no one could hear her cries. Her captors laughed loudly drowning any sounds she made. Moving the table from her booth, they moved closer to her grabbing her arms and legs spreading her wide for easier access. As they began to grope her flesh, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

"This can't happen," she said aloud. "I can't die now. Oh god, Antony, please help me!"

One of her tormentors was pulled away with such force that Emma almost fell to the floor. When she opened her eyes, the scene before was both fantastic and shocking. As though he had magically appeared from her wish, Antony was standing before her with one hand around a man's neck and the other hand pulling the others away from her. He was a magnificent specimen of a man, standing large and menacing in his dark jeans and t-shirt. Everything about him was as perfect as she remembered, except his face. It was the face from her dream.

When Antony was close enough to reach the men touching his Emma, he heard her voice. In a pitiful declaration, she refused to accept death. Then hope surged through his heart when he heard her say his name. Within two seconds, he had dismembered the attackers and stood looking into her eyes wide with shock. The newborn hope died quickly when he reached for her and she cowered deeper into the cushions.

"Emma, baby, please don't be afraid of me. I need to take you away from this place," he said extending his hand to her.

When he saw that she was too afraid to respond, he moved his fingers over her temple and lifted her unconscious body into his arms. He hurried through the exit as the flames engulfed the building sending everyone locked inside to their fiery death.