Taken (The Vampire Legends #2)

Rachel felt the pain rip through her stomach, a pain worse than any she had ever experienced in her life. It felt as if someone had stabbed her, and in just a moment, she realized that she couldn’t breath.

She collapsed to her back on the soft grass and reached down and felt her stomach. She lifted her hand and saw that it was covered in bright red blood. And that was when she realized she had just been shot.

As Rachel looked up at the sky, suddenly Benji’s face came into view. She saw him kneel by her side, and his face morph into grief and guilt.

“Rachel, can you hear me?”

She did hear him, but only faintly, and was too weak to respond.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Rachel? Can you hear me? I love you! Rachel? Don’t leave me!”

Rachel saw Hunter come into view grabbing Benji by the chest. “We have to get out of here,” Hunter urged Benji. “Now!”

Suddenly Rachel saw Benji’s face transform into a rage, a rage greater than she had ever seen. It was a look of vengeance.

“NO!” Benji screamed.

He broke into action. He took two strong leaps and flew into the air, and met several of those black things in mid air. They charged at him, fangs out, snarling-but Benji was not deterred. On the contrary, in his state of rage, he seemed even more vicious then they.

They met in mid-air with a crash. Benji somehow managed to dodge one of them, to kick one square in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and then to grab a third one by the shoulders. He swung this one around, so hard, that he went flying into several of his fellow coven members, knocking them all to the ground.

Benji was a blur of motion, and within moments, he had managed to knock out every evil creature that was in sight.

The next thing Rachel knew, Benji was back at her side, kneeling beside her, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Rachel,” he pleaded, “please, can you hear me? I need you to live!”

Rachel wanted to respond, but she was too weak. She couldn’t muster the energy to form the words. She felt her body going cold, and felt her life draining from her. She couldn’t believe that she was going to die, so young, and in this place.

She saw Benji and Hunter turn and look up at the sky, and in the distance, she saw more of those evil creatures heading their way, this time, led by a beautiful girl with black hair.

“It’s Violet,” Hunter said to Benji. “She’s coming with more. And more will follow. You have to get out of here now! Take Rachel. Take her to safety. Far from here. I’ll stay here and hold them back. I’ll be a diversion for you.”

“Go!” Hunter screamed.

The next thing that Rachel knew, she felt herself being picked up in Benji’s strong arms. And then she saw herself rising, off the ground, and up into the sky, higher and higher.

The cool wind was racing in her face and hair, as she found herself flying over the castle, over the grounds, and then over the Hudson River itself. It looked to her as if she were flying right into the huge orb of the full, glowing moon. She felt herself growing even weaker, and didn’t know how much longer she could make it.

They descended. They landed on a small island in the middle of the Hudson River, as Benji gently set her down on the grass. He knelt beside her, weeping, as he ran his hands through her hair.

“Rachel,” he pleaded. “Please, don’t leave me. You’re all I have. You’re all I care about.”

Rachel thought it was weird he should say that, because he was all that she cared about, too. She really wanted to be with him, and she wasn’t ready to leave this earth. She needed to be with him. He was everything to her. And she would do anything, anything, to be with him forever. She couldn’t imagine a life without him.

Rachel mustered every last bit of her strength, forcing herself, willing herself, to sit up, just a little bit. She reached up and grabbed Benji by his shirt.

With her very last bit of breath, she managed to whisper her last words.

“I love you, Benji. I want to be with you forever. Don’t let me die. Make me be with you forever. Take me. TAKE ME!” she urged.

Rachel saw Benji shaking his head, and could see him struggling with himself.

She slumped back down to the grass, all of her energy gone, and knew she would not have the strength to say another word. She felt herself growing colder, stiffer, weaker, lighter-and then, she felt her world going black. She knew without a doubt that in just moments she would be dead.

And with her last glimmer of vision, the last thing she saw was Benji’s fangs protracting, long and narrow, as he lowered his head and brought them down, right for her neck.

“I love you,” she heard him say. “And I will forever.”