on, which sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn't help but feel unnerved by the thought of being in the presence of a vampire, even if they were on

mile, her blue eyes shining with warmth. A warmth that put Isabella on edge. A warmth that Isabella knew, by instinct, was absent from M

ent, that's for sure," she admitted, glancing back at the driver who wa

n interior contrasted with the reinforced walls that hinted at the secrets it held. As the doors closed behind them, Isabella felt

rned to Monique with an inquisitive look. "Why

p," she explained. "It's where most of our operations take place, including training an

rvousness. The journey seemed to take longer than she expected, and the realization that she was de

The décor was lavish, with rich mahogany, black, and crimson tones adorning the space. The seal of the

y was mesmerizing, and she couldn't deny the elegance that exuded from their every gesture. Yet, the realization that she was the only human amidst these powerful beings un

dercurrents of authority and dominance. Despite her subtle bravery, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was a mere mortal surrounded by immortal predator

moment he entered the room, her eyes were drawn to him, and for a moment, she found herself mesmer

mooth voice, addressing Isabella. "Welcome to the Volkov Group, Isab

ion with him. However, her attention was soon drawn to the handsome assistant standing beside Alexei. Alexei turned to this man and introduced him as

es that added an air of erudition to his appearance, Isabella knew they were pointless for a Bloodsucker. His aura, unlike Monique's, did not try to put her at ease. Instead, it made her feel like

e's nod. It was evident that his feelings were mutual, and she reminded h

sabella's arm once and beckoned to Claude who immediately stepped to the woman and began resuming speaking about whatever business that was more intere

"This is like a city

ve apartment. The city beneath the city is for the vampires.

is that possible? You can't di

e. It is also why the Volkov Group invested so heavily in real estate. Come, instead of tel

nts that operated within the hidden world beneath the city. The underlobby truly was like an inverted version of t

, and even a grand library filled with ancient texts and vampire lore. The atmosphere was both mysterio

mbat, while others were immersed in discussions about strategy and new technologies. All of them seemed to

here, Isabella. The Volkov Group is very particular about who they let in

t echoed in her mind. "Okay, Alexei, enough with the tour guide act. Why did you really recr

Isabella," he replied calmly. "You're right; your personal quest for revenge is not the sole reason for you

I can't imagine what use a mere human like me could be in your war against vampires. I've never killed one. I

exceptional hunter. Your determination, resourcefulness, and your understanding of the enemy make you an asset. And you have a stonehear

vinced. "And what if I refuse? What if I d

eady made that choice. There's no life for you to go back to, I was fairly clear on this point last night." He paused and tried a different approach, "You want to make a difference, to protect others from the same

la asked, "And

could feel it as if they were the first honest w

normal life away from the shadows. But another part of her knew that she couldn't ignore the truth of what she had witnessed. And w

lly conceded, "Show me w

ou can't really see the vampire you see. Just the... the essence of them. And each one is unique like a fingerprint I suppose." He tapped on the monitor which finally captured Isabella's attention,

e cameras, not every monitor seemed to have one. They instead were at the main entrances of t

ng out each one in Russian, "One, Two, Three, Four, Five." He lowered his voice, "This is how much I trust you Isabella, because as

y—a common foe that had taken her sister's life and threatened the safety of innocent people. She took a deep breath to steady herself before respondin

heir reasons for being here, their own demons to confront. I know that firsthand. Just remember, Isabella, we are dealing with dangerous creatures, and you n

exei was a man who had seen his share of darkness, and that darkness had shaped him into the leader he was now. It was why the othe

se. Vlad, my father, is one of The Twelve. One of the five remaining.

st let that information stew as he moved to continue the tour, "Come,