Derek. Ever the authoritarian. I didn’t bother to look at Ben’s reaction. I knew he would be seething after being brushed aside like that.

I was practically being swept forward by Derek. Our destination? Well, as far as I could tell, we were headed directly toward a solid rock wall. Derek didn’t look like he was going to slow down any time soon. I looked at him several times to check if he had somehow gone insane, but he kept his focus ahead, not a single sign of him slowing down as we got closer and closer to walking right into a rock wall.

All I could do was gasp when we finally hit the wall … only to find myself shocked when it enveloped us, feeling a lot like Jell-O. After a split second, we emerged on the other side of it and found a staircase winding downward. We’d just moved down a few feet when Ben stepped out of the wall. He seemed fine, save for the scowl on his face. He wasn’t used to being ignored.

We eventually reached the bottom of the staircase and stepped into a cavernous hall enclosed by huge glass windows revealing that we were underwater. Had it not been dark outside, I’m sure I would have marveled at the sight of sea creatures and various types of flora and fauna. In the center of the room was some sort of control panel where Sam and Kyle stood, two of Derek’s most trusted guards.

Having managed to develop a bond with each of them over the time I stayed at The Shade, the glances – both fond and curious – they sent my way didn’t come as much of a surprise.

Derek didn’t even bother to look at Ben. He fixed his eyes on the vampire guards. “Kyle, take the boy to the submarine. Make sure all the preparations for his departure are in order. Sam, take Sofia to one of the holding cells. She apparently needs to rethink her stay here.”

I frowned. “Holding cells?”

“Wait. What submarine?” Ben asked. “I’m not gonna go anywhere without Sofia.”

Derek completely ignored him and set his eyes on me. “You said you need time to think. A cell is the safest place to do just that. Meanwhile, he will wait for you in one of the submarines. He will be sedated, just like you will be should you decide to leave. We can’t afford for you to remember anything about your journey out of the island.”

The thought of never seeing Derek again made me ache inside and I was fighting the urge to cry as I looked into his eyes. How dare you kiss me, Derek … Tonight of all nights … As if this decision isn’t already hard enough, you had to claim my first kiss from me. He must have mistaken my silence for concern over Ben, because he began doling out an assurance.

“I won’t send him off until you’ve made your decision,” Derek promised. The look he gave me was so intense, I was sure I would melt. I just nodded.

“What?” Ben began to protest. “Sofia…”

Before he could say any more, Sam stabbed him in the neck with a needle and he immediately fell unconscious. Sam met my questioning glare with relative ease.

He shrugged and said, “What? He was going to get sedated anyway...”

He then picked up Ben and carried him over one shoulder. Kyle tugged on me to follow him, effectively distracting me from my unconscious best friend. “Looks like you’ve got some thinking to do.”

I heaved a sigh. Understatement of the year.

CHAPTER 3: DEREK

We kept her in one of the rooms that was normally used for holding human captives before transporting them to the Black Heights, where humans were then either placed in the Cells - the island’s prison system - or were assigned their own quarters at the Catacombs, home to all humans who were not assigned to a harem.

Sofia, being a part of my harem, stayed at my penthouse at the Pavilion which was comprised of lush tree houses atop a network of giant redwoods. Ever since my brother, Lucas, attacked Sofia and killed Gwen, Sofia had been sleeping with me in my bedroom. The idea of her possibly not being in my arms later that night made my gut clench.

It felt like an eternity before Sofia emerged from the room. When she did, the greater part of me wished that I could just shove her back in and force her to rethink her decision. One look at the apologetic expression on her face was all it took to let me know that I had lost her.

She walked toward me and placed her arms around my neck, pulling me close, pressing her lips against mine – returning the passion, the urgency, the hunger that I poured out on her when I first claimed her lips back at the woods. It was strange how I both loved and hated every moment that kiss lasted. I loved it because it hinted so much about what she felt for me, yet hated it because it was clearly a kiss goodbye.

When our lips parted, her delicate fingers brushed over my hair, her green eyes fixed on me. She then wordlessly walked away, off to find the guards, both of whom she had effortlessly befriended and whose loyalty and respect she had undoubtedly gained.

Her choice was clear. She was leaving me. I knew I could stop her. I could’ve used my power and influence to keep her with me, but I didn’t. I chose to respect her choice to leave. I watched Kyle carry her unconscious form toward the submarine. Both guards would take them to the mainland where their bodies would be left on the same shore they were first found.

I watched the submarine fade off into the distance. Just like that, she was gone. My one ray of light amidst the eternal darkness of The Shade was gone forever, leaving me with nothing left to do other than retreat right back into the black night I’d spent my immortality failing to escape.

CHAPTER 4: SOFIA

I was surrounded by darkness and the loud and steady drumming of a beating heart. It got increasingly loud; so loud that I was certain my head would explode from the bass beat resounding… continuously echoing… I couldn’t understand what was going on. I couldn’t see, feel, taste or smell anything. My one active sense was my hearing and it was overwhelmed by the noise of that mysterious heartbeat.