CHAPTER 399: HE COULD SENSE THE CONNECTION

(Third Person).

Minutes after Mayor Brackham returned to his office, he still stood frozen before the glass wall, his reflection flickering against the flames outside.

His face was drawn tight, pale, his lips trembling faintly as if words had abandoned him.

Two days.

That was all it had been since Draven and his werewolves had driven the vampires away—or so he had believed.

His mind replayed that moment vividly: the Alpha’s calm, unreadable face... the weight of his words before leaving.

"Exercise a little patience, then you will understand."

Brackham swallowed hard. The same words now echoed in his mind like a curse.

He turned sharply from the window and began pacing across the room, his shoes clattering against the marble floor.

"This can’t be happening," he muttered under his breath. "Those vile things shouldn’t be back. They— they can’t—"

But the more he tried to rationalize it, the more the truth began to claw at his thoughts.

’Could this have something to do with the vampire now lying chained in his secret lab beneath the government house?’ he thought to himself.

The next second, a shiver crept down his spine. The pondered was absurd... yet, the timing—

He pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to steady his breathing.

"Damn it," he hissed, and reached for his phone.

His fingers trembled as he dialed Draven’s number. The line rang once. Twice. Three times.

No answer.

He ended the call and redialed immediately, but this time, the screen flashed ’Call Failed.’

Brackham clenched his jaw, slamming the phone down onto his desk. "Where the hell is he?"

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. A young officer burst through the door, panting.

"Sir, the senators have just landed on the rooftop! They are demanding to see you!"

Brackham’s head snapped toward him, his eyes wide and hollow. "The senators?"

"Yes, sir. They arrived by helicopter. They said it was urgent—"

"Urgent," Brackham muttered bitterly, a dry laugh escaping him. "Everything is urgent when the city’s burning."

The officer hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond. "Sir, should I bring them in?"

Brackham turned toward the window again, watching as flames devoured a nearby district. Somewhere in the distance, the shrill wail of a child echoed, quickly silenced.

He felt something twist deep in his chest—a cold, sinking dread that stole the last of his arrogance.

He had thought he was in control.

He had believed that by capturing one vampire, he had power.

Now he understood how small he really was.

"Tell them..." Brackham said softly, his voice hoarse. "Tell them I will join them shortly."

The officer saluted and hurried out, leaving the door open behind him.

Brackham didn’t move for a long moment. The shadows from the firelight outside danced across his office walls like living things.

His hands trembled as he finally reached for a glass of whiskey, but halfway through pouring it, he stopped. Then, he swallowed hard, setting the glass down untouched.

He could almost feel the earth vibrating beneath his feet now, like a distant rumble, or maybe it was his imagination.

His thoughts spun wildly.

If this chaos had anything to do with the vampire in the lab, then he had just doomed them all.

He pressed a shaking hand to his face, whispering under his breath, "Draven... what did you do?"

But the Alpha wasn’t answering.

Outside, the city burned brighter, the screams rising into the night.

And above the inferno, the senators’ helicopters hovered like dark vultures circling a dying beast.

Brackham took a deep breath, straightened his jacket, and tried to gather what little composure he had left, but even he knew it was only a mask now.

The truth was simpler, and far crueller:

Duskmoor was truly slipping from his hands, and there was nothing he could do to stop it this time.

---

The echo of helicopter blades still shivered through the air as Mayor Brackham stormed into the conference room, his pulse hammering in his ears.

The senators were already there, their faces pale and anxious, drenched in the cold light pouring from the ceiling panels.

The first voice rose before Brackham even reached the head of the table.

"Mayor, what in God’s name is happening out there?" The Senator barked, his silver brows drawn tight. "We just received confirmation that the vampires are back—attacking the city again. Two days, Brackham. Two days!"

Another senator slammed his palm on the table. "You said the werewolves handled it perfectly, and that there was nothing to worry about anymore because you trusted them! You stood before the press and told us Duskmoor was safe!"

Brackham stopped, his throat dry. He could still hear the distant rumble of explosions, the faint red flash from the skyline outside the tall windows.

His chest tightened as the only words making it back to his head were still the last statement Draven said to him.

And now... this.

Regardless, he forced his voice steady. "I am aware of the situation. We are tracking the hostiles’ movements. The military is engaging—"

"Engaging?" Senator Vale cut in sharply. "The soldiers are dying, Brackham! The bullets don’t stop them! People are running through the streets, the hospitals are overrun, and we can’t even tell which district will fall next. How did this happen again?"

The question hit like a strike to the gut. Brackham swallowed hard. His mind kept circling back to the gift Draven had brought him.

His hands itched with sudden, unbidden dread as he could sense a connection.

A murmur swept through the room—uneasy, suspicious.

One of the younger senators leaned forward. "Remember, you promised us and our people that the vampire threat was neutralized. That Alpha Draven had successfully done their part. So why are they back, Mr. Mayor?"

Brackham opened his mouth, but no sound came for a moment. He caught his reflection in the dark glass—pale, drawn, and glistening with sweat.

"Maybe... maybe some of them survived," he managed weakly. "Perhaps they regrouped."

"Regrouped?" another senator snapped. "After being driven halfway across the border? No. Someone provoked them."