This wasn’t just a fight it was a slaughter

The air was thick with tension as Carmen's grandfather stood there, radiating power like nothing I'd ever felt before.

His eyes were dark, his jaw set, and I could see the barely controlled rage simmering beneath the surface.

I'd thought Lydia and Isabel were strong, but this man was on another level. Even the vampires standing across from us Sydney's family seemed uneasy. 

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing steady.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder that we were standing on the edge of something dangerous. Carmen's grandfather stepped forward again, his voice cold and precise. 

"Where is she?" His words cut through the air, making me flinch. 

Sydney's parents, standing firm in the face of his fury, exchanged glances. I couldn't read their expressions something between defiance and fear. It was clear they weren't going to give in easily.