My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

Chapter 280: Coven First

Ezra pulled out the phone from his pockets, staring at the message as he walked along the dark corridor.

He could feel the protection of Yuri's mirror sitting comfortably on his skin, hidden away from all eyes. One can never be too careful in times of war.

His wives had tried to dissuade him from coming but he'd decided to come. He wanted to do this. To close this chapter of his life and forget about it. To cast the chains of this relationship away. No one knew how the war would end but this was an opportunity to sever the branch from the tree.

His wives were not happy with his decision but that didn't mean they weren't already here, watching and waiting. If anything happens, they'll be there in a flash, fighting beside him.

He walked through the door, bursting out into a darkness not nearly as suffocating as the corridor. The open sky looked lonely without the moon as a companion. The seats of the old stadium stretched out before him, a vast and empty ocean of concrete and steel.

The wind whispered through the deserted rows, carrying the distant echoes of forgotten games and cheering crowds. Now, it was nothing more than a graveyard of memories, a fitting place for this meeting. He walked to the designated seat and sat, his hands resting on his knees, waiting. Experience tales at m v|l e'-NovelBin.net

It didn't take too long for the vampire he was waiting for to walk out of the shadows, graceful and silent as she moved along the rows of seats. Countess Yuri, once the reigning force of Southside, now exiled by betrayal.

She approached Ezra, her presence as commanding as it had always been, even in her fallen state. Her black coat billowed behind her as she finally reached him, her expression unreadable.

"Ezra." She greeted softly, her voice almost lost in the wind. She took a seat beside him, their eyes meeting briefly before both turned to look out at the empty field before them.

"Countess." Ezra replied with a nod, his voice giving away nothing.

"Thank you." Yuri began, breaking the silence. "For your warning. If you hadn't told me, if you didn't make me suspicious, I probably wouldn't have survived."

Ezra nodded but didn't respond immediately. He let her words settle in the silence as he wondered what could have been. If he hadn't warned her, would he be free to stand on his own? He doubted that. He had the Necromancer and Solomon gunning for him. Ivo and Armand would sell him out faster than he could say 'no.'

"I couldn't just sit by and let them blindside you," Ezra finally said, his gaze still fixed on the field. He'd never really intended to tell her but she didn't need to know that. "But I couldn't get involved in the coup either. I didn't want the trouble."

Yuri nodded, her expression softening. "I know. The only person I blame in all these is myself. I should have seen it coming."

"We all have our blind spots."

There was a pause, the air thick with unsaid things.

The betrayal that had uprooted Yuri from her seat of power was still fresh, and the battle for Southside had only just begun. Ezra could feel the tension radiating from her, the fire that still burned in her to reclaim what had been stolen from her.

"What's your plan now?" Ezra asked, breaking the silence once more.

Yuri's eyes narrowed, her resolve clear. "I'm going to take back Southside. Ivo and Armand think they've won, but they're wrong. I'm not done yet." Her voice was filled with a cold, quiet fury, the kind that only comes from being betrayed by those you trusted most.

Ezra turned to look at her, studying her face. There was no doubt in his mind that Yuri would fight with everything she had. He already knew she wasn't one to give up easily, and she certainly wasn't one to let betrayal go unanswered. But her war was no longer his.

"You want me to join you?" Ezra asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Yuri nodded. "Yes. You and your coven would make a difference. Together, we could take them down and reclaim what's mine, Ezra."

Ezra sighed, thinking of how to formulate his next words. However he delivered it, it didn't make the words any less hard but this had to happen. He needed to have a clean break.

"If someone asked if you'd pull down the heavens to protect those close to you a few days ago, we both know what your answer will be." He looked at Yuri, staring her in the eyes. "I did just the same thing."

"I cannot help you, Yuri." He shook his head, his voice tinged with regret. "I made a blood oath. In order to protect my family, I promised not to interfere. My hands are tied."

Yuri didn't seem surprised by his answer, but the disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable. She had hoped for more, hoped that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to sway him to her side. But she knew just as much as any vampire, the power of a blood oath.

"I understand." She said quietly, her gaze turning back to the field. "You did what you had to do. You're protecting the ones you love. I can't fault you for that."

The wind picked up again, ruffling her hair as she sat in silence beside him. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice softer now, tinged with something like regret. "If I hadn't been so blindly trusting... If I hadn't put so much faith in Ivo and Armand... You wouldn't have had to make that call."

Ezra remained silent, unsure of how to respond. There was nothing he could say to change the past, nothing he could offer her that would take away the pain of betrayal. His warning had given her a chance, but it had also drawn a line between them, a line he couldn't cross even if he wanted to. Which he didn't.

After a few moments of silence, Yuri stood, her movements deliberate and composed. She looked down at him, her expression unreadable once more. "Goodbye, Ezra." She said softly. "Take care of your family."

Without waiting for a response, Yuri turned and began to walk away, her footsteps echoing in the empty stadium. Ezra watched her go, a part of him knowing that this might be the last time he ever saw her.

But that didn't matter. His coven came first. Always.