"I don't understand, how can it possibly get any stronger?" John asked, taking off his snow-covered coat.
"I don't know," Duke said with a wandering gaze, glancing at the boys who were throwing things at each other.
"When will it happen?" John asked.
"We don't know, but Jasper thinks it'll be soon."
Madison's parents went home, but they will be back again tomorrow, and this time they'll bring an instrument that can measure how far the souls have deepened.
Oliver caught the cushion that Vinny launched at his head. He was sitting on the opposite couch in the dining room.
"Will you stop? I'm going to smother you with it," the human chuckled, throwing it back.
"Smother me with your love instead," Vinny said with no emotion.
"Make me."
Vinny's eyes glistened at the challenge. He slowly sat up, taking his time, until suddenly diving towards his soulmate. Oliver was already one step ahead and jumped over the back of the couch.
Their parents glanced at the loud commotion as Vinny grabbing Oliver, tugging him back over the couch.
"Why are you so strong?" Oliver struggled to get out of his grip, failing against his supernatural abilities.
Vinny smiled at this, but Oliver caught him off guard and pushed him onto the floor.
"I take it back," he chuckled.
Vinny sat on the ground with an entertained expression. He loved to play fight with Oliver; it was just another excuse for them to make that physical touch.
Just as he reached out to grab the human's leg, a loud screeching noise echoed through the building. It sounded like a fire alarm, but by Vinny's expressed concern, it wasn't.
Oliver covered his ears. His eyes could barely focus, it was incredibly loud and sore.
"What's happening?" he yelled as Vinny helped to cover his ears. "What is that?"
"It's a panic alarm!" Vinny shouted as Jed opened the door and ran to Duke and Madison.
The alarm was designed to make human ears very sensitive because it is rare that vampires attack other vampires. So most of the time, humans are the ones to break into their home.
John was struggling to cope with the noise too.
"We can't confirm what tripped the alarm!" Jed shouted.
Madison looked worried, and it was starting to get dark outside. The last time the kidnappers broke in, they didn't trip the alarm. Maybe it was someone different.
Oliver scrunched his eyes shut and pushed his face into Vinny's chest. His head was pounding to the beat of his heart.
"Let's go; there's a car waiting!" Jed yelled, running to the boys. "Come on, follow me!"
Everyone got up and followed Jed out of the dining-room. John and Oliver saw how the staff experienced the same pain as them.
The noise barely affected the Vanderwood's, but it was loud, and Vinny could only focus on getting Oliver out.
As they ran down the corridors, passing bodyguards stopped to listen to Jed's instructions.
Nobody was prepared to hang around to find out if the alarm was an accident, they needed to get away from any possible danger.
Jed led them towards the back door. They were getting close enough to see it, but a fuss behind them turned heads. People were shouting, and they heard a few cries of distress.
Vinny turned, just as a person in a white mask stormed around the corner.
He didn't have time to react. Without warning, he saw a shaking hand as the person lifted a gun and fired it several times in their direction. Oliver jumped on top of Vinny and pulled him to the floor as a bullet just missed the side of his head.
Their veins were pulsing from adrenaline and fear.
The intruder was immediately pushed to the ground by bodyguards as the boys got up and ran towards the back door. There was no time to waste, breathe or think as Jed pushed them into the car.
When the door shut behind them, the vehicle sped off down the side of the mansion and out of the gates, their tires skidded, and the breaks groaned, but they were safe and out of danger.
Vinny sat on Oliver's lap. There were only four seats in the back of the car, and there were five people. This car was closest to the back door and under the circumstances, they had no time to get another one.
"Is everyone alright?" Duke asked, getting his breath back and rubbing Madison's arms.
John nodded while inspecting Oliver.
"I'm fine," he smiled, as Vinny turned to make sure his soulmate was okay.
"Are you alright dad?" Oliver asked.
John nodded and patted his son's shoulder as Vinny made sure his parents were okay.
When it was clear that everyone was okay, Vinny leant his back into Oliver's chest and put an arm around his shoulders.
"I can't believe it," Madison sighed, putting her head in her hands. "This has to stop!"
Duke pulled her into a hug and whispered soothing things in her ear.
John rubbed his temples. It is times like this that make him second guess the changes. Yes, most of his living conditions and the people in his life have improved, but the danger levels have increased, and he doesn't want to expose his son to it and live in fear for the rest of his life.
Oliver was staring at Vinny who chewed on the inside of his lip. He could tell there was something wrong with him and he had already spotted what it was. It was almost like he could feel it.
He leant forward and pressed his lips against Vinny's ear so he could successfully whisper without anyone hearing.
"You're hurt, why are you not telling anyone?"
Vinny was in a lot of pain, but he didn't want to make his parents stress.
They both glanced at the vampire's thigh to see the bullet hole in his trousers. The blood was seeping onto Oliver's jeans.
"I'm fine, they don't need to worry about it," he whispered back.
Oliver understood how he felt and it was classic for Vinny to hide something like this to make his loved ones less troubled.
"How quickly will it heal?" he whispered.
"It should be fully healed by tomorrow morning. There's no point going to the hospital." He didn't need an operation. When a Vampire heals, it heals everything entirely.
Oliver knew it was impossible to hide this, but Vinny wanted the atmosphere to calm down.
They watched each other as Oliver rubbed Vinny's chest. His soulmate was hurting, and there wasn't much he could do about it. Yes, he felt anxious about his well-being, but Vinny is stubborn.
"Oh my god Oliver! You're bleeding!" Madison cried. Vinny's blood that was oozing onto his soulmates jeans was now visible to everyone.
"No, it's not me!" Oliver said as Vinny looked down at his hands, knowing his parents would freak out, but this isn't the first time a gun has hurt him.
"I've been shot in the leg," he sighed but caught their immediate panic.
"Jed, get us to the hospital, now!" Duke demanded as Jed made eye contact with Vinny in the mirror.
"No, do not take me there, I'll heal."
"Son, you've been shot! It could be serious and you could bleed to death!" Madison's eyes were wide.
"It's not, I'm okay," Vinny grumbled. "Stop worrying; I'll be fine by tomorrow."
"Son, someone should really look at it," Duke said. Vinny was bleeding a lot.
"Can you look at it then? Don't take me to the hospital. I don't think it'll be safe." He had a point. Someone just broke into their home again, and this time, they were undoubtedly aiming for Vinny.
"Jed, please tell him that we're going to the hospital."
Jed didn't like to be pulled into arguments, especially when whatever he said would upset someone.
"In all honesty, the master is right. It's too dangerous to drive into a public spot after what just happened, but I can call a doctor to the safe house if that's where you would like to go?" Jed knew the public would go crazy if they saw that Vinny Vanderwood had been shot. It would be all over social media, and if there was more than one intruder, they could put themselves in significant danger. Jed is their bodyguard, and he is very well experienced with having to make the right call.
"Pull over, and I'll look at his leg. Do you have a first-aid kit?" Duke sighed.
"Yes." Jed stopped the car by the side of the road. "I have a good one."
Vinny stood up but didn't attempt to put any weight on his leg as Oliver slid out from underneath him. He sat back down and clenched his jaw from the pain.
Jed passed the first-aid kit over the seat and watched as Duke knelt down in front of his son. He has lived a very long life that has been full of events where he has had to come to peoples aid. Duke is full of knowledge when it comes to injuries.
"Okay, I'll have to cut a hole in your trousers," he said, cutting around the wound.
Vinny was patient and prepared for pain, though his expression never changed.
Oliver sat on his dad's knee and watched too. Sitting on his knee was strange. It reminded him of when he was a child. Though he knew John didn't mind because his arms felt tight wrapped around him.
As Duke opened Vinny's wound a little more so he could have a look, Jed looked closer while John and Madison turned away. Oliver and Vinny could only stare at each other. Vinny could have been seriously injured and even lost his life, which means Oliver would have died too.
As everyone sat in silence, something suddenly came through on Jed's radio. What it said forced a cold shiver down Oliver's spine. The shooter's name was revealed, a name that made Vinny angry and Oliver lost with confusion.
Duke turned to Madison who shared the same frown, wondering if they heard it correctly. Surely it couldn't be the same person who sprung to mind.
The name?
Desmond.