Alexa's back bumped into something solid — warm, firm, unmoving. She froze.
Then she heard it. That voice.
"Move."
Just one word. Cold. Final.
The men around her turned at once. And when they saw him, their mocking smiles dropped fast.
Levi.
He stepped forward like a shadow slipping out of the dark — calm, but something in the air around him changed. Heavy. Dangerous. Like a storm was about to break.
"Sh*t," one of the guys muttered, taking a step back.
"Didn't know she was one of yours, Lev," the tallest one stammered, hands half-raised like surrender.
Levi's eyes didn't blink. "You touched what's mine."
"We—we didn't know, man. She walked into the wrong room, that's all."
"I saw." Levi tilted his head slightly, like he was studying them. "Did you enjoy it?"
The tallest guy's throat bobbed. "We didn't mean no harm. Just—just a joke."
Levi gave a small, humorless smile. "Then laugh."
"What?"
"I said," Levi stepped closer, voice sharp now, "laugh."
The man gave a nervous chuckle, his voice shaking. But Levi's smile faded fast. He moved — just one step — and the man stumbled back.
"You think this is funny?" Levi's tone dropped like a knife. "Putting your hands on her. Cornering her like a pack of stray dogs."
The second guy tried to speak. "We didn't—"
But Levi was done listening.
Before anyone blinked, his fist cracked across the man's jaw. He went down hard, groaning, hands scrambling on the floor.
Alexa gasped. "Levi—!"
The other guy rushed at him in panic, swinging. Levi dodged it without effort and slammed his elbow into the guy's side. He collapsed next to his friend.
Everything was quiet for a second.
Then Levi turned back to Alexa, breathing steady, no emotion in his face. "Let's go."
She didn't move. "You didn't have to do that…"
He grabbed her wrist — not hard, but not gentle either — and started walking.
She stumbled after him. "Levi—"
"I said let's go."
They stepped out into the cool air. She could still feel the tension in his grip, and the way his jaw locked like he was holding back more than just anger.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, yanking her hand away once they were far enough. "You could've just warned them. Not… that."
He turned to her, eyes dark. "They put their hands on you."
"That doesn't mean they deserved—"
"I decide what people deserve," Levi snapped. "Not you."
Alexa looked up at him, angry and a little afraid. "You're not a god, Levi."
"No," he said, stepping in close, "but in my world, I don't need to be."
She shook her head. "You're insane."
"And you're naive."
She opened her mouth to argue, but he just walked off again, toward the car. This time, Alexa followed without saying a word.
Because deep down… she knew he was right.
The car was quiet. Too quiet.
Levi's hand gripped the wheel, knuckles pale, jaw locked tight. He didn't say a word. Just kept driving like the road had done something to him.
Alexa sat stiffly beside him, still shaken from the scene inside. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap. She glanced at him once, but his eyes stayed ahead, sharp and unreadable.
She swallowed. "You didn't have to do that."
Still no answer.
"They were just—"
"Don't," he cut her off, his voice low and edged. "Don't defend them."
Alexa blinked and looked away.
For a while, it was just the hum of the engine and the streetlights flickering past.
Then it happened.
A truck, out of nowhere, came speeding through a red light up ahead, tires screeching, horn blaring. Headlights flooded the windshield like fire.
"Levi!" Alexa gasped.
Levi swerved hard—too hard. The car spun. Metal groaned. Tires screamed. The world tilted.
They crashed.
A brutal slam into a tree.
Silence.
Smoke.
Alexa gasped for breath, heart racing in her chest. Her body had slammed into the seatbelt. Everything ached.
She turned.
Levi's arm was stretched across her, like a shield. Blood ran from a deep cut along his forearm, dripping down to his fingers.
"Levi," she said, voice shaking. "You're bleeding."
He exhaled through his nose, jaw still tight. "You good?"
"I—yeah," she whispered, touching his arm gently. "But you're not."
Levi pulled his arm back and looked at the blood like it didn't matter.
"It's just a scratch."
"It's not—"
"I said it's nothing, Alexa."
The way he said her name—firm, final—shut her up. But it didn't stop the sting in her chest.
He pushed the door open and stepped out, barely flinching at the pain. Then walked around to open hers.
"Let's go."
She stepped out, still shaky on her feet.
He looked at her like he was checking for damage. Then without a word, he put his hand on the small of her back and started walking her down the empty street, blood still dripping.
They walked in silence, the crash still echoing in Alexa's head. Her heart was still racing. Levi's shirt was soaked in blood from his arm, but he acted like he didn't feel it. Like it didn't matter.
She glanced at him, then looked away. He didn't say anything either, just reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Yeah. It's me," he said, voice low and calm like nothing happened. "Come get us."
A pause. Then he added, "Now."
He hung up and put the phone away like it was nothing. Blood kept dripping from his hand, but he didn't even flinch. Alexa couldn't stop staring at it.
"You're bleeding," she finally said.
He looked at her, face unreadable. "I know."
Another pause. He looked back down the road. "Oscar's on his way."
She didn't know what to say. Didn't know if she should thank him or yell at him or just cry. But Levi just stood there, staring off at the road, like he was somewhere else.
"Why'd you do that?" she asked quietly.
He turned slightly toward her, eyes cold but calm. "I said I'd protect you, didn't I?"
And that was it.
A black car rolled up a few minutes later, headlights cutting through the darkness. It slowed to a stop in front of them. The window rolled down.
Oscar was behind the wheel. "Damn," he muttered when he saw Levi's arm. "You look like hell."
Levi didn't answer. Just opened the back door and nudged Alexa in. "Get in."
She climbed inside, glancing once more at his bleeding arm. He got in after her, shutting the door with a quiet thunk. The smell of smoke and blood still clung to him.
Oscar started driving, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. "What happened?"
"Truck," Levi said. That's all.
Oscar gave a low whistle. "Should've stayed at the party, huh?"
Levi didn't respond. Just leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a second. He was tired. In pain. But still completely in control.
Alexa sat beside him, quiet. She wanted to say something, but his silence wrapped around the car like a wall.
"Hospital?" Oscar asked.
"No."
"Home?"
Levi opened his eyes. "Home."
Oscar gave a nod and kept driving. The city lights passed by outside the window, glowing and silent. Alexa stared out, wondering what kind of man would take a hit like that — and still act like it didn't matter.
She glanced at Levi one more time. He wasn't looking at her, but she could feel it — the weight of everything he wasn't saying.
They walked into the house quietly. Alexa kept glancing at his arm. The blood had dried a little, dark against his shirt, but Levi acted like nothing had happened.
She stopped by the door.
"Where's your medkit?" she asked, already heading toward the kitchen.
"I said I'm fine," Levi replied, dropping his jacket on the couch like he hadn't almost been hit by a truck.
Alexa didn't care. She came back with a small first-aid box anyway. "Sit down."
But when she walked closer and lifted his sleeve, her hands froze.
The wound was gone. Not even a scratch.
Just smooth, pale skin.
Her eyes widened. "I saw it. It was right here. You were bleeding—"
Oscar, who had just walked in from outside, burst out laughing. "Newbie alert," he said, grinning.
Alexa looked confused. "What?"
Levi stood up slowly, fixing his cuff like nothing was strange. Oscar walked past her and clapped Levi on the shoulder.
"Vampires heal fast," Oscar said, still chuckling. "Welcome to the real world, sweetheart."
Alexa blinked. Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but she didn't. She just stared at Levi. He didn't explain. Didn't smile. Just gave her that look.
That cold, unreadable stare.
And then he walked past her.
As Levi disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps echoing faintly, Alexa stayed frozen for a second, her eyes still fixed in the direction he left.
She turned to Oscar.
"Hey… what kind of vampire is he?" she asked, voice low. "He bled earlier. I saw it. I know I did. And now there's nothing. Not even a scratch."
Oscar, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, chuckled like he'd been waiting for her to ask.
"He's not just some bloodsucker in a suit, if that's what you're thinking."
"Then what is he?" she pushed, eyebrows furrowed. "Because normal vampires don't heal like that. And people don't freeze just because he walks into a room."
Oscar tilted his head a little, eyes narrowing slightly.
"He's a Primordial."
Alexa blinked. "A what?"
"The highest there is," Oscar said simply. "Oldest bloodline. Born from the original curse. Most vampires were turned. He wasn't. He was made... or maybe he just was from the start. No one really knows."
Alexa's heart thudded. She looked down, trying to take it all in.
"And that makes him... stronger than the others?"
Oscar gave a short laugh.
"Stronger? Alexa, Levi is the reason most of them keep quiet. The others follow rules. He is the rule."
She swallowed. Something in her gut twisted—part fear, part something else.
"And you just work for him?"
"Work? No. I survive around him." Oscar smirked, then looked her over. "You might want to start learning how to do that too."
Alexa heart raced this man she had stepped into was something not only a devil or vampire, a primordial.