The man beneath him was weakening, and he felt a surge of cruel triumph course through him at the realization. Aiden had allies as well; Vlad wasn't stupid enough to believe that he didn't. There was the man whose fable was Dr. Seward, not to mention Shane - but he had Boyd on his side, which meant the wolf would be reluctant to murder him. He had Rosalie's trust, along with Daniel's and Helena's. Perhaps there were even others that might prove to be on his side, people he hadn't yet met.
He could almost taste the blood that was inches away from his bared fangs, relishing in the fact that his hated enemy would die here; surrounded by the representations of the victims no one could save. It was reminiscent of Vlad Tepes himself, of Dracula; and it was in moments like these that he couldn't quite tell himself and the vampire apart.
But then Aiden's fist appeared out of nowhere, and he couldn't draw back fast enough to avoid contact. Pain shot up his jaw and exploded inside his head, his vision blurring and turning red. Vlad roared in a mixture of pain and anger, digging his fingers deeper into his neck for an instant before his grip went slack. That was when he rolled to the side, trying to get away from Aiden before he could regain his senses and attack; using the stakes to support himself long enough to get to his feet. He too needed time to compose himself, furiously blinking away the haze that clouded his eyes.