The drive passes in silence. I am too wrapped in my own fight to not let melancholy taint Bethany’s passing, and Ben is too furious at the death of the Lycan speak.
“We’re being hunted,” Afzal says matter of fact and cracks his knuckles.
I look out the window, my keen eyesight laser sharp in the dark. True enough shadows race beside us, weaving in and out of the tress.
Wolves.
“Lycans,” Ben murmurs. “ It took two hundred years to broker peace after the last war Daniel declared.” He sighs heavily and clasps my fingers. “I count three to the north east.”
“Two my side,” Afzal adds. “Easy.”
Easy? To kill them? No. What would that achieve?
‘It is necessary,’ Ben thinks to me. ‘They will not listen to reason. One of us has killed one of them. That is all they care about. We must keep you safe.’
‘We can try,’ I plead. ‘They may still listen if we explain.’
‘It is too dangerous.’
“Stop the car,” I demand out loud. ‘Now,’ I add in my mind and all three flinch, hunching their shoulders.
Surprisingly, Iain hits the breaks. We jolt forward and slam back into the leather seats. I use the shock of the whiplash to jump out of the car a second before Ben makes a grab for me. “Lee!” he roars.
Wolves double the size of Alsatians lunge from the woods onto the road; powerful bodies thickly muscled and long-legged. Crouching, gathering themselves, they spring forward to streak towards me, teeth bared, snarling. The pack is shaggy and colored in hues of dark brown and black. Their teeth glow in the darkness. Narrowed oval eyes ranging from deep green to vivid amber blaze hatred. Calmly, I cast my gaze over them again and do not see the silky chestnut coat, and mysterious blue gaze I was hoping for.
“Harmony!” I screech. “If any of you can hear me, understand me, I demand to speak to Harmony.”
The wolves scramble to a stop, claws clattering as they back peddle at the familiar name. My fists clench at my sides, nails scraping my palm and my stomach summersaults. Thank goodness for that. Their sleek heads swing from side to side, uncertain, and after less than a beat, one rumbles sullenly lifting his head to the sky. He howls piercingly, long, and deep. It echoes through the trees, steals away through the night carrying power that is unknown to my kind. I focus on this one. His fur is more hirsute than the others, and a smoky gray clumped around the jowls. He looks familiar…. The rest follow him, growling, hot breath rushing from elongated maw’s in clouds of dense vapor. The agitated pacing makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Afzal places a hand on my shoulder and pulls me back until I stand behind him, Ben, and Iain, who plant themselves firmly in front of me. Ben is closest, his hand held out slightly to the side in front of me protectively.
“This had better work,” he grits through his teeth.
“It’ll work,” I reply with more confidence than I actually feel. Please, please let this work. “In the car you said this would be easy?”
“Och, already I forget you’re new.” Iain turns his head toward me but his eyes stay on the Lycans. “Five wolves against three of us is not worth blinking an eye at,” he explains casually looking the most relaxed of the three. “Five wolves against one of us is easy. Afzal was going to take care of it.”
I look at the wolves and know my distress must show on my face. “They were ready to face you and die?”
“They’re Lycans, lass,” Iain scoffs. “Stubborn and stupid to the end.”
The pack crouch as one and snarl, the insult ruffling them. The smoky wolf weaves between them, and faces them down until they are quiet and composed.
“Well look what we have here,” says a familiar voice from behind us.
Ben pulls me into him, turning to the side and Afzal faces down the wolves in front, as Iain pivots to guard the rear. We’re surrounded. I’m not worried for us now that Iain has explained how many Lycans one of us can handle, but I’m afraid for them and what killing another six of them will mean.
Harmony is alone on the other side, naked, with leaves in her wild hair, and smudges of mud over her face and body. She stands with her hands crossed, hip cocked to one side and expression hard. “Lee, wish I could say it was good to see you again so soon, but it’s not.”
“Harmony,” I say in relief and try to step away from Ben. His hold does not loosen one iota, so I twist within his embrace, his arms locked around my middle and wave at her. “I need your help.”
Her bark of laughter is loud and sudden. “My help? You’re out of your god damned mind if you think you’re going to get anything from me.”
“Listen, I heard Daniel killed one of you–”
“My baby cousin,” she interjects with venom. “Sean was nineteen years old, peaceful, one of the gentlest wolves I knew. Your man snatched him outside of Pack land when he wasn’t expecting an attack. He wanted to be a Veterinarian, believe it or not, but apparently that wasn’t good enough for the bastard who snapped his neck and left him on display outside that swanky castle you have up the road.”
I swallow hard. There is real pain in her voice, and real hate for my kind too. “Daniel, the one who killed him is … not right in the head. We’re going back to Castle to bring him to justice.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because if we truly wanted you dead you would be,” I jerk my head to the wolves that pace behind me, eyeing up Afzal. “I asked them to call you to avoid any more bloodshed.”
“Why me?”
“You said you were the daughter of the Alpha. Liam?”
She stares at me. “So?”
“Can’t you help?”
Harmony’s expression shifts into frustration. “What do you want?”
“Time. We’re going to Castle either with or without taking down a whole bunch of you along the way.”
“Optimistic.”
“No,” I bite back, shaking my head. “Realistic. Daniel needs to be dealt with. I asked for you because I thought you might be able to reason with your pack. To explain what’s happened.”
Harmony uncrosses her arms and walks forward. She bowls past Iain, playful eyes pinning him down, her every move goading him to touch her. He shoots a look at me for reassurance and I give it with a nod of my head. Ben tenses. I pat his arm in comfort and lean forward. Harmony stops in front of me quirking an eyebrow at Ben’s arm clamped my waist.
“I thought I had it bad with Sy,” she jokes. The smoky wolf makes an odd chuffing sound and I realize it’s laughter. Harmony growls in his directions and he shuts up. “Explain then Snaggletooth. What’s happening here?”
Adjusting myself in Ben’s militant embrace, I breathe out in relief. Maybe this could work. “One of my kind has attacked yours in an attempt to get us to fight. He wants to control me, and knows the best way to do this is to create chaos so he’s free to destroy Ben. He wants a war. I need for you all to stay out of this.”
She’s quiet. Her sapphire eyes shift from us, to the wolves, and back to us again. “From what I’ve seen your people you don’t take threats to your lives lightly. One of us lying out in the open on your steps, right in view of a boundary line does seem … reckless. Strangely so.” Her hands fist at her sides. “What of the Pack brother we’ve lost? Your words can’t bring him back.”
On an impulse, I clasp her balled up hand and squeeze. She flinches, but does not tug her hand away. “I swear I will make it up to you. To your whole pack as soon as I’m able.” I look her in the eyes. Please, we girls have to stick together. Give in and believe in me. Please. “Trust me,” I finish urgently.
Pulling her hand away, Harmony taps her fingers on her upper thigh before shaking her head sadly. “I believe you, Lee. I really do, but I’m the youngest daughter and already out of favor with my Alpha.” She turns to the side and brushes her fingers over a pinkish scar. Teeth marks. “Earlier tonight, after our first encounter, I had every intention of not telling you were on our land, as long as you kept your mouth shut about Sy attacking you without warning. But when Sean’s body was seen on those castle steps Daddy demanded to know if there had been any unusual activity our land. Sy’s a Beta, and was compelled to answer. The scar is my punishment for betraying my Pack. Daddy can’t bear to even acknowledge I exist right now. If I was to ask him to stand down because one of you asked me to….” She shrugs. “I can’t help you when it comes to him, it’s not my place. Maybe if I was Alpha female I could, but the fact is I’m not. My older sister is and she’s Daddy’s little girl now, about to get shackled to Mr Right, and I’m on the shit list.” She punches me on the arm and grins. “I can call this lot off though. Get going, and you’d better sort this or I’ll come after you myself.” Hearing her declaration, the wolves bark furiously and rock back and forth, readying themselves to attack. Harmony barges passed Afzal and faces them off. “You defy me?” she growls and stares them all in the eyes. One by one, they stop and place their noses to the ground. “Go now,” she rasps over her bare shoulder at us.
Her eyes glow green and nose lengthens, entire face sloping, changing. Skin rippling, she sprouts russet fur as she hunches over and morphs from human to wolf, paws touching the ground. Her growing tail flicks back and forth violently as she opens her maw flashing deadly fangs at the male wolves nipping her hind legs.
The wind blows hair in my face and mouth, blocking my view of the last stages of her incredible transformation. I had seen it once before, but I will never get used to it. “Thank you,” I say in a rush as Ben propels me forward and past the car, its doors still open, hazard lights blinking. “We’re not driving?”
“No,” Ben replies shortly. “Castle is less than ten miles.”
His attention switches from me to the two men guarding out back as we hurry away down the road and around the bend. The wolves howl, but the sound becomes more distant. Harmony is leading them away.
“Iain, guard Lee. Do not let her follow. Afzal, with me.” Ben’s iron grip is immediately replaced with Iain’s.
“Wait,” I cry and grab Ben’s arm. He does not look at me. His gaze is fixed down the road, towards Castle, as if he believes his destiny awaits him there instead of seeing it stands beside him. “Don’t leave me behind.”
‘I cannot risk you,’ he replies in a frantic. ‘I can no longer run from him, but you’re safe now.’ His thoughts are distant, half formed, and fill with violence and death. ‘You’ll be safe.’
‘Don’t you dare!’
Ben wrenches his arm away and takes off with Afzal beside him. In a blink, they are gone, and I’m left struggling and crying in Iain’s arms. No, no Ben, please don’t go. What will I do if you fail, if you die…? “Iain, you must let me go to him.”
“But Ben says–”
“He’s not your leader anymore,” I shout. “I am, so please, let’s follow him. We can catch up before they get there if we try. Let’s just try, I promise Ben won’t be mad.”
Wow, that was a big fat lie, but if I have to promise Iain a day in sunlight to get him to let me go, I will. How can he be defying me anyway? He’d shown Ben nothing but obedience when he was the Child. So why does Iain defy me? I’ve asked him outright to … ah! Is that the problem?
Ask.
Why ask, Lee? Why not tell.
I stop crying and pull my shit together. When I open my eyes, my mind is clear, and my resolve firm. I turn my head, expression fierce. “Iain, release me.”
His hands loosen, but he does not step back. “We should so as Ben says and stay here. He’s wise.”
“Ben is an idiot. He has some prehistoric idea of sacrificing himself to protect me.” Time to find my way home. I breathe in deeply and my brow scrunches. Ben has travelled this way many times before, and recently. I’m so panicked it’s hard to get my bearings. “Iain, which way is–”
A pained cry shatters the night, a fearful screech my sensitive ears pick up and magnify.
Ben! I’m coming.
Like a comet, I shoot toward the sound, the ground flying beneath me. I run with my hands fisted, and part of me registers Iain’s presence behind and to the left. The miles are eaten by my long stride, and I pant, not from exertion, but from fear. What if I’m too late! What if Daniel has managed too…
I see the castle. Home. Strangled noises break from my throat. I stop dead. Golden flames lick the inky sky. Fire. Castle is consumed in flames, and black smoke hangs overcast, a foreboding cloud of death. Fire is deadly. A single flame can spread and consume us…. Clutching my chest, small screams tripping off my lips, I sink to my knees. My body is numb.
Iain shouts something. There is a loud ringing in my ears.
“Lee!” Iain yells angrily and slaps me across the face. Wide eyed, I stare up at him. “Ye are the Child, connected to each of us in a fashion. Feel for Ben’s presence.” He drags me up by the arm when I close my eyes and try to block out everything. His hands cup my face, and he talks in my ear. “I know ye love him, but you cannot give into panic. Feel for him, lass, and tell me, is Lord Ben still with us.”
Trembling, and so afraid of what I might find, I race through the rooms is my mind. I come upon the door that is so clearly Ben’s, fling it open wide and am bathed in a warm glow that cannot mean death.
I let go of the pain and I can breathe again. “He’s alive,” I sob in relief.
Iain pats my cheeks, moves his friendly embrace down to rub my arms. “Aye, but he won’t be for long if Daniel has his way. Make yer choice. We stay here, I keep ye safe, and we grieve for yer lost love, or we make for Castle and finish this.”
I look back at my new home, an inferno, and push down my fear. “Swear to me when we get there you will help me save him.”
“Ah ... dinnae ken….”
“Iain!” His jaw works and he says nothing. Every moment is crucial. “Iain, please,” I press urgently.
“I will do what I must to keep ye safe.”
*
“No!” My wail freezes all in their tracks.
I fall, scramble up, stagger toward the men in the centre of the field. Daniel stands over Ben with a sword raised over his head, ready to deliver a killing blow. My love lies bloody on the grass, twitching, half dead.
My heart pumps like a piston. I stretch out a hand, pleading for mercy.
The others of my kind are at each other’s throats. Two dead bodies already litter the field and I’m barely conscious of their still corpses as I pass. Oh god, this must end now. I pass the broken body of a human consort half covered by her vampire lover … oh god, Sebastian and Nia.
I flick a glance at Afzal. He looks deranged, eyes smoldering and locked on Damien, who stands beside Daniel his expression haughty and daring.
Iain inches towards Simone, then eases back, his protective instincts for her warring with his need to protect me. Adam and Simone retreat to our side.
“Nein, Adam,” Simone urges in a voice of quiet panic, touching his shoulder. “We must get her out of here.”
The oldest of our kind watches me intensely. I wonder what he thinks he sees. “There is nothing we can do. Better to die for love than any other foolishness.”
Anger flitters across Simone’s face before she turns from him and takes up her position in line again, her posture rigid with defiance.
“If you do this you die,” I say to Daniel on a shuddering breath, “If you spill another drop of blood I will kill you Daniel. If you touch my Ben I will destroy you.”
Expression contemptuous, Daniel nudges Ben’s head with the side of his shoe, and I see red. Screeching in rage, I go for him, but two shapes blur into movement and grab me by the arms. Afzal and Iain.
The heavens rumble and it starts to rain. The waster begins to douse the flames tearing Castle apart.
“Take the Child out of here,” Daniel says with something soft in his voice. “She does not need to see this. She should not have come.”
“Let me go,” I struggle to break free from hands that hold strength beyond mine.
Adam and Simone move to protect me. “Always do you ask, Petite One.”
Simone nods almost imperceptibly and peers at me, her bold gaze demanding strength and bravery.
They release me and charge. Streaking across the space they fan out, each bearing down on an opponent. Adam twists William’s head back to front. Iain breaks Olivia’s back with a harsh cry. Afzal simply smashes Damien’s skull to pieces with his hulking fists. Was it Damien who killed Sebastian and Nia? Simone jumps Sarah, straddling the refined English rose, and mauling her throat with her lovely, but deadly fangs. Ghastly sounds rip from her throat as she drinks and shrieks like a demon.
Chaos. Everything is chaos, but in this moment, I scream, “Daniel! Stop! Now!” The sword tip grazes Ben’s neck as it glances off to spear the ground. “Step away from Ben. Lift the sword away from him carefully.” He resists but I hold firm and demand, “Now!”
“You mean to control me girl?” Daniel grunts. “I will break you.”
The growling and snarling stops dead. It begins again, louder, and more ferocious than before.
Face strained, Daniel backs up, his hands white on the hilt of the sword. I move closer to Ben, struggling to deal with anything else happening around me. I break eye contact with Daniel and glance at Ben.
He’s not moving and my attention switches from Daniel to him.
My love what has he done to you!
‘Ben!’ I call desperately. ‘Open your eyes, and get up!”
At the break, Daniel’s roar of anger echoes through the night. He heaves the sword over his head, face twisted with wrath.
I dive, twist, thinking to catch the blade between my palms. Cold steel slides past my fingertips.
*
I’m shaking. My body is under great pressure and I have little control. I feel cold and hot all at the same time. I lift my head to see down the length of my body. The sword is upright, the hilt devoid a hand. Hadn’t these bloody people heard of guns? I’m sure my body was more resistant to bullets than swords.
Maybe that was the point, Lee. Daniel was here to destroy Ben, not hurt him.
Daniel’s expression is horrified before he is torn away by Adam and forced onto his stomach.
Simone sinks to her knees beside me, her pale palm flitting over my brow. Her lips move. I cannot hear her words. I’m … overcome. It’s not pain like I remember from my human life, but, something worse than that.
“Is– Is Ben–?”
The buzzing in my ears eases. “He is well,” Simone assures me. “Mein schatz feeds him. Hold on. We shall fix this. Sei ruhig, immer noch.”
I’m loosing blood, and fast. How does one fix something like this?
“No! No, love!” I hear Ben’s voice, and feel his hands on me.
“We shall do this swiftly, Ben,” Simone says to calm him. “She will feel little now.”
He touches my cheek, thumbs away tears of pain, and cups my chin lovingly. “Do it.”
Adam The Giant, The Auld One, stands over me, legs set apart. The moonlight highlights his hair like a halo. He murmurs to himself, palms to the sky, preparing.
Who knows what dark gods he summons?
I shiver, feeling the power of his ancient words rasp over me and settle. He wraps a hand around the sword hilt.
I’m sweating, he’s panting, and my gaze twitches to Ben’s. They tell me not to watch, but I have to. Adam grits his teeth and heaves on the blade. It slides from my flesh like a knife from soft butter. It razes my insides, slicing deeper into the cuts already carved into my guts. The steel pulling free is slick with dark blood, the edges razor sharp. The tip jerks into the open air releasing a fountain of blood and chaos into the night with my scream.
*
Daniel is on his knees before Simone, held there by Iain and Afzal, both grim faced.
All eyes ping between Daniel and I.
I keep forgetting the immortal but not invulnerable, part of my new life. I’m aware of it now, very aware of it as the hole in my stomach is slowly healing. Well, slowly from my perspective. Already, the tissues and muscles knit back together. I shudder and grit my teeth at the sensation from my middle. My throat burns. Thirsty. I need to feed if the healing is to go any further.
“This is not your fight,” Daniel grunts to the assembled group.
Simone slaps his face. Her palm connects squarely and the sound slingshots across the meadow. “Sei ruhig!”
“This is my right,” Daniel bites back louder and tips his chin regally. “You cannot deny me because she got in the way.”
“In the way,” Simone hisses. “She is the Child. She is to be protected and revered above all. Did we all not bear scars for you, Daniel, when you bore this honor? Did I not bleed for you when you when you riled the Lycanthrope King to attack us. Did we not stand and slaughter hundreds of Lycan young to keep you safe.” Simone looks positively frightening as she steps forward, her hands curled into claws. “Did we ever begrudge you for getting in the way of what we considered a perfectly good plan to live out our lives in peace? Even now you anger them and revive an old feud that may see the end of us all. And what of Anya! When you killed my protégée and refused to tell me what happened did I harm you even then?” She clutches a hand to her chest. “Mir ist schlecht! Oh, es tut mir weh. Ich habe keine kinder du bist mein sohn. Ich liebe dich, Daniel. How could you do this to us!”
Adam places a hand on her shoulder and draws her back. “Calm yourself, dearest.”
Simone drags in a deep shuddering breath. “Nein! He has pushed the realms of my patience too far. He must be judged.”
“And he will be,” Adam assures her. “The Child is wounded, but she will live, she is strong, and can survive this.”
Simone turns to me and picks up the discarded sword from the grass, still wet with my blood. She holds it up to her face and bows to me. “Meine Königin, allow me to deliver punishment. Sein blut muss fließen.”
I look at Daniel. Then at the bodies dead in the grass … and oh, my heart! We had lost so much tonight, the thought of more death makes choke. “Bring him here,” I say, and clench my teeth when my spine fuses back together. I stifle a scream when pain flares through my body.
Iain and Afzal drag a limp Daniel closer. He does not fight them. In front of me, he reaches out as far as Afzal will let him go and stops his hand over my damaged stomach, a mess of red sinking inward. “I did not…” his eyes close. “You are precious now. I just wanted you to not fail us like my own protégé. I wanted you to be better than he was, to choose better next time around. I wanted to guide you but you would never allow that with him close to you.”
Ben stares at him, his Sire, with such a sad expression. Daniel does not look at him, he only watches me, his eyes pleading forgiveness. I see. This man is not evil, he is simply flawed, as we all are. He has forgotten his place, and forgotten that there are something is in life more than being powerful. Even now, he seeks to make me understand he only sought to make me better than I am.
“You think I don’t understand, but I do,” I say sadly. “It’s you who are lost. It came close, Daniel. We all came so close to dying. You know this?” His expression is strained, but he nods jerkily. My eyes narrow to slits. “I cannot bear asking anyone to take your life after the brothers and sisters that have fallen today.” I lunge forward, instincts taking over, and bare my fangs. “But I need blood, and yours is forfeit.”
I clamp down on his neck and Ben joins me, bringing Daniel’s wrist to his mouth. Simone bites him too, and so does Adam. Iain and Afzal kneel down to feed, and we suck the blood and life from Daniel until there is barely anything left. Only when his heart stutters do I pull back and urge the others to do so as well.
I place a hand to my stomach to see if it has healed. I check Ben and the others minor wounds over and see they too are well.
Can I bring myself to forgive Daniel? Yes, of course! But I know it’s not possible for the others, and for my dear Ben. It’s ingrained in them to protect the Child until their last breath, and Daniel has broken that sacred covenant. “Take him to the edge of the woods and leave him there,” I order. He is to be our peace offering. If the Lycans take him, so be it. If not we shall have to think of something else to convey our sadness at what has happened here tonight.”
“We shall be lucky if they do not attack us the next full moon when they are strong and prepared,” Simone replies. Her lovely face is half drenched in blood, her catlike eyes glow. “Die wölfe sind stolz.”
I look away from them all, unable to focus on death and destruction any longer. “Then a war we shall have.”