The rest of the drive was a dreadful quiet of tense air and eye contact that I would make with Evan in the rearview mirror, his blue-green eyes trying to push back his fear as he gave me a reassuring smile.
Riley was waiting inside his office with his two interns. One was a black male with a bright smile and the other was a tall lanky male with curly dusty blonde hair and wide brown eyes. Riley rushed to me and hugged me quickly then scratched at his scruff. "I am so sorry we have to see each other under these circumstances."
"Thank you Riley, and thank you for your help," I replied.
"This is Darren," he said while gesturing to the male.
He gave us a warm smile and nodded. "I wish we could meet under better circumstances."
"He's going to be with Evan," Riley added.
"That's right," Darren said with a nod. "I touched base with your other men that are here and we are all ready."
"Good," Lander said.
"And I am Nate," the tall lanky male said with a slightly awkward wave.
"So we're riding with you?" Talia asked.
He dipped his head. "Yes, does anyone want to use the bathroom or need a drink first?"
"I could use the bathroom," Andrea said.
"First door on the right," Riley said with a smile.
Nate adjusted the gray sweater over his buttoned-down white shirt; his faded jeans almost too short for him and his belt looked like he needed a smaller one. He kept fidgeting around us; I just shook my head and smiled at him. "Nate, we're not going to eat you."
He let out a nervous laugh and nodded while Darren shook his head. Riley chuckled. "Darren has met Ajax, but you are all the first that Nate has met."
"Too bad we can't shift," Lucas said reluctantly. "Barrett would kill me if I ruined his clothes."
"Shift?" Nate asked.
Talia smiled and flashed him her fangs, causing him to jump with wide eyes. " Another day then."
"Anything else we should know?" I asked.
Riley shook his head. "Just be careful. I am going to be here, this will be home base. If anything happens, and you get separated then you come here. Do you all know how to get back?"
Lucas, Talia, and I smelled the air, taking in the scent in case we had to find the trail and nodded. "It should be fine," Lucas said with a smile.
Andrea walked out and fidgeted with her straps. "That was fast," Talia said with a cocked brow.
Andrea sighed. "Nerves," she replied.
"Alright," Nate said while he clapped his hands together. "Should get this party started?"
"Nate," Darren groaned.
Nate licked his teeth and pulled his keys out. "Right, well, follow me."
Lander hugged Talia, then Andrea, before he hugged me. "You keep your ass safe."
"I'll try," I replied before he kissed my crown.
He held Lucas back a moment while I stepped outside and walked to Evan who hugged me tight to him. "He's in bad shape, you know that–don't let it get to you."
"I love you, Ev," I breathed out.
"I love you too little sister, now go. Go make a deal with that devil," he replied before Aaron gave me a small smile.
"Try not to kill anyone and if you do, at least use those shoes to do it," Aaron said.
I hugged him quickly and sucked back some tears. "Keep them safe."
"I will, I promise," he replied.
"Charlotte!" Dagny called out as she rushed to me. She stopped with Alice in her palm before she pulled me to her. "Just positive thoughts, alright?"
"Alright," I sighed out.
"Alice wishes you good luck too."
"Thank Dagny," I breathed out, my heart starting to beat a little faster, before I walked to the car.
Nate opened the passenger door, but I chose to sit in the back next to Andrea and Talia. Lucas was taller anyways and needed the space; he hugged Evan then trotted to the car and hopped in, shutting the door before he looked at Nate. "Let's go."
"What did Lander say?" I asked.
"If he dies he dies," he forced out.
I bit back a growl and leaned my head back. "You ok?" Nate asked as he eyed me in the rear view mirror.
"I will be," I replied, catching Talia's eyes as she nodded to me.
"We will be," she stated.
"Yes we will," Andrea added.
I gave Lucas' shoulder a squeeze as the car drove further down the road to a more industrial part of town. "So Nate, what do you know about this place?"
"Well," he said as he made a right turn. "It's new. The owner has had it for a few years, but this last year is when all the work has been done. There's a lot of black market stuff going on from what we hear on the street, like fights, illegal magical booksales, blood–that kind of stuff.
"The place has been raided before by human police actually, apparently some guy was kidnapped and mauled to death? All I know is it's the second time it's happened and a body has been dumped near here. There are also reports of dogs running loose in the area."
"I take it the police didn't find anything?"
"No, just an empty warehouse," he replied. "Magic I guess hid everything."
He made another turn where the only light was the street lights tinted yellow that whizzed past us. Andrea was clutching my hand while my beast and I tried to compose ourselves; we had to succeed. We had to hold it together and made this deal. This wasn't just for us or for the pack, but it was also for him.
For Ethan.
Because we were walking onto her turf; where she had the upper hand. If we played along, she would keep him safe–she needed him. Rescuing him, or trying to, could end up with us all dead–that and it could result in a war breaking out. We didn't need more people dying. We needed to get rid of her, her brother, and her father once and for all.
I felt something vibrate as we turned again. Nate groaned. "You think they have the music up loud enough."
"Link up," Lucas said, his voice firm as his beast pressed closer.
I pulled myself into our link while Nate eyed us curiously. "So Nate, will you wait? Or who's picking us up?"
"I am," he answered. "I am going to drop you guys off, then meet up with the others. They will let me know when to come back. I guess you have some link thing?"
Andrea chuckled and nodded. "Yes, we have a link thing."
Nate nodded like he understood, but he definitely did not. Soon we were passing a series of warehouses as the air turned more salt–we were close to the sea. Nate turned again and in our sights was just more empty warehouses. He stopped the car and pointed. "See that one, that one down there at the very end?"
"Yes," Talia said with a nod.
"That's it," he replied before he slowly drove the car forward towards where the vibrations of music were coming, but there was nothing but a series of empty warehouses in sight. "They have it cloaked with magic."
We drove a little further until Nate stopped the care about a hundred yards away. "This is where I drop you," he said with a slight smile.
"We just go in?" Lucas asked.
"I guess," Nate said with a shrug. "From what's been said today, I don't think you'll have to go far. Good luck."
"Thank you, Nate," I replied while I opened the door. "Be careful."
I stepped out into the air that smelled like sea breeze and carried a slight chill with it. Lucas jumped out and nodded to Nate while I adjusted the bottom of my dress before he took my hand. "Come on sis."
Andrea walked around with Talia and linked her arm through Lucas' free one while Talia took my other free hand. "I hate clubs," she grumbled out as Lucas stepped forward with us.
The music grew louder and the smell of burned magic made my beast groan; we may care for our witches, but this smell was beginning to become repulsive. Our heels clicked against the pavement meant until we crossed something that made goosebumps break out over my skin.
I blinked and I was looking at a three-story warehouse that was lit up with flashing lights and almost vibrating with music. There was a line around the corner as a large bouncer let people in with a velvet rope. Lucas eyed the door the rope then the line. "Do we have to wait in line?"
"No," I almost growled out before I pulled us forward.
"Charlotte?" Andrea asked.
I didn't answer. I marched us to the front of the warehouse, the smell of blood, alcohol, sex, and magic filling the air. The bouncer, a large man that smelled like a human and had a missing front tooth looked at us curiously. "Back of the line wolves," he barked out, causing other people in the line to yell out jeers in agreement.
"We're here to see my cousin, she's expecting us," I hissed out.
"Your cousin?" he scoffed out. "Sweetie, I got a lot of cousins in here. Unless you're a queen or some kind of royalty then you can get in line with your friends."
I growled at him; my wolf flashing him her teeth and quieting some of the patrons in the line. "I am a King, and I suggest you let us in now. Aurelia won't like being kept waiting."
"King?" he breathed out.
Andrea snarled at him. "We're here for the snake, you let us in or I will let you meet my wolf, human."
He eyed Andrea then nodded. "Go to the bar. They will give you directions," he said while unhooking the rope for us.
Lucas held his gaze and snarled, making him jump before he pulled Andrea and I along with Talia in the club that was packed with people. I groaned at the sight. Talia growled under her breath. "This is ridiculous."
It was like Barrett said. There were three floors and I assume a basement because people were looking down over a rail–placing bets and either booing or cheering, while waving some kind of ticket around while roaring echoed through the industrial chic building over the electronic music.
The second floor and third floor were suspended over the first with glass windows enclosing them as people looked through and down at the party below; I could see stairs, but I couldn't see where they started over the mass crowd of people dancing to the DJ in a box that was against the far wall opposite of where the people were leaning over and yelling. There was another box next to him with people running around, writing things down and I could only assume that they were running the fights. I jumped up and I could see a ranking board under their booth that they were constantly updating.
"Vampire rogues," Lucas said before he shook his head. "And rogue wolves–let's find a bartender."
"Agreed!" Andrea yelled out over the music.
"Lander, we're here," I said over the link as Lucas pulled us through the crowd of people to a bar of stainless steel that had two girls on the corners, dancing on a pole in skimpy lingerie.
"Ok be safe and keep your eyes up," he replied back.
Talia grimaced while Lucas pushed through some people and found the front of the bar. He waved a witch down with fuchsia pink hair; she smiled at him, eyeing him up and down like he was candy to be unwrapped. "Alpha blood, that's new."
"We're here to see Aurelia," he called out.
"Who?!" she replied back over the music, cupping her ear so she could hear.
"The snake!"
Her eyes widened before she waved Lucas forward. "See those stairs?!"
"Ya!"
"Take those up to the second floor! There is a private elevator to the third!"
"Thank you!" Lucas replied.
"Come back if you want a drink sweetie!" she replied with a wink.
Lucas shuddered then took my hand along with Talia's while I grabbed Andrea's. "Stay close! Do not let go of my hand!" he called out.
We all nodded then let him lead us through the crowd people. Andrea bit back a few growls as people bumped into her as they carelessly danced away. "How is this fun?!" she yelled out while looking around at the sweaty dancing people.
"I don't know!" I called back.
"This is hell!" Talia called back.
Lucas pulled us through crows of witches, lone wolves, and what looked like mindless humans dancing away. I was so curious as to how they got there or more so why they were there.
We made it to the spiral staircase where we all stared up ominously before Lucas let out a long breath. "Come on," he said before he started to pull us up.
We didn't have to walk up the stairs too far until we got to the top where another bouncer was waiting; bleached blonde mohawk and a ring in his tongue. "There's a cover to be up here," he said, his voice scratchy like he had yelled over the music that was still loud from downstairs.
"We're here to see the snake," Lucas told him.
He nodded deeply then pointed to an elevator next to the bar across the room that was still loud but quieter than downstairs. It was more lounge-like; couches spread out everywhere while girls dances in cages around the dance floor where another DJ was spinning music. The lights were dark and the people in the room were all either crowded on the dance floor grinding against each other, taking shots at the bar, or crowded on the couches–some were doing more than just talking on the couches as the smell of pheromones that made me grimace.
"Tell John, the bartender, what you told me and he'll let you up!" the bouncer said as the lights above the DK booth turned a dark purple and blue.
"Thank you!" Lucas said as the bouncer stepped aside for us to walk through before he looked down at me. "I have no idea why I'm thanking them."
I let out a laugh and gave his hand a squeeze then sighed. "They could have no idea?"
'There are fights going on here Char, did you not smell it?"
I nodded. "I did!"
"They know. They know exactly what's going on–like why all those human are here," he bit out. "Do they know what kind of people are actually around them?"
I shook my head as we passed a girl in a shiny cage that purred at Lucas; he snarled at her, causing her eyes to widened while Andrea nodded in approval. We made it to the bar where Talia flagged down the bartender–a shorter man, balding and older with a warm smile.
I wanted to think he was sincere, but Lucas was right. There was no way that they couldn't know.
Talia walked forward, pushing her beast back as the man walked over. "What can I get you four?"
"Are you John?" Talia replied.
"Yes, I am," he said, his eyes curiously scanning us.
"We're here to see the snake," Talia told him.
He nodded quickly. "Let me get the key, wait here!"
Talia nodded then stepped back and took my hand, her hand slightly shaking. I gave it a squeeze and nodded reassuringly to her. "We can do this Talia."
"We can," she said more to herself than to me.
The older man came back and stepped out from the bar with a set of old keys in his hand. He waved for us to follow him. "This way!"
We walked where he pulled back a curtain. There was an old elevator that he unlocked and pulled an accordion-like gate back for us to get in. "In you go!"
We piled in the tiny space before the man shut the gate and pointed his finger to the side where there were a series of buttons. "Hit three!"
Lucas nodded then hit the number three, which incidentally was the only other number you could hit besides a button that read, 'rooftop.'
The elevator jolted before it slowly started to ascend. Lucas wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. "It's fine sis, it's going to be fine," he murmured, but I felt like he was telling himself that more than me.
I looked over and out the window of the elevator to see the pits. The people leaning over while what looked like two rogue vampires went at each other. The other people were dancing on a see-through glass dance floor that looked like it had red lights under it, but they weren't lights at all. They were eyes. The eyes of rogue vampires.
"Lucas, look!" I gasped out.
Everyone turned before Lucas snapped his gaze forward. "We can't do anything about it, just stay focused."
Andrea pushed her wolf back while Talia gripped my hand a little harder. I let out a shaky breath then nodded. "Right, we need to do what we need to do. Remember we're not just doing this for ourselves and our packs, but for them," Lucas rushed out, sounding as convincing as he could.
"Right," Talia breathed out before the Elevator jolted again as it stopped.
A woman walked forward and down a hall with thick black curtains hanging on either side. She was wearing a black flapper dress with beaded fringe swaying as she walked with her short white hair twirling around her finger and a black snake hanging around her neck. Immediately I stiffened and pushed my beast back. The snake eyed us, as did the witch. "What are you four here for?"
"The snake," I replied, my wolf coming closer.
"Course you are, any weapons? And don't lie, we'll know," she said with a flirtatious smile. Andrea growled lowly, causing the woman to just giggle. "Well then, please place your weapons in here," she said while holding out a velvet pouch. I groaned and started to pull out the knife, the powder, then the vial of water from my boots and bra, begrudgingly putting them in the bag.
Lucas emptied out four blades, two bags or powder, and a whip. "A whip?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Why not?"
Andrea shook her head while she put her weapons in the bag as Talia hissed under her breath. She pulled out a thin blade from between her braids, two knives, two pouches of silver powder, a thin long chain of silver, and two silver stars.
The woman eyed Talia. "Going to war?"
Talia snarled at her. She sucked in a breath and unlocked the door of the elevator. "I'll tell her you're here," she said while she pulled the door open. "Please, make yourself comfortable. We have a full stocked bar and wonderful attractions."
I grimaced a the word, 'attractions.' Lucas nodded to her, his eyes watching the snake that flicked its tongue out and tasted the air as we walked by. My wolf was pacing. We could feel Ethan, we knew he was here. I tried to calm her down and reminded her why it was important for us to keep our shit together. There were about a hundred rogue vampires below, and who knows how many wolves–we were not on our territory and we needed to lure her into our trap.
We walked down the hall where there was music playing; it was a more sultry electronic music. From the end of the hall I could see out to the other side–the window that ran along the wall open where people where leaning over the rail and looking down where another set of stairs led down to something–the something smelling faintly like rogue wolves; but I couldn't see it, the song changed and people walked with a slight skip over to what I assumed was a dance floor.
We finished walking to the end of the hall and froze. I froze. I felt my heart almost tear in half; I had to clutch my chest and push my beast back before she burst out of my skin.
The room was much swankier. There were sectionals in each corner with television screens around them so the wolves and witches sitting them could watch the fights below. There was a bar on the opposite side of the staircase that led down to a suspended platform with a circle of couches and railing around the edge; people stood there and took shots, sipped what looked like martins–one man brought a witch that was already drunk a shot in this odd purple tube. A dance floor was in front of the DJ booth where people were more or less trying to conceive a child, and in the center of the room where steps descended down was a round sectional with a fireplace in the middle–bloodstones glowing in the center of it.
But the room, the people staring at us–wolves and witches with a few choice humans, were not what startled me. Along the sides of the walls were boxes with bars like a prison cell where it looked like they would normally have dancers in them, but there were not dancers in them.
The bars smelled blood–the blood of people I knew while snakes slid up them. The people that were stripped down to their underwear and collared; while they laid as almost lifeless vegetables while the wolves guarding them would prod them with a rod that had a silver tip.
Issach, or I assumed it was since he was the only one I didn't recognize, had his hands chained over his head, his chest with what looked like fifty fresh cuts as blood seeped down from his collar. Next to him on the opposite side of the DJ booth, was Ajax. There were speakers in his box, blaring something that had him crouching down–shaking and holding his hands over his ears while the blood from what looked like lash marks dripped onto the floor below.
Talia turned her head into Lucas's shoulder, blinking hard while Andrea clutched my hand so hard I thought she was going to crush it. Jaxon was suspended; his hands and feet chained together and tethered to the ceiling. Snakes slithered over his torso and hands while the people guarding him let some of the party goers prod him with a rod tipped with silver. His skin would jerk, but it only made him swing around and bring more pressure to his silver bindings.
Lucas was just pale–his face almost expressionless as I eyed Levi. He was slumped against the wall, his ankles collared with silver as well as his neck. He was missing a finger–his ring finger, and he was panting hard–a gurgled growl coming out of his mouth when the guards would stir him awake with the rod. Snakes slithered over his legs, one was hanging off of his neck eyeing him like a meal.
But then I saw Ethan.
I saw Ethan and I almost fell over.
His wrists were bound by silver, like his collar, and suspended above his head by a chain that he was struggling to hang onto–pulling him so his toes could barely touch the ground. He was panting hard, the gashes, cuts, and bite marks on him abdomen all dripping down the ground where his toes were slipping in the blood.
He was out of it. I don't think any of them were lucid. But there were snakes hanging off of him–drinking from him. There was one around his neck and draped down his chest; when he turned I almost roared because the green snake had his teeth in his chest and was sucking at his blood–drinking it.
There were dozens of fang marks like that on him. I pushed back the tears as another snake slithered up and latched onto him, drawing a languished groan from his mouth while one of the guards poked at an oozing sore at his side with a silver rod.
"I am going to kill them all," Talia breathed.
"He has snakes biting him," I said breathlessly. "Snakes..."
"They're not poisonous dear," a witch with lime green hair in waves down her back said with a wink. "They just like a little alpha blood."
"Do you know where Aurelia is?" I asked, my voice struggling to stay calm.
"Who's asking?" she asked, shifting in her electric blue satin dress.
"Her cousin," I bit out. "Go find her and tell her that Charlotte King is here to see her."
The witches eyes widened. "I'll be back. Have a seat wherever you like," she quickly said before she scattered off.
"Andrea," Lucas rushed out as her knees almost gave out; he steadied her and let out a tense breath. "Andrea we have to do this. We knew she would do something like this."
I closed my eyes and opened them to see his blue-green eyes gazing at me like he was seeing a ghost. I couldn't take my eyes away. I knew I should have–I knew it was only going to break my heart. I saw his lips move and found myself holding onto Talia as the word 'Charlotte' seemed to be mouthed from his lips.
"Ok," she rushed out. "We can do this."
Lucas pulled us forward towards an empty set of couches, his eyes on the ground–all of our eyes avoiding the objects of our torment. We sat down, my beast and I trying to turn the storm of feelings into fury–Aurelia would know our fury. A few women in high waisted panties, stockings, heels, and bustier bras walked past us with trays–asking for our drink orders but we waved them off. I would throw up anything I ate or drank, I knew I would. I could smell Ethan's blood–the smell in itself causing my wolf to whine out.
"Well, cousin, so lovely of you to make it."
I blinked hard then stood up and turned around. Aurelia was eyeing me with a martini in her hand, an ivy green dress hugging her body down to her mid-calves where here feet stood in nude studded stilettos. A snake, black with green eyes like her's, was draped around her bare shoulders and flickering its eyes to each of us.
"Drinks?"
"No thank you," I replied, my voice stiff as the others stood up.
She waved me off. "Oh lighten up, we're celebrating!"
"Celebrating?" Lucas practically scoffed out.
"Yes, yes," she rushed out. "We have some of your friends here like Joe and Lawrence," she said while pointing to a corner where Joe and Lawrence were drinking with their mates in their laps; a group of wolves around them as the bantered back and forth over the fight they were watching on the television.
"And Donald," she said while pointing to another corner with couches in front of Levi's cell. He was drinking with a cigar in his mouth, taking it out to bark out in laughter with the group around him.
"Of course Cole is here, his mate is–detained, she put up a nasty little fight. A lover's spat I guess you could call it," Aurelia said while she looked around. "Oh he's down on the platform, he loves the fights, but who doesn't love a little blood?"
"You said you wanted to talk?" Andrea asked, her eyes struggling to keep her wolf back.
"Yes I do, please follow me? We can sit and have a proper conversation," she said while walking towards the large sectional in the center of the room.
Lucas bit back a growl before I took his hand. "Easy Lucas–save it."
Lucas nodded, casting his father a fleeting glance before we followed Aurelia to the center sectional; I carefully walked down the stairs, Talia's hand still gripping mine before we gathered around the modern looking fire pit and took our seats close to each other.
"Listen," Aurelia said before she took a sip of her drink and set it down on a marble end table, one of four that separated the sectional into fourths. "I truly and sorry, that things have led to this. I don't want war, I don't want to spill any more blood–truly I have great respect for all of you. I think we should talk about how we can both come to an understanding where we can live together peacefully."
"Then talk," I said. "We're listening."
Aurelia opened her mouth to speak when an older witch with a long gray braid and a tailored pant suit leaned over the couch. "Aurelia, who are your friends."
"Ah, Camille," Aurelia said with a smile. "I am so rude." She stood up, the snake slithering off of her and onto the couch next to where she was sitting. "Everyone!" she called out. "Everyone!"
The music died down and voices hushed as eyes turned to us. I suppressed a growl and pushed Talia's thigh down to keep her from standing up. Aurelia whispered something to Camille who laughed before she grabbed her drink. "Everyone! Thank you all for being here! We have the Lusa Luna, The Paraq Luna, the heir to the Tikanni, and my lovely baby cousin Charlotte Haria King, the last King wolf still breathing and the Mangata Luna. Grown up hasn't she?"
The room laughed while Aurelia waved off a few people who threw jokes at her while the eyes of the room bore down at us. My beast wanted out. She wanted out so bad that I was on my knees begging her to cooperate. We had to do that to save them. She growled out in my mind but understood; because we could smell his blood and we knew we had to do this to save him.
"There are more friends coming, but I think since here we have most of our friends together, I am happy to announce that I am talking with these four lovely people about how we can all come to peace and live happily in the new world we will be bringing forth!"
The room cheered–they cheered and Lucas blinked hard before Aurelia turned back to us and raised her glass. "To peace!"
"To peace!" the room echoed before she sat down and faced us again. "I am sorry about that, but we've just worked so hard to get to this point that I felt like everyone needed to know the good news."
"Right," Talia breathed out, her skin slightly shaking.
"So here is the deal," Aurelia said before she took another sip of her drink. "We each have something the other needs and I think we can do this without blood."
"You want to release a man that waved war, how is that without blood?" Talia bit out.
I went to say something to Talia but Aurelia shushed me. "Charlotte really it's ok," Aurelia cooed out. "It's not their fault, they don't know what we know. Let me explain Luna, my line is half of Aleah and half of Hagan. As I am sure Charlotte has told you, both our lines–especially Hagan's, always had to hide. I can't remember a time when my brother and I were not constantly afraid of being killed in our own beds.
"Hagan was mislabeled. You see, he wanted peace, but his other brothers were so afraid of him that they were just set on killing him when he was set on talking to them. He was helping his sister Aurora find a way to end Balak and the vampires that plagued not only us but humans–vampires that still plague us.
"But instead of even trying to talk to their brother, they kidnapped Aurora and used as bait to kill him. They thought they were bringing peace, but look at us now–the peace we think we have is such a lie.
"My father wanted a world that was peaceful for us where we didn't have to hide or worry about being bullied by vampires. A world where families like Charlotte's and mine never have to hide."
"How did you get where you are? We know Charlotte's story," Andrea said.
"Right, well my mother met my father Hale King. She was living under Cyrus Clawfoot's protection–Cole's father. He and a few others have always been working to restore peace, they found my father and brought him to safety. Hadrian was already gone, jumped ship long before then.
"But even in his pack they had to hide and run; they didn't want to put those innocent wolves in danger. So we hid and ran, always working on the cause and recruiting more people.
"After my mother died it was just my brother, my father, myself and our allies. It's been a long time, but eventually, I have made it–the last witch in Aleah's line. We've always hid; vampires like Alex have chased us–forced people like Hadrian to end his life so Charlotte here could live.
"I don't want a false peace I want a true peace where we hold people accountable and where no one has to worry about vampires chasing them–" She paused and looked at me almost sympathetically. "I know he's after you Charlotte. I can help if you let me. You and I know how powerful he is and when he finds you he will kill you without a second thought."
"And Kill them all Aurelia?!" I rushed out. "That's insane. You know we can coexist. This is not a fairytale."
"I do," she replied quickly. "Honestly, I gave it some thought. I think you have Dommy to thank for this, truly it gave me a change of heart to see what he did for you and Hadrian. It was more than many witches or wolves would do for each other.
"So I propose this, we rid he world of Vampires like Alex and Steven who have constantly been a nuances, we disband their covens, reclaim the territory they took from us, and in turn they can live under the supervision of our kinds–weres and witches, the ones that do not need to take life to live.
"I am tired of seeing my fellow witches treated like genies in a lamp and I am tired of seeing them harm weres and humans. This needs to end."
"What does this 'supervision' entail?" Lucas asked.
"A tight leash and them being placed on the bottom of the pyramid where they belong."
"That is not peace, that is tyranny," Andrea quickly replied.
"And how would you do it?" Talia asked. "Just wave war and wipe them out?"
"Goddess no," she said while waving us off. "I intend to be civil, but I am sure you already know how. That little Thorne she-wolf is quite clever.
"We open the door and we bring back my father, my brother, and Hagan to help us civilly bring justice through the council that we will reorganize to better serve our kinds."
"Not Jeremiah or Emmett?" I asked. "Weren't you like besties?"
She groaned as the snake slithered into her a lap, her fingers caressing its face. "Emmett wasn't really loyal he just wanted his pack back and Jeremiah just wanted to take me as his lover."
I grimaced while Andrea's brows raised. "And your brother?" Lucas asked. "He was a cruel man. You speak of ending the cruelty, but he has used wolves as playthings, tortured innocents, and you think he is going to restore peace?"
"You're right, he was cruel," she admitted. "He was the weaker of the two of us and was always jealous of me and Charlotte. I can assure you that he will be kept on a very tight leash; he is my brother at the end of the day, and regardless I love him."
I sighed and cocked my head, trying hard to keep playing the game. "And whose lives would you trade?"
"Oh those are just details," she replied with a coy smile. "Listen, I can offer each of you a place in this new world. After today, no hard feelings if you agree. It will be like nothing has happened. You can live in peace without fear of people like Alex or a council sitting over your head that doesn't work.
"I will make a blood oath to you today for this. We all know if you break that you break off a piece of your soul. In return, I need full cooperation, assistance with opening the portal, and submission to the King line as it should be. I need my sweet cousin's blood as well.
"Agree, and I will ensure that your mates and father are returned, no harm done. In fact, if you agree today, I will get them out of these horrid boxes and restore them to health."
"We can't take them?" Talia asked, her voice trying not to crack.
"No, I hold them until the portal is open and my loved ones walk. It's just an insurance," she assured us. "But I promise I will make a blood oath and swear no that no harm will come to them. So, what do you think?"
I sighed and met her gaze. "I think you and I need to talk cousin."
Her green eyes found mine, holding them for a pregnant moment while her fingers stroked the head of her snake. "You're right. I owe you a lot of answers. Come with me?"
"Alright," I breathed out before Lucas grabbed my arm.
"Sis?"
"It's ok Lucas, I know what I'm doing," I replied, giving him a nod then a kiss on the cheek.
"Really Lucas, she'll be fine. All of you, honestly enjoy yourselves. You're free to do as you please–go to your mates, no one here will harm or stop you."
"The snakes?" Talia asked.
"Ah right," Aurelia sighed out. She rubbed her fingers then snapped, causing the snakes to slither away from the men and into holes at the bottom of the cells. She snapped again and both Ethan and Jaxon were dropped from their suspension, hitting the ground hard with a slippery thud.
I looked over and saw the two snakes still sucking blood from Ethan's chest. "You mind getting those two off of him?"
"No, I think they've had enough anyways," she replied before she snapped her fingers, the snakes releasing his skin and slithering down. "Do you want to say hello before?"
"No we need to talk," I replied.
"Very well," she breathed out before she let her snake slither up her arm and around her neck while she picked up her glass. "Follow me."
She walked up the stairs with me on her heel, the snake on her neck eyeing me like a meal as we walked; I flashed him my fangs, startling him a bit which gave my beast some joy in this hell. "Oh, did you want a drink?" she asked over her shoulder.
"No thank you," I replied.
We stepped onto the metal stairs that led to the suspended living room-platform. I looked over as cheers erupted; rogue wolves fighting rogue vampires in the pits below where on one side rogue wolves all snapped hungrily–half shifted from what looked like a holding pen, and on the other side in what looked like another holding pen rogue vampires hissed out as the two in the pit tore at each other.
Aurelia walked around and sat down on the couch while I eyed the pits a little more, the sight of the blood staining the concrete walls and dirt making my stomach churn. "Charlotte, sit?"
"Right," I said as I walked to sit down on a couch caddy-corner to her.
She sighed. "Listen, Charlotte, I never wanted to hurt you. I need you to understand that. You're my blood, my family–the only family I have left."
"You do understand that what you're saying is a very hard bite to swallow considering everything? The attack, Liam, my kidnapping, and now my mate? My mate, who I felt you almost kill last night? And my mother? My mother who you and your brother killed?!"
"That would be Hayden not me, and in my defense, if I knew you were alive, I wouldn't have killed you. We just knew of his mate, not a child. He smelled new life and found the nursery, but he still didn't care. We looked and looked and looked for you, but sweet Dommy hid you well. Honestly, when we heard Hadrian was dead we assumed you were too. We figured Alex got to you–neither of us realized you were a human. Even in the nursery, Hayden said you said so much like Hadrian. So we all assumed you were dead. There was no word of you.
"I wouldn't have killed your mother, Hayden didn't care, but I do. I won't separate a mother from their child. If anything we would have offered you our help."
"Why?" I asked, my beast and I flabbergasted because it didn't seem like she cared much about that at all.
"Vampires took mine," she said, her voice soft while her snake nuzzled her neck affectionally. "I guess you could saw it is a soft spot I have like I do for you. Out of everyone here, I do respect you and Ethan the most. Regardless, even if you were not my blood I would.
"You are both fair, kind, and you both try to do the right thing. Like that she-wolf I saw you protect. I cannot say that a lot of the other people, most of them, back in there would have done the same. It speaks volumes to me that you would protect one who was once your enemy."
She took a sip of her drink and eyed the fight, a ghost smile tugging at her lips before she looked back at me. "I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted this much blood to be spilled, honestly. I don't want to harm you any more than I know I already have. Honestly, and I swear to the goddess, whatever you decide I will ensure that Ethan is taken care of. I won't hurt him anymore; it gives me no pleasure to do that.
"My light was killed by vampires Charlotte. I don't threaten anyone with their mate unless I feel like it is absolutely necessary because I know how that hurts. I know how it breaks you."
I sighed and held her gaze. At the end of the day, Aurelia was a product of a very broken system–I found myself feeling sad for her. If she was not molded with a bitter hand like her father's, what would she be like? What would she be like if she knew people like Derek and Elliot like I did?"
"I'm sorry, I can't imagine."
She nodded. "I can tell you're sincere, you don't really know how not to be. Hadrian was the same."
"If you don't mind me asking how?"
She shrugged and looked away at the pits. "After Hadrian killed my father, well, all hell broke lose. More or less one of Steven's men found us. I got away but he killed him. Steven still has his two forefingers strung as a necklace–a ring I gave him for our anniversary is still on one of those fingers, I've seen photographs of him at parties wearing it like it's a prize.
"They have taken everything from us," she bit out. "They killed my mother, my mate, and they have forced us into hiding for years–do you know how badly I wanted to just be a regular witch in a coven or how much my brother longed for a pack? An alpha blooded male without a pack?
"They have taken everything and I won't have them take more. I don't want our families to have to hide anymore. I want us to have a pack and a coven as we should. I just want us to be free.
"You're a King Charlotte. I have Aleah's blood in me but you are all Hagan. It's time for you to live up to your name."
"Yes, I won the lottery," I laughed out.
"Yes, you did. Do you realize the blessing that is in your veins?"
"Doesn't smell like a King," a male called out.
"She does, she's just unsure Cole," Aurelia injected.
"Unsure of herself and she's a Luna?" Cole laughed out, a bourbon in his hand. His brow eyes looked me over while he loosened the collar of his suite.
"Watch your mouth Cole," Aurelia warned. "I won't have this from you right now."
"What?!" he tossed up a hand. "Her blood won't work. It doesn't hum like Hayden's did."
I bit back a growl because I knew what they were doing. I knew and I had to keep from playing into it. I wouldn't play these games.
Aurelia held his gaze then looked back at me. "Cole is right, cousin. I think it's time you embraced our family name."
"Aurelia?" I asked my beast standing up as a wave of anxiety rushed through me.
She nodded as Cole rested his hand on a lever next to a series of other levers. "You need to see how it feels."
"See how what feels?" I replied back, my beast shaking her fur out as alarms went off in my head.
"How it feels to make then kneel," Aurelia said slowly before she snapped her fingers. She snapped her fingers and I was in the air.
My eyes caught Ethan's groggy ones, I think he called out for me but I was falling. I was falling through the air until I fell and landed on something hard with a loud 'thud,' voices of 'Ohh,' all echoing against the walls while I tried to push myself up.
I groaned and slowly pushed myself up in the dirt, standing up while I rubbed my ass which was throbbing from the drop that was a little more than one story into the dirt.
The dirt of the rogue pit.
There were growls around me as people ran to look over the rails; placing bets and yelling out things while Aurelia looked down at me. "Make them kneel cousin!"