by G. Bailey
“It’s what?” she asks me more seriously.
“Well, I keep dreaming of Bethany and Dawn. Every day, I feel this sense of dread getting worse in the pit of my stomach. I just know something is coming,” I tell her. “And I’m so scared of what it means. I’m pregnant, I can’t fight my sister like this.”
“You will not be fighting anyone. That’s what we have an army for,” she reminds me. “And whatever is coming, you won’t be alone.”
“Raine...I just don’t know how to be at peace while she is still out there, a threat hanging over our heads,” I explain. “And the dreams remind me every night that my sister is gone, and in the shell of her body lies a monster who won’t stop.”
“Then live for the day before the night comes,” she softly suggests. “Make each day count; that’s all we can do.”
“How are you?” I ask her. “Like really, how are you?”
“Missing my dad every single day but knowing he would be proud of me. He is watching over us,” she tells me and covers my hand on my knee with hers. “And he knows I have a family with me. I’m not alone either.”
“No, you’re not,” I reply, holding my best friend’s hand and not wanting to let go.
Chapter 15
Anastasia
Party on the beach.
The white dress littered with flowers hangs on my body, stopping just above my knees, perfectly encasing my little bump. The long sleeves help protect my arms from the cold, and so do my sexy guys standing at my sides. Alex holds one of my hands and Liam the other while Mason walks in front of us, both Phoebe and Skye skipping alongside him as we head towards the party on the beach. It’s a good three miles outside the city, but the noise of the music and the whole city being there can be heard all the way from our hut.
The beach has been transformed with large campfires, bars with colourful lights, and several platforms for people to dance to the music playing from a band. Down the beach, children run around with glowsticks attached to their wrists, giggling as they pass us. Laughter and joy are all you can hear from the people around us, and many of them don’t once look our way as we fit into the crowd. Big rides are littered around the beach, everything from bumper cars to hook a duck. I don’t know how they got these things on the beach or the island to start with, but clearly it is a big hit.
“Going to get glowsticks for the girls. Be right back,” Mason tells us, taking the girls’ hands.
“Cool, man,” Alex replies and grins at me. “Can I interest you in the carousel?”
“Yes!” I shout in joy.
“And next we are going on the Ferris wheel,” Liam whispers to me as we head through the people and join the queue for the carousel. “And I’m kissing you at the top.”
“You have competition,” Alex sneaks in, not missing a beat. Liam playfully punches his arm as Skye runs to me, hugging me tightly around my waist.
“Look! Aren’t they cool? I got you one,” Skye says, showing me her glowstick wristband that has birds all over it in the middle. Phoebe and Mason join us in the queue as Skye clips the wristband onto my wrist. It glows purple, and this one has wolves on it. I grin and hug her tightly.
“I love it,” I whisper to her. She blushes as I let go to move up the queue. Mason wraps his arm around me as Phoebe shows me her wristband, yellow with a turtle design on it, and it makes me wonder what kind of familiar she will get one day. A turtle would actually be a cool familiar for her, and I haven’t seen that many. Though our mum has a cat, and her sisters have wolves. So who knows?
We get to the front of the queue, and I choose a yellow fake horse to climb on. Alex jumps on the one next to me, and the girls quickly claim the ones in front. Poor Mason and Liam get stuck on the small horses a few back, and they look so funny I can’t help but giggle.
“Not funny!” Mason shouts, and we all burst into more fits of laughter. The ride starts blasting the music it gives off before moving, and the horse slowly goes up and down under me. It’s more fun to ride Shadow, but hearing the girls giggling in front of me, knowing my guys are all with me, this is perfect.
The ride goes round and round, and I end up looking over the crowd. I freeze, my blood turning cold when I spot Bethany in the crowd, just standing there. Her blonde hair whips around her shoulders, a black cloak tied to her neck. She smiles like nothing is wrong. Without thinking, I jump off the horse and run off the ride.
“Ana!” Alex roars after me, but I don’t stop. I push the gate open, rushing through the crowd who move out of the way for me. I run all the way to where she is, coming to a halt as I spin around, looking for her, but no one is in a cloak. I spin around and around until I suck in a deep breath, stopping as my heart beats fast in my chest. Alex runs right to me, staring into my eyes, asking what the hell happened.
“Bethany. I’m sure I saw her in the crowd,” I say, shaking my head. “I saw her, I know I did.”
“Ana...,” Alex softly says, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Bethany couldn’t have been here. You might have been looking for her in the crowd and just—”
“No, I saw her,” I firmly say, but even as I think about it, the more I wonder if I’ve gone completely insane. “Or at least I think I did. I haven’t been sleeping because of my dreams, maybe I’m just going mad.”
“You’re not going mad at all,” he soothes me. “The dreams, the magic that goes with them must be showing you something. Maybe warning you. But I don’t believe for a second that you are going crazy.
Liam and Mason come running over, Phoebe and Skye with them. “Are you alright?” Liam asks, sounding worried.
“Yes, I will explain later,” I say, my eyes fixing on Phoebe. “I think I’m going to walk away from the party a little and get some fresh air. I’m not feeling a hundred percent.”
“I will go with her. Why don’t you take the girls on the rides?” Alex suggests.
“Are you sure?” Mason asks, looking in my eyes. I nod, walking to him and cuddling him for a second. I kiss Skye and Phoebe on their heads, and Liam wraps me in his arms for a long moment.
“I still want that kiss on the Ferris wheel,” he whispers to me. “I won’t forget.”
“I promise you’ll get one,” I tell him, kissing his cheek and stepping back. Alex links his fingers with mine as we walk out of the crowds and onto the beach. It’s well-lit for a little bit until only the moonlight guides us as we walk down the sand and onto a rockier part of the beach a good half an hour away from the party. Alex finds us a flat rock, well hidden by others and big enough for us both to lie on. He takes off his coat, laying it down before sitting on it and leaving room for me. I sit next to him, wrapping my arms around my knees the best I can with my bump as I look over the sea.
“I miss Bethany. So much,” I admit. “How messed up is that? I miss the sister who tried to kill me.”
“It’s not messed up. In every way, Bethany was a sister and mum to you for a big part of your life. Even now, when she has done evil things, it doesn’t mean that is an automatic cut off for your love for her,” he replies and somehow makes it all the more reasonable for me to love my murderous sister.
“The worst thing about this all”—I stop, turning away from the sea to Alex—“is that I would kill Bethany in a heartbeat if she threatened any of my family. I would kill her.”
Alex moves closer, cupping my cheeks with his hands. “I will destroy her the second I can because she will always be a threat to you. She nearly took you from me, Ana. Nothing and no one is going to get that chance again.”
“I should hate you for that, but I love you more. I understand you,” I admit with a long sigh. “I love you so much it hurts, Alexander.”
He kisses me passionately, pulling me on top of him, my legs spreading around his hips. His hands cup my breasts over my dress, and I quickly undo his trousers. He pushes my panties to the side with his fingers before sliding them inside me. I moan, leaning back, knowing I want so much more than his fingers inside of
me. I pull his cock out of his trousers, and he removes his fingers with a cheeky grin that only Alex could do. I lower myself down on top of him, taking in every inch of him until he is completely inside me, feeling more amazing than ever. Every time Alex is inside me, it is better than the last time.
I never want these moments to end. I roll my hips again and again as his hands dig into my thighs, holding me tightly as he groans and bites down on his lip. My orgasm catches me by surprise, crashing over me like a wave, and he thrusts inside me once more, coming hard.
I lie down, snuggling into his side and closing my eyes for a long time as I just enjoy us being together.
Whatever is coming next…we will face it together.
Chapter 16
Anastasia
These dreams can just go away now. Thanks.
“To family!” I say, holding my glass in the air as I stand up at the end of a long day. Everyone is here from Raine to Phoebe. My guys sit on either side of me, but the chair at the other end of the table is empty. I still smile widely. “To everyone still here.”
“What about me, sis?” Bethany’s voice crackles behind me. I spin around, the glass dropping from my hand onto the wood floor where it smashes into tiny pieces. I freeze, staring at my sister who is covered in blood. “What about me?” she asks again.
“I-I,” I splutter, speechless. A baby cries in the distance, and I turn towards the door to my bedroom. I feel my flat stomach, and fear starts to crawl up my throat as Bethany grins.
“Should I see the baby?” she asks.
“NO!” I scream, but she runs to the bedroom anyway, and I never catch her in time.
The sea air brushes against my cheek as I wake up, my heart beating fast in my chest as I stare at the sun rising above the sea in front of us, marking it as super early in the morning. I look back down at Alex, his head resting on his bent arm, and he looks so at peace. Sitting up, I stare over the sea, trying to push the bad dream to the back of my mind.
My baby is safe, and Bethany will never be a threat to him or her. I wouldn’t ever let that happen.
“Morning,” Alex groggily says, sitting up and smiling at me. I lean on his shoulder as I stretch my legs out. “How long do you think we have before they come looking for us?”
“Not long. Plus I could use a shower,” I say with a grin. “And breakfast.”
“I could attempt to make you French toast. With a few burnt edges. My signature dish,” he offers, and I laugh. I lean over, kissing him softly.
“How about I cook as you shower?”
“Are you saying I stink?” he playfully asks, and he starts to tickle me. I giggle, escaping his arms and standing up. His laugh warms my ears as he stands after me, and I turn around just as Shadow jumps onto a rock behind us.
“Hey, you,” I say, holding my marked hand out for him. He jumps onto our rock and presses his forehead into my hand. “Did you have a good night hunting?”
He doesn’t reply of course, but I get the sense that he did in my soul.
“Ana,” Alex calls me, and I turn to see him near the edge of the rock, looking over the sea. Something in his tone makes me rush to his side, searching the sky for what he is looking at. There in the distant sky is a large dark cloud, but it’s moving right towards us, and it really isn’t a cloud at all, it’s dozens of birds surrounding an army type plane. “They won’t get through the barrier. They have been making attempts for weeks, but I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Are you sure?” I question as we watch them get closer. Alex wraps his arm around my waist, holding me close to him as the barrier does nothing but let them in. The magic briefly glimmers in the sky, but it doesn’t stop them.
“Shit. Get on Shadow now and warn whoever you can and then hide before that plane lands! I won’t let them get anywhere near you. I’ll go tell the guys,” Alex commands, letting me go and running to the beach. He calls for Ki-Ki as I climb onto Shadow, who leans down for me.
“Take me to my parents, Shadow,” I command. He jumps off the rocks, and I hold on tight, seeing Alex changing Ki-Ki into a hawk as we run past. Shadow runs into the city, past cars and down the street until we get to a little shop. He leans down by the door just as the alarms start going off, and I rush inside. Mum and dad are already running to me, and we all head outside. I only have to point at the plane over the sea coming right our way.
“Get to a hiding place, Ana. Take your mum with you,” dad commands, and he runs off without another word. Mum picks up her cat familiar, placing her on her shoulders and grabs my hand.
“Shadow come with me,” I say to him, knowing he will follow no matter what. Mum leads me around a few buildings before we find a literal hole in the pavement with stairs that women and men are leading children and elderly into. Many stop, staring at me and mum and Shadow mostly as we follow them down the steps into a large basement with walls of boxes. Grey mattresses are pushed up against the one wall, and some of the adults are pulling them out onto the floor.
Shadow huffs as he passes me, sitting by the door, and we sit next to him. Mum is silent, even as the alarms get louder, and the last of the people come into the basement. No one else I know is in here, but plenty of them look to mum for guidance, and she doesn’t say anything.
“How many of these places are there?”
“Forty-two, all around the city. There is one near your hut, so the girls will be okay,” she promises me, but she can’t guarantee that, and we know it. I sit back as the doors are locked and pray that everyone is okay.
Chapter 17
Mason
One plane too many.
Digging my fingers into Hex’s wings, I watch as the plane gets to the beach, landing in the sand with a crash. The many birds around the plane immediately start to attack the army of familiars on the beach, with Alex and Ki-Ki heading for the plane. Liam looks over at me and nods once before swooping down with Silver in her hawk form. The birds stop, moving out of the way as Silver lands on the beach and shifts back into a fox almost instantly. Silver’s fox distracts the birds as Ki-Ki comes up from underneath the plane, wrapping it with her body and squeezing the plane. Soldiers covered head to toe in black clothing fall out of the plane in a stream, most of them screaming as the plane gets destroyed like a bug.
Only, they have guns.
“Fly away, now!” I demand of Hex, jumping off his back and rolling to a stop in the sand. I punch the first soldier that gets near me, knocking him out with one hit, and pull his gun from his belt. I kneel down and start shooting, taking out as many as I can, even as they kill the familiar army led by Ana’s dad. Talking of which, Clive isn’t here, missing, and Alex is trying to command the group while watching out for Ki-Ki.
God, I hope Ana is hiding somewhere, well away from this. Just thinking of anyone hurting Ana and our baby makes me so angry I can’t concentrate, so I push all thoughts of Ana to the back of my mind, focusing on the fight. The crowd are so lost in each other that they don’t spot a group of three running to the city.
Fuck that if they’re trying to hide in our city.
I run after them, crossing the sidewalk and getting to a house just as the three break the door and go inside. Looking up, I see Hex in the distance and nod for him to go into the garden, making sure no one escapes before I walk through the front door into a living room. Sand trails from the living room through a corridor before I hear their voice.
“We are in the city and will hide. You were correct, Miss, Anastasia Noble must be here as her mates are.” I listen to the idiot, and when I peek my head around the door, only one of the three I followed is sitting on the bed, talking into a walkie talkie. “The others have gone further into the city, following the plan.”
“The plan failed,” I coldly state as I kick the door open and raise my gun. “Hands up. Try to run and I will shoot you.”
Of course he tries to run, so I shoot him right in the leg, and he tumbles to the floor, screaming. I jog
over and pull his gun from his pocket before kicking him hard in the face to shut him up. Picking up the walkie talkie, I listen as Bethany’s voice comes through the speaker loud and clear.
“I will find you soon. Stay quiet until we invade,” she breathes.
“Sorry to ruin your plan, but your guy is busy bleeding on the carpet under my feet. Don’t come here, Bethany, or I will kill you before you ever get to see your sister,” I sharply say into the speaker. “If you love her, you will never come here.”
The other line goes dead, and I swear under my breath. One down, two more to find. No one is staying in this city when they are not invited.
Chapter 18
Anastasia
Whispers in the dark.
“Do you think Bethany would see reason if I spoke to her?” mum asks me in the darkness of the locked room, her arm pressed against mine and Shadow on the other side of me. Low whispers fill the small cramped room. The only lights are yellow and further down in the room than where we are. “Do you think she would pause this war?”
I sigh, looking up at the dark, knowing my men are fighting out there. My dad too. “Bethany has changed. Aunt Courtney took a lost girl who was desperate for a family. Desperate not to feel alone and helpless, and she poisoned her heart. There isn’t much left of the sister I knew, even if I wish there was.”
“She was not always so cold and lost,” mum starts. “I mean Courtney. When we left the empire, it was not to escape her. It was to escape Clive’s brothers, and we took so many people with us into the human world. So many wanted to leave the city when things were so dark.”
