by Celeste Raye
Vanessa kind of scoffed because that was a very big understatement. She had tormented people for over a thousand years. That was a little bit more than not being able to deal with something.
“So, do you think you will be able to stop her from finding my son?”
Scott was ignoring Vanessa’s reactions, which was frustrating but understandable. Vanessa hadn’t known that she would do so frustrated by the witch’s words, but she couldn’t control her temper that rose up. It was all said so matter-of-factly, like what had been done wasn’t monstrous.
“We will take that spell off of you. The next time you meet Serena, hopefully you will be ready for her, and it will not be a surprise.”
The witch smiled at Shane and told him to grab her hand. She wanted a direct connection to him, because she needed a big power boost if she was going to be able to counteract such a strong witch’s spell.
Vanessa watched what happened, but she wasn't sure what it was that she was looking at. Vanessa didn’t know much about magic, just that it caused a whole lot of chaos for everyone else. There was some light coming from Shane that went to the witch, and then a different color went back into him. The witch said it was over, but Vanessa wasn't sure if she could believe what she did had worked. She just had a feeling that something was off.
They took off not too long after that, and it was later that evening before they heard anything. How would they know, if it even worked or not?
The answer to that question came in the middle of the night, by way of a runner that worked for Jack. He came in gasping for breath because he had some big news for everyone.
About an hour after everyone had left the witch’s house, Greta and the rest of her coven had been burned alive. The fact that Serena and the rest of the witches from the Franklin Organization had not come to get them meant that Greta had done her job.
Vanessa felt bad that she had doubted her. The old woman had given her life for them, and it was far more than they would have asked her to do. Greta knew that she couldn’t get the spell off completely, so she had put it on herself, dooming them all.
Vanessa felt her emotions spilling over, and she couldn't stop it. Scott pulled her close while they heard the rest of the news. It felt like she was being pulled in different directions and she couldn't take it. How was it all possible? How was anyone able to do such damage?
How could she have been so wrong about Greta?
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I just think we're rushing this, Jack.”
“We're not rushing it, Scott; you're just getting nervous. I completely understand. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in your shoes, but I’m not. Your son is ready. Were ready. If the witches get ahold of him, you know what will happen. We have to do this now. Instead of constantly being on the defensive, we need to be on the offensive. This is the time to do it.
Scott knew that what Jack said was true, but it was impossible for him not to worry about what was going to happen next. What was going to happen to his son.
“Are you sure that everything has been accounted for?”
“Yes. This is a good plan. This is the best plan that we’ve come up with yet. You know that.”
Scott did know. He agreed with everything, but at the same time, he wanted to convince himself that it was the right thing to do. He had been up talking to Vanessa about it, and she had agreed, but at the same time, what if he was wrong? What if something happened and his son was taken? What if he was the reason that they lost? What if something happened to him? There were so many things that could go wrong and a very small chance that it would all go right.
“Look, Scott. I know that this isn't something that you want to do, but you know that we need this. If not, there might not be any shifters left. They will get your boy eventually.”
Scott was silent for a moment and tried to pull himself together. He was not this type of person. Usually, he was so confident and knew what had to be done. But after losing his son and thinking he was dead for almost two years; it was hard for him to go along with it. This was a big deal; a very big deal and he was doing his best to work through it.
“I know, Jack. We’re going; I am just having a hell of a time with it. I don't want to put my son in danger.”
“Your son is going to save us all, Scott.”
“I know, but it’s supposed to be my job to do that. He isn’t supposed to have all of this crap on his shoulders.”
Jack seemed to empathize, but he didn't say anything to dissuade the situation. The young boy was their only hope; everybody knew it.
Scott finally shook off all of the bad feelings he had, and he tried to put a smile on his face. His son was coming out, and he didn't want him to get any more nervous than he already was. Shane was very good at pretending that nothing was bothering him, but Scott couldn’t imagine that was the case. How could he be so calm?
“Are you ready for this, Shane?”
Shane agreed and smiled at his dad. “It's going to be okay, Dad. I promise.”
Scott had a glimmer of hope in him. “You know that I'm the one that’s supposed to be saying that, right?”
“Yeah, but you're not ready to yet. I know what's going to happen. It’s all going to work out.”
Shane walked away and went to talk to other people that were calling to him. He was like a celebrity at the moment, and he was certainly getting the most out of it. Scott did not want to ruin the moment for his kid.
Vanessa sat beside him and asked him if he was alright.
“I guess I have to be. I'm the one that feels like I’m going to come out of my skin. Look at him. He is just taking it all in, loving it.”
“He should feel that way. Your son is going to save a lot of people. I think he knows it.”
Scott agreed, but he still had to wonder: how does he know?
The biggest thing that had changed was they found out where Serena could be found. It helped that she was in the area to find Shane herself. She had left it to others to find him, but when they didn't, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Serena was going by another name, and she was in a hotel. When they had scouted to get information and get eyes on her, they found that Serena looked to be about twenty years old. She was beautiful and did not show her age.
Vanessa was somewhat surprised when she saw the pictures. She wanted Serena to look like a monster. It would have been easier for her to deal with a monster than a sweet woman that looked like a kindergarten teacher. The one smiling back at her in the photograph could not be the witch that had caused so much harm. It just didn’t seem possible to Vanessa.
The only problem that anybody could see was the fact that she was in a hotel. Usually, witches stayed out in the woods. It didn’t seem to be safe that way, but Serena, or whatever her name was, didn’t care if she was surrounded by humans. She most likely felt more comfortable around them. She had been one, after all.
The second coven that Jack had mentioned helping them was there. They wanted revenge for Greta and her coven. Apparently, going after one’s own kind was deplorable to them as well.
The plan was to go in at night when everyone was sleeping and to make sure that no one woke up. It was a simple spell that could be used throughout the hotel in one go. Vanessa didn’t understand all of the details, but just that the hotel would be put to sleep and they would attack the witch in her room. Hopefully they would catch her off guard. Shane would be in the hallway, boosting all of the shifters that would attack.
It all was based on getting the jump on Serena. She was too strong to take on by herself. The only way it was going to work was if they were able to take her before she realized what was happening.
Vanessa could feel the excitement in the air. Everybody was thinking that this was it. This was the moment that they had all been waiting for, Vanessa included. It was going to be the end of an era.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Everyone was excited about the party. No
one knew what to call it; it was just a celebration of the end. Finally, there was no more dark shadow hanging over everybody’s head. There were no more witches that we're going to hide in the night to take them away.
It was almost a month after the attack at the hotel. It had not gone to plan, but the results had been the same. Serena had been killed by the very animal that she was trying to turn into her pet. It was fitting, poetic.
It had been Shane in the end, the only one that was not affected by her magic. The shifters that had run into the room to rip out her throat while she slept had been met with powerful bolts that killed them immediately. She had awakened when she had felt Shane close enough to strengthen her. She had known that the person she was looking for had come to her instead.
For a time, there had been a sense of loss. Several shifters died before Shane stopped the steady flow of them that kept running into the room. They didn't care if they were running to their death, as long as there was a tiny glimmer of hope that they could kill her. It was worth the sacrifice, but Shane had ended it, seeing that it wasn’t working.
Serena had tried to attack him, but her magical bolts just bounced right off of him. Then she had moved towards him, touching his face and saying a few words.
It was about that time that his father had walked in and was afraid that she was going to try to melt him. He had already heard about it from Shane, and he hollered out loudly.
Instead, she had her throat ripped out by Shane when she turned to dispatch his father. It was just like the other witches had died.
It was hard for Scott to witness, but at the end of the day, it worked. Serena was finally dead. She had been living for over a thousand years, but it wasn't enough. Her pet had stopped her. The weapon that she had made had turned against her.
The ripple effect of her death was swift, and there were many witches and humans alike that were horrified about what they had done under Serena’s spell. The compounds were shut down, and the Franklin Organization disbanded.
It took a little while for all of their dead to be remembered and buried, but no one regretted the situation. Almost forty shifters had died in the attack, but it had saved so many more. One hundred times that many had been killed by Serena, so any way that they could end her reign of terror was worth it.
Now, everybody was coming together to celebrate the win. It had not just been Shane, although many people thought it was the small boy that had saved the day. Everybody had come together and made it happen.
The common goal had been reached. The wicked witch was dead.
Scott watched it all unfold in front of him, and he smiled immediately when he saw the door open and an old friend came through. Fran had become a fixture in his home in the last few months. She had come to see Vanessa and was around a lot. Scott had undoubtedly become used to Fran’s ways of trying to get the two of them together.
She saw Scott from the door and started to walk towards him.
“This is quite a party you have here.”
“It is. I'm glad to see that you could make it. Where are the hubby and kids?”
“They are sick, and I'm trying to stay as far away from them as possible.”
Scott chuckled at the comment and had to agree. He hated to be sick as well.
“Well, I'm sure you can find Vanessa around here somewhere. I don't know where she took off to at the moment; she might be upstairs getting dressed. You know how she is.”
“Is there another reason that you brought everybody here today?”
Scott did not know what she was talking about, then he caught the look in her eyes and just kind of grimaced. The woman was constantly trying to meddle.
“I don't think this would be the right forum.”
“I think this would be the perfect one. It's time for you to make it official. Life is short; haven't you learned that yet?”
Scott switched weight to his other leg and looked around for a moment. He did not want Vanessa to walk into that sort of conversation. The lump in his pocket that had been fiddling with testified that Fran was right.
“Do you really think I should do it here?”
“I really do. And I can tell you now that she'll say yes. But you already know that.”
He agreed that he did, but it was good to hear it from her friend.
“Should I do it in front of everybody?”
“Vanessa doesn't like that sort of attention. Maybe you can find a quiet place to ask her privately? I am sure that she would like it better that way.”
It was good advice, and some that he knew he was going to have to take. If he didn't, he was an idiot.
He waved Fran off and told her where the drinks were. He had spotted Vanessa and was moving towards her. Shane was by her side, and he figured that what he was going to do would be better done with Shane as well. Scott had already talked to him about popping the question, and Shane was certainly up for it.
“I was thinking that maybe we could talk?”
Vanessa wasn’t sure what it was about, confusion was clear on her face, but she agreed.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Why don’t we go in here, where we can hear each other better?”
“Okay.”
Shane was about to walk away, but he stopped him. “I want you to be here for this too, son.”
Shane smiled, and Scott figured that he knew what was going to happen next. The kid always seemed to know everything.
“Okay, Dad.”
They walked off into one of the rooms, off of the main level. It was a little quieter in there, and Scott took a deep breath. Vanessa was concerned, thinking that something was wrong.
“Nothing is wrong, Vanessa, I promise.”
She was relieved, but still curious about what was going on.
“I wanted to ask you something, Vanessa.”
“Okay, but can you make it quick? I think that Fran just got here, and I wanted to talk to her.”
Scott found it funny all of a sudden. Here he was, trying to make this romantic moment with her, and of course, she was rushing him.
“Alright. Well, I love you, Vanessa, and I don’t know what I would do without you. You’re everything to me. So, I was wondering if you would like to be my wife.”
He went to his knee as the last sentence was said, and the lump was pulled out of his pocket. He opened it up, showing off a ring with a ruby and diamonds. He knew that Vanessa’s birthstone was ruby, and he had one custom made. The look on her face was enough to make it all worth it.
Shane was grinning, waiting for an answer just like Scott was.
Vanessa smiled and took the ring. “You want to marry me?”
He agreed, and she smiled a little brighter.
“Yes, Scott. Of course, I will marry you.”
They hugged, and she pulled back, turning to Shane. “Is this okay?”
“Yes, Vanessa. You’re supposed to be my mom now.”
Vanessa’s eyes started to well-up, and she gave Shane a hug. Scott kissed her again, and the boy scampered off, making a gagging sound as he went. Vanessa was laughing, feeling lighter than she had in years.
“We shouldn’t do that, you know. We’re going to scar him for life.”
“After everything that he’s been through, I think a little kissing won’t kill him.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
Scott was the one confused. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because I am just human.”
Scott chuckled and kissed her softly. “You’re one of the strongest people that I’ve ever met, Vanessa. You’re not ‘just’ anything. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come into my life.”
Vanessa let the man’s lips press against hers, and she fell into his arms, melting against his body. They were now alone, in a room all to themselves, and it wasn’t long before the kiss turned into something else. The celebration was just going to have to wait. Vanessa and Scott had their own celebrating to do.
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Celeste Raye’s Latest Series
Quest for Immortality
Bear-shifters might grizzle and grumble, but underneath their hulking muscles and deep honey eyes are sweet teddies who’ll stop at nothing in the name of love. Every woman longs to tame one for herself, but few dare try. Bear-shifters rule the earth they tread upon, and no man or beast can stand in their way. But high above their heads, someone else reigns the skies…Witches are both mysterious and deadly, and when the two worlds collide you’d better be ready for potent potions, sultry spells, and a whole lot of growling…
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I am a passionate writer that is OBSESSED with Paranormal Romance. I have been writing since I was a little kid and never looked back! I look forward to interacting with all of you and bringing you new hot and steamy Paranormal or Sci-Fi Romance books.
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Celeste Raye
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