by Holly Hook
Edwin faces one cousin, a young woman whose name I forget. “We called on our old protector spirits to shield you from the dark spirits. They did their job. I'm surprised our protector spirits still exist, because we haven't fed them with attention in years. It took the entire coven to summon them. It appears they kept Romulus's spirit from taking you, too.”
“Are they around us now?” I ask.
Edwin shakes his head. “Not now. We must give them more attention before they become strong enough to protect you on their own. That's a process that can take up to months. Do not consider the curse removed yet.”
“If your protector spirits work so well, why did you leave Breck in the first place?” I ask. The pack deserves answers. Then it hits me. “You knew I came from both royal lines, didn't you? That's the real reason you left. It wasn't just to shame Leonora's parents.”
Everyone in the room freezes. Aunt May stares at me with horror. This is news to her since she doesn't have that blood.
Edwin glares at me. The attitude is back. “I told your father it was dangerous to marry your mother because any child they‘d have might be dangerous and at risk. But your mother didn't want to believe she was one of Romulus's human descendants. The thought was too awful for her. So she married your father, and I knew the best way to protect you was to pretend you did not exist. After the Savages destroyed your parents, we were out of good options.”
“You leaving was a terrible option,” I say. Edwin is proud. I read that in his shoulders. “You left because you didn't want to screw up. And that's why you shame everybody else. If you hadn't gone, this curse might not have happened.”
He flinches. “You know nothing,” he says.
Behind Edwin, Mr. Russell smiles. We've scored a point.
Edwin frowns. “You need me,” he says. “Our protection will change everything. And the coven has been attempting to reach the spirit of Remus for years. With great effort and with your presence, we may do it.”
“Remus? His spirit is still around?”
“It would help us if it were,” Edwin says. “Remus hasn't had a cult worshipping him and feeding him with attention all these years. Perhaps his spirit has faded or moved on to another realm. We don't know what happens beyond this world. But we will continue to try.”
The air thickens as we stare at each other. Another power struggle comes to life.
“Brie,” Cayden whispers. “We should go.” He links his hand with mine. “To my place or yours, I don't care.”
He‘s right. Arguing with Edwin right now won‘t lead anywhere good. I lay my head on Cayden's shoulders. “My place. It's far from here. But we have to get there quick.”
Love helped to dispel Romulus. Edwin won‘t admit that.
If the door to possession and destruction is murder and hate, then I'll close it tonight with love. I won't let the Savage King ruin us. Even if the act strengthens our bond to where I'll die for Cayden.
* * * * *
It's clear there's no further progress we can make tonight. The curse remains, but at least we have protection. And arguing with Edwin will not improve our situation. He's right we need him and the whole Coven if we're to have a chance.
If Romulus is a spirit, his twin might be, too.
Weak, but if we can find him, then we can strengthen him. And I'm key to that.
With that thought swirling through my head, I walk hand in hand with Cayden back to my house. We rush, leaving Aunt May to pack the clothes I left. Minutes are precious and even though I'm alpha, I won't command her to stay out of the house all night. That's something a Savage would do.
Besides, Cayden and I aren't out of the woods yet. The curse remains, but now there's hope. And I will enjoy it tonight.
The house is empty as I unlock it and lead Cayden up the stairs. Smiling, I close my door and lock that, too, just in case. “You know, if I hear my aunt coming, we'll cut it short,” I say.
Cayden grins. “You have the best hearing. Try not to get too distracted. We know that's a problem.”
“You'll be the one distracting me.” Heart racing and body zinging with electricity, I reach into my purse and hand Cayden the condom I've been saving for this occasion. He smiles and nods. Then I light the patchouli candle on my desk and turn everything else off. Candlelight flickers against Cayden's features as I pull him in for a kiss. I want the first time to be extra special.
We help each other with our clothes, wasting no time and savoring the moment, though we've seen each other before. But this time it's different. We're meant to be together, and though we might die, we need to live. We'll never be safe. If we wait, there won't be anything to protect.
Being together might put us both at risk, but it's worth it. Tonight, we defy all those who would tear love apart. I close some doors and open others.
Cayden and I move together, waves in the ocean, faster and faster. The electric bond between us tightens. Turns to steel. We're the same. Mates forever. Nothing can break us apart. At last we collapse and the sea returns to calm, sparkling under the sun.
Cayden sighs against my ear as we snuggle. The candle flickers, making circles on the ceiling.
"I don't hear Aunt May yet," I say.
"Come on. Don't spoil the moment," he says.
"You're right. Who knows when we get another one? Mate." I wrap my arm around Cayden's perfect chest.
He smiles. "We won't let anything tear us apart."
"Hey. What if I get possessed?"
"You won't let that happen, Brie. You're still Noble. Like attracts like. And you didn't kill Mr. Saffron."
"Why are we talking about him now?" I make a pouty face.
"Sorry."
"Should we sleep?" I ask. "Or just lay here and talk for the rest of the night?"
"Well, I kind of want to catch up after I was gone for so long. Sure, it was a few days, but it felt like forever."
"Don't do it again," I say, kissing him on the cheek. "If we're going to make it through this, we have to keep the darkness out. No more running. This is our territory and our world, and it's not all bad. We're going to fight."
END OF BOOK FOUR
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Holly Hook is the author of several Young Adult fantasy, science fiction, fairytale, post-apocalyptic and adventure series. She has been writing since very young and publishing her work since September of 2010.
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