by Bethany Shaw
“Stay back,” he grumbled as he pushed her further backward while keeping his eyes on the approaching pack.
Werewolves. They were the reason he was in this mess to begin with. If it weren’t for the beasts he would’ve died an old man centuries ago.
Zak kept his eye on the pack, quickly deciphering the alpha.
The alpha wolf led the way, barring his canines. The wolf let out a low growl as he stared Zak down.
Zak guessed his enemies’ movements a second before the wolf reacted. He caught the beast and twisted him as he wrapped his arms around the wolf’s middle, squeezing. A crackle and whine bit through the air, as the wolf’s back broke. Zak deposited the lifeless form on the ground and glared, growling at the rest of the pack, daring them to attack him. He could pick them off one by one right now if he desired, but until he and Cadence found out what was going on, he didn’t want to burn any possible bridges unless he had to; they might very well need the pack’s help. He shuddered at the thought—wolves were much worse than witches.
The hair on the wolves’ backs rose as they growled, each taking turns to look at their comrades. After a long moment, they backed away and left. He watched, ensuring they were long gone before he turned back to Cadence. "You all right?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "Thanks."
He nodded and curled his fingers around her wrist as he pulled her to him. “We need to get out of here,” he instructed. There could be more wolves. He wasn’t going to wait to find out.
“Where are we going?” Cadence asked as she fell into step beside him.
Zak drew in a deep breath as he looked down at his hand still on her. She hadn’t shrugged away from him. Perhaps they were making progress. He could ponder that later. “We need to get you inside before you freeze. I can smell fire coming from this direction.” He guided her towards the smell. “We could get there faster if you let me carry you,” he offered.
Cadence licked her lips and sighed as she shivered in front of him. “Okay,” she whispered as her teeth chattered.
Zak put an arm over her shoulders and bent down wrapping one around the bend in her knees. He scooped her up and clutched her close. “Ready?”
Cadence drew in a deep breath as she laced her arms around the back of his head and buried her face into his neck. “Yes.”
He held her tighter as he zipped towards the smell as fast as he could.
***
Cadence opened her eyes and yawned. She stretched and clasped the edge of the bed, catching herself before she toppled onto the floor. This wasn't her bed. Her bed was nowhere near this uncomfortable. She sat up and looked around. It took her a minute for the previous night to come back to her. Her head fell into her palms as the events of the previous night played out in her mind.
Crap. It wasn’t a nightmare.
She looked around the tiny room she was in, only a piece of fabric hung from the wall to make this an actual room. She could see the spot on the floor where Zak had slept. The blankets were scattered about as if he’d tossed and turned most of the night. For a moment, she contemplated who had the better sleeping accommodations. The bed was probably better—slightly. She might give the floor a try tonight just in case.
She stood up and flexed her sore, tight muscles thankful the pain was already disappearing now that she was upright. She tried to smooth out her black dress, but it was wrinkled beyond repair and was riding up her thighs.
"Morning," Zak said as he came into the makeshift bedroom. Cadence flustered, desperately trying to pull her dress down in an attempt to cover her creamy, bare thighs. "Sleep well?" he asked his brow quirking up as his eyes roamed over her body.
She rolled her eyes and attempted again to straighten out her dress. It really was a lost cause. "So what did you find out?" she asked, her eyes drifting to the garments in his hand.
What are those? Are those for me?
Zak had already changed into a dark brown pair of pants and a worn beige top. What is he wearing? It looks like something out of a cheap movie with really bad costumes.
"Are you sure you really want to know?" he asked handing her the garments in his hand.
"Yes," she said annoyed. They’d stumbled upon this tiny village sometime last night. It was uncivilized. She wanted to find someplace that had electricity, running water, and an indoor toilet—if that was even possible. Where the hell are we?
"Well, sweetheart, we're not in Kansas anymore," he said sarcastically.
"Funny." She rolled her eyes, but held her breath as Zak gave her a serious look.
"We're in the past," he stated patting the dress she held in her hands.
She licked her lips as her eyes traveled down to the garment in her hand. She shook it out taking in the very long, very covering somber brown dress. This was so not her style. Although it's not like she had anyone to impress here. She peeked over at Zak as red bloomed over her cheeks. Nope, no one to impress. "You sure? I thought maybe you were just trying to torture me," she said as she motioned to their surroundings and kicked the bed with her foot.
Being held captive by Zak was more appealing than the idea of being lost in time. She’d heard stories of time travel in the coven, but they were just stories. No one had actually done it; at least not for a really long time.
He laughed, flopping down on the bed. "It's not so bad." He smiled, unfazed by the lack of movement as he lay down and the thud of his body hitting the solid surface. "I've had worse."
"Zak," she warned. Her heart pattered against her ribs as she stared at him.
"Right," he sobered. "It's winter and the year is...1014 AD."
Her mind replayed his words over and over again as she tried to make sense of it. 1014 AD. How is that possible? It isn’t. This is a joke, Zak’s sick way of seeking revenge on me. “You’re lying,” she accused, narrowing her eyes at him. She tossed the dress at him and crossed her arms. “Where are we really?” she demanded.
Zak sighed as he glanced up at her from the bed. His eyes softened and he sat up and then stood. “Look around you, Cadence.”
She followed his gaze around the drab room. A fireplace sat in the corner where a gentle glow still flickered. The walls were made of stones, dirt, and something else. She already knew the bed was hell on Earth.
“Other than museums, where have you ever seen a home like this?” he questioned as he guided her to the animal skin blanket that covered part of the wall. He pried it open and she blinked against the offensive sunlight that filtered in.
Horses and people walked upon a worn, dirt path. Houses eerily similar to the one she occupied dotted the road. Oh crap. What if I am in the past?
"It's going to be okay, Cadence," Zak said quietly, laying a hand over her shoulder.
"Really?" she screeched as her voice rose to a shrill with panic.
Oh my God. I’m in the past. This is a nightmare. Wake up. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
“It’s going to be okay,” he assured again, squeezing her shoulder.
She turned back to him as she drew in a sharp breath. “How? Time travel...it’s not possible. We would need a spell, a witch, a crap ton of magic to get back. How do you know it’s going to be okay?” she rambled in one breath. “What if we can’t get home?” Oh God. What if we’re trapped here?
"Relax, Cadence. I know a witch or two we can talk to since I’m assuming time travel spells are a bit over your head, no offense. Hopefully, they can point us in the right direction. We're just going to have to be very careful. Anything we do could change the future," he warned.
Oh my God. This is really happening. Change the future. Wait a second!
"Weren’t you a human in this time?" she blurted.
The vein in his temple throbbed as an iciness masked his features. Clearly, she’d hit a nerve.
"Yes. We weren't turned until the fall of this year. That’s about six months from now, give or take." He grabbed her arm and hauled her to him. “I trust you’re not contemplating an
ything stupid.”
He was human in this time, which meant she could easily kill him and spare her coven tons of grief. No wonder he was pissed. Could she do it, though? If he died in this time, how would it effect the future? It could skew the time line in ways she couldn’t possibly imagine. He was an Original Vampire. How many vampires had he created in his time? How many lives had he taken and changed? What would it do to the future?
“There’s no telling what could happen if we alter the time line. If we change something...anything...we won’t be returning to the same future. I’m not stupid,” she told him honestly. “My coven might be at war with your clan, but I’m not going to make a move against your human self. It would change too much. It’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”
He nodded and let her go.
She let out a breath as she combed through her snarled locks with her fingers. "So when you say you know a witch, I assume you're not talking about your mom."
He gritted his teeth and met her with a hard stare. "No, Cadence. I wouldn't trust her in this time or ours."
"So what is the plan?" she wondered.
"Well, right now we are staying in a village about a day's journey from where my family resides for obvious reasons. My guess is whatever spell my mother used is centered around the full moon since magic is a bitch like that."
"Of course," she sighed. Last night had been a full moon. The full moon allowed witches to have extra energy for doing tricky spells. She imagined that probably applied to time travel spells. "We're stuck here until the next full moon."
He inclined his head telling her that she was right.
Great! I’m stuck over a thousand years in the past with my enemy. What else can go wrong?
Chapter Two
Cadence huffed and crossed her arms as they approached the little hole in the ground Zak kept her in during the day. He’d tucked her away in there the past two days. No way in hell was she going back down there again.
What in the world is he doing anyway? She probably didn’t want to know the answer to her question knowing him. He was a murderer—a monster that thrived on hurting others, like her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend. He’d turned Trent into a monster. I hope he’s okay, she thought.
"Cadence," he said turning to her.
"No," she argued, digging her heels into the ground. She was no match against his vampire strength and her active powers were hit or miss, but damn it, she wasn’t going down in that hole again without a fight. "I'm not going down there again."
"Come on, it's for your own good," he told her.
"Why can't I go with you?" she rasped. Jeez, am I really suggesting spending time with him? "Or at least let me stay in the village," she amended.
"It's not safe there. There are werewolves in that village. No doubt some of them are upset because I killed their alpha. They know you're different and not one of them, they could turn on you while I'm gone," he said offering her his hand.
She stomped her foot. "Maybe you should have thought about it before you killed him. Surely you could have fended him off until he gave up," she argued. Even she knew that was unlikely. Werewolves weren’t known for admitting defeat. They fought to the death. That’s probably why there were so few of them in their time. She’d never seen one until the other night.
"I had to establish dominance to keep the pack from attacking. It wasn’t just one of them, remember? What if one of the wolves had gotten past me and mauled you?" he paused, glaring at her as if he was daring her to respond. "You're going down there one way or another, Cadence."
"Then you're going to have to make me. I refuse to spend another day down there like a caged animal," she challenged him.
"Cadence," she heard the anger in his voice and saw the slight hint of gold streak across his eyes.
She hesitated; she was getting to him. She didn't want to push too hard considering he was Zak after all. No, he'd never hurt her before, but that didn't mean he wouldn't now. A tiny voice in her mind niggled though. Some part of her knew he’d never harm her regardless of how much she pissed him off. "I want to go with you," she said quietly. Maybe she could play at his feelings for her; anything to keep out of the blasted hole in the ground.
He shook his head and before she knew it, he'd grabbed her arm, pulled her to him and lifted her into his arms. She gasped as her stomach lurched and weightlessness encompassed her. She clung to him as he landed swiftly on his feet. A wry smirk graced his face as he put her down. Then, he ran, jumping from ledge to ledge and climbed gracefully up the wall.
"Zak," she screamed.
"It's for your own safety. Think of it as an opportunity to work on your magic. I’ll make you a deal, sweetheart, you get control of your active powers, you can come with me tomorrow," he said before he dashed away.
Cadence huffed as she sat down on the same rock she had been sitting on for the last couple of days and pulled her feet to her. She balled her fists and glared at the moss covered rock wall, again.
What is Zak doing? All he said was he was trying to keep her safe. Obviously, he didn’t trust her with whatever it was he was doing. She supposed she couldn’t blame him for that. After all, her coven had just tried to kill him, and she’d played a huge part in that. Still, there was nothing to do here. Why couldn’t they end up in a time where there was TV or electronics? She needed something to pass the time.
Maybe she could take him up on his advice and practice magic. No one was around for miles. She could practice without interruption—or incident.
Without incident; at least I can’t hurt anyone down here except myself. My powers might be bound, but for some reason I still have them. If I learn to use them...
Her eyes darted to the spot where Zak had disappeared. She needed to learn how to defend herself. At least then she stood a fighting chance against the angry vampire.
In his defense, Zak had never hurt her. He had a weird obsession with her if anything. It was a little flattering, but she didn’t want to encourage it. Why was someone like Zak, a powerful vampire—a man who could have any woman he wanted, interested in her?
***
Zak hesitated as he neared the spot he had been keeping Cadence. She was getting angrier by the day. He knew it was wrong to trap her down there, yet, he didn't trust her, and he couldn't leave her in the village where werewolves dwelled. He really was trying to keep her safe. He had killed the alpha and though he knew they wouldn't attack him, if he were gone he didn't know what they would do to Cadence. The pretty witch was defenseless.
Her petite form came into view and he tilted his head to the side as he took her in. Cadence’s attention was fixated on a small boulder propped on top of a grassy hill. She nibbled her bottom lip as she held her hand out toward it. A fine sheen of sweat beaded on her brow and she grunted as the rock wiggled and wobbled.
Perhaps her time alone wasn’t such a bad idea. If she could learn to harness her active powers she would be a formidable ally in a fight—assuming they continued to work together. They were friendly, for the most part, in this time, but they wouldn’t be here forever.
He gritted his teeth. The full moon was still a few weeks away, but where would they stand when they returned home? Her coven was at war with his vampire clan. That wouldn’t change in a month’s time. For all he knew, their disappearance would only make things worse.
Cadence mumbled and dropped to her knees as the boulder rolled a few inches. She pitched forward, supporting her weight with her hands as she wheezed. Frowning, he leapt down into the steep ravine and raced toward her. She was over exerting herself. “Are you okay?” he asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged away from him and shakily stood up. The smell of her blood hit him. He grasped her shoulders and spun her around. Blood dribbled from her nostrils, coating her pink lips with red. "What are you doing?" he snapped, giving her a shake. "You are hurting yourself."
A witch’s nose only bled when they’d been attempting to do too much. If she pu
shed too hard, she could cause herself serious damage.
She shrugged away from him. "You told me to practice. So I did. The sooner I learn to control my powers the better. Then you can’t trap me down here like an animal," she argued.
"You're hurting yourself," he stated again looking her over. What is she thinking? A wave of guilt consumed him; this was his fault for leaving her down here.
"Well, I'm not going to just sit down here and twiddle my thumbs all day. It's boring. If you don't like it then do something about it," she challenged as she met his gaze.
His eyes widened at her demand. No one spoke to him like that. They were too afraid. "Believe me or not, I am trying to keep you safe, Cadence."
"No, you're keeping me prisoner down here while you do God knows what all day," she accused. “Let me guess,” she continued as she poked him with her finger. “I can’t go because you’re killing people. You’re probably murdering villagers and compelling innocent people. News flash, I already know what a monster you are. You don’t have to hide it from me.”
He snorted and shook his head. Her words cut through him like a knife. Is that really how she sees me? Yes, he did those things, though, not since they’d been here. "I've been meeting with a witch," he admitted in a low voice.
"Well, if that's all..." she trailed off staring at him.
"Cadence," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want her going with him. She didn't need to see that side of him.
He had gone to his youngest brother, Harrison. His brother had always been the strongest witch of his siblings. Yes, his brother was young, but he could handle it. Not to mention, Zak had lost him so many centuries ago, it was nice to see him alive and well. Was it wrong to want to spend time with him?
"You're not doing anything stupid? Something that could change the future, are you?" she questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.
