The Witch, The Wolf and The Vampire Series Boxed Set

by A. K. Michaels

  As the pregnancy progressed, her men treated her like fine china that they were afraid would break, and although it was nice to be fussed over, she was becoming weary. She just wanted it to be over.

  The nursery was ready, redecorated, and everything delivered and set to go, although they had a smaller rocking crib in the corner of their main bedroom. She wanted the baby with them for the first few weeks. She didn’t have the enhanced abilities of her Vampire and Wolf, and she didn’t want even the remote chance that she may not hear her child cry. The men agreed, albeit with indulgent smiles.

  At this moment, she was waddling towards a department store to meet Tania. Her friend had an important date night with Donovan and she wanted Peri’s opinion on a dress she had seen. Peri would really much rather have been sitting at home with her feet up, but she had promised, so here she was. She knew Donovan wasn’t far behind her, together with at least one other of his men. She wondered how they could do this without him seeing the actual dress beforehand.

  She shouldn’t have worried. Tania had known her man would be around, so she was already there with two dresses in the ladies’ changing room, away from any prying eyes.

  “Hi,” Peri said as she saw her friend and Tania whirled around, grabbing her in a hug.

  “Hi, I am so glad you came. I know you’re tired ‘n’ stuff, so I really appreciate it. I guess my hunk is following you?” Tania looked over Peri’s shoulder trying to spy her man but failed.

  “Yes, he’s about, though I don’t know why you keep trying to see him, you know he’s too good at his job for that.” Peri followed Tania towards the changing area and sank down on the first available seat.

  “I know, but I just wanted a quick fix to keep me going until tonight! You know it’s four months tonight since he first kissed me? Well, truth is it was more than a kiss that night...”

  “Tania! Stop, I don’t need all the info, I get it, it’s a big anniversary.” Peri laughed as Tania stopped and blushed slightly.

  “Sorry, I’m just so excited. I think tonight is gonna be big! Like in huge! I think he’s going to ask to bond with me...”

  “What? That’s wonderful, Tania, I’m really happy for you.” Peri stood up and gave her a kiss on her cheek before sitting back down gratefully.

  “Well, he’s been hinting about it, saying he was getting ‘antsy’ because we weren’t bonded properly. Said ‘It’s not right, Tania, we should be properly bonded,’ or words to that effect. So I’m thinking he’s gonna ask me tonight about it and if he does...I’m gonna say yes. He makes me so happy, Peri. I’ve never felt like this in my life and the sex...”

  “Enough! I’m happy for you, but I have a Vampire and a Wolf, so I know all about being happy in the bedroom!”

  “Of course you do, silly me, anyway I want to look good tonight, so I’ve managed to get it down to two dresses. Wait there and I’ll try them on.”

  Tania darted away as Peri let out a long sigh. She was tired, uncomfortable, and a little cranky. Josef was working on some takeover or other, and when she left, Gabe was going over everything for the baby. He had a long list in his hand, which he was triple checking, making sure that they had everything. As she walked out she shook her head, they had checked the list so many times the paper would soon need to be rewritten due to the amount of ticks on it.

  “Well?” Tania’s voice interrupted her daydreaming, turning to see her friend standing a few feet in front of her.

  She looked gorgeous, no, more than gorgeous – she looked like a model out of one of those fancy magazines that Tania was always reading. The dress was a turquoise blue, figure hugging with a low cowl neckline that was very revealing. Peri thought that if Tania wasn’t careful, she would be showing a lot more than a little skin.

  “It’s beautiful...you’re beautiful...Donovan is a lucky man. But how do you stop your, uhm, boobs from popping out?”

  Tania giggled. “Tape, there’s a double-sided tape I use to hold the dress in discreet places.”

  Peri just stared, she would never feel comfortable in something so revealing. However, it suited her friend, and she looked stunning with the silk skimming her body.

  “Okay, now for dress two.”

  Tania about-turned and disappeared again, though she was back in moments. A vision in green this time. This dress stopped just above her knees with a slit on one side to mid-thigh, and a pleated front that was a halter-style with the straps of cloth being tied behind her neck and covered by her glorious mane of hair.

  “That’s the one – it’s lovely and you look really hot in it, by the way. Donovan won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

  Tania giggled again. “That’s the plan.”

  She turned around, walking away to change, when she came back, she stuck her head out of the entrance to the changing rooms, “Listen, I don’t want him seeing this, could you go on ahead and I’ll get you outside, I’ll pay and be straight down, and then we can grab a bit of lunch?”

  Peri stood up, although it was a bit of a strain doing so, and smiled. “Of course, he’ll follow me out, and I’ll meet you outside. Hurry, though. I can’t stand long in this state.”

  “I’ll be quick, I promise,” Tania called after her as Peri waddled back out onto the floor of the store and towards the entrance.

  The heat hit as soon as she left the store, and she prayed Tania wouldn’t be long. She needed a long cold drink, some food, preferably somewhere she would rest her legs on a spare seat.

  She was wondering what to have for lunch when everything went to hell in a hand-basket!

  Chapter 19

  Peri walked to the edge of the canopy hanging over the store's entrance, staying beneath it and out of the direct sun. This was the hottest time of the day and the sidewalk was empty, folks either drove or stayed inside as the heat reached its maximum. Anyone with any sense that is, she thought.

  She heard the door swoosh behind her and knew that at least one of her guards had arrived. Turning her head she saw Donovan with a lopsided smile on his face. “Hi,” she smiled back, liking this man very much after getting to know him better through quite a few double dates.

  “Hi, are you sure you want to wait here? It’s hot out, maybe you should wait inside?”

  She was just about to answer when a car stopped, a young man who looked familiar got out, walking to stand next to her. She had half a smile on her face, as she was sure she recognized him, but she heard Donovan snarl loudly.

  Her head swirled around, seeing Donovan’s fangs were out and his face was terrifying. He took one step then stopped...as if something held him back. Turning quickly, she saw the man she thought she knew hold one hand up, and the look on his face told her something very important.

  She was in trouble. Big trouble.

  Her heart stopped beating as she saw Donovan’s face change from anger to someone that was in extreme pain. She saw him fighting with every ounce of his strength to get to her, his huge body straining as he tried to move forward. She knew everything happened in mere seconds, but it seemed to last a lifetime. She watched on in horror as his eyes bulged with the effort and pain.

  Her hand moved out, as if trying to help him, but it was in vain, as she saw his body shuddering, tensing in his struggle to move. She could feel the magic in the air all around them as he fought to help her, his pain almost palpable, and tears filled her eyes, knowing what was going to happen...but unable to stop it.

  Finally, his eyes found hers. “I’m sorry...” was all he got out before he fell to the ground.

  A scream tore from her throat as the other guard flew through the doorway – only to be met with the same fate, except quicker. The younger Vampire wasn’t nearly as strong as Donovan, and the man collapsed with a terrible shriek tearing from his throat.

  She took a step in their direction, desperate to help...even if she was certain they were dead. Her foot didn’t reach the
sidewalk as she was wrenched backwards and through the rear door of the car. She tried to open it as soon as it was slammed shut, but nothing she did released the door's mechanism. Her eyes sought and found Tania as she ran out, falling to her knees beside her man.

  The keening sound that tore from Tania’s throat as they drove away would echo in Peri's mind for a very long time.

  “Who are you? Let me out now!” She was panicking and trying not to. Try and keep a clear head, she told herself, but seeing Donovan killed so easily had fear invading her entire being.

  “Be quiet!” the young man said. The hatred in those two words was clear.

  Who was he? Why did he just do that? And why the hell did he hate her? She had no idea, she only knew her baby was in danger, and she had to figure out a way to keep her son safe.

  “So, we finally meet. The famous, or rather, infamous, Persephone. Or should I call you what your Vampire and Wolf call you? Peri, isn’t it?”

  The way the man said Vampire and Wolf showed just how he felt about them, and Peri's stomach roiled as if she was going to throw up.

  “Who are you and why have you taken me?” she asked again, not exactly knowing the first, but guessing this was the acolyte. Why he had taken her in this fashion she had no idea, unless it was to kill her and her baby.

  The driver laughed, a horrible sound within the confines of the car. She sneaked a look at him and recognized him from her father’s sect. This was definitely her father’s acolyte and she was in serious trouble.

  “I said be quiet!”

  She shrank back into her seat, terrified he would do something to hurt the baby.

  She sat still and prayed, not to a god of any kind, she prayed to her mates, hoping that they could hear her...and get to her in time. As she concentrated on that she winced in pain, her stomach cramping hard and long.

  Oh no, please, she begged, not now, please not now. She tried to relax in the hope it was her fear that had caused the cramping in her stomach. A few moments later, when another stronger one hit, she knew it wasn’t. She didn’t make a sound, tried hard not to let them know...she had gone into early labor.

  “Not far now,” the acolyte spoke, but she wasn’t sure if it was aimed at her, or if he was talking to himself.

  She tried to figure out where she was, but failed. It was certainly an almost derelict area with empty buildings all around, totally abandoned of life. Peri realized that just screaming at the top of her lungs wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Her first priority was the child in her belly, the one who had chosen this moment to be born. Your timing sucks, son, she thought ruefully.

  The driver steered the car right inside a warehouse, then jumped out, pulling shut the large wooden door. It was broken in several places, but still barred entry. The acolyte also got out, opening the door on Peri's side, pulling her roughly from her relative safety. She fell to her knees, and they burned where the hard ground scraped them, just as another contraction hit. She breathed heavily through her mouth, desperate not to let them know she was in labor.

  She was dragged over to a corner, where a filthy mattress lay on the ground. She scrambled for it, wanting to put as much distance as she could between her and the acolyte’s touch. He stood looking down at her with a sick smile on his face. Peri's mind raced, trying to remember why she thought she knew him.

  “I can see it, you know. Your mind working to figure out who I am. Who it is that I remind you of? Come now, Persephone, surely you can tell?”

  She shook her head, still trying to keep the rather strong contraction she was having secret.

  “How stupid are you? Firstly, I know you’re in labor – it was me that started it. Secondly, can’t you even recognize your own fucking brother?!”

  Peri gasped. She stared up into those eyes – eyes that almost but didn’t quite match her mother’s. Dear God, this can’t be true, she thought as her mind started to fracture from the shock.

  “How?” was all she managed.

  “How? How what? How did I start your labor? Or how is it I’m your brother?”

  “Both,” she whimpered as pain lanced through her abdomen.

  “First is very easy, a simple spell to get it started. Second, not quite as easy. As you know, our father wanted a girl – a Persephone of his own. When I was born, he was so angry, he gave me away. I was brought up on the outskirts of our little community, and he didn’t even acknowledge me properly until you left. Guess he thought it was better to have a son than no child at all.”

  He started to pace back and forth as he spoke. She kept her eyes on him, sensing his growing anger. She was pretty sure that anger was aimed at her.

  “Why? Why have you brought me here? Our father was sick! A fucking insane psycho – he tortured me my entire life. He gave you away, for Christ’s sake. So why are you doing this?” Her voice grew stronger as she thought about her father and her hatred for him.

  “Why? Because you took him away from me! We were only just starting. We had a vision of what we were going to achieve...and you destroyed that!”

  Peri shook her head, her brother was as insane as her father. Maybe it was a man thing in her family, though she prayed that wasn’t the case...she was carrying a son.

  She had no idea, only knew she had to play for time. Time to let her men find her.

  “So why have you brought me here?”

  “Why? Surely you’ve figured that out? For my nephew, of course! Oh yes, I know it’s a boy you’re carrying in that belly of yours, and that boy is coming with me.”

  Her breath left her, and she couldn’t pull another one inside her lungs. No! There was no way in hell she was letting him get his hands on her son...she’d die first.

  “You’ll stay here, we’ll see how the labor goes, but I have to tell you, sister, I’m an impatient man. If that child isn’t born soon, I’ll tear it from your womb myself!”

  “Why? What do you want with my child?!” Peri held her hands over the large bump as she all but screamed up into his face.

  “Why? Are you so stupid you haven’t figured it out? Because I can!” he roared down at her. “Plus, I want to see that fear and horror on your face as you realize he will be mine to do with as I fucking please! I may be kind, and bring him up as my own...then again, I may just torture him every single day of his life. What will that do to you, sister? Every day you wake not knowing how he is, what I’m doing to him? Will that drive you insane? I think it may just do that with your imagination going into overdrive, every single fucking second of every single fucking day!”

  She couldn’t help the tears that ran from her eyes now, as another contraction caused her to gasp and hold her belly tightly as it passed.

  He turned and walked away, joining the driver and another man at an old wooden table on the far side of the warehouse. If she hadn’t been pregnant, she would’ve made a run for it, but with this large belly and being in labor, she knew she didn’t stand a chance.

  Another pain hit and it was the strongest so far, her breathing came fast as she tried to ride through the pain. She was glad that she had a summer dress on as her temperature shot up. She laid her small purse on the filthy mattress and placed her head on it, not wanting her hair to come in contact with goodness knows what.

  As she lay down she moved her head, trying to get comfortable, something digging into her. Her eyes widened – phone! She had her phone in her purse.

  She groaned aloud as another pain took over, rolling onto her side, pulling her legs up to her chest trying to get some relief. At the same time, she pulled her purse from underneath her head, wondering why he hadn’t taken it from her. Surely he would know she had a phone? Everyone had a phone nowadays.

  She rode the pain of the contraction while pulling her phone free, it was still on ‘silent’ and she thanked her lucky stars she had done that before meeting Tania. It was something she did if she were going to a restaurant, a
s she would be embarrassed if her phone rang. She saw straight away a dozen missed calls, Gabe and Josef’s numbers popping up.

  Looks like they know something is wrong, she thought. She didn’t want to make a voice call, they would hear her if she did, so she sent a text. ‘I’m in a warehouse and I’m in labor, the baby is coming.’ She didn’t think she needed to put anything else. She didn’t know where she was, so couldn’t help them in that, but she needed her men to know their child was coming.

  She and the baby needed them, and she only hoped they could free her in time.

  She got a response almost immediately. “We’ll find you, we’re coming to get you, hang on.”

  She relaxed slightly before another pain engulfed her. This was much worse than the others, bringing a moan from her lips, although she tried to breathe through the pain, as doctor Allan's nurse had previously instructed. This contraction was terrifyingly strong. She could actually feel her son moving downwards towards the canal that would bring him forth into the world.

  She didn’t think they had a lot of time before she would be delivering, so she sent another panicked text. ‘Need to hurry, he’s coming.’

  She wasn’t sure how long she laid there, pain after pain hitting her body, every one getting stronger and she bit through her bottom lip trying not to scream. Peri didn’t want to give her brother the satisfaction.

  As another pain hit she felt a gush of liquid between her legs...her water had broken. She moved her dress out of the way and pulled her underwear down, off, and placed them to the side before covering herself again.

  Her throat was bone dry and she was soaking wet, sweat covering her entire body, as she lay on the filthy mattress, hoping her men would arrive in time to save their child.

  *****

  “What!” Josef almost roared into his phone, as he listened to Tania’s babbling. He couldn’t possibly be hearing her correctly...Donovan and Simon dead and Peri gone?