by R Murray
“So, she played the oldest trick in the book. The damsel in distress. She is a spy, and I do not believe she can be trusted. She is working for the Lamia,” Bardou insisted.
“If that was the case Bardou, the Lamia would be all over us by now. She has had enough chances to go to them, she has not. She has been watched the whole time. Yet they have not been near us. So, I suppose that should tell you that you are wrong about her,” Raff pointed out. He could see Bardou consider his words, but he was certain the older wolf was not convinced. He did not have time to add anything as just in that moment voices could be heard within the lodge, both men glanced at each other before getting up and making their way back indoors.
Emilie could feel her heart pounding as they approached the building, Bardou made her uneasy, it was those stormy eyes and his powerful, dominant presence that intimidated her. She knew that he did not like or trust her. As they stepped into the lodge both Conan and Maccon disappeared to transform back and throw on some clothes, leaving Emilie to stoke the fire and remove her own red cloak. She felt the other two wolves before they even entered the room and she could tell straight away that Bardou was not happy.
“So, the damsel and her wolves return. Care to tell us where the three of you were?” Bardou's deep voice rang through the room causing Emilie to shiver at his words. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him, her eyes flicking to where Maccon and Conan were standing just behind the two older wolves. The gentle look held in Maccon's grey eyes, the promise in them that he was there with her, the encouragement she felt him give her mentally to tell the truth relaxed her. He had become her rock, she was always safe in his protection, he was her wolf and she his mate, that would never change, not now.
“It was my fault. I had gotten bored while you were all talking, and so I left to go in search of a dear friend of mine.”
“Why would you need to seek out a friend, and not inform us where you were going?” Bardou cut in. Emilie bristled at his question firing back.
“I do not need to tell you where I go. I am free to leave.”
Bardou stepped forward, his eyes narrowed dangerously and Emilie was sure that she had seen a fang threaten to slide out. She heard Maccon snarl in warning, and she reached out to him assuring him that she was fine.
“You do when I am here. I want to know your every move until I am certain that we can trust you. They may like you, but I have yet to make my mind up about you girl,” Bardou hissed. Emilie held his menacing gaze steadily, making sure not to break eye contact nor to show fear.
“Then I am sorry I did not tell you where I went. But you will want to hear what it is I found out. We were attacked by vampires, freshly turned from what Conan and Maccon tell me. It seems my dear friend was coming to find me anyway, for he had news. A warning not just to me but to you all. You are in great danger, the Lamia know that you are here, they know that you seek the child;” Emilie paused taking a deep breath, what she was about to say would reveal her secret, the fact that she was a witch and would only confirm Bardou's suspicions of her. But she had to if she was to give the pack a chance to save their lives.
“My sister, the Black Witch, she has submitted herself to Thanatos. She is powerful beyond anything I could ever hope to be and with Thanatos at her side they will be unstoppable. You must leave France. Go home to England before they kill you. They will never hand you over what it is you want, because they do not know where she is,” Emilie warned them.
The room fell silent as each of them waited for Bardou's reaction to this turn of events. Emilie stepped back as Bardou moved towards her. He kept stalking up to her as she backed from him step by step until she felt her back against the wall. This time she could not hide the fear that was pulsing through her as his large frame towered over her. A large hand fell on either side of her head as he leaned in, eyes piercing through her own, fangs on show. His voice was ice cold as he spoke.
“I knew you were not a human, I could smell it on you. Now I do not care that these fools trust you, but I do not. I suggest you leave this house, and I do not want to see you again. If I smell you anywhere near the other three, I will kill you.”
“Not if I kill you first,” Maccon snarled as he suddenly pulled Bardou from Emilie and slung him across the room. Emilie watched stunned as Maccon bared his own teeth. He was challenging the alpha and Emilie knew by the look on the other two face that he was not ready or strong enough to win this fight.
“No Maccon please! Please do not do this! I understand, it is fine I will leave,” she pleaded. She could not bear the thought of the man she loved being torn apart in front of her. To her relief Maccon turned his attention to her, the pain held in his beautiful eyes broke her heart. She had done it again, she had fallen for the enemy, only this time she was not going to let him lose his life because of her. Not being able to look at him anymore she grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around herself. Fixing a cold stare on the alpha,
“Just think about what I said Bardou. You have good men; do not pit them against such a great power until you are certain you can defeat it.” And with those last words and a heavy heart she left the lodge. The last sound she heard coming from the building was the pain filled howl that erupted from Maccon as he realised, as did she, that for now they could not be together. If ever they could be together at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Melaina stared silently out onto the grounds of the palace as she processed the news she had just received. Nikolas was dead, though it sounded like he had died fighting and with her sister at his side. She felt a wave of guilt rush over her and she brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry, though she could not stop the tears from falling as she dared to show a rare emotion: Grief.
She and Nikolas had parted on bad terms, and that was what upset her the most. He had been her mentor for three centuries and she was finding it hard to imagine what it would be like to not have him around. But that was just it, he would not have been around. Not now, now that she had given her soul to Thanatos. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, she had to gather her thoughts and put her grief aside. It had been said that two wolves had come to the aid of the witches which only confirmed what Melaina already knew. Emilie was no longer on her side. She was the enemy now.
A sudden shiver ran down her spine as she felt eyes on her. Melaina knew who it was without even turning around to face the person staring at her.
“Did you send the newly turned vampires to kill them?” she asked, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice.
“Come now Melaina, you cannot tell me you are upset by the old witch's death? He was way past his time. It was a shame your sister did not meet the same fate also,” Thanatos replied smoothly. Melaina spun around to face him, her eyes aflame with anger at his mocking tone, and the smirk on his lips only fuelled her anger all the more.
“You bastard! Why? He was a good and loyal servant to the Lamia. Your brother was devastated by his death!” she spat. Thanatos shrugged, though his eyes darkened as he replied.
“I did it because he was on his was to warn your sister about what was coming. Warn her about you and I. Tell her about her daughter and all she is.” Melaina let out a breath and dropped down on a chair. She understood why, but it did not make the pain any easier.
“Melaina take this as warning. This is what happens to anyone that betrays me. I told you this, and I do not care who that person is. They die if I cannot trust them,” Thanatos warned.
“What do we do now?” Melaina asked quietly.
“Now we need to get your sister back where she belongs. You will bring her to me and then you will do whatever it takes to get her to tell you where the child is. I know that there is a magic so dark that you can undo any spell she has placed on the child. You need to figure out how to weave that spell and you will perform it on her,” Thanatos replied. His voice was calm but Melaina could hear the threat that hid between the lines, and she knew that if she did not bring Emilie to him she would e
nd up like Nikolas. Thanatos may love her, but he would still destroy her if she did not please him. The thought angered her as she realized how weak she sounded, this was not who she was. If she was to bring him what he wanted he needed to see her as a partner not some pawn he could move around on a chessboard as and how he pleased. Standing she moved in front of him. Her sapphire eyes had turned the colour of ice, her voice matching the cold glare she fixed on him.
“I will get my sister, but I am not your pawn. We are partners Thanatos, lovers. I may have given you my soul, but I did not do it just to save my life but because I love you, and I can think of no one else I would give myself to. We both want the same thing; we both live in the world of darkness and thrive on it. Why not as equals? I am not weak, and I will not be treated like one of your slaves. You bed me, therefor I am your mate.” Thanatos did not move, he did not speak for several moments, but Melaina could tell that he was considering all that she had said. Finally, he broke into a large grin, his eyes danced with desire and his voice was filled with lust as he spoke.
“You are something special Melaina my dark witch. We are equals in this, you are right. You are my mate. Now let me show you just how grateful I am to have such a power at my side.”
Melaina did not have a chance to respond as his lips were on hers in a deep and desperate kiss. He scooped her up in his arms and gently placed her on the bed. The growl that echoed from his lips as he rid her of her clothes caused a dark smile to cross her features as she gazed at him through hooded eyes. She knew she was in for a good if not a little painful reward.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The trees sped by Emilie in a blur as she ran from the wolves and straight back to Paris. She had to get away and she had to find Lorcan. The wind bit hungrily at her face causing the tears that were falling to feel like ice slicing her delicate skin. She could not get the image of Maccon out of her mind, the hurt in his eyes as he silently begged her not to leave him and the pain in the howl that had followed her as she had fled. She hated Bardou for what he had done, for not listening to her warning. Now she feared for the lives of the three wolves she had come to love and their brothers who were about to walk into a war they could not win.
She had been so lost in her dark thoughts that she did not notice she had already reached the gates of the city. Stopping for a moment she took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts being sure to block her presence from Thanatos and Melaina. She could not let them know she was back for she was sure they would have her arrested the moment they knew she was there. She headed towards the palace, certain to keep hidden in the shadows, her senses on high alert. She had to find Lorcan and speak with him as Nikolas had begged her to do. She needed to know the truth about her daughter and just what was at stake. To her relief the gates of the palace were open as trade was being brought in and she managed to slip past the guards after casting a simple spell over them. She stopped them from noticing her as she walked past. Emilie was about to enter the building when she spotted Lorcan sitting reading in his favourite part of the gardens. Scanning the immediate area, she could see no threat and when reaching her mind to wander the palace halls she found that Thanatos and Melaina were in fact not even in the building. They were probably out looking for her she guessed. Letting out a deep breath of relief she made her way to Lorcan.
“I wondered when you would come Emilie. Please sit. Do not worry, my brother and your sister are not here,” he spoke, alarming her as she had made sure that she would not startle him with her presence. She did as he asked and sat silently next to him, he flashed her a gentle smile.
“I could feel you coming. Sneaking into the grounds by blocking the minds of the guards and I felt you reach out your mind to assure all was safe. I assume, because you are here, Nikolas found you and had enough time to tell you to come to me. I heard you both fought well and with the help of our enemies,” he said softly.
“He did. And I will not lie Lorcan, I do not want to be part of the games of the Lamia anymore; I just want to know what type of danger my daughter is in. I want to know the truth about her,” Emilie told him, she felt Lorcan's crimson eyes bore into her, but he did not reply to her declaration, choosing instead to answer the question about the child.
“Your daughter, if found, will be in grave danger. Now that the wolves know of her existence they will be hunting her also. She is the only one that can give them the gift of immortality. She is more powerful than any of us. She is your blood Emilie and you are one of the only witches that possess the Dark Blood. Then of course, her father was my brother Aleron. As he was one of the three brothers who carry the Dark Blood; she has his power. Thanatos will find a way to break you Emilie, to get into your mind and reverse the spell you placed on her. Your sister will call upon the power of the darkest magic to do what he demands. You are no longer safe here,” Lorcan explained to her.
“Lorcan I do not know where she is; even if they were able to reverse the spell I still cannot help them find her. She will have become so use to running, to hiding, to keeping herself safe, she may have put her own protection on herself so that she cannot be found,” Emilie explained. Lorcan nodded patting her hand gently.
“I know that Emilie, but it will not stop Thanatos and Melaina from trying. You must leave tonight. And keep yourself hidden.”
“But where will I go? I have nowhere,” Emilie cried.
“Go to England. They will not hunt you there, not straight away. It will give you time to figure out what to do and maybe start your own search for your daughter,” Lorcan suggested. Emilie nodded, about to answer when a voice interrupted them.
“I knew that you were a spy witch,” came the deep snarl of Bardou. Emilie froze and spun around to face him, the King was already on his feet. His handsome features had turned to reveal the monster he was within, his eyes turned to red slits as he fangs extended. He positioned himself in front of Emilie, but she was the one that spoke.
“Bardou! How did you know I was here?” a realization hit her. “You followed me?” She watched him flash her a dark smile and she cursed herself from not being more careful.
“It was so easy to follow you without you knowing. You were so consumed with grief over leaving Maccon that your mind was not concentrating on your surroundings,” he shrugged as he stepped forward. “Now we could make this very easy and you could willingly come with me, or I am willing to kill to get the prize,” Bardou said menacingly, his eyes falling on Lorcan who hissed in warning as he stepped closer.
“She is not going anywhere with you, you flea infested dog.” Bardou barked out a laugh and Emilie felt her body go cold, she knew that a fight was inevitable and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Ouch that hurt. But I do not see the problem. You are going to England anyway. Why not come as my guest?” Bardou mocked. Emilie felt her own anger rising as she retorted back.
“I will not go anywhere with you. You made it quite clear you did not want me near you or the rest of the pack. I am only doing as you asked.”
“That was until I found out who you were, and it seems you will prove very useful to me,” Bardou replied, he took another step forward and Lorcan snarled blocking him. Emilie watched as Bardou's eyes turned a dangerous amber, the colour she knew meant he was about to change. It was not long before a great grey wolf stood before them. Bardou was the most magnificent beast Emilie had ever seen. The power rippled through the muscles under his fur as he stalked the vampire. His jaw was strong and deadly; the fangs that protruded from it were razor sharp. His deep amber eyes were filled with murderous rage and Emilie knew he would not stop until Lorcan was dead. She could not allow another to die because of her.
“Bardou stop! I will come with you just let Lorcan live,” Emilie pleaded but her words were lost as the wolf lunged at the vampire.
Lorcan was taken by surprise and in one easy move Bardou was towering over him, teeth bared and snarling down into the vampire's face. Emilie closed her eyes and chanted a
spell in a hope to protect the King, but she felt a block. Opening her eyes, she saw that Lorcan was now on his feet and the pair were circling each other. Lorcan had blocked Emilie's spell and Emilie knew why, he could not let a witch help him, he was one of the Lamia brothers he would not cheat. This was a fight to the death and there was nothing Emilie could do to stop it. She sank down on the bench and let her tears fall as she watched. She could run she knew, yet she found that her legs would not work. If she ran Bardou would find her if Lorcan did not kill him first.
She watched as Lorcan struck the wolf hard, sending him skidding along the ground. Emilie wondered how no one was coming to Lorcan's aid. She reached out her mind and found the reason: the wolf had killed the guards before he had come to them. She was brought back to reality by a mighty cry. She watched horrified as Bardou gathered himself from the ground and ran at Lorcan; grabbing him in his strong jaw and clamping down hard on the vampire. He shook him, as Maccon had shook one of the younger ones just the other day and then flung him so he landed heavily by Emilie's feet. Emilie threw her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream as Lorcan looked up at her with dead eyes, blood was trickling from his mouth, his body was shattered.
“Run” he gasped, and Emilie did not need any more encouragement. Staggering to her feet she turned and ran; but she could not run fast enough to block out the loud snap that rang through the air as Bardou snapped Lorcan's neck ending his life and taking one more of the Lamia's brothers. She knew this would not only anger Thanatos but also make him more powerful as he was now the only living original. But she did not have time to dwell on this thought, she had to get away. She knew it was hopeless as she felt a weight on her slamming her to the ground. In seconds, she was flipped on her back and she found herself face to face with red fangs, blood dripping from them landing on her. She could not hide her fear; even though she knew that Bardou would not kill her he could still hurt her.
