by Ruby Raine
Hell—he'd promised only minutes before and could not have foreseen this moment happening, even then. His gaze met hers pointedly and without remorse—he had to mean the words that came out of him next.
"Lizzy, I order you to go with Mathew."
His gaze pleaded for understanding and refused apology. Her entire body deflated as if she'd been broken from the inside out. She had no choice but to obey the alpha order.
Even Mathew seemed stunned by it, but hurriedly took the three members of the Deane family to safety.
"I can't believe you did that," Melinda muttered after Mathew popped out of sight.
"Later," Charlie growled. He had his reasons and now was not the time for debate or fear that he'd permanently ruined his relationship with Lizzy.
Mack came flying by with deputies at her heels shouting something about a gas leak making people go crazy... Mack and her endless line of excuses to blow off the supernatural. But she was ordering people to get to the ferry, or to their hotels until an all clear was given.
"Now what?" Michael asked. "We just sent away the Deanes and our magic might not work against these guys at all if they've figured out the immunity from Melinda's blood." He wasn't questioning the choice, just their options.
"We've got the potions," Melinda reminded. It wasn't much. But they were Lizzy made potions and therefore, should work against their enemy. Plus, they had William and Annie. Charlie still wore his Guardian ring... a second later Mathew popped in next to Rae giving Charlie a warning stare that he was in for an epic shitstorm. Charlie buried the worry about his mate. He'd deal with it once this battle was done.
"What we have at our disposal will have to be enough," he stated.
About ten feet away out in the street, Markus materialized. He had Dominic and three other humans, another male and two females, with him. But it's the demon who appears in a red blur next to Markus that has Mathew's eyes wide in shock.
"Amara." His mother. There is a glint of wanting in his gaze, it dissolves fast into truth. What he wants is a real mother, which she never was to him. She's a demon. A thief of innocence. The truth gleamed rampant in her penetrating gaze—she'd taken Markus and known what she was doing. But it still didn't answer how she'd hidden his existence from the others.
Markus caught Mathew staring at them and twisted to his mother only to see her gazing at Mathew with familiarity in her eyes.
"Who is he?" Markus demanded.
Mathew scoffed at the audacity of the woman otherwise known as his mother. She hadn't even told the son she'd bothered to raise that he had a twin brother. Probably because she was worried he'd seek information. A no-no in the demon world. They wanted followers and soldiers, not thinkers.
Amara did not answer her son, only ordered the others to do what they were here for.
"Rae and I will handle the demons." Mathew straightened himself, ready for the fight even if it was against his own blood.
Annie and William snarled, ready to take on the humans if they were indeed immune to Howard magic. Charlie growled and spun, transforming in the dark of the alley into his werewolf form before climbing up the side of the building and egging their attackers toward the outskirts of town, away from potential innocents in the way.
Annie and William did the same, taunting and edging the human attackers, diving out of the way of their spells. Blasphemy really, that they were most likely using Howard magic against its true owners.
Amara grinned and dissolved into a red mass of light that Mathew's golden halo sank right into and followed. Markus scowled and ordered his human army to find the Deanes before following them himself.
Rae was torn as to dispense with the human army or follow the demons. But seeing as the vampires and Charlie were leading them on a chase, she followed Mathew.
Michael and Melinda kept potions at the ready and followed their brother and the others into the woods.
"Come, come now," Dominic jeered. "We're going to get what we came for."
William growled his disagreement with that statement as Melinda tossed a potion bottle at the smug ass jerk. One of the other humans tore off a spell that met it head on and it missed Dominic. Who was eagerly looking for members of the Deane family—his targets. Upon realizing they were not there his features dimmed into a deep scowl.
"Our targets aren't here," he told the others.
A moment later Markus, Amara, Mathew, and Rae appeared in a mix of red and golden light that morphed into a battle in a blink. Dominic grinned and ordered the other humans to join in.
Mathew was matched against Markus.
Amara in a race against Rae.
If everyone thought vampires were impossible to catch, Guardians and demons were blurs of red and gold as they fought and moved.
Charlie snarled and thudded to the ground on all fours, ready to charge. William used his own body to block a spell aimed at Melinda. And another breath later, Charlie, William, and Annie were charging the humans in a simultaneous attack that caught them off guard. Michael and Melinda continued to pummel them with potions as bodies slammed bodies.
Charlie sank his teeth into one of the humans—not Dominic, as he'd wished. One of the females whose screams went silent, her neck snapped. Annie took a magical blow to the chest but bound back to her erect and feral form before her feet had even touched ground and hissed a warning to the woman that her time was up.
She tried to run. Made it two steps before her neck cracked from Annie's powerful hands.
A potion from Michael took out one of the men.
William had douchenozzle Dominic backed into a tree—until a red blur that was Amara sped in right behind William and her powerful arms shoved him hard. The vampire swung into the air but landed in a crouch ready to lunge fifteen feet away.
A golden blur caught up with the red blur and Rae slammed her hand around the demon's throat, but Markus slid right in and knocked Rae away from his mother before she had the chance to work her magic and destroy her.
Markus' frame slowed, and Mathew nearly collided with him as Markus shouted for his mother. She only hissed at her son as if he was showing some sign of weakness.
"Fulfill your duty," she demanded.
Markus' gaze slid to Mathew, conflict and question weighing his movements.
Rae caught herself from falling and magicked herself right back to Markus and instead of using her magic to destroy him, knocked him out cold—for Mathew and the elders to try to give him a second chance. She didn't think it was likely, but she'd give them their chance.
Mathew's mother snickered and eyed her son.
"You won't turn him on me. Or his King."
Mathew ignored his mother's remark.
"Why?" was the only thing he could think to ask her.
Why are you a demon?
Why did you take my brother?
Why didn't you ever tell either of us the other existed?
"Because humans are weak and below us," she hissed, and the truth of her words, as she believed them, beamed in her greedy eyes. "Because you were such a good child. There was no chance of turning you, even from birth." Her tone insinuated disappointment.
"It doesn't bother you, Dominic?" asked Melinda, "that they think you are a lesser being?"
The idiot only grinned. "They've made me more."
"But you'll never be their equal," she implored. But she was trying to convince a man who'd already sold his soul to darkness. Charlie shifted back into his human form and slung his legs into some sweatpants Melinda handed him. She'd gotten her own magical pouch with the help of Lizzy.
Mathew and Amara were in a death stare, but she was clearly calculating her chances of saving Markus when the three sibling witches began to chant. In a vampire flash, Annie and William placed the crystals around Amara and with the witches chanting the spell was cast, capturing the demon.
Dominic let out a cry of shock in her capture. But as hoped, the magical immunity was only given to the humans, not the demons. They mu
st not have come up with a way to do that yet and it was their only saving grace tonight. However, the crystal cage would not hold long against such power.
"Mathew?" Rae grabbed his attention. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask or say to your mother?"
"How did you hide Markus from the records?"
"You know how. Magic the likes of which you'd never dare touch. Which is why your side will lose."
"Was it only Markus or did you steal more—" He could not manage the word, babies... or innocent children.
Amara refused to answer, using her body to try to bust out of the magical cage.
"Answer me!" Mathew shouted at her. It held all his pent-up anger in what he'd never had and what she'd stolen from him. His emotion caught her off guard, but she refused to answer.
"Look," said Rae. "We can get the information out of you, one way or another."
Amara scoffed and upturned her lip. "Bullshit. I know who you are, Demon Killer. You might end me, but you'll never get me to talk."
"How about just one time in your life, you be the mother you were supposed to have been," said Mathew, his voice softer and hopeless. "Did you steal others or was it only Markus?"
Amara's death stare didn't fade. "Yes. We did. You all think you can win this war, but you're outnumbered."
Mathew cast his gaze over to Annie who gave him the slightest shake of her head. Amara was lying. Her yes had really been a no, she was playing him.
Mathew breathed out in relief—his brother had suffered and that sucked beyond measure, but at least they had not stolen others too. The magic used to hide him must have been perilous, or they'd surely have kept using it.
"We're done here. Goodbye, Amara."
"I'm not mother now," she scoffed.
"You never have been. You've only ever been a monster that needed to be put down." Mathew straightened himself, ignoring the pang in his chest. It wasn't the loss of his mother, he mourned, but the potential of what could have been. What he'd believed existed at one time. He approached his brother, Markus, passed-out on the ground and in a golden halo, vanished with his twin.
The demon worked hard to free herself from the magical cage. She tried to dematerialize but ended up back inside the cage, hissing and flailing to free herself.
"Human," she snarled out to Dominic. "Free me."
Dominic looked like he'd rather run, but it was easy to see by his actions that he was bound to do as requested. He shot off a spell at the Howards, but they ducked out of the way as William moved so fast the poor excuse of a man didn't see him coming. The vampire wasn't sure there was a purer, better sound in all the world that night, as the snapping of bones in Dominic's neck. His only disappointment—it was a far faster and more merciful death than he deserved.
Amara screeched and lifted her arm to her tattoo.
"She's calling for help," Michael shouted. And he had no idea if her message would pass the boundaries of the magical cage.
"Nope." Rae stepped inside the crystal cage, surprising the demon and the others. They'd never dared try such a thing. Rae said nothing, pulling on her inner magic, and her blood, to come forth and destroy the evil in front of her once and for all.
It was over in a few moments, the woods a hushed and eerie cast of shadows after the demon's screams had ended.
Michael wasted no time, though, calling to check in at the mansion. All was okay there. Gargoyles had sensed the evil, but they'd not been attacked there.
Mathew returned not long after with Lucas and Riley in tow—he only eyed Charlie with a grim warning that his mate hadn't wanted to see him and demanded to be brought home.
He'd deal with that as quickly as possible. But for now...
"Is it done for tonight? Do you think they will attack again?"
"Yes, they will attack again," said Rae. "But I do not think it will be tonight. demons prefer to test boundaries and bide their time. The loss of their humans plus two of their own, one being Markus—who I'd wager might be their best weapon in this war—this will catch them off guard."
"And piss off the King," Mathew added.
"That too," Rae conceded. "Now is not the time for complacency. But I feel confident they will not return tonight. They will want time to adjust their plans."
"Let's return home and regroup," advised Charlie.
"I'll check in and update Mack," offered Michael. "Make sure no innocents were hurt."
In the end, over all, the night was a success. They'd taken out a demon and had Markus in the Guardians custody. Hopefully, with time, they'd get him to talk, and maybe even to see that their side was good. And a super long shot, get him to turn and join them instead. This might take years, if ever, though. Mathew realized it would be a long, long road ahead. And, that they might not succeed. But he refused to think of that outcome until the time came.
Lucas slid his arms around Mathew.
"I know she wasn't ever really your mother, but I'm sorry just the same." Mathew understood what he meant. For the things he never had and would never have.
"Thank you," he replied simply. "It's sad really, but it's a relief to know she's gone for good. That they didn't take others, only Markus. And that they did not get their hands on any Deane blood."
They were all pleased about that because it meant their magic was safe for now.
But as they got home, even though the demon dread had lifted from the Isle, none of them felt happy or at peace—a much larger battle was on the horizon. They could feel it in their bones.
Although, for Charlie, his biggest battle ever was about to begin, in confronting his mate who might never forgive him for taking away her choice and ordering her to leave the battle.
CHAPTER 13
CHARLIE SUCKED IN A deep breath and turned the doorknob to his and Lizzy's bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of the bed refusing to look at him. She was drenched in anger and disappointment and wasn't trying to hide it from him at all. But that wouldn't be the Lizzy he loved, and he understood her anger. He did hope she'd understand his actions once he explained. Then again, this was Lizzy he was talking about and her reactions often surprised him. Good as well as terrifyingly so.
"Lizzy," he called out in nervous tenderness. She merely dropped her head and Charlie cringed, sensing the pain he'd caused. He'd broken a vow. Broken her trust. Maybe broken them. But there was a damn good reason for it.
His legs felt like anchors as he moved to kneel in front of her.
"Please let me explain."
Her hurt gaze claimed there wasn't an explanation good enough.
"It was shit timing," he started. "Once I realized, I had to make a choice. And you'd just been talking to Emily about it, and it was something we needed to talk about before it happened, and it wasn't a debate we could have in the middle of a battle, Lizzy. You deserved time to think it through with a clear head. I didn't want you to feel pressured or make a rash choice you'd regret."
"Charlie," her tone warned he'd better get to the point because he wasn't making a bit of sense.
"I admit, I might have panicked a little," he continued. "But the idea of you being out there with this weighing on you, which would keep you unfocused, and me unfocused, and both of us in danger because of that—" he stopped hearing the growl in his mate's impatient throat.
He took her hands in his. "Lizzy, you are the love of my life. My equal. My partner in all things. I'm begging you to do one thing for me and you'll understand why I did it. And that it was not me trying to take away your choice, but to give you one."
God, she wanted to believe him. He'd never done anything to burn her trust before, it was so unlike him. But it hurt to the depths of her soul that he'd taken away her choice. After everything she'd gone through and given up to be with him, and he'd promised never to do the one thing he'd done tonight. And still, she had no doubt that he loved her.
"What?" she said, but as annoyed as possible.
"Close your eyes and listen. I'm going to open my mind so yo
u can listen to what I hear."
She did, but it took her a few moments to calm herself enough to follow his lead and listen to whatever ridiculous thing he wanted—her breath caught.
"Wh—what is that?" Her eyes flew open to see his watery and smiling.
"Exactly what you think it is."
Her anger dissolved into shock as his full mind and heart reopened to her and she saw everything.
"I heard it. I couldn't believe it. And we were in the middle of a battle. I—" She stopped him with her fingers on his lips. She didn't need to hear anymore explanation.
"We did it." She dropped her hand and rubbed her belly. "We made life." A clipped sob came out of her and she realized he was completely right to do what he'd done, and she should never have thought for a minute he'd have broken her trust like that. But the truth was she had no idea what she wanted in her immediate future, other than the baby in her belly.
"I wanted you to be able to take the time to think about what you were comfortable doing while pregnant." He told her. "If you want to fight, I will not stop you. I'll struggle with it," he admitted, and Lizzy gave him a wet smile in reply as tears were streaming down her face. "If you choose not to fight, that's your call too. I didn't want you to have to make a quick choice you might regret."
She nodded. She understood.
"I shouldn’t have doubted you. I'm sorry." She gave him a wet, sloppy, and absurdly happy kiss.
"I could have handled it better. Everything was happening so fast and we were surrounded by demons."
"You did what you needed to, Charlie. No more apologizing. You went into a fierce protection mode, I get it. I feel it too. I think I felt it before I even knew. I didn't understand why." Or why she'd been such a crazy hormone monster the last few days. "We'll have to take things day by day. We'll figure it out together."
Charlie was relieved, and a giddy happiness crept inside of him. He kissed his mate and brought her off the bed in his arms swinging her around with a grand smile on his face.
