by Leilani Love
"He's in pain," she whispered, edging closer to him. Liam shifted, tense, ready to get her out of the way as he kept a wary eye on his son. The closer Madison got, the more Hunter stopped fighting against his binds. He was breathing heavily as his dark eyes watched the girl.
Madison tentatively got closer to Hunter, and he growled low in the back of his throat and pulled against his restraints. The sound was more animal than human. Madison jumped. Liam thought she would flee, but she hardened her jaw and stood a little straightener as she reached out and touched his hair.
All three of them moved forward, afraid Hunter might react and hurt her. When Hunter closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, Liam wondered which one of them was more surprised. Seeing both Dominic and Talon standing with their mouths open, he snapped his shut, realizing it had been open, too.
Hunter took a deep breath, and his eyes snapped open as he let out a deep growl. Despite the threatening noise, he closed his eyes, and his body relaxed as Madison stroked his hair.
"Will the woman you are going to take him to be able to help?" Madison asked, turning to look at Emily.
Liam heard the slight catch in her voice. The young woman before him seemed to physically relax when Emily nodded. "I believe she will."
Madison’s head bobbed as she looked back at Hunter, an expression of sympathy crossing her face. When she turned as if she was going to leave, Hunter growled loudly and pulled against his restraints.
Madison paused and looked back at him, and he instantly calmed down. "I can sit back here with him if you’d like."
Liam looked at Emily, who shrugged. "Are you sure you don't mind? He's not himself."
Madison looked Hunter over and quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks flushed, “If that is all right with you.”
Dominic moved closer to Madison, and Hunter gnashed his teeth on the gag in his mouth until Dominic took a step back. "I will sit back here with them and make sure she stays safe."
Liam was baffled by Hunter’s reaction to Madison. "Maybe she should sit back in that corner where she’s still close."
Before Dominic could argue, the interior of the trailer darkened. Liam looked outside. The blue sky had suddenly turned dark. A flash of lightning lit up the sky. "Think we've stayed still too long."
Emily whispered something in Madison’s ear. The girl’s head bobbed up and down as she hung on every word Emily said. When Emily turned and saw Liam watching her, she smiled and batted her eyes in a way he was sure was meant to distract him before walking to the doors of the trailer. Liam jumped down before Talon could and reached up to help Emily down.
Placing his hands on her hips, he lifted her easily. She looked healthier than she had when he found her, but with his hands on her waist, he was aware of how small she still was. When he placed her on the ground right next to him, she blushed and tilted her head to meet his gaze.
Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, he smiled. "We have to go."
"I know," she whispered before going to her tippy toes. Liam bent down, thinking she was going to tell him something, but she brushed her lips against his. It was so soft, he found himself thinking he imagined it. "Thank you for trusting me."
Before his mind could clear enough for him to reply, she had walked around to the front of the truck and gotten in. A chuckle next to him brought him back. "Smooth, Dad."
"Shut up and get in the truck, Talon," Liam said as he closed one of the double doors. Liam looked at his sons and Madison, who had curled up in the corner. "You guys be safe."
The door closed with a loud bang as he secured it. When Liam got in the truck, he was happy to see Emily had joined him up front again. He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze before he started the truck and pulled out of the park. When it started to hail, he glanced in her direction, confused as he watched the cars in front of him pull over. "What are the chances of us making it to Colorado without running into her or her friends?"
Emily closed her eyes, and there was a subtle shift in the energy in the truck. The hair on the back of his neck stood, and he heard the creaking of the back seat as Talon shifted uncomfortably.
Her voice was soft when she finally spoke. "Not as good as you would like. Her reach is far." He nodded and she gently placed her hand on his arm. "I will do my best to protect you and your sons."
If anyone else would have said that, he probably would have laughed—especially if the person was as petite as Emily. She was a fraction of his size, but looks, he’d found, were often deceiving. If he had to guess, most men would have not survived what she had been through without losing hope. Yet, here she sat next to him, determined to both get to her family and help him save his son.
“I know," he said as he took her hand in his. Lacing his fingers with hers, he placed them on the cushion next to her thigh.
The hail started out small, but after several minutes, it got larger, until it was the size of ping pong balls. When one crashed into the windshield, Emily jumped and squeezed Liam’s hand. Liam worried if he kept driving, they would lose the windshield.
"I think we should exit and see if there are any covered side roads," Talon said, voicing Liam’s concern.
Liam looked at Emily, who nodded. "She’s blocking me from seeing her, but if we lost the windshield, we would need to get a new truck or risk getting pulled over and having to explain both Hunter being tied up and Madison's bruises."
Liam snorted. "I don't think they would believe we found her that way...or that she tripped and ran into a door."
Emily tilted her head, brow furrowed in confusion, and Liam clarified, "It’s something a lot of abused women and children say—they ran into the door or tripped down the stairs. With kids, sometimes it’s as simple as they fell, which makes it harder to verify, but when women say that, it raises questions."
Emily’s voice was low, a faraway look in her eyes. "I'm glad people are starting to question. My pack didn't stand for that behavior but knew outside of our small community...not everyone felt the same way."
Liam gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.
Exiting the highway, he drove along the feeder until Talon popped up. "It looks like, if you make this next left and go down a few miles, we should be able to enter a park that could help shelter us until this passes."
Liam nodded and slowed to almost a crawl. At this point, every car had left the road, choosing the safety of their homes over the danger of the hailstorm. As he followed his son’s directions, lightning lit up the sky in front of them, showing him the way. With Emily’s vision being blocked, he couldn't help but feel they were being herded.
Making the left turn onto what he thought was supposed to be a service road, Liam looked up to see the trees were thick enough to help provide some coverage.
BOOM!
The sound pierced the air, and he looked in the rear-view mirror in time to see the tree they’d just passed break in half, blocking him from being able to return the way he came.
"Well, I guess that answers that question," Liam mumbled under his breath.
Bringing the truck to a stop, he glanced around and let out a sigh. Actual drive time was probably less than ten hours. Even though Emily didn't know exactly where her kids were, she’d given a good enough description to where Liam could figure it out, but with everything going on, he wondered how long it would take and if they would arrive with enough time to save Hunter.
Liam got out of the truck. Dominic was already out of the back and coming around to talk to him. The passenger door slammed, drawing his attention to Emily.
"I’m just going to tell Madison to stay inside."
“Okay,” Liam said as he watched her walk away on the other side of the truck.
Before Dominic even got to him, he gestured toward the tree. "So, trap?"
Liam nodded. "Unless you believe in crazy coincidences."
Talon chuckled as he came out and joined them. "Sure, ’cause all this is very natural."
Dominic
glanced toward the trailer. "What did Emily say?"
"That she’s being blocked," Liam said, glancing up. The hail had stopped falling right after the tree had split, but the clouds were still dark and angry. This was just them sitting in the eye of the storm.
A crackle of laughter sounded behind him, and Liam swung around. Two women were walking toward him through the brush, plants withering and dying beneath their bare feet.
Emily came up beside him. "Those are two of the maidens who serve under Aura. They are not the strongest but definitely favorites for how far they are willing to go."
"Should we be offended she didn’t send her strongest?" Dominic asked, with a large grin that showed too much of his teeth.
Emily's lips curved in a half smile as she shook her head. "Don't let their small stature fool you. Plus, if these two are here and the others are not...this could be just a delay tactic so they can beat us to my family."
"Let’s end this quickly," Talon growled.
Chapter 17
The hair on Emily’s arms stood as the air around them changed. The women’s eyes locked onto her and they raised their hands. They shot a blast of energy that would have landed on her back if Liam hadn’t pulled her toward him and turned so his back was against the impact. He staggered but managed to stay up. The boys next to him both took a step back but remained standing.
"Are you okay?" Liam asked as he looked into Emily’s eyes.
"Yes," she said, giving him a small nod.
Liam stood taller, trying to keep Emily at his back as he faced the witches. Emily came around and stood next to him. He looked down at her and let out a heavy sigh. She gave him a big grin and was happy when he didn't try to move her again.
"Give us the seer, and we’ll let you keep the bear. We’ll even release him from our spell," they taunted. With each word spoken, there was a slight change in the timber of their voices.
"Be careful. They’re trying to enchant you, so you’ll have no choice but to obey their every command. I promise, if they free him, it won’t be without dire consequences," Emily said, narrowing her eyes at Natalia, the redheaded maiden who had seemed to really enjoy hurting the men they’d enslaved.
Natalia opened her mouth, and her voice slid over them, low and silky, a magical seduction that would call to the males. It worked best for those who had not found their mate. "Hand her over."
Dominic and Talon both turned their attention to her. Emily jumped when Liam grabbed her hand. Her heart and mind raced as she tried to figure out how she was going to escape. Then Liam shoved her behind him, placing himself between her and his sons.
"Emily, go in the trailer please," Liam said from between gritted teeth.
Without a word, she took a tentative step but Talon let out a growl. She knew better than to run, but instinct took over, and she sprinted toward the back. Not looking behind her, she heard a grunt and felt the ground shake under her feet as Liam tackled Talon.
When she opened the door and closed it behind her, she found Madison pressed against the back of the trailer. "What's going on?"
Emily frowned. "I can't explain everything right now, but can you please trust me? We should be fine here, but if I say run, you need to do so, okay?"
Madison nodded. As Emily approached the girl, she kept an eye on Hunter, who watched her with narrowed eyes. The closer she got to the young woman, the more his lips curled back in a sneer and his growl got louder.
"I'm going to help keep her safe," Emily said, her voice soft.
Hunter never looked away, but he quit growling and showing his teeth. Some part of him recognized Madison was important.
Before she could reach Madison, there was a loud growl and then a louder bang as something slammed into the side of the trailer and caused the entire thing to shake. Emily stumbled and fell to her knees.
Madison let out a surprised yelp just before she fell to the ground, too, and looked around, her eyes big and round with fear. "It sounds like two animals are fighting."
Emily agreed. "It does."
Hunter made grunting noises as he struggled against his binds. The ropes creaked, the hooks on the wall of the trailer starting to strain as he stared at the door, his teeth bared, waiting for whomever was fighting outside to burst through the door. From the sounds, Emily began to think he was right and she needed to be prepared for whatever came through that door.
Emily crawled over to Madison and took her hand. "I will do my best to keep you safe, but you have to be ready for anything. There is more to this world than what you know."
Madison’s head bobbed. Emily could see she had questions but instantly understood now was not the time. Emily stood and helped Madison up, her eyes watching the door. When Hunter pulled harder against the binds, the rope squeaked in protest just before it snapped, releasing its hold on him.
Emily put herself in front of Madison, and Hunter took one threatening step toward them, his eyes focused on Madison. The loud creak of the trailer caught his attention, and he swung around just as the door flew open and Talon stood there. Talon’s bear was close to the surface. He stood taller and thicker than normal, his eyes glowing gold. Talon’s lips curved up, and his teeth lengthened as his eyes met Emily’s, and he gave a low, menacing growl.
Hunter answered with an animalistic noise of his own as he jumped and landed on his brother. Emily took Madison’s hand and pulled her along as she jumped out of the trailer and dodged to the left.
Dominic was on the ground, and Liam stood between the two witches.
“Help me by distracting the dark-haired woman. She is not as powerful as the other,” Emily said urgently.
“Powerful?” Madison repeated just before Natalia reached out and hit Liam with a continuous string of lightning.
Emily felt Madison stop, and she pulled on her. “Be brave, Madison.”
Madison followed Emily into the woods. “Are they witches? Witches don’t exist!”
“We can discuss whether those two exist later,” Emily said as she picked up a couple large sticks. “Here, you take this one. We just need to distract them long enough to give Liam a chance.”
Emily handed Madison the smaller of the two sticks. When Madison took the stick, she winced and wrapped her free arm around her body to help support her ribs. Emily gave her an encouraging smile, and they stepped out of the trees, coming up behind the witches. As they approached, the air started to feel thicker and sticky from the black magic they used.
Emily picked up her stick to swing. Natalia let out a scream and raised her hand to strike her. Natalia missed but jumped away and hit Madison on the shoulder. Madison cried out and dropped her stick. Emily swung just as the dark-haired witch turned and looked at her. She hit the witch hard enough that her head swung back just before her body hit the ground.
When Emily looked back, Natalia had narrowed her eyes, focused on her. A triumphant smile on her lips, Natalia had just raised her hand to strike when a loud battle cry pierced the air. Hunter came charging around the corner of the trailer, his gaze focused on Natalia.
When Liam saw Hunter, he scrambled out of the way. When Natalia saw him, she sneered. “Get the seer. Get the seer!” she ordered.
In all the time Emily had been held hostage, she had never seen one of the men disobey a witch. The spell they put on them killed their free will and physically hurt them every time they disobeyed. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised when Hunter kept charging at the witch. With wide eyes, Emily watched as Natalia raised her hand and sparks started to fly from her fingers as she turned her aim toward Hunter.
Hunter slammed into Natalia just as the spark started to leave her fingertips, causing the current to strike them both straight in the chest, the sound like an explosion. Hunter flew through the air and into a tree before falling to the ground with a loud thud. Natalia hit the ground so hard, it knocked her out.
Emily checked on both witches. The dark-haired one would be out for a bit, thanks to a little help from Emily. N
atalia, though she was still breathing, would be out for a lot longer without any help. Liam raised an eyebrow, and she nodded. "They’ll be out long enough for us to get away."
Hunter moaned, and she went over and looked at him. Weak and disoriented, he growled at her but didn’t have enough strength to fight. When Madison approached from behind her, he finally relaxed enough for Emily’s magic to take effect and put him to sleep.
Madison gently touched Hunter’s cheek and bit her lip before whispering, "Will he be all right?"
Emily opened her mouth to reply but a shuffling behind her drew everyone’s attention. Dominic and Talon slowly approached, Dominic rubbing the back of his neck, both of them studying their feet, looking rather embarrassed.
Dominic spoke up first, keeping an eye on his father. "I don't know what happened. I just couldn't seem to stop myself."
Talon nodded, adding, "I just needed to…"
Liam raised a hand, silencing them both. "You are not to blame any more than your brother is for what he has done while under their control. Help me get him back in the trailer. We may need to tie him differently. I think we’re almost out of rope."
Without another word, the boys each took an arm and lifted Hunter up. Liam took Emily’s hand and squeezed it gently before walking in front of his sons so he could secure Hunter.
Emily and Madison watched them walk away. When they were far enough that she thought Madison would no longer worry about them overhearing, Emily turned and looked at the young woman next to her. "You probably have a million questions."
Madison looked down and nodded. Emily put her hand on Madison’s back and took a step forward, encouraging the girl to walk with her to the truck.
"I guess I should start by telling you there’s more to the world than just humans and animals. As you are more than aware of now, magic does truly exist."
Emily paused and looked at the other woman. Her hands were laced together, and her eyes were still focused on the ground. "Are you a witch?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.