by Leilani Love
Before she could get up, a dark wolf flew in front of her and landed on the witch. Emily winced when she watched it grab the woman’s throat and rip it out. The wolf’s hair stood on end, and the sparks flying off showed he was hit by the same thing before the witch died, but he stayed on his feet and stood in front of Emily.
He was a dark wolf. Beautiful. A little scary with the blood on his lips but beautiful. When she looked into his eyes and came to her knees, she whispered, "Damien?"
The wolf whimpered softly and put his head into her hand. It was just for a moment before he turned, growling as Liam approached. "Damien, no. He saved me."
Damien nodded and relaxed. Emily looked around. Many of the witches were either lying captured under one of the wolves or running away.
With most of the witches gone, Damien shifted and wiped the blood from his lips as he took a step toward her. "Mom."
Emily hugged him tightly. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Damien. Oh, Damien."
She held him close. He was bigger and stronger and held her even tighter than she held him. When they finally pulled apart, she cupped his cheek and smiled. "You've gotten way too big."
Damien chuckled and took a step back. "Well, I couldn't stay little forever."
Emily laughed. "True. But you’ll see. Kids grow way too fast. No matter how old they are, you will miss those days."
Liam approached and stood behind her. Damien's eyes narrowed, and she knew for the first time, he saw the mating mark on her. Not sure how he would react, she was surprised when he took a step back and offered his hand. "Thank you for saving my mother and bringing her to us."
"Your mother freed herself. I was just there to help," Liam replied, placing his free hand on her back.
"Damien, we need to get his son to the Earth Witch," Emily said. Time was running out.
"Madison told us. I sent her to get her ribs healed, and the bear who was with her is driving down with Hope and Kassandra, my mate."
Emily smiled brightly. "I can't wait to meet them." She turned to Liam. "How is Hunter?"
"I don't think he got hurt too badly in the accident. We placed him in the truck bed," Liam said, faint lines of worry on his face.
Taking his hand, she pulled him away. "Come, let’s go." She flashed Damien a smile. "Plus, my son could use some pants. I hope his mate gets here with clothes soon."
Chapter 21
Liam noticed the way Damien shuffled a bit, a giant smile on his face as he fell into step behind them. Most of the other wolves had shifted back into their human forms. One of the shifters had long, dark hair and a scar running along his cheek, and he stood out from the crowd. He and Damien shared a look before he started barking out orders.
There were looks from the other wolves, and Liam had to fight the urge to pull Emily closer. These were her people. The older ones looked him up and down, and he wondered how he compared to the memory of their former alpha, Emily’s last mate.
Dominic reached the truck before them and jumped into the back. Liam looked down at Emily as she frowned. "Go. I’ll be right behind you."
He let go of her hand and took off for the truck. "How is he?"
"I can hear his teeth chattering, and his fever is even higher than it was," Dominic said, kneeling over Hunter as he touched his forehead with the back of his hand.
Liam didn’t even need to touch his son to feel the heat coming off him. He was so concerned he didn't notice Emily had joined him until she nudged him out of the way.
"Go get the sleeping bag. They’ll be here any minute," Emily said as she brushed Hunter’s hair back. "Hang in there. Help is almost here."
Dominic quickly went to the trailer to grab what she’d asked for, and Liam raised Hunter to a sitting position. "Please hang on."
When Dominic showed up, Emily took the sleeping bag from him and wrapped it around Hunter. It touched Liam’s heart to see how gentle she was with him.
"Pick him up. I want to wrap him up fully," Emily said.
With extra care, Liam lifted Hunter in his arms, and with the help of Dominic, Emily wrapped him up.
"What's wrong with him?” Damien asked, tying the sweatpants he had just slipped on. “All they would tell me is the witches put a spell on him."
"The witches put him under a spell to watch me when they were gone. The spell they used slowly deteriorates him, mentally and physically," Emily said, with some relief as a big black vehicle pulled up.
Damien's eyes narrowed, and he growled. "This is one of the men who held you captive?"
Damien’s hands fisted at his sides, and his nostrils flared at the news. His body tensing as he growled, he stepped between Dominic and Hunter. Liam’s hands full with Hunter, he watched Emily step between them. "It wasn't his fault. The spell they cast was powerful. He is not to blame."
With Emily firmly between the two, Liam would have laughed had the situation not been so serious. Her head didn’t even come to either of their shoulders, but she stood firm, looking back and forth until Damien took a step back, followed by Dominic.
"Apologize," Emily said.
"But Mom!"
"Emily!"
"Now," she said, and they both mumbled something under their breath that sounded like it might have been an apology.
Before anyone could say anything else, the SUV stopped in front of them and both the front and rear passenger doors opened just before two very pregnant women stepped out. Emily’s face lit up when her eyes landed on who could only be her daughter. Both women had long blonde hair, but the similarities between Emily and her daughter left no doubt which one was related to her. Emily’s daughter gave a soft cry and did a waddle run as Emily hopped out of the truck bed and ran to her.
Damien looked at Liam. "Come. Let's get your son to Violca. If anyone can help him, it’s her."
Liam followed Damien. Emily gently touched her daughter’s belly before turning to the second pregnant woman. Emily smiled brightly, and the two women shared a hug.
"Let’s get them to Violca," Damien said again as he placed his hand on the back of the woman Emily had just hugged. Damien's entire face had softened, and he reached to help his mate back into the front seat of the vehicle.
Emily put her hand on Hope’s back, took her other hand, and helped her into the third row before following her into the vehicle, sitting in the middle seat. "Here, I can hold him while you get in."
"I’ve got him if you don't mind scooting over," Liam said as he adjusted his son in his arms.
Emily nodded. "Of course."
Liam crawled in and was careful not to jostle his son. Hunter seemed to be getting hotter by the second. Dominic crawled into the back seat next to Hope before Damien closed the door and went around to get into the driver’s seat.
Hunter’s teeth chattered as he shivered in Liam’s arms, sweating profusely.
"Can you please hurry?" Liam asked as he held his son tighter to him.
"Hold onto him," Damien said as he sped up.
When Liam felt a hand on his arm, he looked into Emily's eyes. "We’re almost there."
He gave a shaky nod and swallowed hard.
Emily stroked Hunter’s hair, whispering words Liam couldn't quite make out, but his son’s shaking ceased. "Thank you."
She didn't say anything, just squeezed his arm. Liam didn't pay attention to anything around them, and when the vehicle came to a stop, he looked out the window and was surprised by the rather large house they’d pulled up to.
The door flew open, and a teenage girl with long, platinum hair ran to greet them. "Come. We need to get him upstairs quickly."
Damien jumped out of the driver’s side and greeted the girl. Liam opened the side door. Dominic tapped him on the shoulder, having jumped out of the other side already. "Here, Dad. Let me help."
Liam was reluctant but handed Hunter over. When he jumped down, he quickly took his son back into his arms and followed the silver-haired girl up the stairs and into the house.
"A
s soon as I could see you coming, I made up a room for your son. It's not going to be easy, but if anyone can help him, it’s my sister," she said as she bounced up the stairs to the next floor, forcing Liam to keep up with her.
"What do you mean saw us coming?"
When she got to the top of the stairs, she looked over her shoulder, and her bright blue eyes sparkled, and she smiled brightly at Liam. Without saying another word, she opened the door to the room on the left. He followed her in and laid Hunter on the bed in the middle of the room.
"Angel, thank you for bringing them up. I just called the doctor and asked him to come and check on two patients," said a woman with hair so black it was almost blue and bright violet eyes. Smiling, she extended her hand. "Hello. My name is Violca. I see you met my sister Angel already."
Liam took her small hand in his and felt an instant calm settle over both him and his bear. "Do you think you can help my son?"
Violca bit her lower lip as she glanced at the bed. Before she could answer, Angel said, "Of course she can."
Violca released Liam’s hand and walked to the bed. Resting her palm on Hunter’s forehead, she closed her eyes. The instant her skin touched his, Hunter’s body relaxed. A little bit of color returned to his face, and he finally stopped shaking.
"Come. While my sister helps him, you should go downstairs," Angel said as she led him out the door.
"I should stay with my son," Liam said, turning back toward the room.
A voice came from behind him, and Liam turned to find a man coming up the stairs. His blond hair was cut short, and he carried himself as a man with confidence. A deep inhale told Liam that this man was a dragon shifter. "My wife will take good care of him," the dragon said before looking at Angel. "Can you take him to join the others? They are in the living room."
Angel nodded, and the dragon slid past Liam into the room. Angel touched his arm, bringing his attention back to her. "That’s Chase. I promise my sister will be able to help him."
Not sure what else to do, Liam followed Angel downstairs. Before he knew it, he was in a room full of people, with Emily sitting on the couch.
Emily stood up and went to him. "They told me Violca was already upstairs with him. Did you see her?"
Liam nodded and turned to find that Angel had already left the room. Damien approached him. "Angel left to go help. Violca’s magic is stronger with her sisters and Chase near her. The other sisters are on their way."
"And the doctor just showed up and will help as well." Liam turned to see a tall male with jet black hair and bright blue eyes. When he stepped into the room, there was an air of authority and confidence surrounding him. He approached Liam and Emily. His eyes softened as he offered his hand to Emily. “I am sorry I wasn’t there to greet you when you arrived. My name is Viktor.”
Emily reached out and took his hand in hers. “Thank you for taking us in, Viktor. My name is Emily. This is Liam and his sons, Dominic and Talon."
"It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Emily. I feel like, soon, we will have much to discuss, but right now, I think you need some time to be alone with your family. If any of you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let me know." Viktor made eye contact with each of them before exiting.
Liam felt slightly lost. With Aura dead, his only concern was breaking the spell and healing Hunter. Emily placed her hand on his arm, drawing his attention to her. She searched his eyes, and he realized he had no idea how long he had been just standing there. "I'm sorry. Were you saying something?"
Emily shook her head and placed her hand in his. "Come, have a seat. Damien is going to get you a beer."
Hours flew by, and Liam was only partially aware of what was going on around him. It was like waiting in a private hospital. He just kept glancing at the door, waiting for someone to come down and give him the news.
He was faintly aware of the conversation going on around him. Emily had been introduced to Hope's mate, Warrick, the man with the scar who’d ordered the wolves after the battle, along with Damien's mate, Kassandra, who was a dragon guard. He also found out Madison was upstairs in one of the rooms, being checked out by the doctor. Her broken ribs had been healed by Violca, but the doctor wanted her to rest and to check on the baby.
Occasionally, Emily would touch his hand or lean on his arm. Those little things letting him know she was there with him meant more than he could explain. When he looked around and saw his sons talking to her kids, he felt some hope.
After what felt like hours, the living room door finally opened, and Angel walked in. Liam stood, and Emily came with him, holding his hand. Angel walked over to him, her steps light, her silvery blonde hair looking like a halo, and her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Violca wanted me to come down and get you."
“Thank you,” Liam mumbled. Emily started to release his hand, but he closed his hand tighter, not wanting to let her go yet. She looked hesitant and asked, "Would you like me to go with you?"
Liam took a deep breath and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
Emily gave his hand a squeeze. “I’ll be right here waiting.”
This time, when he followed Angel up the stairs, he felt a ray of hope.
He walked into the room, his eyes instantly going to his son. Hunter’s gray color was gone. He still looked very pale and sweaty, but he no longer appeared to be struggling for each breath. An elderly gentleman was hooking up an IV to him, and Violca was sitting in a giant chair by the window.
Violca stood, her movements slow. Despite her bright smile, he could see the strain on her face and the way her hand shook as she raised it to brush the hair off her face.
"Violca, if Chase comes in here and sees you standing, he will have my head," the doctor said without even looking up.
Violca shook her head and gave Liam a polite smile just before a light tremor racked her body. Before he could reach out to help steady her, she grabbed the dresser and waved him off. "I'm fine, and Chase would do no such thing."
"No, the doctor is right, you should be sitting down. I just went to get you some tea," Chase said as he entered the room, his eyes on his mate.
Liam stepped out of his way as Chase put the tea on the dresser and helped her back to the chair.
"You need to quit fussing. I was about to tell our new friend his son is doing much better," Violca said as she took the tea from Chase, giving him a smile of thanks.
"He looks a lot better. Has he woken up at all?" Liam asked, glancing back and forth between the doctor and Violca.
The doctor said, "No. But I am happy to say he’s a lot more stable than he was when I arrived. I just want to make sure he has enough fluids and nutrients in him. I believe he’ll come out of this, thanks to Violca and her sisters."
Liam looked at Violca. She blushed and lowered her cup of tea. "I'm sorry. I wish I could be more helpful. I believe I removed most of the magic, but I feel there is more lingering there."
Liam walked over to his son's bed and touched his arm. "Do you think it will eventually go away on its own?”
There was a long pause, and he looked up to see Violca watching him. "I don't know, to be honest. I can feel it buried deep inside him, holding on to him."
Liam swallowed hard and looked down at his son. "He's safer now than he was. Emily believed you could save him. I'll have to have faith."
"I'll try again. I promise," Violca said.
"After she gets some rest and heals herself. This takes a lot out of her," her mate said before stepping forward. "I didn't properly introduce myself. My name is Chase."
Liam shook his hand. "I am Liam. Thank you both for your help. For the first time since we got him back, I have hope."
Chapter 22
Emily couldn't believe how much of her children’s lives she had missed. Her babies were about to be having their own babies. They were happy and healthy, but part of her was sad for all she had missed.
"Mom," Hope said, pulling her back from her thoughts. "Are yo
u okay?"
Emily wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded. "I am."
The door opened, and Liam stood in the doorway. He smiled at her before looking at his sons. "Part of the spell is still holding on to him, but he looks much better."
Everyone cheered, and Emily got up and went to him. As soon as she got close to Liam, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He hugged her tightly, picking her up off the ground and burying his face in her neck.
Damien cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Well, it's late, and I believe Kassandra has fallen asleep on us at least once in the last few minutes. Liam, Mom, there’s an empty house next to ours. I was thinking you guys could stay there for a few days."
Liam glanced back at the door, and Emily sensed he did not want to leave Hunter.
"Would it be okay if I stayed here with my brother?" Dominic asked as he stood.
"That won't be a problem at all," Kassandra said as Damien helped her up. "There are some empty bedrooms on that floor. Let me tell Viktor."
"I would like to stay too," Talon said.
Liam’s eyes widened a bit, and he looked back and forth between Dominic and Talon. Talon gave his father a bright smile. "You two could probably use a little alone time. We’ll keep an eye on Hunter and Madison."
It only took a few minutes before an elderly woman entered the room with Kassandra. "This is Anne. She’s going to show you both to your rooms and take you guys for a quick tour of the house whenever you’re ready."
Liam hugged his boys and took a minute to tell them goodbye. Dominic came up to Emily and kissed her on the cheek before leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Thank you."
Pulling back, she looked him in the eye and cupped his cheek. "Get some rest. It's been a long day."
He chuckled and winked at her. Then Talon picked her up, giving her a big hug. He whispered in her ear, "Take care of my dad."