by Martha Woods
"Well," Liam cleared his throat, willing the emotion out of his voice, "We didn't expect you all to arrive so quickly." He stepped out of the way, gesturing them inside. "Please, come in. Sky will be happy to see all of you."
The group filed in, Leah leading the way with Farah and Hayley not far behind, Michael and Cayden closing the door behind them. Cassandra disappeared down the hallway, leaving Liam to the task of filling everyone in on Skylar's progress.
"According to Cassandra she's been making very fast progress, she knew that she was going to be strong, but she may have actually underestimated just how strong she was." He smiled. "Sounds just like Skylar actually."
Liam looked over at Cayden, a lopsided smile on both their faces. "All that fighting we did over her, all that blood, and it turns out that she's stronger than we'll ever be."
Cayden laughed, shaking his head. "That sounds about right for us, doesn't it?" He let his hand trail along Farah's thigh, her head leaning down onto his shoulder. "But it worked out didn't it? We both ended up with strong women, not much more I could ask for honestly."
Farah craned her head up, smirking at him. "What about to not have been stabbed?"
"Alright fine, you got me there."
The door opened slowly, their attention instantly being drawn as Skylar stepped out, Abigail bundled up in her arms and a nervous smile on her face. Her eyes were swimming with tears as she looked over at her friends and family gathered to see her, but when she looked upon Liam the dam almost broke completely.
"Hey you." She said, "It's been a while."
"Yeah..." Liam began cautiously, the rest of the people in attendance completely forgotten as he stood up. "It has... Too long."
"Well then what are you waiting for?" She grinned, stepping towards him. "Get over here and kiss me."
He wasted no time, almost running over and pressing his lips against hers, careful to not squish Abigail between their two bodies as he dug his hands into her hair, desperate to bring her as close to himself as he possibly could. Skylar groaned into the kiss, their time apart having almost driven her mad with their desire for each other. It was only the fact that they had company that kept them from tearing their clothes off of each other then and there, but such things would have to wait.
Especially since Leah and Michael were sitting off to the side, furiously blushing and trying to ignore the scene in front of them.
They pulled apart from each other, Skylar coughing and bowing her head awkwardly. "Sorry about that everyone. It's just been... The wait wasn't exactly something we enjoyed."
"That's... Fair enough." Michael shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "If you'd prefer we can all leave and... Let you do whatever it is you need to do."
"Oh, don't be silly!" She said, though she couldn't deny the spike of temptation she felt to do exactly that. "You guys are just as important to me, I've missed you all so much as well!"
Liam stepped aside, Hayley and Farah wasting no time taking his place, dragging Skylar into their arms and fawning over Abigail in equal measure. Hayley had been in once or twice during those few days she spent isolated, but for the most part it had just been Cassandra and herself. The witch herself sat off to the side, content to let everyone have their moment with her and to drink by herself. At least she would have been, if Leah hadn't insisted on sitting down next to her and engaging her in conversation.
"Thank you for all you've done for them." Leah took her hand, squeezing it lightly before pouring herself a drink. "They owe you quite a lot."
Cassandra tried to wave off the compliments. "They helped themselves more than anyone, I just did my job."
Leah wasn't convinced, rolling her eyes as she chuckled, "Why does no one in this town ever just accept a damn compliment? I swear it's like pulling teeth just to get someone to accept that they did something nice." She held her drink out, only downing it when Cassandra's glass clinked against her own. "You helped keep their child alive, and you've done the same for Skylar herself. We all owe you thanks."
The elder witch laughed, tilting her head back and downing her drink. "Skylar has done impressive work helping herself, I had no idea just how fast she would take to all of this." They looked across the room at the reunited couple, standing happily arm in arm with the two other couples, all of them engaged in what looked to be the most joyous discussion any of them had been a part of in a while.
"She really is a remarkable young woman, isn't she?" Leah shook her head fondly. "To go from a normal human girl, to marrying an Alpha Shifter, to finding out she's some ancient force of darkness... I have no idea just how she's taking this so well. I certainly wouldn't."
"Don't forget beginning and finishing a pregnancy in a matter of months." Cassandra shuddered, grimacing to herself. "That honestly sounds like a nightmare."
"Guess we'll just have to look out for her, won't we?"
"We?" Cassandra tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean we?"
"Oh, don't give me that, I'm no idiot." She pointed over at Skylar with a lazy finger. "You're looking over at her with the sort of pride only mothers get when their child accomplishes something wonderful. She must have really grown on you in that short time."
"I..." The witch looked away, her cheeks blooming with embarrassment. "Do not tell anyone about this, I do still have a reputation to uphold."
Leah laughed, the sound oddly soothing to Cassandra's nerves. "I promise, I won't tell a soul."
Skylar looked over at the exchange with a swelling in her chest, having grown to admire Cassandra quite quickly over their shared time together. To see her getting along well with Leah, one of the most important women in her life... To say that it was a breath of relief was to do a disservice to understatements. As she stood there watching, she caught the eye of both women, wide smiles crossing their faces as they waved, Skylar sighing in contentment to herself while cradling Abigail against her chest.
Skylar felt her child kick in her arms, her breath hitching while she looked over her restless form. The lights in the house momentarily flickered, each of her guests looking quickly to the ceiling then to her, eyebrows quirked as they searched for any sign of distress. She blushed awkwardly, her mouth fixing itself into a nervous grin while she ducked her head, waving of any concern that they might have felt. Though Liam was tempted to ask her if there was anything he could do, if she was stressed in any way, he could quite clearly see that it was not something that she was keen to discuss. Instead, he swept his arm around her waist, pulling her body into his and taking a deep breath from her hair.
"God," He breathed, "I missed that smell so much. Those three days felt like an eternity."
She leaned her head back into his, closing her eyes and sighing in contentment, "I don't ever want to be away from you again, not if I can help it." Grabbing his hand, she placed it upon Abigail's head, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his temple. "She missed you too, even if she only got to meet you for a few hours."
Liam smiled to himself, tears starting to prick at the edges of his vision as Abigail yawned, little limbs stretching out in her mother's arms. "Hey little angel..." He ran his thumb along her cheek bone, skin still soft as silk against his finger. "I'm so happy to be able to meet you."
The echo of the doorbell shot through the house, each member of the party turning their heads at the sound. Skylar looked over at Cassandra, wondering if she had invited anyone to their get together, the elder witch shaking her head at the unasked question. Liam clenched his fist, squeezing Skylar's shoulder briefly before stalking towards the door, fists clenched and his teeth on edge.
He sniffed the air, a scent coming to his notice that he couldn't quite place, but one that set his blood to a boil. His lungs filled with air, Liam taking a deep breath and forcing himself to focus.
"My daughter has been alive for three days," He thought, "I'm not going to have one of her first memories be blood being spilled in this house. No matter who it is behind that door, I'm not going to lose
myself."
He turned the door handle, his vision clouding over with rage as soon as he laid eyes upon his visitor.
"Hey Conway," Sarconi grinned, voice mocking as he stepped forward, "Great to see you again."
Liam forgot all about what he had decided just moments before, hand shooting out and wrapping around the other man's throat, Sarconi's feet leaving the ground when he found his body being lifted into the air. "Why are you here?" Liam growled, "Why shouldn't I gut you right here on my front doorstep?"
The mobster gulped when a clawed finger dragged across his stomach, shirt shredding easily and blood beading on his skin. He raised his hands in Liam's view, voice croaking through the shifter's grip. "Don't be so quick to kill me Conway. Why would I be here in the first place? Why would I be here if I didn't have something up my sleeve?"
"You had something up your sleeve last time," Liam pressed him up against the wall, Michael behind him growling as well. "It didn't work out for you, why would I give a shit about that now?"
"Because..." Sarconi chuckled, grin cruel as he looked over the other members present. "Maybe I'm not the most dangerous thing you can see right now." He yelped when claws pressed into his throat. "Alright, alright! I'm just here to talk right now, scout's honor! I just need to deliver a message!"
Liam held him there for a few moments, forcing himself to not open him up there on the spot on principle. He looked over his shoulder at the other guests, each one looking at the man in his grip with plain contempt, Skylar in particular looking as if she was going to shift at any second. Cassandra was the only one who looked confused rather than disgusted, but she was more than prepared to kill if that was what it came down to. To everyone's surprise however, Skylar nodded, scowling deeply when she waved him in, Liam setting the man back down on his feet without question.
"Thanks..." Sarconi croaked, rubbing a hand over his bruised throat. "For a freak, you're sure quick to do what a woman tells you aren't you?"
"Don't push your luck. That woman gives the word, I tear your stomach open and choke you with it." Liam shoved him inside, the mobster stumbling against the carpet when his feet made contact. "Depending on what your message is, I might just decide to do it for fun."
"Is that what it was for you last time when you killed my men?" Sarconi raised an eyebrow, scowling at the memory. "Was it fun killing Grayson?"
"Grayson?" Liam tilted his head in thought, struggling to remember the man. Suddenly, a spark of recognition went off inside his mind, grinning viciously as he turned to the other man. "He was the one that died for you right? The one I tore apart while you tried to run away?" He licked his lips. "He tasted great you know."
"I figured." Sarconi grimaced as he shook himself off, reaching slowly into his pocket. "I have something to give your wife, don't fucking kill me for it you hear?"
"We'll see." Liam nodded over at Skylar, who handed her child off to Cassandra's protective grip. His wife turned to her former attacker, eyes narrowed and fists clenched in tension as he stepped forward, lecherous grin stretching across his face with each step.
Sarconi raised an eyebrow when her skin visibly shifted, shaking his head as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. His canine gleamed predatorily when he flicked the polaroid into her view, her eyes widening once she saw what was displayed front and center. Skylar snatched the polaroid out of his grasp, looking in horror at the image of her father bloodied and beaten, barely recognizable through the bruising and swelling that were clearly the work of either the man in front of her or one of his cronies.
From where he stood, Liam was taken aback by the viciousness in his wife as she quite literally growled, hand shooting out and digging into the mobster’s throat, everyone in the room shocked at the sheer power she emanated, no one having any doubt that she could have killed him right then and there. Judging by the dark look in her eyes, she was clearly planning to do so.
"I know you must be very tempted to kill me..." Sarconi spoke quickly, his previous experience with the couple giving him the knowledge that this was not a group of people that would hesitate to do so. "You might not want to be so quick to do so, if I die, so does your old man. It's that simple."
Skylar stayed her hand, eyes still narrowed with rage and her arm quaking with power, speaking with a voice so tense that her guests were not surprised to see the lights flickering on and off. "Why are you here? Why would you show me something like this?"
"I've come to give you an invitation." He chuckled, an ugly sound that made their skin crawl. "You and your husband are going to meet us out at the garage on the edge of town. Only fair that this ends where it began, isn't it?"
"And why would we do that?" Liam scoffed, "That sounds exactly like the sort of trap we would never walk into."
"You're right, I'm going to be honest with you, it's a trap." Sarconi shrugged, speaking as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "But if you don't show up then one of my guys is going to cut her father apart piece by piece. You'll get parts in the mail, as well as videos of it being done, until you decide that it's too much for you to handle. Everyone always decides it's too much to handle."
Cassandra shook her head, cradling Abigail's head. "You're a disgusting excuse for a human being, I'd be happy to tear you apart myself."
He looked over, looking first at the witch before his vision trailed lower, spying the tiny head held in her arms. He grinned, saying, "Actually, why don't you all show up? I'm sure that would be a pretty fun get together, don't you?" He started to walk away, almost making it to the door before he stopped in his tracks. "Oh, I almost forgot. You might want this."
Sarconi didn't look at them as he tossed a small bag their way, Skylar covering her mouth in shock when she spied the contents of the bag. Her father's ring finger, obviously his because of the wedding ring still adorned proudly around it.
"You have an hour to meet us." He waved over his shoulder, glee clearly present in his voice, "Otherwise it might not be something so small next time."
The door slammed shut behind him, none of the people in the room daring to speak a word as Skylar processed how the night had turned, her father's finger never leaving her sight as she considered their best course of action, vision clouding over the longer the moment went. When the light suddenly brightened and shattered, no one was surprised.
But they were afraid.
Chapter 7
The house had been silent for quite a while after Sarconi had left, but once things picked up they started going a mile a minute. Skylar stood over to the side with Cassandra, her child cradled in her arms and her mind unable to shake that image of her father's finger in a bag, the thoughts of what she would like to do to those responsible honestly frightening her in their cruelty. She wasn't quite sure what frightened her more though, was it the vividness of the fantasies that came to her, so clear in their horror?
Or was it the thought that she didn't care how evil it might have been, so long as those responsible paid in full?
Either way, she was beginning to see that none of her companions would allow that to happen, especially Liam, who was currently stood in the middle of the room with Michael and Cayden, all but demanding that they take her and leave town. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of not being able to fight her own battle, but she could at least see where he was coming from.
Irritating as it may have been in that moment.
"You need to do this Cayden!" Liam was on the verge of stomping his foot in frustration, teeth grinding in anger. "We need them to be safe!"
"Why me though?" Cayden asked, "Why do you want me to be the one to drive them away? Why can't I help you with this fight?"
Michael shook his head, sighing, "I'm sorry Cayden but... Do you honestly think you can fight with the condition you're in?"
"I..." The hunter growled, looking down at his feet. "If you'll just give me the chance..."
"Cayden, I saw you a few days ago. You could barely make it up to the front door without grimacing in pain
, and I'm sure if I ask Farah she'll tell me a lot more, won't she?" At Cayden's dejected expression, he stepped forward, pacing his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Cayden, you're one hell of a fighter. But enough people are going to die tonight, we don't want you to be one of them."
The hunter stepped away, grunting in frustration with every lance of pain he felt shooting through his side with each step he took, the pain of his last fight still carrying itself with him. He knew they were right, if he tried a serious fight in this condition he was going to accomplish nothing but dying himself. That much he could understand, their feelings were completely clear to him, it just felt like a betrayal of everything he had believed for years. He assumed that he would go out in a blaze of glory, knife sinking between the ribs of whatever enemy had landed the final blow to kill him, blood running onto the ground from the both of them. He had spent the majority of his life alone, and he had assumed that he would die alone.
It was taking some effort to move away from that line of thinking.
Reluctantly, he slowly nodded. "Fine," He said, "I'll take them out of town tonight. But you'd better be careful, I don't want any of you to get hurt and know that I could have done something about it."
"I promise we'll be careful." Liam held his hand out, smiling slightly when Cayden grasped it. "I don't exactly want to have anyone worrying either."
"Do we get a say in this?" Skylar spoke up, cocking her head to the side as they looked over at her. "Shouldn't I be able to tell you whether or not I can fight?"
Liam took her hand in his, running his thumb along her knuckles and bringing it to his lips. "I don't want to see you or Abigail get hurt, it's best for the both of you if you are as far as possible from all of this." He shook his head. "I know it's selfish, believe me, I know. But I just can't bear to see you in danger."