by Morgan Fox
By the time Sebastian returned to Jonah, he had handled the other two vampires on his own. He smiled at his brother, a sense of pride filling his chest. He patted him on the shoulder and quickly brought his hand away. Stunned, sheer panic slammed inside his skull.
“Damn it, Jonah, you’ve been bitten,” Sebastian practically shouted.
Jonah nodded, swallowing hard. “It seems I do better with three on one. That fourth one sort of snuck up on me.”
Sebastian instantly thought of Brie, but he knew his mates powers were weakened by Lilly. She could heal Jonah like she had healed him. He just prayed that they’d have time to make it all happen.
“Find Brie,” Sebastian ordered. “She’ll take care of you.”
Jonah nodded with a grim look on his face.
“Don’t worry, Jonah. The virus took a few days to affect me. Be strong, brother. You’ll be fine.” I hope.
Jonah disappeared from sight just as Reyes appeared at his side. “Gregory came through for us. His vampires have fled, leaving only the infected to contend with.”
Sebastian nodded, his eyes still focused on the direction Jonah went.
“You okay?” Reyes asked.
“Yes, but Jonah’s been bitten.”
Reyes signed. “That’s why I’m here.”
Sebastian’s eyes darted to Reyes as he turned his forearm over to reveal the bite marks. “The bastard got the drop on me. Maybe I’m getting too old for this shit, Sebastian.” He shook his head as if rattled by a fierce blow to his noggin. “I’m not feeling so great.”
Sebastian grabbed hold of Reyes, taking on his weight. “We need to get you back to the witches.”
“Yes,” Reyes breathed. “That sounds like a great idea.” His legs buckled out from under him, and Sebastian caught him. “When did you get bitten?”
“Almost as soon as we started fighting…I was distracted and I let my guard down.”
Sebastian’s chest tightened. The virus was attacking much more quickly. Was it because the virus was delivered directly from a vampire? When Sebastian had been infected Mason had bitten him.
Brie? He called out for his mate, hoping she could hear him, but she didn’t respond.
“Sebastian?” Tiffany’s mother Eve called out, reaching him. “Let me help.” The dark-haired woman collected Reyes into her arms. “Go, I’ll take care of him.”
Eyeing her, he realized his fears were right. “Brie went to find Bianca, didn’t she?”
“I’m afraid there was no stopping her. You should know that she has powers, Sebastian. It seems the moment she set foot inside that cave, her magic began to return to her.” She touched his arm lightly. “It recognized her.”
Relief settled over him, and he was thankful for the smallest of miracles. “Thank you, Eve. Please take care of Reyes. Jonah’s also been bitten. I need to get to him. The virus is moving faster through them. I can’t risk him getting lost in the cave before he reaches Brie.”
She nodded, and he quickly fled, racing into the cave, sniffing the air for his brother, praying he would reach him in time.
Chapter 14
Ryder’s jaw tightened as Lilly’s lips pressed to his. He wanted to bite her and tear the lips from her face. But he couldn’t shake the vision that hovered above him. Staring back at him was Bianca, even though he knew it was Lilly.
“I want you, Ryder,” Bianca’s voice purred into his ear, her warm breath on his cheek.
Suddenly his wrists were no longer bound, but he still didn’t have control over them. Without control of his hands, he massaged the body that covered his. A body that resembled his mate, but wasn’t his mate. He squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his hands to caress the flesh he wished was Bianca.
She moaned as he cupped her breasts, tweaking and pinching the hardened peaks. He cringed, hating that he gave Lilly pleasure, but it wasn’t his doing. He would never willingly touch another female. His heart and soul belonged to Bianca. He knew now that it always had. Taking her, mating with Bianca had completed him.
“You can force me to touch you, Lilly, but you and I both know that if I possess my own will, I’d never lay a finger on you.” The words parted from his lips with complete conviction. “My heart, body, and soul belong to Bianca, the real Bianca. You can never be to me what she is and always will be.”
His arms were flung up above his head and instantly chained again. “Fine,” she spat. “If you are so hard up for her, maybe your forgotten souls can find each other in the afterlife.”
The walls around them rocked, and Ryder knew it had to be Sebastian and the others. Instantly, she was no longer straddling him.
“Sounds like we’ve got company,” Ryder said with a snicker.
Glaring at him, she replied, “Then I guess we better hurry.”
Lilly clicked her fingers and beside him appeared a knife, a black book, a golden chalice, and blindfold. She moved to wrap the cloth around his eyes, but he thrashed, trying to keep her from restricting his vision. Then he couldn’t move. Her magic had bound him once again.
She wrapped the white cloth around his eyes. He hissed as the biting pain of the blade ran over the palm of his hand. She squeezed his flesh, holding his still chained wrist and hand over the cup. He couldn’t make out the words she spoke, but he recognized the chanting. He knew magic. It charged through him thanks to his birthright.
He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to leave his duty as mate and guardian. Helpless, he waited for the moment that he would no longer have the strength to care what happened to him because he would no longer be part of his physical body. His soul would forever be lost, drifting between worlds.
The chanting grew louder as the sounds of furious snarls filled the air. “You better hurry,” Ryder said, hoping to distract her. “The others are coming, and they are going to rip your fucking head from your shoulders.”
He felt the sharp blade slide into his chest with a slow ease. The air caught in his lungs as his brain registered what had happened. Lilly had stabbed him. A cold washed over him, a wild chill that settled into his bones.
Bianca’s face flashed in his mind, her golden eyes warming him, while death swallowed him. The soft press of her lips against his filled his heart with a joy he prayed would follow him into the afterlife. He knew Brody would protect Bianca, keep her safe, and love her always. He wished he could do the same, but that was not his destiny. His sacrifice would keep her alive.
Sebastian and Brody, please protect my mate, my love.
Ryder’s heart grew heavy, a single tear sliding from the corner of his eye. His only regrets were leaving Tiffany, a woman who had quickly become like daughter to him, and not telling Bianca that he wanted to love her as a mate should be loved, that he forgave her for hiding from him for all these years.
Closing his eyes, he let the last of his breath pass from his lips and the cold darkness that was death claim him.
* * * *
The air in Bianca’s lungs froze as she watched the silvery blade vanish into Ryder’s chest. Her entire body became rigid. The moment seemed surreal, as if she were in a living breathing nightmare.
“No!” Bianca shouted, her world crumbling around her in a blurring speed.
Uncapped fury blazed from deep within Bianca as her eyes darted to Lilly, who simply grinned with glee. Running with all her might, Bianca crashed into the vampire queen, flinging their bodies to the hard ground. Immediately, Bianca’s nails were clawing and digging into Lilly’s neck, back, and shoulders.
With every ounce of power Bianca had left in her weakened body, she fought against Lilly’s struggles. The ferocious cries of her panther scraped against her throat. Bianca’s body shook with uncontrollable rage.
Lilly elbowed Bianca in the jaw, sending her head snapping back. She quickly shook the dizzying haze from her eyes, never letting go of the vile creature that had just murdered her mate. Her mouth came down, clamping onto Lilly’s shoulder, ripping a chunk of her flesh from her naked
body.
A wild fury burned inside Bianca’s mind. Emptiness consumed her. A piece of her soul was torn away, as if her actual heart had burst from behind her ribs. Ryder’s essence was slipping away, their bond but a distant memory.
No!
Glancing over to the spot where Ryder lay on the sacrificial bed, Bianca’s chest tightened and her stomach lurched. Tears stung the backs of her eyelids, as she prayed for the strength to destroy the vampire queen, to avenge her mate’s death.
Frantically, Bianca sank her teeth once more into the vampire queen. The putrid taste of her poisonous blood filled Bianca’s mouth, a reminder of the virus that had destroyed the mind of Mason Levi and brutally savaged so many of her kind. Not caring what would happen to her, Bianca continued to tear apart Lilly’s flesh, more blood filling her mouth and dripping down her throat.
Lilly’s body grew limp and Bianca’s hold eased. In the blink of an eye, Lilly flipped herself over and severed Bianca’s grip completely. The vampire queen’s arms extended out in front of her as she shoved against Bianca with a magical force. Bianca crashed into base of the throne.
Lilly’s laughter filled the hollowed-out room. The dampness of the cave seeped into Bianca’s bones, leaving her colder than she’d been at the loss she suffered. The biting snap of Lilly’s power flickered in the space between them.
Bianca cried out as her body was suddenly ravaged by a fiery sensation. Her body convulsed as the electrical pulses charged up every nerve. Clenching her jaw tight, she howled in pain, her eyes rolling back in her head. Spasm after spasm rocked her.
“You think you can defeat me?” Lilly’s voice was distorted by the fierce vampire she had morphed into.
The vampire queen’s body was swollen with strength and muscle, rippling with a powerful energy. Her eyes were now a glowing red, and her fangs pressed into the soft tissue of her lips. Her cheekbones pressed out, forcing the sockets of her eyes to dip into her skull. She was no longer a petite, fragile-looking woman, but a monster.
Lilly waved her hand, stepping to the throne. She grabbed Bianca by her hair and dragged her across the floor, depositing her alongside the bed where Ryder’s body remained.
“Mason will need to feed when he wakes,” Lilly said in a voice that revealed her demonic side. “I was going to give him Brody, but I think I’ll feed you to him instead.” Bianca winced as Lilly increased the electrical charge pummeling her body into a heap of useless mass.
“I don’t think you’ll be doing anything of the sort,” said a calm, pleasant voice, and instantly Bianca knew it was Brie.
Lilly whipped her head around, and her eyes settled on the woman Bianca was grateful to see. The Lupinari stood tall, her spine stiff. Her blue gaze fixed on the vampire queen with a hateful glare. Brie’s hands were fisted at her sides. Bianca felt the powerful hold Lilly had on her waver, as if coming face-to-face with her nemesis robbed her of the magic she possessed.
Good.
Brie waved her hand in the air, and Bianca was suddenly no longer under Lilly’s control. Immediately, Bianca crawled away from the vampire queen, moving up onto the other side of the bed. She reached out for Ryder.
Lilly’s eyes swelled at the shift in power. Her head snapped in Bianca’s direction, hissing like a snake about to strike. Bianca’s eyes widened and she froze, not wanting to feel the sting of Lilly’s magic paralyze her once more.
Brie eased into the room, gliding as if the air itself moved her along. “Maybe you should be focusing on me,” Brie said tauntingly. “After all, I am the one about to take my powers back and, in the process, kick your pathetic ass.”
Lilly’s head rolled to the side with laughter booming from her. Her eyes darkened to a solid black. “My poor Brie,” she said, tsking. “You don’t have the power to do anything of the sort.” She shook her head, frowning as if saddened by the news. “I’m going to bring Mason back, and then I’m going to finish you off permanently.” She arched a brow. “Then I think I’ll go collect that precious little baby girl of yours and make her my own.”
The lights in the room flared, brightening as if in reflection of the rage filling Brie. Lilly’s face drew blank, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“I don’t think you’ll be laying one finger on my daughter,” Brie said matter-of-factly. “She’s very well protected from the likes of you.”
“I doubt that,” Lilly said with a sneer. “No one is outside my power.”
Brie raised her hands palm side out in Lilly’s direction. “Except me.”
A white burst of light engulfed Brie as she closed her eyes. Lilly’s body arched forward, her spine bending backward. An earth-shattering cry escaped the vampire queen. Bianca didn’t know what Brie was doing to Lilly, and she didn’t care as long as the bitch died.
Bianca crawled up onto the bed beside Ryder, cupping his face in her hands. She kissed him, pressing her lips to his forehead, cheeks, and mouth. His flesh was still warm, but the color of his skin had changed.
Tears blurred Bianca’s vision. “Oh, baby,” she breathed. “Don’t you dare leave me.” Climbing onto the bed, she held him close, her face pressed to his cheek. “I’ve got you now. You’re not alone anymore.” Her knees were damp from the blood that had seeped from his body. She ignored it. “I can’t be without you. I need you too damn much.” Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. His lifeless body was unresponsive. “No! No! No! Don’t you dare leave me!”
Her pleading went unanswered. Nothing could save him now. Her mate was truly lost.
“Ryder!” Tiffany shouted, entering the room, racing toward him.
Bianca gasped at the familiar voice. Using the distraction, Lilly raised her hand and sent a jolt of dark energy into Brie. Brie was hurtled across the room like a rag doll. She wheezed as she struck the floor, rolling to a stop. Brie didn’t move. Lilly laughed wickedly, returning her gaze back to Bianca and Tiffany.
Tiffany touched the chains that bound Ryder’s arms and legs, and the links were broken. Bianca pulled his body off the bed, her arms wrapping around him in a protective shield.
Bianca’s jaw quivered. “You can’t have him,” she shouted. “I won’t let you defile his body with Mason’s soul.” Tears streaked down her cheeks. “You don’t deserve to be held by him. You don’t deserve to ever touch him again.”
Tiffany shook, her body practically falling on top of Ryder as she rushed to blanket him. She raised her hand palm side up, and a protective covering was placed around them, blocking Lilly from advancing on them.
Lilly growled. “You can’t hold that shield forever, little girl,” Lilly barked. Her eyes were black, soulless orbs. “I’ll get what I want and you will not stop me.” Her furious screams sent a shiver up Bianca’s spine.
Suddenly Brie was up and standing behind Lilly. Brie’s speed was purely magical. Her fist collided with the vampire queen’s face.
“Give me back my powers,” Brie said through clenched teeth.
Brie’s hands were up once more. The energy she ripped away from Lilly had Brie’s body erupting in a white cloud. Bianca’s breath hitched as she watched the Lupinara easily break down the once-powerful vampire queen that had caused so much destruction.
Slowly, Lilly crawled upon the ground, clawing her way toward her throne. Brie held steady until the white light that had surrounded her faded away. Closing her eyes, Brie inhaled deeply. Bianca’s heart lurched as she realized all too late what Lilly had done.
“She’s getting away,” Bianca cried, pointing toward the trap door beneath the throne.
Bianca’s gaze whipped to the entrance of the room, which was suddenly flooded with battling, panthers, lycans and vampires. Brie’s gaze settled on the spot the vampire queen had been before slithering away. They couldn’t let her escape. Something had to be done. This had to be the end.
“She’s using the trap door. It leads to the back of the cave just above the hilltop,” Bianca shouted to anyone who would listen. “Somebody stop her!”
“We’ll find her,” Dominic said, his voice roaring up from behind them. “Are you all right?” His gaze locked on Brie.
“I’m fine. Go after her,” Brie all but cried, racing to kneel beside Ryder.
Dominic nodded and was gone just as quickly as he had arrived.
“Oh, Ryder,” Tiffany whispered. “You can’t die. You’re supposed to keep me from getting into trouble, remember?” She sniffled. “I would be lost without you. Please fight. Please come back to me.”
“Tiffany?” Brie whispered, her hand resting overtop of her sister’s.
Tiffany’s watery gaze locked on Brie. “Please tell me you can save him.”
Guilt ate away at Bianca as she watched the love Tiffany had for Ryder pour out of the young girl. Had Bianca found a way to get free, she could’ve saved him. All the years she’d spent in fear, all the time she wasted trying to find a way to be with Ryder, to come to this moment only to end up losing him, it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.
Tiffany held him close, rocking him in her arms. She slowly pulled the knife from his chest, tossing it onto the floor with a clatter. Her palm rested over the wound. Her hands glowed, the brilliant blue hue pulsing and flickering. The hair on Bianca’s body stood on end as the energy in the room swirled around them.
Brie stroked Tiffany’s cheek, her hands sliding up over Ryder. “Let me see him, honey.”
With hesitation, both Bianca and Tiffany eased back, giving Brie plenty of room. Brie ran her hands over Ryder and looked up at them both. “Your shield kept Mason’s soul away. Ryder is still here.” Bianca and Tiffany both gasped.
“I’ll need your help to bring Ryder back.”
Tiffany nodded.
Bianca’s eyes blinked heavily. “What can I do?”