“Master. Is the shifter–”
“My mate is alive.”
Nina felt her familiar’s relief and watched as he gathered up energy to attack from above. Luke came into view as he ripped out the throat of a ghoul. His eyes were wild in his animal form, and Nina said, “Kevin’s alive.”
Some of that wildness dissipated, and she noticed him communicating the message to the pack who seemed to fight with renewed strength.
Samuel and Abigail were starting to look drawn out, and their alpha kept glancing into the woods as if waiting for something.
When the shrieks of the enemy increased from within their stronghold, the fighting ceased for a few minutes with everybody trying to figure out what was happening. Luke bared his teeth in a vicious smile, and the pack figured out that reinforcements had arrived.
Ghouls went flying into the air as wolves streamed from the woods. However, it was not the wolves that had everyone freezing, it was the new scent that permeated the air.
Vampires.
Tall and beautiful beings moved through the enemy. Their faces impassive, they were dressed as if they had walked straight out of a fashion magazine. Not a hair flew out of place as they dispatched the ghouls with startling ease.
“Natural enemies,” came a rough voice.
Fergus emerged from behind his wolves and looked terrible. His face was drawn, and it looked like he had not shaved for days.
“What happened to you?” the bear alpha asked, and the concern in his voice was very real.
Fergus shared a look with him that had Luke nodding. “Later, then. Who’s your friend?”
A pale man was standing behind him, wearing a black suit that screamed class and sophistication.
“Gael,” three voices spoke up. Kalen did not look very surprised and floated over to him. “Still putting on airs, I see.”
The master vampire raised a brow and smiled sharply. “Still holding on to the past, I see.”
They glared at each other before Gael looked at Nina. This time, controlling her power seemed easier, and she watched as the fourth Council member approached her.
He gave a low bow, and she could read the sincerity in those cold eyes. “It is an honor to be summoned by you, My Lady.”
For a few heartbeats, Nina just blinked and then, feeling awkward, she said, “Hi. I’m Nina.”
Gael smiled at her, as if amused and yet genuinely happy. “Gael.”
The blast that shook the earth had them all looking around. A woman strode out from the midst of the battle, followed closely by another.
Morrigan wore her signature black dress with a tapering tail. The dress’ cut accented her beautiful face. Her piercing gray eyes flew straight to the four Council members who stood there, and then they flew to Nina. If the young witch was not mistaken, she could see some warmth in her eyes.
“Well,” Morrigan smiled, “I got the summons myself, but I just had to come and confirm it. Who knew that my little ward would be the Caillagh?”
Nina stiffened and stepped in front of where Kevin lay protectively.
“Totters. To me.”
Her faithful companion dove toward her and settled on her shoulder, letting out a warning screech toward the High Priestess.
The woman who stood behind Morrigan was like a pale shadow in front of the beautiful witch. Her black hair hung in thin strands, and her skin favored a more yellowish tint. Her eyes fixed on the bird, and she took a step forward, making Nina snarl, a sound, which would have undoubtedly impressed Kevin.
“Now, now, Nina. That is no way to behave. You misunderstand Lucille. She tends to get a little over excited.”
Kalen looked bored – his signature trademark. “And a little hungry as well. Had a little too many humans for lunch, Lucille?” he taunted. “Your skin looks absolutely deplorable. Gluttony does not suit you at all.”
Lucille snarled, her voice thick with disuse. “Fuck you, twinkle toes!”
For some reason, Kalen actually seemed offended at that, and he floated over to Nina, sulking, transforming back into a young boy.
Samuel stepped forward. “What are you doing, Morrigan? The Council made a decision. You cannot go against–”
Morrigan smiled. “The Council is no more, Samuel. Or have you forgotten that we went our separate ways?”
Abigail scowled. “Be as that may, you have taken unnecessary lives in your quest for power! The Council may not exist anymore, but we are still held to our vows!”
“Collateral. All those lives have served a greater good. The Others are too divided. They need a leader.” The High Priestess shrugged. “And I volunteered.”
“The Sanguinem Veneficia may be powerful, but it is not strong enough to subdue all of us.” Gael’s words were quiet, but held a hidden strength in them. “Look behind you; your army is no more. A witch and a ghoul with a penchant for human flesh, can hardly expect to take on all of us.”
“They can if the pages have been fused inside their souls,” Nina murmured.
Morrigan looked delighted. “You were always so smart, Nina.” She held out a hand. “You’ll do so much better if you stand with us. The kind of power that we can offer, the things we can teach you, they will–”
“They will do nothing for me,” Nina said. “All you ask is the sacrifice of my familiar, right?”
When the High Priestess shrugged, looking a bit regretful at that, Nina shook her head. “The first Caillagh’s memories are entwined with mine. Everything she knew is slowly soaking into me. Maybe it will take minutes, or maybe it will take years, but what I can learn from her is enough for me. And I will never let anything harm Totters.”
Morrigan shook her head. “Then, I’m truly sorry, my child, but we have to take your familiar by force. Do not worry.” Morrigan raised her arm. “It’s very easy to summon another one.”
The blast of power she threw behind her had the wolves crumbling to the ground and the fallen ghouls rising. They fell onto the weakened wolves and Fergus snarled, running toward his pack as he shifted.
Nina’s eyes grew cold at the slaughter that Morrigan clearly intended to take place.
It seemed that the real battle had begun.
Chapter 14
“You guys go help the wolves.” Nina told the Council members and the shifters. “Kalen, Gael, and I will take on these two.”
“I’ll watch over Kevin,” Heather spoke up. A glance showed Nina that the shifter was grievously injured and was not ready to admit it. She reached out and healed some of the major injuries that could deter the shifter who had been so kind to her in this fight. Heather’s startled look revealed that she realized what Nina had just done for her, and the young witch could not help but smile.
“Watch over my mate for me,” she told Heather who was taken aback at the term, but nodded.
“With my life.”
In the back of her mind, Nina could feel Kevin’s awareness grow. He was largely unconscious, but his healing was occurring at a faster pace now. She felt his confusion and wariness, and she soothed him with her presence. That seemed to relax him, and he went under again.
“Three against two? Are you scared of us, you little witch bitch?” Lucille cackled.
Calmly, Morrigan backhanded the ghoul and watched the female stumble back a few steps. The witch’s voice was filled with ice. “Watch how you talk to her. She is still my ward.”
That was all she said before she attacked.
However, the one advantage that Nina had was her quick reflexes. The temporary barrier she raised dissolved under the strength of the attack, and it was then that Nina realized just how much power Morrigan had gained.
The blows kept coming, and she kept deflecting them. However, she was permanently on defense and could not manage to get in even one attack. Kalen and Gael were engaged with Lucille but were not faring any better.
“Totters, their strength is immeasurable!”
Her familiar was perched on Heather’s shoulder, and she
could sense his unease. “This does not bode well. The mating bond has drained a lot of your reserves. Even the glow from your eyes is fading.”
“We need to think of something fast!”
Totters thought and considered.
There seemed to be no other way around this situation, and he had a strong feeling his master would not be happy with this decision. But she had never forced her will on him before, and he did not think she would now, even if she hated the step he was about to take.
After an extremely brutal blow that had Nina stumble back and jump to her feet, exhaustion present in every line of her body, Totters made his decision and he flew into the sky.
His master did not notice, and as she tried to stand up, her body trembled with the abuse. Totters tore open the inner vault where all his power and energy lay in reserves. He saw both witches look up in shock as he transcended from his physical form to a being made only of light.
Morrigan’s cry of denial gave him immense pleasure, and the last thing he heard as he dove straight into his master’s chest was her grief-stricken cry of, “Totters, no!”
Nina absorbed the magic that entered her like a sponge. Totter’s very essence filled the crevices of her soul. She felt the love that her familiar had for her, echo within her, and tears welled up in her eyes. He had given her the gift of his life to protect her.
“How could you, Totters? You said that we would be together until the very end. And you left without me?”
This time, there was no answer.
The voice that used to comfort her, that had been her companion for a lifetime, was silenced forever.
A warmth wrapped itself around her.
Kevin.
Nina looked to where Heather was and saw Kevin standing next to her. The sadness and understanding in his eyes nearly broke her, and she looked away.
Morrigan looked furious. She raised her palm, and the quick fury that Nina felt made her draw from all that power that had just entered her.
Because of their selfishness, she had lost the most important being to her.
The desire to take revenge and to hurt them back was so strong, that it was only Kevin’s calming presence, which forced her to think past her anger with some clarity. She used his presence to her advantage, and for the first time since she gained her powers, she leaned on somebody that was not Totters.
What Morrigan had said had been true. Summoning another familiar was no hardship. But the trials and hardships that she had gone through with Totters – that special relationship that she had shared with him – no other familiar could even come close to breaching the gaping hole that had been carved in her heart.
Nina smiled with a cruelty that was not in her nature, and the words that she spoke were filled with power. “The Council was formed to protect and serve. It was born to provide balance. You have upset the balance. You have broken your vows. Morrigan Blackthorn and Lucille Cleawer: you are no longer worthy of bearing the titles granted to you.”
Kalen and Gael stepped back as Nina clenched her fingers and stripped both the High Priestess and the Queen of Ghouls of the powers bestowed upon them when they were young, and their hearts had been full of idealistic dreams.
Morrigan’s scream of pain made even Kalen step back. Her hands pulled at her hair as the power was taken from her very being. Lucille was no different. She writhed on the ground, and her body spasmed, as it was forced to give up something that had been a part of it for such a long time.
Nina’s face was impassive, and when she felt a pair of strong hands settle on her shoulder, she let her mate pull her into himself. They watched together as Morrigan and Lucille lost consciousness. When Gael stepped forward to dispose of them, Nina shook her head.
Her eyes had turned back to normal, and she let Kevin run his hands over her arms in a comforting manner. “They are harmless now. Let them walk their own journey and meet the fate that awaits them.
When Kalen opened his mouth, Nina met those green eyes with her own, which held pain. Her words were quiet. “I need time to mourn. The Council will convene three days from now, and,” she turned around and started walking away, “the wolf should also be present.”
She walked out of the clearing and Kevin followed. Her path was aimless.
“Totters?”
Silence.
Her eyes filled up with tears, and she let her legs collapse from beneath her. Within a second, Kevin’s arms were around her. His warmth surrounded her, and she let herself cry.
She did not know how long she sobbed, but when her eyes opened, she was cuddled next to the bear shifter, whose eyes were open as he kept watch. Nina sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Thank you.”
The man that appeared in the shimmer of light smiled sadly at her. “He was your family.”
Nina nodded and sniffled, burying her face in Kevin’s neck. “I saw the prophecy of you dying as you deflected a blow that was meant for me. I told Totters I could not let that happen. And he said – he said that whatever I chose, he would be with me the whole way. But he lied. Why did he lie?”
Her mate did not know what to tell her.
Instead, he kissed her forehead and held her against him. In the dark of night, they remained there. Things had moved so quickly in the past few days that coming to grips with it was not easy.
“How could a locator spell go so wrong, so quickly?” The bear shifter wondered.
“I do not know.” Nina shook her head. She leaned against his lap. The jeans that Kevin had dug up from one of the spots where the shifters kept their clothes in case they ran out were a tad too loose, and Nina plucked at the fabric that hung off the shifter’s hips.
The next three days passed like this. They remained near the den, and yet kept their privacy. Anybody passing by would see a huge bear standing guard over a woman who lay sleeping at his side, one hand clenched in his fur.
Chapter 15
When Nina woke up, her body was curved around Kevin’s. However, he wore no jeans this time. His naked form pressed against hers, and one of his hands settled over her ass in what was a possessive grip. In his sleep, he was molding that taut piece of flesh and the way his fingers moved over her ass, cupping it and massaging it, Nina had to bite back a cry.
She tried to get out of her mate’s hold, but his grip was firm. When one of his fingers moved lower, Nina found herself parting her legs to give him more access. She had traded in the jeans she had been wearing for a pair of loose shorts. Now she realized how convenient it was for her shifter. Her fist against her mouth, she bit in her gasp as those deft fingers rubbed against her pussy in a provocative manner.
“Kevin.”
“Yes?”
Nina looked down to see her mate wide awake, and grinning from ear-to-ear.
When she opened her mouth to voice something, his hand slipped inside her shorts and rubbed her clit. Nina threw her head back and groaned at the aggressive move.
“You were saying?”
“Ah.” A short cry when a finger entered her pussy, which was not completely wet, but the sensation was enough to make her tingle. “Why are you–”
A mouth on her breast through the shirt.
Kevin was not so aggressive that he would target her on all fronts. But he was attacking her everywhere that he could reach. One hand in her hair, she was pulled up until she was seated on his thigh, straddling it. Which was exactly what he seemed to want.
With him rubbing her clit, Nina moved around restlessly, and her movements became more rapid as she started moving against his thigh. The smirk on his lips should have pissed her off, but she felt so helpless right now with Kevin controlling her body that it just served to turn her on more.
She tried to turn her head away, but a grip on her chin had her staring directly into Kevin’s eyes. The flush of passion on her cheeks as her movements became more erratic. She could feel her mate’s eyes on her, and her hands slipped from his chest to his proud cock, which stood out.
He had n
ever let her touch his cock before, and the angry, red head, which glistened with pre-cum made her mouth water. Nina pulled back and then lowered her head to taste it.
Her hands could not fit around it, and she grasped what she could and sucked on the head. Kevin’s groan made her look up, but, when he did not seem to be in any pain, she continued what she was doing.
The taste was uniquely Kevin, and she felt his fingers clench in her hair as she bobbed her head up and down.
"Enough," came the hoarse whisper.
The strain on Kevin's face made Nina smile. “Why? Oomph!"
The air blew out of her as she was yanked toward her frustrated mate who gripped the back of her neck and gave her a punishing kiss which made her whimper in need. He had never kissed her like this, and she could feel herself growing wetter and wetter as his tongue played with hers and his fingers swept underneath her shirt to twist her protruding nipples with the skill of a man who knew exactly what movements rendered each reaction.
Nina was like putty in his hands, and the witch tried to touch him to fulfill the craving she had to run her hands over him and give him the same pleasure. However, Kevin was having none of it. He twisted her around until she lay on the ground, and he hovered over her.
Grabbing both her wrists, he dragged them over her head and imprisoned them there with one hand. Once she was sufficiently helpless against him, he moved in. His mouth pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses on her neck. One hand ripped off her blouse, and he suckled one nipple in his hot mouth and looked up when Nina gave out small cries. She moved restlessly, trying to free herself of his grip. However, Kevin was a shifter who was undisputedly stronger than she was.
When she glared at him, he chuckled and pressed a kiss on her belly button, making her squirm.
“Keep your hands there,” he ordered as he released her wrists. Lowering his hands, he lifted her lower half up and tossed off those shorts, which were hindering his access to her most intimate areas.
He could see Nina's chest move up and down with the contained frustration. His mouth pressed a kiss against her abdomen, and she shuddered, her breath sharp.
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