by Ruby Raine
"Mama wolf."
"Daddy wolf," she charged right back at him.
She leaned her head against his needing a moment to let it all sink in. She used her own hearing to search out the tiny heartbeat, eager to hear it again. She found it with ease this time and let her mind soak it all in. She was going to be a mother. Her baby wasn't even close to arriving yet and she was already on a countdown to holding him or her in her arms...
"Um, Charlie," she said a minute later.
"What is it?" he sensed the questioning awe in her voice.
"Listen one more time. Like, really, really listen."
He did. It took a minute to hear it.
"Is that?" she almost didn't dare voice it.
"Um," he cleared his throat. "Wow. Okay. Um—" he blew out a shocked breath.
She smiled, wider than she'd ever smiled before. Two heart beats, almost perfectly in sync with each other, the second, almost easy to miss.
"Twins. Two babies."
Now it was Charlie who looked bowled over and who needed a minute to catch his breath.
"I love you," Lizzy told him.
"I love you, too."
"Now let's go tell everyone. I want to go baby shopping." Lizzy wriggled out of his arms and Charlie thought she was so happy she might glow herself right over the rainbow.
"We can tell everyone in a few minutes." He got a naughty gleam in his eyes. "My mate is far too beautiful to let her leave this room."
"Celebration sex." She growled her agreement.
But time slipped by and minutes turned to hours and hours turned to crashing after the long night and it wasn't until the next morning and coffee—decaf for Lizzy now—that they made their announcement. Emily was tickled to death, as was Lizzy, that their children would be the same age and that they'd be going through pregnancy together.
Their biggest concern was finding a doctor. They had one on the Isle who was aware of the supernatural, and they supposed that would be enough. But having magical babies was a bit different.
"How do other supernatural women have babies?" asked Emily.
William answered first. "There are supernatural doctors willing to travel during a birth. But the witches in the Howard family always used the local doctors in the know, unless there was a special issue or complication."
"And in Sorcier," added Annie, "we have doctors too. You'll not be in want of medical care."
With that worry settled, it was time for the next step in their journey—tonight, they'd begin their transformation to becoming part of the Garudian bloodline.
MANY HOURS LATER, AFTER another celebration for Charlie and Lizzy, which had already seen her and Emily planning to go baby shopping together, the mansion was a buzz once again with the other life changing plan in motion—it was time for the Garudian transformation.
Mathew had finished his potion that Rae needed. They had security measures in place—the vampires and gargoyles, and Mack, plus, a couple of Guardians to help too. This was an important night to the witches and the Guardians. The start of a new bloodline... however, Mathew was shocked when it was Alethea and Daegal who offered up their own services to protect while Mathew and Rae oversaw this change.
"This is a night that will forever change history and our future," Alethea explained. "We would not miss this for anything."
"And we will not chance Daemon or his demons affecting this change."
"It's also in remembrance of our son, who sacrificed himself to bring Rae into this world," Althea continued with a warm smile.
"We would not miss this," Daegal claimed kindly. The two eyed each other lovingly and passed a knowing look between them. They'd offered to take everyone to the safety of the Guardian's own headquarters, where they thought it would be safest. But Rae had made the point that they'd have to lower their own magical protections in order for her to use her magic there, and that would, in turn, endanger all Guardians.
So, instead, they'd offered their services and come to the Isle.
"We've also been mulling over some new ideas," Alethea said.
"It would include a way for you and Lucas to work together," Daegal aimed at Mathew. "It doesn't always work out perfectly, but we do our best to make sure couples spend as much time together as possible."
"I—I—don't know what to say," Mathew stuttered in response. It didn't matter what the job was, as long as he did it with Lucas, he'd be happy.
"We will discuss it further at another time," Alethea said. "We just wanted you to know we have a solution for you. But it won't take you away from the work you love."
And for that Mathew was eternally grateful.
The two elder Guardians left to join the others in protection duty and left Mathew and Rae to continue preparations.
"Okay, first thing," Mathew said to them all. "You all get your own Guardian rings. And Charlie, you get a new one." He handed them each a black ring that looked just like Charlie's. "They won't work yet, not until the change is complete."
"Why won't my old ring work?" asked Charlie. Now that it came to removing it, he was suddenly nervous to do so. "When Nina gave this to me, I didn't have Guardian blood."
"A modification," Mathew explained. "That took many months to perfect. You're welcome."
"You did it?" asked Charlie.
Mathew nodded.
"Well, um, thank you."
"You're welcome. But now that you are changing, the old one will no longer work for you. As for the rest of you, this is how we'll know we've succeeded. A golden halo will form around the ring once it wakes up and starts working—meaning, you've finished the transition."
Once they had the rings on, Lucas, Riley, Emily, Michael, Charlie, Lizzy, and Melinda lined up next to the kitchen counter where Mathew was sliding a potion bottle in front of each of them.
Rae explained what would happen next.
"Once you drink this potion, it takes a few minutes or so to take effect, and after that, I will perform the magic needed to complete the change. And like Mathew said, not long after your rings should start to glow, and we'll know we have succeeded."
Tomorrow, a whole new life would begin. No longer just witches, but demon Killers.
Rae claimed the knowledge would come to them like an awakening. It's not even something they'd need to learn or be told, they'd simply know, instinctively, what to do. A great benefit and necessity seeing as to speak the words aloud might hand over the info to the enemy—it was a secret that could not get into enemy hands. So, the less it was spoken, the better.
"Do we want to know what's in that bottle?" questioned Lizzy, eyeing her potion. With her knowledge of spells, she had a sinking feeling they were about to drink blood. Not much, but this was the type of magic that would require such a thing.
Mathew eyed her in severe warning of not to spill the beans and make everyone uncomfortable because this was the only way. To become new blood, one had to ingest blood. In this case, Rae's.
They'd been told that the side effects would go away after a few minutes, but Mathew avoided the conversation too much and after getting badgered, simply stated, "You're still doing it even if I say it's going to hurt, right?"
None of them were changing their minds but still wanted to know what to expect.
"Okay," Mathew finally caved. "I can't be one hundred percent sure. But this is what I think will happen. Once you drink the potion, you'll feel a little—woozy. No worse than a little morning sickness," he smiled in Emily's and Lizzy's directions.
"Sounds okay," Michael said. He frowned a moment later. "Although, I can sense you're holding back the good part."
"You might feel a little, off balance. I mean, we are changing your DNA here, people. It's not your simple run of the mill spell we're talking about."
"Okay, I think we get that it's probably going to suck a bit. But for how long?" asked Charlie, thinking this was the most important question. "A few seconds. A few minutes. Hours?"
"Not long at all. A few minutes, tops
," insisted Mathew. "Rae will need to touch each of you individually to perform the spell. It cannot be done in one big group. So, we'll do this one at a time." Mathew smiled like a naughty child about to start trouble. "Who wants to go first?" he asked in a sing song voice that did nothing for their nerves.
"I'll do it." It was Lucas who offered, and he did not look sure about it at all.
"Oh, my brave, brave man," Mathew taunted as Lucas grabbed his potion vial and approached Mathew.
"I'm going to have to plan payback after this, aren't I?"
"Oh, Baby. You're going to want to spank me so hard." Mathew winked, and Lucas rolled his eyes because that was in no way punishment.
William flew into the kitchen just then.
"All is good on the borders, thus far. How goes it in here?" His eyes were on Melinda of course.
"We're groovy," said Lizzy, grabbing her potion bottle, eager to get this done.
"But it's not a quick process and we each need to take turns," explained Melinda as she shoved her potion into her sweater pocket.
"Need some air?" he asked her, concerned. "Or I can stay if you need me."
"I'll be fine. But some air would be nice." She followed him out the backdoor as Lucas proceeded to shout out a long line of obscenities after downing his potion. And he was already Garudian, so his potion didn't include that part. Only what was needed to be like Rae.
"Shit, maybe I should have volunteered to go first," Melinda inhaled nervously. "Waiting and watching might be far, far worse."
William growled at the idea of his beloved in any pain, even voluntarily so.
"It's worth it," she whispered. But he wished he could suffer this part, for her.
"I'll be waiting," he promised. "Forever..." he added with a simpering smile.
"We're so close, William. Our dream is so close we can reach out and grab it."
He leaned in and grabbed her lips with his own in hearty agreement of that idea.
Inside, the transformation process was seemingly slow and tedious. It wasn't really that bad, but their nervousness made it feel like forever. One by one they downed the potion and waited for the effects to hit them—in the form of a wave of something powerful surging through them like a storm riding their own blood. It was a bit like someone raked their veins—but it ended quite swiftly and after, Rae was able to perform her spell. Then, it was time to rest and let the transformation complete.
Lucas and Riley went first, seeing as their potions were different and working faster to be made like Rae. They were already Garudian so the potion and her magic was remaking them already.
Lizzy and Emily went next and were resting comfortably now, waiting out the rest of the transformation. Their eyes kept checking out their rings, but no golden light yet.
Michael was waiting in nervous anticipation for his potion to kick in. His new wife merely smiled at him and waved him off.
"Seriously, it's not that bad. It's like morning sickness with some bad PMS mixed with having too many shots of tequila... and maybe an itchy all over body rash that goes away quick."
"So, naturally, men will think they're going to die," joked Lizzy.
"I am dying," both Riley and Lucas claimed at the same time, their faces green and sickly.
But Michael lived. Grumpily so. But not long later he joined Emily and rested with the others. And then it was Charlie's turn. Melinda insisted he go next and get the bemoaning over with, so she could show him how a real woman dealt with it. Although more than that, her nerves were getting the best of her.
He downed the potion, but before a single effect had the chance to kick in, and before Rae finished her magic, something exploded in the backyard.
CHAPTER 14
AROUND THE BOUNDARIES of the mansion, a vigilant watch was kept to protect those inside.
It was Alethea and Daegal who shuddered first—a suddenly all too familiar dread pushing out all around them. The vampires snarled and crouched, ready to fight. The gargoyles preferred not to, but they would protect their turf.
Bone-chilling dread and doom prickled the air.
But there wasn't a demon in sight—they were close though. And their purpose unknown. Were they still after Deane blood? If so, they were too late now. And if all went as it should, the Howards blood will have changed and therefore, any immunity the demons or their helpers had would no longer matter now, the small demon victory moot now that their blood makeup had changed.
An explosion caught them off guard though—stone and rock blew up from the water fountain that sat in the yard. The same one the sea hags and spiders had used to gain entry onto the grounds.
Tension filled the air as their nerves prickled on high alert.
Those protecting the others poised to fight, but the back door flew open and everyone inside flooded outside. They were not at all well, which made this the perfect time to strike. They were weakened, the change nearing completion. And the knowledge they desperately needed—how to kill demons—was precariously out of reach until that ring began to glow and the information was overridden into their very instincts.
They hoped to all that was sacred in this world it wasn't a moment too late. Or hell might claim a serious advantage in the human realm.
The night slid into stillness, the crisp, clean, air of autumn taking on the stench of misery and unease leaving the only sound their weighted breaths.
"Testing us?" Lizzy whispered, as the silence reigned on.
"Still want our blood," Riley imagined.
"Can't have it now," Lucas said. The rings would protect them—once they began to glow.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Time never went by so slowly until this moment.
They were so close to having the power to end this war before it started.
So close...
It would make sense that demons would want to see how easy it would be to break into the Howard Estate. And while they'd managed to get off a spell of some kind and blow up the fountain, they were not trying to breach the borders. Perhaps their magical protections were working.
A voice called out William's name and his body stiffened and became a temple of protection for Melinda, who gasped and wasn't sure her lungs remembered how to breathe.
"Mina..."
The bitch who'd stolen his life had returned. They spun and spun, her movements a flash here and there outside the estate walls, never slowing enough to materialize anywhere. Only distract.
"Keep alert," William snarled in warning. "She's a distraction."
William stilled himself, reaching out for his sire's mind... she refused to acknowledge him or his warnings to stay away, and only laughed and cut off the connection, but not before he'd seen what he needed.
"Mina's working with the demons," he growled. She wasn't here for him, not really. It was just a happy accident she was thrilled to use to her advantage.
But it was the sickly look morphing on Melinda's face that he'd remember forever. A look of sudden and instant defeat. Of being so close to having everything she ever wanted, but having to give it up.
"I can't take the gift Rae's offering," Melinda muttered in sudden numbness. Her eyes watered, and she stared at William begging him to understand because she didn't have the strength to say the words.
"Mina..." his eyes closed, that same defeat Melinda wore spreading to him like a dark sickness that he might not survive. "She has a direct line to my thoughts."
"And therefore, mine..." Melinda almost cried. Because she'd see them all in William's. It dawned on him this had to be why Mina was working with them—they'd hired her, hoping to extract information. There was so much knowledge in William's head he'd not want them to access. But most horrifying of all, Melinda was correct.
"This Mina would know my secret." Rae's jaw ground in displeasure, she didn't like this turn of events regarding Melinda, but her secret was their best weapon in this war and the reason she'd been born into the world.
Why did happily ever after s
uddenly feel a million lifetimes away and never within reach of Melinda's own short life?
And what was worse, is that her family had already done it.
Charlie hadn't finished the process yet and looked positively torn as to what to do. He'd taken the potion, but Rae had not started her magic yet. His mate, his brother, the others, were already changing. But his sister could not go through with it.
He understood why. They had to protect Rae's secret... but it was like leaving someone behind. Like they were behind enemy lines and had to leave one of their own with the enemy.
They all stared at each other with no words to fix this problem. At least, not tonight while surrounded by demons.
A noxious voice bellowed from somewhere nearby.
"Where is Markus? Bring me Markus and we leave without destroying all of you." Meaning they intended on killing some of them either way this went tonight.
"Why should we return him to you?" Alethea charged. "You took him without judgment being passed upon his soul."
"He belongs to me and he will never belong to you."
"Because you never gave him the choice," Mathew spit out angrily.
It was confirmation though. The demon King was here looking for his prized possession—Markus. They had dealt him a blow by taking him.
"We will never surrender him, or ourselves, to you, Daemon." Daegal poised himself for battle. "Show yourself!"
Three silhouettes rose upward over the boundaries of the estate—the King and two other demons flanking his sides. He nodded curtly, and his two servants removed potion bottles they'd been holding and smashed them together breaking them. The ingredients inside sizzled to life with some magical threat headed toward those on the ground.
"This is your last chance. Give me Markus, or tonight, the Howard line will end."
Not true, for more than one reason, however, Charlie and Melinda were still at risk.
A few things happened all at once.
Lucas and Riley gasped, the transformation completing itself. Their rings glowed in golden light, but this went unnoticed as the demons had their gazes glued to the magical tendrils as they hissed outward in search of their prey—each of the Howard siblings.