LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
There are monts when fury feels like a living, breathing thing—a creature clawing its way out of your chest. That’s what it felt like when Elizabeth finally shattered the witches’ magic barrier. The force of her power made the air hum and crackle, and for the first ti in hours, I could feel the bond with my baby girl again. It was faint, like a flickering candlelight, but it was enough to guide .
"Elizabeth," I said, my voice rough, "don’t hold back now. Tear everything down."
She gave a brief nod, her hands still glowing with raw energy as she muttered another incantation. With a deafening crack, the barrier collapsed, revealing the witches’ territory—a sprawling expanse of land that was eerily quiet, except for the rustle of trees swaying in unnatural wind currents.
Adrian, ever the picture of calm nace, stepped forward, his black coat billowing behind him. His vampires followed silently, their eyes glinting like polished rubies in the moonlight. "Kill them all," Adrian commanded, his tone icy and deliberate.
I turned to my wolves, my own rage barely contained. "You heard him. Leave no one standing. Today, the prophecy is fulfilled—every witch who dared lay a finger on my baby will face annihilation."
A resounding howl tore through the night as my wolves surged forward, their bodies shifting mid-stride into snarling, feral forms.
But I couldn’t stay with the pack. Not yet. The bond was tugging in a specific direction. "Rylan, Adam," I barked, gesturing for them to follow along with a few others. Adrian fell into step beside with Elizabeth and four of his vampires. Together, we followed the trail that led us to a large, imposing hall.
Even before we entered, I could hear it—low, rhythmic chanting that made, Ares, snarl in my mind. "They’re hurting her," he growled.
"Hurry up Lucian, I need to kill sothing!" Raivo added.
"Stay focused," I muttered back at them.
Adrian glanced at , a smirk playing on his lips despite the tension. "Talking to yourself again, Lucian?"
"Just trying to keep my wolves from ripping everything apart before we find Mai," I shot back.
The doors burst open under the combined force of Adrian and . What we saw inside made my blood freeze.
The hall was cavernous, its stone walls lit by the flickering light of countless candles. In the center of a massive round table lay my daughter, Mai, her tiny naked body writhing as she cried. Around two hundred witches in golden robes surrounded her, their faces obscured by hoods as they chanted in unison.
But it was Thaddeus who drew my attention. Dressed in black robes, he stood at the far end of the table alongside another witch holding a branding iron. The glowing, triangle-shaped tip was aid at Mai’s delicate foot.
The world went red.
Adrian was faster than —his claws sliced through the nearest witch’s chest as he yanked her heart free and crushed it without hesitation. Her screams echoed briefly before being swallowed by chaos.
The other witches tried to scatter, but Adrian moved like a shadow, a blur of claws and teeth. I barely registered it; my focus was on the branding iron.
I lunged, tackling the witch holding it to the ground. My jaws closed around his neck, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. But I didn’t kill him. Not yet.
"Rylan, hold him!" I growled.
Thaddeus tried to speak, "Lucian, please wait, let’s talk about this..." his hands raised as if he could reason with . I let Ares and Raivo take over just enough for my voice to beco guttural and inhuman. "You dare touch my daughter?"
He didn’t get the chance to answer. I shifted mid-leap and slamd him to the ground, my teeth tearing into his shoulder. He scread, and it was music to my ears.
I didn’t stop until I was sure he wouldn’t get back up. Then, shifting back to human form, I stumbled to the table where Mai lay. Her cries tore at my heart as I reached out to scoop her up—only to freeze. My body went stiff, every muscle locked in place.
Ares howled in frustration. Magic!
"Soone—get Mai!" I roared, my voice breaking.
Adrian turned, his hands and mouth dripping with blood, and in a blur, he was at the table. He cradled Mai gently, his movents surprisingly tender for soone who’d just ripped out multiple hearts.
But then it happened.
The witch I hadn’t seen launched the branding iron through the air. It struck Mai’s foot before anyone could stop it. Her scream pierced the air, and I swear sothing inside broke.
The magic holding shattered. One second, I was frozen; the next, I was on the witch faster than he could blink. I didn’t just shift—I let Ares and Raivo take over entirely. Our combined fury was absolute as I grabbed the man by the throat.
"You’ll regret the day you were born," I promised, my voice a monstrous blend of growls.
Rylan and Adam flanked , their own faces sared with blood. "Take him, Thaddeus, and the branding witch back to the pack house," I ordered. "They’ll wish for death before I’m done with them."
But first, I grabbed the branding iron and shoved it down their throats, the sizzling flesh and gurgled screams doing little to calm my rage.
When I turned back, Adrian was holding Mai close, his blood-soaked hands cradling her gently as Elizabeth tried to heal her. My heart stopped when I saw Adrian’s expression—his cool composure was gone, replaced by sothing raw and angry.
"Lucian," he said quietly, "there’s sothing wrong with her."
Panic surged as I took Mai from him. She whimpered in my arms, and I checked her over frantically. "What is it? What’s wrong?"
Adrian’s voice was a soft blade. "Her eyes. Look at her eyes."
I did, and my stomach dropped.
Her once beautiful green eyes were now an icy, unnatural silver.
Reviews
All reviews (0)