Love Thy Enemy

Chapter 14

Mattias walked through the door to an abandoned warehouse just outside of Evolet’s territory, Kate on his heels. He probably shouldn’t trust her with the plans that he constantly involved her in, but she was an inferior human, and he could always kill her if needed. Mattias took a handkerchief from his front pocket, holding in front of his nose and mouth. “Missy,” he called out abruptly. Movement from the back of the warehouse caught his attention. He frowned at the state of Missy when she stepped into a shaft of light, shining through a dirty window. “Uncle?” she asked warily, looking around to make sure he wasn’t followed. Unbeknownst to her, Mattias’ plans hadn’t fallen apart just because Brone found his mate. “Why in the goddess’s name are you hiding out here? The place is covered with filth! Are you filth, Missy?” he demanded angrily. Missy whimpered softly and shook her head while baring her neck in submission. “No uncle,” she replied. Mattias harrumphed and then turned around, motioning for Missy and Kate to follow. “Come on then, there is still a battle to prepare for.” He stated curtly. Missy frowned but followed. “But uncle, Brone’s mate is strong. She took out all of those rogues and hunters?” she questioned. The laugh that bellowed out of Mattias was tinged with madness. “I have more where they came from, stupid girl! I’ve been planning this coup for years!” he snapped, shaking his head. Missy cleverly kept her mouth shut and followed.

Mattias brought Missy to a sprawling estate with high walls. Inside the walls was like an army camp. There were tents and structures to house warriors. Her uncle’s army consisted of rogues, his own pack, human hunters, demons, and vampires. The vampires alone outnumbered everyone else. Missy looked at her uncle in a new light and saw for the first time just how crazy he was. Fear slithered down her spine when he turned and smiled evilly at her. “Now you understand the power I have.” He said, laughing maniacally. Kate, her uncle’s assistant, stood just behind him, her head down, trying to make herself as small as possible. After showing off his little army, Mattias brought Missy inside the estate, showing her to her new room. “Clean yourself up and get something to eat. I’ll need you at full strength to fight. The battle will happen soon,” He ordered. Missy nodded silently. When she turned to go inside, her gaze caught on Kate’s. She tensed at the intense hate she saw shining in the woman’s eyes before it was gone so fast that missy wasn’t even sure she saw it at all.

Evolet shot out of bed, a hand going to her abdomen. Brone sat up with her, a worried frown marring his features. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with the pups?” he demanded. Evolet shook her head and got out of bed. Brone followed her. They raced outside and over to the house Case and Lucy now lived in. Evolet didn’t bother knocking. She just walked right in, and they found Lucy hunched over the couch, Case massaging her lower back. Brone looked at Evolet in shock. “You could feel her labor?” he gasped out. Evolet gave him a duh expression and placed her hand over Lucy’s tight belly. Shifter pregnancies were nothing like humans. Most shifters gave birth after between four to five months. She sent her consciousness into Lucy. The boy was scared and moving around. Evolet soothed her nephew’s fears, easing some of Lucy’s pain. Lucy sighed with relief. Evolet nodded at Case, and he lifted Lucy into his arms, carrying her to the pack hospital. Brone stared at his mate in astonishment. He knew so much about her from the memories he glimpsed in her blood yet knew so little about her as well. “My mother is the blood goddess, Brone. I can feel all creatures who share my blood.” She explained to him. They could hear Lucy scream out as she began to push. Brone shot out of the chair he’d been sitting in, but Evolet pulled him back down. “Case is with her, Lucy will be fine,” She chided with a soft smile. It wasn’t until Brone heard the baby’s cry that he calmed down.

The happiness of the birth was short-lived. While Nikolai rushed into the hospital, Jake mind linked Brone. The battle they’d been preparing for just started. Lucy’s fear permeated the room as she cuddled her little boy to her chest. Evolet turned to Lucy, her face stoic, “No one will get into this hospital,” Evolet swore. Case looked conflicted. He wanted to remain with his mate, but he wanted to fight the enemy as well. “Stay here with your mate Case. She and your son need you more than we do,” She assured. Case nodded and placed his large body in front of his mate, his golden dragon scales rippling over his bare chest. Evolet summoned half her clan to the hospital and ordered them to guard the building. “No one gets through!” she growled. The other half followed her, Brone, and the pack.

Brone didn’t have time to feel fear as wolves, demons, vampires, and hunters rushed from the trees. The two armies met in the middle, crashing together like waves. Brone dodged and sidestepped attacks. It amazed him how fast his reflexes were now. He laughed as his enemies tried to land hits. He looked across the pack land to watch his mate fight. She was poetry in motion, and pride filled him. Evolet moved with preternatural speed, always one step ahead of those who were attacking her, yet she still couldn’t see who was behind the attack. Whoever they were, they were standing back from the conflict, manipulating behind the scenes. Evolet hated this.

Bloodborn were protectors. They would rather guide then war, but Evolet would not let these people kill indiscriminately. She would protect Lucy, the baby, Des, her clan, and her pack. A flash of dark eyes and snide smile caught Evolet’s attention. By the treeline, she saw her, Missy. Evolet sped through fighters and dead bodies until she was face to face with the b***h who’d nearly gotten her mate killed. Missy hadn’t seen Evolet coming, she’d been too intent on Brone. Evolet grabbed Missy by the neck and lifted her off the ground. Missy’s eyes bulged and she clawed at Evolet’s arm, trying to get Evolet to release her. Evolet just laughed. She pulled Missy close to her face. “I have dreamed of getting my hands on you, little she-b***h. Now you will pay for what happened to Brone and this pack!” Evolet snarled. Missy whimpered as Evolet sank her long fangs into Missy’s throat. She didn’t want to woman’s blood though, instead she used her teeth to rip Missy’s throat out. When the light faded from Missy’s eyes, Evolet dropped her husk of a body to the ground.

Pain speared through Brone’s shoulders and chest but when he looked down, there was nothing there. Fear slid down his spine when he looked for Evolet and saw her rip four bloody silver arrows from her body. Rage coiled inside of him. Brone and Trey roared at the same time as Brone began to shift for the first time since his conversion. Instead of falling to all fours, Brone stayed on two legs. His legs bent the same way a wolf’s would. His snout elongated, and his eyes glowed golden. Fur sprouted all over his body, tearing his clothes. As a Lycan on two legs, Brone/Trey stood over seven feet tall. Hunters had dragged Evolet to the middle of the battlefield. She stared at him in awe, in pain but alive. “The babies?” he inquired. Evolet nodded, letting him know they were fine. Brone wasn’t surprised when Mattias walked from the darkness of the trees. Everyone stopped fighting as soon as Evolet hit the ground. Vampires from the opposition circled her, Brone, Mattias, and the hunters.

“Oh, how I have dreamed of this day. That the mighty Brone would fall. I have plotted and schemed for years to take control from the council and rule over all wolves. But then you had to come along and ruin everything!” Mattias snarled, spittle flying everywhere. Brone growled in confusion. Why Mattias thought that Brone had any desire to be on the council was beyond him. The man was completely crazy. “Now you’ve found your mate, an ancient vampire of unknown origins. I thought that maybe I would just kill her too but now I think I’ll just kill you and keep your little leech and she can be my w***e!” Mattias laughed. Brone was about rush Mattias, hunter and vampires be damned, when suddenly Mattias cried out in pain. Blood soaked the front of his shirt and he fell to the ground. Everything happened so fast after that. Brone rushed the hunters, killing them with ease. Evolet’s eyes glowed and she held up her hands. The vampires surrounding them all screamed as she pulled the blood from their bodies. What dropped to the ground was nothing but dried up husks.

Brone rushed to Evolet’s side, checking her for injuries. He needn’t worried, she was already completely healed. Everyone who’d come to fight for Mattias ran for their lives. Kate, the woman who’d killed Mattias and his assistant, stayed to help the wounded get to the pack hospital. It turned out she wasn’t human at all; she was Fae. She’d been with Mattias for years, pretending to be human so she could kill him to avenge her sister’s death. Evolet thanked Kate and offered her a place to rest. She didn’t miss the way Nikolai stared at the Fae woman. Evolet looked around at the c*****e, and sadness filled her. “There’s nothing you could’ve done, my love,” Brone murmured softly against her temple. “I know,” She replied softly. Evolet placed a hand over her still flat belly. The danger had passed for now, but she was sure it wasn’t gone forever. Evolet looked over her family. Misha, licking her claws, Leo beside her. When they arrived, Evolet had no idea. Her clan, her pack, and she felt so glad that they’d barely lost anyone. Those who had died would be honored. Evolet vowed that never again would the world be without a Bloodborn. It wasn’t right for her to slumber when the world needed her. She vowed it would never happen again; the Bloodborn were back, and they weren’t going anywhere.