Love Thy Enemy

Chapter 6

Brone stared blearily at the stone floor under him. He no longer felt his arms or the pain in his shoulders. His life had gone to s**t, and he had no one to blame but himself. He'd had it all. He’d been a powerful Lycan. Was the alpha of a powerful pack of wolves. But he'd been egotistical, arrogant. He'd thought that he was untouchable. That no one would dare to attack him or his pack. Brone thought that Missy was the perfect she-wolf and that she'd make a fine Luna. She had her faults of course. She loved to spend the pack’s money and she treated everyone else like they were beneath her, even his own sister Lucy, who like him was a Lycan and more superior to Missy. Despite those faults though and the fact that she wasn't a stronger wolf, Brone had chosen her, been ready to mate and mark her. Then Lucy had come back from that mission, bringing his mate with her. His mate had been so beautiful, and Trey was over the moon to find her, but Brone had been arrogant, judgemental and stupid, thinking he could choose someone else over the other half of his soul and all because Missy was an easy, eager to please lay. Brone’s attitude worsened once he'd found out his mate was a vampire. He remembered all the dirty looks he'd given her and the pain that marred her beautiful face each time. He thought about how he'd thrown her aside to be with Missy but wouldn't allow her to be with anyone else. Brone flinched when he remembered the way he'd treated her after she'd fed from him. He didn't deserve Evolet; Case was right.

"Hang in there Brone, Lucy got away and she is going to Evolet for help." Case grunted but Brone shook his head. "Evolet won't help us and I don't blame her after the way I treated her." He replied haltingly. Jake groaned in pain. "Evolet isn't like that Brone and if you'd just taken the time to get to know her, you'd have known that." Jake growled. Ever since Evolet had rejected him and left, Jake and Lucy had barely spoken to him. They moved out of the pack house. They didn't want to see him with Missy. Brone had been sure that they would eventually leave the pack, but they didn’t. Then Missy betrayed him. All because he couldn't mate or mark her. Trey abandoned him and he didn't blame his Lycan either. Missy had been pissed and she'd left. A couple of weeks later, she'd returned with a pack of rogues and the rest was history. Brone sighed as tears filled his eyes. "I'm so sorry Trey." He whispered into his mind hoping his beast heard him. Brone didn't think that Evolet was coming. Case and Jake kept their hopes up and that was fine, Brone, he was ready to die. Brone lowered his head and closed his eyes, giving in to the darkness as it swallowed him. "Brone no!" he heard right before he heard no more, and his heart warmed as he imagined he heard Evolet's voice.

It only took a couple of days for Lucy to become accustomed to being a hybrid. Drinking blood had been hard for her at first and Evolet laughed the first time Lucy tried it. She'd spitted it out all over the hardwood floor with a disgusted look on her face. Evolet doubled over laughing so hard and then Lucy had joined her. Lucy asked Evolet once about what she'd seen in her dream, Evolet went quiet. "In my time, vampires and shifters lived in harmony, we were allies and friends. I almost died protecting those girls, would have died for those girls, for those Lycans." She told Lucy. "You were seeing my memories. It might happen from time to time." Evolet said. Soon after, Evolet spread the word throughout her clan that they were waging war on the rogues who'd attacked Lucy's pack. Lucy was surprised when all present bowed their heads and she saw Evolet in a new light. She was like a queen that everyone trusted enough not to question. By nightfall, a small army was ready, and they headed out. The whole journey, Evolet had a pensive expression on her face, something was bothering her. Lucy, Evolet and the vampire clan moved silently, as though their feet didn't even touch the ground. Lucy looked around her. Evolet was beside her. Nikolai, Kali, Jasper and Marcus flanked her. She recognized them as the vampires Evolet left with months ago. Lucy saw looks of disgust on the faces of the vampires around her as they witnessed what the rogues were doing. All this time she and her pack believed that all vampires were depraved and though some could be, it wasn't just them. Gratitude filled her at the fact that they offered her their aid without question.

Evolet had enough. She hissed loud enough for her clan to hear her and then the vampires descended on the rogues in waves. The rogues howled and fought as best as they could, but they were outnumbered twenty to one and while some in her clan might walk away with scratches, none of the rogue wolves would walk away at all. During the fighting, Evolet could feel Brone getting weaker. He was dying and even though he'd hurt her, Evolet could not allow that to happen. She rushed to the building that the dungeon was and ripped the door from the hinges. She single-handedly killed the rogues down there, literally ripping them apart. Nikolai, Kali, Jasper and Marcus followed her. They got to opening the cell doors while Evolet headed straight for the back one where Brone was. She ripped the cell door right off, taking part of the concrete wall with it in her haste to get to her mate. "Brone no!" she said as his head fell forward. Evolet took the silver chains off Brone and laid him out on the floor. She checked for a pulse, but it was barely there. Tears filled her eyes. "Brone please don't die." She pleaded in a whisper as she lay her forehead against his. She opened her end of the mate bond and let her emotions flow into him. "Trey if you can hear me, please, come back. Don't let him die." she whispered through the mate bond. At first there was nothing and then she felt the stirring in his mind and Trey came forward. "I never thought I would see you again." He said through the mate bond and Evolet's tears fell down her cheeks.

Evolet lifted Brone's body easily into her arms and carried him out of the cell. By then her family had released all the warriors. Her eyes scanned over all of them. Some were beaten to the point of not being able to walk on their own and some looked down at the concrete floor, unable to meet her piercing silver gaze. She figured they were the ones who hated vampires like Brone did and the fact that the very beings they hated had saved them, shamed them. "Evolet, is he alright?" Jake asked. Jake was one of the ones who couldn't stand on his own and was being supported by Kali. Both seemed to be clutching each other and slightly red in the face and Evolet smiled knowingly. "I’ve spoken to Trey through our bond. I believe Brone will be okay with time." Evolet replied and Jake released the breath he'd been holding. Evolet carried Brone through the long hallway of the dungeon, up the stairs and out into the fresh night air. She held his big body as though it weighed nothing, her head held high. She was the epitome of raw strength and power. Months of drinking fresh blood replenished her strength. The wolf pack looked taken aback by how many vampires were there. How many had come to their rescue. They were even more shocked when every vampire bowed their heads as Evolet passed by them. They knew in that moment that if it hadn't been for her, they would’ve all been dead. Vampires rushed to the wolves coming out of the dungeon to help them and the warriors’ eyes filled with unshed tears, and they thanked their rescuers. Pride filled Evolet. Her clan helped the pack without having to be asked. They helped because they wanted to not because she wanted them to. She sent her own healer to go to the pack hospital to check on Rick and to let him know she was coming with Brone.

Lucy's eyes filled with tears when she saw the state her big brother was in after Evolet carried him out of the dungeon. Her tears spilled over, and she cried out with relief when she saw Case and Jake coming out right behind her. Lucy rushed into Case's open arms, and he grunted in pain when she hugged him too tightly. "Sorry." she whispered blushing. Case chuckled and smiled down at her. "It's okay love. You got a lot stronger." he remarked with a bit of confusion. Lucy looked down at the ground and nodded. "The rogues found me trying to escape and they left me for dead in the woods. I crawled my way to Evolet. By the time I reached her clan, I was near death. Evolet saved us." she told Case and he frowned. "How and us?" he asked. Lucy inhaled deeply, taking his scent into her. It calmed her enough for her to explain. "She had to give me a significant amount of her blood to save me. Her blood changed me. I went through a conversion and now I am a Lycan-Bloodborn hybrid. The us I was referring to is me and our young. I sensed them when I was in the dungeon. You and our baby are the only reason why I didn't give in to death in the woods." She admitted. Case was quiet for a moment and for Lucy it seemed an eternity. Then he pulled her into his arms and cried into her neck where he'd marked her. He'd nearly lost both his mate and his unborn child. If it hadn't been for Evolet, they would both be dead. Case sent a silent thanks up to the vampire's blood goddess for Evolet, for keeping her alive. "Are you alright? Say something please? this doesn't change anything between us, does it?" Lucy asked nervously. Case pulled away from her shaking his head. "Lucy my love I don't care what you are. You did what you had to, to stay alive and protect our young. I love you and am forever in Evolet's debt." he vowed, hugging her again.

Rick and Des met Evolet at the entrance of the pack hospital. When Rick tried to take Brone from her, Evolet growled at him, causing him to back away. Instead, he led Evolet through the hospital to the emergency room. Evolet lay Brone on the bed with great care. Rick with the help of Des got to work. Rick hooked Brone up to an IV and monitors while Des set up the X-ray. Evolet never left Brone's side while staying out of the way. She didn't know these machines and she wanted to know what their function and purpose was. Evolet may have rejected her mate to save her own life, but she would not let it be said, she didn’t care for him when he was in need. After hours of tests and pumping fluids into Brone's body, Rick and Des finally approached Evolet. Both looked extremely tired. "Well, he had some broken bones and internal bleeding from the beatings but now that Trey has returned to him, he is healing." Rick assured her. Evolet nodded. "Why don't the two of you go and get some food and rest. I will stay here and watch over him." Evolet stated. She'd meant it as a suggestion, but it came out more like an order. Both bowed their heads and turned to leave but Evolet stopped them with a hand on each of their shoulders. "Thank you both for everything." She said softly. Des and Rick smiled at her and then left. Evolet walked back to Brone's side. Now that he was healing on his own, Rick had removed the monitors but left the IV. Evolet stood there like a statue staring down at Brone. She had come so close to losing him forever. The realization made pain blossom in her chest. She loved him and she didn't even really know anything about him other than the fact he hated vampires. Evolet took Brone's hand so that Trey would know that she was there and let silent tears fall. She would stay until Brone was awake and back on his feet. Then she and her family would go back home.

Brone slept for a week and each day he got stronger faster. Half of the vampires who'd come with her to fight stayed to keep the pack safe while they recuperated and rebuilt. They patrolled the woods at night, hunting for them and sleeping during the day. During the day, the pack protected the vampires. Jake and Kali were the first to visit Brone in the hospital. Jake wanted to make sure his cousin was alright, and they both wanted to tell Evolet that they were mates. Evolet couldn't be happier for them and congratulated them both. It made her so happy that Jake accepted Kali so easily. That their union would bring the two species even closer together. "I believe everything will work out Evolet." Jake assured her and then he and Kali left hand in hand. Throughout the long week, Evolet kept going over the battle again and again. There was something she'd missed during the fight. Suddenly it hit her. The rogue alpha and Missy weren't there. They hadn't been on pack lands when Evolet and her clan attacked. A deep seeded hatred and rage took root inside of her at that point. During the times when Evolet had to hunt, Jake, Will or Rick stayed with Brone. Lucy was too scared to visit her brother for fear that he would hate her because of what she'd become. "You will always have a place in my clan Lucy. You, Case and your baby. You are Bloodborn now too, family." Evolet said when Lucy voiced her fear to her.