Conflicted Divide
1765 Words
“You might as well show yourselves,” I called out.
Jake poked his head around the corner and sighed. “Dude, thank the Gods we don’t have to tell Maria you’re dead. She was so out of her mind, it took five of us to calm her down.”
I looked from Jake to my other brothers, my gaze landing on Stanley—and that was when I noticed his new hairstyle. His once shoulder-length brown curls had been trimmed into a stiff, military-style cut.
I broke into laughter as he scowled. “Well, you got what you deserved, didn’t you, brother? It just goes to show that you don’t ever vex a Witch when it comes to her hair. Lucky for you, she didn’t murder you like she wanted to. You have me to thank for that, by the way.”
He replied with a sigh, dragging a hand through the unfamiliar cut. “She’s a vengeful one, that little Witch. She sicced the three little demons on me.”
Growling, Jake said, “Demented, yes, but my sister and the twins are not demons.”
Stanley shifted uneasily, his bravado slipping as he glanced at Jake. “Y-yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Jake,” he stuttered out. It was clear he feared the boy might send the troublesome trio after him again.
Peter slid his gaze from me to Diana's father and back again, tension tightening his expression. He raked a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. I knew he’d been worried about me. Hell, I’d been worried, too. “Logan went looking for you when he didn’t hear back, and Paul said he’d shown you safely to the quadrant where Maria lived. Micah got worried when we couldn’t find you, and, when Maria said she hadn’t seen you since yesterday, we knew something happened. Jake’s Tracker ability is damn near impossible to prove wrong, though.”
Grinning, I agreed with him. Then, I watched his eyes widen as he looked at the child. He paled when he recognized the familiar marks on her face, his breath catching as realization dawned. “Holy sh—”
“Language,” I scolded sharply.
The Witches and Sorcerers in the room turned to me. I could see the worry etched in their eyes as they looked from me to the people who had just arrived. For the first time since my arrival, uncertainty settled over them.
I growled low, fixing Peter with a sharp look. His eyes flew wide at my reaction. “They need our help, Peter. I need at least one of my brothers to back my decision in this. Are you game?"
Peter groaned, “Are you seriously asking me to make a political decision right now? I'm not done telling you off yet. Besides, wasn't it already decided that when we found the Breakwaters, we would save them?”
Stanley’s eyes widened, and I could almost hear the wheels in his head turning as he thought over my conversation with Peter. “We're on Breakwater territory? Great. Simply perfect. Now you've done it, Hunter. I vote we leave him here and bail.”
The younger of the women turned, gasping softly. Stanley’s expression shifted the moment he caught sight of her, recognition flaring in his eyes. His body stiffened, uncertainty flickering across his face before he inhaled sharply.
Just what I needed, I thought absently. Right when things couldn't possibly get any more complicated, Stan goes and finds his Mate.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. It was fantastic news and more than welcomed. Yet, we all knew there was the all-too-real possibility they could lose one another if the next few hours went wrong.
Ariel, on the other hand, began seething like crazy. She shook her head sharply. "I refuse to allow my oldest daughter to be Mated to a Vampire. The answer is no, and I'm not changing my mind."
Stanley’s face fell, the sting of her words clear in his expression. His shoulders tensed, his jaw tightening, but he stayed silent, the weight of rejection settling in.
The other woman turned to her mother, glaring darkly. “Hunter offered us sanctuary, Mother. The least you can do is be civil until they give us a reason not to trust them.”
My eyes landed on Diana. The understanding that she needed protection settled in my mind—it wasn’t even a decision that required thought.
“Diana, do you trust me?” I asked as I reached for her hand.
She beamed at me before throwing herself into my arms, catching her father off guard. His grip slipped, nearly sending her tumbling to the floor. I caught her under the arms, steadying her against my chest as I gently scolded her carelessness.
The Soothsayer was the first to break the silence. “I concur with Akenehi. We have nothing but our lives left to lose.”
“Look, I know Hunter’s not the easiest person to live with," Vincent sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "But he’s always there when we need him. He would rather walk the fires of the Underworld than hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.”
Stanley nodded. “That’s for sure.”
Jake chuckled. “My mother is a Witch, and my father was a Werewolf who died a few months back. The Vampires fought beside us that day. I trust them. So does my Alpha, and he's got major trust issues.”
Diana looked up at me, curiosity flashing in her eyes. “You fought beside the wolves?”
“We all worked together to stop a threat,” I said, my gaze drifting to the floor. “We have led tortured lives for the last couple of centuries.”
Ariel’s husband scoffed, his sneer cutting through the moment. “What was so tortured about it? You get to live eternity. We don’t.”
I exhaled slowly, leveling my gaze at him. “You have lived under the threat of extinction with no outside help, and we have lived a life without our beloved Mates. Your people and ours have a common enemy: Nikolai Valencia.”
“Just because they live long lives doesn’t mean they were happy,” Jake stated, frustration evident in his tone.
“Where's Logan?” I asked the fourteen—almost fifteen—year-old.
He smirked. “He’s coming with backup. He told me to take these three and scout ahead to see if we could locate you. Good thing Peter and I have great Tracker skills.”
I turned to Peter, and he nodded in understanding. “We’ll give you a portion of land to do what you please, too. All we want is to protect what’s left of your people.”
“What is going on in here?” Lady Frieda demanded as she entered, leaning heavily on her cane. Her sharp gaze swept the room, assessing the situation with practiced authority.
Ariel shrieked, her voice laced with fury. “Elder Frieda, this is nothing more than a blatant show of power! They offer us things when we already know that they will not keep their word.”
“Just how stupid are you?”
I paled as Maria's voice washed over the room. Hearing the frustration in her tone made me wince—she’d caught the tail end of the conversation. I wanted to see her, but I didn’t want her involved in the coming storm.
Turning to face my Mate, I saw that she was not alone. Simone, Grand Luna Clara, Elizabeth Grey, Kaden, Dreson, and Leif stood in the afterglow of a transportation spell, their presence shifting the already tense atmosphere. Power radiated from the group, a visible force pressing against the room like an impending storm.
If Luna Clara and the leader of the Druid Council were here, Logan hadn’t just brought backup. He’d brought the entire cavalry. There would be no turning back now.
The Breakwater Witches stood frozen, their expressions a mixture of shock and unease. Their wide eyes flickered between the newcomers, disbelief settling in their features. Any words they might have had were drowned under the sheer presence of the figures before them.
“Ariel, did you seriously have him this whole time?” Simone demanded, her voice laced with accusation. “We were looking for him. His family was worried, for crying out loud!”
Her frustration wasn’t just anger—it was deeply personal, the kind of rage born from desperation and sleepless nights filled with unanswered prayers.
“So what? He’s just a bloodsucker, so it wasn’t important,” Ariel replied, her tone dismissive.
Simone seethed darkly, and the air crackled with her rage-induced power. “I called you, and you said that you hadn’t seen anyone who’d fit his description! You lied to me!”
Ariel’s eyes narrowed, her expression twisting into something cold. “I didn’t know my sister was kissing the asses of Vampires now.”
“Oh, I’m not kissing anyone’s ass, you pious b***h,” Simone shot back, venom lacing her words. “You’ve gone too far now. This is enough!”
Keith looked between the two women, his eyes glistening with hardened rage. “Ariel, you and I will speak of your lies later. For now, our children must get to safety. Simone, it pleases me to see you in good health. At least now I know the Vampire was telling nothing but the truth when he said you thrived.”
Ariel fell silent, her expression tight as her Mate and husband snapped at her. She shook her head, refusing to back down. “I have nothing to apologize for. It’s their fault we’re down to a mere seventy or so people in our coven, Keith! She’s siding with people who hate us!”
“And you are being irrational!” Keith snarled, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension hanging in the room.
Lady Frieda cleared her throat, “Do I need to ask again?”
Peter laughed, “Not at all. We want to lift the ban.”
I nodded, “The child who was killed by our father, the one whose mother cursed us for, was reborn. By her will, we are now able to find our Mates. Now, can we team up to get rid of Nikolai and finally live in peace?”
Frieda’s eyes filled with tears. She seemed relieved. “Is that all you want?”
“Why would we need anything else?” He asked cautiously.
- Writer
