The Order

Chapter 13

Damien’s POV

One moment, I’m trading blows with Caleb, locked in the heat of sparring. In the next, I’m in a strange, dreamlike state, detached from my own body. I watch in a daze as the three siblings vanish in front of the cave, leaving an unsettling emptiness in their wake. Then, just as suddenly, I’m back in the gym, seeing Teodora move to the doors, sealing them with a powdery substance. She slices her hand, letting her blood drip across the barrier.

Recognition hits me like a slap. That’s blood magic—a binding spell. Before I can move, she disappears. My pulse quickens. How did Teodora, of all people, manage a teleportation spell? Only high-level witches or hybrids have that kind of power. A dark unease coils in my gut, a feeling made worse by the echo of Annalise’s unease filtering through our bond. I can feel her urgency, her anger, even her desperation.

The spell holding me is wearing off, no doubt because of Annalise’s blood in my veins. If she’d given me the chance, she’d have known her magic can’t hold me now. I close my eyes, pushing past the fog of enchantment, drawing on the connection between us. I force myself awake, willing my body into action.

As the last remnants of the spell lift, I feel a surge of Annalise’s power pulsing through our bond, nearly bringing me to my knees. My hands clench, energy blasting from them, shattering the spell around the room. The door bursts open, and the others snap awake, all rushing toward the exit.

“Wait!” I shout. They freeze, turning to look at me with wariness and suspicion. Caleb’s gaze lingers, his fists clenched, clearly ready to question my every word. But he’s watching, waiting.

“Something’s wrong,” I say, forcing calm into my voice. “Annalise cast a spell on us and left, but I’m sensing massive energy through our bond. Can’t you feel it?”

Caleb’s jaw tenses. “And we’re supposed to trust you, Damien?”

“Trust me or don’t, but listen.” I let my gaze meet each of theirs, unwavering. “Teodora used blood magic to lock us in here. Then she vanished. A blood spell,” I emphasize. “It’s powerful, and it’s not something she should even be able to do. I’ve used spells like this before—to protect Annalise’s mother’s cabin. Blood magic is old magic, the kind you don’t cast unless you mean business.”

Oliver steps forward, crouching to inspect the ash. “He’s right. This is blood magic, combined with a binding ash.” He brushes it away, eyes narrowing. Caleb and Austin glance at each other, a shadow of doubt replaced by grim understanding.

“How did you do that?” I ask, feeling something more lies beneath their readiness.

Oliver exchanges a look with his brothers, then nods. “We’re hybrids,” he reveals, voice firm. “Half-warlock, half-wolf. We don’t use our powers often—don’t want to stand out. But if Teodora’s using blood spells, something serious is going on.”

Any other time, I’d have a hundred questions. But another pulse of energy from Annalise ripples through me—an all-consuming wave of panic, fear, and fierce determination. I’m staggered by it, my knees almost buckling as her emotions claw through me. This kind of raw power could drive anyone mad, and I’m bracing against it, gasping, desperate for control.

Instinctively, I reach for Caleb, anchoring myself. Austin clasps my shoulder, and I let the power spill into them, let them feel the magnitude of Annalise’s distress. Their eyes widen, curses spilling from their lips as they absorb what’s happening, realizing that Annalise might be in danger.

The three of us steady ourselves, the others forming a protective circle around us. “Can you take us to them?” Caleb asks, his voice sharpened by urgency.

“Yes.” My voice is steel; I can feel her as clearly as I feel my own heartbeat.

Oliver, Landon, and Aaron join hands with us, each of them resolute. “Focus on the place, and we’ll get there,” Oliver says, eyes closed in concentration. I close my own eyes, picturing the cabin and its surroundings, every detail of that forested place burned into my memory. A rush of energy flows through us, and then the sounds of a brutal battle slam into my senses.

Opening my eyes, I immediately lock onto Annalise. Her wolf form, sleek and powerful, is surrounded by snarling wolves and bloodthirsty vampires. My protective instincts surge to life. I don’t hesitate; every step I take, every movement, is driven by a singular purpose.

I break through the throng, dispatching any creature in my path until I’m at her side. She shifts back, her human form weakened, collapsing into my arms, clutching a radiant, glowing object. The Star, I realize. She clutches it tightly, pressing it against her chest. Her breath is ragged, but she looks up, relief and fierce trust in her eyes that sets something ablaze in me.

Across the battlefield, I see Aurora and Noel in wolf form, their coats dark and commanding as they tear through the attackers with newfound ferocity. Noel, his wolf form shadowy and menacing, looks like a creature born from the night itself, I looked on stunned at Noel's massive beast as he tore through the wolves protecting a man, while Aurora’s dark red fur catches the moonlight as she protects Noel's back. This is their first shift, their powers unleashed in full.

A pained howl erupts from Aurora, snapping Annalise from her daze. She pulls herself upright, fierce resolve hardening her gaze.

“I mind-linked the guys,” she says, voice unsteady but determined. “They’ll protect Aurora and get Noel back. We have to protect the Star Damien. We need to get out of here”

Nodding, I pulled her close, anchoring the Star between us, and move with vampire speed to the others. I glance at Oliver’s wolf form, giving him a nod of solidarity, a silent understanding passing between us.

Forming a protective circle around Annalise, we prepare to leave. But, something or someone catches my gaze. A figure hidden among the trees, close to the man commanding this assault. Recognition sends a chill down my spine. But I push the thought aside, focusing on the Star. This battle will not end here. This is far from over, but we need the safety of our castle. The one place I know to keep us hidden. It's the last place they will look for us.

Closing my eyes, I visualize it—its stone walls, fortified defenses, a place where we can regroup and plan. In a heartbeat, we’re surrounded by its cold, secure walls. Annalise staggers slightly, breath still labored as she holds the Star to her chest. She looks up, and for the first time, her gaze is steady and grateful. The look in her eyes causes my heart to skip a beat, I have been longing for that look since the day my mate closed her eyes.

Everything I’ve done, the centuries of watching from the shadows, of keeping her family cabin and in some context her without acknowledgment, they all seem to find purpose in this moment. I realize that I’m no longer an outsider, no longer a lone guardian with nothing but vengeance. Now, I have something worth fighting for beyond retribution.

Taking a breath, I step forward, facing Caleb, Austin, and the others, ready to prove that whatever I was before, today, I’m here for all of them now. I’m here to be more than a shadow from their past. I’m here to protect, to be one of them, and to fight for the family I never thought I’d have.

As if she could read my mind, Annalise reached for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze of support.