“But, Cy-”

“I said I don’t want to discuss it.” She whirled around on them, completely unaware of how much she looked and sounded like a young queen commanding her army to obey. Jaeden stiffened a little but nodded, clamping her mouth shut. Reuben was staring at Caia in admiration (unnerving, to say the least) while Vil merely looked uncomfortable. Laila, however, slowly made her way towards her and Caia braced herself. If the girl said anything comforting she knew she was going to fall apart. But the Midnight merely placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and said softly, “We should go to the Council members’ families at once, Caia.”

At her touch, an almost medicinal peace flowed through her and the lump at the back of her throat eased, her lungs opened up allowing the air to flow freely.

“You’re right.” She nodded stoically, feeling far more confident she could continue on with the plan, despite her grief.

Jaeden strode forward, the pity gone from her face to be replaced with a far more familiar determination and mulishness. “We aren’t going anywhere until we rescue the pack.”

“Jaeden-” Reuben began to warn her, but Caia help a hand up to quiet him. She took a brief moment to enjoy the little power she had over the formidable vampyre.

“She’s right.” Caia nodded. “We’re taking the pack back first.”

“That gives us less time to gather the families of the Council and the MacLachlan pack.”

“How so?” Jae glared at him.

“Because Marita must be checking in with her guards that surround the pack. What happens when she checks in and she gets no answer?”

Jae curled her lip sardonically. “What… you can’t muddle their trace with that little masking trick of yours so that she thinks everything is OK?”

“Uh…” Reuben stopped and scowled at her. “Yes. I can do that.”

Jaeden chortled at her little victory. “Not so much with the smarts, are you?”

“I’ve just been given very trying news. Marion was a good person and a portentous ally. Forgive me if I’m not thinking straight.”

At the mention of the witch they all tensed, waiting for Caia to react. She glared at the vampyre. “The big bad vampyre, who would sacrifice his own children for this war, actually feels grief?”

His dark eyes narrowed, and quite suddenly he looked nothing like a young gang leader and very much like a dangerously old being that could rip them all apart in seconds. “Don’t provoke me, Caia. I am not in the mood.”

Caia stared back stonily. “Neither am I. So let’s move.”

7 – Ambushed

Birds twittered and squawked in the trees, insects buzzed around her ears, and the wind rustled every piece of foliage its fingers brushed against. Her pounding heart provided the back drumbeat to their musical surroundings and as her pale hair got caught gently in the breeze Caia was sure the guards surrounding Lucien’s must be able to hear and see them hiding in the sullen cover of the woods. She glanced back at Laila and Vil who had refused to be left alone at Ryder’s apartment. Caia had given into their wishes because she was sure she may need Vil at some point. For now, however, she had them hiding behind a couple of trees, further back from herself and Jaeden.

“Where is he?” Jae hissed, her hands clenched into fists.

Caia raised a finger to her lips to shush her, her eyes telling her to be patient.

“It’s done.”

They both jumped, startled, and turned to find Reuben inches from Caia. She stepped back, uncomfortable with his nearness. The guy was possibly the most unnerving person she had ever met. By ‘it’s done’, they both knew Reuben meant he had successfully manipulated each of the five guards’ trace, so that if Marita tapped in to see if everything was alright, she would find nothing but a mixture of bored thoughts and loyal determination to do a good job. Moreover, he was masking the trace of the entire pack so Marita would think they were still under guard. Caia almost shuddered in apprehension at the thought of the vampyre’s seemingly unlimited abilities.

“OK.” Caia nodded, drawing a breath. “Are we ready?”

After a successful attack on Midnight magiks in similar surroundings a few weeks ago, Caia had assumed her nerves over going into battle again would be few, but it seemed she still had enough butterflies in her to open a riotous farm. Jae nodded militantly and quickly began to strip. Reuben was watching her avidly. Rolling her eyes Caia reached up and grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look away. He grinned unabashed, and turned his attention to her face. She tried not to squirm under his penetrating gaze but she would give anything to know what was going on in the vampyre’s mind. At the cracking of bones Caia felt a rush of unexpected envy. She used to love the feel of the change, the burning, the breaking and bending. Now she changed so fast all she ever felt was a quick flush of hot energy. It left her with that irritating feeling one has when your back aches and you know if you could just crack it you would be satisfied.

Something wet touched her hand and she looked down to see Jae nuzzling her nose into her open palm. Caia smiled reassuringly down at her and gave her the nod. Wolf Jae turned in an instant and was rushing through the woods in a blur. They heard the distant cry of two guards, and they were off. She wasn’t as fast on two legs as she was on four, but she was faster than the average human. Reuben… was a streak of movement. Caia knew he was heading for the magik guarding the back porch. As she raced around the edge of the house she saw he had a hold of the magik by the neck. A loud sickening crack reached her ears. Oh my. She squeezed her eyes shut briefly and then forced her flight to the front of the house to the driveway to confront the two magiks Jaeden was momentarily distracting. Their cries had alerted the other two guards and they were heading towards them from opposite ends of the grounds. Pushing away any gentle feelings, Caia pressed her magik into the approaching guards’ lungs and they both collapsed, clutching their chests as water filled their airways. Seeing the downing of their comrades the other magiks turned on Caia. Jaeden took that moment of distraction to lunge at the one closest to her.

Flooring him, she swiped at his face with her claws, eliciting a piercing scream of agony that was quietly culled by her jaws as they clamped on to his throat. The other warlock seemed to hesitate, deciding whether to save his friend or deal with Caia. His decision was made in seconds and he turned on Caia. She threw up a shield to stop whatever energy he was pushing her way. His face mottled red with determination, his black eyes blazing with fury. A blur shot past the two magiks she had suffocated and came to an abrupt stop behind the one trying to get past her shield with what she was sure was air magik. The blur cleared into Reuben and his large hands gripped the warlock’s head before giving a forceful tug that removed it from his body. Caia watched in horror as his body fell away from the vampyre in a loud thump across the gravel. Reuben sneered and let the head roll from his hands to land in the bloody pool that oozed from his victim’s decapitated corpse. It was only as he turned to look down at Jaeden that Caia remembered her. Jae was hacking up the blood of her own victim and Caia knew all too well how disgusting the taste and feel of death was.

“So what now?” Caia gestured a little shakily to them. “Marita wouldn’t have felt the attack but won’t she feel their deaths… won’t it be like… white noise?” She felt a little stupid for not having thought that part through… well more than a little stupid really.

Reuben’s lips twisted as if he were insulted by the mere suggestion that he would have been idiotic enough to not have thought every second of the attack out. “The manipulation can last past death as long as something of their physical body remains.”

She shook her head in amazement. “If Marita ever knew of your existence you would be enemy No.1, you know that right?”

He snorted. “Caia, she does know of my existence, she would just prefer to believe I am merely a legend, a myth… makes it easier to sleep at night.”

“If you’re so powerful why haven’t you taken over years ago?”

Reuben laughed, his eyes glittering darkly. “This really isn’t the time for that discussion. But the short answer is… I’m just not interested.”

Giving a huff of laughter Caia strode past him, stroking her fingers through Jae’s pelt in comfort as she passed her and into the house.

“Caia!” she heard Magnus yell. He’d obviously detected her scent amidst the sounds of the disturbance outside. The thundering of feet could be heard from all over the house as people rushed to the entrance.

Magnus was the first to reach her and she was dragged into the most crushing hug ever. She felt his lips in her hair and the shudder of his relief, and as she breathed in his familiar scent Caia felt a rush of painful affection. Marion. She had been one of Magnus’ closest friends. She would have to break the news to him.

“Uncle Magnus.” She burrowed deeper into his chest.

The exclamations of the pack grew louder as Jaeden and Reuben entered. Caia managed to pull back a little from her uncle’s tight grip to see Dimitri and Julia hovering over Jaeden, aghast at the blood on her muzzle. Christian and Lucia stood close by, clinging to one another, grief over the kidnap of their toddler tightening their features.

“Caia!” She felt herself being yanked out of Magnus’ arms and into Irini’s. At the feel of her sister-in-law’s trembling Caia felt a rush of emotion she wasn’t expecting. All the years Irini had looked after her, Caia had wondered if the lykan had resented her existence. But her tight hug, and the way she pulled back to brush the hair from Caia’s face, told her something she had missed all this time. Irini cared for her, truly and deeply. She smiled tremulously, not sure if she could handle any more sentimental outbursts.

“We were so worried,” Irini whispered, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Aidan stood by her side, his hand on her shoulder. “Lucien was… I’ve never seen him so…”