“Mama, Kat!”
“Daddy will bring Kat home. I promise,” I whispered as she began sobbing in my arms. I cried silently, rocking her, one arm tightly around her and the other holding Dante’s trembling one.
I felt the surge of magic from outside, and my heart leapt, knowing that Delsanra was here. Within seconds, she and Rayhan were running up the stairs, their scent hitting my nose before they stepped into the room.
“Kiara,” Delsanra said, her eyes burning red. She was currently in her demon form. I stood up, and she hugged me tightly, Skyla crushed between us both. Only then did I realise that I was shaking, too. “We are going to fix this,” she promised, softly kissing Skyla on the head as she continued to sob into my shoulder.
Rayhan was by Dante’s side, placing the large bag he was carrying down before checking his pulse and forehead. A deep frown set on his face with his shoulder-length black hair falling in his face before he turned to us frowning.
“He’s in pain, but it’s not physical,” he murmured softly.
“Let me see what I can do.” Delsanra let go of me, determination clear on her face.
“I’m going to head out to help Uncle. It’s going to be okay. We will find her,” Rayhan reassured me, placing his hand on Skyla’s head for a moment before he left the room, pulling his leather jacket off as he did so. Rayhan was the finest tracker that I knew, and I was confident that his help could prove vital. It just terrified me that Kataleya’s special ability would deter them immensely. Of all three, her being taken was my worst nightmare.
“It’s magic, but there’s something else, too, and it’s powerful,” Delsanra murmured as she stepped back from Dante and unzipped the bag that Rayhan had placed down.
“Will you be able to fix it?” I asked.
All I could think of was how he had given me that smile before leaving this morning. Who would have thought this was how he’d come home to me?
“I don’t know, but I intend to try.” Determination was clear in her voice as she planted a kiss on Dante’s forehead before she gave me a smile. “Don’t worry. Our little Churro isn’t so easy to take down.” I nodded, watching her begin to draw symbols on the floor before she lifted Dante, placed him in the centre, and began to light some candles. “I think it’s a curse,” she whispered.
“What?”
“I don’t know for sure, but there’s something that’s happened. I’ll do my best,” she murmured, placing a few crystals down.
She stepped back as she began whispering a spell. Her power surged around her. The flames burned high, and I saw red veins spread from Dante’s chest where his injuries had once been. The candles flickered, and Delsanra’s brow was furrowed with concentration as her voice got louder. The veins began seeping from Dante’s chest, spreading across the symbols on the floor and towards Delsanra.
“Del, be careful,” I warned.
Something was off.
The air seemed to become colder, and I could feel something else in the room. I stepped back, cradling Skyla tightly. My heart thudded when suddenly Delsanra was cut off. Blood sprayed from her neck as she choked before she was thrown against the far wall. A sickening crunch filled the room before she crumbled to the floor. The candles were blown out, and a sharp wind rushed through the room ominously, shattering the windows.
“Del!” I screamed, rushing to her side. I placed my hand on her neck, healing her as her heartbeat faded. Her heartbeat steadied, yet I could sense the same thing from her that I did from Dante.Oh, please, no.“Del?”
She didn’t reply, her body as lifeless as my son’s that laid not far from her.
Goddess, why is this happening? And who is responsible for this?
The Unravelling of Hope
Alejandro
Fear ran through my veins, and although I may have been the strongest shifter out there, I felt helpless.
Kataleya. She was all I could fucking think of. Remembering the way the wolf’s teeth were clamped around her tiny body, the blood dripping from his mouth, her blood… and the terror in her eyes as they got further and further away. I’d give my fucking life for her safety.
Then Kiara’s pain, the way she pushed me away, ripped at my heart. I knew she was in pain; it was a natural mother’s reaction, after all. She was the perfect mother to our children, not like my own fucking mother, who had played dead for years and then came back with her psychotic plans to destroy the world over eight years ago. She sure fucking didn’t care if any of us went down with her. But Kiara, she was firm, fair, and affectionate. She loved her pups unconditionally and, even then, made time for me, her family, our pack, and her friends, as well as for a certain fucker I couldn’t stand. She cared for everyone and did her best to be there for us all.
I sped up, the wind rushing through my fur. There was no way I was going to be able to track Kataleya, so instead, we were trying to follow the tracks of the wolves, hoping for any speck of blood that left a trail. Many of my men were somewhere assisting, but it was fucking futile. The ground near the river where the fight had occurred was just a field of ash. Not even a body or a drop of blood remained. That just made things fucking harder.
Alpha, Alpha Rayhan is here to help.
Rayhan? Kiara must have told them, and I guessed his spitfire of a mate must have teleported them here. A reminder that I wasn’t alone.We will find her…
Fill him in on everything. I’m still trying to scour the entire north side. There are no fucking paw prints or anything.
