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CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
“She’s coming,” Willow said softly, from where she was snuggled up on Amira’s lap. They were sitting on the front porch together, watching the sun go down as they thanked the Goddess for all of the good things they’d been blessed with in life. It was a ritual Amira had started with Walker and Willow, one she’d learned from her own parents when she was about Willow’s age. She’d fallen out of the practice after their deaths, but was determined to share it with her own children now.
“Who, honey?” Amira asked, even though she was sure she already knew.
“The bad woman. The one who likes to hurt people like us,” Willow whispered. “She’s coming for Daddy again.”
“I won’t let her have him,” Amira promised, hugging the child to her. “I will keep him safe.”
Willow clutched her unicorn tightly, her head resting on Amira’s chest. “Can I call you Mommy now?”
Amira’s heart was filled with so much love, she thought she might burst from it. It had been a couple of weeks since they’d brought Rylan home. Two weeks of trying to track down Vanessa, who seemed to have gone into hiding. Fourteen days of precious time spent getting to know her knew family. Three hundred and thirty-six hours of falling in love not only with her mate, but also with his children and parents.
It had been the best two weeks of her life, except for the constant worry about where Dr. Vanessa Lake was at. Even Skylar was unable to find her after her visit to the ER, where she’d received several stitches after an attack from a wild animal, or so the report read. After that, she went off the grid, probably to heal and regroup.
“I would be honored if you called me Mommy, sweetheart.”
“She’s here now, Mommy,” Willow whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
“I know, princess.”
Amira had scented the woman, along with a couple others, just moments before, but knew it was too late to get Willow to safety. She had to figure out how she was going to play it out, but it would be without her daughter getting hurt. There was no other outcome allowed.
“I’ve come for what’s mine.” The voice was hard, cold, and meant to instill fear in those she was speaking to. Unfortunately for the evil doctor, Amira wasn’t afraid. Angry as hell, but not afraid.
“Then you are in the wrong place,” Amira replied calmly, rising from the chair and setting Willow back down, moving to stand in front of her. “Everything here belongs to me.”
“He is my lion. His children will be mine too. I am taking them all with me.”
Amira cocked an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across her face as she stared at the woman in front of her. Her red hair was pulled back from her face in a tight French braid, her dark green eyes snapping in anger, and a long scar ran down the left side of her face. She was actually quite beautiful physically, even with the scar, but her evil soul made her ugly.
“Actually, he is mine, Vanessa. My mate, which makes his children mine, not yours. They are all mine, and I protect what is mine.”
Vanessa raised a revolver she’d been holding down by her leg and pointed it at Amira. “I shot him, you know. I can and will do the same to you if you don’t get out of my way.”
Amira’s gaze went behind Vanessa to the two men who stood behind her. Their eyes were frantically moving around the area, as if they already knew they were fucked and were just waiting for it to happen.
“Do you know who I am, Vanessa?” Amira asked quietly, taking a step forward and letting her arms fall to her sides. “What I am?”
“No, and I don’t really care.”
“I think you should care,” Amira said, shaking her hands out. “I really, really think you should.”
When Vanessa’s eyes narrowed on her, but she didn’t say a word, Amira laughed softly.
“See, I am several things. I’m a mate, a mother, a daughter. And I love my new little family more than life itself. Every single one of them. Which means I will kill anyone who threatens them.”
Amira was aware of Rylan and his father moving soundlessly around the house. She could scent them, and not only them, but others in their pride. They were coming to help her, to protect her and Willow. She couldn’t remember the last time someone tried to protect her.
“Not only that, but I am a Rogue Enforcer. Do you know that that is, Vanessa?”
Vanessa slowly shook her head, the gun in her hand beginning to waver.
“It means I am a warrior, a fighter, and that me stating I will kill anyone who threatens those I love is a promise, something I know how to follow through with in several different ways.” Taking another step toward the woman, she growled, “Do you know what else I am? I am a shifter, bitch. A dragon. I know you’ve seen one of those. You had one working for you. Gunther was his name, right? Well, just in case you were wondering, I am the one who killed him, because he was a threat to my mate and my family.”
Amira knew the moment Karma and Evalena slipped up behind the two men that were there with Vanessa and slit their throats, but it was done so quietly the woman didn’t have a clue. She stood there, glaring at Amira, as if she could still take her down. As if it were even a possibility.
“But, you know what I’ve learned since I came to live with the pride, Vanessa? I’ve learned to work as a team. That it doesn’t necessarily have to be me who takes down all of the threats to my family. What’s important is that it gets done, no matter who wields the knife.” Her eyes connecting with Zev’s where he now stood silently right behind the woman who’d caused harm to his pride, she gave him a nod. “She’s all yours, Alpha.”
Vanessa swung around, gasping in shock. Her gun was raised, but she never got a chance to pull the trigger. Zev’s hand shot out, wrapping tightly around her throat, and he began to squeeze as he lifted her off the ground. “You brought evil men to my pride, Vanessa Lake. You caused pain and suffering that can’t be taken back. You shot my beta twice. You threatened him and his children, along with my mate, Karma. For all of your sins, you will die.”
Vanessa dropped the revolver to the ground, reaching up to clutch tightly to the hand that was stealing her last breath. She gasped, clawing at him, begging him to spare her, but the alpha showed no mercy, not after the hell she’d caused.
Once it was over, Zev handed her off to one of his enforcers, and then turned to nod at Amira. “I am honored to have you as part of my pride, dragoness.”
A small hand slipped into hers, and Amira glanced down at Willow, who held her arms out to her. Gathering her up and holding her close, Amira gave her alpha a wide smile. “Thank you, Alpha.”
