chapter Nine
William was close. He knew James. He’d spent most of his life searching for him, studying the evil pack leader, looking for a weakness. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this before.
James had a history of being predictable and lazy. He’d found Katie using her powers in the Beyer West Forest, the very forest where he’d killed Emma. He’d planted the turned humans, big and bloody. Now, as always with James, he would come full circle—and there, at the edge of the bridge, was what he was looking for.
No human eye could see the dark mansion with the iron gates surrounding masses of fields. Their father had believed this place was long forgotten. William hadn’t thought about it, too busy dealing with his grief at losing Emma.
When James had disappeared along with most of the pack, William should have known that this was where he would have camped out. And he needed a witch in order to deliver protection for the wolves, a witch who could cloak the fortress in a sensing spell.
No immortal would even be able to tell there were werewolves in residence, though the spell had been designed to work against humans, at the time they’d been hunting them, trying to scour out all the evil lurking in the village.
He approached the gate and placed his hands on the bars. Closing his eyes, he allowed his soul to merge with Katie’s.
William tensed, his fists straining around the bars.
She was here. Locked away. Dying.
William let out a mighty roar, his ferocious anger lighting the way. He was a beast, a vampire searching for his mate, and the Alpha in this house had her.
The gate bent and snapped open with a single pull. The first werewolf who came at him went down as he tore out its heart. A half-blooded werewolf was no match for the full-blooded, enraged vampire.
“Katie,” he bellowed, making his presence known to everyone but not caring in the slightest. Six wolves came at him. He charged. The fight was on. He was leaving this house with his woman or he would die trying and he would kill as many f*cking wolves as he could.
* * * *
“What are you trying to say?” Robert asked his brother.
“Emma is still alive. She’s been working with James this whole time,” Adam told him for the third time in a row.
“But we buried Emma,” his mother said.
Adam turned to the rest of the room. Rose was standing next to their mother with Dawn at her feet. Robert stood in the corner with Sophie. Don, looking every bit the angry bitter vampire, stood with Jason near the door.
“No, we didn’t. We buried a trinket next to her family. She’s not there and she’s not dead. She killed her sisters. She was working with James. She knew the location of all the witches. Emma would have been able to track them down.” Adam began to get impatient.
“What does Katie have to do with this?” Robert asked him.
“Emma’s sister was in trouble. She was pregnant. Don’t you remember? She must have given birth before Emma killed her.” Adam looked at all of them, begging them to understand.
“F*ck,” Robert cursed.
“William knows,” Jason said.
“What do you mean?” Adam asked.
“He left the house a while ago. When I asked, he simply said that he knew where she was. William is going to the fortress but he doesn’t know Emma could still be alive. He’s managed to track Katie somehow.”
“Emma must have been at the council. She controlled us through magic so we couldn’t stop him from killing our father. I’ll destroy that bitch,” Robert said. All the paperwork on the desk was flung across the room as his anger took hold.
“Something tells me that after Williams finds her, you’ll be too late. When he finds out she endangered Katie—maybe even killed her—he won’t come back from the rage. William is on a fine line as it is. A vampire without a mate and with all that anger will cause untold chaos. Emma is a dead witch.” Adam said.
“I need weapons,” Don said. “This ends tonight.”
Robert kissed Sophie on the head. “Stay safe.”
They all moved towards the door but Poppy was standing in front of it, the cape gone, her eyes glowing red.
“You take me with you,” she croaked.
“No, you stay here.” Adam pushed her aside.
Poppy grabbed his wrist and twisted, making him drop his knife.
“I was sent with this message. I have to see it through to the end,” Poppy insisted.
“Bring the necromancer. She may come in useful as a shield.” Don pushed past the rest of the group. His mission was to fight the wolves and to avenge his friend’s death.
Adam looked at Poppy, seeing her scars, how weak she was. He should go and chain her to the bed, but just looking her in the eye he could see it would be no good.
He nodded, pushing her out of the door.
Tonight was going to be a mass of bloodshed and danger.
* * * *
“Something is happening,” one of the prisoners said.
Katie moved from her bed, screaming as the ‘something’ shattered against the outside of her wall.
“Katie!” She heard her name being bellowed.
She waited to see if she would hear it again.
Please, please, don’t be imagining it.
She closed her eyes as the tears began to fall.
“Katie!” Her name again, followed by the shaking of the walls and floor where she stood.
Her heart surged with joy.
“William,” she whispered, chuckling when she realised how quietly she’d spoken. “William,” she yelled at the top of her voice. Moving over to the bars that contained her, Katie wrenched at them, screaming his name.
Now that her freedom was close, Katie fought harder than ever before.
“William.” She went crazy, pulling and heaving. But she was still human and the bars wouldn’t budge. A witch didn’t have the strength of an immortal being.
“Use your magic, sweetheart.” Katie glanced up and saw the man across from her watching her efforts.
Stepping away from the bars, closing her eyes and praying it would work and she wouldn’t blow herself up, she aimed her hands and fired. The metal exploded, disintegrating onto the floor. Never had her magic worked so accurately. If she’d known she could do this, she would have freed herself a while back.
“Cool, it didn’t make any mess at all,” she said, surprised, and left her cell. She aimed her hands at the other immortals in their cages and released them, too. Katie couldn’t explain why she had more control over her powers now, but she was going to keep using it.
The man who had been trapped opposite her came forward and embraced her. Katie froze, wondering what he was going to do. He kissed her on the cheek.
“I’m forever in your debt,” he whispered.
Katie pulled away, smiling. “Get me out of here alive and we’ll call it even.”
They ran out of the prison, charging towards the chaos.
I’m coming, William.
* * * *
William fought his way in the house, taking on as many wolves as he could. He’d been bitten by half-breeds. He was bleeding and bruised but moving forward.
“Katie,” he yelled.
Pounding a werewolf into the wall, he yelled her name again. She had to be here. He wouldn’t accept anything else.
“William!”
His heart lifted. Katie was here. “I’m coming.”
He was so preoccupied by her response that he didn’t see James waiting for him until he was on him. A punch to the face and another to the gut threw him back down the stairs.
“After your other witch, I see.” James followed him down the stairs, a wicked-looking spike in hand. “Time to prove you can’t keep any witch.” He stood over him, the spike poised to pierce William’s heart.
No, it couldn’t end like this.
An arrow flew through the air and went into James’s side. The Alpha wolf howled in pain.
“You, you little bastard, are mine.” Don charged at his friend’s murderer.
“I thought you were dead,” James said, pulling out the arrow.
“Guess again. Go and get your witch, William. The others are here. We’ve got your back.”
William nodded and ran for Katie.
The battle was in full force. He dodged werewolves, moving down a long, narrow brick tunnel leading out towards a row of cells, stopping when he saw a load of vampires, wolves and demons charging towards him.
He waited, calculating when would be the best time to attack. Then he smelt her. The wonderful smell of honey, calming his nerves.
He moved into view. The other immortals went in for the attack. He held out his hands in surrender, wanting only to see his woman.
“Katie,” he called her name.
“William?” He heard the hesitation in her voice. The sea of people parted and there she stood—beautiful, alive and running at him. He opened his arms and she jumped into them. William laughed, smiled and thanked God she was still alive. He pressed his nose against her neck, inhaling her sweet fragrance. Convincing himself she was alive and in his arms for him to love and adore.
When she pulled her head back he saw that she was crying.
“What’s the matter, baby?” he asked, his heart hurting to see her upset.
“I’m so happy you came for me.”
The others moved away, realising how private the moment was, and sought out their own escape.
Katie made the first move. She kissed him, not in a dream but in reality. He lost his heart all over again. He moulded his lips to hers. Everything sang between them, lighting them up like the brightest star in the sky.
“I love you,” he growled.
“I love you, too.” She nibbled his lips, circling his waist with her legs as he pressed her up against the wall, mindful of nothing but her.
“Wow, isn’t this all sweet and cosy?”
They froze in place. William opened his eyes. He knew that voice. He’d craved that very voice, mourned its loss. He pulled away from Katie and turned his head.
It couldn’t possibly be who he thought it was.
William held Katie close to him but looked in the direction of his worst nightmare.
Like a scene out of a horror movie, Emma stood, her black and white hair in waves around her body as if it had a life of its own, her black eyes shining hatred and her magic pulsing around her, ready to strike.
William couldn’t believe it. Emma stood in front of him. Alive. The mate he had long thought dead. For decades he’d believed he’d failed her. He’d killed her by not responding, by not being quick enough, clever enough or strong enough.
Yet here she stood, alive and enveloped by pure evil. It didn’t take William long to understand what was going on.
Emma was responsible for all the evil that had graced their door.
The love he’d thought he’d felt died in an instant. With Katie in his arms he could see the true Emma, the one he’d refused to see all those years before.
What a waste of his life.
“Hello, darling. Long time, no see,” Emma greeted him, moving down the hall.
William pushed Katie behind him, keeping her safe at the forefront of his mind.
“Trying to protect your little witch, I see,” she said, still coming towards them.
“What are you doing, Emma?” He spoke her name, trying to convince himself that she was real.
“Finishing what I started. My younger sister gave birth to a child and I’ve spent centuries trying to find the little brat. Lo and behold my anger at finding that the child had been here in Beyer West, protected all along,” she said each word, staring at Katie. The only living descendant of the child Emma was speaking of.
“You killed your sister?” He refused to believe it. The Emma he had known and loved wouldn’t have harmed anyone.
“Of course I did. I was tired of being second at everything. The only way of surviving in this world is by being the best.” Her eyes glowed as she watched Katie.
“Why?”
“For more power. Surely William, you must have figured that out by now.”
* * * *
Abigail waited for her to come. Emma was too strong and too dangerous. She would not be able to defeat her. She prayed for the life of her baby girl, hoping against hope that one day she would be able to stand and fight.
The door rattled, then flung itself open. Emma appeared in all her dramatic splendour. Black, full-length dress, exposing the top of her heaving bosom. Her hair swirling around her. Her eyes the colour of the devil.
“Hello Emma,” said Abigail, already resigned to the fact that she was going to die.
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Emma taunted her, moving towards her.
“What more is there to say?” Abigail was calm and she knew Emma hadn’t expected that. She stayed serene, knowing her fate.
“I don’t know. Questions about why I’m doing this? You know—the usual.”
“You’re greedy. What more is there to it?”
Emma hissed, moving in front of her sister, trying to terrify her.
Abigail simply looked at her. She wasn’t afraid. She had no feelings whatsoever.
“Power is not greed,” Emma argued.
“That just goes to show how naïve you are. You really think you can kill all of us, store our power and not pay any consequences?” Abigail sneered.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“Then watch and learn, sister. You will pay for your actions and I’ll be there to see you fall.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll be dead.”
* * * *
Katie didn’t need to see any more. She knew what she had to do.
“You messed up. You killed Abigail, thinking that was the end of your line. That you would have all the family magic destined for generations to come. You hadn’t anticipated me. Abigail had already given birth and, through the years, the female line was protected.” Katie knew why, now.
“And now I have you, and to think it took my old mate’s help for me to find you.” Emma smiled maliciously at William.
“Why?” William asked. Katie could see that he was hurting.
“Oh, shut up. The Valentine with the lost soul. The lost cause. I didn’t want you and I was tired of playing the good girl.” Emma blasted him across the room with a simple twitch of her fingers.
Katie cried out and went to him. He lay gasping, clutching his chest.
“What the hell did you do?” Katie screamed. Then she was blasted away, out of the corridor to the top of the stairs.
The pain was excruciating, spreading through her entire body, stopping her from breathing. She coughed, choking on nothing.
“Painful, isn’t it?” Emma spread her palm, then squeezed her hand into a fist.
Katie howled as the agony intensified.
Never before had she been in so much pain.
Her mind was being pulled, dragged away from the scene before her. She closed her eyes, begging and praying for help.
* * * *
“Katie,” a voice whispered.
Katie opened her eyes, surprised by the lack of pain. She glanced around a room filled with hundreds of women.
“Am I dead?” she asked.
“Not yet, but you will be if you don’t deflect her power.” A woman stepped forward. Older than the others.
Katie felt the love she was emanating.
“I don’t know how,” Katie cried.
“Yes you do, my dear.” The woman reached out and took her hand. Katie could feel her bloodline, the power and strength of it running through her veins. She sensed the elements and the love, the wonderful beauty of her magic.
“Now you know.”
* * * *
“Scream for me,” Emma shouted.
Katie opened her eyes with new knowledge. She glanced over at Emma and knew what to do.
She thought of a shield; an impenetrable shield of magic. A special protection.
“No,” she said, her voice calm and clear.
The pain was deflected, crashing in a wave of useless magic around her.
Emma blinked, giving Katie enough time to get to her feet.
“They took you to the realm of witches?” she asked, clearly upset.
Katie shrugged, still unsteady on her feet. “Don’t know where it was, just know it felt good.”
“Don’t attack, just deflect.”
Katie made no noise to acknowledge the voice whispering in her ear.
“Cocky now you think they’re on your side.”
“Nope, but I can tell you they like me better than they like you.”
Her anger getting the better of her, Emma sent a blast of magic Katie’s way. With her palm out, Katie threw it off with ease.
“Sloppy,” Katie couldn’t help herself taunting.
“You think you’re better than me, little girl?” Emma asked.
Katie chuckled. “Well, you are my great-great-great-great-great-great auntie. I guess at least I’m younger.”
Katie had no clue where her confidence was coming from. She couldn’t seem to stop the words tumbling out of her mouth.
“Well, let’s get this started.”
The battle began, Emma throwing magic at her, each wave more powerful than the last.
There was only one way tonight was going to end.
William needed to get to Katie. She was in danger and she had no clue how powerful Emma was. Decades of practice and the power of hundreds of witches. He couldn’t believe he’d wasted years mourning such a spiteful bitch.
His head pounded from his being flung across the room. It had been years since a witch had done that to him. He staggered to his feet, using the wall for support, and started to make his way down the hall. He could hear the screams and cries of the two women.
His heart stopped as he thought about Katie going into battle. The fear he felt for her had him moving faster. He coughed, bringing up blood.
A few more feet and he was out on the top landing, in time to see Katie flung down the stairs with Emma bearing down on top of her.
William watched, unable to stop it from happening. He could see Katie fighting back, pushing Emma away, using her magic to destroy evil.
“Time to die, bitch.” Emma gathered all her resources. She was going in for the kill.
Katie pushed her arms out, forcing a shield out around her. This time the power was too much—she could feel the hot tingles as it worked through her defences. She wasn’t strong enough to take her.
She screamed and cried out.
She couldn’t do more than this.
As Katie was about to let down her guard and just let nature take its course, she suddenly felt the pulse of magic run back through her.
Hundreds of dead witches’ magic was flowing through her, using her as a vessel, as a conduit of power against Emma.
One by one they appeared by her side, Emma’s closest relatives, not the faceless victims of her greed but the family she had destroyed in the name of more power. Their spirits were waiting to deliver Emma to her fate. Katie could feel their pain, anger and thirst for revenge, but also the underlying knowledge that they were about to destroy one of their own for the safety and survival of the human race.
They became one. Their power combined, mixing together to become more powerful than any other force in the world. Witches alone were powerful beings, but combined together they were indestructible.
Katie felt the magic inside her. It was running through her and pushing out against her foe.
She looked at William and knew, in that moment, that she was not going to survive. There could only be one outcome of tonight—she and Emma were both going to die.
They surged forwards, throwing out the magic, as she accepted her fate, her sacrifice for the good of mankind.
She pushed away her pain and guilt and pressed against Emma’s power, forcing her back.
“No…” Emma screamed as her power fell, giving Katie the opportunity she needed. She threw every last bit of their combined energy out through her hands, calling on the elements and all things natural to destroy this being who had disrupted the balance and caused untold bloodshed.
Within moments, Emma released her final scream as an explosion shook the very foundations of the mansion. Windows smashed as a gust of wind surged out of the house, letting in the wings of the devil to transport Emma to the fiery depths of hell.
When it was over and Emma’s body lay lifeless and decaying at her feet, Katie felt the witches leave her side.
Katie looked at William one final time, allowing the love she felt for him to show.
He smiled at her.
She didn’t want this to happen.
He moved towards her.
William made it just in time as Katie closed her eyes. Her body fell limp in his arms.
“Wow, sweet cheeks. I’ve got you.” He moved the hair off her face. She must be exhausted. But he had his Katie in his arms.
He held her up and that was when he knew something was wrong.
“Katie?” He stroked her hair and he finally registered the emptiness.
He dropped to his knees with her body in his arms. He touched each of the points to check for a pulse.
William was holding the cold lifeless body of Katie White. The woman whom he had failed; the woman who owned his heart.
It was the greatest pain of all. Tears fell as he rubbed his face against her still neck, trying to inhale the last of her scent which was disappearing quickly as each moment passed.
“Can’t be true,” he howled in pain.
He heard the others approaching and swearing as they saw that the woman he loved had been taken from him.
He screamed and raged, willing Katie to come back to him, blind-sided by his own pain.
Katie had sacrificed herself to kill Emma, leaving an empty vampire in her wake.