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  He kissed her. Katie fought him, but before she could stop it her mind opened up and connected with his.

  A cave somewhere secluded in the Beyer West forest. She saw inside the bolted metal door. The dead human bodies.

  She pulled away, scared, mortified and disgusted. “What the hell have you done?”

  He tapped her on the nose, the touch somewhat affectionate. “That, my little witch, you will have to wait and see.” He got up from the bed. “Oh, and I wonder if you’ll change your mind then.”

  * * * *

  When William returned to his family home, Rose was waiting for him. She ran to embrace her brother. William hugged and kissed her, showing his youngest sister the affection she craved.

  “Where are they?” he asked. He felt the trembling in her body.

  “In the living room, waiting for you.”

  He nodded and kissed her cheek again. “Take care, okay?”

  Rose nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

  He smiled, trying to reassure her as best as he could. This wasn’t his place.

  A room full of twenty men waited for him. Robert was among them, Sophie hugging him tight.

  “Better get this show on the road,” William said. Rose went to kneel at her mother’s side.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked Don, the man who’d beaten him the night before.

  “Helping,” the older vampire said.

  “Enough, William.” Robert kissed his wife and moved forward to embrace his brother. William hadn’t seen Robert since their father’s death. He could see that his brother had aged in the role of Beyer West leader.

  William tightened his arms around his brother.

  “You’re both fools.” Their mother’s voice.

  Both brothers turned to her. She stood, ignoring Rose.

  “Mother. We’ve talked about this.”

  “Your father died facing this man—this wolf—and now all my sons are going to get this girl back. This witch,” she growled.

  “Mum, she’s going to be my wife,” William said, surprising the whole room.

  “Wife? Do you remember what happened to the last witch you tried to mate with?” Her cruelty was not lost on anyone.

  Don was the first to speak up. “Mary, that was uncalled for. You love your sons. Go and lie down.”

  Mary glanced at the old soldier. She looked close to tears. She started to say something else but stormed out of the room instead, Dawn trailing in her wake.

  Rose stayed, glancing up at Don. “I’m sorry. She hasn’t been herself.” Turning to her brothers, she went each of the four in turn. “Please, come back to us.” She kissed each man on the cheek, wishing them all strength.

  William watched as she left the room.

  “Let’s get this party started.”

  Two hours later they were at the edge of Beyer West forest. The night was cold and bitter. William glanced around, constantly on the lookout.

  No one spoke, all the men waiting, tense.

  They investigated every sound before moving on. William noted that Adam stayed close to the female. Her eyes glowed red as they walked. The scars stood out in the light of the full moon showing their path.

  William wondered at the connection between the two. Adam showed all the signs of a man protecting his woman. Tonight he would have Katie and everything would be okay.

  “This is it,” Robert whispered. A small opening covered by green moss, the metal double doors locked and bolted.

  “Are you sure?” Jason asked.

  Robert nodded, touching the door. “It makes sense. Abandoned in a place we wouldn’t think to look.”

  William had his doubts. This wasn’t a place of recent death. He hoped to God Robert was right, but his gut was telling him to run. To get away.

  This could be his one chance at getting Katie back.

  Don moved forwards and under his brute strength the lock gave way easily enough. The doors creaked as they were pushed open. Darkness greeted them, the smell of blood permeating the air. William began to sniff, to see if there was any trace of Katie. Nothing. He pushed past Robert, charging forwards, his impatience growing with every passing second. She might be in this room, even if he couldn’t smell her.

  The others followed, with Don and Robert close at his back, weapons poised and ready.

  Where are you, Katie?

  Adam brought up the rear behind Poppy. Some men kept watch outside as the others moved down the corridor, their vision tolerable even in the dark as they were creatures of the night. The silence was abnormal, the smell of death and decay strong.

  William looked around and saw that Poppy was shaking. The smell was stronger with every passing step.

  They entered a large room and William jumped as the large door slammed shut. He didn’t have time to process the noise before he noticed bodies littering the floor. Dead, dried blood covered the walls, the floor and the bodies.

  “This is not normal…” Poppy spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. William could even hear the chattering of her teeth. “They’re not dead.”

  Frowning, he looked at the bodies.

  “What do you mean?” Robert demanded.

  William looked amongst the sea of dead bodies. And he knew.

  He backed away slowly.

  “Robert, who gave you this information?” he said, desperate to keep his voice low and calm.

  “A minion working for the council,” he answered straight away.

  “Whoever it was doesn’t work for the council anymore.”

  “What?” Robert growled.

  “Holy shit!” Adam yelled.

  The bodies, the supposedly dead bodies, twisted and convulsed. William stared at them. They couldn’t be werewolves. Natural werewolves shifted in a flash. These were twisting, the bones snapping, howls and screams escaping.

  “It’s a motherfucking trap!” William yelled.

  Hundreds of bodies mutated into giant, ferocious wolves. Half-breeds. Humans turned by the bite of a natural born werewolf. Vicious, unpredictable beasts. Their heads turned towards the new smell in the room—the smell of vampire. The smell of the enemy.

  William knew they were outnumbered. He tensed, aiming his gun. All of the Valentine men were in this room. Don, the next most powerful, many of the council members. This was not only a trap—this was an annihilation.

  “Fire back!”

  Gun shots and fighting ensued. William took down three wolves before he had to start using his fists.

  His last thoughts were of Katie.

  “I love you Katie,” he whispered, hoping in his heart that she would somehow get his message.

  Chapter Six

  “Wait and see about what?” Katie climbed off the bed.

  James spun around and looked at the clock beside the bed. He chuckled. He looked crazy.

  “Well, you see, I sent William a little message about your whereabouts,” he said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

  “The dead bodies I saw?” Katie panicked.

  “My way of telling the Valentine men to go and fuck themselves.”

  “You’re going to kill William?” she screamed.

  “My dear girl, he’s probably already dead.”

  Katie moved away from him, her heart racing, her head hurting.

  Think, Katie think. William can’t be dead. You promised him.

  She paced, not caring what James thought. She had to find William. He wasn’t dead. She would have felt it—she was sure she would have.

  No, not dead.

  “I love you, Katie.” Katie heard the whisper echo across her temple. She recognised the voice. William was in a trap. She had to help him! If he could connect with her here, she could try to save him.

  They were partway bonded.

  “You evil, motherfucking bastard.” Using her anger, her fire and everything she possessed, she drew on the elements closest to her. She shot her power at James. He was thrown directly across the roo
m and through the door.

  “You little witch.” He charged her.

  Throwing her right arm into the air, she slammed the door and pressed her hands forward to push all the heavy furniture in the room against it.

  “Shit, now what do I do?” She stood and spun in one complete circle, bringing forth the power of fire. She was surrounded by a circle of flames.

  She sat down, took a deep breath and thought about William, opening up the connection he’d made several months ago with their exchange of blood.

  She felt him. It was like being plugged into another circuit.

  Pushing past the last little bit of resistance, she found that she could see what he saw. The wolves, the blood. William was wounded, bitten by a werewolf. They were all struggling and had no room to escape.

  “William, I’m here,” she said to him.

  He looked up, trying to find her. “Katie?”

  “William, this is a trap.”

  “Don’t you think I’m aware of that?” he replied.

  “Unlock your mind.” Katie opened her eyes, staring straight ahead. She released her mind to the elements. Wind, fire, water and earth. She connected with them. She could feel everything. She touched the ground beneath her feet. The window on the opposite wall smashed, allowing her a connection with wind. She had the earth, wind, fire and the pitcher of water. She was a part of the forces.

  She felt the elements and she found William. He was so close it was unbearable.

  “Open your eyes and trust me,” she told him.

  He dropped his weapon as the werewolf approached. The connection would only last for a short while. She knew her strength would give out.

  The werewolf lunged to attack.

  “Now,” she yelled, and thrust all of her magic into his hands, their minds working as one.

  William directed the magic, working quickly, spreading it around the room.

  Wolves collapsed in a heap on the floor.

  For five minutes she kept it going, her magic draining, her hands shaking. Her chest felt tight and her head hurt.

  “Keep going Katie,” he urged.

  “I’m trying,” she answered.

  The last wolf lunged at the woman in the group. Katie tried to hold on. She couldn’t. She drained and crumpled on the ground.

  The door was flung open as she lost consciousness.

  Their souls separated. She didn’t even know if William had made it out alive.

  * * * *

  “Poppy!” Adam shouted, running towards her and the giant wolf biting into her side.

  He put three bullets into the wolf, flinging it from her body.

  “What the hell happened?” he asked William.

  “Katie.”

  All the people who had made it limped over. Adam inspected Poppy’s wound. She screamed as he moved the cloak out of the way.

  Blood was pooling around her.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Adam said, scooping Poppy into his arms and securing her against his chest.

  “You go, get home, we’ll get the wounded,” Robert ordered his brother.

  Don limped over. “The witch is on our side, I presume?”

  William nodded.

  “That much power could kill her,” Robert reminded him.

  William turned and growled at his oldest brother. “You don’t think I know that?”

  William took in the bites on Don and the rest of the crew.

  “Aren’t those infected?” he asked.

  Don shook his head. “These aren’t full werewolves. Humans turned—their bite is harmless, but hurts like hell and slows the healing process. If a full werewolf had bitten me, I’d be dead within the day.”

  “That’s good to know,” Robert said. “Gather the wounded.”

  Jason limped over to the group. He was bleeding. “Where’s Adam?” he groaned.

  “Taking care of the girl,” Robert said.

  “The necromancer?”

  He nodded.

  Jason moaned. “She could kill us all.”

  Don frowned at him. “What the hell are you talking about, boy?”

  “Everyone knows necromancers control the dead,” Jason argued.

  “Well I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve made me laugh tonight.” Don tapped him on the shoulder, chuckling. “Remember, fairy tales that you read in books are simply that—fairy tales.”

  He left Jason looking at him with confusion.

  “What the hell is he trying to say?” William looked at Robert with a raised eyebrow. He was the oldest for a reason.

  William walked across to stand with Don.

  “The witch is special to you?” Don asked.

  “Yes.”

  They both looked at the bodies, which had changed back to human form when they’d died.

  “Do you know where she is?”

  William looked at Don. “Do you really think that if I knew where she was I would be standing here? I want her back. She’s mine.”

  Don nodded.

  “We’re going home. You coming William? Don?” Robert called over.

  “Yes,” Don said, and William was about to refuse but the look Don gave him had him shutting his mouth.

  Chapter Seven

  Katie woke up on the edge of Beyer West Forest. The place where he’d left her last time. Her gown was the sheerest white and she was sure he would be able to see her body through the sheer fabric. She turned around, wondering where he could be.

  She moved deeper into the forest, where James’s kiss had taken her the night before. She examined the locked metal door.

  William had to have survived.

  “Thank you,” he whispered into her ear, circling his arms around her waist. Katie relaxed against him, feeling him. William was alive.

  “It worked.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

  “At what cost?” he complained.

  “Don’t spoil it, William,” she pleaded with him.

  “I won’t. But what was the cost, Katie?” He sounded concerned.

  Katie tried to think about the cost of sending all that magic to him. “I don’t know.” She really didn’t. She hadn’t even woken up yet.

  He leant forward and kissed her cheek and she moaned, enjoying the contact with him.

  “That feels nice.”

  He held her and they looked at the door together.

  “I can’t believe it was a trap.”

  “I can,” she answered honestly.

  They had come so close to losing each other.

  “Come on. Staring at that thing is making me depressed and I don’t want to be depressed—not here.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the forest, guiding her out into the open.

  The sky was blue with white, fluffy clouds. Katie couldn’t help but release a giggle.

  “What?” William asked.

  “Someone who is so serious has such a pretty place to hide.”

  He took her to the only tree in the meadow and pressed her against the bark, moving closer.

  “I can’t be serious all the time.”

  Katie felt his erection push against her belly. William took each of her hands in his and lifted them above her head.

  “I have you now,” he moaned.

  Katie could feel the pool of heat spreading between her legs. He was so close and it felt…real. She didn’t want it to end.

  “I like you having me.” She twined her fingers with his, showing him with that one act that she was where she wanted to be. Katie was no longer fighting to get away—instead she was fighting to get closer to him.

  “I want you so bad,” he growled. He pressed against her neck, feathering her skin with kisses. Katie shivered with excitement.

  “I want you, too,” she groaned as he thrust his pelvis against her. This was the first man who had shown an interest in her and she didn’t want it to end.

  She loved having him close.

  Her nipples were hard, budding against the flimsy fabric of
her dress.

  “Touch me, William,” she begged.

  Taking both her wrists in one palm, he brought his other hand down, cupping her cheek, running his thumb along the line of her lower lip. Katie touched the tip of her tongue against him, tasting him.

  She watched as his eyes flared at the contact and she retreated, not wanting to take him too far.

  He applied pressure to her lips to encourage her to accept him and thrust the digit between her lips, observing her as she sucked him into her mouth.

  “You are one wicked witch,” he gasped, making Katie laugh. “I love that sound.”

  “What sound?”

  “You, laughing.”

  “I love you making me laugh, William.” She kissed his thumb, looking into his eyes.

  “I love you saying my name—say it again,” he instructed.

  Katie smiled. “William… William…” She moved closer to his ear, straining against his hold. “I love you, William Valentine.

  He moved his hands, sinking his fingers into the length of her hair. He grasped it in his fist and kissed her with a passion she had never experienced before.

  He took over her mouth, her lips, showing her how wonderful it could be to love and be loved.

  It didn’t scare her to be in love with a vampire. She loved him so much.

  She moved her hands to his shoulders and held on.

  “I want you so much, William,” she gasped against his demanding lips.

  “I’ll have you Katie. You’re mine.”

  She gasped. She didn’t want to wait. “Make love to me now?” she asked him.

  William stopped, pulling back from her. He gazed at her and Katie could see him assessing her.

  “What did you say?”

  Katie touched his cheek affectionately. “I want you to make love to me, here and now.” She moved her hands to the bottom of her dress, ready to pull it up over her head.

  “Stop, Katie.” He placed his hands over hers, holding the dress in place.

  “Don’t you want to?” she asked him, worry and hurt pulling at her.

  “More than you can ever know.”

  “Then why are you stopping me?”

  “Katie, my first time making love to you is not going to be in my dream and spirit world. When I make love to you, it will be with you in my arms, so when I wake up you are right there with me. I can make love to you here but it won’t stick. You’ll still wake up a virgin,” he told her.