A tall man dressed in a black leather coat crossed the room in a blur and snapped the chains around her wrists and ankles. “Get her out of here,” he ordered Cade. “Before she births. Or all will be lost.”
He took off again, heading for Celia, and Mara’s head lolled to one side as Cade shifted back into his human form.
“Mara? Honey? I’m here,” he said and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
Another contraction stole her breath, and she pushed, bearing down with everything she had left. “Ba-by,” she managed through gritted teeth.
Cade moved between her bent legs, and his eyes widened. “She’s coming…now?”
“No…shit.” Tears tumbled down Mara’s cheeks, and she only had time for a single breath before she had to push again. “Cade…”
“It’s okay, honey.” Cade gripped her knee tightly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
You have to run.
Mara tried to tell him. But she couldn’t. All she could do was push and pray.
* * *
Peter
Livie lay on the floor in human form, blood staining her shoulder and her skin rippling with the start of her shift. Eli slumped against the wall looking dazed, and Regulus held one of the practitioners in front of him like a shield as he bit down on her neck. The woman didn’t fight. She was...smiling, and before Peter could bark out a warning, Regulus screamed in pain. He managed to snap her neck before he crumpled to the ground, his skin turning red, then black as he writhed and clawed at his jacket. “Poison…” he whispered.
Too many of them.
Six practitioners and at least four men wearing black robes, their faces covered. Like Eli’s father. Slaves. Prisoners. Bound by the control sigils. At least Peter had managed to kill one, and Eli another.
And in the center of the room, Mara lay naked on an altar, her swollen belly so much larger than it had been just days ago. Holy shit. She was inlabor. Cade stood naked, peering…between her legs. Was the baby coming right now?
The witches were chanting, like they didn’t even care there were three werewolves, a practitioner with command of the elements, and a vampire in the room. Or that the rest of Peter’s family was battling one floor below, and had looked to be winning—or at least holding their own.
“We call upon earth, air, fire, and water.Find your home within this child, and let the power of the spirit consume you.”
Eli crawled to Regulus, sending water and air washing over the vampire, and his screams faded to hoarse grunts as his skin started to heal. Mara cried out, and Cade yelled for her to push.
Peter looked around wildly. His mate. Where was his mate?
Livie growled and landed on one of the robed men, going for his throat as he pulled a knife and tried to slash at her side.
And then Peter saw Sameen. She stood between two of the practitioners, tears streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes filled with horror and pain.
Mara’s desperate scream filled the room, followed by a tiny wail, and Cade froze, the baby cradled in his hands.
That’s when Sameen stepped forward, her movements jerky, like she was trying with everything she was to fight them, but Peter felt her despair. Her regrets. Her sorrow.
The practitioner in the center, the one who had to be in charge, because her magic outshone all the rest, haloing her in a sickly yellow light, raised her arms. “The conduit will kneel.”
Sameen sank down so hard, Peter heard the thunk as her knees hit the ground.
“Celia...she’s going to kill me, Peter. I’m sorry...”
He could hear his mate’s voice in his head? How?
Regulus. The vampire’s connection forged in blood. Could she hear Peter as well?
“I’m coming, sweetheart. Hold on for me.”
Peter leapt for his mate, but a blast of magic struck him in the chest, and his fur started to burn. He crumpled, writhing, his worst nightmare come to life. The fire. Being unable to save Ollie. And now Sameen. He let out a hoarse whine, all while Sameen cried and begged Celia to stop.
