"I killed you!" Quintus yelled as he backed away from the door. The clothes in his hands fell to the floor as he tried to run out of the kitchen. A hand caught him on his shoulder, stopping his movements.
"You did kill me, boy. But my new master revived me." A hand went to his stomach, and Quintus whimpered. "All I need is a new soul."
Fear gripped him harder than the hand that was on his shoulder. He wanted to run but he couldn't, feeling frozen. He needed to find a way to protect his cubs—he didn't care about anything else. And if he had to kill his father again, he would. Thinking quickly, Quintus pulled away from the grip on his shoulder and reached for the knife on the counter. He turned and swung it high, aiming for his father's neck but getting his cheek instead. Dark liquid oozed from the slash on his face.
Quintus covered his nose, and the knife fell from his hand as his knees buckled, as the smell of rotten flesh poured off his father. His eyes burned and Quintus closed them. He was getting light-headed, and he felt his body sway to the side as he slowly fell to the ground. He opened his eyes and saw his father leering over him with a smile on his face. He tried to move, but his body felt heavy, as if someone was sitting on top of him.
"It's time for us to go, boy. We don't want her to be lonely without you."
Who is she? And where are we going?
Quintus didn't get an answer to his questions as he closed his eyes. His body felt as if it was falling into a deep, dark hole, and there was nothing there to hold or anchor him.
Why is this happening? Why now?
* * *
Scott walkedinto Bella’s Diner and expected to be greeted the same way slowly with Sareena running over to him with a hug, and for him to rub on her growing baby bump. Or Elizabella to walk over to him, kiss him on the cheek, and try to feed him a proper meal. He felt the love Quintus always talked about when it came to his family. They’d opened their arms and accepted him and his unconventional relationship with Quintus. It made him love them even more.
Scott knew they were planning a birthday party for him, even though he didn’t want one. And he knew it was all his mate and bearer’s idea?—there was nothing he could do about it. Scott also knew his parents were anxious about what was going to happen later that night when he received his imperium. Scott was puzzled when no came out to greet him, and he looked around the restaurant realizing it was empty. He knew they weren’t having his party at the diner. It wouldn’t have bothered him if they had d, but the restaurant was usually packed with customers.
“Where is everyone?” He walked behind the counter to enter the kitchen but was stopped when he heard Loki’s voice.
“Hello, nephew.”
“What do you want?” Scott asked, turning around.
“I have a proposition for you.”
“I don’t want to hear anything from you,” Scott said, turning around to walk away from Loki.
“Even if what I am going to say will save your mate and his little sister?”
Scott froze in place. “What do you mean by that?” He looked at Loki over his shoulder, wondering what the hell the man was up to.
“Exactly how it sounds,” Loki said with a smirk.Scott wanted to punch him in the face.
“What did you do?” Scott asked, stalking towards his uncle and grabbing him by his shirt collar. “What did you do to Quintus and Sareena?”
Loki’s smirk turned into a smile. “I’m making their worst nightmares become a reality, or what they think is reality.”
Scott’s eyes widened in shock, he knew what Quintus dreamed about—the night he killed his father. He only had them when Scott wasn’t sleeping next to him. Releasing his uncle, Scott was about to run out of the diner and to his house. But again, Loki’s words stopped him.
“He’s not there.”
“You don’t know where I’m going.” Scott countered back.
“To the home you both share currently,” Loki told him. “But he is not there.”
“Where is he?” Scott asked walking back over to him and grabbing him by the throat. “What did you do with my mate?” Loki started cackling, and it angered Scott even more.
“You have until midnight to find them,” Loki said seriously.
“Then what?”
He easily pried Scott’s hand from his neck and stepped around him. “Are you ready to hear my proposal?”
Scott was ready to say no, but Loki spoke again.
