“You look like…”
“Don’t.”
“I just…”
I muffled my mouth with my hand as a laugh escaped, and soon I was silent laughing as my stomach started to hurt. Darius looked at me and a smile ran across his lips as he huffed out a laugh, giving me the chance to explode.
“I am glad I’m amusing to you.”
“We both look funny, so we might as well laugh about it.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything other than black.”
Coming up to me, he lifted my chin up with a smile, and I felt those same flutters again. I tried to ignore the bond, but the universe had other ideas for us, and we must have been destined to complete it.
“Your hair has faded.”
“I haven’t had the time to add the lilac, so it’s just boring, old blonde again.”
“Actually, it looks almost silver in this light. But whatever colour your hair might be, you’ll always be beautiful.”
Leaning down, he kissed my lips gently, and the only reason he stopped was the door behind us opened as Serena stepped in. Still in her dress, and ready for the ceremony, but suddenly instinct kicked in. Was it my own or Darius'? He turned slowly around, and stared down at his mother, who seemed completely unfazed by him.
“Serena. You will let us go.” He ordered.
“I will do no such thing.”
“What do you intend to do?” I asked, standing up, and beside Darius.
“What I must do to keep my son safe.”
“I am not your son.”
“By blood you are. But, that’s beside the point, I do not care how you are feeling about me or your upbringing. We each have our part to play here.”
She kept her hands clasped in front of her as she turned, and suddenly four large werewolves, still in their human forms, entered the room, gripped us each by the shoulder, and forced us out of the room. Darius was behind me struggling as one of the wolves punched him in the stomach, and I felt the same pain as the wind was knocked out of me.
“For fuck’s sake.”
How was I meant to fight if he was being hit or worse? Surely this can’t be right. I couldn’t even attempt to keep us safe if I was dealing with the brunt of his attacks.
As we were dragged down the same set of stairs and towards the larger ballroom, my heart sank as the doors opened. Suspended in the air with chains on either side of Angelique, who sat proudly on her throne, were Jackson and Eric.
“Jackson!”
I screamed as his lifeless body hung from the chains, he was bleeding and clearly wounded.
“What have you done?!” I shouted at Angelique as she rolled her eyes and continued to sip her drink.
“We needed a witch.”
Serena said, as they were dropped to the floor in the middle of a circle, and before we could even think twice, chain cuffs were placed around our wrists.
“And Eric?” I asked.
“For the spell to work we need the blood of a witch, a human, a hybrid and you, the key to all of this.”
“I’d like to think Hayley is more of the chosen one, don’t you think? One who is destined to ‘cull’ this world of the supernatural, and yet she beds one?” Angelique’s voice was filled with sarcasm, but also happiness, this is what she wanted.