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59 The Coward
Earlier That Day
Jasmine POV
We just finished training and I’m running in wolf form through the woods. As I weave in and out of the trees, I think about how
much my life has changed since I left Mateo. Calliope was the only happiness I truly had during that time. I never thought about
being Alpha but my daughter was right. I love that the pack knows I will do everything in my power to rule fairly and protect them.
Meeting Leo was just icing on my happiness cake. My wolf makes a sound of laughter at my thoughts. Leo is soft and kind. He
helps me with my duties and, honestly, his care for the pack is astounding sometimes. I laugh at our last conversation where he
referred to himself as my Luna. He is my mate and I couldn’t be more grateful to the goddess for him. Coralee slowing down
catches my attention. She growls and a woman my age is standing in front of us with a girl who can’t be eighteen. The young girl
is definitely wolf but the other woman is witch. I shift and the woman smirks at me. “What is your business in my territory?”
“Alpha Jasmine, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I appreciate a fellow woman in a position of power.” “I’m not sure I can say the
same until you tell me why you have come into territory without permission.” She laughs and a cold shiver goes down my spine. I
try to link Oliver and Tony but I’m met with a wall. “Don’t bother you won’t get through” she says and I feel a sense of dread
overtake me.
“Coralee, we need to get away from her.” I’m about to shift but I can’t move. Fear sweeps through me as the b**ch approaches
me. “Don’t worry Jasmine, as long as I get what I want you won’t be harmed. You are just my bargaining chip.” “What is it that
you want?” “Your daughter and her red wolf.” Goddess, if I could move, I would rip her head from her body. “I would rather die
than let you or anyone else hurt my daughter.” I use all my strength and try to move against her spell. “You have a choice to
make. You can come willingly or I can inject you with wolfsbane that may kill the pup growing in your womb. You will lose both of
your pups today instead of just one.” Bile rises in my throat as her words cut into my soul. I had no idea that I was pregnant but I
can’t even feel the excitement knowing that I may lose the pup. I can’t lose either of my pups. She must realize the fight has left
me. She turns to the young girl and begins to chant. She waves her hands and the girl becomes an exact replica of me. She
hands her a vial with a bright red liquid swirling in it. “You know what is at stake if you fail your Alpha” the witch says and the
young girl nods. She looks just as broken as I feel. She takes off toward the pack house. The witches attention returns to me.
“It’s time to leave.” She waves her hand and a portal opens. I can finally move and she pushes me toward the portal. As I step
through, I take in my surroundings.
It’s a cottage of some sort. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. It feels warm and homey. She pushes me forward until
you.” The door opens and there is child that can only be eight years old lying on the bed. He is sobbing and my heart squeezes
in my chest. I rush over to check him for injury. “He isn’t hurt but he hasn’t stopped crying since I put him in here” the witch says.
“She took my sister” he manages to squeak out. I look back in time to see the witch roll her eyes and head for the door. “Oh, and
don’t think about trying to escape. The cottage is enchanted” is the last thing she says before the door is shut and locked.
Goddess, I pray that whatever she has planned doesn’t work. I rub circles on the boy’s back and he finally manages to quiet
down. “What is your name?” “My name is Felix. What is your name” he asks and I smile. “My name is Jasmine. Where are your
parents, Felix?” He drops his gaze before he finally answers me. “Me and Anna are orphans. Our parents were killed by rogues
when I was a baby. It’s just me and Anna now. The Alpha came to the orphanage yesterday and I thought maybe we were going
to get a real home but I ended up here. The witch took Anna away” he says as his voice cracks. Goddess, I hope these ba**ards
suffer for all they have planned. I can tell that he is exhausted. “Felix, why don’t you lay down to rest and I’ll watch over you.” He
thinks for a minute before he finally lays down. I run my hand through his sandy blonde hair and his eyes close. I lay my hand on
my flat stomach and say a silent prayer to the goddess to protect Felix, Anna, and both my pups.
Eli POV
“Alpha were under attack from pack wolves” the patrol guard alerts me. After everything the young girl told us we knew to expect
them. My thoughts immediately go to Calliope and Lily. I know that Lily will protect her if anything goes wrong but that doesn’t
mean I won’t worry until I have her in my arms again. I run out of the pack house and shift into Silas. Hudson, Cayden, and
Evelyn, all join me as we lead warriors to the fight. My parents and the others will remain near the pack house. As soon as I
reach the border, I can see that ba**ard Grant standing with a smug look on his face. It looks like he brought his whole pack. He
is going to need it. I watch as Rose, Larisa, Magnum, Oscar, and a large group of vampires join us from the east. Grant’s
confident look falters for a moment before schools his expression. “I see you or no son of Allistar’s to stand beside this pack that
killed him in cold blood” he yells at Magnum. I’m grateful to see he stands taller and doesn’t give Grant the response he is
looking for. Evelyn shifts and comes to stand next to me before her true mate joins her. Grant looks between them and his eyes
turn black. “I’ve come for my Luna and I will slaughter all of you to get her” Grant says with confidence that seems misguided.
Cayden and Hudson growl and Evelyn steps between them letting out her own growl. “I would rather die than ever let you touch
me again Grant. You were never my mate and by the end of today you will be nothing but a bad memory” Evelyn says. I notice a
figure step out of the trees and my heart sinks. How can she possibly be here?
Simone POV
What the hell is taking that stupid girl so long? I need to be with Grant to fulfill that damn blood oath. It seems I can’t wait any
longer. I will just have to leave if she summons me. I appear in the trees and I can sense one witch among the wolves. Maybe I
to throw dark energy balls at the wolves but they are dropping to the ground before they can hit even one of the mutts. It’s not
possible. I notice the witch standing with her arms held high as the wolves start to advance toward us. The f**king witch can only
be eighteen. How the f**k is she so strong? Just as the thought pops into my head the potion summons me. I don’t even look
Grant’s way as I disappear. I reappear in a room and I smile at the sight before me. Alpha Jasmine’s figure is holding a knife to
her daughter’s neck. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Calliope.” If looks could kill I would be dead. I smile at her resolve to stay
strong. In the end she will beg for mercy but right now I’ll give her this moment of defiance. I wave my hand and produce a vial of
wolfsbane. “This will hurt far worse if you fight against me. I wouldn’t want your mother to slice your pretty little neck. This will
only make your wolf dormant until I need her to be present.” For the first time I see a flash of fear in her eyes.
I walk over and thankfully she doesn’t try to stop me. I push the needle in and force the plunger down until all the blue liquid is
gone from the syringe. I see her almost lose her balance but thankfully the girl knows to steady her. “She is no threat now. I’ll
open the portal and you can help her step through.” She does as I order. “Take her to the room with your brother.” I follow closely
behind her and once they are in the room, I close the door and lock it. I wave my hand doing a sealing spell before I teleport
back to the battlefield. It seems that Grant’s mutts are not faring well against the Nightfire pack. “Where the f**k were you” I hear
Grant snarl from behind me. What a coward? He isn’t even fighting with his warriors. “I got what I came for and once I get your
Luna, you are on your own.” He grabs my arm and I look back into his eyes. “You will get us out of here before you abandon me.
Remember the oath, safe and sound.” Goddess, I would love to smack that smirk right off his face. I wrench my arm away from
him before I look around the c*****e. I find a female wolf fighting next to a bear. My eyes search out the witch and she is busy
fighting with Grant’s mutts. She must think I left for good. I smirk before I turn back to the wolf. I produce another syringe and
teleport myself to the wolf’s back. Before she registers what’s happening, I slam the syringe into her shoulder. It forces her to
shift and we appear next to Grant. He scoops his Luna up and I create the portal to walk through. We are in his office. He gazes
down lovingly at the woman in his arms. I roll my eyes. “My blood oath has been fulfilled. Our business is done.” I don’t give him
a chance to respond before I teleport to the cottage. I reappear in the living room and I’m grateful that little ba**ard isn’t crying.
The cottage is quiet, too quiet.
Eli POV
I snap the neck of another member of Grant’s pack when a blood curdling growl causes a silence to fall over the battle field. I
turn to see Hudson and Cayden’s beast take off toward the border. Where is Evelyn? I search for Grant but he has left his pack
to die. This time I let out a growl that shakes the tree before I shift. All those that are fighting halt and stare at me. “Your Alpha is
a coward. He brought you here to be slaughtered while he fled with a woman who wants nothing to do with him. I have no
problem killing ever last one of you but is that what you want, to fight for a man that sacrificed you for his own selfish desires.” I
see a wolf shift and I can tell he is of Beta blood. “The Alpha of the Nightfire pack speaks the truth. I had hoped our Alpha would
come to his senses but he is not the man we all once knew. I will not die for a man that is willing to sacrifice me to have someone
else’s mate.” The man drops to his knees and bears his neck to me. I watch as the remaining men drop to their knees and bear
their necks. “Take them to the cells for now. They are to be treated humanely. I will be down to speak to them shortly.” I don’t wait
to speak to anyone as I shift and run to the pack house. I need to see Calliope more than I need my next breath