—A loud thud directly above him pulled Luca from his troubled past.
He was instantly on his feet and out of the door. He ran up the stairs and crashed into Nelson on the landing, just as the other man was about to come and find him. The butler was so distraught it took Luca a few minutes to calm him down and tell him what had gotten him so spooked."The girl, sir, she's having convulsions—I tried—"Luca didn't stick around to hear the rest of his explanation. He bolted to the basement, where they kept their medical supplies. The leather duffel bag was still where he'd left it over a month ago, inside the steel cabinet.He took it back to the guest room and emptied its contents on the bed beside the girl, his deft fingers rummaging through the dozens of containers and tubes. An earth-shattering sigh shot through his lips when he found the syringe and pumped it with adrenaline.Nelson was beside himself with worry as he frantically paced the length of the room. "Get a grip!" Luca growled at him to put a lid on his emotions.The butler managed to pull himself together, but his fear was still there, filling up the room and making it difficult for Luca to focus on the young woman."Get out!" he barked at the older man, and wordlessly he obeyed.Alone with the woman, Luca crept over her lifeless body and peeled off the damp T-shirt, and for a brief moment, he debated saving her life.He was tempted to let her go. Bundle her up in a nice sheet and get rid of her. Peg her down as one of the many casualties of their war with the Youngbloods.But then he remembered his own mother, Hanna Delacroix, and he wished someone had saved her. This girl may have been an energy source for the clan, but she was also someone's daughter, sister, and friend. She had a life outside these four walls, as miserable as it was.Without wasting any more time, he plunged the syringe into her heart and emptied the adrenaline.A little while later, she was fully clothed in one of April's outfits and judging by the dazed look in her eyes as she sat at the table in the dining room, the compulsion had worked. She still looked pale and sickly, and it was the only reason Luca was going against Nelson's words of caution and taking her to a hospital."I don't think it's a good idea," Nelson murmured from behind him for the hundredth time.Luca ignored him like he'd done for the past fifteen minutes while getting the young lady ready. But Nelson was right. Taking her to a public hospital wasn't the smartest of plans.It would raise too many questions and suspicions he didn't want or need if the townspeople saw them together. But he would never forgive himself if she died."Get the man and meet us in the car," Luca instructed his thrall as he helped the woman from the chair and guided her out of the room.Fifteen minutes later, Luca and Nelson stayed in the car and watched the two dazedly make their way inside the bustling emergency room of Shadowbrooke's Medical Center. Luca had given her strict instructions to approach a nurse once she was inside, and ask for help. He knew she would follow them to the tee, and they'd catch a bus out of town after her treatment. He was just worried about the medical staff. There was always a chance they'd turn her away since, outwardly, she looked okay."You did all you could for her." Nelson placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. Luca nodded; he just hoped it would be enough.As they sped away from the town centre, Luca decided to hold off on finding prey for a while. Since there'd be four of them in the house now and two at any given time, their combined energy should be enough to sustain Julian and the others.Cadence Youngblood's steel-grey eyes lit up as she watched the unusually tall man jump out of the red pickup truck and swiftly run up the front steps, the steady wind blowing through his jet-black hair.Just as he was about to reach the door, as if he could sense her watching him, he paused, turned and stared straight at her.Cadence gasped and ducked out of view, crawling on all fours as she drew the curtains to block out his sharp gaze.She waited and slowly counted to ten, before she rose from the floor and opened the curtains again, just in time to see him retrieve a large, blue cooler box from the truck's bed. His movements were smooth and fluid as he crouched down to place it on the ground. The muscles on his broad shoulders flexed underneath the white T-shirt, and his black jeans moulded his firm butt to perfection.Cadence wondered about the contents of the cooler box. It was way too chilly to stock up on beers. But on second thought, she didn't care. Surely, whatever was in th
In the crumbling manor across the creek, Luca busied himself by starting the fire in the fireplace, and did his best to ignore April as she sat listlessly in one of the armchairs in the room. She hated storms, and the mournful sounds coming from the basement weren't doing much to lift her spirits."How can we just sit here? They can sense something is different this time. You have to get the witch onboard ASAP!" she screeched as she grabbed Luca's half-full goblet from the coffee table and sent it soaring. The glass hit the opposite wall, shattering into smithereens on the floor as the rich dark red liquid splashed everywhere."Great job April. There's plenty more where that came from, so waste what we have, why don't you?" Luca's voice dripped with sarcasm as he glared at her."I can't take this, Luca! Doesn't it bother you that he's in there? He probably won't last lo—" April didn't finish her rant. Luca had her throat in his hand in a flash, his icy fingers wrapped tightly around he
"Unbelievable!" Sonja glared at the members of her coven with pure disbelief written in her eyes. They'd all sensed Luca's arrival, hence their impromptu gathering. But for an hour, they'd talked about almost everything under the sun, and none of it was important."What is it, dear?" asked Luann, her older sister and the coven's high priestess."This is what he wants, to see us fight, squabble, and doubt each other."Before Sonja had even finished her piece, they were all at it again, screaming and waving their fists, threatening to do bodily harm to each other with their magic. The reason for their heated war of words was Carmella Long failing to produce her piece of the magical keystone the coven had used to eternally bind the members of Luca's clan to the Delacroix's cellar twenty years ago.The keystone in question had eight pieces, and when arranged and placed together, they took on the shape of an eight-point star, known as the Star of Chaos or The Divine Fire Wheel.There were m
Cadence was nodding off to sleep in her room when she felt the slight tremor, followed by a deafening bang in the living room. She leapt out of bed and grabbed her witch's broom just inside the door in case trouble was waiting for her on the other side, and reluctantly made her way to the source of the noise.It was pitch dark, since all the lights in the house were out, and she could barely see a thing. So she fumbled along the wall for a few anxiety-inducing seconds, as she frantically ran her hand along the wall, blindly searching for the light switch, cursing when she tripped and almost fell over something soft.After a few tries, Cadence finally flipped the switch, flooding the living room with brilliant light. She burst into tears when she saw her mom on the floor."Mom, what happened?" she asked as she picked her up from the floor and helped her onto the sofa. "I had to teleport from the hill. They were after me, Cade. They wanted my piece of the star!" Sonja rambled incoherent
In their cabin in the secluded part of the woods, Samuel and his small band of vampire hunters were still reeling over their failure. They all hurried to their little corners and busied themselves with cleaning their weapons, getting them ready for the impending war with anyone who dared stand in their way. "We'll get it next time," he told the other four. He was referring to the piece of the Chaos Star they'd tried to get from Sonja. But even as he said the words, he knew he wasn't convincing anyone. The Youngbloods' magic was far more powerful than they remembered. They'd heard rumours floating around town about Luca's return and his plans to free his brother, and they knew the vampire would need the Chaos Star to break the seal. Rather than tempt fate and leave the star in the hands of the witches, they'd decided to take matters into their own hands. They already had Carmella Long's piece. They just needed the rest. The idea was to destroy the star before Luca got his hands on it.
Cadence was surprised to find a note from her mom when she walked into the kitchen the next morning. 'Cade, I'm sorry for rushing off like this; there was an emergency with the coven. Have fun at school. See you later! Love, Mom!'She didn't need to be a witch to know that something was seriously wrong with the coven as she read the note. Two emergency meetings in twenty-four hours didn't look good, and she wondered how much of it had to do with last night's incident.Cadence had just sat down, ready to stuff her face with Froot Loops, when the doorbell rang."Can't I have some cereal in peace around here?" she grumbled as she went to get the door, her heart going berserk when she found Luca on her front porch. The mere sight of him made her all shaky and weak-kneed, and she had to lean on the door frame for support. "Hello," he said."Hi." Her greeting was surprisingly coherent and polite enough. But there was nothing coherent or polite about the sound of her heart pounding in her ch
The minute they were alone, Sonja dragged Luca out of her house the same way he had done to her at his place a few days ago."You lying, scheming, son of a bitch! How dare you invite yourself into my home! Did you trick my daughter into letting you in? Did you mess with her head? What lies did you tell her to worm your way inside?" She seethed at him as soon as they were out of earshot."I didn't have to trick her. She invited me in all on her own. And I haven't even begun messing with her head yet. That time is coming, though. Rest assured!" Luca smirked at her.Sonja was tempted to reach up, gouge his eyes out, and feed them to the crows. She loathed him for what he was about to do to her town. But she resented him even more for the games he planned to play with her only child."Careful, Sonja. You don't want me to take your necklace again, do you?" Luca taunted, subtly letting her know he knew what she was thinking, and he was ready for her and the show she wanted to put on."Stay a
Cadence was in the mood for a little game of truth or dare. She followed her mom inside, the wind yanking the door and banging it shut behind them."Mom, you keep saying Luca is dangerous, but you're not telling me what he did. How can I trust you when you pretended to have met him for the first time today? And what's this business about my blood? What did he mean when he said my blood sealed his brother in?" Cadence wouldn't let up, she was on to something, and they both knew it."You were eavesdropping on us?" Sonja demanded angrily.But Cadence stood her ground. She knew her mom was trying to deflect attention from herself. She wouldn't allow that; she couldn't let her turn the tables on her and make her feel guilty."I wasn't eavesdropping. You were shouting. I think the whole bayou heard you, Mom!"Sonja opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She went to the living room and sat down."Cade." She patted the empty spot beside her for Cadence to join her."We were hoping i
Luca reached up and caressed her cheek.Cadence closed her eyes, wishing he wouldn't, but at the same time, she didn't want him to stop. He was her own little pill, her addiction, one she knew was bad for her, but couldn't give up or refuse all the same."Luca," she whispered as he pressed her body close to his.They didn't say anything for some time as they stood there, revelling in their heated embrace.Soon, though, just having Cadence in his arms was no longer enough for Luca. He had to have to her. So he picked her up and placed her on the altar bed.It was cold and hard, but Cadence didn't notice. All she was aware of was the heat between them as he covered her body with his.Their kissing was tentative at first, but grew more heated and urgent as he greedily pried her mouth open, demanding more of her while removing their clothes, stripping them of everything standing between their desires.Cadence was stunned by how easy it was to put aside all her uncertainties and give in to
Long after she'd called Sonja and asked to hitch a ride with them to Bridgetown, Cadence was still in her room, sobbing in her hands, crying over the Origami swan Luca had left for her on her desk at some point during the day.Like that first time, his message was short and to the point. 'We need to talk'."Oh, Luca!" Cadence thought sadly. He'd picked a hell of a time to want to talk. She honestly didn't see how talking would change anything. Her father was right. She had to go to Bridgetown for Emme, if not for herself. She had to honour her mentor's memory. And she knew in her heart that Luca would never leave his brother, especially when he missed twenty years with him."It wouldn't have worked out anyway. Long-distance relationships hardly ever work out," Cadence consoled herself as she got up from the bed and wiped away her tears. She stuffed her music box in her backpack and took one final wistful look at her room before she headed out. She was going to miss her home and Shado
Warwick took small sips from his mug as he stared at Sonja. He knew his unwavering gaze was unsettling for her. But for the life of him, he couldn't look away."You are staring," Sonja admonished quietly, unable to take his scrutiny any longer."I'm sorry." Warwick smiled, showing his fangs briefly as he crossed the room and took her hands. He turned them over and kissed her palms like he used to back then, before that night all those years ago. His simple gesture reminded Sonja of how much she'd missed out on. All the little things she'd forced herself not to think about until now made her want to cry."How is it possible? You haven't aged a day," he murmured as he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. "It's like time stopped the day I left, and now it's picking up right where we left off."Sonja wept harder at his words. They were absurd. As much as she loved her daughter and didn't regret a single moment with her, Cadence's existence was a painful reminder of how much time
Luca hated to break up the reunion party, but the newly freed vampires had to feed and get ready to clear out of Shadowbrooke. So while everyone prepared for their departure, Cadence and her father went to the crypt to talk.Cadence sat on the altar bed, and he joined her and took her hand."You did nothing wrong, Cadence.""I locked you away." Cadence shook her head. She knew he was trying to make her feel better. But nothing would change the fact that her blood had sealed him in and robbed him of twenty years of his life he would never get back."And your blood has freed me now," Warwick reminded her.Cadence gave him an incredulous look. "You read my thoughts?""I can, but I didn't have to. I can see it in your eyes, the guilt you feel. It's time you forgave yourself."Cadence didn't say anything after this. There was so much she wanted to say to him, though, but she barely knew him, barely knew what he liked and didn't like."There'll be plenty of time for that," Warwick smiled and
The anxiety in the cellar had mounted to an unbearable point. It was so intense that Luca could almost taste it in his throat. He swallowed hard, unable to believe that in just under an hour, it would all be over. All the years of tireless searching for the star and hoping for a miracle had finally come to this moment.April tugged at his arm and led him to the corner of the room, away from the ritual space.Rudolf, now awake, looked subdued as he sat on the cot with his back pressed against the wall and silently watched the excitement in the centre of the room."Do you think it will work?" April asked, her voice barely audible. But Luca had heard her. He gave her a sidelong look to reassure her. "Of course, it will!"April tried to smile. But her eyes clouded up with tears as she played with her hair.Luca pulled her close and asked, "what's wrong?""I am terrified." April bawled on his chest. Her sniffling drew the attention of the witches, and they stared at them for a bit before r
They all took Emme's death hard, but none of them had the luxury to grieve. They still had a lot more to do. And Sonja gave them just the distraction they needed. She got everyone to work as soon as they returned to the manor.While the three younger witches prepared the cellar for the ritual, she went to her house to pack a few things and close off the place.She was surprised to find her sister and Romulus waiting for her."What do you want now?" she asked impatiently."That was a hell of a risk you took." Luann rose and stretched her limbs. Romulus also stood up and moved aside to let Sonja through.Sonja knew her sister was referring to Ethan, and she didn't want to get into it with her. "It worked. That's all that matters.""And we are grateful."Sonja was about to turn the key on the door. She stopped and looked at Luann, surprised to see something close to sincerity, or maybe remorse, in her eyes."So, what's the plan? You're going to open the door?" Luann asked."Nothing will
"What took you so long?" Luca demanded as soon as Emme took on her human form again in the woods where she'd left them. "I got tied up," she replied. "Did you find them?" Sonja asked, sounding a little anxious. Emme nodded her head and filled them in, giving them as much detail as possible.When Luca heard about Ethan's small army, he wanted to abort the plan. It was too dangerous. They'd banked on the fact that Ethan's fledglings would be resting and at their weakest since it was daylight. But knowing they were awake and in bloodlust, he didn't want to take a chance and risk all their lives."He's locked them up in cages. If and when he realises what's happening, he won't have enough time to release them all!" Emme argued.But nothing anyone said would change Luca's mind. "No! It's too dangerous. We're dropping this whole thing and heading home. NOW!"April decided to settle the matter the old school way. She called for a vote. Cadence understood the urgency, but on the other han
By the time Rachel reached the manor, she was hysterical and almost breathless from running. It took some time for Sonja to calm her down and get the whole story from her."I told you it wouldn't work! Ethan's figured out the star we gave him is a fake." April was the first to fall apart. And it wasn't long before everyone had something to say, and the tension in the room reached an unbearable point.April wanted to open the door urgently, get the hell out of Shadowbrooke, and leave the pack and Sonja's coven to deal with Ethan's wrath.Luca and Andrew refused to entertain her. They couldn't sit back and watch the town go up in flames. They had an obligation to help. After all, Ethan's retaliation was solely on them this time around."Did they fucking help us twenty years ago?" April couldn't keep a lid on her emotions as she and Luca went head to head, exchanging heated words. The tension brewing between them for years now had finally bubbled over, and their verbal war was devastatin
Hours after he'd left Luca, Ethan was still fuming. He couldn't believe how Sonja's daughter had messed up his plan at the last minute. He should have accounted for the fact that she might change back, but the thought had never crossed his mind, in all honesty.He'd had no intention of returning Cadence. In fact, he would have killed her right there, while in her spectral form, and hung her on that same tree where Luca had hung his father. Yes, he had planned to make Luca watch him take away what was most precious to him."Damn that fucking cat!" He slammed his fist on the glass tabletop. The untouched goblet toppled over. Surprisingly, it didn't break, but the liquid inside made a mess all over the cracked surface.Eugénie was a picture of calmness. She'd been with him long enough to get used to his fits of rage. They no longer disturbed her."We'll get him soon enough." She purred as she got up from her seat and draped her arms over his shoulders. Ethan grunted his displeasure, an