Vlad sneers, “I'll get you for that Eva!”
“We don't even know if it was me that did it.”
Sam chuckles as Eric shakes his head, “Just don't we have a long drive!”
“Gran and everyone thank you.”
Dean pats Cassius on the back, “Eva you say he's pack then he's pack.”
Kim laughs, “Even your asshole vamps are pack now.”
I laughed as Vincent grabs me, “Love you're so asking for it!”
Eric yells, “No! You all need to chill!”
Cass says to Sam, “This so isn't normal.”
Sam replies, “Just wait until we get you home.”
Cassius asks, “Why is that?”
Sam says, “You ever seen an ancient castle?”
Cassius answers, “No.”
Sam grins, “You will because Dracula's is next door.”
Cassius gasps, “How?”
Sam smiles, “Eva that's how!”
“Let's go before the Haze hits!”
We let the pack get a head start because I want to show Cass a bit of what I can do. “Are you ready for a new experience, Cass?”
Cassius timidly answers, “Umm, if I say no.”
I laughed as I put my hands on his shoulders and port us into the back seat of the SUV.
Cassius screams, “Shit!”
l laugh, “It was fun and you know it!”
My mates port into the SUV. Vlad raises an eyebrow, “Just what was fun?” He asks as he picks me up and then sits with me on his lap. Vincent lands beside us and kisses me.
Sam yells, “Vincent!”
Vincent growls, “Mongrel!”
Eric looks at both of them and commands, “Stop it!” I laughed until Eric glared at me, “Eva!”
I sigh and roll my eyes, “Fine but I was behaving.”
Eric looks at me and the brothers, “Not totally you weren't.”
Vincent sighs, “I can't shut it off!”
Eric shakes his head, “I can't either but unlike you, I'm behaving.”
Vincent sneers, “Earlier you weren't. Did you forget already?”
Eric looks at him confused, “I just told her that I loved her and kissed her. So what?”
Sam hits the steering wheel, “Shit!”
Vlad sighs as he holds me tighter and looks at Eric, “Eric you guys glowed brighter than the sun. It blinded Vincent a bit so he had Sam stop you both.”
“I just figured he wanted to cuddle.”
Sam reaches back and squeezes my hand, “I'll always want that, but what Vlad said is true.”
“Oh!” Now I am embarrassed and scared. What happens if we do something irreversible or hurt someone?
Eric pinches the bridge of his nose, “Well that settles it. We aren't leaving until the moon Haze is over. Ever!”
Cassius looks at us, “Call me stupid but I thought just Weres Hazed.”
Sam sighs, “I did too until I saw them do it.”
Eric explains, “Vampires don't but it appears that we do because of Eva and we aren't vampires anymore now either.”
Cassius asks, “Because she's part wolf or something?”
Vlad shakes his head, “No she's actually not part wolf. It's a long story. We will let the cat explain it to you.”
Cassius looks at me in disbelief, “You have a talking cat?”
“For now, until I reverse the curse that Raven put on her,” Cass looks away and I put my hand on his shoulder as I continue, “Cass, it's fine. Soon Raven will just be a memory and all the scars she gave you will be gone too.”
Cassius asks, “How can you be sure?”
“Because I'm going to end Raven once and for all. Her soul will cease to exist!”
Cassius exclaims, “That's impossible!”
Vlad winks at me before he turns to Cassius, “But it's not. We already did it once to Merdon.”
Cassius’s eyes widen, “Wait! You ended him?”
Vlad grins, “Eva and I did, yes.”
Cassius gasps, “You're why Raven wiped out that coven that was working with Vicky! She thought they betrayed her. She needed Merdon alive.”
“Why?”
Cassius looks down, “To resurrect her army, all of them.”
I laughed at that. Cassius shakes his head, “No Eva, it's not funny. She had thousands of followers.”
“But it is!” I reach over Eric and roll down the window. I have a bird fly into the vehicle. I hold it and close the window. I handed it to Cassius. “Hold her.”
Cassius asks, “How did you get a bird in here?”
Sam chuckles, “She's my Snow White man.”
I point to the bird and it becomes lifeless in his hands. Cassius screams, “Fuck! You killed it!” He starts caressing it, trying to will it to live.
I smile, “Let me.” I touch its head and it comes to life again.
Cassius exclaims, “Oh!” He pets it and rolls down his window. It flies away.
“I can both give and take life…true life. I can also control the dead too.”
Cassius holds back tears, “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing,” I touch his face, “That's over! You're our brother now and I know someone who has been waiting her whole life to meet you too.”
I smile, “Also, we have two cats. But they aren't cats exactly. They're witches that I will restore to their human forms.”
Cassius gasps, “You all live together!”
“There are others. They live in Vlad's castle next door. But the witches, who are currently cats, are Agnes Sampson and Morgan LaFae.”
Cassius' eyes widened in shock, “The Morgan LaFae? Can't be because Raven turned her into a cat and then blew her up! She's long dead!”
“About that,” I grin, “Morgan can't die. She's been a cat this whole time.”
Cassius asks, “How is that possible?”
“Not sure but I will find out!”
Vlad adds, “We will but first, we have to talk to Morgan about why we are blacking out.”
Vincent sighs, “Also why can't we block or mute the link.”
Sam puts his hands on his head, “Just talk, stop thinking! You all are giving me a headache and we still have a long drive ahead of us.”
Vlad screams, “Hands on the wheel!”
“Vlad, you need therapy!” I look at Sam, “Maybe not but I'm going to need food soon.”
Sam sighs, “No powers Eva!”
“Too late,” I think to myself as I ported our SUV from one abandoned highway to another. I shaved hours off of our drive too.
Sam growls, “Damnit!”
Vlad kisses my cheek, “I'm fine with it. Less time in a damn car!”
“Vlad, you really need to tell me why you hate them so much.”
Vlad smirks as he bites my neck, “Not that night I won't,”
Sam bellows, “Vincent trade him, and don't start anything!”
Vlad yells, “Damn you!”
Sam glares at him, “Just chill! We can't Haze now!”
We hit a drive-thru and get me some food. Sam gets some for him and Cass too. Cassius digs in, “Thanks, man. I haven't had real food in weeks!”
Sam pats Cass on his shoulder, “No problem.”
I cram my mouth full of fries, “I love this place!”
Sam growls, “Stop using magic, Eva!”
“It's who we are now. You need to accept it, Sam.”
Sam grumbles, “You're so damn obstinate!”
“You need to accept that too!”
Sam gives me a stern look, “Or just spank your ass!”
“Try it, Mountain Man!”
Vincent starts to shake, “Sam find a place…and hurry.”
Sam looks in the rearview mirror, “Why.…Shit! Eva!”
Cassius asks, “What's going on?”
Eric explains, “His Haze is starting and soon we all will be losing control.”
Cassius looks around, “How can you tell?”
Vincent looks at me as he tries to answer, “My…”
“His eyes,” I murmur as I am pulled to Vincent and I kiss him.
Eric yells, “Stop for the love of…” Then Eric bites my neck and kisses me as Vincent takes my nipple in his mouth through my shirt.
Cassius exclaims, “Holy shit! Sam you good?”
Sam takes in a deep breath as he grips the steering wheel, “For now but not for long.”
Cassius says, “Trade me. I'll find a spot to pull off.” They swap as Cassius starts rolling down the windows, “I'm putting some windows down.”
Vlad asks, “Why?”
Cassius says, “It smells like sex, flowers, and candy.”
Vlad chuckles, “If that bothers you then you'll want to sleep next door. Eva is the flowers you're smelling. As for sex, well there will be plenty of that! Now the candy? I don't smell that. You'll want to talk to Morgan about that when we get home.”
Cassius looks at him, “Your eyes have flames!”
Vlad grins, “Haze is starting.”
Cassius asks, “So the colors and swirling are part of it too?”
Vlad explains, “Yes and eventually that's all my eyes will be. We can only fight it so long too.”
Cassius inquires, “Why can you longer than the others?”
Vlad sighs, “Because Eva and I didn't like each other and she didn't want to betray my brother because he and I have had our issues for centuries. So we fought it. The others just accepted it instantly or within hours. It took her and me a few days to accept the mate bond. You will feel the difference when we get home. What you felt for Raven won't even compare, trust me. Fuck!”
He grabs his head. Cassius nods to the backseat, “Just go back there. I'll find a safe spot.”
Vlad nods, “Just a quiet place we can shroud the rest.”
Cassius starts looking up ahead, “No problem, I will find one.”
Vlad touches his shoulder, “Cass.”
“What?” he asks.
Vlad smiles, “Thank you,” then he ports to the backseat.
***Cassius’s POV***
This has been the strangest day of my life. I'm in a car with the regional Alpha and vampires. Not just any vampires but the Prince and the Black Brothers, perhaps the most ruthless vampires to ever exist, yet I'm not remotely anxious. Instead, I feel at peace, kind of like I'm home. Home, a place that I haven't had in decades.
Then there's Eva. She could very well be the Moon Goddess herself. I feel a connection to her but it's nothing to act on. It's a familiarity that I just can't place. Perhaps we crossed paths years ago or something. All I know is that I'm thankful that she found me and stopped me from jumping. I'd be dead if it wasn't for her. I owe her and will make sure that I repay her somehow.