Chapter Seventy Six

It didn't take Silviu’s army long after the explosion before they swarmed the manor in staggering numbers.

I’d lost count of the bodies that lay around me, the fight led me outside and I prayed with everything in me that Nikolai got my family to the vault just in time.

Callan was on the other side of me, blades swinging and body gliding between the warriors that came surging. I had no idea where Luther was, but he’d sent out several Night Blood warriors. I recognized them from their dark-colored cloaks and distinct forehead markings.

No one was shifting, not yet, not at a war like this one, no. It was too risky to shift, wolves would recognize their pack members by their smell and distinguish them from the enemies but here, there had been several alliances, shifting now would be a catastrophe for both sides so we remained in our human forms and fought hard.

I held two blades, trained to use both my hands, I swung my weapons with ease. The blades were light, smooth, and deadly. One of my blades struck, burying itself into the midsection of one of the enemy's men. I yanked it down allowing the guttural noise of the man’s insides pouring out to propel me forward.

Fighting came easy to me. It was what I’d done for most of my life —this dance.

I glided, ducked, blocked, struck.

Again.

Again, and again.

But it wasn't enough. They weren't stopping, this army not even when I sighted the Black Tide pack army joining us led by Luther.

The men Silviu led were strong, powerful, and too many. The more I killed, the more they seemed to pour onto the manor’s grounds filled with vile vigor.

“We are outnumbered,” I said to Nikolai through the bond.

“Unfortunately. Have you sighted your uncle?”

“No,”

I was yet to see him nor Jeremy of Icepelt pack. Wherever they were, I was certain they were biding their time and waiting until they’d gotten complete control.

“Are they safe in the vault?” I asked just as I ducked in time to avoid an arrow that had been flying toward me.

“Fuck!” I swore out loud lifting my head to catch sight of more warriors scattered on treetops, all with their crossbows drawn.

“Yes, they're safe. How are you holding up there?” Nikolai was asking.

“Watch out!” I yelled, my throat scratching. Callan looked up in time to swerve and avoid the arrows that soared in the air toward us.

Warriors from our side fell easily, struck down by the arrows.

“They're firing, Nikolai.”

“Shit! I think…”

“Are you okay?” Worry filled my tone.

“I am but I think Mathew got hit.”

I glanced back at the men and saw them once again pulling their crossbows.

We were going to lose.

It hit me instantly, the one person who was obsessed with archery, the one person whose army would of course include warriors well vested in archery just like he was. I noticed the warriors moved at command and I glanced at the farther end where Nikolai was.

“I need cover.”

He turned toward me.

“Watch out!” I cried.

He swung his blade, cleanly slicing the head of the man who’d been rushing at him.

“I'm coming,” he said.

I continued fighting;

Glid.

Duck.

Block.

Strike.

A large man caught me unawares, his blade barely missing my arm by an inch. I recognized him from the Mystic Hollow pack, one of the strongest men we had, and I’d seen him earlier barrelling his way through the sea of bodies, his blades eliminating whoever stood in his path.

“Alpha,” he said in a mocking tone, flashing me his dirty-colored teeth. His eyes were a pool of nothingness, no emotions lay behind them as he once more swung his blade at me.

I ducked, my knees yelling out in pain at the unnatural angle I landed.

His blade came down yet again, the clanking sound rang when metal met. I stopped his attack with one blade and attacked him with the other. My blade struck its mark but not as effectively, it was simply a scratch on his thigh but it was enough to me time to get my footing back.

I stood straight before shooting forward fast, he barely had time to evade my attack but he did and I was ready, my legs caught up with his, and I swept them off him causing him to land with a hard thud on the ground.

The sharp end of my blade struck his chest before he had the chance to get up.

His dead eyes stared back at me forever frozen in a look of surprise; at least I’d been able to evoke an emotion.

My back and shoulder ached but I had no time to dwell on the pain no matter how unbearable it was becoming. The battle had been going on for long hours, longer hours than I was used to but the more we killed, the more it seemed as though we were wasting our time.

“Go,” Nikolai whispered roughly into my ears, and I took off.

Another round of flying arrows came at us again and I swore under my breath but Nikolai was a good cover and soon enough I’d found myself in an unoccupied section of the garden.

I crept my way through it quietly until I was a few meters from where the archers lined up.

“Pull!” a familiar voice yelled. “Fire!”

And the arrows went darting instantly.

I followed the voice until I had him in view. Stealth was a skill I had mastered and it always came in handy.

“Long time,” I whispered, putting my blade to Jeremy’s neck. “Make a move and you'll be splattering your blood all over us both.”

“I wondered how long until you’d find me,” he said smugly.

I tsked. “The length you’d go to just for my attention is astounding I must say.”

He chuckled but I could feel the tremor of fear that lay just underneath that sound of humor. “You are one hard woman to forget.”

I'd had enough. “Call them down!” I said, referring to his archers.

“You are smart, Natalie. You should know that this is all futile, you lost even before it started.”

“I'm not dead yet but you will be soon enough and then I’ll decide for myself.” I hissed. “Call your men down!“

“Come on, boys,” Jeremy called out to his archers. “The lady wants you down.”

The archers looked down at us and I pressed the blade deeper into his neck, I’d discarded its twin blade.

Slowly the men climbed down the tree, all twelve of them and they lined up, their weapons in hand.

“Step forward, drop your bows and arrows, and then step back.”

They hesitated looking from one to the other.

I pressed the blade further and Jeremy cried out. “Do it!”

The men did as I said and I pressed my lips to Jeremy’s ears.

“Where is Silviu?”

“He’s your kin, I should be asking you.”

“Tell me!”

“Waiting for you, love,” he said mockingly.

I would get nothing from this bastard. “Tell him I send my regards when I send him to join you.”

And with that, my hand moved smoothly in a swift motion, my blade tearing into flesh. Blood gushed out and Jeremy fell forward, his hands grabbing his neck.

His archers moved towards their bows but I was fast, I darted toward them, moving between them and their weapons.

The kill was swift and easy. Three of them managed to grab their weapons, two marks were missed, the arrows lodging into the back of another Archer.

I dipped my hand into my side and retrieved my concealed weapons; two flick-knives met their marks directly.

The last of the twelve men’s hands shook as he tried to fix his crossbow.

I stood unmoving as he shot the arrow, unsurprised when it flew past me.

I hurled the third of my knives at him and he landed on the ground with a cry before becoming silent. I proceeded to retrieve my knives from the dead bodies and wiped them before fixing them back in place.

“How is it going?” I shot at Nikolai through our bond.

“Your pack army has arrived, Alpha. We might just have a shot.”

I smiled. Emerald pack was here, they weren't due to arrive yet but whatever the reason that had brought them… The Goddess be blessed.

“I'll find Silviu, something tells me he is inside the manor.”

“I'll come with you.”

“No, not yet, they need you out there. I'll be careful and won't make contact with him, I'll tell you when I locate him.”

“Go on,” he said defeatedly. “Don’t do anything rash.”

“I won't.”

Without a backward glance at the bodies I left behind, I marched into the manor taking the back door. The halls were empty, from outside, the sound of the ongoing battle penetrated through the broken walls of the manor, shattered glasses from the wrecked windows and doors laid on the floor alongside the bodies that remained.

They’d first attacked the manor and Callan had suggested we fight back by pushing them outside of it. We had people in the underground vault, they were best protected the farther from them the enemies were.

I swallowed uncomfortably, my eyes misted at the sight of the servants and our warriors that had been killed.

Even if we won, which was a long shot, the pack would never remain the same.

I stilled.

Someone was here.

I turned around just in time to receive the impact of a large splintered wood to my head.

Darkness consumed me.

****

I woke up to excruciating pain.

Every single part of my being was burning and I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming. Slowly, my eyes came open, arousing my other senses too. I was in a prone position, my hands were firmly tied behind me, and my legs were also tightly bound. I struggled against the binds even though I knew it would be fruitless.

“Help her up,” I heard a voice say, a voice that had haunted me for so long.

Someone roughly brought me to a kneeling position and I stared back at my uncle.

He was a sight to behold, he was missing an eye like Nikolai had told me but regardless, his face still held that smug look, he still had that air of arrogance about him, and when he smiled at me, it was all I could do not to throw up.

“Woke up just in time, Natalie. It's why you were my favorite, ever the punctual one.”

He looked up at someone behind me and instructed. “Bring them in.”

Fear yanked at my insides and internally I screamed. No, please, no. He couldn't have found them, no.

Three men led a bounded Theo and Catherine inside the shed.

The workshop shed we were in was an abandoned one on the manor’s grounds but quite a distance from the manor itself. Whoever had struck me must have carried me all the way here to meet Silviu, I wondered how long he had been waiting here.

I stared at Catherine and her tear-filled eyes met mine.

I hadn’t forgotten to put her in the vault alongside the rest, I had intentionally not done so, not after what she had done. I couldn’t trust her again.

As for Theo, I found the fear in his expression laughable. What had the bastard been expecting from a cruel brute like my uncle?

The men forced Theo and Catherine into a kneeling position too, they remained side by side shivering from fear.

Silviu turned to me. “Watch.” He nodded at the man who stood behind Theo.

Theo’s death was quick, one minute he was alive and the next he wasn't, his lifeless body fell face-flat to the dirt-ridden floor.

A scream lodged in Kate’s throat. Her mouth was wide open but no sound came out.

The man behind Kate put the blade to her throat and faced me.

I stiffened.

“Now, Natalie,” Silviu said slowly as he got up from the high stool he somehow had found to settle himself on.

I watched him, keeping my expression as stoic as possible. He grabbed me by the chin and his fingers pressed so hard into my cheeks, I gritted my teeth.

“Where is Sophia?” Silviu asked and when I remained quiet, his heavy hand swung, smacking me hard on the face. I crashed to the ground with a cry.

“Nikolai?” I called out desperately through the bond but when I received nothing but silence, my blood froze. “Nikolai!”

Silviu grabbed me roughly by the hair and brought my face so close to his, his empty socket nauseated me.

“One last chance, Natalie.” His voice had taken a sinister tone. “Tell me where Sophia is or Catherine dies.”