Father's Wrath

Father's Wrath
POV: Vincent Castellano

Luna's voice stops echoing through the megaphone, and the silence that follows feels like the calm before a storm. I'm crouched behind an overturned table with my daughter and the werewolf who stole her, and nothing about this situation makes sense anymore.
"She wants to become the most powerful werewolf in North America," Kael just said about Luna. "And killing you is the only thing standing in her way."
I stare at Aria, my little girl who obviously has magic powers and werewolf blood. "Is it true? Are you really part Ravencrest?"
Aria nods, tears running down her face. "I'm starting to remember things, Dad. Uncle Roberto wasn't really Uncle Roberto, was he?"
My heart sinks. Roberto Castellano was my brother-in-law, married to my sister Maria. He died in a car accident when Aria was five, along with her mother. But if what she's saying is true... "Roberto Martinez," I say slowly. "That was his real name before he married into our family. We never questioned it because he was a good man who loved Maria."
"Martinez," Kael says sadly. "That's a Luna-Moon witch family name. Roberto must have been running from something when he changed his name."
"Luna-Moon witches?" I ask. "What does that have to do with werewolves?"
"Everything," Aria whispers, and her eyes are glowing again. "The Luna-Moon witches and the Ravencrest pack made a peace pact fifty years ago. If one family dies out, the other gets their land and power."
The pieces click together in my head like bullets loading into a gun. "So if Luna kills you..."
"She gets everything," Kael finishes. "Both the werewolf pack authority and the witch territory. She becomes unstoppable."
Outside, I can hear Luna's rogues moving around the house, getting into position. We're stuck, and my daughter is the key to everything.
But I didn't become the head of the Castellano family by giving up when things got tough.
"How many men do we have?" I ask Kael.
"My pack brothers and me. Four wolves total."
"That's not enough," I say. "Luna has at least thirty rogues out there."
"Dad," Aria says quietly, "there's something else I remember. About the night Mom and Uncle Roberto died."
I look at her sharply. "What about it?"
"It wasn't a car accident." Her voice is shaking now. "Luna killed them. She's been planning this for years."
Rage rushes through me like acid. Luna Torres killed my sister. She's been playing a long game, waiting for Aria to grow up so she could take her birthright.
"That changes things," I say sadly.
My phone rings. It's Luna.
"Answer it," Kael says. "Keep her talking while we figure out an escape plan."
I put the phone on speaker. "What do you want, Luna?"
"Vincent Castellano," Luna's voice sounds happy. "I've been looking forward to this conversation for a very long time."
"You killed my sister."
Luna smiles. "I killed a lot of people. You'll have to be more specific."
"Maria Martinez. Five years ago."
"Oh, that Maria," Luna says lightly. "Yes, I killed her and her monster husband. They were inconvenient."
I have to grip the phone tight to keep from crushing it. "Why?"
"Because their daughter was going to inherit something that belongs to me," Luna says. "But I had to wait until she was old enough to claim her birthright before I could take it from her."
Aria is crying now, but she's also getting angry. I can feel the power coming from her like heat from a fire.
"Here's what's going to happen," Luna continues. "You're going to send out Aria Castellano. I'm going to kill her in front of you and Kael. Then I'm going to kill both of you too. And then I'm going to rule over the biggest supernatural territory in North America."
"Over my dead body," I snarl.
"That's the plan," Luna says happily. "You have five minutes to decide. Send her out, or I'll burn the house down with all of you in it."
The line goes dead.
I look at Kael, then at Aria. My daughter, who I've spent her whole life trying to protect, is the most powerful magical being in Louisiana. And the most feared.
"We're not giving up," I tell them both. "But we need help."
"From who?" Kael asks. "Your human crew can't fight werewolves."
"Maybe not," I admit. "But I know someone who can."
I pull out my phone and dial a number I haven't called in ten years.
"Castellano?" The voice that answers is shocked. "I thought you were dead."
"Not yet, Marcus," I say to Kael's father. "But your ex-pack member Luna Torres is trying to change that."
There's a long pause. "What do you want?"
"Your help. Luna has my daughter, and she's going to kill her to steal werewolf territory that belongs to your family."
"My family?" Marcus sounds confused.
"Aria isn't just my daughter," I explain. "She's Roberto Martinez's granddaughter. Your brother's real family."
The quiet stretches so long I think the call dropped.
"Roberto?" Marcus finally says, and his voice is different now. Softer. "My little brother Roberto is dead."
"But his granddaughter isn't," I tell him. "And she's about to be murdered by the woman who wants to destroy both our families."
"Where are you?"
"Kael's house in the swamp. Luna has us surrounded."
"Hold position," Marcus orders. "I'm coming."
The line goes dead.
Kael looks at me in shock. "You just called my father for help."
"Your father and I may hate each other," I say grimly. "But we both love our children. And Luna Torres just made this personal for both of us."
That's when we hear the first blast. Luna's rogues are striking the house with grenades.
"Dad," Aria says, grabbing my arm. "I can fight them. I can feel the power getting stronger."
"No," I tell her strongly. "You don't know how to control it yet. You could hurt yourself."
"But people are going to die if I don't help."
She's right, and I hate it. My little girl shouldn't have to fight imaginary wars. But she's not just my little girl anymore. She's something much more important.
The second blast rocks the whole house. Through the windows, I can see Luna's rogues getting closer.
"Vincent," Kael says quickly. "My father won't get here in time. We need another plan."
That's when my phone rings again. But this time, it's not Luna calling.
It's Detective Rosa Martinez.
"Detective?" I answer, confused. "How did you get this number?"
"Mr. Castellano, I know where your daughter is," Rosa says quickly. "And I know what Luna Torres is planning."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"Because I'm Luna-Moon witch too," Rosa says. "Just like Aria. And Luna just made a huge mistake."
"What mistake?"
"She killed my partner tonight. Detective Murphy was part Irish fairy folk, and his death just woke up every magical creature in New Orleans who's been hiding from humans."
Through the phone, I can hear sounds of fighting in the background. Cars crashing, people screaming, gunshots.
"What's happening out there?" I ask.
"War," Rosa says sadly. "Luna started a magical war in the middle of New Orleans. But she didn't count on one thing."
"What's that?"
"All the hidden supernatural creatures in the city are picking sides. And most of them are picking yours."
Outside the house, Luna's confident shouting suddenly changes to shocked yelling. Through the window, I can see new things moving in the darkness. Not just werewolves now, but other things. Things with wings, things that move like liquid shadow, things that don't look like anything I've ever seen before.
"The supernatural community is coming to help us," Rosa adds. "But they can't hold Luna's army forever. You need to get Aria to the First Witch."
"The First Witch?" I look at Aria, who gasps.
"I remember her," Aria says. "From my dreams. She's the original Luna-Moon witch. If I can reach her, she can teach me to control my power."
"Where is she?" I ask Rosa.
"St. Louis Cathedral. In the secret room beneath the altar. But you have to get there before Luna figures out what you're doing."
The line goes dead as another blast shakes the house.
Kael looks at me grimly. "We'll never make it through Luna's army."
"Yes, we will," I say, checking my gun. "Because I didn't spend twenty years building the most powerful crime family in New Orleans just to give up when my daughter needs me most."
That's when the front door bursts inward, and Luna Torres walks through the smoke and fire like she owns the place.
But she's not alone.
Behind her walks a figure that makes my blood freeze in my veins.
It's Marcus Ravencrest. Kael's father.
"Hello, Vincent," Marcus says calmly. "Thank you for the phone call. It made it very easy for Luna to find you."
I stare at him in shock. "You betrayed us."
"I made a deal," Marcus corrects. "Luna gets Aria's power, and I get to watch the Castellano family die. It's a win for everyone."
Kael looks at his father with pure hate. "You sold us out."
"I sold you out," Marcus agrees. "All of you. Because some things are more important than family."
Luna steps forward, her eyes glowing with eagerness. "Hello, Aria. Ready to give me what's mine?"
But before anyone can answer, Aria stands up. And when she does, the strength radiating from her makes every light in the house flicker.
"Actually," she says, and her voice carries a power that makes everyone freeze, "I think it's time you gave me what's mine."
That's when I understand my daughter isn't the victim in this story anymore.
She's become something much more dangerous than Luna ever expected.
And Luna Torres is about to find out what happens when you threaten the last Luna-Moon witch in North America.