Raven's Rose (Charity Series Book 3) (8 page)

             
“Yes,” Levi answered. “But first we need to regroup. We’ll need to make some calls and get all members active. This means war, and we need to be prepared. Let’s get back to the facility. We don’t have much time. We will make them regret the day they took our friends,” he growled.

           
                                * * * * * *

Back at the Drake House, Levi made the calls and all active werewolves rendezvoused in the Meeting Room, worked up and ready for a fight. He knew all of them had come to respect Raven and were happy he had found love with Rose. As he watched his pack gather and talk strategy, their anger grew and he was glad for it. Their anger would give them the ammunition they needed to win this battle once and for all.

              Charity was huddled around Rose’s parents, comforting them, and Levi was about to make his way over to see how they were coping, when Eli burst onto the scene. “I’m in too! You can’t leave without me!”

             
“You need to stay here with your parents,” Levi said, coming up in front of him.

             
“No way, Levi! That’s my sister out there with those monsters! And Raven is my friend! I’m coming!” Eli’s voice was a mix between a growl and a yell. His face was burning red with anger and determination. The look he shot Levi made it clear this wasn’t up for discussion.

             
Levi lowered his head and sighed. “Well, let’s go then.”

             
Eli rested his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “Thanks, Brother.”

             
This warmed Levi instantly.  He did truly love his brother. “We’ll find them. I promise you that.” He turned to the others. “There’s just one more thing we’re waiting for,” he said, glancing at the door, “and here they are.”

             
Everyone mumbled their disapproval as Wesley and some of his pack came into view.

             
“Levi, what are they doing here?” Eli growled.

             
Levi knew Eli was most likely remembering the day in the clearing when Wesley defeated him in battle. Eli wasn’t ready then, but thanks to Levi’s training, he was sure that his brother was ready now. “I invited them here. We need their help if we’re gonna win this. We have no idea what we’re walking into, and we need to be prepared. Last time they had more vampires than we’ve ever seen together. Now, I know they haven’t had much time to regroup, but we can’t take any chances. These are our friends, and we want to bring them back alive.” Levi scanned his group with a challenging look. “Any comments?” he asked, hoping they would just accept the situation. They really didn’t have time to debate the issue.

             
“More importantly, we need to wipe this vampire scum from the earth,” Wesley said, smirking.

             
Charity added, “Gee, Wesley, remind me why I haven’t missed you a bit.”

             
He started to approach her but stopped himself when Levi growled a warning. “Oh, Charity, you know you missed my unique charm.”

             
Levi watched as Charity seemed to stop and study him then. His black hair was a sloppy spike and his arrogance was the same as usual, Levi noted with annoyance.

“Hmm, well unique is right,” she said, her face turning sincere. “Just go and save my family, okay?”

              Wesley also turned serious. “Of course,” was all he said as he nodded and turned to join the others who were already running from the room.

             
“Levi!” she called.

             
He did a sharp turn and was in front of her in a flash. “What is it, baby?”

             
“Please let me come?”

             
His heart jumped in his chest. He loved this woman more than anything. He knew it was hard for her to stay behind, but she and the babies’ safety needed to come first. “Oh, kitten,” he sighed, taking her face gently in his hands. “You need to stay here and keep everyone calm. The Jameson’s need you too. And you’re supposed to be on bed-rest for the babies. You’ve saved us lots of times, now let the werewolves do the saving. We need to earn back our pride, ya know.”

             
She smiled at that. “Okay, but Levi?”

             
“Yes,” he whispered, touching his lips softly to hers.

             
“Promise me you’ll be careful. And please come back. We need you,” she said, rubbing her hands across her belly.

             
He peered down into her tearful blue eyes. “I will always come back to you, kitten—always. I promise.” He kissed her one last time and disappeared from sight.

                               
Chapter Sixteen

Raven’s mind was a blur as he faded in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t aware of where he was, or how long he had been there. All he knew for sure was that he was injured and his strength was gone, and unless he fed, it wouldn’t return. He thought he heard someone calling his name somewhere in the cloudiness of his mind. He tried to focus on the voice, listening with the feeble strength he had left. Slowly, it became clearer.

              Sophia!

             
He snapped to, trying to jump up but was unable to move. Not only was his strength truly gone, but he was wrapped tightly with chains covering his complete upper torso. He struggled, but it was no use.

             
“Get these chains off me!” he barked, only to be answered with laughter. Now that he was awake, he could see where he was. It was his old home—his mansion. The same one he brought Charity to many months ago. “Where is Sophia?” he demanded through clenched teeth.

             
“I can’t believe you chose another bride. Was I not good enough?”

             
He recognized the whine right away. It was Cassie, his old bride. Well, they were not truly married. Not like him and Sophia. His voice was strained. “Cassie, I need to feed. Please, help me.”

“I am sorry love, but you left me. You chose those nasty werewolves over me.” She was whining in full force now, her long blonde hair flowing all around her. “You chose that human girl, Charity, over all of us. And now you married one of them. Did you think I would not find out? I have been looking for you for a while now. I saw your wedding picture in that stupid little town paper. How could you?” She slapped him then. His head flipped back and snapped, making a loud crack. She gasped. “Oh, love. I am so sorry. I did not mean to hurt my love.” She knelt down by his head and cradled him. Suddenly, Raven’s head snapped up, and he sank his teeth deep into her neck, sucking with urgency. She screamed. He knew he wouldn’t have long, and he was right. Three vampires rushed in and threw him across the room. He smacked hard against the back wall, knocking pictures down on top of him.

              “I cannot believe you did that!” she screamed, pressing her hand to her wound. “Now I will take it out on your new little bride!”

             
“No!” he tried to yell, but she was already gone.

             
Raven tried to get to his feet, but he was so weak he couldn’t even get to his knees. He didn’t have enough time to get the blood he needed to heal. That is probably why they were keeping him from Sophia. If he were to feed from her rich werewolf blood, he would heal very quickly.

He attempted to crawl across the floor. He had only moved less than a foot when the door swung open wide.

“Well, I see you are trying to escape, but I do not think we need to worry.” Griffin’s voice was smug. “I have a proposition for you, my brother.” He turned to Randolph. “Bring the girl in.” He reached down to Raven, pulling him to his knees. “Here is the deal, Brother. You can denounce these werewolf friends of yours and ask for forgiveness for your betrayal. If you do this, we will take you back into the coven once again. You will then help us with the location of your former wolf pack and together we will slaughter every last one of them.”

Raven glared up at him with such hatred that he never thought he could have for his own brother. “I will never help you kill them!”

Griffin ignored him. “Or you will be staked outside during the daylight hours where you will slowly dry up to a giant prune. I will make your bride watch, of course. She will then lead me to your pack, and I will kill them all anyway. The choice is yours. However, if you join us, I might just let your bride go free.”

At that moment, Randolph entered the room with Sophia gripped tightly in his hands. “Raven!” She tried to go to him, but Griffin grabbed hold of her, pulling her close against him.

“Hmm, I have never understood this sudden fascination with these human girls. But at least this one’s blood smells delicious.”

Raven gritted his teeth, speaking through them with restrained anger. “Get—your—hands—off—of—my—wife.” He growled then.

“Did you just growl at me? What are you a werewolf now?” He turned angry. “You will never growl at me again!” He jerked Sophia’s neck backwards and sank his fangs deep into her neck, sucking generously.

“No!” Despite the chains, Raven stood and came at Griffin with fervent speed. Griffin must have anticipated it. As soon as Raven got close enough, he let Sophia go and backhanded Raven across the face, sending him flying over the bed across the room.

“No!” Sophia yelled, turning quickly and slapping Griffin in the face.

He grabbed hold of her hand. “The last girl who caused trouble here regretted it.” He jerked her along as he stomped across the room toward Raven. Raven lay on the floor unmoving.

“I know you can hear me. You may want to reconsider my offer. It appears your wife is with child.”

Raven lifted his head and locked eyes with a tearful and shocked Sophia. She began to cry. “Father will be very interested to hear this most unnerving news. This changes everything. She cannot be left alive now. But you can save yourself. You have two days to decide. Randolph, take her back.” He pushed Sophia into Randolph’s arms.

Although his voice was weak, he called out to her. “Sophia, I will fix this somehow. I love you. I will fix this.” He knew, despite her heavy sobs, she heard him. Raven’s eyes filled with tears again. This could not be happening. This was supposed to be joyful news. But this news was dangerous for anyone but his pack. A baby was the one thing he did not see coming, and he did not know what to do about it. How was he going to save them now?

                              Chapter Seventeen

Two days passed in a blur. Raven wouldn’t have even known it if it hadn’t been for the constant pain in his heart keeping him barely alive. He didn’t care about his own pain, all he could think about was that his precious Sophia was suffering—and because of him. He had let her down. He was supposed to keep her safe. They had a chance at a happy life; a life with a family, something he didn’t even think was possible. And now that he knew, it was torturing him. He couldn’t imagine what Sophia was thinking. He wished he could get to her, but he could barely move. And now they would both die—all because of him.

             
The door flew open. “Well, Brother. Have you made your choice?”

             
Maurie and Randolph approached him and pulled him to his knees. Raven could barely hold himself upright. “Don’t do this, Brother. I won’t join you. You will be forced to kill me. Can you really live with that?”

             
“I am not the one who betrayed our kind!” Griffin spat. “I am not the one who married the enemy and is now having a half breed. We cannot allow such an abomination. Father will not let that happen. He has been in Romania but is on his way here. It seems he too wants to be involved in destroying this pack.”

             
Raven smirked. “And does he know you plan to kill me?”

             
Griffin’s smile was dangerous. “He was the one who gave the order.”

             
Raven’s face fell. Could his father truly be that mad at him to actually order his execution? It seemed so. Pain, mixed with shock and disappointment filled him, suffocating him.

             
“So, what is your final decision? Are you joining us, or are you dying today?”

             
Raven slowly peered up at his once beloved brother, a sadistic smile creeping on his face. “It looks like I am dying.”

             
Anger, disbelief, and a twinge of sadness flashed through Griffin’s eyes before he straightened his shoulders, turned on his heels, and left the room. “Bring him,” he said before he disappeared from sight.

             
The two vampires picked him up by his arms and dragged him from the room. He spotted Cassie in the hallway, crouched down against the wall, crying. When they reached the top of the stairs, instead of carrying him down, they threw him. He rolled violently down the stairs, crashing hard to the floor below. He heard a woman scream. “Sophia,” he whispered just before everything went black.