Evelyn POV
Reuben was blocking me out, but my warriors and Noah couldn’t. I would have to block them out and I couldn’t, I needed to know what was going on.
“Tea?” Cassandra’s voice disturbs my mind-link with Noah, her hand touching my shoulder to help me refocus.
“Please, that would be lovely.” I reply turning to find Pierce was no longer in the house.
“Where’s Pierce?”
“He had to check on something with his warriors…I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” Cassandra’s weeks of training as a midwife have helped to develop her ability to remain calm during a problematic situation. Or should I say appear calm. Her tone had turned to that of a midwife trying to keep a frantic birthing mother from too much worry.
I watch her, as she starts fumbling around in the kitchen spilling the water as she fills up the kettle and drops tea bags from out of the cupboard. She wasn’t putting her block up, and neither was Noah.
“Cassandra, you need to put your block up. You’ll feel everything as if you are there next to him. I can’t believe he hasn’t put his block up…” I’m flabbergasted by Noah, for not thinking how this would affect his mate.
“No, I asked him not to. I need to know what is happening. I need to know he is okay.”
“Daddy will be fine, he said he would read me a bed time story later…snap!” Elspeth chimes out innocently, claiming that Noah would have time to defeat countless rogues and yet still find the time to put her to bed. He really was a hero in her eyes.
“Auntie Lib, did you want to play this time?” Rex turns to Liberty who I must say seemed more relaxed with both Reuben and Pierce out of the house.
“Go on then.” She smiles softly to Rex as he starts to deal her in for a new game of snap he had been playing with Elspeth. I watch them playing together, Liberty’s relationship with them had grown slightly…I could see in particular Rex working on breaking down her walls. Which for him and Elspeth seemed to be working, maybe Pierce needed to take some tips from my children.
I jump slightly as Cassandra drops one of the mugs of tea on the kitchen floor. Her hands trembling, unable to offer a secure grip.
“Cassandra?” I jump up immediately rushing over to her, wanting to give her comfort. She was struggling with Noah’s absence…struggling with Noah’s fighting.
“Noah…” I push on his mind-link him.
“Put your block up….Noah?” I scream at him for hearing me but not responding. I get it, he wanted to stay connected to her…but she was in my kitchen barely able to hold a mug of tea …a mug of tea. She was the female beta and was in pieces.
Smash!
At first I think she has dropped another mug until I hear both Elspeth and Liberty scream. I run back into the living area, past them towards the front of the house, where I find a beer bottle had been thrown through the large front glass window.
The entire window had shattered from the sheer force. I walk towards the bottle to find it has a dirty old rag inside and covered in liquid.
What in the name of the goddess?
“Evelyn, watch out!” Liberty shouts to me from the sofa as another bottle flies through the broken window towards me. This one with the rag on fire. I stare at the bottle on the floor before it explodes right before me.
“Run!” I yell, my ears ringing as they try to recover from the loud bang, as more bottles start flying into the house. I run to the sofa, grabbing Elspeth in my arms and pulling Liberty by the back of her top.
“Rex, to the back of the house.” I order at my son as he runs ahead to the back door, sliding the door open for us to escape.
The bottles continue to crash into the Lake House, as we duck out of the way of mini explosions that keep hammering at us relentlessly. By the time we reach the outside I turn to find pockets of fires dotted around the house.
My heart breaks as the flames start to catch onto the curtains and furniture, creating more aggressive flames that start to spread into one large fire.
No, not here…this is my safe place. My sanctuary.
I wanted to get the flames out, this was my untarnished place that I shared with Mum and Dad. The Lake House has to survive.
But I had my family with me, I needed to get them to safety. Who was launching the attack?
The lake…we need to get onto the lake. The attackers were at the front of the house and expected us to run out into their line of fire in panic. But I needed to get everyone to safety, needed to get them away before I launch my own attack. I wouldn’t let them get away with this.
“Oh Evelyn!” The she-devil’s voice calls out to me in a sinister playful manner. The Lake House may be on fire, the flames creating a roaring hum to the quiet lake surroundings but I can still recognise her voice. Her evil cackle as she continues to shout out to me.
“We need to get to the water…” I whisper as the fire starts to make crackling sounds as it moves upstairs through the floor boards. We didn’t have much time. I would get them to safety then come back and end this bitch once and for all.
“There you are.” Her voice rings out as she turns around the lake house towards the back by the decking, seemingly happy to find we were still here. She was followed closely by no other than Malcolm. A growl emanates from my chest at the sight of her, at her being here. Even though my growl sounded threatening, to me my wolf lacked the power behind it. She was also heartbroken by the flames.
“Liberty, what a surprise.” They both stop, one foot already on the decking, on my decking. My anger rising from the sheer nerve of them invading my property, attacking my family yet again.
“What do you want?” I shout at her, my fists clenching by my sides as I block my children from them. She was psychotic and didn’t know when to quit.
“Liberty is coming with us…” Malcolm dares to command at me.
“I’m the Alpha here you piece of shit.” I roar at him.
“It’s pretty simple Liberty, you come with us and I’ll spare them.” Vicky already seems bored of our reluctance to follow her orders. Bored of my Lake House burning down before our eyes, of the flames starting to nip at our backs and the smoke inhaling into our lungs.
“She’s not going anywhere with you. Final warning Vicky, you take one more step and I’ll strangle you with my bare hands.”
“Now that does sound like a good idea.” She smiles demonically, her head lowering yet her eyes remaining focused on me.
I don’t see Malcom pull the gun from out of his back waistband, my eyes trained on Vicky. But I hear him cocking it, readying to fire.
“Last chance Liberty?” He announces as he aims the gun into our direction.
Liberty takes a step forward, preparing to hand herself over but I can’t let her do that…she would be used again as a means for money, for power. I needed to protect her, protect Reuben’s sister and Pierce’s mate. I pull on her elbow, pulling her back behind me.
“I’ll shoot, don’t test me Liberty. You freed me, you must have known I would come and get you. That you wanted out!” Malcolm seethes at her, aiming the gun now at her. What a way to pay someone who saved your pathetic life.
“No, I thought you would take it as a chance to start again. But you can’t seem to think for yourself, the first thing you do is run to Vicky. You’re pathetic, I wished I had never done it.” Liberty answers, her voice slightly shaky.
“I’m pathetic?” He roars, the grown man fighting back with a teenager.
“You don’t even know what’s going on. What you’re worth. I’m betting Odin will pay good money for you.”
“Which means you can’t shoot me right? You need me alive.” She smirks, taking a step in front of me, blocking me from them.
“You want to hurt Evelyn? You’ll have to go through me.”
“You’re right, we can’t hurt you….” He smirks monstrously before he shoots the gun. A loud scream sounds out and something knocks me to the decking ground. Have I been shot?
Something is preventing me from breathing, was I shot in the chest?
Finding my centre of gravity again I realise I have been knocked to the ground by Vicky, who is squeezing at my neck. Strangling me.
Her hands wrapped around my throat.
I’m stronger than her, my wolf will finally rip her into tiny pieces. I reach for my wolf, encouraging her to take over. She accepts my request and I can feel her trying to shift but I can’t…
I can’t seem to shift.
