William

A few hundred years ago...

The sounds filling the air were of running feet and heavy, panicked breathing. Two people running for their very lives. They ran through the forest, not sure what was coming. William could feel the power coming towards them, not seeking to help their situation but to destroy them.

“Run, Emma.” William grabbed her hand and urged her forward.

“I’m trying. I can’t continue anymore,” she gasped, slowing to a stop, grabbing her side in pain.

“We don’t have time for this.” He pulled on her arm and tried to get her to move, his fear for her life making him forget she was only human. She cried out, falling to her knees.

“Stop, William, please. I can’t go on,” she sobbed.

He glanced down and saw her agony. They’d been running for well over an hour. William looked through the thick layers of leaves and trees, nodding. He crouched down beside her.

“We can stay and rest a little.” His eyes strayed to the trees all around them—any one of them could hide a foe.

She shook her head. “You should go on.”

“I’m not losing you.” He held her face—beautiful; this was the woman he had fallen in love with—and he could see how weak she was. Already, her face was beginning to look gaunt and shadows were appearing underneath her eyes. He knew in his heart of hearts that unless she rested she would not be able to make it.

He laid a gentle kiss on her lips. They felt dry even against the barest touch. He could taste death and he couldn’t…he wouldn’t accept it.

“We’re in this together. No matter what.” He held her against the strength of his body. “Take some more of my blood.”

He made to bite into his flesh, to make it easier for her to drink the powerful liquid, but her hand on his arm stopped him.

“No, no more.”

He nodded reluctantly, holding her cold body against him, humming to himself. He could even smell a change within her, almost an acceptance of what was about to happen. It terrified him. He kept looking around for any signs of danger, hoping and praying that he wouldn’t find any. William wouldn’t be able to protect them both for long. He wasn’t strong enough.

William knew, deep down, that this sense of calm was about to end. His brother Robert had already told him what to expect. His father had shipped his mother, younger brothers and sisters off out of danger the moment it had all gone wrong. The witch hunts had grown more deadly than any of them could have imagined. A madman’s accusations…and now this. Humans hunting them as though they were nothing but dogs, forcing them to run for their lives.

None of them were safe anymore.

“They’re coming. I can feel them, William. So much anger and fear, and it’s all for us.” He could hear the fear in her voice. They had survived many attempts on their lives—they were immortal, after all. But never had anything scythed through their numbers so quickly. Just as a plague kills humans, now the humans were a plague to the immortals, killing them off one by one.

“Don’t worry—just rest,” he told her, but his eyes stayed on the forest. He could feel them there. He couldn’t see them, but it wouldn’t be long until they were here.

Just then, Emma started to panic in his arms, lashing out with her hands and screaming, ‘Get off me, get off me’, over and over again. He couldn’t see what had her so terrified.

“Emma? What is it?” He was helpless. She was screaming and crying for him to help her and he didn’t know how. There was nothing near her that could hurt her.

Laughter emerged from the tree line, followed by a male form.

“Witches are such pesky little things.”

William stood and squared off against James, the Alpha wolf of the Beyer West pack.

“What are you doing here?” William asked.

A female followed him—her eyes were shut, James guiding her by the hand, and he could tell that she was chanting. William was confused. Why would Emma be terrified of what was coming when James was bringing reinforcements? James was one of them, he wouldn’t attack them. Would he? But the wolves were supposed to be taking cover…

“Yes. My little witch, it seems, is more powerful than your witch.”

James leant down to where Emma sat crying. “Boo.”

William shoved the other man away. “Leave her alone.”

They circled each other in hunting stances. The sounds around them were of the mystery witch chanting and Emma whimpering.

“What are you doing here? You’re the leader of the wolves.” They could live among the humans, which meant that they were safe and could help vampires and witches to hide from the search parties.

The wolves were in hiding…weren’t they?

“Well, you see, here is my problem. I’m supposed to risk my neck, and those of my wolves…for what, exactly? For you and your vampires? You see, I suddenly had this idea.” William had a sick feeling in his gut as he listened to James talk. “This idea of what would happen if the witches and vampires who controlled me and told me what to do just disappeared…poof. Then I suddenly wondered what would happen if I screamed devil and witch in a room full of humans. You see, William Valentine, the mind is a dangerous thing. They went nuts.” James started to laugh, the sound hysterical.

He was mad—barking mad. William couldn’t grasp what he was telling him. He refused to believe it.

But looking into James’ eyes, he knew.

“You led the humans right to us.”

All this time their father had wondered how so many witches and so many of their own kind could have been hunted and killed within just months. Now it seemed obvious. Someone had to have known—someone from the inside.

The leader of the Beyer West Pack, one of the most powerful werewolves in the world, had destroyed hundreds of witches and vampires alike.

“Yes!” James jumped up and down with joy. A rather strange and child-like thing to do.

William felt like he was going to throw up. All this time, the person they had believed was helping them had been the one destroying their kind.

“But the one downside is that I have to have a witch of my own. Helps to weaken yours. You should be thankful—she’s the one sending the humans off in the other direction at the moment. We’re safe for now.” James patted the chanting witch on the shoulder. “You can stop now, my dear.”

“So how shall we spend our time together?” James asked William.

William saw the hundreds of dead faces. Remembered the reports of a vampire being burnt in the sunlight, of witches being hunted and killed. Months of agony, trying to protect his friends.

William was still a young vampire. He couldn’t control himself. He lashed out and dived for James, going for the other man’s throat. James swatted him down as if he were no more than a bug. William got up and went for him again, landed a punch that knocked James to the ground. He fought fiercely but there was no way he could win. James was the leader of an entire race; William, the younger son of the most powerful vampire. His older brother Robert might be able take James, but not him. He never stood a chance.

As William charged at him one final time, James had obviously already seen his opportunity. He grabbed William around the neck and pinned him to the ground, standing over him, his foot resting heavily on his chest.

William was stuck. He couldn’t move.

“You know, I came here to see if you’d join me. I’ve heard about you. You never do as you’re told. A free spirit. The one Daddy Vamp can’t control. Join me, William, and together we could own this world.”

William hated the power his family had and he’d never wanted to be part of that world. But as much as he pissed his father off, he still loved him—he was still his father.

“Never,” he growled, blood landing on James’s face.

James wiped the blood away with the material of his shirt. “Big mistake.”

James tightened his hold on William’s neck. The pressure felt as though James was going to rip his head from his body…which was one of the few things that would kill him.

William closed his eyes, praying for Emma.

“Big mistake, wolf.” A flash of light threw James off him. Emma was standing, pale and shaking, her hair disheveled.

James collapsed in a heap across from William, but he wasn’t dead.

“The next time you get a little witch, get one who knows how to do a chant properly,” Emma panted. A burst of flames consumed the other witch as Emma was hit by the final blast from the other witch.

William could feel Emma’s pain, but the other witch screamed.

“Nooo!” James yelled. “Bitch!”

Emma threw more magic his way. William grabbed her before she allowed it to consume them both. She had created enough of a diversion.

They ran.

Neither of them was powerful enough to take down James and William needed to get to his father. He needed to warn everyone.

How was he going to tell his father—their leader—that they were at war with the wolves?

“William, stop.” He stopped and turned to the love of his life, then gasped.

She looked old; her hair was grey and her face gaunt.

“We have to go,” he insisted. “You’re using too much magic.”

She paused and pressed a kiss to his palm. “You have to go. You must tell your father.”

“Together, we can do this together,” he earnestly pleaded.

She shook her head. “I love you, William, and that’s why I have to help you. He will keep coming. James won’t stop.”

“Don’t do this,” he begged, tears falling from his eyes.

“I love you, Will. I always have. Listen to me. You will find another.”

He shook his head in denial.

“You will. I’ve seen it. You love me but you’re not meant for me. You’re meant for another.” She rested his palm against her heart. He could feel the steady beat. She wasn’t afraid—she had accepted her fate.

Once a witch knew what she had to do, in the steady beat of her heart, there was no stopping it.

William looked into the face of the woman he had loved for more than a century. She was his bonded mate. He loved her with all his heart and soul. He couldn’t imagine life without her.

She kissed him one final time.

“Well, isn’t this a touching scene?” James was standing a few feet away.

William broke the kiss and stared into the face of the man he was going to hunt for the rest of his life.

“You interrupted us.” Emma turned to him.

William noted the squared shoulders, the jaw set with determination. She was here for business and she was taking James with her.

“You killed my witch,” he growled.

“You killed hundreds of mine.” He could hear the anger and the rage. Her kind—her race. She was fighting for them. For the countless men and women who had lost their lives in this man’s hunt for domination.

“Well, that was just plain fun,” James gloated.

Emma screamed and threw all her power against him. It was awful to see. William watched and could do nothing. She’d cast a spell to keep him in place. He could only watch James winning, taunting her with his own abilities.

Finally she threw enough power against him, using up the last of her magic in a killing blow. James disappeared.

She collapsed in a bloodied heap on the ground.

William felt the magic wear off, releasing him, and he ran to her side.

The tears rolled down his cheeks, thick and fast.

“Oh God, Emma.” He cradled her so that she was draped across his lap.

Her face was pale, blood spilling from her mouth. “Go and warn the others.”

“I love you,” he said.

It was too late. She was gone.

William held her to him for the longest time. Her pale, lifeless body in his arms, laid against his heart. Time passed. It didn’t matter. He held her and he felt nothing.

“William… William… William…” He heard his name spoken, but he didn’t care.

Eventually he looked up to see his brothers, Robert, and Adam. They were waiting for him.

“I couldn’t save her,” he cried.

“Come with us.” Robert held out his hand.

He shook his head. He couldn’t leave her—he and Emma were meant to be together.

Adam shoved Robert out of the way and growled at William. “Look, William, it won’t help the situation if you just stay here and die.”

Reluctantly, William let her go. A witch needed to be given back to the earth. It was their way. He couldn’t take her with him. He laid her to rest, said his prayers and walked away with his brothers, a changed man.

Several hours later James stood over the body of the dead witch. A waste, but worth it.

He moved over to the other witch and looked down into her face. She was a rare beauty. Her brown hair was tinted with the white of a witch who had abused her power.

“You should learn balance,” he tutted.

He knelt by her side and touched her cold cheek. He stroked the cold, lifeless flesh, so still and silent in death.

He pulled back, laughing as Emma came to, choking and gasping for air. She pulled the air into her lungs as if it were a rare find.

“Had me worried there, little Em. Didn’t think you were going to wake up.” He handed her a cloak to cover her bloodied body.

She took it. He could see her fingers trembling.

“Spell go wrong?”

Once she’d placed the cloak around her shoulders, she got to her feet. She flipped her hair over one shoulder. “Spell went perfectly, didn’t you think?” She placed her hand on her hip.

She was saucy and hot, and he’d come to appreciate her over these past months.

“It sure had William convinced,” he agreed.

She didn’t even bat an eyelash.

“Not concerned that your one and only mate thinks you’re dead and innocent?” James asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. “You gave him the chance to join us; he wanted to stay with his daddy. That’s his business. I’m not prepared to go back.”

“Did you honestly think he’d join me—us?” James leaned against the tree, taking her in.

“He doesn’t agree with his father. I guess he just thinks he’s bad.”

James hadn’t been able to believe it when he’d got a visit from this witch, some months ago, late at night. She had wanted to join forces. She’d known it had been him who had started the hunts of the witches and vampires. Emma was an evil witch to the core and she was tired of being the good girl.

There was no love and no compassion in this package—just pure hatred.

The partnership worked very well.

“Remember what you promised me?” He walked over to her, his power and energy clashing with hers, sending tingles of pain shooting along his nerve endings.

“Yes, I know what I promised.” She took a step back. A huge mistake. His wolf liked to see her scared. He could smell her fear.

“You’d better not mess with me, witch,” he warned.

“I came to you, remember? No messing from my end. You’ll get what you want and I’ll get what I want.” Her tone was insolent.

He didn’t like it.

Within seconds he had wrapped his hand around her neck and was squeezing. “I want you to remember, sweet Emma, I don’t care about you. I’m not William Valentine. You’re one witch in a sea of others and any time I want I can pluck the next one out. You get on my nerves and your days are numbered.” He thrust her away and turned from her.

“It’s because of her, isn’t it?” Emma cried.

He stopped, stood rigid and turned with a snarl on his face.

“You’re doing this because—”

“I suggest that if you like breathing you keep your mouth shut.”

He didn’t speak again. He didn’t need to. His warning was clear.

Present day The sound of glass smashing could be heard in every corner of the bar. The audience looked on at the spectacle in silence, each doubtless wondering if they would be the target of the vampire’s wrath.

“Where is she?” A fist was raised. Usually, bar fights were great sport, but in a predominantly vampire-filled bar there was no sport, just information gathering—and it wasn’t acquired over tea and biscuits. It always got bloody and it never ended well. A Valentine was on the prowl and no one was about to get in his way—even if the vampire William targeted was scared for his life.

The way the other customers saw it, the guy getting pummeled shouldn’t have earned a reputation for being a messenger to the wolves. A man supporting both sides of the war.

“I don’t know, man. No one has talked.” The guy covered his face, denying all knowledge. Adam stood and observed from the dark corner as he watched his older brother lose control. William was completely out of it.

Since another witch had been taken—Katie, the best friend of his brother Robert’s bonded mate—it was like he was losing his sense of reality. No one could reason with him.

“Tell me where they are,” William snarled in the young vampire’s face. Adam winced. He was here as a favor to Robert and he loved his brother, but this was too damn much. There was no thought, no consideration of the chaos he was causing. It had hit him worse even than losing Emma. It was like someone had carved out his heart and left him hurt and bleeding.

Katie White, the last remaining witch, was still alive, and that made it worse. At least Emma had been dead and he’d known there was nothing he could do to change that. But William knew that Katie was out there, and he was leaving a wave of destruction everywhere he went in his efforts to find her.

William wasn’t the same man. There was no mercy in this guy. Rage, anger and pain consumed him now. His was on a destructive path. No one—not even Robert—could stop him now.

Adam looked around at all the people observing the fight. Vampires, wolves…shit, even demons sat and watched William. Most of them looked terrified of the vampire who had clearly lost his mind.

Shaking his head, Adam turned back to watch his brother.

As much as he thought that this was wrong, he would never get in between his brother and what he felt he needed to do. The witch clearly meant something to him. No vampire went this crazy for a woman unless she was a bond mate.

Adam didn’t know much about her. He’d never met her. A few months ago, she had been taken by the wolf Alpha, James. The same night his own father—head of the vampire council and the most powerful vampire in all of Beyer West—had been killed. Murdered, actually. Taken from them by the same wolf.

Everything around them was going to shit and his brother was determined to go down the same path. At any time the other customers could jump them and finally be rid of the unstable Valentine boy. For decades, William had made himself a reputation for being the crazy brother, but now he was driving his ruthlessness to a whole new level.

Adam tensed as the barman approached his brother. The barman was a vampire and, from the look of it, one of the older generation. Adam moved closer. If it went the wrong way he would back his brother. Whether he believed what his brother was doing was right or not, family came first.

That was what made him a Valentine.

Adam watched as William raised his fist, ready to take another set of swipes at the guy he held. The barman stopped his raised fist easily, holding it in his, and span William around as if he were nothing more than a rag doll.

“Son, he said he didn’t know nothing. Leave him be,” the barman said.

William hissed and tried to hit the barman, a great insult amongst their community. Out of respect, no one attacked the older generation. Adam swore and moved forward.

The barman grabbed William and, using the full force of his upper body, threw him against the bar. The bottles rattled and the customers close by dispersed, not wanting to get involved in a fight that was clearly about to get worse.

Adam ran, going for the man who was holding his brother. The barman turned and sucker-punched him across the room before Adam could even land a blow. He crashed through the window, broken shards of glass spraying around him.

“Fuck,” Adam cursed. The only humans in the street were ones who had seen too much of this world and were pretty much crazy. Drunks, druggies and prostitutes who knew better than to talk about what they had seen. His fangs protruded as his anger rose.

Fuck protocol. Adam was pissed off and cruising for a fight.

He stormed back into the bar.

William was bloodied but he was getting in a few punches of his own.

“I’ve told you not to bring shit like this to my bar. I didn’t serve your fucking family to have you ruin my business!” the barman yelled as he pushed William away from him.

Adam stopped as his words registered. This man used to serve the Valentines?

“What the hell are you talking about?” William asked, spitting blood on the floor and wiping his lip.

“Name’s Donald. I served the Valentines for over three generations and this is the type of respect I get?”

William pulled himself up off the floor.

Adam couldn’t believe what his brother had done. Fucking asshole. Donald ‘Don’ Hargreaves was a well-known guard and warrior. He had fought for and protected the Valentines up until their youngest sister, Rose, had been born. After Rose had come home safe and sound, their mother healthy, Don had been relieved of his duties by their father. No explanations—nothing. Centuries had passed since this fierce warrior had been seen, which was why William hadn’t recognized him. He’d done nothing other than working in a bar, where no one would have thought to look for him.

“Don Hargreaves?” Adam asked.

“Yep, that’s me. About time you two heathens bloody noticed,” Don replied, his anger still close to the surface.

“Shit.” William wiped his face, smearing the blood along his cheek. “I’m sorry, Don. This had nothing to do with you.”

“It has something to do with your father’s death a few months back?” Don asked William.

“Part of it,” replied Adam, who could see how much William was struggling to keep himself together. The natural instinct to hunt and kill was close to the surface, ready to erupt.

Don didn’t look at Adam. He kept his eyes firmly on the other Valentine brother. The one whom he considered a threat, Adam supposed.

“What is all this about?” Don folded his arms.

Adam stared at William. After all, this was William’s deal and he had nothing to do with it. He refused to talk about something he had no hand in.

“A witch was found a couple of weeks back.” William raised his voice so that everyone in the room could hear.

Murmurs and gasps filled the room.

“Bullshit. Witches have all been killed off!” one of the customers yelled.

Pretty much his first thought when he’d been told. Every vampire with a few years on them would remember the slaughter of the witches.

“Yeah, this is some shit you Valentines are selling. No witches. It’s why the world has gone to shit,” another agreed.

Growls and curses rang through the bar, all in agreement. There were no more witches.

Don cut them off by raising his hand. Silence came instantly. All of them were happy to shout and curse at the Valentines, but for Don, they shut up.

“This shit real?” Don asked.

“More real than you could ever imagine. I had her in my arms. I saw the power she’s got. What she’s capable of,” William confirmed, his sincerity and adoration obvious to everyone.

Adam saw Don nod and look at each customer in turn, assessing the room.

“Who took her?” Don finally asked after a pause. A simple question, but all the immortals in the room looked at each other for the answer.

“The Alpha wolf, James. The same night he murdered my father,” William replied.

“Shit,” Don cursed.

Adam didn’t have a clue what the older man was swearing at.

“What has the witch got to do with you?” the older man asked.

“I promised to take care of her,” William answered.

“I swear we don’t know anything here. This is a place for us all to come, relax and drink,” Don told the Valentine men.

Adam looked around at the clientele again. They were all nodding. He wondered what the hell William was going to do. The man was on the edge. There was no predicting him anymore.

William glared around the room. Tonight had turned into another dead end, more useless information that led him nowhere. Not only had it led him nowhere, but straight into a fight with Don Hargreaves, the warrior who had supported his father back in the day, helping to support the alliance between the species. Back when they hadn’t fought each other but had worked to protect each other and to build peace.

It seemed that Don had succeeded where their father had failed. His bar offered a place of safety for any immortal, with the promise that they would be protected by the warrior himself.

Wiping his brow, he felt the blood dripping down his face. He welcomed the rush of pain, the first real feeling he’d had since Katie had been taken from him.

“Any information you get, let me know?” William asked.

Don hesitated for a split second, then nodded. Satisfied with his answer, William turned to the room at large.

“I don’t believe all of you are as innocent as you claim. Let the word on the street spread. Tell James, Alpha of the Beyer West Pack, that William Valentine is looking for him and he wants blood. I’m bringing this war to his door. That witch dies and his pack is forfeit.”

William made sure his message was clear to all. They looked like a combination of scared and pissed off civilians. Quite frankly, he didn’t give a fuck—he was on a mission and anyone who stepped in his way was about to have their life turned upside down.

“See you around,” he said to Don, moving towards the door.

“How’s your mother?”

The question took him by surprise. Turning around, he saw Don had shut down, a neutral expression firmly in place.

“She’s coping as best she can.” At least, that was what Adam had told him earlier.

“Send my regards.”

William acknowledged Don, nodding one last time before leaving the bar.

Flicking open his phone, William placed a call. The phone rang and rang and, finally, on the last ring, someone picked up.

“You gave me wrong information. I’m coming for you.” He flipped the phone closed and started walking away. Humans moved out of his way. They must be able to see the evil within. It was just beneath the surface, like a second skin.

Adam caught up with him and walked beside him, emanating anger.

William kept walking, steering them down an abandoned side street, the only place nearby suitable for a stand-off. Younger brother or not, William was on a mission and he intended to complete it.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

Adam shrugged.

Irritated, William repeated himself. He didn’t like his questions to go unanswered.

“Robert sent me. He wants you home,” Adam admitted.

William laughed, sounding hysterical. “And Robert thinks you’re the one to do it,” he mocked.

William didn’t know why he was intent on hurting Adam, but he wanted him away from him. He no longer felt safe to be around. William could feel the beast rising inside him with every passing second that Katie was away from him. If he wasn’t careful, William knew he would hurt Adam.

His sense of her had melted when James had taken her. The only way Katie could be this invisible to him was if she was protected by a spell. Impossible, as Katie was the only known witch. But James had done something to keep her emotions, their connection, locked away.

“Robert is a little busy at the moment,” Adam growled in reply. William turned back at his brother’s words. William frowned, wondering what he’d said.

Several seconds later, he realized.

That’s it, little brother, be angry with me. I can deal with anger.

“I’m sure having his little mate Sophie waiting in the wings to take care of his problems and dealing with being head of the council is really busy work.” The sarcasm leaked from his tone.

His taunting was having the effect he desired. Adam’s hand was fisted at his side. He looked ready to pounce. William needed to give him a little more ammunition to fuel the anger. He wanted to get rid of his brother and, by showing him his lack of caring, hopefully Adam would lose interest.

“Don’t diss Sophie. She’s been fantastic throughout all this. Which you’d see if you came home.”

William didn’t doubt it. She might be small but she was one tough gal, just like his Katie.

“Well I’ve got stuff to do—”

“What? Your crusade of trying to get yourself killed? Do you think Mom needs to deal with your little martyr complex?” Adam growled at him.

William tensed. His brother had no idea what was going on. Saving Katie was more than a martyr complex. He’d begun the mating ritual that distant night, long ago. She owned his heart and soul and he wouldn’t rest until she lay safe and protected in his arms.

“Go back to Robert and give him your report.” William dismissed him.

“Always the coward’s way out,” Adam hissed at his retreating back.

William reacted, spinning around and slamming Adam against the opposite wall. The brick building shifted. Any more pressure on the building and it would fall to the ground around their ears.

“What the fuck are you saying?” William’s fangs sprang out, his aggression ready to find a target.

“You’re nothing but a coward!” Adam yelled the words at him, pressing against the arms that held him against the shaking building.

“You’d better be thankful you’re my brother—”

“Or what?” Adam interrupted him.

William was tempted to hit him, but as soon as the thought came to him he dropped his arms. He would never—could never—hurt his brothers or sisters. A small amount of control was coming back to him. Where moments ago he’d wanted to hurt his brother—to do damage—the idea now repulsed him. An image of Katie smiling at him broke into his mind, fracturing him into a million pieces. She would be ashamed of him if she saw William attacking his own brother.

William sagged and let Adam go, the shame of what he’d been about to do to his brother filling him with utter regret.

“Come home,” Adam pleaded.

“I can’t,” he whispered.

Adam shook his head and William could see the exasperation in his face.

“We’ll figure this out—you, me, Robert and Jason. We’ll have the council backing us.”

William shook his head. “This is my battle.”

Adam sighed.

William stood waiting. He needed to make sure Adam was okay to get home—he couldn’t have his life on his conscience. The last thing he needed was to take his anger out on his little brother.

“Why, Will?”

Will, a small word he hadn’t heard in such a long time. The last person who had called him Will had been Emma, on the day of her death.

Emma, the other witch he’d failed—the other bonded mate he’d lost to the alpha wolf.

Shaking his head, William looked at his brother. Adam had aged in the weeks since their father’s murder. Strange, considering that vampires aged at a slower rate than humans. William could see the outline of too much crap and not enough time to deal written all over Adam. His stance—his very energy—had changed.

He shook his head. This was not how their lives were supposed to be.

“I promised her I’d keep her safe,” he said.

“The witch?” Adam said.

She’s more than a witch. Katie is my salvation.

“I promised her, gave my word, and this is something I’ve got to do. Alone,” he added for good measure.

Shaking his head, Adam looked at him. William stared back. He’d nothing to hide. This was what he had to do.

“What makes you think she’s still alive?” Adam tried to reason with him.

Because I can still feel her. I would know if she’d died—no magic in the world would be able to mask that.

“I know,” William replied.

Adam hesitated, glancing up and down the street. “Call Robert, okay?” he said.

William nodded. He’d phone Robert at some point but he wasn’t ready to talk to his older brother just yet.

Robert had everything he wanted, while William was still hunting for what was his.

Adam sighed and William watched him disappear around the corner. The younger man shouldn’t be worrying about this. He was no part of this war. William didn’t want to be part of this war, either. He wanted to be with his mate and at peace.

Life didn’t always go to plan.

William waited for a few moments, until he could no longer sense his brother nearby. He took time to gaze at the moon and the stars.

The stars, lonely and bright in the sky, with so much space to immerse themselves in.

“William.”

The words whispered through his mind. He tensed, spinning around, trying to see who had spoken his name. No sign of life down the alley. William frowned but went back to looking at the night sky.

“William, help me.”

He held his head as a sharp pain zapped through his skull. He screamed, lost and alone in the empty street.

Her voice—Katie’s voice was speaking to him.

He collapsed to his knees, crying out in agony, not only from the pain in his head but from the pain piercing his heart as well.

“Where are you?” he asked the empty space.

For the first time since her disappearance, he sensed her emptiness, her lack of life, her resignation. She didn’t believe he would come and get her.

“I’m coming, Katie. I’ll never give up.” He muttered the words to no one but himself.

William prayed that she would hear him, that she would feel his determination to get her back. Feel the love filling his heart.

But there was no answer. The buzzing in his head disappeared as if it had never been there, the pain leaving his body. William mourned the loss. He would have borne any pain to know that she was there, in some distant part of his mind.

Was Katie trying to connect with him somehow? He didn’t know.

Was he imagining her trying to reach out? Had his insanity taken hold and ruined his already scrambled mind?

He would never give up, no matter what.

William got up from the ground and walked down the alley until he was out in the open street. Dawn was fast approaching and he had a few more spots to hit before the night was over.

Only then would he allow himself time alone.

Time spent dreaming about her.

Poppy watched the men from a secluded corner of the street. They were certainly not human, but then as soon as she’d seen them at the bar she’d known who they were. The Valentines were hard to miss. Their reputation preceded them—gorgeous and all deadly. At least, these two were sexy and dangerous.

She tensed, tempted to move from her secluded spot when she saw the crazy one—William—turn on his brother, the one with the sandy hair and shockingly expressive face. An aged vampire who still wore his emotions on his face was someone she would love to meet.

She tensed, wondering what she was supposed to do. She didn’t want to see him hurt. He looked like he could handle himself but he was fighting his brother, being pressed against the brick building by the crazy vampire.

Moments later, after a brief talk that she didn’t quite catch but that looked important enough to have the crazy vampire retreating into himself, she watched the other man leave. Moving down the street, pausing for a second to glance her way. Poppy felt her heart stop as his piercing green eyes sought out the darkened corner, scanning the area for a foe. Unable to sense anything—she wasn’t his enemy—he moved on, not even giving her the time of day.

No man gave her the time of day.

Her eyes went back to William. He was broken, she could see that, but he was hurting and she understood the pain. Why couldn’t anyone else see his raw need to find his mate? She could, and she wished she could help him, but she wasn’t here to help one Valentine. She was here to help in the fight against the wolves and the coming war.

Once William was preoccupied with looking at the moon, Poppy made her escape and followed the other man. The intriguing one. She had no clue why she was risking her life but she had learnt something, even if it had been through eavesdropping.

As he turned to look behind him she ducked behind a nearby bin.

Once he continued walking, she followed him again. He was moving faster now. She tried to keep up. She closed her eyes for a moment as her hair fell across her face. When she opened them again, he was gone. Poppy panicked—her information was important. She’d got some bloody, fresh scars from the witch who’d told her where to go. The Valentines needed her.

The air rushed out of her as she was pulled against a firm body. One hand seized her neck in a death grip while the other roamed her body at the same time as pushing her against the wall.

“Why are you following me?” her captor demanded as he moved his hand down her body. Poppy shrieked as he cupped one of her breasts.

She struggled against him even as her nipple came to attention. Now was not a great time for her hungry body to come alight. The man was ready to choke her, for crying out loud.

“What does a woman like you want from me?” he asked.

She tensed. A woman like her? He hadn’t even looked at her face yet. How dare he make assumptions? She tried to turn in his arms but he kept her still, his hand still threatening to choke the life out of her.

What an introduction.

“If you stop mauling me for a second I can tell you,” she panted. Her nipples were puckered. Her breast felt heavy where it lay in the palm of his hand.

“What if I don’t want to let you go?” he asked.

Poppy tensed again. She knew that the moment he saw her face he would no longer feel that way. No man felt anything for her once they saw the way she looked. He was pressed against her back and she was shocked to feel the pulse of his erection. It was the first time a man had ever had a hard-on for her. The first and probably the last cock she would ever feel. She enjoyed the experience for a second—she’d never known known a man who desired her—before reality set in.

He span her around and pushed back the hood of her cape, which had been hiding her from view.

This was the moment.

He looked at her face and gasped.

The stab to her heart almost winded her. She should be used to that sort of look. She’d lived with it all her life and this man was no different from all the others. But for some reason seeing him look at her with revulsion hurt more than she wanted it to.

If she had time, she would cry herself to sleep later.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Placing a smile on her scarred face, Poppy extended her hand. “Poppy. Nice to meet you.”

He stared at her hand. She had scars lining the skin, just as ugly as the one on her face. Dropping her hand, she kept her smile firmly in place as she died a little more inside.

He hesitated. “What are you?”

Ah, the perfect question.

“I’m a necromancer.”