Christian groaned softly as he felt a small spray of cold water hit his face. His head throbbed and he knew from experience there would be a large bump.
"Little brother." The voice was faded, distant. "Little brother." Came the call more fiercely.
Cold water drenched his whole body forcing his eyes open. Steven, Gabriel, Simon and his father surrounded him in the attic their looks of worry quickly changed into looks of anger.
"Get your furry ass up!" Julian yelled dragging Christian by the collar of his shirt.
Christian fought him off, running an aggravated hand though his hair, hissing as he felt the lump on his head.
"Jessica." He growled, she done this to him. "Where is she?" He asked sniffing the air for any traces of her scent.
"That is not important, Vincent and his army are here as is Vlad."
Christian paused. An army? Here? And his brother had come, to what purpose, did Vlad truly think himself safe with a legion of trained werewolves? Christian peered through the attic's window undaunted by what he called see. Around five lycans stood outside his home. Some in the shape of wolves, some as men but the majority as werewolves.
Something drew his attention to the skies. Even in the dark countryside night he could clearly see Vlad and by his side stood a young woman close to the age of eighteen, dark red hair rolled down her shoulders as black onyx eyes searched the lands surrounding her. There was something shockingly familiar about her but he had little time to ponder.
"I can take care of them." Prepared to end this stupid war once and for all. Feeling a firm hand on his shoulder he turned.
"It's not that simple my friend. These warriors have been trained to kill, to kill only you. I'd hate for you to die foolishly, you are too good a friend." Gabriel's concern touched Christian but he had no time for sentiments.
"I understand, believe me I will not be so reckless as to leave my son without a father and my mate without her male." Julian scoffed at his son's bravado feigned or true he was walking to death.
"More than hatred drives Vincent de Groudané. Revenge is a bitter demon in his heart."
"For loving Jess?"
"For killing his son. Jessica's father."
Christian balked, his brow furrowed, could it be possible? Could he have killed them? He tried his best to banish the faces of those he killed, too many nightmares plagued his dreams.
"What?" Was the only response he could think of.
"Yes, Christoph and Nicole remember?"
Christian felt his heart clench. How could he forget, they had been the closest friends he had ever had but in the end like everyone else they had betrayed him and now he had betrayed Jess.
"I need to see her." He whispered blindly fumbling for the door handle.
"No, Jessica left you here to save you, don't let it all be for nothing."
"She could have told me before, we could have run." His words sounded desperate even to his own ears.
Jessica hadn't told him because she couldn't betray her grandfather, yet she loved him enough to give him a chance.
"Fine, I suppose you have a plan lets have it. My son has been to long been gone from my arms and my mate from my lips."
...
Jessica rocked Raphael in a vain attempt to get him to sleep, but the only person who could settle him was his father. Had she done the right thing? She no longer doubted Christian's motive for killing her parents, to know that they had betrayed him and attempted to kill him upon learning his identity made her feel sick. Most of his life Christian had been alone, now he had her and Rafe, she would never take that away for him, it would devastate him.
"Jess I brought you some food."
Diane and Mary stood in the doorway, a plate of steaming meat and vegetables lat swimming in a lake of gravy and blood. Handing Raphael to Mary she began to devour the food her mind once again set.
"You are going to join him." Jessica looked up into Diane's blood red eyes. Her mother-in-law had the uncanny power of perception.
"Go to him Jess, let him know he has your love and loyalty or forever wish you had." Jessica didn't need to be told twice.
Placing a motherly kiss on her sons head she quickly hugged her two mothers.
"I will bring him back." Then she was gone.
...
Christian breathed weakly, his ribcage had been crushed and one rib pierced his lung making it hard to move and breathe to top it off Vincent's soldiers were relentless. Blasting a fast approaching wolf into air he ran into the throng of lycans.
"Julian what's your ETA?" Simon said over the two way radio.
"Behind you." Simon clapped Julian and his fellow fighters in the back. For a moment he had feared the werewolf prince had been waylaid.
"We need to buy Christian enough time to get to Vlad." The others nodded in agreements.
Christian had only just healed when his father and his men joined the fray, assured that they could handle everything he flew into the night sky ready to defeat his brother once and for all.
All the while Vlad and his companion had been watching the battle stoically, even now as Christian approached them they remained collected.
"It ends tonight brother." Christian said calling upon the powers bestowed upon him at birth. This time Vlad would not escape him.
"You are right little brother, it does end tonight but before that allow me to introduce you to Siren, my daughter."
The young woman beside him curtseyed before blowing Christina a kiss. She wore a simple silk tunic evidence that she was part of the Greek pantheon.
"All my life I have been trained to fight you." She said her voice light and lilting, she was as beautiful as the Luna goddess but her soul was ugly and black.
Christian could sense her power and he knew she would be a worthy adversary.
Vlad threw back his head and laughed at the look of disbelief on his brothers face. now to exact his revenge.
"Get him." Siren nodded flicking her hand upwards she raised Christian further into the air before slamming him down to the ground.
The impact of his body hitting the earth left a crater surrounding him. Those fighting were thrown off their feet as a wave of energy emanated from Siren.
Christian groaned as he pushed himself of the ground. Dust and soil flew from his body as he rose into the sky once again, his two hand balled into fists. Siren's attack had shown him how much power she had and if she was able to cause this much damage with the flick of her hand he feared the destruction she would bring.
Ignoring the sting of air against the gash in his gut, Christina conjured a helix of fire which licked at Siren menacingly. The flames engulfed her and for a moment he was sure he had her, of course nothing was ever easy.
...
Jessica reached the house in time to see two figures clashing in the sky like twin orbs of energy, they would collide then retreat then collide again. The fissure of magic they emitted tingled down her spine.
"Who's winning?" She asked as she spotted Gabriel, the hunter was favouring his left leg and he had a long cut on his cheek.
"Can't tell, but I would say Siren."
"Who?"
"The daughter of Artemis and Vlad. Yeah I was surprised too." He chuckled noticing her expression.
Jessica continued watching the fighting figures. The woman and wolf in her wanted to help her husband but she couldn't fly, there was very little she could do.
'I understand your need to help me but you must leave, if they see you here there's no telling what they will do to you.'
