Chapter 23: A United Front

WILLOW

Eros and his dragon crew arrive that afternoon. He has three dragons with him; the rest are left behind to guard the pack he’s been safeguarding. I am in the small hospital, assisting the witch in setting up a makeshift emergency room, just in case we have casualties.

We have bandages and herbs ready, and several beds set up. I ask Silas to install awnings too, to shield us from potential rain.

Eros walks in with a warm smile and a hug. “Hello, little one,” he greets, squeezing me tightly. “Looks like you’ve got everything under control. Your brother mentioned that four of them came your way last night?”

“Yes, they did. I overheard one of them mention a guy named Gustav who’s supposed to arrive tonight, so we’re preparing for that.”

“Gustav? I’ve heard of him. He’s the new king’s Sergeant of Arms, his third in command. His queen is his second in command and her brother, though he’s just a placeholder, is considered an advisor to the king. This could get interesting. His mate is lethal, and just as twisted as the king.”

“Who is she? I didn’t know he had a mate,” I say, continuing to roll bandages.

“Her name is Josephina. She’s from Russia. He turned her about four hundred years ago. They aren’t really mates, but he needed a queen, and she was available and power-hungry. She was part of the Russian royal family, a distant cousin to Anastasia, the missing princess.

“Josephina didn’t go missing; she just wanted immortality. So, she embraced it, offering herself to Mihai. She wreaked havoc wherever she went for a couple hundred years, until Andrei caught her and warned her to stop or he’d turn her to dust.

“She calmed down after that, and when Mihai became king, she sought him out. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“And her brother is also a vampire?” I ask, intrigued.

“Ah, that’s the twisted part of the story. Her brother, Ivan, was a weakling. He and Josephina had an incestuous relationship. It was supposed to be a family secret, but when she was turned, she went to her brother’s bed and turned him.

“They remain lovers, even involving Mihai in their perversion.” He shrugs. “I don’t even try to understand evil, little one. I just try to avoid it. Or annihilate it.”

“I hope that Mihai and his twisted mate show up tonight. I’d love to crush their hearts in my hand,” I growl.

Eros and I go to meet with Alpha Silas. His fellow dragons are in the air, patrolling the outer border as we have called the wolves closer.

It is still some time before nightfall, and we know the vampires won’t emerge until the sun has set. Even the older vampires, who can stay awake longer, never dare to test it. The sun is lethal to them.

We all eat our dinners and continue to strategize the possible ways of attack. I know they will send in the expendable vampires first. These are usually new turns, and they are in a bloodlust. Kill and eat. That’s all they can think of. The older vampires will hang back and watch the carnage unfold, waiting for their chance to strike.

I have seen it before. New turns are always stronger and hungrier, but they can’t control themselves.

The older vampires can’t control them either, but that doesn’t stop them from using them as a battering ram, so to speak. Many of the newborns will die tonight. My wolves and the dragons will ensure it.

I take a short rest. I know the night will be long. I lie on my cot, thinking about Andrei. I have heard of him all my life. I know I have met him several times as he is a close friend of my parents.

But I have never really interacted with him when I was a child. Maybe that is for the best, considering he’s now my mate. I don’t know him well, but I’m eager to learn more about him. I pray we can find a way to restore his full power.

***

After two hours, I step out of my tent to find the sun has set. I meet Eros and Silas by the fire, just like the previous night.

“Any signs?” I ask Eros.

“No, not yet,” he replies, scanning the horizon.

“None so far. But I think the wolves are getting restless. I’ve seen several of them shift and start prowling.”

Silas nods. “They can feel the tension. My wolf does too.”

I check in with Genisis. “Are you scanning for danger?”

“I am. I’ve been doing it while you rested. I don’t sense them, but I know they’re close. They haven’t crossed pack lands yet.”

“Warn me when they do.”

I look at Eros. “Genisis says they’re close but haven’t crossed pack lands yet. Tell your dragons that as soon as they spot them to return. We’ll need their strength here.”

“They can rain fire down on them,” Eros suggests.

“Yes, but I’ll need them here more. The newborns will be the first to attack. They’re stronger. My wolves will struggle to kill them off. The dragons can breathe fire on the line, taking out several at once.”

“I understand, order sent,” he says, grinning.

“EVERYONE!” I yell out. “BRACE YOURSELVES! THE VAMPS ARE NEARBY! WHEN YOU SEE THE DRAGONS LAND BACK IN FORMATION, YOU’LL KNOW THEY’RE COMING IN!”

I watch as wolves shift left and right. They take their positions and wait. Eros, Silas, Thorn, and my team remain in human form. We watch the trees.

“They’re here,” Eros announces. “My boys are headed back.”

The dragons land on the ground just in front of us. Eros shifts and takes his spot beside them. Then we see the newborn vampires stream out from the trees, growling and drooling all the way.

Eros lets out a stream of fire from his belly, and the other three dragons follow suit. It is a united front that the vampires are not expecting.