Shadows from the Past - Book 2 of To Be Claimed By Her

Chapter 4

Owen

"Tesoro, are you feeling well?" We had been back from our trip a couple of months, and at first, she seemed well-rested and happier than she had been in a while, but recently we had noticed her restlessness. "You tossed and muttered in your sleep several times last night," I said, rubbing her shoulders.

She leaned into the massage and moaned, "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I wake up more exhausted than when I went to bed."

"Do you have any other symptoms, Star?" Sean asked her. He had that look, but she shook her head.

"I'm not pregnant. That's the first thing I thought of too," she sighed. She snorted, giving a devilish grin, "Statistically speaking I should be though. I swear I'm going to nominate Loki and Gabriel for sainthood for that potion."

Ahh, yes, the potion. We had all taken advantage of that little trick. We had indulged in our lust with no thoughts of pregnancy for once.

"Would you object if Phil or I did an exam?" Sean asked as she rested her head on his shoulder. She hummed and nodded her agreement.

A few moments later, we found ourselves in a large room with Eveleen on a bed and all of us watching as they performed their exam. Even Cailleach was worried. Their hands skimmed over her body, glowing slightly as she looked bored. It wasn't until a spot above her heart glowed gently that she grimaced. "St.stop, that hurts," she gasped.

Phil put his hand on her forehead and frowned, then asked, "Other than the birth control potion, have you been taking any medications?"

"Not unless you count hot tea?" she smirked. "It just felt odd when you hovered over my chest, like a pulling sensation." He looked at Cailleach and had a private conversation. She scrunched her nose, "I know that trick you two. What's going on?"

"Well, it seems like there's some kind of block happening." He sighed, "It's similar to the one that happened just after your abduction when you became pregnant with Michael."

She visibly paled as Sean grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "Deep breaths, Star. It's okay."

She gave a clipped laugh, "Okay? Someone messing with my mind again is okay? I'm so fucking sick of this shit!" she yelled.

"Queen, stop," North warned her.

"Fuck off, North. When you start having your mind fucked with, then I'll tell you to calm down and see how you like it," she snarled. She stood from the bed and pushed everyone away. "I need to blow something up. Unless you want it to be one of you, I suggest you give me some space." Her eyes were a vibrant green as she stormed out of the room leaving all of us worried.

"Should I ask Gaia for help again?" Victor asked.

Cailleach put her hand on his shoulder, "I'll reach out to her. Matter of fact, I'll reach out to all of them and see if anyone has picked up on threats."

"Any new sightings of Kaylie or Sang?" Kota asked Corey.

"No, nothing since Sang took Dreamgirl. What about Volto? He told her to tell us he was coming after the vampire bar," he said, running his hands through his hair. "Could he be behind this?"

"Fuck! We were so caught up and chasing our goddamn tails that we missed it, guys. The note was from D, but little wolf clearly remembered V and the mask at the bar. Sang took her to meet Him," Gabe growled. "Volto is D. Sang and Kaylie are still working with him. They're coming for her, and we're already ten fucking steps behind their game."

We all stood in stunned silence when a loud crashing sound came from the garden. With panicked expressions, we ran - some even teleported.

Eveleen was kneeling before a large statue that looked like it had been split in two. "Star, Star, can you hear me?" Sean asked, trying to look her over for injuries. She was staring off into space, muttering something.

"Sean, what's in her hands?" Axel asked.

He gently pulled her hands from her chest and made a choking sound. His hands trembled as he held out the white and gold mask. He turned it over and read as his voice shook, "Here there be dragons. They gnash. They rip. They tear at the soul - separating the strands, breaking the bonds. Darkness rises and your light will vanish."

The moment he finished, Victor let out a violent roar and doubled over. Gabe and Loki raced toward him only to be blown backward by an invisible barrier. He looked up, his eyes completely blackened, "I love you," he whispered, then vanished.

"M'anam," Eveleen gasped, digging at her arm. Gabe looked down at his arm and let out a roar of pain.

Victor's marks were gone - not a single trace remained.

Author's Notes:  The first has fallen...