LOGINWillowHorace instructs his guards to put shackles on my dad’s wrists. The next order of business is to get him secured to a chair with spiked chains. But Cary doesn’t go along with the second order of business. “Hold on,” he growls, eyes furious. “The reason why I came here is because you promised to exchange my surrender for my daughter’s freedom.”“And I will.” Horace smirks. “I just need to make sure that you won’t try to get the best of me once she’s free.”“I won’t. I’m here just like I said I would. Besides, we’re outbumbered. What could I possibly do?”“That’s what I’ve been asking myself.” His eyes flash. “What would a selfish piece of shit like yourself actually show up here without re-inforcement? Is the great Cary Thompson really going to die by my hands tonight? And so, I had another thought. You aren’t planning to die at all. You must have something up your sleeve. But what?”“We had a deal Horace. Let my daughter go.”Horace stares at the other chair; the one that’s m
Aiden“Is this close enough?” I whisper, even though there’s no actual reason why I shoukd be whispering. Ginny smiles. “You don’t have to whisper, you know. You can talk normally. Not only are we invisible, but those jerks in the mansion can’t hear us either.”“Sorry. I know. I guess I’m just on edge. I don’t want to do anything to fuck this up.”“Hey. Is ten feet enough space for your required radius?” Vincent calls out to us. Ginny shoots him a thumbs up. “Yeah. That’s enough distance. Thanks Vincent. Please stay right there while I activate the ritual circle.”She inhales a deep breath. The next moment, flames lick up the ground. It grows and trickles around, forming a hexagon. “Relax Aiden. They can’t see us,” she muses, holding her hand out for the strands of Cary’s hair. He’s left them behind before he left.I drop the strands in the center of her palm. This is the part I’ve been dreading. The part where she finally starts to breathe indefinitely. Vincent rejoins us. “It’s
WillowMy eyes open with a start.How long have I been unconscious? It must have been a while. The dinner table has been cleared. The furniture has been moved, making the room feel empty and intimidating. Is my dad here?I look around the room. The only thing I can see are Horace’s men, scattered around the room. They fill up every inch of space. There’s got to be at least thirty of them. War. A fight is going to break out when my dad gets here. This is Horace’s way of preparing for it. Because just like me, he already knows that my dad won’t let us die without putting up a fight. I’m his only daughter and he’ll do everything he can to get me to safety. At this point, he’s got nothing to lose. “Hello princess.” Horace comes into my view. I see he’s changed out of his suit. Right now, he’s wearing a black blazer over a turtle neck vest. Just like him, everyone else is in black. “Don’t call me that,” I hiss. “You have no right to say anything to me. You’re going to kill me anywa
Ginny“What’s the catch?” Aiden prods. He’s been in serious alpha mode for a while now. Not that I mind. We’re all on edge here. “Is it really bad?”It’s a blood ritual. Of course it’s risky. There’s no spell that doesn’t come with risks when done improperly. And if I’m being entirely honest, I have never attempted to do an apparition spell before, especially one of this magnitude. I would have to sacrifice quite a bit to pull it off. But it’s for Willow and I want to give this all I’ve got. “It’s bad…” I add. “…but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” I wave off his concern. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. It’s for Willow. I don’t mind bleeding for her sake.”“You have to bleed?” Violet arches a brow, momentarily forgetting that she’s supposed to be mad at me. “Exactly how much blood? For how long?”“From the moment I hand the bloodied necklace to Mr Thompson up until the end of the apparition.”“Ginny.” Aiden hesitates, brows etched in worry. “They could be stuck in there anywhere from a fe
Aiden“I’m coming with you.” I step in front of Cary, wanting him to see exactly how serious I am.“No.” Cary growls. He’s taken his jacket off. His hair is messier than I’ve ever seen it. “You’re not coming.”“I know what that fucker said, but it doesn’t matter.That’s my girlfriend. I’m coming.”“If Aiden is coming, then I’m coming too,” Ginny quips. Violet, who has finally decided to get her shit together, adds. “They are right, Mr Thompson. Going alone is suicide. We have to come with you.”“Excuse me, sir.” Vincent is the most distraught of all of us. I guess it’s different for him. He was tasked with ensuring the Thompson heir’s safety and he failed at that. I can see how that would be torturing the shit out of him. “These three are right. You can’t go alone.”“You heard Horace.” Cary clutches the bridge of his nose, his face contorting in pain. “If I don’t go alone, he’s going to kill her.”“Horace is a piece of shit,” Vincent spits the words out with all the venom he can muste
Willow“Cary Thompson,” Horace Smith preens, buzzing with sheer excitement. “It’s been a minute.”“Horace.” My dad sounds terrified, already guessing what this call is all about. “You havr her, don’t you?”“You never miss a thing.” Horace snickers. “You’re right, old friend. I have your precious daughter. She’s here with me. Having dinner.”“I swear to the moon goddess, Horace. If I find out that you’ve touched even the slightest hair on her head—““Then what?” The humour is gone from his voice. He sounds menacing. “You’re in no position to be making demands from me, you fucker.”Dad exhales sharply. “What do you want? What would it take for you to release her?”“Not so fast Cary,” Horace is back to smiling. “It’s not about releasing her. I mean, I could let her go and she’d still be very well in danger.”“What is that supposed to mean?”“The poison,” he drawls, enuciating each word slowly. “It’s still very much in her system. Without the antidocte, she won’t be able to make it past 4
WILLOWThere’s no flashy announcement; no grand prelude before you die. Everything just goes static. White noise fills your head. The people screaming in your face feel like supporting actors in a bad play. There’s actually a sense of peace— a peace so euphoric— right before you go under. ***I d
WILLOW“What? Dad, what are you talking about?” For a moment there, I think i may have misheard my dad. There’s no way he just said what I think he said. Aiden is silent. It means my dad has managed to take him by surprise as well. “Isn’t it true?” Cary looks between us. “Am I wrong in saying tha
WILLOWI wouldn’t go as far as to call myself the kind of girl who goes out seeking danger. I know there are people out there, who get off on trying all kinds of exhilarating, dangerous stuff, but not me.Somehow though, I’ve ventured into the last place I thought I would ever go to. An illegal fi
WILLOWThe last time I had spoken to Aiden was at an Omega party. He had smiled at me flirtatiously, pouring me a beer. That was a year ago, few weeks after I’d started dating Theo.And because I knew how hostile both brothers were towards each other, I didn’t let myself linger at the alcohol stand







