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43|A Reasonable Man
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The Forsaken 44|Let This Be A Warning
Luca and Andrew were only gone for half an hour when April's phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the caller ID. She was so tempted to ignore it when she saw it was Ethan. But she knew he wouldn't take kindly to her playing hide and seek. With a weary sigh, she hit 'answer' on the screen."I was starting to think you were avoiding me," Ethan drawled on his end of the line.April ignored him, refusing to engage him, no matter how tempted she was.When Ethan didn't get the riled up response he'd hoped for, he cut to the chase. "Time is up, April. My men will be there in a few minutes. Get the star ready."April panicked, her mind scattering in a million directions as she tried to think of ways to stall him. But she'd run out of excuses and ideas a week ago already. She had nothing to hold him off with now. But his men coming to the manor wasn't an option, more so when she didn't have any backup."Ethan, please. Just a few more days. I'm begging you," April pleaded,
The Forsaken 45|Taken
They argued all the way back to the bayou. Andrew did a lot of the shouting, and Luca just grunted and growled under his breath."You crossed a line tonight, Luca!" Andrew raged at him for the millionth time, and for the millionth time, Luca shrugged his shoulders."What do you want from me? An apology? What?" Luca stopped walking for the moment and clenched his hands at his sides, completely fed up with listening to Andrew nag like a fishwife.Andrew also paused and scowled at him, "I'm just saying you lost your head tonight. She's pregnant. We should have left her alone."Luca was well aware he'd crossed the line and should have left Ava alone when he realised she was expecting. Chances were, he would have. But the conniving look in the hunter's eyes and the self-satisfied smirk on her face was the final straw, and something in him had snapped. Ava's lack of remorse over her actions had pushed him beyond his limits. He didn't regret cutting off her hand. He'd chop off the other, too,
The Forsaken 46|Free Them
After the witches parted ways with the wolves, an impromptu meeting took place at Luann's house, where they made new plans to go after Samuel and his hunters.Someone—it wasn't clear who—had decided to forego the diplomatic route and unleash hell on earth. The hunters had gone too far when they went after one of their own. As much as they hated to admit it, Cadence's situation would have been far worse if it hadn't been for Luca.Sonja half-heartedly listened to the elaborate revenge plans, her mind still inside the Delacroix's manor, thinking about how she'd failed as a mother to protect her only child. Cadence was and should have been her only concern. If she wasn't obsessed with her feud with Luca and his clan, maybe she would have seen how unhinged Ava was.She had to make things right somehow and redeem herself as a mother."I have to go," Sonja whispered as she rose from her seat. It wasn't that much of a whisper, because the others turned their shocked, confused faces to her."
The Forsaken 47|Empty
"We can't."Those two words were the last thing Sonja wanted to hear from Luca. Her eyes wide with hysteria, she frowned at him. "What do you mean we can't? We have to open the door. We have to get them out of there!""I mean, not right now. We have another problem on our hands. Ethan was here." While Luca explained the situation with Ethan and Cadence, and the hunters, he mentally prepared himself for another assault from Sonja. His instincts proved him right again. In a blink of an eye, the whole basement was in utter chaos, and Luca lay in the epicentre of the destruction, panting as he felt his searing wounds slowly close up. Sonja was unforgiving this time around. If it wasn't for Warwick in the cellar, pleading with her to calm down, Luca would have been done for. But he didn't blame her. Not one bit. He deserved every fiery orb she hurled at him, because she was right. He put Cadence in harm's way. The longer Luca listened to Sonja's outrage and blame, the more he believed Ru
The Forsaken 48|Waiting
The silence in the basement was deafening.They'd gone over their plan at least a dozen times while waiting for Ethan to make contact, and now they'd run out of things to talk about. Everyone in the room hated each other's guts. If circumstances permitted, they would have ripped out each other's throats. But for Cadence, they had to work together.From his position high on the crates in the corner of the cellar, Luca glanced across the room at Rachel, a relieved smile forming on his lips when he caught her chatting with Rudolf. She almost looked like her old self again, and the bite wounds all over her neck and arms had begun to heal thanks to Sonja's concoction of herbs and ointments.Rudolf had also eased up on his snarling and growling, and looked somewhat relaxed. But Luca figured the young wolf's guard was still up where his clan was concerned, and anything would set him off. So he, April and Andrew played as far away as possible from Rachel.Tired of waiting for the call, Luca s
The Forsaken 49|Without Cadence
Luca retreated to the crates in the corner again, the tension between him and Andrew still simmering out of control. For twenty years, the cousins had held it together. Not once did they ever threaten or blame each other. They'd given each other strength in their most hopeless moments, so for April and Rosalie to see them fall apart at the very end was heartbreaking.Rachel and Rudolf watched the chaos with mild intrigue from their spot, refusing to be drawn into the madness. Sonja suggested they should go home and get some rest. But they politely declined. They wanted to be there for her and help in any way they could.April's phone rang again, and Andrew exhaled a huge sigh of relief when she mouthed, "it's Ethan".He'd known all along he'd call again. After all, he knew Ethan and the games he liked to play better than anyone. They were the best of friends a lifetime ago.But if Andrew was honest, for a second there, he'd had his doubts and would never have forgiven himself if it tu
The Forsaken 50|Help Wanted-Part 1
It was early dawn, but still dark outside. Rachel stuck as close to Rudolf as possible, gripping his big warm hand tightly in her small one. But despite his steady presence, even the slightest rustle in the brush sent her pulse soaring and left her anxious as they hurried through the woods."It's okay; I'm here," he assured her with a comforting smile."I'm all right," his mate smiled back. But he could see right through the pain hidden behind her eyes. Once again, he was overcome by feelings of helplessness and shame, his mind swirling with 'if onlys' and 'what ifs'.He was easily one of the strongest, fiercest warriors in his pack, and could handle one vampire any day. But there were six of them, and as valiantly as he'd tried to take them on and hold them off from harming Rachel and April, Ethan and his clan had overpowered him with very little effort.'It's no excuse. You should have done a better job protecting her,' Rudolf, suddenly furious with himself for not being able to kee
The Forsaken 51|Help Wanted-Part 2
Sonja said a small prayer of thanks, tiny spasms of immense relief and gratitude rocking through her body.Emme turned to Rachel. "Take him home, and calm him down. He can't go into battle in the state he's in.""Thank you." Rachel smiled while Rudolf mumbled something that sounded like an apology. Emme accepted it with a quick nod of her head as she ushered them away and closed the door behind them."Where were we?" she asked as she stepped into the kitchen to get the kettle going on the stove."He's young and impulsive. He didn't mean any disrespect." Emme had forgiven Rudolf if their parting was any indication, but Sonja felt she still needed to apologise and clear the air anyway."He has a temper, like his father. It will get him in trouble someday." There was a wistful look in Emme's eyes and a longing in her voice that was hard to miss as she led Sonja back to the living room.Carrying on, she said, "I'm not angry with him for what he said. I just had to get him out of here."So
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