The Beast And The Blessed

Seventy-Seven: Killian

Killian’s P.O.V.

My skin was itching, and my body was tense as I waited for the vehicle to make its way through the trees. There wasn't much room in the off-road cage, but we didn't need much... just enough to get the bodies to take them back to their families.

Two had survived the patrol of six. They had been found chained up, hanging from a tree, as their blood slowly drained into the rune in the dirt. They had several bite marks on them that seemed old, but the injury to drain them hadn't healed yet, so we knew someone had just been here.

It was horrific to find them this way, and after what happened with Heath and Nolan, I was going to take no chances with our two survivors. They would be restrained with medical help until we could be sure they hadn't been cursed too. I didn't want to risk losing more of my men and women than I had to, and I especially didn't want Natalie to have to witness it again.

But it was good news that we had found them here this way. With this and the thick magic in the air, we now had a more narrow section of mountains to search. The enemy seemed impatient and hungry, meaning they would make more mistakes.

Now that we had a location, we could take action instead of sitting around, waiting for them to attack.

It also meant that I could go home to my mate.

I had my men searching the forest as we waited for the car and the bodies to be picked up. I was pleased to get back several reports of tracks the enemy had failed to hide, and the rotten scent of vampires wafted through the air occasionally.

They were here. They were close. But they were hiding.

Until I could get even more men out here, I wouldn't be risking more lives to hunt on their land. They knew it better than we did, and I was positive they had traps in place.

So, we played it discrete, taking notes of everything around us and discussing it through our pack link, but putting on the show for anyone watching that we were disappointed that we didn't find anything.

We would go back, regroup and then go from there.

was going to rain

***

to set. The power from the castle made me groan, and I knew nothing good was going on

something I didn't want to do but knew I needed to. If I felt her, I would be distracted, wondering what she was doing when I felt her get frustrated or angry. I would be jealous

could be no

of me was something that I never wanted her to

could see the tension in how they held themselves as if

as I walked past several maids scrubbing a singed part of the wall, trying to remove the burn

members bickering, but not a single one was sitting and eating their meal. Two of the witches had their steak knives floating in the air by their heads,

Cora pressing her palms to the dining

other, and my eyes widened when Cora's voice became louder than the

She hated Rona for costing her a leg in battle a few years prior. Bringing up her mother, knowing Rona had been the

she glanced down at where Cora's leg would be if the table hadn't been in the way. "It's a shame your

of the table calmly, taking another bite of her dinner. Clearly, this wasn't her first meal with them, and the poised way

personally!" Cora's yell of outrage was followed by her thrusting her palms

lit up in anger, looking even more beautiful as her drink was knocked over her dinner plate,

threw her napkin on the mess as she got to her feet. "You are all acting like children; I

to do? Turn the car around?" Rona sniggered as she pushed herself up

and the knives clattered to the ground. Rona was dragged back by force as Natalie's magic

from beneath me and pulled me across the room to the table, locking me against the wood. Natalie's wide eyes met my own

back," She whispered as I tried to free myself from her spell with little luck. But it gave me a moment to look her over for injury. Only I could see that her strength had not only increased in her magic. Her arms looked slimmer and more toned, and I knew she