Page 57 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Jules took a deep breath, drank, and felt the red liquid course through her like instant strength. She stood in bliss for a few long seconds until Luca's voice called her back to her senses. Her eyes opened, and his widened. Instinctively, her eyelids slammed shut over her red eyes.

“Sorry, I…” She hadn’t ever wanted him to see her in her most demon-like form, revealing the monster inside.

“Jules,” he soothed, lifting her chin. “I love every part of you,” he assured, reaching a finger to touch beside her eye. “Even this.”

Jules reopened her red eyes. She let out a long sigh and closed them again as he kissed her.

Nick faked a cough and cleared his throat. This made Jules roll her eyes as she pulled back from Luca.

“We have a battle to win,” Luca said, looking down at her.

“I need one more thing first.” Jules walked to her bedroom and up to her closet, looking up forlornly at the long and slender box on the top shelf. Scowling, she turned to Luca. “Reach that blue box for me.” Laughing, he complied.

Taking it from his hands and setting it on the bed she gingerly lifted the lid.

Nestled in fine velvet sat two matching fighting knives.

The steel blades gleamed up at her. She knew these weapons.

She had trained with them until they felt like extensions of her own hands.

Picking up one intricately designed handle she slid her finger along the blade, making a small slice.

Lifting the cut to her mouth, she licked it clean of blood.

“You’re a little scary sometimes,” Luca commented staring down at her.

A wide smile crossed her face, all light and joy once more. “I know.” The holster hadn’t fared as well as the blades themselves, but she strapped it on anyway.

Once they had rejoined their companions in the living room, everyone moved toward the back door. The battle for their immortal lives was about to begin.

Kyle walked down the beach next to his family and friends. The heavens opened. Rain began to pour down, drenching them all. Anticipation and adrenaline made Kyle shift back and forth on his feet as he watched their adversaries approaching quickly.

Leading the charge was what was left of the Den members. Ben, Kip and Max, were flanking Carson. Twenty or so more wolves followed behind, some he knew and some he didn’t, but he recognized all of them.

On one edge of the group, Kyle spied his father-in-law and brother-in-law. Adam was carrying one of the lights Carson had used to torture Jules in the library, not yet flicked on. He snarled in distaste.

Kyle glanced past Jules, who had come to a stop next to him, to where Hayley was positioned.

She growled, her shoulders hunching over angrily.

Obviously, having spotted her family as well.

Participating in this fight must be part of the actions Carson was requiring so the Reynolds family could prove their loyalty to their Alpha.

Apparently, in addition to delivering their eldest, already married, daughter to him as a mate.

Hatred toward Carson trickled through Kyle and he growled as well, taking a step forward.

“Kyle hold your ground,” Jules whispered, reaching her hand out toward him, though the distance was too great for her to actually restrain him.

He glanced at her to his right and Eileen to his left. The group stood stretched across the beach in a line, alternating vampire and werewolf. Gabriel had suggested this order. He figured they would have the best chance at staying alive if they helped each other through the battle.

Carson brought his army to a halt. Kyle nursed a glimmer of hope that he would consider negotiating, and there would be no battle. However, before this could even be suggested, Carson howled the order and the pack began to charge toward them, closing the gap quickly.

Kyle ran at his soon-to-be-attackers. He tried not to register who exactly they were.

In his purview, he saw the flash of light as Hayley became the majestic white wolf.

She charged the wolves in front of her. Some four-legged, some still running on human legs.

Eileen and Jules sped out from either side of him.

He picked up the pace, running faster than he ever had before into the fray.

Kyle let his teeth and claws extend but didn’t turn fully yet. He growled and punched a wolf-shaped nose jumping up at him in the furry face.

Gabriel balked as his former student shouted, “Dad, catch!” Adam Reynolds tossed an illuminated, manufactured, sunlight bulb past Gabriel's shoulder.

He spun just as the light was jammed into his neck.

The manufactured sunlight searing through him like the fire of the sun.

Rage built inside him. Hatred for this species.

For these beasts that were barely better than animals.

Lashing out with a swift kick, the man fell to the sand with a thud.

Gabriel turned on him, about to lunge for the kill when he heard a crunching sound and then a yelp.

Stunned, he turned to see Hayley, who had bitten down on the lighted weapon, rendering it useless.

The werewolf child that sat in his classroom not three years ago. A soon to be mother. A good person.

“Hayley are you okay?” Adam asked her as he ran to his little sister’s side.

This was wrong. It was all wrong. Adam had taken Gabriel’s class half a decade ago.

He couldn’t be more than twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and he was always a good kid.

A little surly and serious, but Gabriel remembered him as a good student with genuine character.

As was Hayley and the rest of the Reynolds kids.

This fight did not seem like something the boy he remembered would choose to be a part of.

Unless he was only acting due to the orders of the Alpha.

Gabriel’s head cocked to the side in contemplation.

However, in the moment of distraction, the Reynolds father had gotten to his feet. Gabriel was hit hard in the gut. Rather than fall, he spun; lifting the werewolf off the ground as he went. His fangs extended, preparing to pull him in for a bite to the neck.

“Mr. Prentiss don’t!” both Hayley and Adam shouted together.

Gabriel’s attention moved to Hayley, now in human form, kneeling on the sand beside her brother. He thought of Landon, in his class last year. And Amy whom he taught now.

“He’s our father, please,” Hayley begged.

He looked up to where the werewolf man dangled off his feet, his throat gripped in Gabriel’s outstretched hand. This was war. He knew, better than many, that war meant death and sacrifice. One wolf dead would help even the battlefield.

“Please.” Hayley’s plea was barely a whisper. The expectant mother’s eyes were wide and tearful.

After another moment, Gabriel threw the man down on the sand. “Take your father and go,” Gabriel instructed Adam. “If you stay here, I will be forced to kill you both.”

“Dad, get up,” Hayley said, as she ran to their father’s side.

“Carson’s orders are for us to take on the blond, male vampire. Apparently, that’s you,” Adam told him. “We won’t be able to resist a direct order very long.”

Gabriel said nothing but nodded and placed an encouraging hand on the boy’s shoulder. He flinched but didn’t pull away. Just then, their father lunged at him. Both of his children grabbed him by the arms, holding him back.

“Fight it as long as you can,” Hayley told them. “We may have a new Alpha soon.”

“That’s treason to speak of,” her father grunted. It seemed as though he might be in pain.

“If fighting for what is right is treason, then I am a traitor.” Breathing heavily, Hayley helped her brother drag their father away.

“You’ve been pardoned,” the father reasoned.

“To be breeding stock to a monster. I’d rather die a traitor,” Hayley said evenly, as she and her brother struggled to drag their father to the edge of the fray.

“Since when is our English teacher a vampire?” Adam asked his sister almost conversationally.

“Pretty sure the whole time,” Hayley replied.

“So, vampires are not all bad then. I mean, for a teacher, Mr. Prentiss is alright,” Adam said like he was trying to work something out in his mind.

Gabriel almost smiled at this but then he saw it. A wolf collided with the young werewolves. Knocking them both off their feet. Gabriel ran at them and threw the wolf-shaped werewolf at full strength. It landed back into the middle of the battle.

“Adam, get your family away from here,” Gabriel shouted.

“Hayley come on!” Adam continued to fight his father. It looked as though it was taking all his strength to do it. Gabriel knew that they would be forced to try and kill him again soon, but he certainly hoped they could hold out. Though the father’s resolve seemed faulty at best.

“Thank you Mr…” Hayley let out a cry as she was flung down onto the sand. Gabriel had pushed her out of the way, kicking a wolf who had charged her in the shoulder.

Hayley stood, shook herself off. “Go help your brother,” Gabriel nodded toward Adam, who’d lost control of their father. Hayley nodded to Gabriel, turned and ran across the battle as a white wolf once more. Gabriel noticed that she was, in fact, stunning in wolf form.

“Gabriel look out!” Gabriel spun at Jules’s shout.

A wolf in human form charged forward. The gangly wolf was easily thrown backward when Gabriel kicked him.

He sputtered and charged again. This time, changing into a wolf along the way.

Anticipating the flash of light, Gabriel covered his eyes and took the wolf’s impact square in the chest. The two fell backward but Gabriel was too strong for his opponent.

With a threatening hiss, he lifted the animal up and tossed him so hard that he hit a rock cliff and landed on the sand with a thud.