Page 31

chapter Thirty

Enzo

T he front door opens just as I walk up the hallway. The sisters enter the living room. It’s been three weeks since I caught Michaela on the phone. I can’t describe how quickly my temper rose when I thought she was on the phone with another man.

It’s in my nature to be possessive of my mate, but the way I was ready to find some random guy on the phone and choke the life out of him was not what I was expecting. Neither is the way my heart races every time she walks into a room. How my gaze will find her no matter where we are. How her scent drives me mad at night while I lie on the floor beside her bed. It’s like the moment I stopped seeing her as the enemy, I immediately started to fall hard.

I have never met a stronger, more caring, kinder being in my life. I’ve watched her go without blood so her sister could have more. She’s gone days without sleep, helping with training and patrol, and then when she gets a day of rest, she’ll toss it aside to run to Liz’s aid if she calls her. She goes above and beyond for those she loves. Michaela is incredible.

“How was training?” I ask.

Every morning after we share breakfast, Michaela and Marley go out to the woods for about an hour to train. The training is supposed to make Marley stronger mentally.

“Pretty good,” Marley says walking into the kitchen to grab her a water bottle. “Although Michaela doesn’t think so.”

I glance over at my mate. Not that I haven’t been looking at her from the moment she walked into the room.

Michaela rolls her eyes. “You get distracted too easily. When you’re training, your mind needs to be focused.”

“I’m sure she’s focused. Mental training is tough,” I say, folding my arms over my chest.

“Thank you, brother-in-law. At least someone understands.”

Marley places her water down on the island and leans forward on her elbows.

“I got your back, little sister.”

I hold out my fist and Marley bumps hers against mine. Ever since the morning we cooked breakfast together, Marley has been my partner. The kid adores me, and I have to admit she’s grown to be one of my favorite people, too.

When we turn to look at Michaela, she’s shaking her head at the two of us.

“I don’t know why I thought you’d actually be on my side on this. It’s clear you are no help.” She goes into the kitchen and grabs a water bottle before slamming the fridge door.

“Welp, that’s my cue to go shower. The grown-ups are fussing.” Marley mouths sorry before quickly making her escape.

This isn’t anything new. The last week or so, Michaela seems to pick fights with me over everything. This morning over breakfast, I was chewing too loud. Last night before bed, I was moving too much. For as hard as I’ve been trying to make this work, she’s been working just as hard to show that it’s not.

“You can’t be a role model for her if you’re always going to agree with her. That isn’t how this works. You’re supposed to be helping me.” She slams the water bottle down on the counter. “And why the fuck is it so hot in this damn house?”

I watch her closely, wondering why she’s so aggravated lately. Her brow is pinched, and her body glistens with sweat. She’s wearing her usual gear of her long sleeve fitted jacket and tights. She pulled her curly hair up in a high pony. I’m finally seeing something is off.

“You want to talk about it?” I ask, instead of returning her hostility.

She runs her hand over her forehead, back to her ponytail. “She’s not taking it seriously. It’s like she doesn’t understand the importance of this.”

“She’s seventeen. Nothing is serious but boys and being liked. Don’t you remember what it was like to be seventeen?”

She rolls her eyes. “When I was seventeen, I was in the academy and on my way to be part of the legion. Before I turned eighteen, I’d already had an extensive kill list under my belt.”

The more I hear about her and her childhood, the more I understand why she is the way she is.

“Okay, so maybe you don’t understand.” I stand from my stool and make my way over to her. This constant desire to touch her is driving me crazy. I pull her arm, causing her to turn and face me. “Because of you, she won’t experience the things that you did. She gets to be a normal seventeen-year-old. Be patient with her.”

“I’m trying,” she says, shaking her head. “But we don’t have much time.”

That last sentence catches me off guard. “Time for what?”

Her body stiffens, and she looks away from me. “Just time in general,” she says, picking up her water bottle. “Her gift is rare. Not the rarest, but still rare. She needs to be able to control it.”

This gives me a chance to ask a question that I’ve been dying to hear about since the day she told us about Marley’s gift.

“Tell me about these vampire gifts?”

She looks up at me, squinting her eyes. I guess from her point of view this would give the enemy secrets about her kind. I can understand her reservations, but we still need to know.

She sighs. “They’re not much different from your gifts. It’s power left over by the fey. The same way Chayton has the gift of talking to the trees, Marley has her gift.”

I rub my beard. It’s making sense. I have the gift of a fighter. Doesn’t sound as fancy as talking to the trees. But my body is created to be a fighter. I’m faster, bulkier, have a better sense of smell, and stronger than most wolves. Alarick and Torak have the same ability.

“How many gifts do the vampires have?”

She once again looks as if she’s battling telling me the truth. “Six, but three of them are rare. Compulsion is the most common. It’s the ability to make people do what you want them to do.”

I grimace at that. I don’t think I’m a fan of that power. Especially not by a vampire.

“Don’t worry,” she says. “You’re a werewolf. Most of the vampires you come across won’t be able to use those gifts on you. There are levels to the power. It would take a very skilled master of compulsion to get your wolf to heal.”

“Okay, so compulsion. What else?”

“Psychokinesis, which is the ability to move things with your mind. My mother has that. Wind benders can control the wind and air around us. You know empaths. And Sifters.”

I pay attention to the way her body tenses when she mentions that last one.

“What are sifters?”

She clears her throat. “Sifters can read minds. It’s rare, but highly sought-after in our world. A master sifter can not only read your mind, but they can also control it. Often causing severe pain and manipulation of your thoughts and memories. They are by far the most dangerous in our world.”

That shit sounded dangerous. I didn’t like the idea of anyone being able to play in my head.

“How do you fight them?” That was what I wanted to know. How do I stand against an attack on my mind?

“It requires being mentally tough and being able to ground yourself in order to combat a sifter. Not everyone can do that.”

“What’s grounding yourself?”

She looks away before answering. “Everyone has a memory of something that is important to them. It could be of a person or a place that brings you joy. When a sifter is manipulating your mind, it is the memories that are most important to you that will be your weapon. You have to find that powerful memory. One that stays with you, something that brings you peace and happiness. Lock on to it and it will always be your defense against a sifter.”

The last memory I have of Ana comes to my mind. Her smile that day as she laid on my chest. The way the sun shined through her golden locks. The color of her blue eyes as she looked up at me. “My sweet, Zo.” The sound of her soft voice as she stared up into my eyes. That’s my most solid memory.

“Not my mate,” my wolf growls, and immediately the memory disperses in my head.

“Don’t start,” I warn him.

“I need to shower before we head to the caves.”

I’m brought back to reality when her voice cuts through my thoughts. Tension tightens her lips. She seems upset.

She goes to walk away. But I just realized something.

“You told me five gifts. What about the sixth?”

She stops walking and turns to look at me. “Conduit.”

“And what’s a conduit?”

“A very rare ability given to vampires. So rare, many will go their entire lifetime and never know it exists. It is the power to absorb, mimic, and sense others’ abilities. And masters of this rare gift can even take powers from one being and give it to another.”

“That’s dangerous. You mean to tell me there is a vampire walking around that can damn near do anything?”

She shakes her head. “As I said, the gift is rare. You don’t have to worry.”

She turns to leave again. But I have one more question.

“What’s your gift?”

She stops and looks over her shoulder at me. “Now that, you will have to discover on your own.”

As fast as she came in, she’s gone again. Her last words sit with me. I now had a new challenge, figuring out her gift.

Three days ago, we found an old map of the area. On it was an old cave system. Michaela told us we needed to check out this cave. She said this would be a prime hiding spot for vampires. Today is that day.

Alarick and Michaela went left, and Zyion, Chayton, and I branched off to the right of the cave. So far, we have found evidence that someone was here. However, we have yet to find an actual vampire.

Chayton picks up an old pizza box and looks inside before tossing it amongst the other rubbish on the floor.

“They were here, but they’re gone now.”

That’s what I’m getting from all the old food trash. It looks a lot like the underground spot Michaela and I found with the other vampire and feral.

“Looks like it,” I say.

“Are you alright?” I reach out to Michaela. I didn’t like when Chayton split us up when we got here. Although no one else seemed to see the issue.

Her soft laughter pierces my mind. “I’m literally a few yards away from you. Will you relax, Beta.”

“No,” I answer honestly. “Not until I have my eyes on you again.”

She sighs. “ You’re working really hard to sell this relationship.”

“I’m not selling anything, Baby Girl.”

A wave of arousal vibrates through our link. It’s so sudden and out of the blue, my wolf sits up inside me. He immediately wants me to find our mate. My wolf has been desperate to fuck Michaela again. He does not understand how human emotions work. I’ve been trying to explain to him she and I aren’t there yet.

“Go to mate,” he growls.

“No. But it’s worth noting that she likes that pet name.”

“Enzo,” Chayton shouting my name, gets my attention. “Did you hear what I said?”

“No, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Chayton smirks, shaking his head. “I said, how long do you think they’ve been gone from here?”

I focus back in on the surrounding scene. The old food and the smells. “Just a few days looks like.”

“Hmm,” Zyion says, standing across the room from me.

“What?” I ask.

“Just seems weird. We found out about this tunnel, and three days later, they have miraculously moved on. It’s almost as if they were tipped off.”

My hackles go up at his accusation. I’m not sure what he’s getting at, but I’m not liking the direction he’s going.

“You think someone in the pack is tipping them off?” Chayton asks.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zyion scoffs.

“No,” I say.

Zyion cuts his eyes over to me before looking back at Chayton. “Look, I get that she and your mate are friends, but let’s not forget what she is.”

He was accusing Michaela.

“We have already established Michaela, isn’t behind this. She’s been helping.”

He tosses his hands up at Chayton. “Helping, but we are no closer to catching those bloodsuckers. In fact, I will go out on a limb to say we are always one step behind them. Come on, you two. You know what this is.”

“Actually, I don’t,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “Enlighten me.”

He glares at me. “She is the only one that has something to gain with these attacks. They didn’t happen until she showed up. Plus, why haven’t we heard anything else about her sister’s supposed fiancé? If he was such a threat that she fled the city, why hasn’t he shown up in the four months they’ve been here? She’s playing us.”

“She isn’t,” I state.

Although in the past, I’ve been forthcoming with everything I got from Michaela, I didn’t tell Chayton about her ex. I didn’t want him questioning her or second guessing her motive.

“Oh yeah,” he argues, crossing his arms over his chest. “How do you know?”

“Because I do. And you’re just going to have to take my word for it.”

Zyion made some brilliant points. And just weeks ago, I might’ve agreed with him. But after spending time with Michaela and getting to know her more, I know she’s not behind this. I think there is something else she hasn’t told me about this ex, but I firmly believe it has nothing to do with these attacks.

From what I gather, she’s trying to keep a low profile so that her ex can’t find her. These attacks are working against her. Which is why she’s trying so hard to help us, and why she reacted that way about us going to the vampire council.

Zyion drops his arms and shakes his head. “I never would have thought it.”

I can already tell this conversation is taking a turn. He’s about to say something that’s going to piss me off. As a Beta, I need to step away so that I can de-escalate this potential fight, but for the life of me, I can’t make myself back down.

“No back down,” my wolf says, coming to the forefront.

“Thought what?”

“Calm yourself,” Chayton says in my head. “I can feel your wolf right at the surface. Zyion doesn’t understand. He doesn’t have a mate. He’s just concerned about his pack.”

I knew everything Chayton was saying was true. I know Zyion isn’t coming from a place of hate, but of concern. However, my wolf didn’t want to hear that shit. He wanted Zyion to finish his thought.

Zyion scoffs. “I never would’ve thought you’d lose sight of whose side you’re on.”

“I’m on Dark Woods side. Always.” I punctuate my response with a fist to my palm.

“We know that, Enzo,” Chayton says, stepping forward. “No one is questioning you.” He cut his gaze to Zyion.

I’m pretty sure Chayton is having a conversation in Zyion’s head. I can tell from the way Zyion’s brow pinches and his lips quarrel.

“Yeah, whatever,” Zyion says, turning his back. “I’m not the one fucking the enemy.” He muttered his words, but he knew we'd hear them.

“Zyion,” Chayton warns.

“Hey, we didn’t find much from our side. Looks like they’ve abandoned these caves days ago,” Alarick announces as he walks into the small cave we were in.

Without turning to look at her, I can sense her here. I guess she knew something was wrong, because I can feel her soft touch probing my mind.

“What’s wrong?” her voice is so sultry inside my head. You would think it would calm me down, but no, it doesn’t.

“Do you mind repeating that, Zyion?”

He turns to face me; he seems shocked for only a second before his shoulders lift and his chin rises higher.

He runs a hand over his short hair before speaking. “Yeah, I know you’re taking one for the team and all, but I just don’t understand how you can lie down with that fucking leech every night.”

I don’t recall thinking about my actions or telling myself to move. However, one minute I’m on one side of the room and the next I have Zyion by the neck, pinned to the cave wall.

“Enzo,” Chayton shouts my name, but I don’t register it.

“Call her a leech again,” I dare him. “You are my brother, but I will rip your throat out if you ever disrespect my mate again. Do you understand?”

Zyion gasps at the tight hold I have around his throat. Finally, he’s able to mumble a yes. I let him go, and he leans against the wall behind him clutching his reddening neck.

Shame causes my stomach to turn. Never would I have thought I’d react to him in that way.

“He deserved it,” my wolf growls. He still wants me to kill him.

“No. He was speaking out of past hurts. He has a reason to doubt her.”

“He does not,” my wolf argues. “He knows of vampires. But he does not know her enough to doubt her.”

My beast’s words hit me like a train. He was right. I knew of vampires. I know what they are capable of. But I’m starting to see vampires, like werewolves, are not a monolith. They are not all the same. So yes, he has a reason to hate vampires, but he has no reason to despise these two.

I turn to leave, needing space between myself and Zyion.

“Zo, wait.” Like every time she calls me that nickname, my body freezes. I go through mixed emotions about hearing her call me Zo. Part of me loves the familiarity she finds with giving me a nickname, and then part of me still feels that bite of shame.

I stop in the middle of the tunnel leading to the main cave entrance.

“Hey, are you alright?” she asks, walking up behind me.

“I’m good, just need to clear my head.” I go to walk off again, but her voice stops me.

“Thank you.”

This time, I turn to look at her. Her curls are in two French braids that hang over her shoulders. Her face is bare of makeup. Those light brown eyes looking up at me with a hint of affection.

“For what?” I ask.

She looks down at the ground before lifting her gaze back to meet my eyes. “For standing up for me.”

My wolf urges me to go to her. To grab her in my arms and tell her how special she was. But I hold back. She’s not ready.

“You’re my mate. I’ll always defend you.”

She stills, and her gaze drops to the ground. “Yeah. Of course.”

She turns away and heads back to the cave with the others. I stand there for a second wondering what the hell did I say wrong.