Page 30 of My Haven (Bewitched and Bewildered #16)

Caiden landed outside the building the Witches’ Council built for their enforcers.

He had hated watching it be built and he loathed it now.

As his mother was an air witch, he and all five of his brothers inherited air as an elemental power.

When he landed, he wasn’t alone, his brothers and Kendrick were with him.

His unit brothers would be a few minutes behind them, as they had to take the ATVs. He was determined to have his mate in his arms well before they arrived.

When he saw the lead enforcer walk out, a smirk on his face, he felt his power flare.

“Thax Monkshood, you have two seconds to bring me my mate or I’m tearing this building apart!” he yelled.

“You have no jurisdiction here Ironwood. This isn’t a unit warrior issue,” Thax said, as his men flanked him on either side.

“Not my jurisdiction? You have my mate unlawfully detained!”

Behind him, out of the corner of his eye, he could see people watching from dark windows or from around buildings.

Thax held up a hand. “We’re just doing our jobs. She had no papers, and no announcement was made that you were mated.”

“That law went into effect last night. How and when was I supposed to make an announcement when no one knew that law existed?” he demanded.

“Not my problem,” Thax replied. “Now, you and your thugs need to leave the area before I get the Council involved.”

“The Council? The judiciary ruling body of the city? You mean my father as Elder?” Caiden asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Thax sneered. “No, the true ruling body in the city, the Witches’ Council.”

Caiden took a deep breath. That sentiment was danced around for years, no one had ever said it out loud, until today. “By denying the Elder Council, you are guilty of treason against the city,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “I am honor bound to bring you before the Elder Council for a Tribunal.”

“Move against me and you act against the Witches’ Council,” Thax said.

Caiden stared at him, letting the man see exactly how much he didn’t care.

Behind him he heard the throttle of engines and he smiled. His unit brothers had caught up with them.

“Caiden, why don’t I see your mate beside you?” Aiden asked, swinging his leg off the ATV.

“His mate was taken?” Mikel asked, climbing off his bike. He nodded at Thane and stood with the unit warriors. “I felt your magic and decided I wanted to come and play as well.”

“I was told it wasn’t under my jurisdiction,” Caiden answered through clenched teeth. His hands literally ached to hold his mate.

“Is that so?” Aiden turned to the line of enforcers blocking the entrance of the building. “I am mated to a human and have not announced our mating in Storm Keep, would she be taken for questioning?” he asked, his tone level.

“Yes…” Thax began.

Aiden’s form shimmered and he moved faster than Caiden thought possible for a shifter. Aiden lifted Thax by the throat, causing the man’s eyes to bulge. On either side of his commander, the enforcers lifted their weapons.

Mikel lifted his arms and both hands burst into flames.

Aiden turned to eye one of the armed men, the outline of his third form becoming more defined. “I would not,” he growled.

The enforcers hesitated.

Aiden squeezed. “Release Genevieve Taylor, now,” he ordered.

Thax gasped and shook his head.

Aiden threw the man at Caiden’s feet. “A present,” he said, then turned to the warriors. “Do what you have to.”

Caiden thought back to what Meryn said. Grinning, he turned to his brothers. “It’s past time we reminded this city why the Ironwoods and Ashleighs are the sword and shield of Storm Keep.”

His brothers’ answering grins were feral.

Caiden exhaled and sent his air magic forward. Brick by brick, board by board, they dismantled the enforcer building, tossing the debris across the city to hit the windows of the Witches’ Council’s meeting room in the castle.

It was as if the building became a flower opening to bloom. Layer by layer was removed until, at last, he saw his mate hunkered down in a small cell. She removed her arms covering her head and looked around, tears streaking clean tracks down her dirty cheeks.

“About time!” she said, then hiccupped and began sobbing.

He flew to her side and pulled her close. “Never again. You will never be without me at your side again.”

She buried her face in his chest and nodded. “I can live with that.”

When she looked up, he saw pure terror in her eyes. “They were going to wipe my mind. I would have lost everything,” she whispered.

Ultimately, it was her terror that broke the restraints he built around his magic. He became the center of a tornado. Around him, his brothers kept innocents safe, as the unit witches guarded their brothers. He saw Troy shielding Arlo with water, both looking extremely satisfied at the destruction.

When he saw the enforcers leveling their weapons at him, his brothers, his mate and his commander, he didn’t hesitate.

He picked up the enforcers and flung them at the castle.

He sent every one of them flying to their deaths except for one.

Thax. Using his air magic, he lifted the screaming man and dropped him on the remnants of the iron bars that were used to cage his mate, effectively impaling him.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled in his magic until the air around them was calm.

Thane walked over and eyed the dead enforcer. “Nice touch.”

Caiden looked down at his mate. “See, my love. They won’t hurt you again,” he said, repeatedly running his hands over her hair.

“You killed them, like really killed them,” she said, staring at Thax’s mangled corpse.

Caiden traced the bruise on her cheek and turned to snarl at the dead body. “He put his hands on you!”

Genevieve wrapped her arms around his waist. “He can’t anymore,” she said, holding him back from stepping toward the body.

“Kirbs!” Arlo sobbed as he ran forward, throwing his arms around Genevieve’s neck, his momentum swinging her away from Caiden. “Oh my god! Are you okay!” he asked, crying as he checked her over from head to toe.

“I’m okay, Caiden got to me before they could do anything,” she said, hugging her best friend close.

Arlo kissed her forehead, then launched himself at a stunned Caiden. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” he said, weeping.

Caiden did his best to maneuver Arlo back to his feet.

Troy walked up to stand next to her. “Is this a normal response or should I be worried?” he asked.

She smiled. “Before you, me and my sister were his only family. I think this is okay.”

Troy simply took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

She looked around at the devastation the Ironwoods and Ashleighs left of the enforcer building.

“I know I was just in a cage but seeing you all here I feel safer. I know that even if I were taken again in the future, you all would come for me.” She paused.

“Being with you makes me feel safer, but I wonder if this place will ever feel like home.”

She pulled Arlo off her mate and gently handed him off to Troy. She looked up at her mate. “I love you, but I hate it here.”

Caiden nodded slowly. “I understand.”

“I wish we could live in éire Danu, that wasn’t as scary,” she whispered and buried herself as close to his body as she could physically get.

Kyran walked over dusting off her backpack. He handed it to her. “What would make you feel safe living here?” he asked.

She was about to answer when they heard the sound of marching feet heading toward them. From the direction of the castle, the Witches’ Council appeared looking harried. From the opposite direction, the Elder Council was approaching, his father striding toward them, his face twisted in anger.

They converged at the site where the enforcer building used to be.

“Caiden Ironwood, you’re under arrest for murder!” Ruadh shouted, pointing to where Thax was still draped over the iron bars like a macabre decoration.

“You do not have the authority to make any arrests!” his father yelled back, placing himself between the Witches’ Council and his sons.

“How dare you!” Ruadh exclaimed, pointing a finger in Marshall’s face.

Daia pulled Ruadh back. “Elder Ironwood, you are obviously acting from a heightened emotional state. But even you cannot deny your sons acted rashly.”

“Rashly?” Kal Galloway, the shifter elder for Storm Keep demanded. “If my mate was taken from me, I would have been flinging body parts, not whole bodies at your windows.”

Caiden eyed the rest of the Elder Council.

Mr. Compton stood off to one side, breathing hard.

The older man must have run to intercept and update the Elder Council on all he heard.

Caiden turned to Thane, then cut his eyes to Mr. Compton.

Seconds later a hazy mist effectively made the man invisible.

He saw Heath break away from his unit heading toward Mr. Compton.

Caiden sighed in relief. Heath would get the older man quickly and secretly to safety. He would never want the man punished for helping to save his mate.

“No matter how you spin this, killing a man for detaining someone is murder,” Varan said, pointing to where the units were standing at attention. “Caiden, you abused your authority ordering your men to kill for you.”

Aiden stepped forward, his muscled body still expanded with his anger. “They acted on my authority not his. I gave the order to do whatever was necessary to retrieve a unit warrior’s mate. Your enforcers caused their own deaths when they refused to hand her over.”

Varan took a step back from Aiden. “You do not have the authority to give orders to unit warriors in Storm Keep.”

Aiden’s eyes shifted to pure black. “Since when?” he asked, his voice deepening.

Varan looked to Thad, who stepped forward. “What my council brother means, is that we were under the impression that your position was nominal in nature. Giving orders whilst in Storm Keep oversteps your bounds.”

Aiden swung his head to look at Thad. “I beg your pardon?”