I stomp a foot down on the ground, and the sound reverberates through the forest as if a thousand feet stomped all at once. The werewolf tenses, looking at me in fear. I haven’t been here in a while—at a place where I’m so tired, so frustrated, so sick of the same damn thing that I want to scream.
So that’s exactly what I do.
“I don’t have time for this!” I throw out my hands, and black energy comes from deep with me, shaking the trees and rippling through the forest. Birds take flight, wings echoing through the dark night.
And then all is silent.
Blue light glows before me, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s my eyes, glowing like an angel’s eyes.
“W-what are you?” the werewolf asks.
“What I am,” I start, speaking through clenched teeth, “is really fucking pissed off. What I am is someone who really needs a fucking vacation, but my plans keep getting interrupted by stupid, greedy assholes who take and take and take without thinking about how it impacts anyone else. There are nonmagical humans in this town, and we all happen to be quite fond of them. You start a war and it will affect us as well as them, and I won’t let that happen.”
Lucas speeds forward, sinking his fangs into the werewolf’s neck without warning. It startles me, but it’s over as fast as it started. The werewolf isn’t being held spellbound anymore, and he yells when Lucas’s fangs rip open his flesh.
“Take that back your pack master as a message,” Lucas says, spitting the blood out. Vampires spitting out perfectly good blood is quite insulting, saying you’re so below me your blood isn’t even worth drinking. “Tell her the witches and the vampires won’t stand for a war.”
“There doesn’t have to be any more bloodshed,” I tell him, shaking my hands to get rid of the excess energy that’s building around my fingers again. I don’t want to blow the forest up. I feel bad enough about chopping down trees on the new property to make room for the garage.
“But there will be if you don’t get the fuck out of Thorne Hill,” Lucas growls. He comes back to my side and slips his arm around my waist. “Like my wife told you,” he says, putting emphasis on the fact that we’re married. Werewolves and other supernaturals know about the history between vampires and witches…and how things turned out back then.
If vampires couldn’t defeat the witches, no other group of supernaturals could either. Don’t bring fangs and fur to a magic fight, basically.
“You are outnumbered. And you can tell your pack master no matter how many other packs she brings in, she will always be outnumbered.”
Scarlet barks, trying her hardest to sound menacing. The werewolf looks at her and lets out a snort of laughter. “Oh yeah, you and what army?”
“Funny you should ask that.” I flash a sweet smile as my familiars shadow around him. The werewolf is unable to keep the unease from his face. I’ll be the first to admit my familiars are terrifying in their shadow form, and Scarlet is just as scary.
I crouch down on the ground, petting my little wiggling puppy for a second before snapping off her collar. The air vibrates around us as she shifts from harmless puppy into menacing hellhound.
“Now go,” I tell the werewolf. “Before I tell her to chase you. I’m sure you’re fast, but I think my hellhound is faster.”
I snap my fingers and undo the magical binding on the werewolf’s wrist. He shuffles back, blood still dripping down his neck, and shifts from human to wolf. After one final look at Scarlet, he takes off, running away with his tail tucked between his legs.
“Fuck,” I huff, and Lucas takes my hand.
“If they know what’s good for them, they’ll leave town,” he tells me, trying to soothe my nerves.
“I know, but I don’t think they know what’s good for them.”
“Tell Tabatha in the morning. I’m sure the coven can do something.”
“Oh, they can, and they will.” I pick Scarlet’s collar out from the ground, letting her run back to the house in hellhound form. “We’ve always gotten along with other supernaturals, but over the years they’ve challenged us. Obviously, it’s a moot point. Mess with the witches and you get the, uh…fuck. I can’t think of a phrase for that either.” I rub my forehead. “I was trying to make a mess with the bull, and you’ll get the horns type of metaphor. I’m too tired to think.”
“We’re going inside and you’re going to bed.”
“I won’t fight you on that one.” I give his hand a squeeze and we all head back to the house. I hope Lucas is right. The weres will realize they are not only outnumbered and out-powered by the coven, but by our vampire allies, which is unheard of.