As soon as he and his pack crossed the creek, Gideon spotted Enola and her family. Seeing Enola gave him hope that he’d be able to get to her. But when she clutched her head and fell to the ground in pain, Gideon’s heart nearly stopped. The thought of Enola in pain gave Gideon the ability to run faster than he’d ever run before. He shifted mid sprint and rocketed towards his mate.

Once Gideon was within a few feet of Enola, she stood on shaky legs before falling to her knees. Gideon tried to leap over her and kill any and every threat. Unfortunately, Gideon bounced off of an invisible wall. He heard his brother’s yelp as he hit the ground. Gabriel had obviously run into the same obstacle. Witches from every direction had closed in on Enola and her family. They were chanting spells that were rendering the Roux women powerless.

Gideon watched helplessly as Enola screamed out in pain. When she reached out for him, and he couldn’t get to her, his heart nearly shattered.

No! No! No!

It was all too reminiscent of the day that his brother had lost the love of his life.

Gideon howled out his pain. He couldn’t bear to lose Enola. She wasn’t just another lover. She was his mate.

Gideon’s growl was so fierce that it shook the ground. Unfortunately, it did nothing to break the barrier between him and his mate.

Gideon was still scratching at the wall when Marie Roux stepped out onto the balcony. Her usual tight bun was no more. He long hair was flying freely behind her, and her elegant, white nightgown was dancing in the wind. She held her hands over her land and closed her eyes. She was chanting a spell that echoed throughout the entire population.

“NOLA!”

Marie’s call to her granddaughter was loud enough to rattle the earth beneath them.

 

* * * *

 

Enola screamed and dug her nails into the soil. When she looked up at Gideon, he was growling and pacing back and forth. She could tell that he was desperately trying to figure out how to tear through the wall made of spells.

Gideon lowered his large head to the ground and locked eyes with Enola. What felt like the equivalent of a spear through the brain caused Enola’s entire body to spasm. She hollered out in pain, regretting it instantly when Gideon began to whine like a wounded animal.

Enola was surrounded by enemies, but looking into Gideon’s sad eyes was more painful than anything that her enemies could do to her.

“NOLA!”

Her grandmother’s voice shot through her like electricity. Enola turned her head towards the house. On the balcony, her gran stood tall and strong. Her presence was ethereal, like and angel that floated down from a cloud.

‘Enola Marie Roux! You listen to me, child. You are not just human. You are also a beast. You are not simply a strong Voodoo priestess. You are THE most powerful being on this earth! You are the mystical Phoenix! Now, you get off of your knees, and tear down that goddamned wall!’

Marie raised her hands to the sky and unleashed a chant that blew over her like a hurricane. Enola clawed the dirt and looked up at Gideon. She stared into his eyes and pulled strength from his determined glare.

As her grandmother’s chant weakened their enemies, Ruby and Margo stood and joined in, providing even more power. Enola rose to her feet and stood in front of her family’s longest, most vicious enemy.

The priest.

The arrogance in his expression indicated that he was sure her family would be defeated. But Enola had a trick for his smug ass. She expanded her lungs with a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused on every witch in the vicinity, except for the priest. She planned to save him for last. She threw her arms up and released a scream that could probably be heard by the deaf.

Enola could hear the blood curdling screams of the witches and vampires that once surrounded her and her family. She opened her eyes in time to see several of them, covered in flames, frantically rolling around on the ground.

As they burned, Enola ignored the screams and turned towards the invisible shield. Since the witches were burning, the only one sustaining the invisible wall had to have been the priest.

Enola said a short chant and destroyed the wall, allowing Gideon and his pack to exact their revenge. Led by Gideon, the pack roared and shot past Enola and her family. They were ready for battle, but the battle didn’t last long. The wolves tore through every remaining vampire in sight.

Enola looked around her grandmother’s plantation. They were surrounded by blood and gore.

“The priest is getting away!” Ruby shouted at Enola.

Enola turned to see the priest hauling ass across the lawn. Enola took a step, but Margo grabbed her arm. “I got this,” Margo said confidently.

Enola squinted, studying Margo. How was she going to handle the priest?

Margo closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Stop,” she whispered softly.

To Enola’s shock, the priest actually stopped. Enola turned back to her cousin with her mouth wide open and watched her do her magic.

“Turn around,” she ordered. “Come back.”

The priest complied. As he walked back towards them, his pasty face was etched with pain. Enola could tell that he was fighting the compulsion every step of the way. But, apparently, Margo’s power to compel was too strong.

“What the fuck?” Enola muttered under her breath to Margo.

“What?” Margo shrugged. “Y’all gotta know everything about me?”

“She’s a siren,” Ruby said, astonished.

A what?

She didn’t get a chance to inquire out loud because the priest was standing in front of them, and Enola could see the evil in his eyes. He had set out to destroy their entire line for more than a century, and they still didn’t know why.

“Sit,” Margo ordered, walking past the priest.

The priest struggled against his urged to sit, but ultimately planted his ass in the grass. Margo walked over to Gabriel, dropped to one knee, and ran her fingers through his thick fur.

“He’s all yours,” she whispered to him.

Gabriel licked her chin and strolled passed her. The other wolves, including Gideon, stalked towards the petrified priest. Enola felt a strong sense of satisfaction that Gabriel would finally have his revenge.

‘Your time has come.’

Her gran’s voice in her head prompted Enola to turn towards the house. From where Enola was, she could see that she was smiling.

‘I’m so very proud of you, baby. I love you.’

‘I love you too, Gran.’

Enola smiled up at her beautiful grandmother. Knowing that she’d made her proud gave Enola a feeling that she wished she could have over and over again. Unfortunately, the feeling ended abruptly when her grandmother collapsed on the balcony.

“Nooooo!”