Volume 1.30: Spellbound

Type: Series

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: M

Characters:  witches, wolves, vampires
Word Count: 701

Glossary: 

Warning: language

Tell me who you are, I am spellbound

You cannot have this control on me

Everywhere I go, I am spellbound

I will break the spell you put on me

Spellbound-Lacuna Coil

For the first time in twenty one years the witches, vampires and wolves of Twinbrook were fighting on the same side, they had a common enemy now as they all rallied in Luca's living room, waiting for Cadence to break her spectral trance.

She was resting comfortably on a satin pillow in front of the fire place.  Everyone kept stealing glances at her, they were all worried about her, but as soon as one of them tried to approach her just to check if she was still okay, Luca immediately went in to attack mode.

The only people he allowed close to her were Sonja and Rachel, and only because they were tending to her wound.

He couldn't describe the relief he'd felt when Sonja confirmed her wound was superficial. Cadence was very lucky she’d transformed when she did; the bullet had just grazed her arm.

From his place on the floor, as he gently rubbed Cadence's fur to soothe her pained cries, he caught bits and pieces of the impromptu meeting. The witches and wolves wanted a tribunal hearing for Samuel and his hunters.

Luca didn't give a shit about the hearing. For the hunters' sake he hoped by the time Cadence took her human form again they would have long left Twinbrook for he would show them no mercy when he retaliated, he'd make Samuel watch while he slowly drained the life from his mate.

"Luca, I'm taking Cadence home now," Sonja's voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts.

"No! She's staying with me," his voice was stern, it brooked no argument.

But Sonja was just as stubborn. Things got tense very quickly as they got into a war of words.

Once again Luca and his clan were on the wrong side of the fence as the wolves rallied around the witches.

"In your crusade to see me fail you put Cadence’s life at risk when you neglected to warn her about the hunters. You knew they are insane, and they'd try anything to make sure I don't free Julian and you did nothing to keep her safe. You are just as guilty as them in my books. Cadence will stay with me until she recovers. And if she wants to come back home I won't stop her. In the meantime we can work out a visit schedule. But that's as far as my kindness will go," he addressed Sonja, ignoring Romulus and Rudi's snarls.

"Are you out of your mind? She's my daughter. You cannot keep her away from me," Sonja threw her hands out at Luca, preparing to curse on him.

She frowned when the spell didn't work.

Willow smiled at the Youngblood coven, “only my magic works in this house!" And to prove she’s telling the truth she conjured an energy ball and playfully tossed it around in her hands.

"Little girl you have no idea who you've jumped into bed with!" Luann screamed at Willow.

"But I do, and he's scorching hot,  in and out of it may I add!" She purred as she draped her arms around Andrew.

"I’ll stay, and wait for Cade to change back,” Rachel tried to diffuse the rising tension in the room.

The witches reluctantly agreed to let her stay, they didn't have much of a choice really, without their magic there was nothing they could do.

"I'll stay too," Rudi piped in. There was no way he'd leave Rachel alone with the vampires, no chance in hell.

The meeting broke up shortly after that. Sonja glared at Luca one last time before she followed her coven out of the door. The look in her eye warned Luca it wasn't the last he'd seen of her. But she was the least of his worries.

He turned to Cadence and picked her up from the floor.

"Love, why won't you change back? You're safe now; I promise you no one will ever harm you again. No one! Please come back to me? Please?" He kissed the top of her head, and Cadence just purred in his arms.

As Rudi and Rachel cuddled on the couch and listened to Luca sing to Cadence, they had the same epiphany at almost the exact same moment.  

There was no denying it; Luca was irrevocably in love with Cadence.

They wondered if their friend felt just as strongly about him, but more importantly what the implications were for all of them if she did…

_______

Note: The poll results are in:

• 49 people (84%) would love to see Ava dead.
•  5 (8%) prefer the law to deal with her. 
• And 4 voters (6 %) want her to be banished. 

Thank you all for voting. You have all sealed Ava's fate in one way or another.