Enchanting Winter

“Then we fight him.” Willow says simply.

“While I appreciate you enthusiasm my love, my father will not be alone, he will march with an army.”

“I will not let him take Winter Grove.” The Duke declares furiously.

“Then we need an army of our own.” Willow says. “I could ask Luke to help.” She offers and Cassius growls from next to her.

“We don’t need the wolf.”

“Involving the shifters is actually a smart idea.” The Duke says tapping his desk. “They often have a different type of magic. That mixed with their hatred for all things vampire could help.” The Duke continues.

Willow makes eyes contact with Cassius.

See?

“Careful love.” He growls in her mind.

“What about the other counties?” Willow asks her grandfather.

“They are on their way.”

A knock sound on the Duke’s office door.

Nicholas hurries into the room.

“I’m sorry for the interruption your grace. The vampires have send a scout and he has a message.”

“What is it?”

“He wouldn’t feel me. He said the message is for Lady Willow.”

A roar rips from Cassius’s throat and Willow grabs is arm.

“Cassius calm down.”

“This is a game or him Willow, any part of the father I knew is gone he will take pleasure in breaking me.”

“Then we won’t let him.” Willow threads her fingers through his. “Let’s go hear his message.”

At the very end of the cobblestone driveway, close to the outskirts of the forest a smirking vampire stands waiting for them to approach.

“Your highness.” The smirking vampire drops into a low over the top bow as Willow and Cassius near.

“Spit out your message.” Cassius snarls.

“It is for the lady’s ears only.”

“I’m not leaving her side.”

“Is she that helpless?” The vampire’s eyes trail over Willow and she finds herself growing irritated.

Willow raises her arm. She holds her hand out towards the vampire before squeezing her hand into a tight fist.

“He said, spit. It. Out.”

The vampire’s smirk drops as cold air rushes around him. For a brief moment fear can be spotted in his eyes as the oxygen is sucked out of the air by Willow’s ice magic.

“Fine.” The vampire croaks, Willow drops her hand and he rubs his neck. “The King wants you. He needs a new mate.”

“NEVER!” Willow has to hold Cassius back from running at the scout.

“Why me?” Willow asks and the vampire smirks yet again.

“He has grown interested in you.” He replies with a chuckle and a shrug.

“Because he knows I’d die without my mate.” Cassius adds.

“A perk.”

“You tell my father he is not welcome in Winter Grove and if he so much as touches a hair on Lady Willow’s head I rip his throat out.”

“You dare to threaten the Vampire King?”

“Yes we do.” Willow answers. She flicks her wrist sending a sheet of ice flying towards the vampire scout. He runs before it can hit him, darting at super human speed back into the dark depths of the forest.

…

Should I be worried? Willow thinks to herself knowing Cassius is listening.

“After the way you handled yourself out there? My love, you are a force to reckoned with.” He replies in her mind.

He looks up from the war room table and offers her a wink. Since the two returned the Duke turned the sitting room in a war room. Dukes and Lords from surrounding counties have continued entering. Everyone seems to have an opinion about the best way to handle the vampires. Willow was sent to stand in the corner early on when one of the other Dukes declared women shouldn’t bother themselves with talk of war.

It took Cassius repeating calming words in her head for Willow not to ice the sexist old pig.

“Lady Willow, I understand you went through quite an ordeal.” Joshua Mills takes Willow’s hand in his.

“I’m fine Lord Mills.”

“You needn’t worry about a brave face m’lady.”

Willow fakes a smile as a burst of ices causes Lord Mills to quickly retract his hand. Before he can question her everyone’s attention is turned to the doorway.

“Will!” Lukas Bane stands there disheveled as if he had run all the way to Winter Grove.

“Luke.” Willow greets him with a hug and Cassius growls in her ear.

“We are inviting dogs now William?” A pompous man clarifies from the table.

“Mr Bane is my guest at Winter Grove, if anyone is equiped to take on the vampires it is the werewolves.”

“Thank you, your grace. I’ve sent a message to my pack they are on their way.”

“Just what we need, more of that wet dog smell.” Cassius says snidely from across the room.

“Some would prefer wet dog over the smell of old blood.” Luke steps forward squaring off in front of Cassius.

Cassius lets out a snarl and Willow watches on as his irises shift from their bright blue to that deep red.

Drop it. Willow directs her thought to Cassius but his expression doesn’t change.

“Cassius!” Willow says loudly and his glowing red eyes shift to purple.

“I’m sorry your grace, I think I need a moment.” Cassius apologies to the Duke as he steps out of the room.

Luke nods to Willow and she is quick to follow Cassius. She finds him in the hallway arguing with Nicholas.

“I can’t fight him. I’m not strong enough.”

“You need to feed.”

“You have been training me my whole life Cass and Lady Willow returns and you change your whole way of thinking.”

“I’m in control.”

“Are you? It sounded like you were about to rip Bane apart.”

“Would that have been the end of the world?”

“Cassius!” Willow scolds interrupting the pair.

Cassius turns out Willow, his lips tugging up into a smirk that reveals his incisors.

“I jest my love.”

Willow rolls her eyes and directs her attention to the younger of the Black brothers.

“Nicholas, are you alright?”

“He is hungry.” Cassius answers for his brother.

“I’m just anxious Lady Willow. Once there is a plan of attack I will be much more comfortable.”

“You’d be more comfortable with some blood.”

“Let’s have this conversation somewhere else.” Willow takes both brothers by the hand and drags them towards the coat closet.

“Lady Willow, this is really inappropriate.”

Willow holds her wrist out to Nicholas.

“Here.”

There is red flicker in his eyes but it is gone almost as soon as it appears.

Cassius watches on silently.

“Willow I can’t-” He is cut off by hunger as Willow moves her wrist even closers to him. Nicholas looks to his brother but Cassius continues to watch the exchange without saying a word.

Nicholas lets out a growl before he latches onto Willow’s wrist. Cassius moves to support her as her knees slump.

“You sure about this love?” Cassius’s voice enters Willow’s foggy mind.

He needs it. She thinks in reply.

Cassius lets his brother feed for another minute before putting a stop to it.

“That’s enough Nicholas.” Cassius says sternly and Nicholas pulls back blinking himself out of his blood drunk state.

Cassius licks the excess blood from Willow’s wrist, his magic helping the bite mark heal.

“Is she alright?” Nicholas asks, his eyes panicked.

“I’m fine.” Willow’s voice is quite and her eyes are still shut as she answers him.

Nicholas rolls his shoulder and cracks his neck.

“How do you feel?”

“Strong. My magic even feels stronger.”

“Good.” willow says as she pushes herself up to standing. “That means you are ready to fight.”