Falling For Storm

Amara

“Eric?” I called out after noticing the change in his demeanor. He stood next to me as still as a statue, his eyes wide open. Gone was the ruthless warrior I fought side by side with moments ago. His facial expression was replaced by that of a vulnerable-looking man. They were vampires just like him, but from the looks of it, this was not their first meeting. He knew them, and it was not the kind where you simply say they were just acquaintances. I knew it was more than that. I could feel it.

“What’s happening?” Storm asked, mind-linking only me, and I shook my head in response to let him know that I didn’t have a clue either.

I could sense a bit of doubt in him while the rest of the pack snapped and growled at our uninvited guests. My mate made sure that no one moved unless he said so, and that was exactly what everyone was doing right now, though they would rather tear the vampires before us apart.

“Frate mai mare (big brother),” I called out once again, and this time his head snapped towards me, and we locked gazes.

I saw a few emotions flicker in his eyes for the briefest moment. Anger, confusion, fear, and anguish.

“Esti bine? (Are you alright?),” I asked with a concerned expression on my face, and he just shook his head slightly.

“He’s,” he started, but was interrupted by the largest and most menacing vampire of them all.

“Fiu (Son),” the vampire said to Eric, and I gasped in shock.

I looked at my brother questioningly while he stared back at me as if he were begging me for something. Our mother told us that his father died hundreds of years ago, so what exactly was going on? Who had been lying to whom?

“I see your foolishness has remained over the years. You’re still protecting your disgraceful mother’s mistake,” the vampire taunted, lifting his chin in my direction, and that caused Storm to growl in anger.

“How?” was the only word Eric was able to manage to ask, his face crestfallen, and the one who claimed to be his father studied his face with mocking eyes.

“Surely you didn’t think that I’d be defeated that easily. Can’t you see fiul meu (my son)? I made you the regent of my coven. You wouldn’t be where you are if it wasn’t for me, because you’re weak just like your mother,” he declared, his mouth twisted into a humorless smile.

“Join my cause and hand her over or die a painfully slow death!” He ordered, and the wolves started howling and moving restlessly in protest.

My head snapped back and forth, trying to gauge the situation. “How can this be?” Eric wheezed, his hands holding his head as if it were unbearably painful.

Without giving it much thought, I reached out to him and clasped his shoulder with one hand.

“Don’t let him get to you,” I whispered, but that didn’t help.

“I don’t like how things are turning out, Storm,” I said through the mind link.

“Based on sight alone, they’re outnumbered, but I don’t see them running away. I’m assuming they’ve got something up their sleeves or that they’re very powerful vampires,” he answered, and I nodded.

That was exactly what I was thinking, too. There was something very wrong here, so we needed to be smart about this. If possible, check every angle before exerting too much strength and effort. We were running low on energy and stamina, which was why we had to preserve what we’d got.

“Give her to me!” He shouted impatiently, and that made Eric flinch slightly.

He was now shaking his head from side to side as if he were trying to remember things, or maybe forget things. I didn’t exactly know what was happening, but I was sure as hell that, unlike sired vampires, pure vampires couldn’t be compelled. They have the right to free will, so I was just hoping that his didn’t waver.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dakota, now in her human form, move towards my brother. She touched his arm lightly and smiled reassuringly, which amazingly calmed him for a bit. Well, I didn’t know what that was about or how close they really were as friends, maybe, but as much as I wanted to know how that happened, we have more pressing matters to attend to.

“If you are willing to stand against me, then I can assure you that you are going to die with every single one of them!” Eric’s father roared as he charged at super warp speed in my direction.

I planted my foot back, ready to leap towards him, but Storm beat me to it. One second he was beside me, and the next their bodies collided like freight trains. My heartbeat accelerated as I charged at Eric’s father to help my mate out.

The remaining nine vampires charged at the wolves, and soon another wave of war began. I couldn’t even describe how gruesome this fight turned out. It was more brutal than the first. I could tell that they were too strong for most of us because they’d managed to kill a handful of our warriors and pack members already, so if this continued, and they still had backups, there was a chance we might lose this battle. However, we couldn’t give up now. I’m refusing to give up now. I owe this to them for bringing such bad luck into their pack.

“Attack as a unit; we’re not going to win a one-on-one battle. Outsmart them!” Storm barked, and everyone started changing their stance.

My heart jumped out of my chest when the vampire swung his fist at Storm while he was distracted, sending him flying a few feet back.

“Oh god! Storm!” I shouted, but I was nonetheless staring straight at the assailant.

“I’m alright,” he weakly answered inside my head.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, anger rose from deep within me. I thought about the people, wolves, and vampires who have died at their hands just to get to me. Memories of my parents being murdered flashed before me.

They died because of me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if any more harm came to those whom I cared about, so I charged, swung, and dodged as fast as I could, landing a few blows but not enough to knock him out. He was strong, alright, so I had to find a way to beat him, but how?