Under the Blood Moon~ The Guild Leader Chronicles Book Two (COMPLETE)

Prologue

Under the Blood Moon

Prologue

For two thousand years, I have sacrificed everything to restore the balance of nature falling in love with Cauis has torn apart. I have given up our own time, our own bodies, and our own sanity. When Cauis mated with me four months before Gaius Julius Caesar was assassinated, I never thought our lives would turn out the way they have. I never imagined that not only would I nearly destroy our lives, but instead, I would completely destroy the life of our best friend, Septimus.

It should have been impossible for us to mate. A witch and a werewolf don't mate. Werewolves mate with their own kind, always. Well, that is until I saved his life during a bar fight. In return, Cauis saved mine when his attacker stabbed me in the side by taking me to the Master Warlock at the time. Master Druses preformed a powerful spell, bringing me back from the dead. That same spell I have needed to use on Cauis. It was as Master Druses laid his hands on me did he learn of my own powers. From that day forward, he taught me everything he knew. He became my mentor in so many ways. Within just two months of his teachings, I became more powerful than him. As I came into my own, my feelings towards Cauis deepened. I had not seen him the whole time I was studying under Master Druses, but he was always in my heart.

On the night of our friend Septimus' wedding, we sat beside each other. By the time the ceremony had ended, I knew I was in love with him. Just him being beside me sent sparks flying around my body. There had been this charge between us, that only intensified when he took me in his arms on the balcony after. Sometimes, even today, I can still feel that kiss, even though I'm no longer in my own body. It was during that kiss that Cauis realized I am his mate. The thought terrified me. I knew what the consequences of being mated to a werewolf were, and they happened. The powers shifted in favor of the werewolves, leaving the vampires desperate to survive.

Once Cauis and I completed the bond, things began to happen. I saw the fall of the Roman Republic before it even happened. I saw the pack that came to us when word spread about our bonding be brutally slaughtered the second Glabodus and his men joined Cauis' ranks. I saw Cauis, Septimus and I go into hiding. For weeks we traveled from one wooded area to the other, just trying to stay one step ahead of the vampires who were out to kill us.

It was while in those woods, I had a vision of a prophecy. A prophecy that would allow us to restore the broken balance. If a witch and a werewolf can mate, then so should a werewolf and a vampire. Only problem with that was the fact that it wouldn't happen for another two thousand years. Knowing this, I used all my magic to create a reincarnation spell that would wake the three of us, in the body of another, every two hundred and fifty years. The decision to link Septimus to Cauis and I is a mistake I continue to live with. He didn't deserve to be torn from his own mate, and unborn child, even if he did it willingly. In a moment of weakness and terror of what laid before us, I feel as though I forced him into the curse the reincarnation spell was. Before I cast the reincarnation spell, I created a Council of the four Regional Alphas at the time, in order to ensure the three of us would be able to take control of our hosts' bodies after Cauis and I found each other again. To ensure their loyalty, I mixed mine and Cauis' blood with theirs during the spell, making us their Guild Leaders. Our word is absolute. To any wolf.

It wasn't until we woke in 2017, myself in the body of Hope Stevens, Cauis inside Miles Roberts, and Septimus in Eric Davis, did our real work begin. We all knew who the other was, even though none of us had control of our hosts. For some reason, there were times in some of his hosts, that Cauis was able to control them. Hope had saved Miles exactly how I saved Cauis, only modern medicine made it possible for her to live, instead of magic. As soon as Cauis saw me again, he forced Miles to mark Hope. They completed the bond shortly after, and learned about the legend of Cauis and I. Every werewolf knew parts of the myth about us, the Council leaving out key points over time to protect us. Thankfully, they were able to preserve the summoning potions that would bring us to the surface, along with Septimus. Cauis and I hated the idea of taking over Hope and Miles' bodies, which lead me to create a world for them. Hope, Miles, Eric, Eric's mate Abigail, and Hope's family were all sent there. I just didn't realize that by doing so, they would be the only ones in that world. In my defense, not that it's an excuse for the poor judgment, I was under a lot of stress at the time.

When we gained control of their bodies, we quickly found the werewolf who the prophecy foretold, and let me tell you, we were not thrilled. Luke Davis, Eric's older brother, had been an Alpha, steaming from Septimus' son's blood line. After Hope and Miles completed the bond, Luke came after Hope and I. He nearly killed us thinking he could harness my powers. Had it not been for Miles and Eric, I would not be alive today, and neither would Hope's family. Somehow, that night, Hope was able to get Cauis to not kill Luke. She didn't know he was in control at the time, not knowing anything about us, other than simply our names. As soon as Cauis saw him, in full control of Miles' body, he intended to kill him. When Cauis grabbed him, he just knew Luke was who we were looking for. Luke had been, difficult to say the least, when we told him his destiny, forcing us to take matters into our own hands, but Cauis was able to get through to him eventually.

I had learned I was with child when Cauis took Luke into town to talk some sense into him. They stopped at a baby shop, Cauis wanting to get me a gift. From the vision I had shared with Cauis of Luke's mate, and vampire, Cauis knew it was the woman who owns the store. The first meeting did not go well. In fact, Nikiya successfully killed Cauis. Only with the help of Septimus' full blood line was I able to bring him back. Being stabbed is one thing to be brought back to life from. Dying because of a vampire bite is something else entirely. I wasn't strong enough to save Cauis without their help. But together we were able to bring him back, and have Luke and Nikiya mate. Ever since Luke kidnapped Hope, his brother Eric has hated him. In order to get Luke to even agree to mate, he demanded I bring his brother out of the prison world I had put him in. While in their world, I ran out of time, and was unable to bring Abigail back with us. I made it possible for Eric and Abigail to talk through their link, a vowed to release everyone from the prison world.

After Luke nearly killed me, again, when he completed the bond with Nikiya, turning him half vampire, did we all realize that just them mating would not be enough to restore the balance. Nikiya's father, Roman, has a direct link to the vampire council, called Vamtorus. He set up a meeting for Cauis, Luke, Nikiya and I. There, we met John, the Vamtorus leader. After preforming a spell that allowed Nikiya to get pregnant, John formally ordered all actions against werewolves to stop.

Cauis and I were able to bring our son, Valerio, into this world in peace. Then, I was finally able to cast a spell that brought Hope, Miles, Abigail, and Hope's family, back into our world. However, Cauis and I learned from John that there is a group of wolves, who call themselves Anubis, believing they should retaliate against the vampires. Ever since our mating, vampires have been out for every wolfs blood, nearly killing us all. For two thousand years, vampires have hunted and annihilated our kind. I understand Anubis' desire to lash back, but at what cost?

For the last five years, since Cauis and I married after the birth of our son, I felt as though our group has never been stronger.

I just never imaged that with how powerful we have all become in the last five years, after everything each one of us has been through, that one of us would fall. As Septimus lays dying in my arms, unable to do anything, my world begins to shatter.

Nothing will ever be the same again.

~Stefanie