"Carter."
"Yes, baby?"
"Did you speak to your mother about us?"
"I did. Why do you ask? She said that you had already told her about our marriage?"
"I did, I just didn't really talk to her about it. Was she upset?"
He smiled and looked down at me as we walked hand in hand through the dark forest towards the hidden coven. "Does it matter?"
"No," I said looking away nervously. "Maybe?"
"You're cute when you're nervous." He laughed.
"Stop it. Seriously though, was she okay with it?"
He suddenly swooped me up in his arms. "Yes baby, she is happy that I'm happy." He kissed my cheek. "My mother is a good soul and she just wants to see us happy." I smiled as he kissed my neck.
"How cute was Leon before? I've never seen a vampire so happy to see his mommy. I was literally in tears."
"It has been too long for them. They need time to heal together." He said placing me back on the ground. "I hope after all this is over they can move on from the past."
I looked over at Leon and his mother as they walked ahead of us. They were deep in conversation and I could see that his mother was wiping away her tears. Leon was looking extremely nervous and cautious as he spoke and I knew how much he must be hurting right now. How do you apologize to your mother after you killed your own father? How do you move forward from that moment? My heart was breaking for them.
"Boss, I just got a report that the darkness was definitely seen on the other side of the forbidden forest. Henry has gone to check it out." Jake said running towards us.
"It is trying to kill the witches before they side with us," Carter said stopping and thinking for a moment. "How is this even possible? How is the darkness surviving without our blood? I just don't understand."
"Do you want me to go with Henry?" Jake said sternly.
"No Jacob, I need you here. If it figures out a way through the protection barrier then I will need you here with me. Get Callan and check everything from this side. If Henry is covering the outside then we will protect the inside."
"On it Boss," Jake said before turning to me. "If anything happens I'll find you okay." He said touching my arm. "Stay with the coven and I will find you." He suddenly ran off into the Forest.
"Carter, on a scale of one to ten. How much danger are we in right now? I turned to him to try not to show my fear.
"Honestly, I have no idea but you should know by now that we tend to always live in the ten zones." He shrugged. "Leon."
Leon stopped walking and turned back.
"It's here," Carter said sternly. "We have the perimeter surrounded for now. Jacob and Callan are searching from in here. Mother, can you warn everybody here that we may be under attack."
"Of course." His mother said suddenly running through the forest.
"What do we do?" Leon said looking.
"We should be safe in here. Callan will return to us once he has checked the grounds and then we speak to the coven. We can not waste any more time. We must stop it before it finds us."
"What if the coven refuses us?" Leon said calmly.
"We give them no choice," Carter said sternly. I just held Carter's hand tighter and tried to stay calm.
"Can you hear that?" Leon said suddenly making me jump.
"I can," Carter said looking around slowly like he was ready to pounce at any moment. He squeezed my hand and pulled me to his side. "Ebony, you need to stay close to me."
As if I would be anywhere else. "Okay." I clung to him tightly.
"What is that?" Leon said pointing into the shadows. "It's heading straight for us."
"Go check it out. I'll take Ebony to the coven." Carter said picking me up and running towards the mountains in the distance.
"Carter, what is going on?" I said as I wrapped myself around his body.
"I'm not entirely sure but I'm taking you to safety. You can stay with the coven until I return..."
"The coven? Why would they help me?"
"They are good people Ebony and they will protect you. It's creatures like me they despise not you. They will see the light in you just like I did the first time I meet you. Just believe in yourself and they will have no reason to harm you." He stopped running just outside a small cave entrance.
"Carter, I'm scared. I don't want to go in there."
"I know baby and I'm sorry but I need you to be safe." He cupped my face with his hands. "I can't lose you again. I don't think I would be able to recover if anything happened to you. I know that is selfish and I'm sorry but I can't do it." He kissed me softly. "Just stay safe and I will return to you."
"Okay." I nodded trying to be brave. "Just don't be go too long."
He kissed my head and sighed as he looked into the cave entrance. "They are waiting for you. I can hear them. They will not appear until I leave but I'll be watching from the shadows okay." He kissed me again.
"Be careful," I said as he pulled his lips off mine slowly.
"Always." He smiled looking at the cave again. "Take care of her until we figure out what is happening. She is everything good in this world and she is the most important being in my life. I promise to protect you all from this evil that is threatening our world but right now I just need to know that she is safe." Carter called to the coven inside the cave. "Please."
"The little one is safe with us for now." A voice said from the cave.
"Thank you." Carter sighed in relief as he nodded approvingly. "I am in your debt."
"Carter...."
"It's okay baby, they won't hurt you." He kissed my hand. "Go, go so I know you are safe."
I turned to look at the cave entrance and felt a sudden warmth take over my body. I felt the eyes of the coven on me as I stared into the darkness of the cave. I felt them calling to me ever so gently and softly like a familiar smell in the air.
"Come my child, we have much to discuss." The voice said softly. I looked back to see Carter but he was already gone.
"Quickly child, inside before the protection is broken and the creatures walk the forest once again." The voice said softly. "We will not harm you."
I took a deep breath, fought back the tears that so desperately wanted to fall, and walked towards the dark cave with my heart in my throat.
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A/N
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Alura Jasmine
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