The Hunted

Chapter 42

Multiple POVs

Owen's POV

One minute Hecate is pointing at the trio, then the next she snaps her finger and disappears along with Kota, Nate, and Victor. The room erupted in chaos.

"Get them back!" Silas yelled at Gabe.

"How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" Gabe shouted.

"I don't know. Can't you go down there again and get them? Call Sam or something?" Silas said, his eyes filling with tears.

Gabe shook his head, "It doesn't fucking work that way, Silas. I can't go to the Underworld when I want. I only go when Sam sends me and only to help lost souls."

Again there was yelling and panic until Corey's voice startled all of us. He sat up from the couch and said quietly, "Move the table quickly." North and Brandon did as he asked when suddenly a swirling mix of lights and wind appeared and Victor and Kota fell from it onto the floor where the table had been only moments before.

"How did you know?" I asked, my gaze vacillating between him and Kota and Victor.

He put his hand over his heart, "It's like she pulled magic from me to create the portal. When they stepped through, I felt them and woke up."

I looked over to see Sean kneeling next to the two. That's when I noticed the blood seeping from Kota's shirt. "What happened?" Sean asked Victor as he ripped Kota's shirt open. "Where's Nate?"

Victor's face was pale, "Hades and Hecate used us as bait. Callie tried to get us all out using elemental magic. When she forced the two of them away, our chairs flipped.  Kota's splintered and stabbed him in the process." His hands shook, "Nate, Nate wouldn't come. He stayed with her to try and fight."

Nate's POV

My canines sank into her arm and I instantly wanted to claim her. It felt like a steel band snapping into place as our connection solidified. I pushed all of my skill and knowledge toward her as she gasped softly. "Ready?" I asked her.

Her eyes lit up when she answered, "Always." I grinned, that's my girl. "I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but I can't hold this much longer," she said.

I squeezed her hand, "It's okay. We can do this." With a sigh, she let the wind current disappear. Hecate and Hades looked furious.

"You'll pay for that you little brat," Hecate muttered.

"Stop this insane cause," Callie tried to reason with them. "I'm not who you think and your plan won't work."

Hades let out a loud laugh, "Oh you're exactly who we think. You're the blessed one - fertility goddess to a thousand lines, purity incarnate. The child I'm going to plant inside of you will be the perfect balance of light and dark. He will rule all the realms, and you, little girl will blindly obey for as long as I need. Then you will linger in the eternal well so that you can't reincarnate again."

I let out a low growl as I felt her stiffen next to me. "No," she whispered softly to herself, "please no." Her eyes seemed to flash silver for a moment then she shook her head. "You won't win," she said defiantly.

"We'll see about that," Hecate sneered and sent a wave of magic toward us, throwing us both backward. I saw Callie's head hit the large stone fireplace making her stumble and shake her head. My own body slammed into the wall next to the fireplace and I felt a few bones break.

Ignoring my own pain, I snarled and lunged toward Hecate as she came at Callie. I was so concerned with protecting my mate, that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings and blundered right into Hades's swing. "Not so fast, wolf. Bait isn't supposed to fight back," he glowered.

I cracked my neck and righted my jaw as I growled, my claws extending, "Good thing I'm not bait." He chuckled until my claws caught his pretty little god face, drawing deep gouges across his cheek. I didn't have time for this. I could feel Callie's pain and confusion. She must have hit her head fairly hard. I tried to push some of my strength toward her but found it difficult as I sparred with Hades. He was far more skilled in hand-to-hand combat than I'd anticipated. I could see flashes of light and sparks as the two women threw spells at one another. Her strength seemed to be returning so I turned my focus fully toward Hades.

"She can't survive," he taunted, "It's always the same ending, you know. Sooner or later she will get pregnant - if not by me then by someone else, and then her life will end. At least this way the child survives." A cold chill ran down my spine at his words. Would her carrying one of our children be a death sentence? Would we lose yet another mate and child? Her scream drew my attention as I turned and saw Hecate slice her arm with a silver dagger. Callie seemed to stumble, her eyes dazed. I called out to her.

Taking advantage of my distracted state, Hades lunged forward. I turned to block the attack but let out my own cry as his blade dove into my side. It had struck low enough to miss my lungs, but deep enough to cause blood loss. He held my body close to him for a moment, "Sorry ole boy, but I promise I'll take care of her. She won't hurt. Once she's in the well, it will be like she's sleeping." I grunted as he pulled the blade out, blood quickly pooling around me.

"Nathan!"

Author's Notes:  Thoughts?  I'm going by pure instinct right now...kinda directionless until the muses speak.