Chapter 18 – Butchers

BPOV

The howl of wolves was almost musical. Their music was lovely, but it meant trouble. Gregori stood by the door, staring out into the night. His silver eyes were menacing as he watched the darkness. Mikhail and Jacques went to stand with him, staring off. None of the m moved, as they almost studied the trees. There was a scent of danger in the air and it was getting closer. Raven and I stood together, waiting for someone to speak. The minds of the men were blocked off, making sure we didn't hear any of them. Jacques glanced back, seeing my motionless form, "Angel, take Raven and lock yourselves in your study." I didn't move, "What's going on?" His shoulders shuddered, hearing the wolves again, "Go now!"

His voice was a growl, making me jump. Taking Raven's hand, the two of us went down the hall into our study and locked the double doors. The doors were large, keeping us inside the confines of the room. The stillness and silence of the castle was terrifying. The howling of the wolves and the wind added to the terror. Mikhail, Jacques and Gregori were gone, leaving us alone in the castle. Before this, the castle, our home was a haven. A place of safety and security, but now, with danger looming, it was a foreboding place to be. I wanted to get out and run, but Raven and I were stuck inside. Safeguards were formed over the room, not letting anyone in or out.

Raven's foot tapping echoed through the room as she sat in the armchair, "I wonder what's wrong? Mikhail and the others were very upset." My shoulders jerked once, "I don't know." I remained by the door, hoping to hear something. Jacques never wanted dishonesty between us, but blocking me out of his mind was worse than being lied to. The clock ticked off the hour that had passed, then the second one. It felt like days we've been in here; not hours. Raven and I settled onto the floor, sitting by the blazing fire. The heat was comforting, but it didn't help soothe things. I moved my player over the chess board as we tried something soothing and familiar. The chess game was a bit tense for me as I could still feel Jacques's anger. His thoughts were still quiet to me, though his emotions were very strong. He was worried and ready to defend his home.

Bella, angel, stay in our home. My eyes looked at the door, feeling him right behind them. I half ran to the doors, hoping to open them, but I could feel the safeguard growing stronger around the room. He wasn't in the house, physically, but I felt him nearby, You must remain here with Raven.

Jacques, where are you going?! The safeguard drifted along the walls of the room, sealing the windows and the glass doors to the courtyard. Raven gasped as the fire was snuffed out and a gate slammed closed in front of the open space. She stumbled to her feet, knocking down the game pieces and looked around the room. Our eyes met across the room. She remained motionless, but her eyes betrayed her silence. She was speaking with Mikhail.

Jacques, please tell me what's going on? The safeguard was too strong for me to get out. Please don't leave us alone. He was already gone into the night. Raven's ragged breathing caught my attention, "The fanaticals are near. They're coming for us." My mouth fell open. My hands pulled at the door handle, but the door didn't budge. "I thought we were deep in the mountains?" Raven's body slumped back to the floor, "They've been tracking us for weeks." I went to sit with her, resting her head into my lap as she cried, "Mikhail and the others went to stop them. They do not want the hunters to know where our home is."

Her sadness came over me at the thought of Jacques facing those murderers. "Bella, I can't lose him," Raven said through her tears. My own tears began to form, And I cannot lose Jacques. They'll come home to us, Raven. All of them will. Jacques, Mikhail, Gregori, Vlad and Byron went to defend our way of life and our home. They will all come back.

The howling wind went on; unbearable and tortuous. The wolves ran across the land, with Jacques and the others. They moved together being of one mind. Raven took up a book and I sat at my laptop. My fingers clacked over the keyboard, not typing anything. Neither of us wanted to speak, but rather we listened for something; anything to alert us to Mikhail and Jacques being nearby. I hadn't done any of my work in a while. It wasn't that important to me anymore. I said to myself that I had time to finish earning my degree.

A warning or battle cry would have been welcomed, but there was nothing but the wind. Inside, it felt like I was falling apart. Jacques's mind kept me out, not letting me hear or feel anything form him. Maybe that was a good thing. If he was in pain, I would rush to him, but I was locked inside. My fingers pulled at my hair, inflicting my own pain. Something to let me know I was still alive. Jacques wasn't hurt. He was coming home soon. I had to believe that. Outside, the trees bristled in the harsh wind. This was driving me insane as another hour passed.

Raven got up quickly, dropping her book to the floor. She looked around the room. Her eyes feel on me for a moment. She held up one hand, One moment. In her other hand, there was a bottle of powder. Where'd she get that? My eyes narrowed as she frantically moved around the room, shaking out the white powder along the doors and windows. What are you doing? The white bits clung to something invisible to my eye. I could see the faint bricks appear as the powder clung to them. My mouth fell open seeing the wall that was the safeguard. She breathed wildly, "This was what I learned to get out of Mikhail's safeguards." She continued to shake the powder in front of the glass doors, but there was nothing; no invisible bricks. Raven tried the handle and the door swung open easily. The cold wind blew into the room. I jumped from my chair to close the door, "Raven, don't. We can't go out there."

Bella, Jacques's voice came out of the silence, but it brought no relief. Go with Raven and get to my truck. You have to drive to town. He was alive, but struggling in a fight. I wanted to go to him, to find him. No! Leave now! Raven looked at me, squeezing my fingers. Something was wrong.

Ladies, this was Gregori's voice, you must go now. Byron is in the truck and he's badly injured. Take him back to the house. We'll find you after. Please, go.

Raven pulled my hand and the two of us ran into the night. The cold, harsh wind stung against my face as we ran. I glanced back to the open door we left. My hand drifted, closing the door, so no one but our family could enter. The marble floor of the courtyard echoed off our shoes as Raven pulled me through the door, leading to the outside of the castle walls. Raven breathed heavily as we pushed against the door, Come on, Bella! The truck was closer than I thought it would be. It was parked behind the castle, just out of sight. The door was ajar, waiting for us to get it. Let's go! I pulled Raven into the cab. The truck brought the promise of seeing Jacques, but I knew he wasn't there. Raven jumped into the passenger seat, looking around frantically. Byron! He was laying on the flatbed, not moving, holding his side. I looked back to see the large man breathing slowly, holding onto his waist. His teeth were gritted as he laid there. "Bella, you drive!" Raven climbed over the seat to tend to Byron's wounds. The engine started on its own, but the lights didn't come on. Please go, my love. Leave now!

The drive wasn't as smooth as when Jacques drove. The trees seemed to move, covering our path as the truck went down the mountain. Raven held Byron's head against her chest. "No Raven, I can't take from you." His voice was broken and weak, "You need your strength. Put me in the ground when we reach the house. You know what to do. Then you and Bella must go to ground yourselves, so they will not find you." Raven looked at me through the rearview mirror, sharing the same thought; I was not going into the ground. Raven and I shared that fear.

"Byron, what's going on out there? What's happening?" I asked. Byron groaned from the bump in the truck, "I cannot tell you." I wanted to make the drive as smooth as possible, but it couldn't be helped. All I knew was that I had to hurry. "Byron," I pleaded, "don't leave us in the dark. We have to know what's happening. We might be able to help." His breathing was hard, trying to keep a tight hold on his wound, "It was an ambush; at least thirty of them." Raven gasped in horror, "Mikhail!"

The tallest peak of the house came into sight. My eyes made out the difference from the treetops, "We're almost there. Byron, just hold on." The truck slowed to a stop at the huge closed gates. The glove compartment, Raven informed me. After fumbling in the dark, I found the button pad. The large iron gates swung open and I drove up to the same place Jacques took me. "Stay with him, Bella. I'll open the house." I took Raven's place as she got out of the truck. Byron leaned against me and I really saw him. He was still bleeding heavily. The cold air was seeping in and I leaned over him. My hand rested on his, "Oh no, what did they do to you?"

He gritted his teeth, wincing in pain, "Shot me. I must keep Raven safe. They know who she is. The hunters want her and Mikhail, knowing that they are our leaders." I looked out into the night, "Why Raven?" My mind scanned out searching for her. Raven was fussing with getting the side door open, unraveling a safeguard. Byron swallowed hard, then groaned, "Because she aided in the death of some fanaticals a few years ago. They were going after Eleanor when she was pregnant, but Raven stopped them. It's their families coming after her."

Raven came running back, pulling the back door open, "Come on! I have everything ready." Byron moved his legs, but I didn't let him hold up his own weight. His large arm went around my shoulders and Raven took the other. It took us a while to get him inside, but finally we did. The wind howled harshly down the mountains. Byron lifted his head, "Some of them are near the gate!" The sounds of angry voices came from the trees. Raven tried to move Byron even faster, "No, they found us!" Jacques! Where are you? There was nothing. He wasn't there. Oh God, was he dead?

Inside the opulent house, everything was cloaked in darkness. Raven led us down to a low level in the house. It was below the basement, underneath the bedchambers. "We're almost there," she comforted him. Byron tried his best to walk, but it was becoming too much for his weary body. He was losing too much blood. In the low chamber, a trapdoor was open in the floor. The smell of fresh earth came from it. Byron would have to go to ground there. "Is there any blood in the house?" I asked, wanting to help.

There were the sounds of battering on the iron gate and yelling came from outside. Byron groaned loudly, not wanting us to move him anymore, "No, hide yourselves. I'll hold them off." Neither of us listened. Byron would try to fight them off, which would only cause his own death. He would risk his life to protect me and Raven. "Don't you dare try to boss us around, mister. You're going down there," I said, pulling at his arm. Byron allowed us to lower him into the trapdoor. My senses spanned out feeling the hunters getting through the gates. One of them walked with a sledge hammer. This one was banging at the thick wrought iron gate. They were coming for Raven and Byron. They didn't know about me. Raven was laying Byron on the fresh earth and removing his blood stained shirt. Byron, stop being silly. Mikhail will understand. She began packing his gashes with earth fresh earth and drifting her tongue over his skin, mixing in the curative properties we all had. She was focused on saving Byron.

I was stronger; I could survive this. If I was able to keep my heart going after James's attempt to beat me to death, I could handle a human attack. Raven was busy making sure Byron was tucked away in the ground, hidden from the hunters. The fanaticals were on the porch, beating at the front door. They were getting in the house. "Find the witch!" their leader called out. The front door fell to the floor and the vibration shook through the house. None of us moved, terrified of alerting them to where we were. My mind felt the men above; anger, rage, the thrill of the hunt, drunk with power. Bella, come on. They won't find us down here. Raven was nervous enough about being in the ground. I looked at her, No, they won't find you.

With all my strength, I pushed Raven into the trapdoor. She caught herself on her hands, right next to Byron. Her blue eyes darkened with fear, Bella! NO! I shut the door, leaving them locked inside. The sounds of footsteps thundered above me. Moving as quickly as I was could, I pulled a rug over the door and left the room, locking it behind me. I tried my hand at making a safeguard. The bricks began to form in my mind, locking the door from the outside. Only Byron could get out of it, once he was healed. Outside the room, there was a ladder, leading up to the basement. I crept in quietly, not allowing any sounds from my movement.

Flashes of lights came from underneath the basement door. They were near the bedchambers. My mind reached out for Jacques's, but he wasn't there. I was alone. I can do this. I have to do this. They couldn't find Raven and Byron. My heart was pounding in my ears. My head shook for a moment. Why was I risking my life for them? I could run away and leave all this behind. I could so easily leave and get back to my life. I could go back to school and see my mom in her new house; go back to my human life. No, I couldn't. I can't leave Jacques. He would only find me. I can't let this happen. Jacques couldn't lose his brother and his brother couldn't lose his wife; that's why I was doing this. There was something else I couldn't deny. I loved Raven as a sister. Running away wasn't an option; it was too late.

The basement door burst open and beams of lights came into the room. I moved silently along the wall to hide under the stairs. They came down the steps and I prayed they wouldn't find the door to the lower chamber. There were more voices above; boisterous laughter and things shattering. "They're down here. I can feel it." An old man was leading them down the stairs. He was using a cane for support as he came down the stairs. "Marcus, are you sure?" The old man turned to look at the other one with him, "Very sure. They murdered my brother and the head vampire's mate was the cause for the death of my closest friend's son, Jacob. The woman is going to suffer." The younger man; tall, with dark hair and green eyes searched the room. His eyes fell on my hiding place, but didn't see me, "You said it was because of the man, Mikhail or something." The old man scoffed and turned his flashlight to shine in the young man's face, "Yes and he will suffer as he watches us torture and kill his bride. Then he will join her or maybe we use him. They want a live one."

The image of Jacques went through his mind; battered, bruised and bleeding. He was one of the men who held Jacques captive. Another man came down the stairs in a rush, breathing rapidly, "They're here alright. That truck's still hot." Four men began to search the room, getting dangerously close to the door. I couldn't let them find Raven and Byron. Bella, don't do this. Jacques will not survive without you. I shook my head, pushing out her pleas, Don't do this. They don't want you.

Forgive me, Raven. Moving as fast as I could, I sprinted up the stairs, deliberately making noise. The wood creaked under my foot, making them all turn around, "There she is!" The men followed after me. I pushed past another one, running through the kitchen. The rug skidded underneath my feet, almost taking me with it. My fingers grazed along the polished floor, running through dining room. "Stop the demon!" the old man called. A shot was fired, but it missed. The lamp I passed exploded from the bullet. I ran out the front door into the night. Hopefully, I could hide long enough for someone to help. Bella! Raven tried to reach for me, but I wouldn't let her.

A hand came out of the dark, hitting me in my chest. The breath was knocked out of me, stopping my escape. I fell to the ground, trying to breathe again, but it was to no avail, as one of the fanaticals stomped his boot repeatedly into my stomach. The reflex of throwing up was strong, but I didn't let it. No air reached my lungs as I writhed in pain. As the last kick made its impact, something snapped painfully in my chest; a rib. I coughed harshly, tasting blood in my throat. The pain of the rib was bad, but I've suffered through it before.

The assailant grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling me up from the ground. He held his arm tight behind my body, holding me against his, We caught a live one. His arm was against my injured rib, shooting pain through me. In the distance, the wolves howled again and I knew what they were saying. They were telling the others to come to the house. My hair was pulled backward painfully, "Well, look what I caught. And they said this would be hard." I laughed harshly, "I made it easy for you." My head was pulled back even further, hurting my neck, to look into his face. A cane thunked against the front porch, "Don't look in her eyes. She'll trick you and make you a slave of the undead." "Oh, please," I scoffed. The hunter tightened his hold and pushed me closer to the old man, "Is this her?" A bright beam of light flashed in my face, burning my eyes.

I tried to look past the light, seeing who these people were. I wanted to study their faces. The old man looked at me, "I thought she had blue eyes." He snorted, taking the light out of my face, "Damn devil, she changed her looks, trying to trick us." A crinkled hand pulled at my face, making me stare into the hazel eyes of the old man, "Well, we have his woman, so he'll come." I've waited years for this. He truly thought I was Raven. They would leave this place, believing that they got what they came for. "You're going to die, demon." I wanted to hurt this man, for wanting to hurt Jacques, Raven, Mikhail and me. They were my family and I wasn't going to let them be hurt.

The constricting arms tightened, pulling my arms backwards sharply. Bile filled my throat from the fiery pain of my injured rib, "So what do we do with her?" This one was enjoying holding me against his body too much. Another stood close to me, "Let's take her with us. I want to know what's so special about these creatures." The old man coughed harshly from his constricted air passages. "I think you're right, Will. A live specimen is something necessary. It's something we've always wanted. We can study her anatomy and her mate will come for her." Instantly, I fought against their hold, "I'm not going anywhere!" I had to ignore the pain for the sake of my life.

Jacques couldn't find me with these people. Seeing him the way he was when I found him, I couldn't let that happen to him again. Two men held my arms, trying to keep me still, but they weren't strong enough. One skidded across the floor from my strength. I was stronger than I thought. Clutching at the collar of the other one, holding me, I was ready to push him away. The old man took up his cane and swung it, knocking the handle across my face, "Harlot." I fell against the wall of the house, my hands smacking down on the paneling. My exposed cheekbone stung from the cold air. My rib was almost paralyzing. "Bring the coffin." My eyes widened from the order. Arms caught me again, while the sound of something heavy dragging across the ground was getting louder. The smell of fresh cedar came as the open coffin that was placed at my feet.

My body was pulled around the coffin. "Sorry, honey. You shouldn't be that uncomfortable," my captor held me, making me look at the open coffin, "you sleep in these things." The others held my legs, as I kicked and fought from being placed into the coffin. "No!" The ground shook from my scream. Where were Jacques and the others? The wolves told them what was happening. My mind drifted out, looking for his or any of them, but not Raven's. A sharp pang hit me in the head, "She's trying to call someone." My eyes fell on a man sitting on the front porch steps. He was leaned forward, his hands clasped to his temples. Could he hear me? He looked back and smiled, "Yes, I can. Put her in there before the others come." My wrists and ankles were tied together by silver chains. I struggled against their hold again. The silver did nothing, but it was still too tight. One of the men held a knife against my throat, "Look, we need you alive, so behave yourself!" My body was dropped into the coffin and my head banged into the wood.

I groaned in pain, "Let me go!" The one on the porch came closer. He leaned over me and held something against my skin. It was a needle, pushing a liquid into my body. The men laughed as they covered the coffin. My screams and kicks were drowned out from the nails being hammered into the coffin cover. My heart was racing to the point of pain. Where were they taking me? There was a loud engine. The coffin was being moved, bumping me against the walls. "Let me out!" Something hit the outside of the coffin, "Shut it up!"

The coffin began to vibrate from the truck's engine. It must be on the flatbed. Whatever the captor injected me with was working its course. Jacques said drugs didn't work on us, but this one did. The sounds of chains dragged over the lid of the coffin. "Hold it down tightly. We've got a long way to go." My mind drifted out again, looking for anyone before the drug consumed me. A force hit me, making me scream out, "Don't even try it. I'm blocking your thoughts. If you try it again, it won't be pretty."

My head felt like it was swimming. I tried to stay above the oncoming water, but it was pulling at me. Their psychic laughed, "Just enjoy the ride." The truck began to move. Tears stung my eyes and my breath hitched. What were they going to do with me? 'A live specimen?' I was nothing but an experiment. The drug was quick, pulling me away from consciousness. Please Jacques, be safe.

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JPOV

Their trail led to the house. The wolves' song alerted us to their whereabouts. The sun was coming up and their trail was getting lighter. Hours passed from finishing off the ones in the forest. They were getting smarter; laying barbwire on the ground and covering them with dry leaves. Byron fell prey to their trap and suffered a horrendous wound from their guns. "Mikhail, we have to get back. The sun is coming." My brother nodded once, straightening up from his prey, "Let's go." We four took to the sky. Gregori learned from these hunters, but it wasn't much. The view held no interest for me this night. My eyes only focused on the horizon, waiting to see the house come into sight.

The house brought no comfort. It stood in its place as an ominous warning. Below, the gates were broken down and tire tracks led to the front door. On the ground, there were several footprints, including one set that was smaller than the others. I feared the worse as we searched the house. Stay on your guard, Mikhail warned. Broken artwork and turned over chairs and tables were scattered across the room. Gregori and Vlad went straight for the lower cellar. Mikhail and I followed behind closely, ignoring the damage. Vlad was paused at the door, his hand hovering by the doorknob, "A safeguard?" He laid his hand on it, feeling its strength. This safeguard wasn't very strong, but it was enough to keep the humans out. Raven and Bella have created this.

With one movement, Vlad swept away the safeguard and the door flew open. Raven's ebony hair flew behind her as she fell into my brother's arms, crying. Gregori and Vlad went inside, seeing to Byron. Raven cried in Mikhail's embrace. I went inside and searched the room looking for Bella, but she wasn't there. No, no, no! Where was my woman? Mikhail held Raven's tear stained face, "They were in the house! They were in here. Mikhail, they almost found us!" I looked at her; a murderous glare at my sister's back. What had transpired here?

She turned her head toward me slowly, "She wouldn't listen. I tried to stop her." Raven's eyes were wide as she looked at me. Mikhail pulled Raven to his side, "Little one, what happened?" She gasped for a steady breath, "She pushed me in with Byron and locked the door. She wouldn't let them find us. They were looking for me. Mikhail," her voice paused. My body fell against the doorframe.

Byron was still weak, taking what Vlad offered. Gregori began his work on his wound. My glare turned on Byron. What good was he? He couldn't even keep both women safe? I trusted Byron for centuries and he couldn't do this for me. He couldn't keep my woman safe. Raven exhaled a shaky breath, "They took her. I heard her screaming. She kept me out of her mind, but I know." Raven fell into Mikhail's embrace, feeling weak. "Mikhail, what are they going to do to her?" My eyes shut, not able to take this. "They put her in a coffin and drove away."

Mikhail held his woman against him, cradling her head in his hand. Raven's mind told the whole story. Those monsters taking the woman I loved. The lady of my heart and soul at the hands of those butchers? Forgive me, Jacques, Byron's voice was nothing but a weak plea. She was gone before I realized her intentions. Vlad watched me, "We will find her, Jacques. She is strong." Gregori worked diligently on healing Byron. Mikhail comforted Raven, reveling in the feel of holding her in his arms. He kissed her hair and enjoyed the scent of her breath. My brother has had his woman for a decade, whereas I only had my beloved for a mere few weeks. Not to see the moonlight in her eyes, uncover her secrets or admire her beautiful form against my own; this cannot be.

The sky darkened with clouds, filled with thunder and lightning. The clouds blocked out the rising sun. I left the room, knocking into the walls around me. The ground was not steady beneath my feet. Brother, we will find your woman. This wasn't true. Bella was somewhere in the house; anywhere. I stumbled my way into the living room. The feel of the fanaticals' malevolence lingered in the room. There was no evidence of who they were. There was no one upstairs. She had to be outside. I came across the final nail in my proverbial coffin. The last shred of my sanity; her emerald ring was on the floor. With trembling fingers, I held the gem, feeling that she left her last words, I love you so much.

It built up inside me and threatened my very being; the insanity of the night. The fighting, warning Bella to flee our home and ending the lives of the butchers that threatened my family and homeland; what was it all for? I screamed, loudly I screamed to the heavens. Was this all for nothing? Why her? Why my innocent, beautiful Isabella? The one who found me in the darkest of places to only take my place? My screams shook the very earth and sky. No one, no one would know peace until I found her. I vow on my life's blood, I was going to find Bella, my lifemate. Those who took her would welcome the clammy hands of death when I find them.