Second Chance by Fate (Fated Apex Mates #3)

9. Enzo

Chapter 9

Enzo

L ike my brother, I want to charge through the balcony doors and take on the small coven of dark witches, but I can’t, not until I fully understand what we’re up against… and why.

Violet hangs her head from behind her protective shield, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking a weapon, but she’s on her own.

“I don’t understand any of this,” she complains. “You’ve had years to do this. Why now?”

“You’re forcing our hand, Violet. If you’d been a good girl and stayed away, no one would be the wiser, would they?” Marianne grumbles. “Your idiot Alphas would still think you’re the one responsible for their problems, and they wouldn’t be looking for other alternatives. Now, you’ve given us no choice but to react and take over, even before we’re ready. If not for your nosing around?—”

“I’ll leave again!” Violet protests, and my heart sinks at the prospect.

She’s only telling them what they want to hear, I remind Steele.

“It’s too late. And it’s time. You’re right. It has been years. We’re owed this territory. Their fathers were cruel, disgusting beasts. They treated the witches and warlocks like animals?—”

“These Alphas aren’t like that!” Violet interjects. “They work with us, with you!”

Marianne laughs hollowly. “Right. Like when they exiled you without letting you plead your case? No. They’re just like their fathers, and they deserve every bit of pain they have coming.”

“Then why wait?” Violet yells, her frustration overtaking her desire to stay calm. She sucks in air. “I don’t understand why you waited so long to act if you really believed this.”

Marianne giggles. “It was fun watching them chase their own tails, blame others, and lose respect among their packs and other Apexes. Their humiliation is just as good as taking their land, don’t you think?”

She turns to her little coven, and they nod in agreement.

Violet’s lovely eyes well with tears, but she doesn’t allow them to fall. “You don’t know them. They’re noble and kind. They will do anything to protect those they care about. Maybe their fathers were like that, but these guys?—”

“They only care about finding their fated mate. You really think they care about you, Violet? If their mate showed up today, they’d kick you right back out again.” She stares intently at Violet, a small smirk toying on her lips. “You know I’m right, too, don’t you?”

Violet looks down, and my heart cracks as I realize she believes it.

“Stay with us. We won’t send you away. We don’t need you to be mated to us to care about you. We wouldn’t exile you without any proof of wrongdoing,” the dark witch tries to convince her.

Oh, Violet, I’m sorry…

I glance at my brother, and his shame is just as evident as mine. Suddenly, I wouldn’t blame Violet if she did turn on us.

“You practice dark magic!” Violet scoffs, whipping her head back up. “I would never join forces with you! You’ve created nothing but havoc and chaos since you arrived in Dusty Woods!”

“Rightfully so,” Marianne replies smugly. She’s unapologetic. “And if you aren’t with us, you’re against us. That’s why we never trusted you.” She plops onto the bed and sprawls out. “But that’s okay. We’ll wait until that shield comes down.” Nodding toward one of the other servants, her smile widens. “Call Alpha Enzo and inform him that there’s an emergency here with his little house guest. If they want to see her alive again, they better get their asses back here. It’s time to end this and claim what’s ours. And with the curse we put on them, they are no match for us.”

I turn my head back toward my brother, but before either of us can communicate or move, an intense burst of wind rushes through us, knocking us both back.

Jax lunges through the door in tandem with the whirlwind of magic, surprising the witches. The mini-tornado whips through the room in a black vacuum. I barely know which way to look, but I know we need to seize the opportunity while the witches are caught off-guard.

Unable to wait another second, Steele and I rush forward, joining the chaos before our brother can be attacked, even though I’m not sure what’s happening.

“Bitsy, be careful!” Violet shouts, extending her hands. Bolts of lightning flash from Violet’s palms toward the shocked dark coven, and their bodies are collectively driven back against the wall.

Another body materializes through the cloud of smoke, her magic flashing incessantly, lashing out at the dark witches while my brothers and I jump in for the attack. It doesn’t take long to understand that the whipping wind tunnel is on our side.

Jax leaps for Marianne’s throat, the witch howling in distress as Steele and I take on the driver.

“You won’t get away with—” Marianne tries to shriek, but she’s unable to finish her sentence.

Jax’s teeth sink into her jugular as I take on one of the other servants attempting to flee. A swirl of black magic hangs over us, the clash of dark and bright light smashing around the room and destroying the walls, plaster crumbling around us.

Fur flies as I lose sight of where my brothers stand, my need to protect Violet and for vengeance overriding all else in my primal state. Through my peripheral view, I notice the golden glow of her protective shield fading away, the shroud losing its power, but the worst of the danger is under control.

More screams echo through the room until suddenly, blissfully, there is silence.

Breathing heavily, I stand back, my brothers flanking either side of me in their animal forms as we take in the scene before us. My head swivels around to look desperately for Violet, and I exhale with relief to find her unharmed, still enshrouded partially behind her shield of golden protection.

Shifting into my human form, I rush to her side.

“Are you all right?” I ask, my heart thudding wildly as I touch her.

Beads of sweat pop along my hairline, my pulse racing like I’ve never felt it before. Our eyes lock, and abruptly, I realize it has nothing to do with the exhilaration of the fight. Her gaze fixes on me, her lips parting and her eyes glowing like she’s spell casting.

As if they’re possessed, my brothers join my side, morphing back into their human bodies, too, their collective heartbeats roaring in my ears.

“Hi! I’m Bitsy,” the newcomer calls out. I can’t tear my eyes away from Violet’s face as the sky outside rumbles. Bitsy inhales sharply. “Oh.”

Comets streak the sky, their tails painting the daylight oddly, but I’m still captivated by Violet’s face, like I’m seeing it for the first time. The dull throb in my chest intensifies as I reach out through the shield to stroke her cheek, the effort easy. Electric sparks fly from my fingertips, the tightness around my ribs closing to squeeze at the pulsating glow around my heart. Blood rushes through my ears.

“It’s you!” I cry. “You’re our mate!”

A rumble of distant thunder seems to confirm my determination as Jax and Steele step to either side of her. There’s a rhythmic thump of tribal drumming from somewhere, but I can’t tell if it’s inside me or around me, a headiness overwhelming me as everything but Violet dissipates.

“Er… we’ll do intros later,” Bitsy decides. “I’ll see myself out. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Violet shakes her head in disbelief, biting on her lower lip.

“I-I can’t believe it,” she says, cocking her head toward me.

I catch her lips on mine, unable to keep myself away from her now, the pull astronomical.

The shield falls away now that she’s in no more danger, her hands reaching up to pull me closer, and I crush my mouth harder to hers, every atom of my body responding to her. She pulls back slightly to shake her head again. “The curse must have kept us?—”

I stop her with another kiss, this one longer, harder, more urgent. I’m ready for her, and she’s ready for us, like always, but there is more need now, a desire to solidify our bond. Her nipples strain against my bare chest, hardening me more.

Steele’s hand finds the flat of her stomach as I push myself closer, wanting to be inside her, a part of her in every way. I release her mouth long enough to yank her shirt up, and Jax wastes no time taking his kiss.

“Of course you’re our mate,” he mutters, kisses raining down her neck. “We should have seen it. That’s why we found it so hard to let you go.”

Goosebumps erupt over her soft skin, and I take the opposite side of her neck, hand curving over the sweetness of her breast. Together, we guide her toward the bed, a few steps to the left. More comets jut through the air outside, but it’s the fireworks inside that have our full attention.

We take turns exploring her slender crevices, stripping away her clothing to make her as naked as us. One by one and together, we enjoy her as we have so many times before. But this time, it’s different. This time, she’s our fated mate, and we will all commit this experience to memory forever.

I center her on the bed, spreading her wide, and she splays her hand over my shoulder, nails digging softly into my skin as I bow my head lower to tend to her sweet-tasting center.

Steele props himself up, and she guides him into her mouth, the three of us falling into a natural rhythm, her mewls exciting me as she reaches her climax, clinging to me with one hand, my brother with her other.

I roll aside and allow Jax to take her first, my lips lingering at her rigid nipples, the celestial event outside reaching its peak with us.

“I have loved you all for so long,” Violet moans, her body arching upward as another release wracks through her body. Her spasms only arouse me more, and I take over from Jax as soon as he spends himself.

“You’re so beautiful, Luna,” I groan, and my brothers grunt in agreement, our rhythm increasing as we urge her into yet another climax. Her fingers tighten, and I clutch harder to her.

She pulls back from Steele’s cock, her slender neck straining as her entire body seizes with pleasure. In unison, we release, and I fall away, nodding toward Steele.

“She’s ready for you, Steele.”

Violet whimpers, beads of sweat dripping down her face, her body quivering with pleasure as my younger brother mounts her. Gently, I kiss her lips, staring deeply into her eyes.

“We’ve loved you, too,” I promise her. “And we’ll keep loving you always.”

Steele plunges into her swiftly, and Violet cries out as he digs his fingers into her hips, his thrusts hard and full. She arches her slim frame upward, and Steele groans once, biting on his lower lip.

A low, piercing cry fills the suite as Violet unleashes one final climax, and the thunderous boom outside is so close, it shakes the room with her.

In a trembling heap, we fall onto the bed, panting and spent. I curl against Violet’s sweaty form, ignoring the bodies on the floor, but Jax isn’t as easily able to forget about them.

“I still don’t understand why all this happened,” he complains. “Grateful as I am that the curse is lifted.” He kisses Violet’s cheek gently. “And I really am glad. I literally feel like a weight has been lifted off of me.”

“The sins of the father, I suppose,” Steele comments angrily. “We have to make sure we rule better than them so our kids don’t face this same kind of nonsense.”

I nod slowly. “I agree. I wish I knew what they did and why this happened, though.”

“If it’s any consolation, dark magic witches don’t always play with a full deck,” Violet offers. “They dragged this out for years and pulled me into it, too. Sometimes dabbling in dark magic affects your rationality.”

Steele props himself up on one arm and peers into her face.

“We’ll spend our whole lives making up for the way we treated you,” he murmurs. “I can’t believe you came back, despite all that.”

Jax frowns. “How did you know to come back?”

I want to know the same thing.

Embarrassed, Violet darts her hazel irises downward.

“About a year ago, I was visited by a dark witch in Miami—one of the servants here. She was asking all kinds of questions about you three, and it raised some suspicions, even though I was still so angry with you.” She pauses as we wait expectantly. “So I started looking into how things were going over here.”

Scoffing, Steele sits up fully, a playful grin forming on his lips. “And you gave us grief for looking into you! You were spying on us, too.”

She shrugs. “You were the ones who threw me out. I never wanted to leave. Of course I wanted to know how you were doing.”

My arms tighten around her. “We’ll never let you go again,” I promise.

“But that doesn’t really explain why you came back now,” Jax points out.

Violet frowns slightly, a look of nervousness overtaking her.

“I started poking around and asking questions myself,” she admits. “I couldn’t understand why a coven, particularly a dark coven, had any interest in Apex shifters. I probably aroused attention because I wasn’t exactly being discreet. Suddenly, the same witch was back on my doorstep, threatening me. She told me if I didn’t leave it alone, I was going to end up with a curse on my head, too.”

“Too?” Jax echoes.

“Exactly. I started to understand all the stuff that was going wrong over here. I sat on it for a while, but I couldn’t in good conscience let you guys suffer…” She trails off. “But coming back put me at risk, too.”

“Oh, Violet.” I hug her closer, shame overcoming me.

“And this Bitsy?” Steele asks.

“Oh,” Violet laughs. “She’s my best friend. She warned me not to come back.”

“She sounds like a smart witch,” Jax sighs.

“I don’t like her,” Steele grunts.

“She just saved our asses. Come on. We should go tell her the coast is clear and thank her for coming all this way—also at a great risk to herself.”

I’m reluctant to let Violet go, but she’s right.

We untangle ourselves from one another and hastily dress, stepping over the bodies of the dark witches in our path. The servants cower as we emerge, and I order them all out of town.

“No one is allowed back on the estate until a proper background check has been conducted. If any of you have information you want to share about the dark witches in our midst, now’s the time to save yourselves. If we find out later that any of you were in cahoots with these terrorists…” I trail off, and they hang their heads. “Get out. All of you.”

They shuffle out, and Jax eyes me warily. “Don’t you think you were a little hard on them?”

“Or not hard enough,” I retort, stalking ahead to catch up with Steele and Violet. “Don’t tell me they didn’t know.”

“ We didn’t know,” Jax reminds me.

A fusion of annoyance and guilt flames through me.

“We’re taking back our territory,” I tell him firmly. “We have a lot of work to do.”

I notice the rush of power instantly, and my brothers claim the same. Coupled with Violet’s matehood, I’ve never felt more in control of myself or the territory, and the next three months are fixated strictly on housecleaning.

“I’m sure we’re in good standing with all the Southern Apex packs now,” I tell the pack at our monthly meeting. “We won’t be met with any more rebellions.”

“And the dark coven?” one shifter asks brazenly. “Is that threat definitely eliminated?

I scowl at his boldness, but Jax answers for me. “They were a handful of rogue witches and warlocks—even for a dark coven. When their coven learned what they were doing, they made reparations.”

Violet eyes me, sensing my discontent on the whole matter.

“Are you sure?” the same shifter calls out, and I bare my teeth at him.

Violet stands from her seat and nods at me.

“May I?” she asks sweetly.

I exhale. “Go ahead.”

“Do you remember last year when your brother broke into that convenience store and bit that human clerk?” she asks the shifter.

He balks and stammers. “Y-yeah, of course. He went to jail.”

“It’s kind of the same thing,” Violet continues calmly. “That wasn’t done with pack sanctioned approval, was it?”

The shifter swallows visibly and sits back down as Violet stares him down. Jax snorts, covering his mouth to hide his expression as the rest of the Apexes chuckle.

“Sometimes beings go rogue. They get power hungry, or they get vindictive. They go crazy. It’s not the fault of the collective,” Violet explains, staring down the argumentative shifter. “That’s the case here. The matter is resolved, just like it was with your brother.”

He purses his lips and darts his eyes away.

“Any other questions?” Violet chirps.

“No, Luna,” the pack replies, and I adjourn the meeting.

They shuffle out of the pack house, leaving me alone with my brothers and Violet.

“You’re too good at handling them,” I tell her, shaking my head appreciatively. “I might just let you run the meetings from now on.”

“No, thanks!” Violet laughs, flopping back down on a chair. “I’ve already got a coven to run.” She stifles a yawn, and I realize how tired she looks.

Steele also comments on her exhaustion.

“I’m going to order takeout tonight and run you a hot bath,” he informs her.

“And I’m whipping out the massage oils,” Jax adds.

“That sounds heavenly,” she agrees with a warm smile, rubbing her eyes and sitting forward. “Don’t blame me if I fall asleep halfway through, though.”

“You deserve it, Violet. You’ve been going nonstop,” I tell her warmly, kissing her cheek. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

I offer her my hand, and she rises, stumbling slightly. “Oh!”

Concern fuses through me as I look at her, but Jax’s golden eyes brighten.

“Are you okay?” I demand worriedly.

“Just a little dizzy,” she confesses, allowing me to steady her.

Jax’s mouth opens, and Steele’s eyes pop. Understanding floods me as my brothers’ message hits me without either of them stating it directly.

“Have you been nauseous, too?”

Violet freezes, her eyebrows raising as she stares at us. “You don’t think…?”

I sniff the air around her and realize for the first time that her scent has changed. My brothers do the same, and excitement washes through us.

“You’re pregnant!” I breathe, sweeping her up in my arms. “Oh, my gods!”

Jax rains kisses over her, and we all embrace, relishing the thought of our future heir or heirs to the territory with awe and shock.

“I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me before,” she laughs, shaking her head. “I’m…” She pulls her head back and looks at us. “Are we ready for this?”

“Oh, yeah,” I promise. “We’re ready.”