Chapter Five #2
Bramley pushed his palms in Theo’s direction, sending him flying once again. Theo couldn’t even blink when he was lifted up again. Three more times he was thrown against the wall and he was just done. Theo groaned before coughing up blood and spitting it onto the floor under his hands and knees.
“That’s what I am looking for.” Bramley cackled.
Hanging his head, Theo’s eyes landed on the amulet that hung from his neck. Theo had forgotten about it. Not that it had done him any good in the fae realm. Still, it was a connection to his mates.
His mates.
Wylder.
Aleksander.
Dario.
And Mitch.
Theo was part of the chosen for a reason.
Closing his hand around the amulet, Theo closed his eyes.
“Giving up already?” Bramley taunted.
Theo didn’t focus on those words. Instead, he pictured his mates.
Wylder in his tank top and shredded jeans.
The smile on his face when he was teasing Theo.
Alek with his perfectly fitted suits and scowl when he was confused by something Wylder teased him about.
The vampire plus that had known his entire life that he had a destiny to fulfill but didn’t allow that to keep him from living.
Theo liked when Dario wore his soft sweaters that were perfect to curl up against. Dario might have all the money that one man could ever need but there was something in the way that Dario looked at Theo that told Theo he was more important than any amount of money.
And Mitch. Theo still remembered the night of their first sleepover where Mitch had shared a secret with him.
Mates.
Destiny.
Inside his palm, the amulet started to warm.
“Let’s finish this,” Bramley said cheerfully.
“No,” Theo whispered. He might not be a fighter but Theo was not going to give up. His mates wouldn’t quit on him. Theo wouldn’t quit on them.
He blew out a deep breath.
He heard another voice. A different voice. Not that of his brother with his taunts and dismissal.
‘Get up!’ the voice told him. ‘Get up!’
Theo didn’t know if he had the strength to even stand.
‘No one is coming to save you. You have to save yourself. Fight!’
Theo gave the amulet one last squeeze before he pushed himself up and to his knees.
From his knees, Theo was able to get his feet under him.
‘You have power! Use it. Save yourself.’
Did Theo have power? He was a cat that was up against the unseelie king. Except. Didn’t that make Theo unseelie too? The previous unseelie king was his father. His mother had risked her life to keep Theo safe. There was power in the love that his mother had for him.
During Bramley’s tirade he’d said that Theo’s unseelie powers had been bound. How did Theo go about unbinding those? Or in the meantime unleashing them enough to survive.
And he would survive.
Breathing in and out slowly, Theo faced his brother.
“Oh!” Bramley clapped. “The kitten has claws.”
It was time to use those claws.
* * * * *
Wylder
Inches. Wylder was just inches from the portal. If he could just get closer.
Two massive winged creatures stood in front of the portal, guarding it. Beside him, Alek was taking down enemy after enemy. Without a weapon of his own, Wylder was mostly trying to stay out of the way.
He was totally getting a sword after this. Wylder didn’t care what Mitch or Alek said. Yes, he was faster than a normal human. He could fight with his fists.
A horn blared in the distance.
Throwing his head back, Alek laughed. “Here comes the reinforcements.”
Wylder turned, barely missing getting a claw in the side. From around the hill, it appeared an army of their own had arrived. Carrying a white banner and led by Alek’s fathers.
Vadir was outfitted in black armor. Mahah was glowing in soft white light. Sebastian was juggling three light blue orbs. And Carson had to be the giant bear in shifted form. Tate was there as well. The human walked behind his mates, carrying a bag of some sort.
With them was Josh and two men that while older, looked just like him.
Then there were the soldiers. Had to be the seelie soldiers sent to help.
Wylder grinned. This was it. They were getting their mate back.
Vadir raised his sword as he let out a vicious roar and charged forward.
It was carnage. There was no other word to describe what happened next. Even as Tate pulled Wylder to the side and started to hand him small bags of herbs and a lighter, the seelie attacked the unseelie.
“Light the bags and throw them at the bad guys,” Tate explained.
“The bad guys?” Wylder laughed, which was surprising as there hadn’t been a damn thing to laugh about since he arrived.
“Yeah.” Tate lit one bag and tossed it at the closest unseelie.
The bag hit the creature in the middle of the chest and it screamed while batting at the fire that didn’t seem to go out.
“Cool!” Wylder fumbled with his lighter before he finally got the bag lit.
“Throw it!” Tate yelled at him.
Shit! Wylder threw his small bundle at another dark creature. At least he had good aim.
Between the unseelie catching fire, Vadir, Alek, and Mitch’s swords, whatever Mah was doing freezing whoever he touched, Seb’s orbs, and the massive bear, it didn’t take long for the good guys to win.
The unseelie lay on the ground. Not all of them were dead. Well the ones without heads or clawed by a bear were, but some of them lived.
A tall blond soldier removed his helmet as he approached Vadir.
“Our debt has been paid.” The blond soldier spoke formally.
Vadir dipped his head. “It has, Lang.”
“The portal remains open,” Lang said. “We will take the prisoners that live with us. The unseelie court can negotiate for their return if they wish.”
“The prisoners are yours,” Vadir agreed. “We will take the portal.”
“Best wishes to your family,” Lang offered.
“Blessings to you and yours,” Vadir returned.
Dario pulled Wylder to his side. “You’re not injured?”
“I’m fine. I got to throw magic balls of fire,” Wylder told him.
“Not exactly balls of fire,” Alek commented.
Wylder snorted. “Whatever. Can you go find Theo now?”
Alek nodded. “Let’s bring our mate home.”
* * * * *
Theo
The magic was building inside him.
Yes, Theo was bleeding from his mouth, nose, the palms of his hands, and a stinging cut on his side but there was something inside him that wasn’t just his cat.
Although to give his cat credit, when Theo actually tried to avoid Bramley’s attack, he could move.
Fast. Was flexible to dodge most of the magical attacks directed at him.
Kicking off the wall, another arc of magic barely missed his shoulder.
“What’s wrong, little brother? Getting tired? Pity. You’re finally showing some spunk.”
Ignoring the taunt, Theo let the anger build and mix with whatever it was that was trying to break through.
“Maybe once I’m done with you and your friends, I’ll track down your mates,” Bramley threatened. “Well, if they are even still alive. I did send my army out there to make sure they didn’t follow you.”
Theo turned as a calmness washed over him.
His vision was sharp. His feline close to the surface.
No one threatened his mates.
He lifted his hands in the same way that Bramley had done. Theo’s fingers began to glow before his entire hands tingled. Picturing magic like a ball, Theo let it build into his hand.
“You can come after me all you want,” Theo said clearly. He wanted to make sure that he made this point perfectly clear. “But you will not touch my mates!”
With every feeling inside him. The years of abuse and loneliness. The excitement of finding his fated mates. And the love that Theo felt for each one of his mates. All of his feelings built until he threw them at Bramley.
Magic flew from his fingertips.
Just poured out of him.
Green pulses or something that he directed right at Bramley’s chest.
Theo screamed as he released everything that had built up over the years at his brother.
Did Theo understand more what had happened with his mother and father.
Absolutely. His father hadn’t even seen Theo brought into the world.
Bramlet stole that from him. Was Theo grateful that his mother had done everything she could to protect him?
Yes. Theo had still been all alone with no one on his side willing to step up and walk beside him until Theo had met his mates.
Frustration. Grief. Anger. Love.
All those feelings whirled inside him and Theo needed to get them out.
His chest burned before a sharp crack broke open inside him.
More magical energy flowed from his hands, lifting Bramley off his feet and up against the same wall that was splattered with Theo’s blood.
Bramley’s high-pitched scream echoed around the room as Garrett and Bo cheered for him behind the bars of the cell.
As Theo poured more into the magic, his vision wavered as if the magic was coming from his very soul.
“Baby!” Strong arms wrapped around his waist. The scent of Wylder soothed Theo.
“Holy shit, wildcat.” Mitch’s deep voice made Theo jump. He recognized the voice but not the person beside him. Mitch. His demon warrior. Theo wanted to bask in his mate but it was getting harder to stay upright.
“Easy, little one.”
Dario was there too! Which meant…where was Alek?
“Theo?” Alek said his name softly.
Theo gasped. His mates. All four of his mates. They came! Theo knew they would.
“We need you to ease up,” Alek told him. “You’re draining yourself.”
He’d started to shake. “I don’t know how!” Theo was terrified. The magic just kept coming and coming. Theo tried to lower his arms but it was like they were frozen in place.
“What’s happening to him?” Wylder sounded worried.
Truthfully, Theo was worried too. He knew that he was draining himself. Could feel himself get weak.
“Magic,” Dario answered Wylder. “Theo tapped into the magic inside him.”
Bramley screamed again as Theo’s magic pulsed.
“I’ll help Theo,” Alek said. “Mitch, you and Wylder secure the unseelie king once Theo’s magic releases him.”
“That’s the unseelie king?” Wylder questioned.
Oh! Theo had so much to tell his mates.