HUNTED

Gabriel stepped in front of Damon, gripping him by the shoulders, his fingers as strong as steel and making his bones shake beneath from the strength. But the Alpha was still fixated on his mate; she was now looking behind her. 

"Breathe, and think for a second, you damned wolf!" Gabriel released his shoulders but grabbed him by the shirt now, slapping his cheek to get his attention again. "If you blow this.. Your chances of finding her after this are slim!"

Damon squinted at him, his nose wrinkling from the vampire's slaps. "That is exactly why I should go to her now! It is the perfect opportunity!" Damon growled back, baring his canines as his eyes glowed back at the vampire. His arms slammed down on top of Gabriel's, making him release his hold on him, and he grabbed him by the shirt, throwing him over his shoulder. 

He took another step forwards until his breath rushed out of his lungs, and he flew backwards. Damon blinked as his backside skidded on the ground, but he instantly jumped to his feet, staring wide-eyed at the petite she-wolf who had attacked him. Esme lowered her leg from where she kicked him and held her hands up in surrender. Finn and Kane were now growling at her, both grabbing her wrists. Damon stalked towards her, his hands curled into fists, and he stopped to stare down at her. 

"You weren't listening, Alpha," Esme snapped and glanced at Kane after he growled at her. She was unfazed by the two werewolves towering over her, but she still had the sense to lower her gaze and bare her neck slightly to Damon. "That small opportunity you wanted to take would lead to your death. It would be a waste to die so young, and your mate would still be in Cassius' hands."

Esme's words made him pause, and he looked over her head to see that Aila was now gone from the window. Damon clenched his eyes shut and raked his hand through his hair. He didn't know the layout of the castle, he didn't know how many vampires were in there, he didn't know anything.

When he opened his eyes again, he signalled for Finn and Kane to step back, and he glanced at Gabriel, who was walking to stand by Esme's side. 

"Do you just expect me to stand by and watch then?" Damon growled, his eyes still glowing as he looked from Esme to Gabriel. 

"I expect you to act like a King," Gabriel snapped. "Put your feelings aside for now. Cassius will not hurt her. But understanding your enemy takes priority. This isn't just about taking Aila away from you, Cass has other things planned, and we need to work out what it is and how to stop him."

Damon chuckled darkly as he looked between the Vampire King and rogue before glaring at Gabriel once more. "If our situations were reversed, could you just stand here and watch your mate from afar?" Damon growled back; he knew he was being unreasonable, and he knew Gabriel was right, but he couldn't help it. 

HIS MATE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM!

His mate.. was.. His eyes moved over to the castle.

"Get down!" Damon snapped as he dropped to the ground. Everyone followed suit just as quickly and looked down at the castle grounds through the leaves of the bushes. Finn and Kane were on the ground to his left side and Gabriel and Esme on his right. They all watched in shock as Cassius walked outside, smiling as he turned to look behind him.

"That was close," Kane mind-linked them, placing his hand on Damon's back both in a comforting manner and to stop the Alpha from charging at full speed to the white-haired vampire smiling as he sauntered outside in his blood-stained white shirt and trousers. 

"Gabriel, hold me down-"

Darius pushed through his mind then, ripping the reins from Damon, and he lunged forward, but Gabriel jumped onto his back, with Kane and Finn holding his legs. 

"I'll rip him to pieces, and then I'll rip you to pieces. GET. OFF. ME!" Darius growled through the mind-link to Finn and Kane but mainly spoke to Gabriel. 

"Get him under control, Damon," Gabriel hissed back in his mind. "Or we'll inject you with wolfsbane."

No matter the threat, Darius' hold was too powerful. Cassius had been haunting his mind over the last month, and he was before them with no care in the world. Like he owned the whole world. No, like he had someone ultra precious with him. That special someone was now walking down the steps towards him, a small smile tugging at her pink lips, making Darius' struggles stop as he sniffed the air. 

His heart was pounding wildly again, and he felt crushed by the smile on Aila's face. Why was she smiling? A smile she was returning to Cassius. The vampire grabbed her hand, pulling her along through the gardens, and stopped at the first large fountain with three women statues, one standing and two sitting down, holding jugs that sprinkled out the water. 

"Is this better?" Cassius asked as he stared at her with concern. 

"Yes," Aila replied simply, looking warmly at the vampire. Although Damon and his wolf were both trembling in anger, the sound of Aila's voice calmed him, and his shoulders relaxed. 

Cassius let go of her hand and placed his hands behind his back as he started to stroll around the fountain, looking at the gardens. While his attention was on the flowers and the sun, Aila's smile dropped as she looked down at the water, leaning her knee onto the dry surface of the fountain. 

Darius had been in a trance, watching his mate's cold eyes watch the water, the sunlight's reflection causing shadows across her marble-like skin. While his wolf was distracted, Damon slowly and easily took the reins back to his mind, and his wolf remained quiet, observing her. 

"You didn't seem to mind it last night. What has happened since then?" Cassius stopped by Aila's side again, and he reached his hand towards her, cupping her cheek in his hand and staring at her intently. "I need to make sure my little wolf is comfortable here."

"I'm not hungry anymore," Aila replied quietly, turning her head away from Cassius. "Send them home. Your friends are giving me a headache. How old are they?"

Cassius chuckled. "I admit they are still young and impulsive. But sending them away now in the sun.." He trailed off, searching her features. "They will burn to ashes."

Aila didn't respond, so Cassius gripped her chin by his fingers and turned her to look back at him. "Should I send them away?" He whispered darkly with a sardonic smile.

Aila stood and faced him properly, a smirk forming on her features. "Let them burn."

"How cold," Cassius mocked before planting a kiss on her cheek.