Chapter 98: The Enemy In The Shadow

Chapter 98: The Enemy In The Shadow Natalie~ Easter’s grip was tight—desperate. Her trembling fingers pressed into my skin, and her wide, pleading eyes locked onto mine, brimming with raw hope and fear. I had seen that look before. Too many times. In too many lifetimes. It was the look of someone clinging to their last shred of salvation, terrified of being abandoned again. I opened my mouth, but no words came. The sheer vulnerability in her face was too much. I knew that feeling. I had lived it. I had begged, prayed, and clung to anything that promised a way out—only to watch it slip through my fingers. Her voice was small. "Please... take me with you. I’ll do anything you ask. I don’t have anyone else." I started to respond—something, anything to reassure her that we weren’t leaving for good—but then a voice tore through my mind. Sharp. Urgent. "Mummy Natalie!" I froze. Alex. Beside me, Jacob stiffened, his eyes snapping to mine. "Was that—?" "Alex," I breathed, a chill running down my spine. Something was wrong. I didn’t hesitate. "Easter—stay here with Jacob," I ordered, pulling free from her grasp. Before she could argue, before Jacob could throw in some remark— I vanished. One blink, and Easter’s living room was gone. I was somewhere else. Somewhere dark. The air was clouded with dust, the scent of old wood filling my nose. My body was curled awkwardly, my limbs cramped against narrow walls. A closet. I was in a coat closet. And I wasn’t alone. A small, shivering figure was huddled in the corner, knees to his chest, little hands clamped over his ears as if trying to block out the world. "Alex," I whispered. He flinched. For a second, my heart stopped, afraid he wouldn’t look up. Then—slowly—his fingers loosened, and wide, teary brown eyes met mine. "M-Mummy Natalie?" His voice cracked, hoarse with fear. The second recognition hit, he launched himself at me. I caught him easily, wrapping him up in my arms as his tiny body trembled uncontrollably. He clung to me, little fists gripping my jacket like I might disappear if he let go. "I was so scared!" he sobbed. "They—they came for me!" Ice lanced through my veins. I gently pulled back, cupping his tear-streaked face. "Who, baby? Who came for you?" He sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I—I don’t know them," he stammered. "They came to school. They said Daddy sent them to pick me up." My blood ran cold. Zane would never. He didn’t trust anyone with his son—let alone strangers. "Did they say anything else?" I pressed. Alex hesitated, then shook his head. "They didn’t look like Daddy’s friends. And I knew—" He hiccupped. "I knew Daddy didn’t tell me about anyone coming. And they looked... wrong. Scary." A deep, feral growl rumbled in my chest. The school had state-of-the-art security. No ordinary humans could have breached it. Which meant... They weren’t human. And worse—if they’d made it past the school’s defenses, they weren’t just some random supernaturals looking for ransom money. They knew who Alex was. Which meant they knew who Zane was. I forced my pulse to steady. Alex was already terrified. He didn’t need to see me panic. I pressed a kiss to his forehead, smoothing back his hair. "It’s okay now, sweetheart," I promised. "I’m here. No one is taking you anywhere." He sniffled, nodding against my chest. We needed to leave. Now. I reached for my power, Jasmine stirring inside me, ready to take action. The world blurred as I prepared to teleport— CRACK. The closet exploded. I gasped, shielding Alex as sharp splinters of wood flew past us. The impact sent a shockwave through my body, momentarily disorienting me—but I stayed firm, my magic redirecting every splinter away from us. And then, before I could react— We weren’t alone anymore. Five presences. I blinked against the sudden light filtering into the small, empty classroom where Alex had been hiding. We were surrounded. Five figures stood in a loose semi-circle, their stances deceptively relaxed. But I could smell what they were. Werewolves. Not just any werewolves. Trained ones. Fighters. And one of them wasn’t fully wolf—there was something else in her scent. It was witch scent. A hybrid. The hybrid—the leader of the group—a tall, striking woman with raven-black hair and sharp black eyes—stepped forward. A smirk curled her lips, like I was some fascinating puzzle she had just stumbled upon. "Wow," she drawled, voice smooth as silk and just as sharp. "That was impressive. Didn’t expect anyone to react so fast." I bared my teeth, shifting Alex behind me. "Who the hell are you?" She placed a hand over her heart, feigning offense. "Oh, where are my manners?" Her smirk widened, flashing sharp white teeth. "I’m Helen. And you, sweetheart, are in my way." Alex whimpered behind me, his tiny fingers digging into my jacket. I wanted to reach back, to comfort him, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. There was something sickly twisted about her. But no worries—I was worse. My fists clenched. "In your way of what?" Helen’s smirk deepened. "Taking what belongs to us." Every nerve in my body ignited. Jasmine surged forward. "Mara, I want her dead now!" My skin prickled as power flooded through me, hot and untamed. Alex sucked in a sharp breath. His little hands clung tighter. Helen just chuckled. "Relax, darling. We don’t want a fight. Just hand over the kid, and we’ll be on our way." I shook my head, my own smirk forming. "You think," I whispered, voice razor-sharp, "that I’d just hand over my child to you?" She sighed dramatically. "Come on now, don’t be difficult." Her gaze flicked over me. "You’re not his mother. You’re just some wolfless stray who got attached. So why don’t you be a good girl and let us do our job?" Oh, so she’d been briefed about me? Interesting. Jasmine snarled inside my head, outraged. "Wolfless? What am I, a damn potato?" I exhaled slowly, keeping my voice calm. "Not now, Jasmine." I turned my attention back to Helen and then, I let out a low growl alerting her to the presence of my wolf. Then I smirked. Helen’s smirk wavered. Good. In a blink, I wasn’t standing in front of Alex anymore. I was in front of her. And before she could react— My fist crashed into her jaw. She flew. The impact sent her sailing across the room, smashing through multiple children’s desks with a sickening crack. A surprised snarl tore from her throat. The other wolves tensed, hands twitching toward their weapons. I rolled my shoulders, stepping forward, my eyes burning with power. "Let me make something very clear," I said, my voice low and deadly. "If you so much as look at my child the wrong way again..." Jasmine’s energy crackled around me. I smiled. "I will tear you apart." Helen groaned, pushing herself up, blood dripping from her lip. Then, to my amusement— She grinned. "Oh," she murmured, wiping her mouth. "This is going to be fun." I didn’t hesitate. The moment Helen grinned, the moment I felt that surge of arrogance roll off her like a disgusting wave, I reached out with my mind. "Bubble, I need you. Now." His response was immediate. "On my way." I barely had time to process the link cutting off before the air in the room changed. The temperature dropped slightly, and the faint scent of the ocean filled my nose. Then, with a soft ripple—like water bending reality itself—Bubble appeared. His pure white hair fell over his shoulders, almost glowing in the classroom light, and his translucent blue eyes flickered over the scene before him. His gaze swept from me to Alex, to the five stunned kidnappers, and then back to me. He arched an eyebrow. "Huh." A slow smile spread across his lips as he shook his head. "I don’t know what these idiots did, but whatever it was... they really shouldn’t have done it." Helen stiffened, her smirk faltering as she took in Bubble’s presence. The other wolves, though still trying to look menacing, were visibly thrown off. Bubble let out a deep laugh, one that was both amused and slightly wicked. Then, without a care in the world, he turned his attention to Alex. "Hey, little prince," he greeted, crouching down. Alex’s eyes had been shut the whole time, afraid to watch the violence going on around him, but when he heard Bubble’s familiar voice, his eyes flew open and his face lit up. "Bubble!" Alex reached for him instantly, and Bubble scooped him up with ease, cradling him like he weighed nothing. "Time to go, kiddo," he said lightly, giving Alex a small grin before glancing back at me. "Have fun, Natalie." With that, he was gone. Vanished. Helen’s expression twisted into rage. "You bitch!" she spat. "I don’t care what kind of magic you just pulled—bring him back. Now!" I tilted my head, amusement curling in my chest. "Oh?" I folded my arms, my voice calm. "You seem upset." Helen growled, fists clenched. "Bring him back right now, or I will kill you where you stand." I blinked at her. Then, with a sigh, I shook my head. "You’re really not as bright as you look." Helen’s face darkened. "Enough of this! Kill her—now!" Her men lunged. Or rather... they tried to. But they never made it. They froze mid-step. Every single one of them. Their bodies locked in place, their muscles strained as they tried—desperately tried—to move. Their eyes widened in sheer panic as they realized they couldn’t. Helen’s breath hitched. "What... what did you do?!" I tapped a finger against my chin, feigning thoughtfulness. "Huh. That’s a good question." I flicked my wrist, and one of her men—a tall, burly-looking one—jerked forward an inch before slamming hard against the wall. "Looks like I did something." Helen’s nostrils flared, her hands twitching. "You witch." I let out a light laugh. "Oh, sweetheart, you wish I was a witch." My voice dropped, taking on a deadly edge. "But I’m something much, much worse." Helen clenched her jaw, but I could see the cracks forming. The flicker of doubt, the barest hesitation in her stance. Good. Because I wasn’t done. A sigh slipping past my lips as I fixed my gaze solely on Helen. "You know, this really is a waste of my time." My voice was almost bored, but beneath it, my power simmered, a storm waiting to be unleashed. Helen’s face was frozen in an expression of pure fury, but the fear creeping into her eyes was unmistakable. She could feel it—the shift in the air, the tension wrapping around her throat like an invisible noose. "You and your little goons thought you could waltz in here, take Alex, and just walk away?" I tsked, shaking my head again. "I think it’s time you learned a few lessons." My lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "And trust me, I can be an excellent teacher." Helen’s body jerked, a desperate attempt to move, to lunge at me, to do anything other than stand there frozen. But she couldn’t. None of them could. They were mine now. I took a slow, deliberate step forward. Then another. The floorboards creaked beneath my boots, the only sound in the silent room. "Let’s start with lesson one," I murmured, lifting my hand. "Don’t. Touch. My. Family." And then, with just a whisper of my will, I reached into their minds. The sensation was electric. Their thoughts, their fears, their memories—they were all there, tangled together like a chaotic web. I unraveled them effortlessly, searching, digging. I heard them scream. Not out loud, but in their heads, their souls wailing as I sifted through their minds like they were nothing more than pages in a book I was too impatient to read properly. But what I found was... disappointing. I frowned, pushing deeper. Nothing. They knew nothing. Helen’s goons were just hired muscle, empty-headed brutes paid to follow orders. They weren’t important. They weren’t useful. Ugh. What a waste. I let go of them, their minds snapping back into place like broken rubber bands. Their bodies sagged slightly, but they were still frozen in place, their breaths coming out in short, terrified gasps. "Well, that was pointless," I muttered, rolling my shoulders. My eyes flicked to Helen. "Looks like you’re up next, sweetheart." Helen stiffened, her eyes darting around wildly, searching for some kind of escape. I smirked, stepping closer, my power curling around her like an invisible vice. "Don’t worry, darling," I cooed mockingly. "I’ll be gentle." Then, I reached into her mind. Unlike the others, Helen fought. She thrashed against me, her thoughts twisting and shifting like smoke, trying to escape my grasp. But she was weak. Desperate. And desperation never won against power. I pushed harder, tearing through the barriers she tried to put up. And then— A name. Dexter. My stomach clenched. I had no idea who he was, but the way Helen’s mind recoiled at the thought of him told me everything I needed to know. He was powerful. Dangerous. And right now, he was in Golden City. But that wasn’t all. As I dug deeper, another truth unraveled before me, one that made my blood run cold. A coup. In one week. The King—Zane’s father—was going to be killed. I barely registered the way Helen’s mind trembled, how she whimpered as I sifted through every ugly little secret she had. All I could think about was the weight of what I had just learned. Zane’s father was in danger. The kingdom was in danger. Zane was in danger. I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists. Then, slowly, I let out a breath. And I smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was sharp, cold. Deadly. "You’re useless to me now," I told Helen softly. Then, with just a flick of my fingers— I broke her mind. Not completely. No, that would have been mercy. I scrambled it. Tore apart her memories, her thoughts, twisted them into an endless maze with no exit. She wouldn’t die. But she wouldn’t be Helen anymore, either. And I did the same to the rest of her little group, their minds shattering like fragile glass under my power. When I was done, I straightened, brushing nonexistent dust off my sleeves. "Now," I murmured, my voice taking on that same eerie calm. "I think you all should sit here quietly and wait for the nice security officers to come and take you away." Their bodies went rigid, their empty, hollow eyes blinking in unison. "Yes," Helen said tonelessly. "We will wait," one of the men echoed, his voice robotic. I smiled, pleased. "Good little minions." And then, without another word— I vanished. The second I reappeared at home, I let out a breath, pressing my fingers against my temples. My heart was still pounding. My head was a mess. I needed to think. Dexter. Golden City. A coup. Zane’s father was going to die if we didn’t stop this. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself, but my mind was still spinning. Jasmine stirred inside me, her voice slinking into my thoughts like warm honey. "Well, that was fun, she purred. I liked the part where we made them go insane." I rolled my eyes." Glad you enjoyed yourself." "I did!" But now... Her voice turned teasing. "Are we gonna go see our mate?" I sighed. "Yes, Jasmine. We’re going to see Zane." "Oooh, good. You know, you should kiss him when you see him. He needs a good kiss." I ignored her. I had news to deliver. And Zane wasn’t going to like it.