Chapter Eleven

Jaytee boiled over from the bombardment of bullshit hitting them from every direction. In less than a week, Raidh had already endured more than enough, and now this? Jaytee wasn't sure how much more his fairy could handle.

"There has to be a way to reverse it," Damon gritted out. "We're not going to just stand by and watch the curse kill him." His canines lengthened. "I've already done that once. Now he has three death sentences hanging over his head. The hit his father put out on him, the kiss of death, and another death sentence if his council finds out he mated a wolf."

"I don't need you reminding me how I'm constantly failing my mate!" Jaytee shoved Damon back with a powerful thrust of his hands against his twin's chest. "Our souls are bound, and I feel that pain down to my soul!"

"You think I don't feel it too?" Damon shot back. "We're twins, Jaytee! I physically feel your pain when you're hurting, so don't you ever lay your fucking hands on me again for caring about your mate!"

"Enough!" Raidh cried out. "No more violence. No more shouting." He clutched his forearm tightly. "I already belong to one family who thrives on conflict. I refuse to join this one and then watch you rip each other apart."

"We're wolf shifters." Jax spoke up quietly. "We fight to release our aggression, but the Frosts have stood strong as a family for almost 250 years. We love each other deeply and would never let anything come between us, Raidh."

Jaytee pulled his mate into his arms, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly, trying to calm himself down from the fear of losing his fairy. "I'm sorry, Moonbeam."

He'd been using his twin as an outlet, and Damon had known it, allowing Jaytee to take out his anger and pain on him. But Jaytee had forgotten his brother felt his pain just as deeply as Jaytee had always felt Damon's.

"Wolves, I'm tingling," Elvine whispered ominously. "Something really bad is coming."

"Take him somewhere safe!" Jaytee threw Raidh toward Elvine seconds before the back door exploded inward in a storm of splintered wood and shattered glass. The kitchen floor trembled under the weight of the invading vampires.

Kalen acted with lightning speed, hurling the kitchen table aside and revealing a hidden cache of weapons through the trap door beneath his feet. He flung deadly silver-coated knives at his sons, Jaytee and his brothers catching them with precision before they drove them into bloodsuckers' chests or sliced their throats, delivering deadly silver poison into their bodies.

The sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh filled the air as Jaytee and his family fought against an onslaught of vampires. His hand was getting too slick with blood from the hearts he'd yanked out so far, but it seemed like for every bloodsucker he killed, two more emerged in its place.

Enough was enough. With a deep, feral growl rumbling through his chest, Jaytee let go of all control, allowing his wolf to break free. He launched himself at the next charging vampire, slamming into its chest with enough force to shatter bones and send it crashing through a kitchen window.

Ignoring the shards that cut into his fur and skin, Jaytee followed him out the window and landed on all fours, ready to continue the fight.

But the vampire merely got to his feet and brushed off the debris with a smirk, unfazed by the attack. "The scent of your blood is only going to attract more of my brethren to you," he said nonchalantly.

Brethren? Rogue vampires were solitary creatures. They didn't work together like this unless… Jaytee realized with growing dread they were dealing with a coven—organized and dangerous. Shit.

If that was the case, where was their coven leader? Had he sent his men out to die, or was he lurking in the shadows?

Coven or not, Jaytee was going to wipe the smug look off the bastard's face.

"We're going to find the little fairy and dine on his succulent blood, so your noble sacrifice is in vain, wolf."

With a savage snarl, Jaytee leapt at the vampire and tore into his neck with ferocity. Rage and fear burned hot inside of him as his raw pain grew at the thought of losing Raidh. The emotions consumed him, and in a flurry of broken limbs and gushing blood, he ripped apart the bloodsucker until all that remained was a mangled mess on the ground.

"Such unimaginable rage," a seductive, silky, bass voice taunted from behind Jaytee, followed by a sensual, cruel laugh. "I hope you saved some of that rage for me, donate de sangre ."

Jaytee cautiously turned around, a growl rumbling in his chest. He scanned the darkness for the source of that ominous voice, scanned the tree line where the forest began far back on their property, only to notice the sounds of fighting had ceased. The quiet night felt thunderous in its stillness, causing Jaytee to slightly shiver as he wondered if Elvine had gotten Raidh to safety.

He desperately wanted to know, wanted to rush inside and find out, but he stilled when he felt a sensation like stinging water flowing and expanding over his skin, slowly trying to encompass his body.

Tilting his head slightly, Jaytee felt his breathing became heavier and more stilted. He forced himself not to take a step back or show any kind of fear. But moving wasn't even an issue. He was rooted to the spot, shoulders tight and fists clenched as adrenaline flooded his veins, as he waited to see what was coming.

Out of the shadows emerged a towering figure of a monstrous vampire who seemed to almost glimmer with malevolence. Muscles rippled like coiled snakes beneath its taut skin as it stalked toward Jaytee with a fluid, intimidating grace, its soulless eyes glowing with a hunger for destruction.

What in the hell was that thing? Jaytee had never been one to back down from a fight, but he also possessed a healthy dose of self-preservation.

Standing at least seven feet tall, it was wider than any being Jaytee had ever come across, almost like three of four heavyweight bodybuilders had been fused together to create this monstrous entity.

As moonlight filtered through the trees above, it reflected off deadly fangs in the creature's mouth.

This was a vampire?

The vampire's skin was pale and unblemished, except for the prominent scar that ran down his face.

Even at this distance Jaytee could see the brutal mark stretching from under the creature's left eye, across its cheek, and down to its jawline, ending just below its ear.

Vampires were known for instantly healing when consuming blood, so how had this one been left with such a disfiguring scar?

"I am Vicino." He extended his arms with a smug smile, as if expecting Jaytee to bow before him.

That was never going to happen.

As Vicino drew even closer, his long black hair swayed in the slight gust of wind that had suddenly picked up. Crows scattered from nearby trees, creating a cacophony of sounds.

Jaytee's dad and brothers emerged from the house behind him, growling and cursing.

"Hand over the dark fae I am here to retrieve and we can end this right now." Vicino rolled his massive shoulders as his eyes gleamed with malice.

"Retrieve?" Jaytee spat out in disbelief and fury. "You mean kill . You're the one Galamir made the deal with." His finger sliced through the air as he gestured toward the dead vampires scattered across the grass. "These disgusting abominations were nothing but expendable pawns to you."

Vicino's dark eyes burned with hatred and vengeance. "I have little patience for insolence, wolf. You would be wise to choose your words carefully."

Calling them abominations had been deliberate on Jaytee's part. He'd hoped to elicit a reaction from Vicino.

Now he knew these bloodsuckers weren't just disposable tools to him. The vampire had some sort of attachment to them.

Once again, Jaytee could feel the force of Vicino's powers bearing down on him. This time, it felt like a seismic wave, slicing through his skin like shards of glass. He inwardly shouted, and his wolf howled, but he managed to keep his expression neutral, except for his clenched jaw.

The bastard was seeking revenge for Jaytee disrespecting his pets, but it wasn't just him being punished. Muted grunts from Kalen and Jax rumbled behind him, and the pain Damon felt resonated alongside Jaytee's, intensifying their mutual agony.

The pain began to lessen, enabling everyone to breathe a little easier…for now.

"I am, at times, a generous man." Vicino spoke in a deliberate manner, his finger tracing absentmindedly over the scar on his face. "Hand over the dark fae immediately and I will spare this home and its occupants. Refuse my generous offer, which is a rare gift, so you're welcome, and I will leave your land drenched in your blood."

Remaining motionless, Jaytee locked eyes with Vicino and felt a soul-deep hatred for this monstrosity. Luckily, the Frost men had discovered their immunity to a vampire's glamour over a century ago. So if Vicino tried to tap his mind like a maple tree to find Raidh's whereabouts, he was eating dry pancakes.

Vicino's gaze darted between all four of them with a chilling sneer before a malevolent grin swept across his face. The creature was getting a little too much malicious enjoyment out of this situation. Jaytee's hand itched to plunge into the psychopath's chest and rip out his twisted heart.

"I'll sweeten the pot since my generosity seems to be brimming tonight. Let's call it a bonus." Vicino glided his tongue over his bottom lip while gazing directly at Jaytee. Now he knew how Elvine felt when she'd made those gagging and retching sounds. No water in any realm was hot enough to scrub away the filth that now clung to Jaytee's skin.

As if sensing his pure revulsion, the vampire smirked and winked at him.

"If that's the bonus, I'd rather stick my cock in a grinder," Jaytee growled.

Vicino's face contorted into a mask of fury. "Do I need to remind you that I have very little patience?"

Jaytee nearly ground his teeth to dust when he felt Vicino's power thrust into him like a searing dagger.

Sweat coated his forehead, and his stomach roiled in excruciating pain, as if the vampire had physically reached inside of him and twisted his organs.

"I grow bored of this." Vicino sighed, while Jaytee struggled not to double over in agony.

Kelan growled and took a step forward, but Jaytee signaled for his dad to hold back with a shake of his arm.

They'd been taught to carefully observe their enemy and find any weaknesses before attacking.

But it seemed that Vicino didn't have any, except his soft spot for his bloodsucking vampires—who were now all dead and scattered around the property.

Jaytee and his dad exchanged a glance. It was time to stop studying and start acting. He braced himself for the brutal battle that was about to unfold, a battle he wasn't sure they could win.

Vicino sneered, sweeping his gaze over them. "The fae you're trying to protect isn't the only life that I hold in my grasp." His words dripped with venom. "I was paid a hefty sum to take all four of your heads. But since you want to ruin our fun, wolf, I no longer feel generous enough to give you the bonus. Which was to spare your lives in exchange for the fae."

Instantaneously, the four Frost men transformed into their wolf forms, moving in perfect sync with each other. They all knew the stakes—they had to take down Vicino before he unleashed his powers or they would all die.

With a snarl, Jaytee lunged for the vampire, fueled by his personal vendetta against him for coming after Raidh and his family and for subjecting him to that disgusting display of vulgarity.

His gut also still ached from the asshole's demonstrations of his power.

This was as personal as it could get.

Vicino's loud roar reverberated through the forest and carried on the night air as Jaytee sank his teeth deep into the vampire's huge bicep. A sharp pain exploded through his body, reminding him he had yet to heal his earlier injury when he'd jumped out the kitchen window.

Jaytee bit down even harder and deeper on Vicino's bicep, simultaneously using his claws to carve out as much flesh as possible, releasing the sickening smell of blood into the air.

The pain intensified, and Jaytee realized Vicino was slugging him all over his body.

It was like a violent dance of pure chaos and destruction, frenzied movements between wolves and the powerful blows from the vampire. But Jaytee refused to let go. Raidh is counting on you. Don't fail him by dying.

No sooner had those thoughts raced through Jaytee's mind than Vicino let out another ferocious roar, his powers shooting outward. All four were violently ejected backward from the vampire's body with the strength of high velocity winds. Jaytee was launched at such a speed he didn't have time to brace for impact. His massive wolf form collided into his truck with such force it caused the vehicle to flip over several times and spin wildly before coming to a stop in a twisted heap.

But Jaytee kept going.

When he slammed into a tree, more pain detonated like explosions all over his body—his ribs audibly cracking as the tree was uprooted from the ground, as if it were nothing more than a twig in his path. He'd not only heard a million snaps as the roots were ripped out but felt something, probably a sawed-off branch, tear more of his already battered flesh open. Jaytee started to close his eyes. He just needed a moment to rest.

You have to get up. Get up! Raidh is counting on you!

But he couldn't focus. The entire world was distorted, and his heartbeat pounded in his head—fast, loud, and deafening. It drowned out all the other sounds around him as he finally managed to get to his feet.

Now all he had to do was stay on them.

No doubt he'd just destroyed his truck if the smell of burned rubber was anything to go by. The metallic taste of blood coated the inside of his mouth, and Jaytee wished he could shift to spit it out, but he didn't want to shift back to human form and leave himself vulnerable. Not until someone found the sense that just been knocked out of him and returned it.

Every step, every breath made his ribs send out shockwaves of pain so severe he should have passed out. As he tried to find his way back to the fight, his vision began to clear. Jaytee was making out more than just blotches now, and the world was no longer a spinning kaleidoscope.

But it was slow going since he'd probably busted every rib in his body. At least he knew he was still in his yard from the feel of grass under his paws.

For now, Jaytee was relying on scent, and he knew he was getting closer because the foul stench of Vicino was getting stronger.

When he finally made it to where he'd fought the vampire, his heart gave out. He shifted into his human form and limped as quickly as he could to where his twin lay in wolf form on the ground, unmoving.

"Damon." He shook his brother after he lowered himself. "Damon, wake up!" No! "Wake up!"

With a trembling hand, Jaytee caressed the side of his twin's muzzle, his fingers cascading over soft fur. He lay his hand on his brother's chest, but didn't feel any movement, and he couldn't find the pulse of a beating heart.

Jaytee's face tightened in torment as he scooped Damon's wolf up and rocked his brother against his chest, uncontrollable sobs racking his entire body.

Please, not Damon. Please, please, not Damon.

He buried his face in the wolf's fur, brushed his cheek over its pelt, and inhaled his scent before pulling back. Where were his dad and Jax?

Moonbeam?

As much as it devastated him to lay Damon down, Jaytee needed to find his mate and the rest of his family.

It was a struggle getting to his feet. Not only did it feel as if his body was on the verge of breaking down but so were his heart and mind. He glanced down at the wolf and briefly closed his eyes as pain ripped him apart. "I promise to come back, brother."

The lump in his throat stung like a million hornets as he was filled with the need to find everyone.

But he had no idea where Elvine had taken Raidh, where to even start looking. In this very moment, Jaytee had never needed anyone as much as he needed his mate.

When he looked around, it was then he realized the vampires were no longer strewn everywhere, making it seem as if a battle had never even taken place.

His ears filled with a strange sound coming from the forest, growing closer, resonating off the trees and rebounding back to him.

An unseen force crashed violently into Jaytee, lifted him off his feet, then slammed him back down to the ground. As he shouted in pain, he watched as Vicino emerged from the dark forest. The dead vampires not only followed behind him but so did an entire army of bloodsuckers.