~Samantha~

“You conniving twat,” Black Moon snarled. “You think you can fool me and get away with it?”

“I’ll make you pay. All of you!”

“Not if I’m through with you first.” Dominic stood in front of us.

Black Moon laughed mockingly. “And who the fuck is this?”

Dominic did not move. “The man who’s going to end you.”

“You mean a love sick idiot,” Black Moon sneered. “Throwing his life away for a woman who would pick her children over you every single time.”

“Shut your filthy mouth,” Dominic bit out.

Black Moon’s smile stretched wider. “Did I strike a nerve? She keeps you around because you’re useful. Protection. A title. A body to warm her bed when it suits her. Killian is the one she actually wants.”

My stomach turned.

He was doing it on purpose. Digging straight into the one sore spot Dominic never knew how to hide.

“But you wouldn’t believe me because you are never there with her. Every little fight, she runs to him for comfort.”

“Did you think she would choose you over the man who helped raise the kids for six good years? You missed your chance to love her and she’s out for revenge.”

“That’s enough!” Dominic roared. “Sam would never do that.”

Black Moon gave a devilish grin. “Sam might not. Killian would.”

Killian’s face hardened quickly.

“Or what? You want to stand there and tell me you’ve never looked at her with lust and wanted more than what Dominic has?”

Black Moon looked between them like he was enjoying every second of it. “What? You want to stand there and swear you’ve never wanted her? You expect anybody here to believe all this loyalty is innocent?”

“You don’t know shit about any of us,” Killian said coldly.

“Your tone says enough.”

His gaze slid back to Dominic. “You hear him? You see how fast he speaks when her name comes up? He wants her. He always has.”

“Keep running your loose mouth,” Dominic growled. “You’re only making your death more slow and miserable.”

“Oh, spare me.” Black Moon waved that off like it was nothing. “Both of you are pathetic. One too jealous and insecure. The other too ashamed to admit what he wants.”

“Man up for once!”

Then he looked at Killian again. “Come with me and I’ll hand her over myself. You take what you want and dare anybody to stop you.”

Killian’s expression turned murderous. “I’d never force myself on her.”

Black Moon clicked his tongue. “See? This is why she has both of you as her lap dogs.”

Dominic stepped forward, fury rolling off him so hard even I got scared for Black Moon. “I’ve heard enough from this bastard.”

Dominic shifted before Black Moon could even make a snide comment.

At the same time, Killian crushed him from the side.

Their attack struck Black Moon hard enough to knock him back a step, but the bastard got back up too quickly, with shadows shooting out around him.  

“Stupid idiots!” he yelled.

Dominic drove at him again, not giving him any space to breathe. Killian came right after, making Black Moon have to pay attention to both of them.

Diana suddenly started crying so hard, her eyes shifting between her brother and father. Devon was in a worse state, every cough coming out of him made me want to tear Black Moon apart with my bare hands.

“Mummy,” Diana choked out, “Daddy and Uncle Killian are going to die.”

“They are not dying,”

“Don’t you trust them to defeat that monster?”

“We do but...”

Devon bent over and coughed again, one hand gripping his throat. “We almost ended it.”

I grabbed both of them and started dragging them backward before Black Moon could try anything again. “You need to shut up right now.”

“Mum.”

“I said shut up.”

“I’m tired of taking my eyes off you both for a second, just to turn and find you in danger.”

Diana’s lips trembled. “We were only helping.”

“Staying in the pack house was boring.”

“You don’t want mummy to live long then. You want me to die from high blood pressure.”

“No, mummy. It’s not like that.”

Her face crumpled harder. “Black Moon was going to win if nobody stopped him.”

“And your little minds told you it had to be you?”

“I’ve told you to leave this to the adults but you don’t just listen.”

“Do you have any idea of what could have happened if he kidnapped you? You’d be dead for good.” I lashed out.

They had to finally understand the gravity of what they did.

“When we are done here, you’ll be grounded for six good months!”

Their eyes widened with shock. “Six? Mummy!”

“I don’t even want to hear it right now. Just stay quiet and let Daddy get us out of this mess you created.”

“Enjoy his little rescue while it lasts. When I’m done with him, you won’t have a daddy anymore.” Black Moon threatened.

“High hopes for a guy who will die soon!”

His eyes slid to me. “And big words for a woman hiding behind injured children.”

“I’m standing behind them because unlike you, I actually care if kids get hurt.”

“Care?” he mocked. “You’re the reason they’re here. You, your secrets, your weak men, this whole pathetic excuse for a family.”

Devon flinched against me. Diana grabbed my arm harder.

“Don’t listen to him,” I told them quickly. “He talks too much because getting beat is already entering his head.”

Black Moon’s expression twisted. “You think this is beating? I haven’t even started.”

Behind him, Dominic wiped blood from the side of his mouth and gave a dark laugh. “You keep yapping instead of showing how powerful you are.”

“God, he’s so annoying,” I muttered.

His head whipped back to me. “What did you say?”

“I said you’re annoying. Every time you open your mouth, it’s the same ego farming.”

Dominic sensed the embarrassment. “Did you just shut him up?”

“You bet I did.”

Black Moon roared and sent a wave of shadows straight at him.

“Daddy!” Diana screamed.

Dominic dodged the first strike, but the second caught his shoulder and slammed him hard into a stone pillar near the broken edge of the tomb. My heart jumped into my throat. Before Black Moon could follow through, Killian rushed in fast, his blade cutting through a ribbon of shadow before driving toward Black Moon’s ribs.

Black Moon twisted with a curse and blocked him, but Killian’s hit forced him back far enough for Dominic to get up again.

Black Moon spat. “You two are finally going to learn exactly who I am.”

Then he slammed his palm out.

“Dominic, dodge!” I shouted.

Killian pulled out his silver dagger and tore through him.

Then realization flashed in his eyes.

Black Moon’s hand flew to the wound like he could somehow stop what had already entered him. The laugh died on his lips and all I could see now was pure horror.

“What did you do?” he hissed.

Black Moon staggered, then caught himself, but the shadows around him glitched for a second, breaking apart at the edges before pulling back together.

“This isn’t ordinary silver, you sick bastard. That blade was made for your kind. It eats through shadow binding, tears up cursed healing, and keeps the wound open while the magic spreads.”

“So you can bleed after all,”

Black Moon looked down at the dark stain spreading over his robe, then back at Killian with  hatred. “You think one enchanted toy changes anything?”

“It changes enough,” Killian shot back. “You won’t heal fast, and every second that shit stays inside you, your power burns itself out.”

Devon twisted in my grip and stared over my shoulder. “Mum, he’s slowing down.”

“You need to keep quiet,”

Diana lifted her head, tears still hanging on her lashes. “What about the array?”

“We are leaving the array alone,” I answered. “Dominic and Killian will handle him, and we are getting out of here right now. Pack house. Immediately.”

Devon dug his heels into the ground. “Mum, if we leave it, he’ll just keep coming back.”

“I do not care what you think right now,” I snapped. “You can lecture me when your throat stops hurting.”

Diana’s fingers tightened around mine. “But we were weakening it. I felt it.”

“You’re children, not warriors. Your job is to stay alive by obeying your parents.”

Black Moon’s head turned at that. “Run then. Hide them. Carry them back home and lock every door you have. They’ll end up in my hands over and over again.”

“Shut up,” I shot back, pulling the twins with me. “You’re not touching them ever again.”

“I’ll take them far away.”

His voice rose, darker this time. “We will see about that.”

Before I could tighten my hold, Devon and Diana exchanged one of those twin looks that always meant begging mummy for forgiveness later.

“Don’t you dare walk out on me,” I warned.

Too late.

They ripped free from my hands and ran.

“Devon! Diana! Get back here this instant!”

The two of them sprinted straight back toward the broken edge of the array, small hands lifting as that same terrible silver light started gathering around their palms again.

Black Moon turned toward them and smiled like they were about to finish what he started.