I gasped when I saw my mates emerge from underneath the archway. They were very much alive and unharmed, by the looks of it, and the tension that I had been bottling in for two days now was gone in the blink of an eye. The relief I felt could only be beaten by the happiness that took over my mind and my soul just from the sheer sight of them in front of me. What made me smile even wider was seeing my dad appear with them- it warmed my heart to see them work together to get me out of this place.

It was Markolf's voice that broke the silence. "Ah, I see that the two of you survived the fire. That's a shame."

"Don't sound so disappointed, Markolf. We might think you don't like us."

The sarcasm in Rafe's words made me chuckle- I could easily imagine myself telling the cambion the same thing. My mates were indeed my perfect match. Or was I just rubbing off on them? Whatever the case, the irritation that I could see in Markolf's eyes brought a smile to my face.

"You know, Rafe, the unspoken rule when someone is trying to get rid of you as insistently as I am is that you should be dead by now. So be a good dog and do as you are told for once."

Did cambion just call my mate a dog? That was a mistake that I was sure he was going to regret. Yet, to my surprise, Rafe remained calm and composed. I couldn't sense even a hint of anger through our bond. Pride hit me when I realised that, while we were apart, three of us had been working on controlling better our emotions as none of us wanted to give Markolf an advantage during our next encounter.

"It's not my fault that you clearly suck at this, Marky boy," Rafe replied with a satisfied expression. "And I am terrible at following orders. My mate and my best friend can attest to that if you don't believe me."

Smug bastard! I had cursed him so many times when I had been on the receiving end of his rebellious and cocky behaviour but, right now, I loved him a little bit more just because of it. And as much as he got under my skin and annoyed the hell out of me, I didn't want to change anything about Rafe. Or Aiden. Well, maybe there was one thing I actually planned on changing as soon as this fucking mess was over- making sure that they were both mine and that they knew it.

"My lord, would you like me to handle them?" Caleb asked menacingly but he didn't get a chance to hear Markolf's reply as my dad stepped forward and, without hesitation, hit Markolf's warlock with a bright red energy blast.

"You are mine, you sellout." I couldn't remember if I had ever seen my dad so pissed off in my life but then again, I also knew that my dad would hunt anyone who threatened or harmed his family down to the end of the world.

The blast created some link between him and Caleb, one which did not allow the other warlock to run away. "I'll be right back, sweetheart," he smiled at me, and they both disappeared into thin air.

"And then there were four," Markolf stated with a malicious grin. I wrapped my hand around the hairpin that I had twisted in my hair, ready to attack the half-demon and put an end to it all. But the bastard beat me to it.

"If you will excuse me, Riley," he said just before I found myself blasted back into the mansion.

My rage at seeing Riley blasted by Markolf was like a hot fluid in a container about to boil over, and I could also feel Rafe's fury through our bond. The only thing that stopped us both from going berserk was knowing, thanks to invisible threads that connected us, that our mate was okay. The super-strength that she drew from my dragon abilities after we marked her had protected her, I knew that, but that didn't mean that I did not want to snap the cambion's neck for what he had just done. And yet, I had to remain calm. We both did, as we could not allow Markolf to control us again.

"You hurt our mate," I growled while Blaze started rising to the surface.

"Actually, I got her out of harm's way. Perhaps my method was not very elegant, I admit, but I would never hurt Riley. Not when she will rule next to me." The emphasis on the latter was intended to piss me off and it did, but I still kept my cool. "She had to be sent away because what's about to happen will not be pretty, although I will enjoy killing the two of you for real this time."

"It seems that we agree on something then," I barked as I moved towards the cambion. "This will not be pretty and someone will die. Although you keep blabbering about how much you want to kill us and all I hear are just words. I'm starting to doubt your commitment, Markolf. Or are you having performance issues?'' If nothing else, goading that piece of shit provided me with some inner satisfaction but not as much as ending his miserable life was going to bring.

Yet, the bastard smirked, depriving me of my enjoyment. "This will be fun," he exclaimed and let his arms drop next to his body, his open palms facing us.

Then I saw them- the ghostly, blue-flame orbs that formed in his hands. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when he blasted Riley with one earlier because the orbs were practically identical to the fireballs that dragon shifters could conjure, minus the fire element. It was impossible though- he was no shifter.

"Had either of you ever thought about what I do with the spirits I take? All that magic," he gestured with his hands, playing with the orbs he was controlling, "right at my fingertips. A few tweaks thanks to my warlock and now I am unstoppable."

The sound of cracking bones and clothes ripping filled up the air as Rafe shifted first. Kai stood there menacingly as he snarled at the cambion.

"Aww, cute- the stray dog has come out to play." Markolf's words earned him another snarl but he had evidently pissed Rafe's wolf off because Kai dashed for him with his wolf speed before I even realised it.

The incoming attack did not bother Markofl one bit. Instead, he calmly brought his hands together, merging the two orbs into a bigger blue orb. "Time to play fetch then," he said as he hurled it at Rafe, blasting him so hard that he crashed into the wall behind him. The impact was so severe that Kai's imprint left a dent in the wall as he slid down and crashed on the floor.

A thunderous roar echoed in the courtyard, one that was coming from none other than Blaze. Within seconds, my limbs were replaced by my dragon's razor-sharp talons and wings emerged from my shoulders, while my body grew in size until I shifted completely. Blaze was so tall and long that the courtyard was half destroyed just from my transformation.

I looked at Kai's unconscious body on the ground, memories of the emotions that seeing Rafe's lifeless after that fire had stirred flooding my mind. Black smoke was coming out of Blaze's nose as burning anger raged inside both of us, and we could finally let it out because Markolf's control did not work in animal form.

But before I could annihilate him with my fire, I saw the cambion move his fingers as if he was conjuring something. With my own eyes, I saw a dragon appear out of thin air. It was not a living dragon but one that I could only describe as a ghost. The full-size spirit of a dragon, a fire dragon on top of that. In fact, the spirit that Markolf had conjured was identical to Cyrus' dragon.

Fuck- Cyrus! I warned him that the cambion was not going to spare him, my words evidently coming true.

"Kill him." I barely registered the half-demon's command when he ordered the dragon.

The confusion of seeing my former Alpha's spirit worked to Markolf's advantage as the dragon's attack caught me unprepared. His claws sunk into Blaze's body but the piercing pain only hit me when the dragon bit down on his shoulder. We were trapped under his hold, unable to shake him off.

Blaze, we have to take off and try to lose him in the air. It's our only chance, I grunted in pain but my determination grew as Blaze's wings spread open and we lifted off, reluctantly leaving Rafe and Kai behind with Markolf.

Fuck, that blast was vicious. But it hurt less than I thought it would.

You have Blaze to be grateful to for that, Kai. You know, dragon strength and all.

Ugh, you sure know how to ruin my mood. Are you going to want me to thank him next?

Kai slowly opened our eyes, just in time for us to see Blaze take off with a ghostly-looking dragon clinging on to him, his teeth sunk into Blaze's shoulder. I could feel Aiden's pain through our bond, but I could do nothing to help him. Kai let a pained howl out before we diverted our focus back to the main reason why our triad was hurting- Markolf.

The cambion stood in the middle of the courtyard with an evil fucking grin on his face while he looked in the direction where Blaze and the ghost dragon had disappeared. The growls and roars of the dragons fighting above us reverberated the air. Blaze and Aiden were trying to shake off their attacker while they soared through the sky but the other dragon was not letting go.

It was only when I looked at Markolf again that I noticed the cambion wave his hands around like he was the conductor of an orchestra. The realisation of what was going on dawned on me. The fucker was controlling the ghost dragon that was attacking my best friend and, we had to stop him.

Snarling, I lunged at Markolf but the bastard saw us before we reached him. He swiftly moved one of his hands towards us and gestured strangely until two huge ghost Alpha wolves emerged out of nowhere. With the snap of the cambion's fingers, one of them rushed over to attack, the other one joining him shortly behind.

They chased us around the courtyard like we were playing a brutal game of tag but we were not going going to let two dead-arse wolf ghosts beat us. However, while tiring out the opponent worked with real wolves, these two were not going to be exhausted anytime soon.

I have a plan, Kai.

Is it a good plan, Rafe?

I said I have a plan...

Goddess, that already sounds terrible.

Shut up, your arse, and listen to me. The cambion controls both the wolves and the dragon that Blaze is fighting. We need to take him down somehow or at least distract him.

I'm on it.

Mid-sprint, Kai changed direction and all three wolves were now on track for a head-on collision with the half-demon who was just ahead of us. Markolf was so engulfed in whatever was happening with the dragons that it was the barking of his own wolves that grabbed his attention, seconds away from our collision. He jumped quickly to the side but he lost some of his focus in the process. I looked back and I saw one of the wolves vanish just as quickly as it had previously appeared, while the second one seemed lost for a second.

Bingo! It was now our turn to attack.

Without wasting any time, Kai pounced on top of the wolf and bit down on his flank, sinking his teeth so deep that when he shook his head, the wolf's whole body was dragged left and right. It was the strangest fight I had ever experienced because this wolf was not a living creature and yet, he was no hologram. There was a tangible, corporeal feel to this spirit but as my Kai's pierced his skin, the coppery taste of blood was just not there. I wondered if Markolf's warlock had something to do with this but there was another question that really bugged me- how on Earth do you kill a corporeal ghost?

As I pondered what to do next, a vicious roar echoed above me. I looked up just in time to see Blaze plummet down. He appeared to be free-falling and was heading straight for the courtyard. Kai shook the other wolf one more time and threw him against the wall just in time for Blaze's impact with the mansion. He fell on top of the courtyard's nearest corner, demolishing half of the structure in the process and burying the ghostly wolf underneath the rubble.

Moments after Blaze finally hit the ground, Aiden shifted back and crashed onto the floor, bleeding. Kai rushed over to him and nudged him with his head. He licked Aiden's face to get him to open his eyes but with no luck.

"Such a touching sight, you two. But it's time to end it all," Markolf cackled with laughter, while he began to gesture again, his hands moving to the rhythm of a magical beat.

My whole body electrified, yet I knew it had nothing to do with Markolf. There was only one person in this world who could make me feel like this- she was coming. A loud bang sounded in the courtyard when the doors on one end slammed opened.

"Enough," Riley's voice commanded with such authority that it was evident she was a born Alpha. "Stand down, Markolf."

The cambion looked surprised for a second but then his surprise turned into satisfaction. He seemed pleased which put me on edge but I was ready to sprint and get in his way if he tried to blast my mate again.

"Aurelie, just in time- I'm afraid that your mates just don't get when they need to die, so it's time to teach them a lesson." He kept on moving his hand and soon enough, two flaming blue orbs appeared in each of his hands again.

"This is your last warning, Markolf. Back off," my mate repeated, evidently meaning business.

"Or what, darling? You will slap me again?" The sarcasm in his voice was probably meant to throw Riley off but what the cambion did not seem to realise was that he was throwing fuel in the ever-burning fire inside my mate.

Unfazed, Markolf put up his hands and aimed for Aiden and me. He barely even managed to open his mouth when two real fireballs crashed into him, sending him flying backwards. A satisfied howl of support escaped from my wolf while, in my mind, I could only applaud how my mate blasted the cambion, even if there was probably no permanent damage.

Riley rushed to Aiden and me, stroking Kai's headfirst when she finally reached us. As fierce as my wolf was, he was now practically purring like a kitten under our mate's touch, wagging his tail around and trying to lick her hand. She then knelt next to Aiden and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, while she laced her fingers with his. My best friend looked worse for wear as he lay there covered in blood and cuts but the only thing that still kept me together was the fact that I could still feel him through our bond. That was also how I knew that Riley's presence was helping him heal slowly.

He will make it through, Riley. He is a shifter after all. Not to mention, one very tough bastard, I tried to reassure her, but also myself, through our mind link.

An unexpected slow clap replaced the silence that had temporarily settled. I looked up and saw that Markolf was back to his feet, so I immediately moved in front of Riley, ready to protect her and Aiden with my life.

Just then, I heard the door on the other end of quad open. Soft but hurried footsteps echoed along what was left of the crumbling corridor of the courtyard. A familiar scent invaded my mind as it slowly filled up my lungs. It was a scent that I knew since I was born but it had been years since I felt it around me. My heartbeat sped up and I stared in the direction from which the footsteps were coming until a beautiful older lady with silver hair and piercing blue eyes emerged from behind the columns.

Mum, is what I wanted to shout out but a pained howl came out instead.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Or was this another one of Markolf's tricks?

"Mr Mark, are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Stay back, Michelle." The cambions words sounded like a mix of order and plea. There was the tiniest tremble in his voice when he spoke like he was concerned about her. What the hell was going on?

"What is happening, Mr Mark?" Her face did not hide her confusion and fear. "Why is there an injured man on the ground? And isn't that wolf dangerous?"

Every word she said threw me off a little bit more. Seeing her here alive, even if 17 years older than the last time I saw her, was already a shock but the fact that she was talking to the cambion like he was someone she cared about, yet meanwhile she seemed to fear my wolf, me- that hit me like a ton of bricks.

Rafe, Riley's voice brought calm to my mind as she reached out through our connection. I know you probably have a million questions right now and I promise to tell you everything as soon as we are out of here but you need to know that your mum has amnesia.

What do you mean she has amnesia? My reaction came out harshly but it was nothing more than my bewilderment with the whole situation.

She doesn't remember anything, Rafe. Not the supernatural world or what happened to her. She...

My heart thudded louder and louder as a result of the hesitation in Riley's voice. I anxiously waited for her to finish what she was trying to say, but I already knew the answer deep down. My mate looked into my eyes and I could see that this was just as difficult for her. I could feel her heartbreak.

She doesn't remember you or Natalia. Nothing about her family.

The memories of the day she was taken away overwhelmed my mind. The sound of her voice as they took her away. The pain and the guilt that I felt because I couldn't save her. It was all there. Seeing her in front of me but with no recollection of who she was or of her family was like losing her a second time. I was lost once again. I did not know what to do to fix this. To save her.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

I whipped my head around and realised that the cracking sound came from the area where my mum was standing. It was faint to begin with- so faint that I could only detect it thanks to my wolf abilities- but was getting louder. Slowly, fissures emerged in the high ceiling just above her, as Aiden's crash in the courtyard must have caused some further structural damage and my mum was not aware of it at all.

"Michelle, watch out," I heard Riley shout when a large piece of the ceiling broke off, causing my mother to look up in horror as the fragment plummeted towards her.