My moment of relief at seeing Brianna and her sisters appear was short lived and they still seemed to be fighting something I couldn't see. One of the bad witches had gone, but how many were around was beyond me. It was foolish to think she had been the main issue, and it also occurred to me that apart from a couple of guards earlier that Aiden had taken care of, neither David or Antonino had any more backup. Was the old vampire really such a threat he didn't need it or were others in the shadows waiting for their chance to attack?

None of that mattered as I started to run, Aiden's yelp making me feel cold with fear. He would be fine. We both were going to be fine only as Antonino seemed to toss around the wolf like a child with a soft toy, I wasn't sure we were. Brianna called something out, but she was too far away for me to hear her properly and as Aiden was kicked again - sending him flying limply across the ground, something in me snapped.

"No!" I roared only the words never left my mouth.

My legs suddenly felt weak and before I could dodge the rubble from a destroyed gravesite, I tripped and fell. I had to get to Aiden, and as my hands dug into the dirt I struggled to hold as everything seemed to tremble as though were now in the middle of an earthquake. A rush of wind blew past me as I willed myself to stand only someone must have hit me, or I hit my head on something as I fell, as a shooting pain ran from my temples, down into my neck and along my spine.

Then it all stopped and standing, everything felt different. I couldn't work it out at first, my nose twitched and I sneezed. A shiver ran down my back, making me shake it off and that was when I froze. I wasn't standing as I expected. No this was something completely new.

"Sam!" Brianna called again, much closer this time. "You're okay. You just need-"

Looking around everything suddenly hit me and stepping back, I half sat, half fell. Then I whined.

"Worst, timing, ever." Brianna mumbled as she held her hands submissively. "Sam, it's me. Brianna. I'm your friend, remember. We need to get you out of here okay? Just stay calm and-"

Aiden.

I had to help Aiden.

My new body took over. It knew what to do and where to go and I let it. Any time I even thought of something it ended with us tripping, and needing to refocus on what was happening. Brianna kept shouting, distracting me more than helping and when I finally saw Aiden again, the wolf was gone and the human in its place wasn't moving. There was no stopping me as I went to his side, falling against him I poked him with a new, wet nose; whining and pawing at him as gently as I could manage before licking his face. I needed a response. I needed him to tell me he was okay. Tonight wasn't goodbye, he promised.

"Well this is disappointing." Antonino's words reminded me he was even there and in an instant I stood over Aiden's body. "All this, and you turn out to be an even greater disappointment than your father."

All I wanted to do was be with Aiden. My teeth bared on their own accord as growls shook my body. The cool and calm demeanour the vampire usually had was gone. He looked as wrecked as Aiden and as he came closer, too close, my body once more reacted on it's own and lunged at him. Taking out the threat was our only option.

Of course the second he dodged my new teeth, I was trapped. The attack obvious and not thought out at all. His arm was up under my neck, my struggles futile as his hold only tightened. The earth trembled again and gasping for air, Antonino laughed.

"Weak little hybrid." He taunted in my ear.

"Go to. Hell." I managed to gasp, my throat was tight and to say anymore was impossible.

"I probably will one day, but not tonight and not because of you."

Then he was gone. I felt as though I had been punched in the back and fell forward, finally close enough to reach out and touch Aiden. His hand twitched, and his breathing sounded as raspy as mine, but he was there. Looking over my shoulder as I scrambled closer to him, Brianna had Antonino and her sisters circled around him so he disappeared from my view. What ever they were humming, had him screaming and that woke Aiden up.

"Gods, Sam. You okay?" He pulled me against him as he took a second to look around.

The humming got louder and that got his attention as we slowly stood up. With a quick check of me, he looked towards the witches. What was left of his jumped was torn away, while I felt weaker than I ever had in my entire life. I was cold, sore and exhausted. He was alright, that's all that mattered now and to just run away home and move on from it all sounded like a fantasy we could achieve. Instead, he clearly didn't have the same issues as I did as he headed towards the circle. It was Brianna that moved, letting him in and the light that tried to sneak out was blinding as though you were looking directly into the sun. Now I knew why Antonino was screaming so much and Aiden took the sword offered to him.

The screams stopped.

The witches went quiet.

It was over.

Aiden emerged and Brianna stopped him for barely a second, her hand on his shoulder as the pair gave a little nod to each other. That was what he did after all, what the coven couldn't. Their intentions to stop a monster, didn't end with them killing him. They were of the light after all and Aiden, well it didn't matter to me what he was made of or what he did, because he was mine. I didn't know whether to scream, cry or faint and as he turned my way I thought I might just do all those things, only the look on his face wasn't what I was expecting. Shock, anger, no pure rage took place of the exhaustion and then fear.

Turning to look behind me, I froze as David stood there. A portal at the ready just beside him only all I could see was the empty black circle of the gun in his hand.

"It didn't have to be this way Samara. Come with me now, or I will kill you." He threatened.

"Don't do this. Antonino is dead and-"

"Fuck him." He spat. "You will come with me."

"No."

He closed his eyes and dipped his head slightly before looking up and our gazes met. "Goodbye then, Samara."

The gun went off, the bang so loud and violent, my ears rang with the sound. The bullet hit with such force it was like being swallowed by a tornado as darkness swarmed around me with a woosh and for the briefest of seconds I felt Aiden catch me. His arms were tight and protective as he seemed to be hunched around me, yet I didn't feel safe or like I belonged there. Opening my eyes I only saw darkness and the man holding me sucked in a sharp breath that sounded like pain.

Looking up, it wasn't Aiden there at all and the eyes that greeted me were enchanting.

"Caelon?"

"Next time, let's just catch up for drinks like we did before." He gritted out between clenched teeth.

"What, I don't, what just happened?" I asked unsure what was actually going on.

He held me as he stood, the shield around us opening as he made sure I could stand on my own. Not that it mattered as I stumbled backwards the second he let go, my mouth dropping as I took in the set of wings that were filling my living room.

He really was an angel.

"I know what you're thinking." He shrugged, and the wings vanished in the blink of an eye. "I'm not an angel."

That was what I was thinking. Until where we were managed to break through the daze of seeing him in what I guess was his true form.

"No, I'm thinking how the hell did we get into my living room?"

"Aiden asked me to get you out if you were in danger." Caelon frowned as he looked me over. "Sorry it wasn't sooner."

"Sooner?"

"Did you need-" He started.

"Where is Aiden? Take me back!" I demanded, charging forward.

"Relax little hybrid." Charlie's oddly comforting, yet unexpected voice called out and looking around Caelon, the large figure in my kitchen moved towards us.

My mouth dropped open. "Charlie? What are you doing here?"

"I needed a bit of help and was limited in who I could get here in time." Caelon explained. "There was some powerful magic there tonight. I was blocked from getting into the cemetery, and when the lot from Alveen seemed to be having the same issues, I figured we needed someone powerful too."

"So, you were there the whole time?" He looked nearly as bad as Aiden had which didnt make sense if he was stuck on the outside.

"It wasn't like I didn't try to get in and besides, that old leech had a mini army patrolling out there making sure no one would succeed."

"Had." Charlie commented as my sofa groaned under his weight and he proceeded to eat a sandwich.

"You-" I started, struggling to make sense of everything.

So we were always going to be trapped, it had been set up that way from beginning and it explained why none of the protection spells had worked or helped us. When Brianna and the others had disappeared, they could have been hurt or even killed if not for Caelon. Aiden and I could have been too if not for Charlie.

"I did."

"That doesn't mean anything now. Take me back!" I demanded.

Charlie laughed and Caelon shook his head.

"Aiden will come here." He told me firmly. "It was our plan."

"It wasn't mine!"

"Take that up with him when he gets here."

"But what if-"

"He'll be here soon. This is when those obstacles will test you little hybrid, though I do not feel they are, obstacles, at all anymore." Charlie sighed, getting up. "You have a banshee waiting for you to return too. Do not keep her waiting."

He left as simply as Caelons wings had. There one second, gone the next, with just his obvious warning still in the air. I felt bad for Caelon, despite not quite understanding all of that. I vaguely recall Aiden joking with him about Charlie being family, and the pair struggling to get along but they did because of Chloe. So, she was a banshee?

Caleon seemed to relax now though. He sat down, and closed his eyes for a moment while I considered making a run of the door and going back to check on Aiden. Though in the time it take me to stiffly walk the few steps towards the corridor out, a portal appeared by the door and through he came. Aiden paused before opening his arms and I ran the tiny distance now to throw myself against him. I touched as much of him as I could, wary of the numerous cuts and sore spots that decorated him as he wrapped his arms around me. His lips were on my forehead, words I couldn't hear or understand being mumbled into my hair until I managed to get enough freedom to grab his face and pull him down to kiss me. My face was wet as we parted, my tears for so many reasons and I had no idea how to make them stop.

"I love you." I tell him.

"I love you." He held me tight again and we just stood there, not that it mattered. We had no where else to be.

Caelon coughed, hovering in the doorway behind us and Aiden grew tense as his eyes landed on his friend.

"Where the fuck were you?" He growled, gently moving to the side as he charged towards the non-angel.

"Aiden, don't. It wasn't his fault." I slipped between them, stopping Aiden.

"We had a fucking deal."

"I kept up my end." Caelon argued. "Is she not here, safe and sound?"

"She was nearly fucking killed, twice!" The words make me feel cold as the reality sinks in; maybe nearly three times if you could my first round with David. "I should-"

"Thank him." I shout, trying to be heard. "There was magic keeping him out, just like how the coven couldn't get to us either. He protected them too. Charlie had to be the one to break down the shield that was in place!"

"What?" Aiden froze.

"You owe him nothing. I promise you that." Caelon spoke up. "He seems to be fond of you two for reasons only Charlie knows."

"Well, fuck." Aiden groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're welcome. I got a bullet for my troubles too, so me and you. Even now."

Aiden extended his hand, and the pair shook on it. "Thank you."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be." Caelon nodded and then was gone as Charlie had been.

"That's new." Aiden mused for about two seconds, before I was being lifted into his arms. "Did I imagine a certain, little hybrid, finding her wolf for me?"

I smile as he mocks Charlies accent and uses his name for me. More of the night now catches up and that smile quickly disappeared.

"Did you, is he- I tried, but I couldn't and then if not for Caelon-" I ramble, unsure how to actually ask.

"I know I promised I wouldn't, but there was no other way." He admits, watching me closely.

He does what I can't as well.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me for that Sam." He frowns.

"They, he said that I was going to be used to I think try and create born vampires. He was supposed to be my Dad and you kept warning me, and you know, I wasn't even shocked when he came back. I kind of expected it, just not that soon, but one day you know and I thought by then I could do it. I would have had time to prepare and be able to do it."

"Nothing prepares you for it. You're not like him, you're not a monster." For a second I see the him I first met; guarded, dangerous, dark. "I'm not like you."

"You're not a monster." I tell him softly. "You tell yourself you are. You're big and bad and you do what others can't. You're a warrior. A hero. You're mine."

"I like being yours the best out of all of that. Tell me again." It's almost an order, and the most gentlest of kisses brushes past my lips. "And while you're at it, tell me about how you became a wolf."

"I would if I knew." I sigh, leaning against him. "I didn't even fully realise it had happened until I tried to walk. Brianna said it was the worst time, ever."

He laughs softly, before scooping me up. "She wasn't wrong, but now we know what you're capable of. I want to see it again, properly this time, not just semi-conscious and unsure if I'm hallucinating."

He teasingly nips at my ear as we head to the bedroom. We're filthy, exhausted, sore and I'm pretty sure at least three of the cuts I've seen on him need stitches, but we made it back home together. We collapse on the bed, I mention a shower and Aiden talks about needing food, but instead we simply pass out and I'm ok with that too.

Everything else can wait until later.