

### The Spring Equinox

### By: Elizabeth Quinn

### Text copyright © 2014 Elizabeth Quinn

### All Rights Reserved

### This one goes to Cassy, who gave the name for the main character and helped me out with ideas. Thanks, girl. I love you!

# Chapter One

_Come on, girl. Think. What is this guy going to look like?_ she thought to herself. She had her head buried in her notebook, trying to come up with the description of the antagonist for her short story. _Will he have black hair? Brown hair? Blond hair? Think!_

"Ms. Johnson. Perhaps you'd like to enlighten us on why you're so engrossed in your notebook instead of the class discussion?" asked Professor Stevens.

Cassy Johnson lifted her chestnut brown head to look at her professor. He was glaring at her, his foot tapping impatiently on the floor. She turned a bright shade of red as a blush worked its way across her olive skin. "Um, no reason, Professor."

He raised a gray eyebrow. "Are you sure? You seem so focused on that instead of our lively discussion on _Romeo and Juliette_. Would you mind reading what you've written?"

_Oh, god no_ , she thought to herself. She opened her mouth to speak, but absolutely nothing came out. She couldn't find her voice. Thankfully, a voice behind her spared her from her embarrassment. "She was takin' notes on da lecture, sir."

Cassy nearly melted at his Cajun accent. She'd lived in New Orleans for all nineteen years of her life, but she'd never met anyone with a sexier accent than Liam Deveraux. She turned to look at him and he locked his emerald green gaze on her sky blue one. He smiled coyly at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

Professor Stevens' gaze narrowed. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Deveraux?"

"Yes, sir. She been takin' notes da whole time."

The professor stared behind Cassy for a moment longer before he glanced at the clock. He sighed. "That's all the time we have today, class. Have a wonderful long weekend, and I'll see y'all back here next Monday."

The class started chattering as they all got out of their seats. "Dat was a close one, cher," Liam said.

She blushed once again. "I know. Merci, Liam."

He smiled at her. "Pas de qoui. What you was doin'?"

"Just working on my short story for my creative writing class. It's not due for another two weeks, but..."

"Da creativity was flowin'?" Liam guessed.

She smiled up at him. "Exactly."

His smile widened. He bent down to pick up his messenger bag, giving Cassy the chance to look him over- something she quite enjoyed doing. He looked good in his tight fitting gray t-shirt. It clung at his well-sculpted chest and wide biceps. His jeans hung low on his hips and were a dark blue. They were a snug fit against his well-muscled thighs. Cassy always yearned to see him out of his jeans... and his shirt... and everything else.

Coming to his full height of six foot one, he slung his brown leather messenger bag over his shoulder and smiled at her. "Ready to go, cher?"

She blushed and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

He motioned for her to lead the way and she walked up the stairs, at once wondering to herself if she actually felt his gaze on her ass or if she was just imagining it.

"So what are your plans for da long break, cher?" Liam asked her as they walked out of the Liberal Arts Building at the University of New Orleans.

"I'm not really sure about the break, but tonight the girls are helping me work on my short story for a little bit, then Ava's dragging me to the Kappa Sigma party."

"Ya comin' to dat?"

"Yeah. Are you going to be there?"

He chuckled softly. "I live dere, remember?"

Cassy blushed. "I know. But you could have other plans..."

He laughed even louder now. "I'm a freshman, cher. I _have_ to go. Dey don let us choose."

She frowned. "That's mean."

Liam shrugged. "I chose dis, bébé. I like da frat life."

"Then that's all that matters."

Liam nodded. "Morgan's not comin' with?"

Morgan was Cassy's best friend and roommate. She was also a Wiccan. Wicca is a spiritual religion that focuses on the elements around them. Because of that, and because tomorrow was the spring equinox, Morgan would be home, doing blessings for a good, healthy spring.

Cassy shook her head. "Tomorrow's the spring equinox. You know her. She's doing some Wicca thing at midnight. She refused to come. Lucky for her, Ava's letting her stay behind."

Liam chuckled once more. "Da parties aren't dat bad."

"You know me. I'm not much of a partier. Ava's practically _dragging_ me there."

He ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. "I suppose. But I'm glad you're comin'. It'll be fun."

Cassy blushed, but nodded. She noticed his pupils expand when she blushed. She didn't understand it, but before she could get a chance to contemplate what it could have meant, a voice interrupted them. "Yo, Cass! We still on for tonight?"

The two of them turned to find a raven haired girl walking towards them. Cassy smiled. "Hey, Ava. Liam and I were just talking about tonight."

"Dat we was," Liam said. He looked over at Ava, a smile curling at his lips, but Cassy could see a hint of irritation in his eyes. She wondered about it, but didn't question him. "You excited for it?"

"Hell yeah. There's nothing more fun than a frat party during Easter break!" Ava exclaimed, her gray eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Oh, shit. That's this weekend?!" Cassy asked.

Ava rolled her eyes. "How could you forget? We live in New Orleans, for Christ's sake. _And_ our boy Liam here talks about Easter and Mardi Gras every fucking day!"

Liam rolled his eyes. "Mardi Gras is part of New Orleans and Cajun tradition." The way he said New Orleans- Nu Orlins- made her melt. That was the way Cajuns pronounced the city, so Cassy was used to hearing it. But the way Liam said it... it gave her chills. "Of course I'll talk 'bout it."

Ava put her hands up in surrender. "Cool your jets, boy. I'm just giving ya shit." She looked at Cassy. "When are we working on your story?"

"At eight. We'll probably head to the party around ten."

Ava nodded. "All right. We're getting drunk tonight, Cass. I can feel it!" She elbowed Cassy in the ribs and whispered to her, "And you're getting laid. Five bucks."

"Ava!" Cassy exclaimed, her cheeks flushing with blood. She risked a glance at Liam to see him watching her intently.

"Just saying, Cass. Just saying. I gotta head to Human Bio. I'll catch you guys later."

"Bye," Cassy and Liam said at the same time. She turned to find him still watching her attentively. Her blush deepened. He noticed and his gaze darkened. She watched as his pupils started to expand. She swallowed hard.

When she opened her mouth to speak, she noticed his gaze shift from hers to her lips. Instinctively, she licked them and she could've sworn he suppressed a groan. "I should probably go, too," she said then. "Morgan wants to go to the store to get some stuff for her ritual tonight and then we're gonna grab a bite to eat."

At first, Liam didn't say anything. He just continued to gaze steadily at her lips. But finally, after he mentally shook himself, he looked up and captured her gaze. "Den I should let you go. Au revoir, cher."

He gave her a peck on the cheek and walked off.

Cassy watched as the man of her dreams walked off in the opposite direction. She wished he'd either stop kissing her cheek every time he left or hurry up and kiss her on the damn lips already. Groaning in frustration, she turned to walk to Pontchartrain Hall North- the building where she and Morgan lived.

As she neared the building, she began to picture scenes from her short story in her head. Daydreaming was something Cassy did quite frequently. Ava always gave her shit about it, saying that she lived with one foot in the real world and one in the world of make believe- or bull shit, as she pointed out all the time.

She imagined her heroine, Crissy, walking down the dark alley where she was going to meet the unbelievably sexy antagonist that would try to seduce her into joining him. Cassy knew what she wanted this bad boy to be: he'd be a warlock who'd given himself a set of fangs and a taste for blood. He wasn't a vampire, mind you. He just loved to drink the blood of whichever girls ended up in his private chamber. He'd be British as well. If there was anything Cassy loved as much as - maybe more than- a Cajun accent was a British one. She knew he'd be ripped- how sexy could the big bad be if he wasn't extremely buff? The only thing she couldn't picture was his face... and his name.

That was why the girls were helping her tonight. She wanted their help coming up with the perfect description of the alluring bad boy. They all had similar tastes in men, so she knew that whatever they came up with would be perfect.

As she walked towards the stairs that led to her building, a voice called to her. "Hey, Cassy. Are you ready to go?"

She stopped and turned around. A smile appeared on her face as she spotted her red haired best friend. "Hey, Morgan. I'm ready when you are."

Morgan Reed smiled at her roommate-slash-best friend, flashing the straight white teeth that four years of braces had given her. "I'm ready. Do you want to drop your backpack off in the room?"

Cassy shook her head. "Nah, I don't need to. My wallet and keys are with me."

Morgan nodded. "I figured as much."

That was Morgan. She always knew what Cassy was going to do. That's what nineteen years of friendship will do to you.

Morgan and Cassy had been friends since they were babies. Their parents were best friends, so that pretty much ensured their friendship as well. Morgan's mom and Cassy's mom had been college roommates at NYU. They had become fast friends. When Cassy's mom, Alicia, met her dad, the three of them became inseparable. The summer that Cassy's dad, Erik, and Alicia became engaged, they traveled to New Orleans for vacation. When there, they met Morgan's dad, Mark. He was the son of a Wiccan priestess; he was obsessed with magic. Low and behold, so was Gwen, Morgan's mom. The two became extremely close and fell in love.

The four of them spent the entire summer after graduate school in New Orleans and they decided they didn't want to leave. The two couples each bought a house no more than two blocks away from each other and started planning their double wedding. Three years later, Morgan and Cassy were born. Cassy on the twenty-eighth of February and Morgan on the twentieth of March. On the spring equinox.

Morgan was the baby of the group. Ava was born on the third of January and Liam was born on the twenty-first of December in 1993. They four were the closest of friends.

They met at freshmen orientation that August. Since Pontchartrain Hall was a coed building, the four of them found themselves on the same floor. At their first floor meeting, they all introduced themselves and instantly connected. Ava and Liam were already friends, so when the three girls became friends, Morgan and Cassy automatically became friends with Liam as well. And almost as instantly as their friendship arose, Cassy began to feel an attraction towards Liam. It was something she couldn't explain- Liam wasn't her usual type. She liked the artsy type, not the jock frat boy type. But she felt an unexplainable connection with Liam. And Morgan had known from the beginning. Another benefit of being friends for their entire lives.

Cassy smiled. "Let's go, then."

Morgan nodded and led the way towards Cassy's Audi. Erik Johnson was a well off man that liked to spoil his only child. Both of her parents had extraordinary jobs that paid them an extreme amount of cash; Erik was the founding CEO of Johnson's Publishing House, one of New Orleans' biggest publishing houses, and Alicia was a world renowned cardiovascular surgeon. They both wanted what was best for their child, so they had a trust fund set up for her. A trust fund that was so large, Cassy didn't have to work a day in her life if she didn't want to. Her parents thought that Cassy wanted to be an author so that she could have a job, but not an important one. It angered her on occasion.

As the Audi A4 came into view, Morgan asked, "So how was English Comp? Did you and Liam talk at all?"

"During class? No, but we did talk afterwards."

"About?" Morgan inquired.

"The frat party tonight. I totally forgot that it was at his frat house."

Morgan laughed. "Of course you did, Cass."

Cassy rolled her sky blue eyes. "You're sarcastic tone is not needed, Morgan."

She shrugged. "I know, but it's true. You know Liam is a brother of Kappa Sigma. You've gone to how many of their parties? You see him there every time!"

"I've been to three of their parties, Morgan," Cassy muttered.

Morgan went on as if Cassy had never spoken. "Not to mention we're best friends with the guy, who used to be our neighbor. Of course you know which fraternity Liam belongs to."

"Okay, I had a blonde moment. So sue me."

"You're not blonde, Cass," Morgan pointed out, looking at Cassy's chestnut brown hair.

"Yeah, but I'm too young to have senior moments. So I have blonde moments."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. Cassy stuck her tongue out at her best friend, making her laugh. "Very mature, Cass."

"Thanks, Morgan. I try," Cassy said as they got into her car.

They drove to the store in silence. The only sound that was made was from the radio as it played the songs of Lady Gaga, One Direction and Fun. When "Some Nights" came on, the girls belted out the lyrics like there was no tomorrow.

As Cassy pulled into their local Target, she asked her friend, "So what is it that you need?"

"For Ostara celebrations, I need three candles- a yellow one, a green one and a purple one- and I need an egg," Morgan informed her, as she did every year.

"Okie dokie. Are you sure you don't want company tonight? I wouldn't mind staying if you don't want to be alone."

Morgan rolled her forest green eyes. "I'll be fine on my own, Cassy. Besides, you're my best friend. Why would I want you to miss a chance to hit on- and possibly sleep with- your crush?"

Cassy glared at her. "You and Ava are planning something, aren't you?"

Morgan smiled. "Maybe."

Cassy groaned. "Good god, I'm starting to wish I was Wiccan so I could skip tonight."

Morgan laughed. "You'll be fine, Cass. What's the worst that could happen?"

She stopped after the words left her best friend's mouth. _What's the worst that could happen?_ Cassy thought to herself. _Way to jinx it, Morgan._

It was as if those words had tainted everything. Cassy felt a sudden darkness wash over her. Could it just be her wildly overactive imagination, or was tonight going to go a lot differently than anybody had planned?

******************************************************

He had heard her groan as he walked away. And he could only guess at what had made her make that sound. It was probably him.

Liam had turned around after she made that frustrated groan and watched as she walked away from him. Something deep inside of him made him want to go chasing after her. But he reigned that side in and shook his head in mild confusion and irritation. She wasn't running from him. There was no need for that side of him to want to chase her. But yet that urge had still been there, trying to claw its way to the surface.

He had shook his head and walked towards his car.

Now, he was standing half naked in front of the mirror in his room, his emerald green eyes glowing. He was surprised they were doing so. Tonight was a new moon. No one of his kind would feel the effects of their condition tonight- unless they wanted to, of course. They seemed completely normal until the full moon, when it was perfectly natural for their eyes to glow and their fangs to show. But the full moon was two weeks ago and wouldn't happen for another two. So why were his eyes glowing now?

Everything was in stark contrast now. He could see the individual dust particles that lined his desk a few feet away, the signs of fading on his jeans, and he could make out each line of muscle on his incredibly ripped chest. He could hear kids getting off the bus a mile away, and a car pulling up to the Kappa Sigma house. After a few seconds, he could smell her perfume as she walked through the front door. Liam sighed.

"I heard that!" she shouted as she made her way up the stairs.

Liam chuckled softly. "Oh, I don doubt it, Ava."

She shook her head as she walked into his room. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw that he no longer had a shirt on. "Expecting company, Liam?"

"'Course not. I'm getting ready for da party tonight."

Ava smiled slowly. "Getting all hot and stud looking for Cassy, you mean?"

As if it were possible, his eyes shone brighter when Ava mentioned Cassy. Trying not to show that, he rolled his eyes. "I'm getting ready, dat's all."

Her smile widened. "Uh-huh. That's why yours eyes shone brighter when I said 'Cassy.' That makes total sense."

Liam cursed to himself. He was hoping that she wouldn't notice. "In fact, why are your eyes glowing? The full moon isn't for another two weeks."

He sighed. "I don know. Dey been glowin' since I got out of da shower."

"And what were you doing in the shower?" Ava asked, her voice slightly higher as she tried not to laugh.

Liam shot her a look of pure annoyance. "Showering," he growled.

"Of course you were."

He walked away from the mirror. "What do you want, Ava?"

"Just checking in, boss."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not your boss yet."

"Keyword: yet. You'll be Alpha soon enough."

Liam froze where he stood. His gaze shone brighter than when Cassy's name had been mentioned. The thing deep inside of him raised its head, more so now than when Cassy walked away from him. He squared his shoulders and his back straightened. He could feel his gums start to ache as his fangs threatened to explode out of them. When he answered her, his voice was deep and gravelly, showing the monster within. "Hopefully not too soon, Ava."

She bowed her head. "None of us want your old man to die, Liam. But he's sick. We don't know how much longer he has. You know how the pack works."

He nodded. "Yes, I do. I've known all my life how da pack works."

"You're our next Alpha wolf, Liam. Better be preparing yourself."

Liam sighed. "I am. Believe me."

Liam, his family, Ava and her family, and everyone in Kappa Sigma were werewolves. They were all members of the same pack. And though Liam was a freshman in college, the lowest of the low in frat status, he was the next in line for Alpha and, therefore, the leader of the fraternity. His dad was the current Alpha, but he had terminal lung cancer from his many years of smoking and working as a fireman. Once he died, Liam would be the new Alpha.

That was how things worked in Liam's pack. Things weren't like that everywhere. Some packs fought over who should be Alpha. Others believed females were the Alphas. Another group believed there needed to be a male and female Alpha. But Liam's pack believed that it was in the bloodline.

"How's your dad doing, anyway?" Ava asked, her voice lowering.

Liam took his time responding. "Da doctor tinks it's only a matter of time now."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Liam."

He shrugged. "It's okay," he lied.

The truth was, he wasn't ready for his father to die. Liam was extremely close with his dad. They were the best of friends. He couldn't imagine his life without him, but it was only a matter of time now.

Ava watched him. She knew he was lying- almost no one knew him better than Ava- but she didn't say anything. She changed the topic. "So, Cassy's coming to the party tonight."

He chuckled softly. "What do you have planned, Ava?"

She sighed as she flopped onto his bed. "You know you like her, Liam. I don't know why you keep fighting it."

"Maybe because she's human, Ava. You know we can't let dem into our business."

"Your mom was human."

He squared his shoulders once more. "My mom is my dad's soul mate. You know dat's da only exception."

"Maybe Cassy is your soul mate," Ava said.

"I don tink so, Ava."

"Why not?" Ava demanded. "You can't tell me that you haven't thought about it."

"Because."

"Seriously? That's your reasoning? 'Because?'"

"Yes, Ava. Dat's my reasoning," he snapped.

"Well, do you want to hear my reasoning for why she _is_ your soul mate?"

"Not really," Liam muttered. He knew what she was going to tell him.

"Too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway," she told him.

He chuckled softly. "I figured as much."

Ava ignored him. "For starters, I see the way you act around her. You stand up straighter for her than you do for anyone else. You're always looking into her eyes. You _never_ look into my eyes, or Morgan's eyes, as long as you do Cassy's. You're always watching her. You only call her 'cher'. You never call me or any other girl 'cher.' Not to mention that when she was drunk at her last Kappa Sigma party and started making out with you, you were kissing her back."

He froze. He didn't expect her to bring up the kiss.

A few months ago, at the last Kappa Sigma party Cassy had been to, she got seriously drunk and started making out with him. Before that night, he had thought she was cute- he had also thought of her as his little sister. But the second her lips touched his... it was like magic. He had never felt anything like it. He had grabbed her arms and started kissing her back. Liam had opened her up and his tongue had delved deep. He had groaned deeply as he explored her mouth. She had moaned in return. He had been oh-so-tempted to take her up to his room to take things further, but Morgan had pulled her way and took her back to their dorm room. Leaving a slightly confused- but very turned on- Liam there by himself.

And ever since that night, Liam could think of nothing else but her lips against his and how he wanted to do that again.

_Dat's just your hormones talking_ , he would tell himself. _You'll get over her._ But every time he saw her talking to another guy, the wolf in him raised its head and growled, the hairs on its back standing straight up. He really couldn't explain it... but apparently Ava could.

"She's your soul mate," Ava sang.

"Let's say you're right, Ava-"

"Which I am."

"-how could I tell her 'bout us? She's human. She'd flip if I told her we were loup-garou. Dere's no way she'd believe me."

Ava rolled her eyes. "She's a writer, Liam. A paranormal romance writer. She writes about werewolves and vampires all the fucking time. She lives with one foot in reality and one foot in the land of bull shit, as I constantly tell her. Not to mention the fact that her best friend is a witch. I think she'd believe you if you told her you were a werewolf."

Liam sighed. "I'm not so sure, Ava."

"Of course you're not." She stood from his bed. "Look, this is me and Morgan's plan. I'm going to bring her tonight and get her drunk. You're gonna show up and hopefully what happened last time will happen this time."

He frowned. "I don know, Ava..."

"Don't think about it, Liam. Just act on your instincts. They'll tell you what to do." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight, Liam."

He watched as she left his room. He sighed once more. "Good-bye, Ava."

# Chapter Two

" _She had never felt so unnerved in her life. She felt as if she was being watched._

It was an unsettling feeling, and one that not many people fully understood. It wasn't like it was in the movies when you just felt another's eyes on you. There was a feeling deep inside that you couldn't deny. It was like an itch that could not be scratched. Something that was in reach, yet unobtainable. And that was precisely what Crissy was feeling at that exact moment.

She didn't know where this person was, exactly. How could she? She was walking among the crowded streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. There were people everywhere. But she felt a distinct set of eyes on her, watching her every move.

Crissy didn't know what to think of this. Who could possibly be watching her? Was it Leo? Did he not like that she was out on the streets during such a busy night on her own? Or could it be Megan and Ally, just trying to fuck with her? Whoever it was, the sinking feeling in her stomach worsened when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.

Again, she was walking on a busy street during Mardi Gras. Of course she would hear footsteps behind her. But these footsteps were different. They were in perfect step with hers. Crissy suddenly became very nervous.

_She decided to try and ditch this person, whoever it was. When an alleyway appeared in front of her, she quickly ducked into it. The alleyway was one she used quite often when she wanted a short cut back to her apartment from work. It led from Bourbon Street to St. Louis Street. She pushed past the door from the diner and froze._ Wait a minute _, she thought to herself._ There are no alleys on Bourbon.

She realized her mistake too late. When she turned around to leave, she came face to face with the person who had been following her. 'Hello, luv,' he said to her. 'Going somewhere?'

It was a man's voice. It was deep and accented and wholly unnerving. He had only spoken four words and already her body was humming to life. But Crissy couldn't see him.

_He was standing in the shadows, obviously trying to stay masked from her eyes-_ "

"'Masked from her eyes?' Really, Cass?" Ava asked.

Cassy looked up from her notebook. "You don't like it?"

Morgan shook her head. "I agree with Ava on this. I'd go with 'trying to stay cloaked from her gaze.'"

She pursed her lips as she thought about her best friend's suggestion. Finally, she nodded. She quickly erased the previous sentence and wrote the newest version before continuing to read her friends the scene.

" _He was standing in the shadows, obviously trying to stay cloaked from her gaze. She couldn't make out a single detail about him. The only thing she could tell about him was that he was tall... and British._

Whoever this man was, Crissy didn't like that he had been following her. She rolled her shoulders back in defiance before she spoke. 'Why were you following me?'

He smiled. She could hear it in his voice. 'How could I pass up the opportunity to meet such a breathtakingly beautiful young woman?'

She frowned. 'So you stalked me?'

He shook his head. 'I was merely observing. You simply noticed and came to the wrong conclusion. You have nothing to fear from me, Crissandra. Quite the opposite, in fact.'

Crissy froze. 'How do you know my name?'

He smiled once more. 'I know everything about you, luv.'

The man took a step forward. He was still concealed by the shadows of the diner's makeshift alley. It frustrated Crissy that she couldn't see his face. When he stepped forward, she felt a wave of power wash over her. She knew that it had to have come from him. She gritted her teeth. 'You made me think there was an alley back here, didn't you?'

_He threw his head back and laughed. The sound echoed off the walls of the makeshift alley and made Crissy melt. No man had ever had that much power over her. Not even Leo came close. It made her long to see what he looked like. As if he had read her mind, he finally stepped out of the shadows as he said, 'Of course I did, luv. How else would I get you alone?'_ "

Cassy looked up from her notebook once more. "That's all I have."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "That's the entire story?"

Cassy and Morgan rolled their eyes. "No, that's all I have from this scene. I have about fifteen pages before this."

"How many pages does it have to be?" Morgan asked.

"Between twenty and fifty."

Now Morgan raised an eyebrow. "That's a little long for a short story, isn't it? I remember in that creative writing class we took in high school the short story needed to be at least ten pages long."

Cassy chuckled softly. "That was high school, Morgan. This is college." Morgan stuck her tongue out at her and Cassy laughed. "Anyway, what do you guys think?"

"It was good," Morgan said. "I liked how you made it seem that he was already affecting her."

Ava nodded. "I agree with Morgan. I also like how you named the main character Crissy. Doesn't sound anything like Cassy..."

Cassy blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ava scoffed. "Yes, you do. You named her Crissy because it was similar to your name, but not similar enough that people would think you were writing about yourself. Unless they knew you and how your mind worked. You're projecting your desires into your character."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "I think you're taking your psych major a little too seriously, Ava."

"I think Ava has a point," Morgan said. "I mean, you did name Crissy's friends Megan, Leo and Ally. M, L, and A. Morgan, Liam, and Ava."

Cassy looked away. "Just a coincidence."

"Uh huh. Sure," Morgan and Ava said.

Cassy cleared her throat. "Anyway, what do you guys think the bad guy should look like?"

Morgan and Ava shared a look that said "we know you're changing the subject, but we'll let it slide." Morgan was the first to speak. "Well, what do you want him to look like?"

"Dark hair and dark blue eyes," Cassy said, a smile pulling at her lips as she started to imagine how his eyes would pull Crissy in... and never let her go.

"Okay, what else can you picture?" Morgan asked.

"He's tall, around six foot three, and well built- like seriously well built. He's British, has a love for wearing dark colors and leather jackets, no matter what the temperature is, and he drives a black 1968 Mustang convertible."

"Okay... what's his deal?" Ava asked.

Cassy instantly knew what she meant. "He's a warlock, but he has fangs."

"So... a vampire with magically abilities?" Morgan asked.

Cassy shook her head. "No. He's just a warlock. He gave himself fangs because he thought they would be cool. They only come out when he's turned on. He only drinks for the girls that end up in his bed."

Ava rolled her eyes. "You and your love for boys with fangs."

Cassy ignored her. "What I need your help with is his features- what his face looks like, etcetera- and his name."

"Well... how about he has short, spikey dark brown hair?" Morgan suggested.

Ava nodded. "Yeah, dark brown hair that's spikey totally seems bad ass. Wait... how do you describe that?"

"The messy top cut is what it's called," Cassy said as she looked a picture of the style she wanted on her laptop.

Ava walked towards her and looked at the picture. She nodded. "Yeah, that definitely works. Very bad ass. And I would totally tap that model."

Morgan laughed and Cassy rolled her eyes. "Who wouldn't you tap?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"What about his name?" Cassy asked, once again changing the subject. "We need something that screams bad boy."

"Lucius," Ava suggested. "Luc for short."

Morgan and Cassy both shook their heads. "Sounds too _Harry Potter_ for my taste."

"Damien?" Morgan suggested.

"Too antichrist-y. He's not _that_ bad."

"What about Kaden?" Ava asked.

Cassy paused as she thought it over. She smiled. "I like it. Kaden it is. Anything else we should add to him?"

"Give him dimples," Morgan said. "I love a man with a good set of dimples. They're so hot!"

Cassy chuckled. "Okay, I'll give him dimples." Turning to a fresh page, she wrote down all of their suggestions. After a few minutes of writing, she looked up. "Okay, so Kaden's going to be British, six foot three, incredibly ripped, have dark brown hair in a messy top cut style, have blue eyes-"

"Make that sapphire blue eyes," Morgan said.

Cassy nodded. "He has sapphire blue eyes and dimples. He drives a black 1968 Mustang convertible and loves dark colored clothing."

"Sounds like he's ready to be added to the scene!" Ava exclaimed.

Cassy nodded. She turned the page in her notebook and began writing. "Wait, why don't you just type it?" Ava asked.

"Because I like to give it to Morgan to proof read before I add it to the final copy. And as much as I love and trust Morgan, I'd rather not just let her hold onto my laptop."

Ava nodded and Cassy continued writing her story.

Fifteen minutes later, she was handing her notebook to Morgan. "Be sure to underline things in red if they seem off or wrong."

Morgan nodded. "I know the drill." She'd done it for her almost a million times.

Cassy nodded. She looked at her phone. As usual, they had been running behind and hadn't started working until close to nine-thirty. It was now ten-thirty. "We should go, Ava. That is if you still want to go to the party?"

"Hell yeah, Cass. We're going. And you're going to look hot and get drunk and make out with Liam again."

Cassy winced. She was never going to live that down.

The last time she had been to a party was a few months ago. And at that party, she had made out with Liam. She hadn't planned on doing that- of course, when you're drunk you don't really plan on doing anything. She had just been sitting next to him, listening to him talk and watching his lips move. Cassy had been fascinated by his lips. They were thin, but full. They looked completely kissable. She wanted to test that theory. So she did. And to her surprise... he kissed her back.

It had been a wonderful ten minutes of nothing but his lips against hers, his tongue sparring with hers. She had wanted nothing more than to continue that kiss somewhere more private, but Morgan had interrupted them and took her back to their dorm. Cassy had not been pleased with her friend.

Realization dawned on her now. "That's what you guys are planning."

Ava played innocent. "Whatever do you mean, Cass?"

"You're planning on getting me drunk and then forcing me on Liam!"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "No, we're not."

"Don't lie to me, damn it."

"We're not, Cass. We just want you to unwind a little," Ava said. "Now come on. Let's go get wasted!"

******************************************************

_This was a bad idea_ , Cassy thought to herself as she walked into the Kappa Sigma house. The music from the base pulsed around her, causing her to wince. It was all she could do not to reach up and cover her ears. Ava noticed and rolled her eyes. She leaned close to shout in her ear, "You'll get used to it, Cass!"

She nodded. It was the same every time she went to a party. Especially when she went to a Kappa Sigma party. She was about to step forward when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Cassy opened her mouth to scream when he said in her ear, "Hello, cher."

Cassy pulled out of his grasp and swatted him on the arm. "Damn it, Liam. You scared the shit out of me!"

He smiled down at her, his emerald green eyes shining with excitement. "I know. Sorry 'bout dat."

She shook her head, a smile pulling at her lips. "It's fine. Hi, Liam."

His smile widened. "Glad you came. Did you get your story all figured out?"

"Yes, I did. The bad guy has been created. Morgan is editing him as we speak!"

"Dat's good. Would you two like a drink?"

"I'll have a Mike's if you have any," Cassy said.

"I believe we do. Is cranberry okay?"

Her smile widened. "Cranberry is perfect."

He smiled warmly at her. "All right." He looked at Ava. "What 'bout you, Ava?"

"I'll have a beer. Whatever you have is fine," she said, smirking.

He saluted them and said, "I'll be right back with dose drinks," before he turned and walked off.

Cassy watched as he walked off, her eyes glued to his ass. He had a nice one, for a guy. Ava saw her looking and her smirk turned into a grin. Cassy rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Ava."

A few minutes later, Liam returned with their drinks. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Liam," they said.

He smiled at them. "It was my pleasure."

Liam walked around them and led them into the living room. Cassy looked around and took in all the faces. Some people she recognized as other freshmen, but most people there were friends with the upperclassman and could legally drink. Regardless of their ages, everyone looked to be enjoying themselves.

Beside her, Ava groaned. "What?" Cassy and Liam asked.

"Don't look now, Cassy. But Asshole's here."

Being that 'don't look now' usually makes a person look, Cassy turned her head and froze. Standing no more than ten feet away from her was her ex-boyfriend. And he was staring at her.

Asshole, as she called him- Nathaniel Scott Kabrick to the world- was her first college boyfriend. The two had dated for their first two months as college freshmen. She had been attracted to his height- he was six foot three- and his dark hair. He had brown eyes, which Cassy didn't normally go for. She liked her men to have light colored eyes, preferably blue or green, but she liked him nonetheless. He was also the first man she had ever slept with... and she hated his guts.

The week before her favorite holiday, Halloween, Nate had broken up with her because they "had nothing in common." He left a stunned Cassy alone in her dorm room after very awkwardly giving her a high-five. That following week, he tormented her. He sat at her table during dinner one night and had very childishly destroyed the sandcastle she and Liam had made at the beach that following weekend. She knew it had been Nate because he bragged about it to one of Liam's frat brothers during their math class.

That had been five months ago. She had moved on and forgotten about him... but he hadn't forgotten about her. He was now stalking her. Everywhere she went, he was there as well. It was getting on her nerves. He had even signed up for the same creative writing class as her. He was a mechanical engineering major. He had no business taking a creative writing class. Especially when he knew that Cassy was interested in creative writing and was planning on taking that class.

After staring at her for a minute straight, he turned around and started talking to a friend. "He has a big ass for a boy," Ava said.

"Yeah, but he has a small dick, so that makes up for it," Cassy muttered before she took another swig from her drink.

Both Liam and Ava stared at Cassy in shock. They never expected her to say something like that. Liam started to laugh. So did Ava. Cassy smiled. The alcohol was getting to her. She had always been a lightweight.

"Oh, cher," Liam said. "We're keeping you on da light stuff tonight."

Cassy shrugged. Give her five Mike's Hard Lemonades and she'd be just as drunk as if she had two shots of tequila.

Seeing Nate there, Cassy was for once glad that she let Ava pick out her outfit. Ava had dressed her in dark blue ripped jeggings, tan wedge heeled sandals, and a black tank top. She had made her wear her gold chain necklace and gold hoop earrings as well. Morgan had pulled Cassy's hair into a high ponytail. When the two had finished, they said Cassy looked like a model. Cassy had blushed and then she and Ava left.

Now, she could practically feel every man's gaze on her. It was unnerving and wholly exciting. Cassy had never really been the center of everyone's attention. She had always been content with staying in and being out of everyone's view. But tonight... she felt exotic. She wanted to get drunk. She wanted to be a flirt.

She wanted to end up in some man's bed.

Cassy shook her head. The alcohol was _definitely_ getting to her. She always did become horny as hell when she was drunk. She was barely half way through her first bottle of Mike's and she was already feeling it. Of course, the last time she had a drink was a few months ago. Her tolerance must have gone down.

Of course, she was also turned on from having written Kaden and his scene. _It's probably not normal to get turned on by writing your own character_ , Cassy thought to herself. She had to admit, he was a pretty sexy bad boy. Not to mention powerful. Nobody would be able to stop him... expect for the heroine, of course. It wouldn't be a very good story if the main character didn't win her struggle.

Still, she had written a very charismatic villain. She wished...

Cassy stopped. Taking out her phone, she checked the time. It was 11:50. _Damn it_ , she thought to herself. _It's not 11:11 anywhere._ _Oh, well._ She closed her eyes and made the wish anyways. _I wish that Kaden could be real._

She knew it was a stupid thing to wish, but she truly was intrigued by him. Besides, it was every author's dream to see their characters come to life. Usually in film, but Cassy would take what she could get.

Ava put her hand on Cassy's shoulder. She looked at her friend. Ava smiled. "Come on, Cass. Let's dance."

Cassy smiled at her friend and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

# Chapter Three

Morgan looked up from Cassy's notebook when her alarm went off. She glanced at her phone. It was midnight. Today was officially the spring equinox. And her birthday.

At 12:01, her phone buzzed, indicating she had a text message. She opened it. The message read, " _Hppy birfday, Morgan!!##_ "

Morgan rolled her eyes. Cassy was obviously drunk. "That girl should not be allowed near her phone when she's in that state of mind."

Sighing, she pushed herself off the couch in the dorm's living room. The room setup was much different at the University of New Orleans than it was anywhere else. There were three different rooming options at Pontchartrain Hall: one bedroom with a single bathroom, two bedrooms with a single bathroom, or four bedrooms with two bathrooms. Cassy and Morgan lived in the double room with one bathroom. They each had their own sleeping area, which pleased them both. As much as they loved each other, they were both an only child and, therefore, were used to having a room to themselves. They did have to share a bathroom, but the sink was separated from the shower-bath and toilet. They had a shared common area which was where their television, couches, and two mini fridges were housed. The girls had all been in the living room when they were helping Cassy create Kaden.

Morgan picked up Cassy's notebook, once again glad that she didn't have to underline a single thing. Cassy was getting better and better with her writing. _She'll be an amazing author one day_ , Morgan thought to herself. _A_ New York Times _bestseller for sure._

Not wanting to leave the notebook in her drunken friend's room, she laid it on the ground next to her bed. Reaching into her closet, she pulled out a TV tray. Putting the legs beneath it, she put the tray next to her window. She took her purple table cloth out of the closet and laid it across the tray. Walking over to where she had laid her Target bag, Morgan pulled her three candles out and set them up on the tray. This was the first time Morgan was thankful to have the street view from her window. No one would see the flame; therefore, she could not get into trouble for having an open flame in her room.

Walking out of her room, she went to her refrigerator and pulled out a single white egg. Gently, she carried it back to her room and placed it in the center of her semi-circle of candles. Having everything she needed, she was ready to begin.

Morgan opened her window to let in the night air. It was an essential part of her spring equinox- or Ostara, as was the name of the Wiccan holiday- ritual that she breathed in the spring air. It was also something she loved. Spring was her favorite season. It was the season of rebirth, renewal, and resurrection. It was when all the flowers started to bloom and the rain began to fall. Morgan always loved a good thunderstorm.

She mediated a moment longer before she began her ritual. The first candle to be lit was the green one. She snapped her fingers and a flame appeared on her thumb and index finger. Morgan smiled. Being a real witch had its perks.

There were three levels of witchitude. The first level was being a Wiccan. They were the non-magic users of the field. They considered themselves the healers, though they had no real power. Wiccans just considered themselves part of a religion. Not a supernatural cult. The second level was the witches and wizards. They were the ones with powers. They could successfully do spells and preform magic. Most witches and wizards were good guys; they studied Wicca and only used their powers for good. But there were others, which leads to the third level: the warlocks.

By nature, warlocks were the darkest of the dark. They used powers and spells that others wouldn't even dream of touching. They used dark love spells that could cause a person to go into a zombie like state. They could actually _create_ zombies. They could even kill people with just an uttering of a simple Latin word: _emorior_.

Warlocks were not to be trifled with. They were very dangerous, but they were also alluring. Morgan could see the draw of the dark side. She, like Cassy, did tend to like the bad boys in most books and television shows. They were Team Damon on _The Vampire Diaries_ and Team Dean on _Supernatural_. But she believed in helping people, not hurting them. So she stayed a witch. And her best friend didn't even know it.

Morgan had always wanted to tell Cassy the truth- if anyone would believe her, it would be Cassy. The author. But she had always been afraid of her reaction. So she kept it a secret.

Bringing her attention back to her ritual, she lit the green candle- which symbolized the earth- and said, "The Wheel of the Year turns once more and the vernal equinox arrives. Light and dark are equal and the soil begins to change. The earth awakes from its slumber and new life springs forth once more."

Next, she moved onto the yellow candle, the symbol of the sun. She lit it and said, "The sun draws ever closer to us, greeting the earth with its welcoming rays. Light and dark are equal and the sky fills with light and warmth. The sun warms the land beneath our feet and gives life to all in its path."

Finally, she moved onto the purple candle, which symbolized the divine. As she lit it, she said, "Spring has come! For this, we are thankful! The Divine is present all around, in the cool fall of a rain storm, in the tiny buds of a flower, in the down of a newborn chick, in the fertile fields waiting to be planted, in the sky above us, and in the earth below us. We thank the universe for all it has to offer us and are so blessed to be alive on this day. Welcome, life! Welcome, light! Welcome, spring!"

Morgan stood there in silence as she watched the three flames. The wind from outside blew her fire red hair into her face as she stood there meditating once more. After a few minutes of meditation, Morgan took the egg from where it laid and balanced it on its tip. This was one of the lesser known rituals of Ostara. It was supposed to mark the beginning of the spring season. Once the egg fell over, it was the sign that spring had begun. Its falling over was the signal of birth, of life. It was something her mother had taught her. It was her favorite part of Ostara.

As the egg was balancing on its tip, Morgan said, "I make this offering to the earth, as thanks for the many blessings I have received and those I shall someday receive."

What happened next was not planned.

Morgan didn't have enough room to lay the egg in the center of the TV tray. She laid it on the edge. When a gust of wind came in through the window, it knocked the egg over the edge of the tray. The egg landed right on top of Cassy's open notebook. It landed right onto the description of the dark British warlock, Kaden. Before Morgan could have a chance to worry about the fact that she had just spilt egg over her friend's story, a powerful gust of wind sent her flying into the wall behind her. It blew out the candles, sending her room into almost complete darkness.

Her forest green eyes closed the second the back of her head connected with the wall. When she opened them, she saw a vortex swirling around the now ruined page in the notebook. Morgan froze as she started to see something take shape in the middle of the dark cyclone. First she saw black motorcycle boots. Then she saw the well-muscled, denim covered legs, the black t-shirt under a black leather jacket covering his six-pack and muscled pectorals. And finally, as her eyes widened in terror, she saw the whirlwind create his strong, stubble covered jaw, his perfect cheek bones, his straight nose, sapphire blue eyes, and his short, spikey dark brown hair.

Right before her eyes, she saw her harmless Ostara celebration spell bring the very harm _ful_ Kaden to life. Her yearly ritual somehow managed to bring her best friend's character to life. Now Morgan was alone with the very handsome, very evil warlock. She swallowed hard.

"What in the bloody hell..." he said to himself.

_Gods_ , Morgan thought to herself. _Cassy is going to flip out when she hears his voice._

As if he had read her mind, his sapphire blue eyes snapped in her direction. He captured her gaze and tilted his head. "My, my. What do we have here?"

When he took a step towards her, she pushed herself off the wall and walked around him. He chuckled softly. "I'm not going to hurt you, little witch."

Morgan froze. "How do you know what I am?"

He laughed out loud now. "I am a warlock, little bird. I can sense your magic in you. It's strong, for a do-gooder." He looked around. "Where am I?"

When Morgan didn't answer him, he sighed. "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way." He captured her gaze once more. " _Respondeo_."

Her eyes widened. She knew enough dark spells to know which spell he just cast onto her. He was spelling her to answer his questions. "You're in my dorm room."

"What university is this?"

"The University of New Orleans," Morgan said. She was answering him the way a robot would- with no emotion whatsoever.

"What world is this?" he asked next.

"The real one."

He froze. "This isn't the world Cassandra created?"

Though she was still under his spell, Morgan's eyes widened. _He knows that Cassy created him?_

He interrupted her before she could answer. "Of course I know that Cassandra created me. I am not a fool." Kaden took a step towards her. "Where is she now?"

"At the Kappa Sigma party," Morgan replied.

"Then that is where I will go. I must find her."

He turned from her, effectively releasing her from his spell. She fell forward, bracing her hands on her knees and breathing heavily as if she had just ran a marathon. Morgan looked up at him. "What are you going to do to her?"

Kaden looked at her from over his shoulder. "I'm going to find her and make her mine."

Her forest green eyes became the size of golf balls on her face. "Why? What importance does she hold to you?"

"She created me, you sodding fool," he hissed. All pleasantries were gone from his tone now. Morgan flinched from the unwarranted venom in his voice. "She's a writer. She has more power than any witch or warlock could ever hope to have. It's untapped and pure. Not to mention the fact that she is singlehandedly the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. Even more so than that Crissandra girl."

"You've never seen her before," Morgan said in confusion.

Kaden rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have. She created me, remember? I was in her head before she ever put me to paper. I've seen her thoughts, her images of herself and of others... Morgan."

She froze. If he knew about her, what else did he know?

He smiled darkly at her. "I know everything, Morgan. I know about you and Ava. I know about her crush on the boy, Liam. I even know about her pansy-ass ex-boyfriend who is currently stalking her."

Kaden strode towards her. Morgan backed up until she was against her bed. "I am going to make her mine, little witch. You can count on that."

"I won't let you," Morgan grounded out.

He chuckled softly. "Who says you can stop me before I stop you?"

Her eyes widened. "You can't kill me, Kaden. If you do, Cassy will never be with you."

"Oh, I know." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "But I can knock you out for a good while. Long enough for me to find my girl and take her before you can stop me."

With lightning fast reflexes, Kaden pulled back and captured her gaze once again. " _Dormio_."

Before Morgan knew what hit her, her mind was reeling into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was Kaden's dark laughter filling her dorm room. When she landed on her bed, she was gone to the world and unable to save her best friend from her dark fate.

******************************************************

Cassy and Ava spent the last hour bumping and grinding it up on the dance floor. They stopped occasionally to get more to drink. At this point, Cassy had drank four bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade and was now downing her fifth. She was wasted at this point in time and horny as hell. She was ready to jump the first man that she saw. And Ava knew it.

"So, Cass. Should I go find Liam now?" she asked her friend. Ava was nowhere near as drunk as Cassy. She was tipsy, if anything. Ava had a very high tolerance for alcohol.

Cassy halfheartedly pushed Ava. "Don't you dare," she slurred.

Ava laughed. "Jesus, Cassy. I think you've had a little too much to drink."

"I'm not even drunk," Cassy said incoherently.

Ava rolled her eyes. "Yes, you are. You can barely stand!"

"That's the way I like my girl," said a deep voice.

The girls turned around to find Nate standing behind them, grinning darkly at Cassy. "What do you want, Nate?" Ava demanded.

"I want to talk with Cassy. In private," he told Ava, his perverted gaze not leaving Cassy's form.

"Get lost, Nate. I don't want to talk to you," Cassy garbled.

"But, Cass, I can help you. I know how you get when you're drunk. You know only I can make you feel better."

"With what? The stub in your pants? No, thank you."

Ava laughed. Nate glared darkly at her. "You're just a stuck up bitch, Cassy. 'Oh, look at me! My daddy's some big time CEO and buys me whatever I want.'"

"And you're an over compensating bastard. 'Oh, look at me! I have a tiny dick, so I have to act like a big one so no one will be the wiser,'" Cassy spat at him. She may be drunk, but she will always have a way with words.

Nate took a menacing step forward. What he planned to do, the girls would never know. Liam snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms under Nate's underarms and grasped his head in his hands. "I tink it's time you leave, couillon."

The girls sighed in relief. "Hi, Liam."

He nodded at them and started leading Asshole out to the front door. The girls watched him in silent appreciation. They were oh-so-thankful for Liam at that moment. "That was close," Cassy murmured.

"Damn straight." Ava looked at Cassy. "And you're telling me you don't want to sleep with Liam."

Cassy blushed. The experience with Asshole had sobered her up a little. "Not when I'm drunk like this, Ava. I want to remember the experience."

Ava was silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. "How about a dare?"

Cassy winced. "I don't think so, Ava."

"Come on, scaredy cat. It's a simple one. Unless you don't want to get laid tonight..."

That caught Cassy's attention. _God, I'm such a whore when I'm drunk_. "What's the dare?"

Ava smiled at her friend. "You have to sleep with the next boy who walks through the front door."

"What if he has a girlfriend?" Cassy asked. She didn't want to be responsible for ruining someone's relationship.

Ava rolled her storm gray eyes. "Then ask him first."

"You're hoping Liam walks through the door first, aren't you?"

"Is that a yes?" Ava asked. "You'll do it?"

Cassy sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll do it."

Ava jumped up and down in glee. "Yes! Atta girl, Cass." She paused. "Somebody's coming."

They both watched as a tall man with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a dark wardrobe walked through the front door. He wasn't Liam, but damn, he was gorgeous.

"Oh. My. God," both Ava and Cassy said when they saw him. The man was drop dead gorgeous.

He had spikey dark brown hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a straight nose. A slight stubble graced his chin, jaw, and upper lip. He was dressed in a black leather jacket, a tight black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He was tall- approximately six foot three- and enticingly ripped. The girls could see the outline of his seriously well-defined muscles through his shirt.

Cassy felt a warming, tingling sensation start in her stomach and sink lower. "My god, he's hot."

"And all yours. A dare is a dare," Ava said, her voice failing to conceal her awe.

As if he had heard them, he looked in their direction. The girls froze. Cassy felt pinned to the spot as his gaze wandered her body. And then he smiled. He had straight white teeth and the most beautiful dimples to ever grace a man's cheeks. She actually swooned standing there. As he walked towards her, she couldn't deny the feeling that she'd seen him somewhere before.

"Hello, ladies," he said to them once he reached them.

"H-hello," the girls responded. Cassy nearly jumped into his arms and demanded he took her then and there. He had a British accent. One of her weaknesses.

When his smile widened, Cassy came to a decision. She was going to stop listening to her head and just follow what her body was telling her it wanted. And it wanted the stunning man in front of her.

She took a step towards him, eliminating the distance between them. Reaching up, she cupped his face with her hands and kissed him. He tensed for a second before he wrapped his arm around the small of her back, crushing her body against his. With his free hand, he cupped the back of her head, pushing her face closer to his.

_God, this boy sure knows how to kiss_ , Cassy thought to herself as she looped her arms around his neck. As if it were possible, he pulled her even tighter against his body. She moaned when she felt the hard evidence of his arousal against her thigh. She could already tell that he was bigger than Asshole, which made her a little nervous. But that feeling was quickly put on the back burner when he started leading her to the back bedroom. _Things are about to get interesting_ , she thought to herself.

Bring it on.

# Chapter Four

Kaden had never wanted to kill someone as much as he wanted to kill Nathaniel Scott Kabrick. That pathetic excuse for a human being had just insulted his reason for existence. But right before Kaden could phase his way inside and snap that asshole's scrawny neck, Liam Deveraux was putting Nathaniel into a headlock and taking him outside. Kaden decided it was time to go and see his girl.

He walked past Liam as he took Nathaniel outside. They nodded at each other in greeting, and then Kaden's back stiffened. He looked over his shoulder to see Liam looking quizzically back at him. His nostrils flared and Kaden instantly knew what he was. Liam Deveraux was a werewolf. And he just recognized Kaden as a warlock.

_I'd better find Cassandra quickly now_ , he thought to himself. _She doesn't know he's a werewolf, but if he tells her not to do something, she'll listen._

Kaden walked through the front door and looked around. He cast a silent locator spell but before it could tell him her location, he heard her. "My god, he's hot," she murmured.

His head snapped in her direction and he froze. She was even more breathtakingly beautiful in person than he could have ever imagined. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail on top of her head. Her sky blue eyes sparkled as she took him in. Her olive skin was flushed slightly, most likely from the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. She was honestly the most beautiful girl on the planet. He couldn't stop himself. He smiled at her.

Walking towards her and her friend, he took in her form. She was wearing a black tank top, ripped jeggings, and tan wedges. She had on a gold chain necklace with matching gold hooped earrings. "Hello, ladies," he said to them both. He was British, after all. He may be a warlock, but he was raised to be polite. Especially to beautiful women.

"H-hello," they responded.

His smile grew.

Then something extraordinary happened. Cassandra stepped forward, cupped the side of his face with her hands... and kissed him.

Kaden froze in shock, but recovered quickly. He wrapped an arm around the small of her back and pulled her against his body. With his free hand, he cupped the back of her head, bringing her face closer to his, and deepened the kiss.

He couldn't get her close enough. Pulling her more tightly against his body, she moaned when she felt his now raging hard on. He wanted her and he wanted her now.

With his mind, he cast a spell to see if there was a bedroom nearby. The house father's bedroom was just down that hall and it was free. Paul Rubric was out of town on a family emergency, leaving the boys in charge. _Foolish man_ , Kaden thought to himself.

Kaden led Cassandra to the back room, not once letting his lips leave hers. He couldn't stand the idea. As soon as she was in the room, he reached behind himself and shut the bedroom door. He locked it and walked Cassandra towards the bed. While they were walking, he pulled the hair tie out of her hair, causing her chestnut brown hair to cascade down her back. The moment the back of her knees hit the end of the bed, she stepped out of her shoes and he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when his tongue began exploring her mouth. He wrapped his arm under her ass to keep her from falling as he leaned towards the bed.

As they fell onto the bed, he braced his free arm out to catch their fall. When they landed, they rolled, causing Cassandra to land on top of Kaden. She ended the kiss, pulling back to catch her breath. His grip tightened where it rested on her hips. He was about ready to burst at the sight of her on top of him. He wanted her stripped and riding him like there was no tomorrow.

She pushed her hair out of her face and bent her head to kiss him again. His arm wrapped around her body, pulling her chest against his. He crushed her hair with his free hand as he held the back of her head. He was hard and ready to take her, but first, he needed to know if _she_ was ready for him.

Rolling over, he pushed her beneath him. With the hand that had been around her waist, he slid his hand from her collar bone, to her chest, down her stomach, to the rim of her jeans. Without further hesitation, he slipped his hand into her pants and thrust two fingers into her opening. She moaned as they entered her. He groaned when he was in her. She was soaking wet. And it was all for him.

He knew that she had only slept with Nathaniel, so he knew he had to get her extremely wet before he could even consider taking her. He was much larger than that pathetic excuse for a man. As his fingers pumped in and out of her opening, his thumb brushed against her clit. She bucked beneath him, causing his fingers to go deeper. He did it again, this time eliciting a moan from her throat. He smiled against her lips.

Her head fell back as she began to give in to his movements. Untangling his hand from her hair, he trapped both her wrists in his grasp and pinned them above her head. He could tell by the way she was breathing- short and shallow breaths- and by the movement of her body that she was close to the edge. He grinned.

Calling forth his magic, he muttered a simple Latin word, " _Emoveo_ ," and watched the magic work. Right before his eyes, her clothes began to dissolve in thin air. Slowly but surely, each thread in her shirt started to fall apart and disappear. First went her shirt, then her jeans, followed closely by her matching black thong and bra. He groaned when his magic finished its work. Her body curved in all the right places. Her breasts were ample and gorgeous. She was perfect.

He leaned forward and took her breast in his mouth. She bucked beneath him once more and let out a long moan has he brought her over the edge. He groaned as her inner muscles clamped down around his fingers. Kaden couldn't wait any longer. He wanted inside her and he wanted it now.

Using the same spell he used on her, he whisked his clothes away and positioned himself at her opening. She didn't even notice his clothes dissolve. She was too drunk and too high off her orgasm to comprehend what she just saw. But she tensed when she realized what was about to happen. She was afraid it was going to hurt. "Don't worry, luv," he told her now. "It won't hurt."

Right as he was about to push into her, he whispered, " _Solor_ ," which was Latin for relieve. He didn't want her to hurt. He wanted her to feel pleasure, not pain. Well... not _that_ kind of pain.

She moaned as he entered her. He groaned. _Gods, she is so tight_ , he thought to himself. He rested inside her for a moment, letting her get used to him, before he started to move. When he did, they both moaned.

His grip tightened on her wrists. This was even better than he had ever imagined. He had slept with a lot of girls- Cassandra had never given him an exact number- but she was by far the best he had ever had. _I can't wait to drink from her._

As that thought enter his head, he became even harder, if that were at all possible. Kaden brought his lips back to hers. He opened her up and his tongue delved deep. He expertly explored her mouth, occasionally sparring with her own tongue. She moaned into his mouth.

Soon she started moving her body to the rhythm in which he was pounding into her. She was participating. His heart soared. He had her now. He truly had her now.

He could feel her getting closer to the edge. He wanted to help her. With his free hand, he brushed his fingers across her clit. She bucked beneath him and moaned. He did it again and she cried out in pleasure. He smiled against her lips. It was time.

His lips left hers and wandered down to her neck. Even though he was a warlock- a group of beings who weren't specifically known, or known at all, for drinking blood- Cassandra had found it imperative that she give Kaden a set of fangs and a taste for blood. He wasn't a vampire- he would rather die than be a lifeless bloodsucker- he just wanted to drink from the beautiful women that ended up in his bed. If the women were magical, he would gain some of their power. If they weren't... well, then there was no harm, no foul.

When he found the crook of her neck he hesitated. Just for a moment. Then he was sinking his fangs into the side of her neck. She cried out in pleasure as his bite brought her over the edge. He groaned against her skin as her inner muscles clamped down on his hardness. He almost reached his climax then and there, but he reigned himself in. _Just a little longer_ , he told himself. _Hold out a little longer._

Her blood poured from the twin wounds in the side of her neck. He groaned as he swallowed it. It was the purest, most powerful blood he had ever tasted. It was sweet, like the richest chocolate, and burned like alcohol as it slid down his throat. He didn't think he'd ever be able to stop drinking from her. _You won't have to. She'll be yours soon enough._

As that thought entered Kaden's head, he thrust into her even harder and faster as he drank from her. He felt her body tighten once more, a sure sign that she was going to have another orgasm. He smiled against her skin. He thrust into her once more before they both reached their peak. She screamed in pleasure. He groaned against her neck before he collapsed on top of her.

Slowly, he pulled out of her and removed his fangs from her neck. They retreated back into his gums. The two holes in the side of her neck closed instantly. He stared down at the beautiful girl beneath him. She looked up at him through half closed lids. He could tell that she was exhausted. "That was... amazing," she breathed.

He chuckled softly. "That it was, luv."

She tried to move. "Where did you put my clothes? I should go. My friends are probably wondering where I disappeared to."

His sapphire blue gaze hardened. "Your clothes are on the floor," he lied easily. "I don't think you should go just yet, luv. You look pretty tired and weak."

"I'm fine," she slurred. She was still a little drunk.

He chuckled. "You're still a little drunk. Maybe you should rest in here a bit."

Her eyes closed. "Maybe. Will you get my friend- the one I was standing with- when you leave? Just so she knows where I am. She'll need to take me home now."

"You're not going anywhere with her, luv. She won't be the one taking you home."

Before she could ask him what he meant, he murmured, " _Dormio_ ," which was Latin for to fall asleep. Her eyes fluttered, then closed completely. Seconds later, he could hear her shallow breaths, a sure sign that she was indeed asleep.

" _Appareo_ ," he said, the Latin spell for reappear. Suddenly, her clothes magically started to reappear on her body. Her bra and thong came back first, followed by her jeans, and then her tank top. He watched as the thread of her black tank top began to sew back together. It would be a magnificent sight to see... if he hadn't seen that spell done a hundred times. Not to mention that having her clothed again was the last thing he wanted.

He murmured the same spell for himself and, soon, he too was dressed once again. Kaden scooped up Cassandra's unconscious form into his arms. He knew there was no way in hell he could just walk out of that room with her. Even if he cast a concealing spell on her, the wolf would still know something was up. He would have to go out the bedroom window. He glanced over at it. It was a small window that slid up. It was at least three by five feet. There was no way in hell he, a six foot three man, could fit through that window with Cassandra's five foot six form in his arms.

Kaden sighed. He knew what he had to do. "And here I was hoping I could escape without anyone noticing." His gaze hardened as he looked at the window. He let lose another spell, this one with more fire power than the last. " _Displodo_."

As soon as the words left his tongue, the window wall exploded. Pieces of wood, plaster, dry wall, and glass flew out into the alley behind the frat house. He winced at the loud sound. He knew that would draw the wrong attention. "I guess we'd better be going, then, luv."

He wrapped his arms more securely around her and stepped through the now gaping hole in the house, praying to all the dark lords that no one would catch him before he took his new bride-to-be to their new home.

******************************************************

He had been standing off to the side, his eyes fixed on the dancing girls when he saw Asshole walk up behind them. He gritted his teeth. _Dis won't be good._

Standing back, Liam let the girls handle this. He didn't want them to feel powerless. He knew Ava could handle anything. But when Asshole took that menacing step forward, Liam was rushing through the crowd- much faster than he should have moved in front of so many humans- to reach them. He slid his arms under Asshole's and put him in a head lock. "I tink it's time you leave, couillon."

He heard the girls sigh in relief. "Hi, Liam."

His gaze skidded across Ava and landed on Cassy. He looked her over, taking in the slight flush across her skin from the amount of alcohol she'd consumed and the slight expansion of her pupils as she took him in, before he nodded. Keeping his grip tight on Asshole, he began to lead him towards the front door.

As he walked, he saw two of his frat brothers look at him, their brows raised in question. Liam shook his head, letting his brothers know that he had everything under control. They nodded and returned their focus back to the party.

Walking through the front door, Liam looked up to see a tall, dark haired man walking towards them. He found that a little odd. _It's 12:30 in da morning_ , he thought to himself. _Who shows up dis late to a party?_ Regardless, Liam nodded at the man as he walked by. He nodded back. Liam stiffened. He looked over his shoulder, his nostrils flaring, to find the man staring at him. He looked Liam up and down before he quickly retreated inside, leaving a stunned Liam standing there.

It had been years since he had smelled that stench. It was a pungent odor that reminded him of rotting fruit. He knew what it meant instantly... that man was a warlock.

The wolf inside of him raised its head. He felt his fangs lengthen and knew that his eyes were glowing as well- everything was in stark contrast now. He hated warlocks.

Most people thought that a werewolf's worst enemy was a vampire. That wasn't true. Vampires and werewolves had long ago set aside their differences to face a common foe: the warlocks.

Back when the world was young, it was overrun by supernatural beings. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, demons, angels, and warlocks were free to roam the earth as they pleased. The warlocks did not like that idea. They wanted the earth to themselves, the selfish lot. They cursed the vampires with the sun, making something that once held no power over them kill them. They cursed the werewolves with the moon, making them have to turn then when before the full moon had no power over them. They cursed the ghosts to stay at the places they died, and they cursed the angels to stay in paradise and the demons to stay in hell. The witches were left alone. They were magic users like the warlocks, after all. They didn't want there to be any bad blood.

When the vampires became slaves to the sun and the werewolves slaves to the moon, they put aside their rivalry and made a truce. Now they were allies. Friends, even. Liam knew a few vampires that went to the University of New Orleans.

The warlock's appearance had distracted Liam. It made him loosen his grip on Asshole. Nate pulled out of his grasp and turned to punch Liam in the face. Liam caught his fist before it could connect. He turned to face him. "Now why would you go and do something like dat, you?"

"You're hurting me, man," Asshole said.

Liam tilted his head. "Am I?" He twisted Nate's arm, just a little. The boy winced in pain. "I'm not hurting you as much as I could." He let go of his fist. Nate cradled it against his chest. "Leave Cassy alone, you. She wants nothing to do with you. Am I clear?"

Nate must have seen his eyes glowing, must have seen the hint of fang behind his lips. He paled. "O-of course. I-I'll leave Cassy alone."

Liam smiled. "Good. Now go. You're not welcome here no more, you."

Asshole turned around and ran towards his car. As soon as he was gone, Liam was racing back inside the house. Two of his frat brothers looked at him questioningly when they saw the look of alarm on their leader's face. He mouthed the one word that would set any supernatural being's blood aflame. "Warlock."

Their backs stiffened. They raced to his side and flanked him as he followed the scent. It led him towards Ava, who was standing alone. His brow furrowed. "Where's Cassy?"

She looked at him, her storm gray eyes sparkling mischievously. "You took too long dealing with Asshole. She's with someone else."

His back stiffened, as did his frat brothers'. "What did he look like?"

Ave laughed. "Geez, boss. You sound jealous. Why do you care if you don't want her?"

"Damn it, Ava. Tell me! What did dis man look like?" Liam growled, letting his power of soon-to-be Alpha leak into his tone.

She straightened. Partly because of his power, but also because she noticed something in his eyes. "He had dark, spikey brown hair, blue eyes and he was dressed in black. Why? Liam, what's going on?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Dat man was a warlock."

"What?!" Ava demanded. "He didn't smell like one."

Each supernatural being gave off a scent. Vampires smelled slightly like rotting flesh, demons smelled like sulfur, angels smelled like soap, witches smelled like lilies, and warlocks smelled like rotting fruit. It was a hard scent to miss.

"Maybe you were too distracted looking at the man's face to smell his stench," one of the frat brothers- Ryan- hissed.

Ava glared at him. She had made the mistake of sleeping with him once. Now he just assumed all she did was sleep around. "Fuck you, Ryan. He didn't pay me any attention. All he could focus on was Cassy."

Liam gritted his teeth. He didn't like the sound of that. "Where did da blue eyed salaud take her?"

"To Paul's room... wait..."

"What?" the three boys asked at the same time.

"Blue eyes... short, somewhat spikey dark brown hair... stubble... dimples... a British accent... a warlock." She looked up at Liam, her eyes wide on her face. "Holy shit, Liam."

"What?" he demanded. He didn't like the look on his best friend's face.

"That's the _exact_ description of the guy Morgan and I helped Cassy write earlier. To the 't.' No wonder he looked so familiar!"

Liam's brow furrowed. "Dat's not possible, Ava."

She gave him a stern look. "We live in a supernatural world, Liam. We're werewolves, for Christ's sake. Of course it's possible."

"You're telling us that Cassy's character that she created no more than three hours ago has somehow come to life?" the other brother- Jason- asked. "How could that happen?"

"Morgan," Ava said then. The boys looked at her. "What, she is a witch, after all."

"Why would Morgan bring dis guy to life?" Liam asked.

"I doubt she did it on purpose. But think about it. It's 12:45. Morgan did her spring equinox ritual at midnight." The boys were staring at her with blank expressions on their faces. She sighed in annoyance. "What does spring represent?"

"Rebirth," Ryan mumbled.

"Renewal," Jason added.

"Resurrection," Liam said, realization dawning on him. "Somehow Morgan brought dis man to life."

Ava nodded. "But what does he want?" Ryan asked.

"I can only guess," Ava said as she pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Morgan. She'll know what to do."

"What does he want, Ava?" Liam demanded.

She ignored him. She didn't want to tell him yet. Ava waited for Morgan to answer her cellphone. "Come on, Morgan. Answer your phone." When it went to voicemail, Ava sighed. "No answer."

"Maybe she's asleep," Jason suggested.

Ava shook her head. "She said she was gonna stay up and wait for us. Besides, knowing her, she'd still be meditating. The spring equinox is her favorite holiday- not to mention her birthday."

"What does he want, Ava?" Liam repeated, this time with more annoyance in his louder tone.

She looked at him. She swallowed hard. "I think he's here for Cassy."

Right after those words left her mouth, the house shook and a loud explosion sounded off towards the house father's bedroom. They all tried to balanced themselves as the floor shook. Ava looked at Liam with wide, now glowing, eyes. His fangs became fully elongated now. "Get da others, Ryan. Meet us in da back alley."

His left lieutenant nodded his head and ran to find his fellow brethren. Liam, Ava, and Jason ran towards the back bedroom. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Growling, Liam kicked the door open and they rushed in. The room was empty. The wall that once faced the alleyway now had a gaping hole in it. Liam started growling in earnest.

Ava wisely shut the bedroom door. The rest of the party didn't need to see what was about to happen. Liam looked at her from over his shoulder. "Find her," he growled. His voice didn't sound human anymore. The wolf inside him was ready to come out.

She nodded and watched as one of her best friends turned into a giant brown wolf.

Shifting in the real world wasn't like it was in the movies. There was no painful bone popping and bending. There was no flash of light and suddenly a giant wolf beside you. It was a painless morphing. Hands suddenly became hairier, and then were paws. Mouths extended into snouts. Ears moved back and up the skull and became pointy on top of their heads. Liam dropped to all fours and his clothes disappeared, turning to fur. Another thing that was different: their clothes remained intact. They were still on their human body. That was something that every wolf was thankful for.

Once Liam was a wolf, he ran out of the gaping hole to join the howling of the other wolfs just fifty feet away from the house. Ava and Jason quickly turned and followed him down the alley. They saw fifteen other wolves down there, not counting Liam. They were all surrounding a man with dark brown hair who was holding an unconscious girl in his arms. _Cassy_ , Liam thought. He growled menacingly at the warlock.

He turned to look at him over his shoulder. "She's not yours, you sodding dog. She's mine. Now call off your pets and let us through."

Now every wolf growled at the warlock. He narrowed his gaze. "Don't think I will not kill every single one of you if I have to."

Liam looked at Ava. Because she was a part of his pack, they could communicate telepathically. _Get him from behind_ , he told her.

She nodded her black head and snuck up behind him. He didn't hear her approach. She pounced forward, knocking him to the ground. Cassy went flying out of his grasp. Liam ran to catch her. Shifting back to his human form, he caught her right before she fell to the ground. He sighed in relief.

"Hand her over," the warlock demanded.

Liam looked at him. His eyes were still glowing, his fangs were still out. He bared his teeth at the warlock. "In your dreams, warlock. She is not yours."

The wolves all moved to stand by their leader. There was no way they were going to let the warlock get to him.

He knew that and growled. "I'll be back for her, wolf. You can count on that."

With that said, time and space wrapped around him like a dark, faceless cloak, and he phased out of the alley. They all looked around as if they expected him to return. When he didn't return thirty seconds later, the gang new that he was in fact gone. The pack began shifting back to their human forms. "What the hell is going on, boss?" a brother- Max- asked him.

Liam sighed. "It's a long story."

Ava stepped forward. "Go do your Alpha thing, Liam. I'll take Cassy home."

He wanted to protest. Liam didn't want to let Cassy out of his sight. That warlock was still out there somewhere, and he wanted Cassy. But Liam knew that Cassy would be safe at home. Ava would be there and so would Morgan. They'd keep her safe until he could get there.

So he nodded and handed Cassy off to their friend. "I don have to tell you to keep her safe, do I?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "She'll be fine with Morgan and me, Liam. You can count on that."

He nodded once more. "Den get her home. I'll call when I can leave."

Ava nodded and walked off towards her car. Liam watched as she got in and drove off. He didn't want to take his eyes off of them until he knew they were safe. "Boss?" another brother- Andrew- asked.

Liam sighed. "Let's go send da partiers home. Den I will tell you what's going on."

# Chapter Five

Sensation started to return to her body and she began to realize where she was. She was on top of jersey tee sheets on a twin sized bed. _I'm in my room_ , she thought to herself. _But what is that smell?_ She took a deep breath. Her senses were greeted by an earthy mint aroma. _Is that... basil?_

Cassy opened her sky blue eyes and looked to her left. On the TV tray next to her bed rested an assortment of things: her iPhone, iPod, and iHome were some of them. But beside her iHome was an odd looking bundle. It was a branch of a plant. _It_ is _basil_ , Cassy thought to herself as she sat up in bed. She groaned as she did. Her head was throbbing. _No more drinking for me._

Getting out of bed, Cassy caught a glimpse of her clothes. She was no longer in her ripped jeggings and black tank top. She was wearing her black spandex shorts and her white sports bra- her usual outfit to bed- but she didn't remember having put them on last night. She didn't even remember getting home last night.

Hearing chatter on the other side of her door, Cassy walked out into the living room. Ava and Morgan looked up from the couch and smiled at her. "Hey, Cass. About time you woke up," Ava said.

"How are you feeling?" Morgan asked.

"My head is pounding, I don't know how I got here, and I feel sore... down there," she said, motioning between her legs with her hand. "Wait... what time is it?"

Ava and Morgan exchanged a worried glance. "It's 3:30 in the afternoon. You've been asleep for the last fourteen hours."

Cassy paled. "I've never slept that long before in my life. Was I seriously that drunk?"

Morgan looked nervously at Ava. "Well..."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"What do you remember about last night?" Ava asked.

"I remember Asshole trying to get me to talk to him. He insulted me, so I made a smart-ass comment. He got mad and stepped towards us and then Liam showed up and took him outside. After that... I remember you daring me to sleep with the first guy that walked through the front door. Then a really hot guy walked in and I made out with him." Cassy shrugged. "That's all I remember."

Again, Morgan and Ava shared a concerned look. "What do you remember about what this guy looked like?" Morgan asked.

Cassy forced a laugh. "Guys, I was drunk. I really don't remember that much after Liam took Nate outside."

"Try to think, Cass. It's important. What did this guy look like?" Ava asked.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Why is it important? What did he do?"

"Just tell us, Cass. We'll explain in a minute," Morgan said.

Cassy sighed in annoyance. "He had dark hair- I think light black or dark brown- and deep blue eyes. He had some sort of accent- British, I think. And... oh, yeah! He had dimples." She looked at Morgan. "You would have like his dimples. They were amazing."

Morgan paled a bit. Ava shifted uncomfortably. Cassy looked at her friends. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

"Did this man look familiar to you, Cass?" Ava asked.

Cassy froze. "Now that you mention it... yeah, he did. I couldn't place him, though. I don't think I've ever seen him before in my life. I'd remember him."

"Did he tell you his name?" Morgan asked.

Cassy shook her head. "No, I never got his name."

"You had sex with the man, but you never got his name?" Ava demanded.

Cassy paled, completely forgetting the quip she was going to throw at Ava for that comment. "I slept with him?" Her friends nodded. "God, I'm such a whore when I'm drunk."

"It wasn't your fault, Cassy. You were under his spell," Morgan told her.

Cassy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, I was under his spell?"

Ava and Morgan shared another worried glance. "Do you want to go first or should I?" Ava asked.

"I guess I will." Morgan looked at Cassy. "Cass, I have something important to tell you. It's about me and about my family. Well... my _mom's_ side of the family."

"Yeah, what about them?" Cassy asked, her brow furrowing.

"Well, this is something that my mom never really told your mom. She was afraid of how your mom would see her, and I've always wanted to tell you, Cass, I swear, but I'm afraid-"

"Damn it, Morgan. Just spit it out," Cassy demanded.

Morgan winced. "Okay, fine." She sighed. "Cassy... I'm a witch."

"No, you're a Wiccan."

Morgan chuckled softly. The sound was completely forced; it was one of Morgan's nervous habits. "Wiccans can't do this." She snapped her fingers and a flame appeared between her thumb and index finger.

Cassy took a step back, her eyes wide in her face. "Holy shit." She looked from the flame to Morgan's face. "That's amazing."

Morgan separated her fingers and the flame disappeared. She looked down. "I'm sorry I never told you. I was afraid of how you'd react."

"What did you think I'd do?" Cassy asked, slightly hurt that her friend thought she'd react poorly to such a big secret.

Morgan shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you'd call me a freak and never want to see me again."

Cassy glared at her best friend. "I would _never_ do that to you, Morgan. You're like a sister to me. I could never abandon you."

She smiled. "I know, Cass. I'm sorry I never told you."

Ava cleared her throat. "I have something to tell you, too. Well... more like show you."

"And what would that-"

Before Cassy could finish her sentence, Ava was standing up and shifting. Cassy watched through wide eyes as her friend's mouth extended into a snout. Ava's ears moved up her skull and became pointy. Her hands and feet changed to paws. She dropped to all fours and her clothes started to change into patches of fur. The next thing Cassy knew, a black wolf was standing before her; her best friend was nowhere to be seen.

She back peddled. "Holy fucking shit."

Ava barked and took a tentative step towards her. Cassy look questioningly up at Morgan. She smiled at her encouragingly. "It's okay, Cass. Ava won't hurt you."

Almost to confirm what Morgan said, Ava dropped to her front, her tail swinging back and forth in a playful manner. She started panting. Cassy couldn't help herself. She laughed.

Cassy crouched down in front of the big black wolf. "Jesus Christ, Ava. You're a werewolf?"

Almost as suddenly as the wolf appeared, Ava was sitting before her. "Yeah. I'm surprised you got that right. Most people," she said, nodded in Morgan's direction, "guess shapeshifter."

Morgan rolled her forest green eyes. "I'm sorry I've watched too many monster movies. I always assumed that werewolves could only change during the full moon."

Both Ava and Cassy shook their heads. "Werewolves can change whenever they want to, but they _have_ to during the full moon," Cassy said. She looked at Ava for confirmation; she nodded.

"This is amazing, guys. I don't know why you didn't just tell me right away, though. I mean, I _am_ a writer. A paranormal romance writer. Did you really think I wouldn't accept you?"

"I was scared, Cassy. I mean, my mom still hasn't told _your_ mom that she can actually do magic," Morgan said.

"I couldn't tell you," Ava said. "According to pack law, I can't tell a human unless it's strictly necessary."

"What happened that made it necessary for you to tell me?" Cassy asked now, remembering what they had been discussing before her friends big reveals. "What does all of this have to do with the guy from last night?"

"You know how at midnight I did my Ostara celebrations?" Morgan asked.

Cassy nodded. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, after I finished proof reading your short story- which was perfect, by the way- I put your notebook on the floor next to my bed. Right after I finished the part of the ritual with the candles, I moved on to the egg balancing part. That part signifies the beginning of spring and life. Once the egg tips over, it means that spring is here. I needed the window open for my rituals- it's important to breath in the spring air. Anyway, a gust of wind knocked the egg over... right onto your notebook."

Morgan turned around and pulled out Cassy's notebook. The page with Kaden's description was covered in a large yellow stain- which had obviously been egg yolk. Cassy couldn't even get mad at her friend. She was in shock. Morgan continued. "The spell's meaning and the whole meaning of the spring equinox must have done something. A huge gust of wind knocked me into the wall. When I looked back at your notebook, I saw a figure appearing in a vortex. When the vortex disappeared, Kaden was standing before me."

Cassy's head snapped up. Her gaze landed on her best friend. "What are you saying, Morgan?"

She took a deep breath. "Somehow my Ostara celebration ritual brought Kaden to life."

Cassy couldn't hear it anymore. She stood up and turned away from her friends. "That's not possible."

"Believe me, Cass. Anything's possible," Ava said.

"There are other worlds out there, Cassy," Morgan said. "There's the fae world, the paradise dimension, the underworld, there's the astral plane, and then there's the world of fiction.

"Every writer has power. Has importance. In some cultures, they're called scribes. In the Celtic world, they're called bards. Most people just know them as writers or authors. Most people think of them as powerless, but they're not. When a writer puts their fingers to a keyboard or pen to paper, all that they write is actually created. It lives in the fictional world. Each book gets its own- for a lack of a better word- country in that world. Those characters can leave that country if they please and go into another, but they _stay_ in that world. I've never heard of a character actually coming out of there before."

"What are you telling me, Morgan? That every single book I've ever read, everything I've ever written, every fictional character I've ever fallen in love with is... actually _real_?"

She nodded. "That's exactly what I'm telling you, Cassy."

Cassy sighed in disbelief. She didn't know what to say. This was serious. So naturally, her smartass side stepped out. "You should have had _The Vampire Diaries_ open to a Damon page instead of my book with Kaden's description."

Morgan laughed. Ava rolled her eyes. "This is serious, Cass. We don't have time for your jokes. There's more."

"What else do you have to tell me?" Cassy demanded.

"After Kaden came to life, he told me something. Something that worries us all," Morgan said. Before Cassy could asked what it was he told her, Morgan finished. "He told me that he's here for _you_ , Cass."

Cassy froze. "He what?"

"He told me that he was going to make you his. Now, I don't really know what he meant by that-"

"I do," Ava said. "He wants you to himself, Cass. He wants you to be his bride, his lover, his-"

"Partner in crime," Cassy finished. "He wants to do to me everything I wanted him to do to Crissy."

Morgan and Ava nodded. "Exactly."

Cassy turned from her friends once more. She slid her fingers through her hair. "This can't be happening."

"He already tried to take you last night," Ava informed her. She knew Cassy didn't want to hear anymore, but it was imperative she heard this. "After you guys slept together, he blew a hole in Paul's- the Kappa Sigma house father- wall and carried you outside. My pack and I heard the explosion and ran to see what happened. We saw you were gone and chased you down the alley. We got you away from Kaden, but he vowed that he'd be back for you."

Cassy turned to face her friends. "This isn't over, is it?"

Morgan shook her head. "Not by a long shot."

Cassy placed her hands to her head and hissed an intake of breath. "How can we get rid of him?" she asked.

Morgan shrugged. "I don't know. There's nothing in my spell books about sending people back to the fictional world. We're on our own with this."

"Shit," Cassy murmured. She couldn't take this any longer. She turned from her friends and walked into her bedroom.

"What are you doing, Cass?" Ava asked.

"The only thing I can do. I'm going to pretend like none of this is happening for an hour so I can shower, get dressed and get presentable. I need to think."

"You shouldn't be alone," Morgan said. "Warlocks are very dangerous. He could show up whenever and wherever he wants and he could take you."

"I know. I created him, remember?" Cassy said. "How about this: I leave the shower door open and you guys chill in the sink area of the bathroom. That way you can see if he pops up-"

"It's called phasing," Morgan said.

"- and you can get him out," Cassy finished, ignoring her friend's comment. "Sound good?"

Ava and Morgan exchanged a glance. Ava nodded. "We can do that."

Cassy sighed in relief. She chuckled softly. "Good. Because I really need a shower."

******************************************************

Cassy truly had been heart set on keeping the normal façade going. She had gone into her room, changed out of her clothes, and came out wrapped in a pink fluffy towel carrying her iPod and iHome. "I'm gonna blast my music," she had told her friends. "I'm officially tuning the world out. No talk of witches or werewolves or warlocks until tomorrow."

She didn't give her friends a chance to protest. She had pushed play on her iHome and hopped into the shower. That had been fifteen minutes ago.

"That girl takes the longest showers," Ava muttered. She was leaning against the open bathroom door, her arms crossed over her chest.

Morgan- who was sitting on the counter by the sink- nodded. "She usually takes about a half hour, but considering all that's going on..."

"You think she's freaking out?" Ava asked.

Again, Morgan nodded. "There's only so much a person can take. Learning that your best friends are a witch and a werewolf? That's one thing. But learning that there is more than one world out there and that the character you created no more than sixteen hours ago has come to life, slept with you, and is out there trying to kidnap you and do gods know what to the world? Yeah, I'd freak out too."

Before Ava could reply, the song changed on Cassy's iPod. Her iHome started blasting Maroon 5's "Payphone." Ava shuddered. "I hate this song, Cass!"

Thanks to her werewolf enhanced hearing, she heard Cassy chuckle just before the volume was turned up.

Ava rolled her eyes. "You're a brat, Cass!"

Morgan shook her head, a smile clear on her face. "You two are insane."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the main door. Ava and Morgan froze. "Is that him?" Morgan asked.

Ava sniffed the air. She didn't smell rotting fruit like she did the last time she encountered Kaden. No, this time she smelled... dog.

She rolled her eyes. "Liam's here."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure?"

"One: I doubt Kaden would knock. And two: I can smell him."

Morgan tilted her head. "What do werewolves smell like?"

"Like what you'd expect: dogs. Each one has their own scent, but we all smell like dogs. Hence the reason other supernaturals call us dogs."

"Ava? Morgan? Will one of you let me in?" Liam's voice called through the front door.

"Let him in, Morgan," Ava said. Before Morgan could ask why she had to do it, Ava added, "You can't smell Kaden if he shows up. Just go."

Sullenly, Morgan nodded. She slid off the counter and walked to her front door. Ava shut the bathroom door behind her. When Morgan opened the door, Liam looked up. His emerald green eyes scanned the room before they landed on her, giving her the time to look him over. He looked like crap.

He was wearing what Morgan could only guess was the same outfit he wore the day before- it was all wrinkly and smelled of beer and cigarette smoke. There were bags under his eyes. Morgan knew he had been up all night. "Where is she?" Liam asked.

Morgan nodded for him to come in. He smiled at her. "Merci."

"You're welcome. And Cassy is in the shower."

His eyebrows shot to the top of his head; his eyes widened in fear. "You left her alone?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Ava's in there with her."

He sighed in relief. "Good. Good. She should not be alone." He looked around nervously. "How- uh, how did she take everything?"

"How do you think? She took my being a witch and Ava being a werewolf well. But when we told her Kaden somehow came to life... she freaked."

"What made her decide to take a shower?"

Morgan shrugged. "She's in denial. She said that she's going to pretend like none of this is happening until tomorrow."

Liam scoffed. "Dat's healthy." He was still glancing nervously around the room. "You- uh, you didn't tell her 'bout me, did you?"

Morgan shook her head. "No. Ava and I decide we'd let you do that."

He nodded. "Good. Good."

"By the way... when _do_ you plan on telling her?"

Liam sighed. "Soon. Maybe tonight. I don know what to tell her, Morgan."

"Just tell her the truth, Liam. That's all she wants."

Before Liam could answer her, the bathroom door opened. Liam looked over his shoulder as Cassy walked out with only a pink towel wrapped loosely around her body. Morgan could see him freeze as he took her in and, though she could only see half of his face, she could tell his eyes were glowing.

"Really, guys. I don't need to be-"

She stopped when she saw Liam. She even blushed. "Oh. Hi, Liam."

"Hello, cher," he said, his voice much more gravelly than it had been seconds before.

Morgan smiled. He was as much in love with Cassy as she was with him. She leaned around him. "Cass, why don't I help you pick out your outfit for today?"

That snapped her out of her daze. She glared at Morgan. "I'm not a baby. I can get dressed alone."

Morgan sighed. "Just humor me, Cass."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's go."

Smiling triumphantly, Morgan walked around Liam and followed her best friend into her room. Ava, who had followed Cassy out of the bathroom, was staring at Liam, a knowing smile on her face. Liam noted that smile with a dark glare. "What, Ava?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, boss. It's just..."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just your eyes are glowing and your fangs are showing."

Liam didn't even seem to care. He was still staring after Cassy. Ava could tell that he was fighting with himself whether or not to burst into Cassy's room and take her then and there. Normally, Ava would tell Liam to go for it, but considering all that Cassy had been through in the last twenty-four hours... "You need to calm yourself, Liam."

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you da one dat's always telling me to go for her?"

"Yes, I am, but think about what's going on. Her fucking character just came to life and is chasing her. I don't think she needs to be hounded by an Alpha werewolf as well."

He just stood there for a few minutes. Ava didn't know if he had actually heard her words or not, but when she saw his eyes cease to glow, she knew that he understood her words. He could have Cassy. Later. After they stopped Kaden.

And Liam fully intended on killing the evil warlock bastard before he could lay his filthy hands on his Cassy.

Ava looked Liam up and down. "What are you doing here, Liam?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you tink I'm doing here, Ava?"

"I don't remember calling you and telling you to come over. But I do remember telling you to get some rest and take a damn shower. You're still wearing your clothes from last night and you look like crap."

He laughed dryly. "Well, merci, Ava."

She frowned. "I'm serious, Liam. We can handle things here for a little while. You know you being here is just going to piss Kaden off."

Liam growled. "Good. Maybe dat will keep da warlock salaud away from my cher."

Ava raised an eyebrow. " _Your_ cher? Since when is she yours?"

Liam glowered at Ava. "I'm started to tink you was right, Ava. I realized it after da incident with Couillon. I don want no one treatin' my girl like dat."

Ava smiled. "I'm glad you finally realized it, Liam. It makes it easier on all of us."

Liam rolled his eyes. "It won't matter if she is my mate or not if she won't accept my wolf side."

Now it was Ava's turn to roll her eyes. "She accepted Morgan and she accepted me. I think she'll accept you, too."

"I hope so, Ava." He sighed heavily. "I hope so."

# Chapter Six

Cassy hadn't expected to see Liam there when she walked out of the bathroom. She had froze where she stood. _Thank god Ava told me to brush my teeth when I got out of the shower_ , she thought to herself.

There had been something off about Liam. It was his eyes. They looked as if someone had turned on a flashlight behind them. She found herself caught in them. It was like they were pulling her in, holding her captive, and refusing to let her go.

Morgan's voice snapped her out of her daze. "Cass, why don't I help you pick out your outfit for today?"

Cassy could hear the smile in her friend's voice. With more difficulty than she'd expected, she pulled her gaze from Liam's and glared at her best friend. She had been right; Morgan was smiling. Her gaze narrowed. "I'm not a baby. I can get dressed alone."

Morgan sighed dramatically, the smiling fading from her face. "Just humor me, Cass."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's go."

She turned around and walked towards her room. She could feel the smile on Morgan's face as she lead the way to her closest. Morgan shut the door behind her as she followed Cassy. "What do you plan on wearing?"

Cassy shrugged. "Something cute but light. It's getting warm and they haven't turned the AC on yet."

"How about a dress?" Morgan suggested, a smile pulling at her lips.

Cassy pursed her lips. "Not a bad idea." She looked at Morgan from over her shoulder, a smile curving her lips. "Which one do you think Liam would like the most?"

Morgan's smile widened into a grin. "Definitely the white one."

Cassy reached into her closet and pulled out her white halter top cotton dress. It was her favorite dress. She would wear it all the time once spring started and the weather warmed up. She'd wear it with a light blue jean jacket and her tan wedges. "Crap," Cassy said as she stepped into her dress.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"My wedges are at the frat house. I kicked them off before..."

"Before you and Kaden did the deed?" Morgan guessed.

Cassy nodded, her face flushing with blood. Before either of them could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. They both jumped. "Who is it?" Cassy asked, her voice an octave higher than it had been a moment ago.

"Who do you think it is?" Ava's sarcastic voice answered them.

Morgan and Cassy exhaled a sigh of relief. "Come in," Cassy said.

Ava walked in, rolling her eyes at her friends. "Jesus, guys. Kaden won't knock. How many times do I have to tell you that?" She looked at Cassy. "I have something for you."

She pulled her hands from behind her back and showed them Cassy's tan wedges. Cassy squealed in excitement. Ava winced at the sound. "Jesus, Cass. Keep the high pitched squeals to a minimum. Some of us have super hearing."

"I thought these were lost forever!" Cassy said, her voice still higher than necessary.

Ava rolled her eyes. "Just because you left them at a frat house, doesn't mean they're lost forever."

Cassy placed the shoes on the ground and stepped into them. Turning to look into her mirror, she put her hands on her hips. "Should I put a bra on?"

Again, Ava rolled her eyes. "Cass, your boobs look fine. They're big enough in that dress- hell, in most of your clothes- without you wearing a bra."

Cassy frowned. " _Most_ of my clothes? Which ones don't they look good in?"

Now Morgan rolled her eyes. "Is now really the time to discuss this?"

Cassy shrugged. "I guess not." She reached into her closet and pulled out her jean jacket. Putting it on, she said, "So what's the plan for the rest of the day? I take it I'm probably under lockdown."

"Damn straight you're under lockdown," Ava said. "We could order pizza and watch a movie."

Cassy thought about it for a few seconds before she nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Morgan got off of Cassy's bed. "I'll go order the pizza. Should I have it delivered?"

Ava nodded. "That's probably safer. I don't want any of us alone."

Morgan shrugged. "Okay, I'll call Papa John's. Meat lover's pizza?"

"Hell yeah," both Cassy and Ava said.

Morgan laughed. "All right. I'll call them."

As soon as Morgan closed the door behind her, Ava looked at Cassy. "Are you really going to just ignore this for the rest of the day?"

Cassy sighed. "What do you want me to do, Ava?"

"I don't know. Get mad. Get scared. Go crazy. _Anything_ but pretend that nothing's wrong."

"I am scared, Ava. _Believe_ me. You guys don't know what I had planned for him to do. To Crissy _and_ to New Orleans. I want to stop him, but..."

"But?" Ava prompted.

"I just don't know how to do it."

Ava put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Cass. We'll keep you safe and we'll find a way to stop Kaden."

Cassy nodded.

"Guys, come pick out a movie!" Morgan called. "I don't want Liam in charge of what we're going to watch."

They heard Liam chuckle- which caused Cassy to shiver. "I'm not watching no chick flick, Morgan!"

"Cass!"

Cassy laughed. "We're coming!"

******************************************************

The gang ended up having a _Jurassic Park_ marathon. Morgan had never seen the movies, so that settled the debate over what to watch. The pizza arrived about halfway through the first movie and by the end of the third, Morgan had gone to bed and Ava had fallen asleep on the couch. Now Liam and Cassy were lying on her bed in her dorm room.

"Dat was fun," Liam murmured.

"Mhm," Cassy said. She wasn't really paying attention. She was too busy focusing on the fact that she was in her room, alone, with Liam... with her bedroom door shut. _I'm so glad I shaved this afternoon_ , she thought to herself.

"What you tinking 'bout, cher?" Liam asked.

Her eyes flashed up to his face. He captured her gaze. "I..."

"Yes?"

Closing her eyes, she shook her head to clear the fog that had suddenly arisen. "I was just thinking about what a long day it's been," she lied easily.

Liam bought it. "It has been a long day. Especially when you spent most of da day sleeping," he teased.

Cassy swat him on the arm. He laughed softly. "Only teasing, cher. You had a rough night."

She froze and looked into his eyes. "You know?"

His features hardened slightly. "I was dere when Ava and da others found you, cher."

She frowned. "Ava didn't tell me that."

Liam looked away. Emotions flashed in his eyes almost too fast for Cassy to identify, but she was a quick study. Fear and sadness had flashed in his emerald green eyes. "I'm not surprised."

Just as Cassy was about to ask about the sudden emotions, a loud sound echoed around the room. Cassy jumped and looked around; her heart was pounding in fear against her ribcage. She looked down, not at once surprised to see that she could actually see her heart thumping in her chest. With eyes the size of saucers on her face, Cassy looked up at Liam.

Unbeknownst to her, Liam could hear her heart beating rapid fire in her chest, could smell the sudden rush of adrenalin and cortisol in her blood. He could see the fear in her sky blue eyes. Liam couldn't stand to see her that way. He wanted to calm her fears.

Looking away from her, he looked out the window over his shoulder. He saw that a truck was outside the building. It had a large build-your-own tin shed beside it and a man trying to put the shed back into his truck. He sighed in relief. "Don fret, cher. A shed fell out of a man's truck. Dat's what da noise was."

Cassy sat up and looked over his shoulder and saw what he was looking at. She sighed in relief as well. She even chuckled. "God, I'm so jumpy."

"After all dat's happened in da last twenty-four hours, dat's understandable, cher."

She looked down at him and swallowed audibly. His pupils had expended hungrily as he stared at her. Just like before, his gaze captured hers. She felt like she was drowning in the growing blackness of his eyes and she found herself leaning towards him.

His eyes flashed. With lightning fast reflexes, he reached forward, tangled his hand in her hair, and pulled her face closer to his. His lips captured hers and he groaned. She reached up and cupped the side of his face. Her other hand rested on his chest, directly above his heart. She could feel it beating against her palm. The sensation made her moan.

A growl escaped his lips. He pulled her on top of him. She instantly straddled his hips. Cassy couldn't believe this was actually happen. _How did we end up like this? Does this mean that he likes me too?_ she thought to herself. _It must. The last time this happened, we both had alcohol in our systems._

Whatever the reason behind the current events, Cassy wasn't putting up a fight and she sure as hell wasn't complaining. She moved her body up his and felt his growing hardness. He groaned and gripped her waist with his free hand, pulling her against him.

Liam opened her up and his tongue delved deep. He expertly explored her, as if he had done so many times. But this was the first time in months that Liam has kissed her and the last time they had both been drunk. But Cassy couldn't deny that it felt right being with Liam. She had never been more sure of anything in her life.

For the first time in five months, Cassy was feeling bold. She grinded her hips against his and was rewarded by his groan. It only egged her on. Moving her hand from his chest, she began to massage him through his jeans. He growled against her lips.

In a move faster than she could follow, he flipped her over and grinded _his_ hips against hers. She moaned into his mouth. "Never tempt a wolf, cher," he said to her then, his voice so full of animalistic need that she barely recognized it.

He didn't give her a chance to respond. His lips crushed hers in the next instant. The gentle Liam was gone and Cassy wasn't so sure she minded. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

Liam opened her up and his tongue delved deep. He couldn't get enough of her taste. It was bringing out the wolf in him. He could feel his top and bottom canine teeth graze her lips. He longed to pierce her plump bottom lip with them-

He froze. _Did I just tink dat? I have to get away from her before I lose control._ Liam broke the kiss. "I tink we better slow down, cher."

Cassy's lashes slowly lifted from her cheeks. Liam barely suppressed a groan. The last thing he wanted to do was stop, but he needed to tell her the truth before things went any further. "Dere's something I need to tell you before tings go any further."

She looked up at him, her eyes full of concern. "What is it, Liam?"

He shook his head. "I- uh... I need a moment, cher."

Her eyes widened as she understood what he meant. She blushed. "I'll give you a moment, then. I need to use the restroom anyway."

She untangled herself from him and he rolled off of her. Getting off the bed, Cassy looked at Liam one last time before she opened her bedroom door and walked into the living room.

Ava looked up from the couch, her eyes tiny slits on her face. She smirked. "Did you two have fun in there?"

Cassy glared at her, but her deepening blush gave her away. "Shut up and go back to sleep, Ava. I can make a trip to the bathroom by myself."

Ava chuckled softly before she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the pillow Morgan had given her earlier.

After she was in the bathroom, Cassy shut and locked the door. She had to pee like a fucking banshee. When she was done, she went back into the sink area to wash her hands. _That was... intense_ , she thought to herself. _I wonder what it is Liam has to tell me._

Looking up into the mirror, she took in her reflection. Her sky blue eyes gazed back at her and she saw that her hair was crazy bed hair. She blushed. _No wonder Ava knew Liam and I had been fooling around. My hair looks like I just had sex!_

Trying her best to straighten it out, Cassy sighed. _Oh, well. I'm just going to see Liam. He's seen me at my worst already anyway._ Turning around, Cassy unlocked the door and stepped out into the living room.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and she was pulled up against a hard chest. His free hand covered her mouth and his lips went to her ear. They brushed against it when he said, "Hello, luv. Going somewhere?"

Cassy froze in his grasp. She recognized the words well before she recognized the voice. _Kaden._

He chuckled. "That's right, luv. The wolf took something of mine. I've come to collect it."

As if on cue, Liam burst out of Cassy's bedroom. His emerald green eyes were glowing and he looked at her with fear and anger in his eyes. Before he could take a step towards them, Cassy saw rather than felt a darkness at the corner of her eyes. She knew what was happening. Kaden was phasing them out of her dorm room.

She didn't expect it to feel like this. It felt as if someone was draping a warm, dark cloak over her. Cassy could actually feel time and space bending around her. It felt like she was on the Muskrat Scrambler at the old Six Flags amusement park. She felt the air around her crack and jerk from side to side. But she didn't feel scared. She felt safe wrapped in the dark cloak of time and in Kaden's strong arms.

The last thing she saw was Liam rushing towards them as they disappeared. And the last thing she heard was him shouting, "No!"

# Chapter Seven

As soon as she was out of the room, Liam ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. The wolf inside him was begging him to race after her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back into her room and take _her_. It took all of his strength to remain where he was on her bed. _Calm yourself, boy_ , he told himself. _You don want to scare da girl._ _She could possibly be your âme soeur- your soul mate. You know what Dad said._

Before Liam came to Cassy's dorm room, he had called his father to see how he was doing. The second his father heard Liam's voice, he knew something was wrong. "What's wrong, son?"

"What do you mean, Dad?" Liam had asked, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

Liam could practically hear his father roll his eyes. "Dere's something bothering you, son. I can tell. What be da matter?"

Before Liam could answer him, his father guessed. "It's Cassy, ain't it?"

Liam had chuckled softly. "Am I dat transparent?"

His father had scoffed. "You been in love with dat girl since you laid eyes on her." He paused. "Have you finally admitted it to yourself?"

Liam had sighed. "I need some advice, Dad."

"Dat's what I'm here for. What do you need to know?"

"When you met Mom, did you know she was your soul mate right away?" Liam had asked.

His father had laughed. "Of course not! I had thought of her like my little sister. If anyone had messed with her, dey'd been wolf chow."

"When did you realize she was yours?"

"Around da time I became Alpha. She just got more... alluring. Lookin' back now, I could tell dere was something about her dat had called to me. What dat was, I don know. But it had always been dere. I hope dat helps."

Liam had smiled. "Dat helps a lot, Dad. Merci."

"Pas de qoui, Liam. Go get da girl. She's yours and has always been yours. Don let no one tell you different."

All Liam had needed was his father's reassurance. It always gave him the courage to do what needed to be done. If he had told Ava that, it might have gotten her off his back about Cassy. Might have.

After his conversation with his father, Liam had decided that he needed to see Cassy. Ava had told him to wait until she texted him, but he couldn't do that. He _needed_ to see her. He had to make sure she was safe and sound, and the only way to tell that was to be there and see for himself. He didn't even bother changing out of the clothes from yesterday. Hell, he didn't even get any sleep! All he wanted to do, all that mattered, was making sure that Cassy was safe.

He hadn't planned on making out with her, but when she was leaning above him looking out the window, all he could focus on was the curve of her body as it pressed against his. She was close enough to awake the wolf in him. It reared its head as soon as she leaned over him and when she looked down at him, all he could see was the outline of her plump, kissable lips. He remembered what her lips tasted like the last time he had claimed them- like strawberries and a hint of Mike's Hard Lemonade. Both he and his wolf had wanted to know if they still tasted the same.

The second his lips touched hers, he had groaned. They were exactly as he remembered- soft, cool, and full. He had pulled her on top of him because that was easier and he didn't want to break the kiss or move. He just wanted her.

When she had decided to tease him by grinding her hips against his, he couldn't sit there contently any longer. His wolf wanted to be in charge.

Liam had rolled her over and did the exact same thing to her. She had moaned into his mouth. It was at that point in time that Liam had decided they needed to stop. Though both he and his wolf wanted to claim what was rightfully theirs, Liam knew that he had to tell Cassy the truth before things went any further. So he had stopped and told her that he needed to tell her something, but that he needed a moment first. She had nodded and said that she had to use the restroom anyway. That had been three minutes ago.

Thanks to his super werewolf hearing, Liam heard her flush the toilet and knew that she was now washing her hands. This did nothing to slow his racing heart. What if Cassy didn't react the same way she did when Ava told her she was a werewolf when he tells her? What if she calls him a freak and never wants to see him again? What if she finds it a turn on and demands that he take her now? He needed her to come back now.

Just as he heard the bathroom door open, he smelled it. The repugnant smell of rotten fruit appeared at the exact same time. He didn't hesitate, he just acted. Liam rushed off the bed and out of the bedroom. What he saw shocked him to the core. It gripped his heart into a painful vice and ripped the air from his lungs. He felt like his whole world had been pulled out from under him.

Cassy was in the warlock's arms.

He could tell that she was not there willingly, which only made him feel slightly better. But before he could even leave Cassy's room, Kaden phased out of the building, with Cassy in his arms. "No!" Liam shouted.

Liam rushed forward, but he was too late. They were gone.

Ava had heard him shout and was now rushing off the couch and to his side. Morgan had heard him too; she rushed out of her bedroom. "What the hell is going on?"

"Ka-"

"Dat warlock salaud took my cher," Liam growled. "We have to find her."

"But how? We have no way of knowing where Kaden would take her," Morgan said.

"Liam and I can shift and follow her scent-"

"Because two giant wolves walking around all of New Orleans wouldn't raise any alarms," Liam mumbled.

"Not to mention that Kaden phased them out. How will you pick up the scent trail if she technically doesn't have one?" Morgan asked.

Ava rolled her eyes. "The wind will carry it to us."

"That's _if_ she's outside."

"And dat still won't explain two giant wolves walking around town."

Ava sighed. "Fine. Liam and I will walk around town and when we pick up her scent, we'll shift."

"What about me? You can't expect me to just sit out. She's my best friend!"

"Can you do a locating spell?" Liam asked.

Morgan exhaled a breath. "I can try. But Kaden is all too familiar with magic. He could be cloaking her."

"Isn't there something that would make the spell... stronger? Like, if you used something of hers to find her?" Ava inquired.

Morgan shrugged. "I can try. There's no telling what will work. Kaden is a very powerful warlock."

"And you're a very powerful witch. Make it work, Morgan," Liam said, his voice giving no room negotiations.

Morgan nodded. "I'll do my best. You guys go. Keep your phones on and I'll call you if- when- I find her."

Liam and Ava nodded and walked out of the dorm room. As they walked out of the front door of the building, Liam said, "Be careful, Ava. Kaden won't hesitate to kill us."

Ava scoffed. "Me be careful? _You_ be careful. Kaden knows how you feel about her."

"How-"

"He's been in her head, remember? He knows that she likes you and I'm willing to bet that he knows you like her, too. So be careful, boss. Kaden doesn't seem like the kind of guy to share."

"Neither am I." He looked at his best friend. "Be careful, Ava. And good luck."

******************************************************

Cassy had closed her eyes the second she felt her feet lift from the ground. She didn't know the effect phasing would have on her- she often got motion sickness- so she figured it best to not watch her surrounds shift. She relaxed slightly when her feet were back on solid ground.

Once they reached their destination, Cassy had expected Kaden to let go of her. Instead, he kept her still in his arms. His grip on her loosened and his hand slid from her mouth to brush the hair out of her face. He pulled it away from her neck. She felt his breathing quicken against her skin. When she suddenly felt his lips on her neck, she pulled out of his grasp. Taking a deep breath, Cassy turned to face the man she had created.

He looked exactly like she had pictured him. Short, somewhat spikey dark brown hair. Olive skin. A straight nose and strong jaw. High cheekbones. Sapphire blue eyes that were cool and calculating as they watched her every move. When he saw her looking, he smiled, revealing straight, pearly white teeth and the amazing dimples she vaguely remembered from last night. "See something you like, luv?"

Cassy took a step back. She shook her head. "This isn't possible. I'm dreaming. The last twenty-four hours have been a dream. A really strange, very vivid, dream." He captured her gaze. "You can't be real."

"Oh, but I am, luv. Thanks to you." He took a step towards her.

She took a step back. "But how?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Surely your witch friend explained it to you."

Cassy had to fight with herself not to say, 'Don't call me Shirley.' She was certain he wouldn't understand the reference. "She explained the spring equinox spell part of it. But she didn't really explain the how or the why."

Kaden smirked. It had an unnerving effect of her. She tried not to let it show, but she had no doubt in her mind he knew it had. "As much as it is your little witch's fault that I am here, she is not the only one I have to thank for my freedom."

Cassy's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

His smile widened. "You know what I mean, luv." He walked closer to her. She retreated. She always did. Every step he took towards her, she took one back. They continued that dance until her foot hit something solid. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that she had run into a metal cargo container. _Where the hell are we?_

"We're in the Port of New Orleans. Now, don't change the subject, luv," he said, his voice much closer now.

Cassy looked back towards him and gasped. He had closed the distance between them. She could feel the heat of his body against hers in the chill of the night. Though it was late March and the start of spring, the nights in New Orleans could still be chilly. The average high at night towards the end of March was 61 degrees. And whilst that may seem like the perfect weather to those who had frigid winters- ones filled with snow and below zero temperatures- anything lower than seventy was cold for Southerners.

"And what was the subject?" Cassy asked, trying to conceal the need that was starting to arise inside her. Kaden's closeness was having a strange effect on her.

From the flash in his eyes, Cassy knew that Kaden was aware of the effect he had on her. "How I _really_ got here."

"Right. If it wasn't from Morgan's spell-"

"Wasn't _just_ from her spell."

"-then how did you get here?" Cassy demanded, completely ignoring his interruption.

His smile turned roguish. "You brought me here, luv. Not just your friend botching her egg spell, but _you_. I don't think I could have broken through to your world if it weren't for you."

"Because I created you? That doesn't make any sense. If that were the case, other author's creations would be running around the earth. I'm sure Morgan isn't the only one to have dropped the egg on some form of literature before."

"Not because you created me, luv- though I have to admit, I definitely would not be alive if it weren't for your marvelous imagination."

"Then how-"

"You wished it, luv. You wished for me to be here, in your world, and so here I am. Your wish is my command."

Cassy froze. _I wished it? Oh, god. He's right!_ She _did_ wish for Kaden to come to life. She had been under the influence of alcohol at the time- though she was nowhere _near_ as drunk as she got that night- but she wished it nonetheless. _Son of a bitch._

"What do you want with me?" She asked it so quietly, she wasn't sure he heard her.

But he had. "I want you at my side, luv. I want you, in _every_ sense of the term."

She looked him in the eye and said, "You're planning on doing to me everything I was going to have you do to Crissy, aren't you?"

There was a dark gleam in his eyes as he answered her. "Aye, luv. That I am."

Cassy paled. She didn't even truly know what she was going to have him to do Crissy yet. She knew the basics- hunt her down and make her his- but that was all she knew. "Is that all I am to you? Just a Crissy look alike?" Her friends had been spot on when they said that Crissy was actually Cassy. How else could someone live a life of fantasy if they didn't resemble their characters?

Kaden scoffed. "You are _nothing_ like Crissandra. You are a thousand times more beautiful than her. You're smarter, more creative, and damn right more powerful than she could ever hope to be."

Cassy frowned. "What do you mean I'm powerful? I'm human, nothing more."

He chuckled softly. "Luv, you are more than just a mere human. You are a writer."

"So?"

"Do you know the power a writer has? You create things with just a flick of your wrist. You create different worlds for others to escape in. You create love, anger, hatred- any emotion you can think of. All you have to do is put words together and you've created a new universe. _That_ is what I mean when I say you're powerful, luv."

She was quiet for a moment. That was almost exactly what Morgan had told her earlier. But when Kaden told her it, she actually believed him. She _did_ feel like she was creating worlds when she wrote. She felt everything she was creating when she wrote her words down. If the scene she was working on was a battle scene, she felt the blows her characters were getting as if she were getting them, too. If she was writing a love scene, she felt every caress the lover left on her leading lady. She felt their happiness, their sorrow. Cassy had always thought that was because she had to put herself in her character's shoes, not because she was creating them- actually putting them out into the world.

As she thought that over, Kaden took one final step towards her. His black motorcycle boots were flush up against her wedges. He braced his arms on either side of her head and leaned his body into hers. She placed her hands on his chest to try and keep some space between them. She could scarcely form a rational thought with him that close to her. When she felt the hard muscles bunch under her hands, she couldn't stop the groan that escaped her lips. He smiled.

"I am going to make you mine, luv. There's no way around it and there's no hope in stopping it. I'm a _very_ determined man and I'm used to getting what I want. And what I want, more than _anything_ in this godforsaken universe, is you."

"You can't have me," she said, her voice barely audible. But she knew he had heard her. And she knew he had heard the lack of confidence in what she'd said.

He smirked. "Yes, I can."

With lightning fast speed, he reached a hand down and captured hers. With just one hand, he encircled her wrists and pinned them above her head. She tried to squirm out of his grasp. Her body arched against his in the process, and she felt the growing evidence of his arousal press into her stomach. She gasped. His smile widened.

Using his own body, he pushed her back against the cargo container. He made sure he grinded his hips against hers as he did. She moaned. "My friends will find me," she told him, her voice laced with uncontrollable hunger.

Kaden chuckled darkly. "Your friends can't save you, luv. No one can. Not with what I have planned for this town."

"What are you going to do here?" she demanded.

He ignored her. "Did you know that a warlock can control a person's body simply by touching them?"

Though she didn't like the sudden change in topic, Cassy shook her head. That power was something she had been considering giving Kaden, but she never actually wrote it down. She had assumed she'd been safe from that one power. She'd been wrong.

He slowly moved his free hand down her body as he spoke. "It's true. A warlock can make their captive do, see, or _feel_ anything they want them to, just by touching them." He stopped moving his hand once it rested on her hip. "I could make you feel weak, strong, happiness, or the deepest of sorrow. I could make you feel pain." He captured her gaze. "Or pleasure."

As soon as the words left his tongue, Cassy screamed as the most powerful orgasm raked its way through her body. It felt as her blood was a liquid aphrodisiac coursing through her body. She arched her body into his and noticed that he was completely hard now. Her eyes rolled back into her skull and she moaned as she rode the waves of her climax.

Just as her body had calmed down, an even more powerful orgasm tore through her. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound was quickly silenced by Kaden's mouth. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his tongue into her mouth. He groaned.

As soon as he tasted her again, his hunger for her became tenfold. His grip tightened on her wrists and he wedged his knee between her legs. Moving his free hand further down her body, he stopped when he reached the hem of her dress. He was oh-so-thankful that she was wearing something that he didn't have to fully remove. It would be so much easier to take her that way. _I believe the kids call it 'easy access,'_ he thought to himself.

He snaked up the hem of her dress and softly trailed his fingers against her taut stomach before her thrust his hand into her panties. He groaned when he slid his fingers inside of her. She was so wet. And it was all for him.

Kaden knew he wouldn't have to get her as wet this time, and he was glad. He wanted her too badly to wait. Since his hand was still in contact with her body, he could still control her. He willed her to wrap her legs around his waist. Seconds later she did, and she moaned. The bulge in his pants was pressing into her so enticingly; she wanted him free and inside her like nothing else.

"Your wish, my command," he said to her.

He reached for his zipper and released his raging hard on. Guiding himself towards her opening, he moved the thin strip of her thong out of the way. Without any hesitation, he thrust his full length into her tight opening. He groaned and she moaned once he was fully sheathed inside her. Kaden rested inside her, both savoring her and letting her get used to him before he started to move. But when he did, there was no holding back.

Cassy moaned as he moved. She had had absolutely no thought of them having sex that night. That had been the last thing on her mind when he took her from her dorm room. But here they were, in the middle of the Port of New Orleans, having sex against a damn cargo container. _Well, I'll give him one thing. I would have_ never _thought to have had sex in this place. That's for damn sure._

As if he had read her mind, he chuckled. She frowned. _Did he just-_

"Oh, I did, luv. It's another warlock ability."

Fuck.

"I believe we're doing that right now," he said. As if to accentuate that, he slammed back into her and grinded his hips against hers. She moaned again. He chuckled once more.

He moved his free hand up her body. Keeping it under her dress, he cupped her breasts, at once surprised to find that she wasn't wearing a bra. He groaned as he fondled her chest.

As he teased her, Cassy felt herself get closer and closer to the edge. Before she could help herself, her body became overcome by the need to reach her orgasm. She started meeting his thrusts halfway, causing Kaden to go deeper each time.

Kaden groaned. "Don't you see, luv?" he asked her between pants. "We belong together. Think of all we can do as one. And if we had a child-"

Her eyes snapped open and became the size of saucers on her face as it hit her. He wasn't wearing a condom. Kaden chuckled. "Don't worry, luv. Another warlock power. I can keep that from happening, even if I fill you with my seed. We _will_ have a child, but not just yet. I want you all to myself first."

Just as she started to relax again, Kaden pushed his lips against hers. He opened her up and his tongue delved deep. He wanted her to forget about everything else and just focus on how he was making her feel. As she did, she realized that she was almost over the edge. _It's time_ , Kaden thought to himself.

Breaking the kiss, he left trails of kisses as he made his way to her neck. Cassy moaned. She knew what was about to happen.

Without hesitation, Kaden sank his fangs into the side of her neck.

Cassy cried out as the bite brought her over the edge. The third and final orgasm raked its way through her body, this one even more powerful than the previous two combined. As her inner muscles clamped down on him, Kaden reached his own climax. He shouted out against her skin.

As they both rode the waves of their orgasms, Kaden pulled his fangs out of her neck. He looked her in the eyes. "That was... magnificent, luv. Don't you think?"

She didn't say anything. She couldn't. What could she say? She couldn't lie to him, he would know. But she didn't want to tell him he was right. So she looked away.

He chuckled softly. "Oh, don't be like that, luv. We can always try to top that." He emphasized that by starting to move inside her again.

Her eyes widened. He couldn't be ready- that soon- again, could he?

His smile was all cocky as he started to pull out. Just as he was about to thrust his, still hard, full length back into her, he was tackled away from her.

She cried out as she hit the ground. Her reflexes caused her to close her eyes as her ass collided with the cement ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw a giant brown wolf standing in front of her.

At first she thought it was Ava, but then she remembered that Ava's fur was black, not brown. _Who could this be?_

Kaden got to his feet. His clothes were back in place. He had somehow managed to put himself away during that surprise attack. He glared at the wolf. "You're too late, wolf."

In response, the wolf growled menacingly at him. Its hackles raised and it took a step towards him. It looked like it wasn't going to let Kaden anywhere near her. She didn't know whether she wanted to scream in frustration or cry out in joy.

Having read her mind, Kaden turned his glare to her. She paled.

The wolf noticed, and his growl increased in volume. Kaden looked from his bride to the wolf standing between them. He knew that there was no way he could get Cassandra now. If he killed the wolf, it would revert back to its human form, and when Cassandra saw who that was, she would hate him for the rest of eternity. And Kaden couldn't have that. "I'll be back for her, wolf. You can count on that. I will not stop until she is mine."

With that said, Kaden speared Cassy with one last look before he phased out of the Port. Both Cassy and the wolf looked around as if they expected him to return the second their defenses were down. When a minute had passed and he hadn't showed, they relaxed.

Cassy looked at the brown wolf. "I guess I'd better thank you. But I don't know who you are."

The wolf turned to look at her. She was greeted by the most vivid emerald green eyes she had ever seen. Yet they looked very familiar...

She froze as the wolf walked towards her. It walked right up to her and didn't stop until its nose was against her waist. Almost as quickly as when Ava shifted back, the wolf began to morph back to its human form. And the form it took made Cassy gasp.

Its human form was Liam.

# Chapter Eight

When Cassy took in his handsome face, she started to hyperventilate. Her lungs were robbed of breath. She couldn't catch her breath. She actually felt like a fish out of water. Blackness edged at the corner of her vision and she started to fall forward.

"Cassy!" he shouted. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her upright against the cargo container. "Are you all right, cher?"

She shook her head. Air was still eluding her and she started to see spots. She thought she was about to faint.

"Breathe, cher. Breathe. You're going to be all right. Just breathe."

Cassy nodded her head. She knew what she had to do. It was just a lot harder than it seemed at the moment. She closed her eyes and started to focus on her breathing, but even that didn't help. She was certain she was going to lose consciousness... until Liam started rubbing her shoulders.

She opened her eyes and looked at her left shoulder. His hands, so strong and sure, were moving up and down her shoulders. Comforting her in the only way he could right then. By being understanding and supportive, both figuratively and literally- he was still holding her upright, after all. She looked from her shoulder to his eyes and when she saw the worry, compassion, and understanding there- with just a hint of fear- she finally remembered how to breathe. The first gulp of air burned her lungs and caused her to cough. She closed her eyes once more as she choked on the air. Tears stung at her eyes and she refused to let him see her like that. She cleared her throat before she said, "I'm okay, Liam. You can let go now."

He hesitated before he let her go. Why, Cassy could only guess. _Maybe he was worried I'd still pass out on him. Maybe he thinks that I don't want him touching me now that I know the truth._ The last thought nearly broke her heart. _Does everyone think that little of me? Do they really think that I'd turn my back on them if I learned they were different?_

"You okay, cher?" he asked her now. She could barely hear the slight tremble in his voice. He was scared she was about to reject him. She could see it in his eyes.

Cassy forced herself to laugh. "I'm fine, Liam. It's just been one of those days. Too much has happened in too little of time. Besides, it's not every day you learn that the warlock bad boy you created for a short story has come to life and is after you, or that your best friend is a witch, your other friend is a werewolf, and the guy you've had a crush on for a good half of the school year is a werewolf as well... you are a werewolf, right?"

He chuckled softly, despite the situation. "Yes, I'm loup-garou- a werewolf."

"Just that, right? Because apparently I have a tendency to run into-slash-create hybrids."

He laughed out loud now. "I'm just wolf, cher. Though I am almost Alpha."

"Wow. Really? That's cool."

His smile faded. "Not for da reason, it's not."

Cassy winced. "Let me guess. Your pack does the whole Alpha thing through the bloodline?"

Liam's emerald green eyes widened in shock. _How de hell does she know dat?_ "Yes, dat's exactly right."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, Liam. I know how close you are with your dad."

He looked away. "I'll be okay, cher. By da way, how did you know 'bout da bloodline?"

She blushed. "I've written a few short stories that had that type of thing with werewolves. And I remembered that your dad has terminal cancer. So I just guessed, pretty much."

Liam chuckled softly. "Nice guess, cher."

"So you're really a werewolf?" He nodded. "Just like Ava?"

He smiled. "Ava is in my pack."

"That explains why you can just show up all wolf-y and she had to have permission to show me."

Liam winced at the bitterness in her tone. "I'm sorry 'bout dat, cher. It wasn't something you needed to know."

"Until now," Cassy said. She sounded hurt. "Do you guys not trust me?"

His gaze burned into hers when he looked her in the eye. "Of course we trust you, cher."

"Then how come no one told me their secrets? My _best_ friend never told me she was a witch. And I get the whole "humans can't know of us" thing from you wolves, but after how close we've become over the last seven months, you'd think I'd deserve to know. Morgan obviously knew."

"Morgan is a part of da supernatural world-"

"And I'm not? Kaden said that as a writer, I have more power than any human. If I'm stronger, more powerful, than a human, doesn't that make me apart of the supernatural world?" she demanded.

"Dere's a difference between some writers and others, cher. Some actually have power and some just have amazing talent. We didn't know which one you were until now."

Cassy relaxed at his answer. She could understand that. "So then not every book I've read is actually a part of some parallel universe?"

He chuckled. "No, not every character is alive on a different plane."

"Damn. And here I was hoping Damon was actually real."

He laughed out loud. "He could be, cher. We don know what type of writer dat author is."

She smiled. "Then there's hope for me yet!"

Liam shook his head, but he couldn't hide his grin from her. "Come on, cher. Let's get you back to your dorm. We don know if dat warlock salaud will come back."

Cassy nodded. She didn't want to risk the chance that their conversation would be interrupted by Kaden deciding to return for what was 'his.'

Liam reached his hand out for her and she gladly took it. He intertwined their fingers and they began their long walk back to campus.

"Please tell me you drove here," Cassy said.

He chuckled softly. "Sorry, cher. Ava and I walked around town trying to find your scent. Dat would have been impossible in a car."

"Is that how you found me? By tracking my scent?"

He shook his head. "No, Morgan actually found you. She somehow broke through da warlock's cloaking shield and found your location. She texted it to me and Ava, and since I was closer, I told Ava to head back to da dorms to wait for us."

"You do realize that it'll take us about two hours to walk from the Port of New Orleans to Pontchartrain Hall, right?" Cassy whined.

He smiled. "Too far for you to walk, cher?"

" _Way_ too far. I'm wearing heels, Liam. Walking almost seven miles in these shoes will kill me!"

He laughed. "Good ting Ava never listens to me fully." He nodded in front of him.

She followed his gaze to see her blue Audi A4 coming to a stop in front of them. She smiled. "Thank god, Ava. I would _not_ have been able to walk back in these shoes."

"Well next time you get kidnapped by your not-so-fictional character, wear a good pair of walking shoes, would you?" Ava said, a smirk on her beautiful face. She was using her snarky retorts as a defense. Cassy could see the relief in her eyes, both for her friend being safe and for the fact that her and Liam's fingers were laced together. Ava took it that Cassy took Liam's confession with good grace.

Cassy laughed. "Hopefully there won't be a next time."

"Damn straight," Liam growled.

"I second that. Now, how about I get us home?"

Liam opened the front passenger side door for Cassy. She smiled at him as she sat down. He closed the door and hopped into the back seat, and Ava drove away. For the almost twenty minute car ride, no one said a word. There was just a relaxing silence the entire way back to campus. When they arrived back at the student parking lot, it was almost midnight. It would be quiet hours in the dorms. Ava parked the car and the three began their walk back to Cassy's room. Just as they were about to enter the building, Asshole walked out of it.

Cassy's back stiffened. She didn't know what Liam had said to him when he threw him out of the party, so she didn't know what he'd do to her. Asshole looked up and captured her gaze. He walked straight towards her. Just as she thought he was going to say something to her, he pushed past her, not failing to shove her with his shoulder in the process.

The force of the blow made her fall into Ava, who caught her instantly. "Watch where you're going, ass wipe!" she shouted to him.

"That's right," Nate said. "I have to be careful with the precious princess." He looked at Cassy once more. "Did I hurt the poor wittle princess's crown?"

Cassy pushed herself out of Ava's arms. "Stop acting like a bigger dick than you have, Nate. It's not attractive."

"But it _is_ very misleading," Ava said, smirking at him. She gave Cassy a fist bump. She always loved it when Cassy told people off. It rarely happened, but when it did, Cassy didn't hold back.

He took a step towards them, and only then did he see Liam standing there. He shrunk back. "Fuck you guys. I'm outta here."

"Good riddance," Ava and Cassy said at the same time.

Asshole flipped them off and headed towards his car.

Liam chuckled. "Come on, girls. Let's get inside. Morgan's gotta be worried sick 'bout us."

******************************************************

Nate turned and watched as they walked into Pontchartrain Hall. He sighed. If only he could just man up and talk to Cassy one more time. He'd tell her that he was sorry. That he made a mistake. He knew now that he should have never broken up with her. If he could take it all back, he would. That's why he was, as she put it, stalking her. That's why he signed up for that damn creative writing class. He could care less about how to write poems and short stories- writing was one of his worst subjects. He just wanted to get back with Cassy.

He was uncontrollably and irrevocably in love with Cassy Johnson. How could he not be? She was absolutely gorgeous. He loved the way her chestnut brown hair reached just past her shoulders, the way it curled just slightly in certain areas. He loved the way that she didn't need to put make-up on. She would just wake up looking as beautiful as she did the day before. That was a rare quality in a woman. She wasn't the biggest breasted girl he had ever been with and she certainly didn't have the biggest ass, but she curved in all the right places and was blessed with a C-cup bra size. She could make him laugh like no one else could, but he dumped her all because she didn't share his enthusiasm for engineering and anime. Such petty things to end a relationship over. And he wished he could take it all back. That she would take _him_ back.

_Did you see the way she was holding Deveraux's hand?_ his subconscious sneered. _She's moved on. You blew it. She's with him now._

"No. Cassandra is _not_ with Liam. She is _mine_."

Nate turned around, at once shocked to find someone behind him. He had good hearing- for a human- and he hadn't heard anyone approach.

At first he didn't recognize the man behind him. He vaguely seemed familiar. _Where have I..._

When the other man tilted his head back slightly, Nate remembered where he had seen him last. He had passed him when Liam was throwing him out of the party last night. He had been the one that caused Liam to pause, to loosen his grip. To freeze in terror. And this man was claiming Cassy? _Not gonna happen._

"Look, Mister, I don't know who you think you are-"

"My name is Kaden," he said, his accent more pronounced this time.

_He's British? What the hell is he doing in New Orleans?_ "Whatever. Look, Cassy is her own woman. She'd hate to hear that someone was claiming her. Even someone she doesn't know."

Kaden smirked. "I love how you think you can tell me who Cassandra is or isn't. I know her better than you do. I've been inside her head. I know how she thinks, who she thinks of, and what she thinks of people. Like you, for example."

"What about me?" Nate demanded.

"Cassandra doesn't like you one bit. She knows that you're stalking her- that is how she puts it, after all. Personally, I've never believed you were stalking her, per say. I think you're just a poor, pansy-ass excuse of a man who made the biggest mistake of his life in letting her go... and that's a mistake you're _never_ going to make right."

"Now you listen here," Nate said, bristling in anger.

"No. You listen. I don't like you, Nathaniel. You've hurt my love in ways that can't be healed. You, for a lack of a better word, tainted her. You- a pathetic excuse for a man- were her first? That should have never happened. It should have been me."

Nate took a step back. "You're crazy, man."

Kaden shrugged. "That may be true. But you see, you've caught me in a bad mood. I was hoping that I could have taken Cassandra again. See, she wasn't supposed to have gotten a ride home from the Port of New Orleans. Hell, the wolf wasn't even supposed to have found us there. I must find out how that witch found us."

"Huh?"

"Never mind that. I was expecting to grab her on her walk back to the dorms, you see. She is _mine_ , after all. But as I said, she got a ride home. How unfortunate for me. But to make matters worse, _you_ show up and insult my love, my reason for living. How _dare_ you!" Kaden exclaimed.

At the fiery look in Kaden's sapphire blue eyes, Nate took a step back. He didn't like where this was going.

"You are going to pay for that, Nathaniel."

"No, please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend Cassy. I love Cassy!"

That declaration only seemed to make matters worse. "Cassandra is mine, and mine alone. I will not share her with the wolf nor will I share her with you."

Kaden raised his right hand and faced his palm towards Nate. "No, don't!"

" _Pareo_."

After the ancient word left Kaden's mouth, Nate became as still as a statue. He no longer felt in control of his own body. He couldn't understand it. His body didn't want to do what he wanted it to do, but what _Kaden_ wanted it to do. "Yes, Master."

Kaden smirked. "Good. Now, where would be a good, public place to dispose of a body around here? Somewhere where you will be found quickly. I do hate postponing the inevitable."

Nate didn't want to answer him, didn't want to stand there like a statue. He wanted to get the hell out of there and save his life. But Kaden was holding his body there, and he was expecting an answer. "Lake Pontchartrain is right down the way. People run along the beach every morning. Someone will stumble across me there."

"What is the marine life like in Lake Pontchartrain?"

"There's white trout, northern largemouth bass, tarpon, blue grab, silver perch, bull sharks-"

Kaden's head snapped up. "Bull sharks? Perfect. They can easily be framed."

Nate's eyes widened. _Oh god, no._

Kaden's smirk turned evil. "Follow me, Nathaniel. It's time to meet you maker."

# Chapter Nine

When Cassy finally started to rouse from her slumber, it was to the feeling as if she was on fire. A heat so intense encompassed her entire being... and she could not remember why.

_Oh, god_ , she thought to herself. _Was all of last night a dream? Did Liam never actually show up? Am I still with Kaden?_

Panic started to burst inside her, quickly clawing its way through her body. When the arms that rested around her waist suddenly tightened, she opened her mouth to scream. His words stopped her. "Good morning, cher."

She sighed in relief, a smile now pulling at her lips. "Good morning, Liam."

Keeping his arms wrapped securely around her body, she rolled around to face him and looked up at his face to see him smiling down at her with a strange glow in his green eyes. Her smile widened. "I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've dreamed about this moment."

He pulled her more tightly against him. "Is it everything you dreamed of, cher?" he asked, his smile turning wolfish.

Her smile turned seductive. "Maybe."

Without warning, Liam flipped Cassy onto her back and pinned her wrists above her head. He captured her gaze and she noticed that what little was left of his emerald irises were glowing. His pupils had expanded so much, they almost consumed all the color from his eyes. He lowered his head until his lips hovered inches above hers. They brushed against hers as he said, "What about now?"

Her eyes started to lose focus. She didn't know where she should look. Not being able to help herself, she gazed at his lips. "I... uh..."

A knock at her bedroom door interrupted them. Liam growled. "What?"

The door opened and Ava's dark hair cladded face walked into the room. "It's 12:30. Time to get out of bed, you two."

"We're busy," Liam growled.

Ava shrugged. "Sorry, not sorry, boss. But with a psychotic warlock on the loose, we need to start strategizing how to get him out of our world and back into his."

Cassy put her hands on Liam's chest. He looked back at her. "She has a point, Liam. We need to get Kaden out of here. Before he does any real damage."

Liam watched her for a moment longer before he sighed. "Fine. Get out of da room, Ava, so we can get dress."

Ava smirked. "Sure thing, boss." She looked at Cassy's iHome. "I'll give you guys ten minutes before I send the witch in to throw a bucket of cold water on you."

Cassy rolled her eyes. "Witches and water don't mix, Ava. Have you learned nothing for _The Wizard of Oz_?"

Now Ava rolled her eyes. "That was horrible, Cass. Get ready. Ten minutes." She turned around and left the room, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

Liam sighed. "I guess she ain't giving us time to have a little fun, den. Huh, cher?"

Cassy chuckled softly. "I guess not."

He reached forward and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Cassy's ear. Leaning forward, he said in her ear, "Too bad."

She couldn't stop the shiver that worked its way through her body. He noticed and grinned.

"Five minutes, guys!" Ava shouted.

Cassy looked around Liam and glared into the living room. "You just said ten minutes!"

"I lied. Hurry up."

Groaning in frustration, Cassy walked towards her bedroom door and slammed it shut. "Very mature, Cass!" Ava shouted.

"How's this for mature," Cassy grumbled as she slid the lock into place.

"I heard that! Do you really think that will keep me out?"

"It's worth a try," Liam said, having snuck up behind Cassy. He spun her around and pushed her against the door. "Now where were we?"

Feeling extremely bold, Cassy laced her fingers in his hair and pulled him close. "Right about... here," she said, and kissed him on the lips.

As soon as her lips met his, he groaned. He had been waiting for this moment since he told her the truth about himself. Albeit, he didn't tell her the whole truth- he did leave out the part about her being his soul mate- he was still grateful that she wasn't repulsed by him.

Liam decided slow and sweet was better than hard and fast at the moment. He planted butterfly soft kisses on her lips before doing slow, long ones, which had Cassy's body humming to life. She arched in her grasp, trying to get as close to him as humanly possible. Before he could even move, someone was banging on the bedroom door.

"You've had your fun, now get dressed, damn it!" Ava shouted.

Cassy chuckled against Liam's lips. He pulled away and she said, "All right, already. We'll be out in a few seconds."

"Don't worry about getting dressed anymore, Cassy," Morgan said. "Ava just got me out of bed, too. I'm still in my sweats."

"Be right out," Liam said. He looked down at Cassy. "Shall we go figure out a way to send dat salaud back to da fiction realm?"

She smiled up at him. "Yes, please. Let me just grab my laptop."

He raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

Cassy shrugged. "For research, maybe. Or to write down our plans. I'm not sure. But just in case, I'd like to have it along."

She walked over to where her laptop was resting next to her nightstand. As she grabbed it, her senses were greeted by the earthy aroma of basil. Only then did she remember that it had been sitting there since yesterday morning. She reached for it and noticed that it wasn't just a branch of basil. It had another plant tied around it and what looked like some odd beans tied against the stem of the basil. She looked at Liam. "Did you put this here?"

He shook his head. "No, cher, I did not."

She looked from him to the bundle in her hand, and she glared at it. Without another word, she walked past Liam, opened her door and walked out into the living room. "Morgan, did you put this in my room?"

Her best friend look up from her cup of coffee to stare at the object in her hand. She sighed warily. "Yes, I did."

Cassy instantly felt as if a load had been lifted off her shoulders. She eyed the bundle with blazing curiosity. "What is it?"

"It's a branch of basil, with clove on the stem, and wrapped with ivy vine. It's my own personal mix of protection."

"A lot of help dat did last night," Liam said, coming to stand beside her.

Morgan glared at him. "It's a small bundle, I'm sorry I couldn't find anymore. It was just supposed to be for her room until I could get more."

Liam looked away and Cassy noticed a blush working its way up his neck. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. "Looks like someone forgot to warn him not to piss off an Irish woman," Ava said from the arm chair.

When Cassy suddenly heard Liam's soft chuckle, she had to resist the urge to shiver. "I guess dey did."

Cassy looked from Liam to where Morgan and Ava were seated. "So what are we-"

She was cut off by the sudden and very loud sound of police sirens approaching the building. She ran back into her room to look out the window, her friends high on her tail. They drove down Elysian Fields Avenue and sped off towards Pontchartrain Beach. Cassy could see a bunch of students following the commotion, curiosity obviously getting the best of them. "What the hell?"

"Good question, cher," Liam murmured.

Morgan decided to take action. She turned around and walked through the living room and into the hall. She saw students walking and asked one, "Hey, what's going on?"

The student obviously knew what she had meant- the police rarely came to campus. "I heard they found something at the beach. A bunch of us are heading out to see what's going on, if you guys would like to join us."

"We'll be there shortly," Ava said. She bent over and put her Vans on before straightening. "Come on, guys. Let's check it out."

"Um, Ava," Morgan said. "We've got more important things to do..."

"It can wait. I want to know what's going on. Come on."

The rest of the group gave in and put their shoes on before following the rest of the crowd to Pontchartrain Beach. The group was about twenty other students, all dying of curiosity to find out what the police were doing on their campus. It was unusual to find the NOPD anywhere near the University of New Orleans. Campus police usually dealt with all the problems; they were the ones that gave minors to underclassmen and, if needed, took their problems to NOPD. But to find the city's police on campus meant something drastic must have happened.

As Cassy and her friends got closer to the beach, an unnerving feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach. Why, she didn't know. But the closer and closer they got, the worse the feeling became. She walked firmly between Liam and Ava. Now that they were in public, the wolves were worried that Kaden would make a move, so they walked on either side of her to be safe.

When they were no more than a four minutes into their fifteen minute walk, Liam's body stiffened. Looking around, he started sniffing the air. Cassy frowned. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. Suddenly Ava started doing the same thing. They shared a look. Morgan, who was standing on the other side of Ava, raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, guys. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Liam said, his voice tighter than normal.

"He's right. I'm sure it's nothing," Ava added.

Cassy and Morgan exchanged a concerned look, but shrugged it off. They would have made them turn back around if they had smelled Kaden. It must have really just been nothing.

There was a rather large crowd forming at Pontchartrain Beach. The people there were all visibly upset. About what, the gang had yet to see, but whatever it was, it had to be horrible. Ava, the toughest of the group, led the way to the front of the crowd. For once, nobody put up a fight as they budged their way to the police tape. They all parted for her like the Red Sea parted for Moses. It was like they _wanted_ them to see the horrific scene.

As they neared the front of the crowd, Liam's hand caught Cassy's wrist. "I'm not so sure you should see dis, cher," he told her.

Cassy frowned. "Why not?"

"It gonna be messy, Cassy."

She froze. The only time he ever called her 'Cassy' was when he was scared or extremely nervous. _This isn't good._ "What's going on, Liam?"

When he didn't answer her, she pulled her wrist free and walked up next to Ava. She looked at her friend- who had gone stock still- and followed her now glowing gaze. She gasped. "Oh. My. God."

What she saw was not something anyone should ever have to see. On the beach, no more than twenty feet in front of them, was a dead body. _That's what was wrong earlier_ , Cassy realized. _Ava and Liam had smelled blood._

Right on the shore was a dead body. The sight was made even more gruesome by the body's missing limbs. The right leg and left arm were completely torn off, leaving behind two bloody stumps. To make it worse, there was a huge what looked like a bite mark on the left side of his body. Cassy could actually see the man's guts spilling out of the open wound.

But the most horrific sight of all was not the wounds on the dead man's body, but who that body belonged to. The dead man was none other than Nathaniel Scott Kabrick. Her ex-boyfriend.

Cassy took a step back. "Oh my god," she repeated. She felt sick to her stomach. This couldn't be happening.

A sudden strange vibration started in her mind. She had never felt anything like it in her entire life. Only seconds after the vibration started, a voice sounded in her mind. _Do you like my gift, luv?_ His laughter- dark, rich, and evil- filled her mind.

She froze. Cassy recognized that voice. It was Kaden's.

Cassy began to shake uncontrollably. This was all Kaden's doing. He killed Nate. But why?

_He insulted you, luv. I couldn't have that. No one will_ ever _lay a hand on you again._ His mental voice soften. _But I am sorry that it upsets you so. I did not wish to see you this way._

She spun around, her eyes wide in her face. He was here. Kaden was there, somewhere in the crowd, watching her. Liam looked down at her and instantly assumed her expression was about the horrific scene before her. He reached for her. "Oh, cher."

Not wanted to enrage Kaden anymore, she pulled away from his arms and scanned the area. She didn't see Kaden anywhere. _He is magic_ , she reminded herself. _He can make himself invisible._

_Aye, luv. That I can_ , he said. _And that I_ am. He chuckled.

Regardless of the acknowledgement, she still scanned the crowd, hoping against all odds that she would see him.

Liam eyed her suspiciously. "What's wrong, cher?"

"You mean besides the fact that her ex-boyfriend has been found dead from what looks like a shark attack?" Ava said.

"It wasn't a shark attack," Cassy said, hysteria leaking into her voice.

"So, what then? A boating accident? Sounds too much like _Jaws_ to me," Ava mumbled.

"It wasn't a shark attack," she repeated. "It was _him_."

Liam instantly understood what she meant. _Dat's why she's looking around da place_ , he thought to himself. _She's trying to find Kaden._

Now he looked around the crowd, at once trying to find the evil warlock. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. He's shielding himself from us," Cassy answered, keeping her voice low. The people surrounding them didn't need to hear what they were talking about.

Liam nodded. He didn't need to be told twice. He knew warlocks in general were powerful creatures, but this one- the one that Cassy created- was even more powerful for two reasons: because Cassy wrote him to be so, and, even worse, he was a warlock on a mission. A nothing was more dangerous than a powerful being on a mission.

He reached for her one last time, and this time she let him grab her arm. "Let's go."

She nodded hastily in agreement. She didn't want to risk the chance of Kaden getting to her. But more importantly, she didn't want to see Nate's lifeless body any longer.

With one last glance at the gruesome scene behind her, she said to her friends, "Come on, guys. Let's get out of here."

******************************************************

It was three o'clock in the afternoon that Thursday when she received a phone call from her dad. "Hello?"

"Sweetheart, I heard about Nate. I'm so sorry," her father said.

Cassy didn't even have to ask him how he knew about Nate. Erik Johnson was a very powerful man with friends in very high places in New Orleans. He was friends with the mayor, the district attorney, and the police commissioner. Not to mention Morgan had his cellphone number. She probably texted him. "Thanks, Daddy."

"Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head as if he could see her. "No, I'll be fine. We weren't talking anymore."

"I know, but he had still been a huge part of your life. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She smiled. "I'm fine, Dad. Thanks."

He cleared his throat. "You're welcome." He paused. "Are you still up for the ball tonight? I would understand if you wanted to skip it."

Cassy froze. She had completely forgotten about it.

For almost every holiday- and that includes Veteran's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Halloween, Christmas, New Years, Mardi Gras, and even Easter- her dad would throw a company masquerade ball. And since this coming Sunday was Easter, he was throwing the party on Maundy Thursday. Which was today.

She looked at Liam, who was watching her intently. They had all been sitting in her living room ever since they got back from the beach two hours ago. All they had done was sit in silence and watched a little TV. When her phone rang, they had all looked at her as she answered. She didn't know if she should still go to the ball, what with Kaden still on the loose. "Um..."

"We should go, Cassy," Morgan said. "It would do us all some good to get our minds off of everything."

Morgan, as well as her parents, was already invited to the ball. They were her parents' closest friends. They were all invited to every masquerade ball Erik ever threw.

Cassy put her hand over the receiving end of her phone. "What about them?" she asked, nodding towards Liam and Ava. "I don't think they'd let us go out unsupervised."

"We can hear you, cher," Liam said with a smirk on his face.

"Your dad wouldn't mind us bringing them... would he?" Morgan asked.

Cassy thought about that. More than anything, she wanted to go to her father's ball. They were her favorite parts of the holidays. Was she really going to miss them all because of Kaden?

"Kiddo?" her dad's voice called to her. "Are you still there?"

"Sorry, Dad, I was just talking to my friends."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "That's all right, Cassy. Was that Liam's voice I heard?"

Blushing, she cast a look towards Liam to see him watching her with a smirk still on his face. She knew that he was listening to everything that her dad was saying. "Yeah, Liam's here. So is Ava."

"Good. I'm glad someone is looking after my girl. Especially now."

Cassy's blush deepened and Liam chuckled softly. "Um, right. Anyway, Morgan brought up a good point. Would it be all right if I brought Liam and Ava tonight?"

Erik chuckled. "Of course. I'm eager to finally meet Liam. Just keep in mind that it's a black tie event and that my colleagues are a bunch of stuffy old men. Tell Ava to keep if conservative."

Ava, having heard that, snorted. Liam chuckled. "I don tink she knows how."

Cassy laughed. "I'll tell her. I'll see you tonight, Dad."

"All right, kiddo. I'll have someone pick you guys up at 7:00."

"Sounds good. And Dad... thanks for calling."

Once again, the smile was evident in her father's voice. "You're welcome, Cassy. I'll see you tonight."

"Well?" Morgan asked. "What's the verdict?"

Cassy placed her phone on the couch and looked at her best friend. "It looks like we're going to have to take these two shopping. Dad has officially invited them to the ball."

"Yay!" Morgan exclaimed. "Who's taking who?"

"Well, since I've been warned to make sure Ava doesn't dress like a hooker-"

"I resent that statement," Ava muttered.

"I guess that means I'm taking Ava shopping," Cassy said, ignoring Ava's comment.

Morgan smiled. "Then I guess I'm taking Liam tux and mask shopping!"

Liam stood. "So what is dis ball?"

Offering her his hand, Liam pulled Cassy up from the couch. "Every holiday- minor or major- my dad throws a masquerade ball for the company. A black tie event that everyone close to my father looks forward to every holiday."

"Come on, Cass. Your dad throws a masquerade ball almost every month," Morgan said.

Cassy shrugged. "I said he throws them for minor holidays."

"I know." Morgan glanced at her phone. "Well, we've got three hours to get ready."

Cassy nodded. "Then let's get started."

# Chapter Ten

"We're here, ladies," said Jameson, Cassy's father's driver, as he opened the back door of the Lincoln town car.

"Thank you, Jameson," Cassy said. Jameson had been Erik Johnson's personal driver since Cassy was a toddler. Jameson had been the one to drive Cassy to and from school. He was more like an uncle to her than anything else.

"Yeah, thanks, Jameson," Morgan murmured.

"Any time, girls. Enjoy the party."

The girls waited until he pulled away before they spoke. "So are Liam and Ava already here?" Morgan asked.

Cassy, who was looking at her phone, nodded. "Ava texted me saying they were doing a perimeter check. She said they'll meet us inside."

Morgan nodded and put on her emerald green mask. Cassy took in her best friend. Her fire red locks were in curls down her back. Her dress, which was the same emerald green as her mask, was a single strap, floor length beauty. The single strap went over her right shoulder and was thick with jewels at the top. Above her left hip was diamond pendant that looked to be holding part of her dress up. The slit on the bottom of the left side of her dress revealed her creamy leg. On her feet were three inch silver heels with crossing straps, giving her the height she needed- though she still didn't pass Cassy. Her dress was stunning, but nowhere near as stunning as her mask.

Her green and silver colored mask sparkled with glitter, which surrounded the eyes and was on every silver swirl that decorated the mask. Green at the bottom and top of the mask and silver in the middle, the glitter surrounding the eyes was green. A long rounded point was on the right side of the mask and alongside it was a multitude of green feathers. Altogether, Cassy's best friend looked stunning.

"Come on," she said, pulling Cassy from her staring. "Let's get inside before we give the wolves a heart attack."

Cassy laughed. "Yeah, I want to see my parents."

The girls made their way into the lobby of the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The old renaissance feeling inside belied the outside's French Quarter look. The multiple archways and pillars continued all the way down the hall towards the elevator. The hotel manager, Daniel Haralson, nodded at them as they walked by. "Hello, Miss Johnson. Miss Reed."

"Hello, Mr. Haralson," they replied. Erik Johnson had held every masquerade ball at the Royal Sonesta Hotel over the last twenty years. The Johnson and Reed families were on a first name basis with most of the hotel's staff.

"You're both looking lovely tonight. I hope college is going well," he said, walking alongside them to the elevator.

"Thank you. It's going extremely well," Morgan said. She was always better at small talk. Cassy usually hated it. She'd rather people just got to the point.

He nodded. Once they reached the elevator, he pushed the up button for them. "Well, enjoy the party. I'm sure your father held nothing back."

Cassy forced a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Haralson. We will."

When the elevator doors shut, Cassy sighed in relief. "Thank god."

Morgan laughed. "You know, if you're going to be a world famous author, you're going to have to learn how to make small talk."

"It's not necessarily that," Cassy said. "It's just that he gives me the creeps. Always has."

"Really?" Morgan asked. "Of all the people that work in this hotel, _he_ gives you the creeps?"

Cassy nodded. "I don't like the way he stares at us."

Morgan shrugged. "He's just being friendly."

"Being friendly doesn't involve ogling our chests every time he sees us," Cassy snorted.

The elevator dinged as it reached the third floor of the hotel. As the doors opened, the girls were greeted by the sight of a huge ballroom. The room- which was dutifully named the Bourbon Balcony Entertainment Suite- was a ginormous suite filled with tables and a dance floor. Balconies lined the outside of the room, where people were already at and drinking. The open bar was paid for by Johnson's Publishing House, though the girls wouldn't be able to visit that. The guests seemed to all be enjoying themselves immensely.

"Cassy, Morgan, there you two are!"

The girls turned to see a tall woman with fiery curls walking towards them. And even though she was wearing a burgundy laced mask, Cassy instantly recognized her as Gwen Reed. Morgan's mother.

Gwen Reed was dressed in a simple, floor length burgundy dress. It fit her body perfectly, with two shoulder straps and a black sash around the middle. Her mask was the same burgundy as her dress, with black lace covering the entire front. Black sequins decorated the entire border of the mask and around the eyes. On the right side of the mask was black beading, more lace, and a black feather sticking up. Gwen looked stunning.

Morgan smiled at her mother. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, Mrs. Reed," Cassy said. Though she had known the woman for her entire life, Cassy still called her by her formal name. It felt odd to call her 'Gwen,' and she definitely didn't want to call her 'Mom.'

"Hi, sweetie." She gave her daughter a hug. "You both look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Thanks," the girls said at the same time.

Gwen pulled away from Morgan. "Cassy, dear." She pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry to hear about Nate."

Cassy nodded. "Thanks, I guess."

"If there's anything you need, just call us," she said, looking into Cassy's eyes.

She forced herself to smile. "Will do."

"There you girls are," Mark Reed said as he approached the three women. He was dressed in a burgundy tuxedo. The lapels of the tuxedo jacket were black, as was his bowtie, and his dress shirt was white. His mask was a simple burgundy mask with black lining the outside, as well as around the eyes. His shaggy strawberry blond hair was brushed back and tamed by the sting of his mask. His ocean blue eyes held a glint of mischief as he looked at the girls. "I take it Jameson got to you a little late?"

Cassy frowned. Mark never seemed to have liked Jameson. Maybe he didn't like the ex-British Yank. Maybe he didn't like his attitude. Maybe he didn't like a man who could effortlessly pull off a bowtie. Whatever his reasons, it always got on Cassy's nerves. "Actually, we were running late since we ran to the beach and found my ex-boyfriend's dead body lying in the sand."

Mark paled behind his burgundy mask at her words and Gwen turned to glare at him. Morgan gave Cassy an exasperated look. She sighed and added, "That and we had to find Ava a dress and Liam a tux for tonight. It put us a little behind."

"Is it safe to say that Ava is well dress, then?" asked a familiar voice.

Cassy smiled and turned to find her father walking towards her. She wasn't even slightly surprised to find that only half of his face was covered by a mask. Erik Johnson had always been a fan of _The Phantom of the Opera_. At almost every single party, he'd wear a mask that covered only the right side of his face. It'd be different colors, of course. But always the same style mask.

Tonight, the mask was black, completely matching his all black tuxedo- black dress shirt, black vest, black tie, and black suit jacket with black pants and shoes to match. His chestnut brown hair was slicked back behind the mask. His sky blue eyes sparkled down at her and he smiled. Where Morgan was the spitting image of her mom, Cassy was the feminine version of her father. "Hey, kiddo."

She smiled at her dad. "Hi, Dad."

He pulled her into a hug. "You look beautiful tonight."

Cassy blushed. "Thanks, Dad."

"There you are!" called a new voice.

The group turned to find a woman with light brown hair pulled up into a top bun and sapphire blue eyes walking towards them. When she smiled at her, Cassy smiled back. "Hi, Mom."

Alicia Johnson was dressed in a simple floor length black dress. It had a single strap going over her left shoulder. Her mask was black as well, with a silver rose in the upper right corner and a black feather coming out from the rose. Her smile widened at her daughter. "Hello, Cassy."

She left her father's arms and gave her mom a hug. Alicia's arms tightened around her daughter. "Mm, I'm so sorry, sweetie."

"Me too, Mom. Me too."

Alicia pulled away and stroked her daughter's cheek. "So. Where are Liam and Ava?"

"Over here, Dr. Johnson."

Cassy and Morgan looked around Alicia's shoulder to see their black haired friend walking towards them. She looked stunning in her red floor length dress. The dress was strapless, had a split on the left leg, and had a jewel sequence around the chest. The red beauty fit Ava like a glove. Her black hair was curled and rested over her left shoulder. The mask only added to her beauty.

Her mask was a traditional mask. It was silver with red in the left corner and red glitter around the eyes. Three red glittered tear drops were in the center of the mask, just above the eyes. Around the mask were gray glitter and white swirls. With the dress, her hair, and her mask, she looked divine.

Alicia gasped. "Ava, darling, you look absolutely stunning!"

Ava blushed. "Thank you, Dr. Johnson."

Cassy looked Ava up and down. "You clean up good, Ava."

"So do you, cher."

Cassy turned her head to see Liam walked towards her. As Morgan was the one to dress him, Cassy had yet to see Liam all spiffed up. He was dressed in a traditional black tuxedo jacket, with a royal blue vest and tie, a white dress shirt, a royal blue handkerchief, and black dress pants. His shoes were shiny black leather dress shoes. Everything he had on looked like it had been tailored to his body perfectly. And the mask that graced his handsome face was stunning.

The mask was a standard one. It was a royal blue, matching the color of his tie and vest, and silver at the very top. Silver paint circled the eyes, and a golden trim around the edges. There were seven silver lines under the eyes, each side connected by a silver vine leading up the eyes where even more lines rested. His wavy brown hair was slicked back and was kept looking that way by the tie of his mask. Behind the mask, his emerald green gaze was glowing slightly as he took her in. His pupils were starting to expand in hunger. She swallowed hard. _This won't end well_ , she thought to herself.

The more adventurous side of her smiled at the thought. _Bring it on._

******************************************************

After Morgan had taken Liam shopping- not only had she picked out his outfit perfectly, but she had paid for it as well- he and Ava had went ahead of the girls to the hotel to make sure that everything was in order. The last thing Liam wanted was for Kaden to show up and ruin this night for him. The way Cassy had been talking about the ball, she was very much looking forward to it. Liam would have hated to have to tell her she couldn't go. After all the stress she was under and facing, Cassy needed a night out.

Morgan had a mischievous glint to her eyes when she picked out the color of his vest, tie, and mask. Liam would have preferred a simple black and white tux with a traditional white mask, but Morgan said differently. _Perhaps she don't want you looking boring in front of Cassy's parents_ , he had thought to himself. Whatever her reasoning, he had just been glad to have not done the shopping alone. His sense of fashion was nowhere near as good as hers.

When he and Ava had arrived at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, they both walked around the perimeter of the hotel before scanning each level. They met back up in the lobby before going to the ball. "Did you sense anything?" he had asked her.

Ava had shook her head. "Nope. Looks like we're in the clear tonight, boss."

"Good. I don want anything getting in da way tonight."

Ava had smirked. "You trying to get into her pants tonight, boss?"

Liam had glared at her. "She already has a warlock trying to do dat to her. She don need me doing it, too."

"I beg to differ," Ava had said. "Needs _and_ wants you to."

Before Liam could respond, the elevator doors opened to the third floor ballroom. Ava stepped out first and quickly disappeared into the crowd. He easily followed her scent, as well as her voice. Though it should have been hard in such a large crowd, it was easy for Liam. He had long ago memorized Ava's scent; as an heir of the pack, he knew everyone in his pack's scent. It would always be easy for him to find a pack member.

"Thank you, Dr. Johnson," Ava said.

"You clean up good, Ava," he heard Cassy say.

"So do you, cher," he said to her. And boy did she ever. He had to keep his jaw from dropping as he took her in.

Her dress was a floor length royal blue beauty. There was a jeweled triangle along the top center of her strapless dress and jewels around her stomach as well. The bottom loosely fitted her legs. She obviously had room to move her legs, so it wasn't overly confining, but it wasn't so loose that it looked puffy. The top portion of the dress fitted her like a glove, showing off the swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips. As his gaze traveled the length of her body, he could feel his pupils start to expand in hunger. When it landed on her face, he saw the gorgeous mask the donned her face.

The mask was like none he had ever seen before. It covered both sides of her face at her eyes, but it was meticulously shaped. A majority of the mask was the same royal blue as her dress. The top of the mask was designed like a crown, with a diamond at the very center of it and was silver in color. The bottom of the mask was fairly normally shaped, with the exception of a skinny three leaf clover under each eye. The clovers were silver and glittered in the light. The corners of the mask were silver as well, and there were silver lines all over the mask. Around the eyes were what looked like metal eyelashes. Right above the eyes was a diamond studded curl and below that were five holes on each side. At the corners of the mask were hints of the black string that tied her mask around her head. The rest of the string was hidden under her now curly chestnut brown hair. Like Ava's, it rested over her left shoulder. Liam had never seen anyone as breathtakingly beautiful as Cassy Johnson was that night.

_Now I understand why Morgan dressed me in royal blue_ , he thought to himself. _She wanted me to match Cassy._

Cassy blushed at his compliment. "Thank you, Liam. You look very nice."

His answering smile was all wolf. He knew his eyes had to be glowing; he was just thankful that his fangs weren't showing at the moment.

Taking a step towards her, he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "You really do look amazing, cher."

Her blush deepened. "Thanks, Liam. I'd like to introduce you to my parents." He dropped her hand and she gestured towards her parents. "This is my dad, Erik Johnson, and my mom, Alicia Johnson. Mom, Dad, this is Liam Deveraux."

A man wearing a black half mask stepped forward. From the familiar way his sky blue eyes scanned his body, Liam could tell that he was Erik Johnson. He smiled at him. "It's nice to finally meet you, Liam."

Liam smiled back. Erik extended his hand and Liam took it. They shook hands. "You too, sir. Merci Beaucoup for inviting me to your party."

"Oh, it was my pleasure. Anything to make my little girl happy."

"Dad," Cassy whined, her blush returning.

Erik let go of his hand and Alicia stepped forward. Liam had expected another hand shake, but she pulled him into a hug. "It's so wonderful to meet you, Liam. I hope you're taking good care of my baby."

"Mom!" Cassy hissed, her face becoming the same color as a fire hydrant.

Liam laughed this time. "You too, ma'am. And don worry. I am."

Cassy turned her glare from her mother to him. He couldn't help his answering grin.

Erik Johnson took in the exchange with a warm smile. He was just glad his little girl was finally happy. Grabbing his wife's arm, he nodded at Mark and Gwen. "Well, we'll leave you four to it. Have fun kids."

"Bye," the four of them said.

Once their parents were out of earshot, Morgan asked, "So, I take it you guys didn't sense anything?"

Ava shook her head. "Absolutely nothing. I think we're in the clear for tonight."

Cassy flinched as the words left her friend's lips. She always felt that saying things like that would jinx everything.

Liam saw her flinch and felt his wolf's hackles rise. He had personally made sure that Kaden was nowhere to be seen, and yet his mate was still scared of the warlock salaud. Closing his eyes, he let his wolf senses take over. He turned from his friends and sniffed the air around them. The scents of liquor, expensive cologne, and shoe polish assaulting his werewolf nose. But there was no stench of rotting fruit. Of warlocks. They really were in the clear.

He reached out and tenderly wrapped his fingers above Cassy's elbow. She slowly turned to face him. "You're safe, cher. I swear to you. He is not here."

Gazing up into his eyes, she let the calming glow of his emerald eyes wash over her. She melted in them, found solace and strength in them. When she finally believed him, she nodded.

He smiled down at her. "How 'bout a dance, cher?"

She smiled back at him. "That sounds lovely, Liam."

Liam bowed and extended his right hand towards Cassy. She stared at him; his movement shocked her. It was endearing and romantic and wholly sexy. And when he looked up and grinned at her, she was about ready to explode. Between his wolfish grin, extended hand, and heat of his gaze, he was all but daring her to say no. Since she wasn't in the mood to play hard to get, she smiled and slowly placed her hand in his.

He possessively wrapped his fingers around her hand and straightened to his full height. Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, he led the way to the dance floor. As the reached it, the DJ began to speak. "How ya'll doin' tonight?" The crowd cheered in response before he continued. "Now ya'll know the drill. We're gonna start the night out with the opening song, then I'll start takin' requests. Have a blast tonight, and let me know if ya'll wanna hear something!"

Liam looked down at Cassy, an eyebrow raised in question. "Opening song?"

She smiled sheepishly. "My dad does this at _every_ masquerade ball."

He opened his mouth to ask what song it was, when the music started. He frowned when he heard it. "Is dat from Da _Phantom of_ da _Opera_?"

Cassy blushed. "Yeah, my dad is kind of obsessed with the musical. If you couldn't tell," she said, nodding towards her father.

Liam followed her gaze and noticed his mask, which covered only the right side of his face... just like the Phantom's mask. "I supposed he is," he said, chuckling.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Masquerade" played in the background as Liam clasped Cassy's right hand with his left. He placed his right hand on her waist as she put her left hand on his shoulder and they began to move.

The entire crowd was dancing around the dance floor to the song. The beat was too fast to stay in one general area, so they all danced around in a circle as the song carried on. Cassy giggled as they moved, making Liam's heart melt. She was absolutely stunning there in his arms. Truly a queen among the peasants. He just hoped that she would accept him as her king.

# Chapter Eleven

Liam and Cassy danced to two more songs after "Masquerade" ended before they walked off the dance floor. "I am _so_ sorry about my dad," Cassy said as they made their way back to their table, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Erik Johnson had dedicated the last song to his daughter and her lovely date. And that last song had been _Phantom_ 's "All I Ask of You." When she heard Patrick Wilson's voice start to serenade her, she wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Liam was still chuckling when they reached their table. "It's not dat bad, cher."

"You don't understand," Cassy said. " _Every_ time I bring a date to the party, he plays a song from _Phantom_. Every time!"

"It's true," Morgan said as she walked up behind them. "He played 'Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh' for Nate at the Labor Day ball." She laughed out loud. "It was hilarious."

"Not for Nate it wasn't," Cassy said, a smile pulling at her lips. "He was so mad at Dad for that. He wanted to leave, and that was only the third song!"

"I remember your dad had to fake an apology to make him stay," Morgan said.

"It was honestly one of Dad's worst apologies," Cassy said with a laugh. "Anyone that knew him could tell he was lying through his teeth! But Nate bought it." Her smile faded. "I can't believe he's dead."

The group of friends stopped their laughing and bowed their heads out of respect for their fallen classmate. It was still a shock to all of them that Kaden was capable of that. If he was willing to kill a boy for insulting Cassy, what else was he prepared to do?

Ava put her hand on Cassy's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Cass."

She shrugged Ava's hand from her shoulder. "The hell it's not. If it weren't for me, Kaden wouldn't be here."

"If it weren't for _me_ ," Morgan said. "I'm the one that messed up on a simple spell."

"But if it weren't for me, Kaden wouldn't exist to begin with," Cassy pointed out.

"It's neither of your faults," Liam said. "You didn't write him to be a killer, cher. You can't control who he is now dat he's free."

She wanted to believe Liam, but a part of her truly did believe that Nate's death rested solely on her shoulders. She created Kaden and she wished for him to be real. Her wish caused Morgan's spell to go awry. Her wish caused Kaden to enter the real world. And her wish caused Kaden to kill Nate. No real form of logic could make her think otherwise. But to stop this form of thinking, Cassy nodded her head. She would do anything to change the subject.

Liam seemed to sense where her thoughts had gone. He opened his mouth to say something further on the subject when his cellphone rang. Sighing, he reached inside his tux pocket and pulled out his phone. "Hello? ... Riker? Is everything all ... Um, I'm kind of in da middle of something." He sighed. "All right, hold on." He looked up at Cassy and put his hand over his phone's receiver. "I have to get dis. Dey need help with Alpha stuff."

She nodded at him. "Go on, we'll be fine. There's a private lobby of there."

He nodded. "I'll be right back."

The girls watched as Liam turned around and weaved his way through the crowd. Cassy was at once surprised at how gracefully he moved. She had noticed when they had first met, and again when they were on the dance floor. _It'll probably be one of those things I'll never get used to_ , she thought to herself. Looking at Ava, she asked, "Who's Riker?"

Ava shrugged. "He's one of the higher ups in the pack. He helps take care of outsider business."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "'Outsider business?'"

"Well, we live in a rural neighborhood. We have human neighbors and we work human jobs. Sometimes the two don't mix. Riker is the one who fixes those things when they go wrong," Ava told them. "But don't go telling people I told you this. We're not supposed to-"

"Talk about pack business with outsiders," Cassy finished for her. "We know."

Ava smiled at her friend. Cassy rolled her sky blue eyes. Morgan's voice interrupted them. "You know what I wanna talk about?"

"What?" Cassy and Ava asked at the same time.

"That boy over there. Who the hell is he?"

Cassy and Ava followed Morgan's gaze. She was staring at a young man in his early twenties. He was dressed in a black tuxedo jacket, an emerald green vest with a matching tie and handkerchief, black dress pants and black leather shoes. His complexion was fair and he had a crop of fire red hair on top of his head. He had a simple green mask on his handsome face. When he looked their way, the girls could see his sapphire blue eyes sparkle behind his mask. And when he smiled at them, a pair of dimples graced his cheeks.

Cassy pursed her lips. "He's cute."

"And a ginger," Ava pointed out.

Morgan glared at her before she said, "He can steal my soul- and other things- anytime."

Ava laughed. "You don't have a soul, witch."

Morgan reached across Cassy to swat Ava on the arm. They both laughed. "That's Colin Mitchell," Cassy said. "He's my dad's lawyer's son. I believe he's a sophomore or junior at Tulane University."

"What's his major?" Morgan asked, breathlessly.

Cassy smirked. "He's going to be a lawyer like his dad. I've known him since we were kids. He's sweet." She nudged Morgan's ribs. "You should go talk to him. I've heard down the Facebook grapevine that he's single."

Morgan looked at her best friend, her forest green eyes wide on her face. "I couldn't. I mean... I can't leave you..."

"I'll be fine, Morgan. Kaden's not here."

"Besides," Ava added. "I'm the one that can smell him, not you. Go get your flirt on with future Mr. Lawyer. We'll be fine."

Morgan looked hesitantly at her friends. "Don't make us push you," Cassy said.

Before they could get the chance, Colin appeared in front of them. "Hello, ladies."

"Hey," Ava said.

"Hey, Colin. How's school?" Cassy asked, moving slightly so that she could usher Morgan forward at any given moment.

He shrugged. "It's school, so good, I guess." He looked from Cassy to Morgan. "We haven't met. I'm Colin."

Morgan opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. So Cassy spoke for her. "Colin, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend, Morgan Reed. She's a freshman, like myself, at the University of New Orleans." Ava cleared her throat. "And that's Ava Fossier. She's also a freshman at UNO."

Colin's gaze flittered over Ava before he returned it to Morgan. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Morgan."

She finally found her voice. "You too, Colin."

He grinned at her. "Would you like to dance?"

Morgan nodded vehemently. Cassy had to hold back her giggle. Colin offered her his hand and curled his fingers possessively around hers when she placed her hand in his. When they were out of earshot, Ava and Cassy began to laugh. "My god, that was adorable," Ava said.

"Not everyone has your charms, Ava," Cassy retorted, rolling her eyes.

Ava playfully pushed Cassy, who laughed in return. She then pulled her into her arms and they watched as Colin and Morgan began to dance. "They could be cute together," Ava murmured.

"Yes, they could be. She deserves someone like him. He really is a good guy. And he could use someone who's not bat shit crazy."

Ava raised a thin eyebrow. "His last girlfriend was crazy?"

"That's putting it mildly. Every time he wanted to end things with her, she'd threaten to kill herself. Colin didn't want that to happen- she may have been crazy, but he still cared about her. He's been single for about a year now. It's time he got back into the saddle, and with someone as amazing as Morgan."

Ava smiled at Cassy. "You really are an amazing friend, aren't you?"

Cassy blushed furiously at the compliment. She opened her mouth to say something in return when her father interrupted them. "How are you ladies enjoying the party?"

"It's been a blast so far, Mr. Johnson," Ava said. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Yeah, Dad, it's definitely your best one yet."

Erik laughed. "You say that at every ball."

She shrugged. "You always find a way to outdo yourself."

He smiled at his daughter. "That I do. Say, Ava, could I borrow my daughter for a moment? I'd just like to catch up and there are some new members of my team that I need to introduce her to."

Ava smiled at him. "Go ahead. I was just going to go grab a drink." She leaned towards Cassy's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, I won't go far. Just keep an eye out for him, in case he does show up."

Cassy nodded and let her father lead her away from her friends. He had reached back and grabbed her hand. He placed it on the crook of his arm as he led her through the crowd. "Your friends seem to be enjoying themselves."

"They are. Thank you for inviting them, Dad."

He smiled down at her. "Anything for my little girl. Where did Liam run off to?"

"He's in the lobby. He received a phone call from a family friend."

"Oh? Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, he just needed some advice about something. I'm sure he'll be back shortly," Cassy said. _I hope._

"Good. But in the meantime, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Erik came to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. They were standing behind a tall man. Cassy couldn't see anything about him, other than the fact that he was about six foot three and had short brown hair. When her father placed his hand on the man's shoulder and he turned around, Cassy gasped. He was gorgeous.

His dark brown hair was slicked back on his head, held in place by only the string that held up his mask. The mask was a beautiful dark Prussian blue, with royal blue glitter around the eyes. The circles started at the sides of the nose and worked their way up towards the eyes, getting wider the entire way until they reached the top of the mask. Four glitter royal blue crescent marks were under each eye, and there was a black trim around the outside of the mask. The royal blue around the eyes made his sapphire blue eyes stand out in his handsome face. And the mask matched the rest of his outfit perfectly.

He was wearing a dark royal blue tuxedo jacket with black lapels and a black tie. Unlike everyone else at the party, he wasn't wearing a vest and his handkerchief didn't match his tie. He had a white handkerchief and a white dress shirt. His dress pants were black and he wore a pair a black leather shoes. He looked like a movie star standing there before her.

"Cassy, this is my new editing assistant, Jones. Jones, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Cassandra Johnson."

He smiled down at her, revealing straight white teeth and the most beautiful dimples to ever grace a man's face. "Cassandra, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said in a southern drawl.

_Oh my god_ , she thought to herself. _Only he could make a southern accent sound_ that _sexy._ Mentally shaking herself, she said, "It's nice to meet you too, Jones."

Erik looked over his shoulder as something caught his attention. "Looks like your mom needs my help with something, sweetie. I'll be back in a bit. Why don't you two get to know each other. If you'll excuse me."

Using more strength than it should have taken, Cassy pulled her gaze from Jones's to watch her father walk away. She frowned. _Didn't he say he had new members to introduce me to? Mem_ bers _, as in plural?_ She was pulled from her suddenly troubled thoughts when Jones curled his finger under her chin and turned her head back to face him. His thumb brushed her bottom lip and she gasped at the sudden sensation that rushed through her body. Her stomach tightened, her breathing quickened, and her eyelids suddenly drooped. She could feel the moisture gather between her legs. How could one touch affect her that much?

He captured her gaze. She could see that the simple touch had affected him as well. His pupils had expanded and his sapphire blue eyes were slightly glowing. They looked so familiar...

"Cassandra-"

"Cassy," she corrected him. She didn't know where this sudden defiance came from. But she hated being called by her full name.

He smirked but ignored her interruption. "May I have this dance?"

She bit her bottom lip, drawing his gaze from her eyes. Suddenly, his gaze darkened and he looked as if there was something he wanted to do more than anything else in the world. The determined glint to his gaze reminded Cassy of something, but she couldn't remember what.

_Stop being so weird, Cass_ , she told herself. _He's just being nice. Dance with the man._

Bending her head, she captured his gaze. The movement shocked him, she could tell. But when she said, "I'd love to dance with you," triumph flared in his eyes and he grinned at her. He grabbed her hand and took a step back.

They were in the middle of the dance floor. Her father's guests surrounded them completely, as if they were blocking them from the outside world... and any prying eyes that might be there. He grasped her left hand with his right. Placing her free hand on his left shoulder, he put his left hand on her waist. He gripped her there gently, but possessively. She gasped at the heat that rushed through her body at the contact. Her body was humming to life, and all she was doing was dancing.

The next song started and they started to move. He moved with more grace than someone his age should have had. The way he moved... it was like he had been doing this dance for more years than he had been alive. Like he had been born a dancer. The way he made them glide around the dance floor was magical. And this was an odd song to dance to.

Cassy cocked her head to the side as she recognized the song. It was another _Phantom_ song. It was "The Music of the Night," sung by David Cook. It was her favorite contemporary version of the song. She couldn't believe she was dancing with this total stranger to this song.

As the song went on, Jones looked at her as if he was willing her to feel the words of the song. As if he were actually saying them to her. When David sang to her, "Touch me, trust me," she actually _felt_ his skin against hers, as if their hands were searing together. Looking up into his eyes, she wanted to do anything he told her to do. No matter how insane it sounded or how dangerous it could be. She felt as if she could trust him no matter what...

It hit her like a bucket of freezing cold water. The realization literally stole the breath out of her lungs. This was no random stranger, no new assistant of her father's whose name was 'Jones.' This was Kaden.

He chuckled softly. "I was wondering when you would figure it out, luv." His southern accent was gone, his words once again accenting by his British tongue. He tightened his grip on her when she tried to pull away. His gaze traveled the length of her body. He groaned. "My god, you look absolutely marvelous in that dress, luv. Truly delectable." He smirked. "Shall we test that theory?"

"No," she hissed. Though her body loved the thought of it... _His touch must still be affecting me._

He clicked his tongue at her. "I'm not controlling your mood, luv. At least... not at the moment."

"Liar," she said to him.

Suddenly he was pushing her against a wall. She looked around. They were no longer inside the building, but outside on the balcony. He had somehow led her out of the safety of the crowd to the now secluded balcony corner. She didn't like where this was going.

"I'm not lying, luv. Not about this," he whispered in her ear. "I didn't control you at all this entire night. Whatever you felt... was true."

_He's lying. He has to be_ , she thought to herself. She tried to convince herself that he was lying, but truth-be-told, a part of her _knew_ he wasn't. When he had controlled her earlier, there had been a foreign aftertaste throughout her body. Something had felt off about her. Like she shouldn't have felt the way she did or moved the way she had. But now... there was none of that. _How can this be?_

"Because you are my soul mate, luv. And I am yours. That is why you feel so trusting of me. So connected to me. It's why I can enter your mind. Warlocks can only enter the mind of the person who is supposed to be theirs. And you are _mine_ , Cassandra."

His answer shocked her. She was his soul mate? That was impossible.

Before she could get the chance to even think of a response, Kaden was pushing his lips against hers. He groaned the second their lips touched. Wrapping his right arm around her waist, he pulled her lower body against his. Lifting his left hand, he tangled it in her hair, bringing her face closer to his. He just couldn't get enough of her.

Her hands automatically flew up to his chest. To do what, she didn't know. She hoped it would be to push him away, but when he opened her up and his tongue delved deep, her hands curled into his tuxedo jacket and she pulled him closer. He smiled against her lips. He was glad to know that he affected her the same way she did him.

Cassy slowly moved her right hand up his body. She brought it to the side of his face, where she did the same thing to him that he was doing to her. He groaned when her hand cupped the side of his face. Kaden wanted nothing more than to take her to their home and have his merry way with her. He decided to do just that.

Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers and murmured to her, "Let's get out of here, luv. Let me take you to our home."

She opened her eyes and looked into his. The black of his pupils almost fully consumed the sapphire blue irises. What was left of the irises were glowing as he gazed pleadingly down at her. He wanted her to go with him more than anything else. He wanted her to trust that he wouldn't hurt her. That he wasn't the bad guy everyone thought him to be. She was starting to fall for it. Fall for him...

But then she remember what had happened earlier that day. He had killed Nate. Brutally butchered him. There was no way she was going with him. At least not willingly.

He saw the sudden icy glint her gaze had gained and he tightened his grip on her. He smiled darkly down at her. "We're leaving, luv. Now."

"I don tink so, salaud."

Kaden looked over his shoulder in annoyance as Liam stepped out onto the balcony. His face turned into an animalistic snarl and his grip on her tightened to the point of pain. She looked at Liam and noticed that for once he was not alone. Ava was right behind him, followed closely by Morgan... and Colin. She blinked. "What's Colin doing here?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Morgan blushed and smiled shyly at her. "I'll explain in a little bit."

Kaden chuckled darkly. "No, you won't. Because we won't be here."

With lightning fast speed, Liam reached out and grabbed Kaden by the shoulder. He flung him to the other side of the balcony. "Cassy will be here," Liam said to Kaden. "But _you_ won't be."

# Chapter Twelve

Liam sighed as he stood in the private lobby on the third floor of the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Riker couldn't have picked a worst time to call him with a problem. He didn't want to leave Cassy's side. She looked too delectable to be left alone. Though he was confident that Kaden was nowhere to be found, he didn't trust the other men in that ballroom to not try anything on his woman.

_Your woman? Good god, pull yourself together, boy_ , he thought to himself.

"Liam? You listening?"

Riker's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He shook his head to clear it. "Yeah, I'm still here."

"So? What do you suggest we do?"

Riker's problem was that the humans in the neighborhood had started attacking part of the pack. There were two neighbors in particular that hated Riker and his two sons. A father who was jealous of the success of Riker's business and his son who was jealous of Riker's oldest son's football skill. But instead of the normal complications between the two families, the neighbors had physically attack Riker's sons when they were walking home with the children of another pack member's family. Riker's sons were bruised, but otherwise unharmed. The other pack member's children weren't so lucky. "How are da Cooper's children?"

"Jackson is about the same as my boys. A black eye and a few cuts that are already beginning to heal. Susie isn't as fortunate."

"What happened to her?" Liam asked through gritted teeth. To attack a group of kids is one thing. But to do so when a five year old girl was among them is another.

"They broke her arm and gave her a concussion," Riker spat out. Angela Cooper was his sister, making Susie and Jackson his niece and nephew. "The bastards gave up on trying to hurt the boys and went after her instead. Ryan had to call the police to get them to back off."

Liam growled into the phone. "I knew Brad and John hated your family, but to go after an innocent five year old girl..."

"They just kept going at it. They attacked everyone who tried to stop them. The police had to tase them to make them snap out of it! It was like they were under a spell or something."

Liam froze. _Under a spell... could it be? Would he really go to dis length just to get Cassy?_ "What did you say?"

"Boss?"

"A spell. Dat's it."

"Liam, what are you talking about?" Riker demanded.

"Don do anything. I mean it, Riker. Do not get retribution."

"What's going on, Liam?"

He sighed. "I don have time to explain. Call da Kappa Sigma house. Someone dere will explain. I have to go. Be vigilant and be careful."

Liam hung up and rushed back inside the ballroom. Ava was exactly where he left her. "Where are Cassy and Morgan?"

Ava nodded towards the dance floor. "Morgan is dancing with some guy over there and Cassy is off with her dad meeting some of his new employees."

Liam followed her gaze. On the outside of the dance floor, he saw Morgan in the arms of a young man whose hair was the same fire red as Morgan's. He'd had thought they were twins if he didn't know any better. "Did you say Cassy was with her father?"

Ava nodded. "Yeah, he came by a little while ago and asked to borrow her."

"And you let her out of your sight?"

She rolled her gray eyes. "I've got a lock on her scent, Liam. She's on the other side of the dance floor."

He sniffed the air. "I don smell her, Ava."

She frowned. "I don't know how you can't. The only thing I _can_ smell is her."

Not even bothering to reply, Liam walked away from Ava so he could see around the crowd on the dance floor. He spotted Cassy's dad talking to a group of men. He even saw her mom standing next to him. But he didn't see Cassy.

"Fils de putain," he muttered.

"I take it from the 'son of a bitch' that Cassy isn't where her scent is," Ava guessed when Liam returned to her.

"Where could she be?" Liam demanded.

"Why is her scent in a place where she isn't?" Ava added.

"I think I can answer that," said a new voice.

The wolves turned to see the man Morgan had been dancing with standing in front of them, with Morgan right behind him. She smiled encouragingly at them.

Liam opened his mouth to ask what he knew when the smell reached his nose. It was so strong, he couldn't believe he missed it earlier. It was the smell of lilies. The smell of witches.

It wasn't Morgan's scent, that was for sure. He knew her scent like the back of his hand. It was your typical witch scent mixed with an undertone of lavender. All supernatural beings had their own particular scent, no matter what they were. This young man's was lily mixed with Old Spice and... lavender. _Dese two must be soul mates_ , Liam thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "You're a witch."

Ava looked at Liam, her eyes wide on her face. Apparently she had missed it too. Morgan smiled, as did the young man. "You've got a good nose, wolf. Yes, I am a _wizard_. I'm Colin."

He offered Liam his hand. They shook and Liam said, "I'm Liam and dis is Ava."

Colin smiled, revealing straight white teeth. "I know. I met her earlier." He glanced at Ava. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just didn't want you saying anything until I had the chance to meet Morgan."

Ava shrugged. "It's not my business to out everyone. I'm just looking for one scent in particular. As long as I don't smell it, I don't react to it."

Colin nodded. "Good to know. But I don't think you'll find the scent you're looking for if he doesn't want you to."

Liam and Ava stiffen. "What?" They looked at Morgan. "You told him?" Liam asked.

Morgan blushed. "We started talking as we danced. I asked if he knew anything about warlocks and one thing led to another..."

"It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is helping Cassy. And I think we're running out of time."

"What do you mean?" Ava asked.

"You lost sight of Cassy when her dad took her away, but her scent is in one particular spot, is it not?"

She nodded. "Her scent is on the other side of the dance floor, but she's not there. Liam looked."

Colin shrugged. "I can't be sure, but I'm guessing your warlock is disguising her scent. Putting it in one place and hiding her somewhere else. It's not dark magic, necessarily, but it's still a possibility. Warlocks don't always use dark magic only-"

"Get to da point, Colin," Liam said. He wanted to know where his cher was.

He blushed. "Right, sorry. Anyway, to do that spell, he has to stay within a few yards of wherever he's sending her scent for him to be able to maintain the spell. My guess is they're outside somewhere. Possibly on the balcony."

After hearing that, Liam spun around and ran towards the nearest balcony. Just as Colin had said, there he found Cassy in Kaden's arms. Just like last time, he knew she wasn't there willingly. The dark glare in her eyes gave that away. He could hear the smile in Kaden's voice when he said, "We're leaving, luv. Now."

"I don tink so, salaud," Liam growled.

Kaden looked at them from over his shoulder. Cassy followed his gaze. She looked relieved when she saw him. Looking over his shoulder, Cassy undoubtedly saw Ava, Morgan, and Colin crowding behind him. She frowned. "What's Colin doing here?"

"I'll explain in a little bit," Morgan said.

Kaden chuckled darkly. "No, you won't. Because we won't be here."

Using his werewolf speed, Liam reached forward and grabbed Kaden by the shoulder and flung him to the other side of the balcony. "Cassy will be here," he told Kaden. "But _you_ won't be."

Ava and the witches came to flank at his side. He looked over his shoulder to find Cassy staring at him. She smiled reassuringly at him, letting him know she was okay. He nodded and looked back at Kaden.

He was pushing himself off the ground. "Get away from her," he spat at them.

"In your dreams, warlock," Liam growled.

Kaden took a step towards them. "Not so fast," Colin said. He took a step forward, standing directly in front of Morgan. He flicked his left wrist and a ball of flame appeared in his hand. Raising his hand, he aimed it towards Kaden. His body was tense, ready and waiting for the opportunity to throw the fire ball at the warlock. "I believe it's time for you to go, warlock."

Cassy gasped when she saw the flame appear in Colin's hand. "I guess I know why you brought him with now," she murmured to Morgan.

Kaden cursed under his breath. "How many magic users do you know, Cassandra?"

"Three, apparently."

"I don't think fictional people count, Cass," Ava snorted.

Kaden glared at Ava. "Oh, I count, little wolf. And I do believe I'm no longer fictitious."

"But you will be again soon," Liam swore. "But in da meantime, I tink it's time you leave."

"Not without my bride."

"She's not your _anything_ ," Liam spat. "Now get da hell out of here. I won't ask twice."

This time, Morgan lifted her hand. Instead of flames, little bolts of lightning sparked from her fingers. "I second Liam's claim. Leave, Kaden. Before we make you go."

Kaden glared at Morgan before he looked over her shoulder at Cassy. When the warlock's gaze landed on Cassy, Liam growled and took a step forward. As soon as Liam lifted his foot, Kaden phased away.

Morgan's hand flashed out and wrapped around Cassy's wrist. She wanted to make sure Kaden didn't try anything. When a minute had passed without any sign of Kaden, the group relaxed. "He'll be back," Cassy said.

For the first time since he left, Liam turned to face Cassy. Her entire body was shaking and her eyes were the size of golf balls on her beautiful face. She was beyond frightened. Liam hated seeing her like that.

Holding out a hand to her, he said, "Come on, cher. It's time to go."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We're heading back to da dorms. We need a plan."

******************************************************

When they decided that they had to leave, Liam led Cassy to her parents so she could say goodbye. "So soon?" her mother had asked, a frown on her face.

Cassy had nodded. "Yeah, I think I've had a little too much excitement today. I really just want to go back to the dorms and relax."

Her father had nodded as well. "Understandable, sweetie." He gave his daughter a hug. "I'm glad you came, though. If even only for a little bit."

Cassy had smiled. "Me too, Dad. I'm glad you guys finally got to meet Liam."

Erik had laughed. "Oh, we are too. Believe me." He looked at Liam. "Take good care of our little girl, you hear?"

Liam had also laughed. "I will. I promise."

Alicia hugged her daughter and Cassy, Liam, Morgan, Ava, and Colin- after he told his parents he was leaving- headed back to Pontchartrain Hall North. About twenty-five minutes later, Cassy was emerging from her room, dressed in a pair of jeggings and a tight black V-neck tee. Morgan had changed as well, now wearing a black skirt that reached to just above her knees and a lavender t-shirt. Liam and Ava were in their clothes from earlier as well. Colin was the only one still in his suit. "You can go change, Colin," Cassy said.

He shook his head. "I'm fine, Cass. Really. I want to help you with your warlock problem."

She nodded. They had fully informed him of their situation in the car ride back to campus. Morgan had only told him about Kaden being a warlock, not that he was a character that Cassy had created no more than two days ago.

But now he was up to speed, and Cassy knew the truth about Colin. Like Morgan, his mom's family was from Ireland and were practicing Wiccans and were actually witches. Though his mom stopped practicing and using magic when she met his dad, she still taught him how to use his powers when he started developing them. He wasn't Wiccan like Morgan was, but he was still a magic user. And he could be helpful in ways that Morgan couldn't be: he knew more about magic in the outside world rather than just for religious use.

"Do you have any idea how to send him back?" Ava asked.

Colin shook his head. "I don't know enough about the spells that brought him here to be able to send him back by them."

"It won't work that way," Morgan interjected, shaking her head. "The Ostara spells aren't really spells the way you're thinking of. They're blessings. It's their _meaning_ that brought Kaden into this world. You can't undo Ostara's meaning."

Cassy looked away. _It's not just Ostara's meaning that brought him to life, Morgan_ , she wanted to say out loud. But she was afraid of the accusatory looks her friends would give her, of the look of hurt and betrayal that would undoubtedly be in Liam's eyes. So she kept quiet.

Liam sighed in annoyance. "Den what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know. We need time to think."

"I shouldn't be near you when you come up with your plan," Cassy said suddenly.

Liam turned to look at her. "What do you mean, cher?"

"Kaden can read my mind. If I know what the plan is to send him back to the land of fiction, then he'll figure out a way to stop us. It's better if I don't know."

Liam watched her for a few seconds before he nodded. "I was tinking something similar, cher."

"You were?" Cassy and Ava asked.

He nodded. "I was tinking dat, Ava, you should take Cassy out of town. To a safe house. Somewhere dat only we know about."

"Why?" Ava asked.

"So dat she's not near da danger of da final battle."

"But I _have_ to be in the final battle!" Cassy argued. "He's my creation. I'm the reason he's here. I want to be the reason he leaves."

Liam shook his head. "You're too important, cher. I don want you getting hurt. Or worse."

"What could be worse?" Cassy demanded. "He's not going to kill me!"

"No," Colin said, "but he could try to take you to the fictional realm with him."

Cassy paled. "He could do that?"

Liam nodded. "If he, a being from da fictional world, could come to da real world, don you tink he could take _you_ , a being from da real world, back to da fictional one?"

"It never crossed my mind," Cassy whispered.

"Well, it crossed ours," Morgan said. "I think it would be best if you went into hiding, Cass. We can't risk you. You're too important to all of us." She looked Cassy in the eyes as she added, "I can't lose you, Cassy. You're like a sister to me. It would kill me."

Cassy felt tears form in her eyes at what Morgan said. She couldn't believe she was being so selfish in this. Her friends were trying to protect her. She should let them. She nodded. "Fine. I'll go."

Morgan smiled. "Good. I'm glad. It really is safer this way, Cassy."

"Ava, go get your Jeep ready," Liam said.

"Why do I need my Jeep?" she asked.

"We can take my car," Cassy suggested.

"You're taking Cassy to my cabin in da swamp," Liam announced. "Your car wouldn't make it a few feet off da road, cher."

Cassy shrugged. It didn't matter to her. She was just trying to be helpful. But Liam was right. Her car wasn't built for off road trips. Not like Ava's Jeep was. Ava sighed in annoyance. "You know my car breaks down every time it goes to your cabin, Liam. It hates driving near the swamp."

Liam rolled his eyes. "I've fixed your car since den, Ava. It shouldn't break down anymore."

Ava shrugged. "If you say so. Don't be surprised if I call you up saying I can't make it to your cabin 'cause my car refuses to budge."

"You're not coming with?" Cassy asked.

Liam shook his head. "I'm need here, cher. I'm gonna kill dis salaud for you. I promise."

Cassy's shoulders sagged. She didn't want to leave Liam's side. She felt immensely safer with him beside her. But if anyone, aside from her, should be the one to kill Kaden, it should be Liam.

He curled his finger under her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking into his eyes. "I promise you, cher. I will stop him."

She nodded. If anyone could do it, it would be Liam.

He kissed her softly on the lips. "Go pack, cher. Da sooner you two leave, da sooner we can finish dis."

Cassy nodded once more and walked into her room. Ten minutes later, she emerged with her backpack full of clothes. She quickly disappeared into the bathroom to grab her toiletries and then she was ready to go.

Seconds later, Ava arrived back into the room, a backpack in her hand as well. Liam, Colin, and Morgan escorted them to Ava's tan 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. For being twelve years old, the car looked amazing. There was hardly any rusting. Ava said she had gotten the car from her grandfather, who was a hardcore mechanic. Every car he had ever owned was in near perfect condition. And this car was no exception.

Ava popped open the back hatch and they put their backpacks in the car. When they did, Cassy noticed a few tools and extra spark plugs and a new battery. She looked at Ava, an eyebrow raised in question. Ava shrugged. "Just in case."

Cassy nodded. She could understand that.

She turned around to face her friends. "Well, this is it."

Morgan laughed and stepped forward. She pulled her best friend into a mammoth hug. "Be careful, Cassy," she said.

Cassy nodded. "You too, Morgan. Good luck."

Now Morgan nodded. She pulled away and stepped back into Colin's arms. He nodded at Cassy. "Don't worry, Cass. We'll take care of your warlock problem. You'll be home in no time."

Cassy laughed. "I hope you're right, Colin."

It was Liam's turn now. He walked forward and placed his hand at the small of her back. He led her to the front passenger door. He opened the door and said, "You'll be fine, cher. Morgan gave Ava da protection branch she had in your room earlier. My cabin is small enough for dat branch to protect you from him."

Cassy nodded. She still didn't want to leave Liam's side. The thought of leaving him and Kaden hurting him scared the living hell out of her. He could tell she was scared. He wanted to calm her fears.

Bending his head, he didn't stop until their lips met. He kissed her and willed her to not be afraid. He would take care of everything.

The sound of Ava clearing her throat made him pull away. "Time to go, cher."

Cassy nodded once again and got into the car. Liam closed the door and said, "Be careful, you two. Ava, call me if _anything_ happens."

Ava nodded. "Will do, boss. See you guys later."

Cassy captured Liam's gaze as he stepped back. She didn't break eye contact until they had pulled out of the parking lot. Liam sighed. "Come on, you two. Let's vanquish dis warlock salaud."

# Chapter Thirteen

Liam's cabin was a half an hour away from campus. It was in the eastern area of New Orleans, near the upper end of Lake Pontchartrain. Most of the drive was on main roads and Interstate 90. The only time they were on a dirt road was the last ten minutes. Once they hit the dirt road, the only light there was came from the Jeep's headlights. Driving in the dark on a dirt road in the bayou did _not_ sit well with Cassy.

She had her head resting on the window ever since she lost eye contact with Liam. That had been more than twenty minutes ago. And the farther they got from UNO and their friends, the more Cassy's stomach got tied in knots. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

The only sound that had existed in the last twenty minutes had been the radio playing Luke Bryan. The farther away from the interstate they got, the fuzzier the radio station became. Ava couldn't stand it anymore. She turned the radio off and said, "So Kaden can read your mind, huh?"

Cassy flinched. Whether she did so because Ava had said his name or because she had to admit what Kaden had told her, she didn't truly know. Sighing, she said, "Apparently."

"I didn't think that was a warlock power," Ava probed.

"I don't know what to tell you, Ava. I didn't know warlocks even existed until yesterday," Cassy snapped.

Ava sighed. "That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."

Cassy lifted her head from the window. "What are you accusing me of, Ava?"

"Nothing, Cass," Ava said warily. "I'm just trying to understand. Unless mindreading is an ability you gave Kaden in your book, warlocks can't read another person's mind."

"Unless it's the warlock's soul mate," Cassy whispered. " _Then_ he can read her mind."

"What are you saying, Cass?" Ava demanded.

"Kaden said that I'm his soul mate," she muttered. "I don't want to be his soul mate."

Ava was silent for a moment. Cassy risked a glance at her. She looked like she was fighting with herself, trying to decide what she should say to Cassy's revelation. The silence was starting to get to her. "Spit it out, Ava."

"It's impossible, Cassy."

Cassy raised an eyebrow. "That's all you have to say? 'It's impossible?'"

"Damn straight it's all I have to say. Kaden's mistaken. Or lying. Whichever works for you. But you are not his soul mate."

Cassy stared at her friend in disbelief. "How can you say that with such certainty, Ava? For all we know, I _could_ be his soul mate. I mean, I did create him. I poured my heart and soul into writing him. He could very much be my soul mate."

Ava rolled her eyes. "You pour your heart and soul into _every_ character you write, Cass. That's what makes you such an amazing writer. You don't half ass it. That's also the reason why you're one of the powerful writers. You pour your everything into your work. Saying that Kaden could be your soul mate just because you 'poured your heart and soul' into writing him would mean that every character you've ever created could be your soul mate. And it doesn't work that way, Cass."

Cassy let Ava's words sink in. Something she said stuck out to her. The reason she was a powerful writer was because she poured her everything into her work. Didn't other authors do that too? Isn't that why they become _New York_ _Times_ bestsellers? Or did some of them just, as Ava put it, half ass it and hope for the best? Liam had told her that not all writers were powerful like she was. She didn't understand it. She honestly couldn't figure out how some authors were more powerful than others. How some could be _writers_ and others just be... writers.

"How do you know how it works, Ava?" she asked.

Ava shrugged. "Supernatural beings take the 'soul mates' thing pretty seriously, Cass. We all know how it works and how it doesn't."

"And how does this not work?" Cassy asked. She wasn't asking to be snarky. She honestly just wanted to understand. One day her curiosity would be her undoing, she was sure of it.

"Because you can't have two soul mates, Cassy. And you're already spoken for."

Cassy frowned. "How do you know that?"

Ava's gaze flashed her way. "He didn't tell you?" she demanded.

"Who didn't tell me what?"

"God damn it, boy! He told me he told you everything. When this is all over, I am going to kick his ass."

Cassy stiffened. Ava was talking about Liam. "What didn't Liam tell me, Ava?"

She shot Cassy a sideways glance. "He should be the one to tell you this, Cass."

"Tell me what, Ava?"

She sighed in exasperation. "I shouldn't... fuck it. He lost his chance. He should have told you this when he told you he was a werewolf." She looked at her best friend. "Liam is your-"

Before Ava could finish her sentence, a loud 'pop' echoed off in the bayou and Ava's car came to a sudden stop. So sudden that the girls jerked forward- Ava nearly hit her head on the steering wheel and Cassy almost hit her head against the glove compartment. Their seatbelts locking was the only thing that kept them from doing so.

Cassy recovered first. She straightened and, rubbing her now sore shoulder, asked Ava, "Are you all right?"

Ava cracked her neck. "Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell just happened?"

Cassy shrugged. "It's your car. You tell me."

Ava glared at her. "It's never done _this_ before."

"Then I _really_ don't know what to tell you, Ava."

She rolled her eyes. "Stay here, Cass. I'm gonna go find out what the hell just happened to my car."

"Do you need any help?" Cassy asked.

Ava shook her head. "Like you know how to fix my car." She placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "No, you need to stay in the car."

"Why?" Cassy demanded. "You shouldn't go out alone. What if a gator comes up and tries to eat you?"

Ava knew Cassy was only half joking about the gator part, but she replied anyway. "I'm a werewolf, Cassy. Other animals- gators included- don't want to come anywhere near me."

Cassy frowned. "Why not?"

Ava shrugged. "Perhaps they sense my otherworldliness. I think the same goes for all supernatural beings. I've never heard of one being attacked by an animal- unless it was a giant wolf, 'cause then it would have been one of us doing the attacking. That's why I'll be fine out there. The bats and gators and snakes won't want anything to do with me. But with _you_ \- a girl who smells one hundred percent human- well... they'd just love to take a bite out of you."

Cassy swallowed audibly. Ava laughed. "I'm kidding about them wanting to eat you, Cassy... maybe. Anyway, that protection branch only works for inside the car, just like it only worked for inside your dorm room. I doubt Kaden followed us out here, but just in case, I'd rather you stay inside the car."

She relaxed in her seat. That was a reason she could understand. "Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

Ava shrugged. "You brought up the gators. What was I supposed to do?"

Cassy swatted her friend on the arm. Ava laughed. "Stay here. I'll be back."

As Ava got out of the car, Cassy muttered to herself, "At least you didn't say 'I'll be _right_ back.' Then I would have known things were going to hell."

Ava must have heard her, because Cassy heard her laugh as she walked towards the back of the car. She twisted in her seat. "You know the engine is in the front of the car, right?"

Opening the back hatch, Ava rolled her eyes and said, "No shit, Sherlock. But my tools are in the back."

Ava could tell by Cassy's answering smirk that she was well aware of that. She heaved a mock sigh. "You're such a brat, Cass."

Her grin widened and she shrugged. She knew she was being a little too sarcastic tonight, but when all else failed, it was her safety blanket. When she was scared and had no other form of comfort, being overly sarcastic and snappy was her automatic response. Coming up with good replies would keep her mind off the horrors that were to come.

Ava closed the back hatch and Cassy jumped. The sound had been sudden and loud in the quietness that had grown between the two friends. Cassy thought that Ava had slammed the door shut on purpose to get back at her for being a brat, but when Ava didn't come around to the front of the car- or even laugh- Cassy knew something was up. She tried to look out the back window, but the inside car lights had turned off and the tail lights weren't bright enough to show her anything. Her heart began to race. "Ava?"

There was no response. Not a whimper or a sigh or even a laugh. Just the sounds of the bayou around them. A minute passed and all Cassy could hear was the sound of crickets chirping in the swamp. She reached for her door handle, intending on getting out of the car and going to find where her friend disappeared to when Ava's warning replayed in her mind. There were gators, snakes, and bats out in these woods, and it was too dark for Cassy to walk out there without any incident. So she did something a little more sensible. She climbed into the driver's seat and rolled down the window. Turning on the flashlight app on her phone, she scanned the area around the car. There was no sign of Ava or any swamp creatures.

Deciding it was safe, she started to open the driver's side door. Ava's voice appeared out of nowhere. "Cassy, stay in the car!"

She whipped her head in the direction of her friend's voice and gasped. There she was, standing at the end of the car, in the arms of Kaden. He was smiling rather wickedly at her.

Kaden had known all along what was going on and where Ava was taking her. Cassy was right, he would read her mind to know all that was transpiring. _That_ was why she had been feeling more and more uneasy the farther away she got from Liam. Without her alpha wolf and witch friends to protect her, Cassy was a sitting duck. Ava was ruthless when she needed to be, but she was no match for the warlock, as evidence by the fact that she was standing captive in his arms.

"I'm giving you one chance, luv. Come out of the vehicle and come to me. I will release your friend. All I want is you."

"Don't you do it, Cass!" Ava snarled as she struggled in Kaden's grasp. "I'd rather he killed me than you got out of that car."

"Be careful what you wish for, little wolf," he said to her, pulling more tightly against her neck.

"Let her go, Kaden!" Cassy pleaded.

"Come to me and I will."

_It's that simple_ , Cassy thought to herself. _Just open the door and go to him. He won't kill Ava. He doesn't want to kill Ava. All he wants is you._

His eyes were watching her intently. She knew that he had just read her mind. The look of expectance and lust and triumph were clearly etched into his handsome features. His gaze captured hers and she found herself opening the door.

"Cassy, don't!"

Ava's pleading and angry voice did nothing to stop Cassy. Kaden's eyes were practically pulling her out of the car. She felt like she was in a daze. She didn't even remember putting her feet on the ground, or shutting the car door behind her as she fully stepped out of the car. As the door shut behind her, the thin veil of protection she had felt just moments ago was gone. What had been so important about being in the car?

And then it dawned on her and the color drained from her face. Morgan's protection branch- the one that was only powerful enough to keep Kaden out of a small space- was in Ava's bag. Which was in the car. Where she had been moments ago.

"You tricked me," Cassy grounded out.

He chuckled softly. "I did nothing of the sort, luv. You came out of the car on your own accord."

She gritted her teeth. He was right. He hadn't controlled her- he could only do that when he was touching her. "I'm out of the car. Now let Ava go."

"Gladly," Kaden said to her. To Ava, he said, " _Dormio._ "

Ava instantly passed out and Kaden tossed her unconscious body aside. When he looked up at Cassy, a look of uncontrollable hunger was so apparent on his face that she gasped. He took a step towards her and she spun on her heels and started running in the direction Ava had been taking them. She made it about two feet before an arm wrapped around her waist and she found herself pressed against the hood of the Jeep. "Now where do you think you're going, luv?" he whispered in her ear.

Her only response was a barely concealed moan. He had an arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against him. He was pressed so enticingly against her ass, she was afraid that if she moved it would turn him on and he would take her then and there, in the bayou.

He chuckled. "Would you really be opposed to making love in the bayou, luv?" He bent to whisper in her ear. "I hear that sex in the bayou, against a car, is one of the most pleasurable experiences in the world."

"You've been hanging out with some weird people, then," she said, her voice laced with need. She hated herself for it.

He laughed out loud then. She shuddered in his grasp. His laugh had an unnerving effect on her. "I'm about to change that, luv."

Kaden leaned forward and, after pulling her hair out of the way, kissed the side of her neck. Again, Cassy shuddered and, this time, couldn't keep the moan from escaping her lips. He did it again and she squirmed beneath him. She had felt something sharp against her skin that second time. It took her only a moment to realize what it had been: his fangs.

She had forgotten all about them. _Why had I given him fangs?_ she asked herself. _He's a warlock. What purpose would he have drinking blood, anyway?_

He chuckled against her skin. "Blood can be powerful, luv. Yours in particular is exceptionally powerful. More powerful than any witch's could ever hope to be. And it tastes phenomenal."

With that said, he sank his fangs into the side of her neck. She cried out in ecstasy. His grip on her waist tightened. He pulled her against him so closely that she could feel how aroused he was getting. The sensation made her moan.

He groaned as he swallowed her blood. He honestly couldn't explain it. Her blood had more power in it than it ever should have. It made him feel invincible. Like he could take over the world and no one could stop him. And it made him feel more possessive of her- his soul mate. Like she was his queen and together they would bring the world to its knees.

Wanting to bring her as much pleasure as she was bringing him, Kaden slid his free hand down the length of her body, not stopping until it reached the rim of her jeans. He slid it inside her panties and was surprised to find her already wet for him. He groaned against her skin as he thrust two fingers into her. She moaned once more.

Cassy had been on the edge of orgasm ever since Kaden had sank his fangs into her neck. Now that he was fingering her, she felt herself preparing to go crashing over that edge- and then some. But just as she neared that edge, that release, she heard a soft groan come from the other end of the car. She froze. Ava was regaining consciousness.

Kaden chuckled against her skin as he slowly withdrew his fangs from her neck. "Looks like it's time to go, luv." Before she could muster up the strength she desperately needed to fight him, he whispered in her ear, " _Dormio._ "

Unable to fight off Kaden's dark magic, Cassy slowly started to fade into unconsciousness. The last thing her fogging mind remembered before entering into sweet oblivion was the feeling of time and space bending around her. Kaden was phasing them out of the swamp. She just hoped it was to a place that he friends could find her. And soon.

******************************************************

Ava couldn't believe she had been so stupid. She didn't even think to smell the air when she got out of her car. She was too distracted by her smartass friend to even think of smelling for the warlock. When she finally did sense him, it was too late. She opened her mouth to warn Cassy, but he wrapped a hand around her mouth and slammed the back hatch shut. Because she was a werewolf, she could see exceptionally well in the dark. She saw Cassy jump in the front seat and spin around to try and see her. But she couldn't. "Ava?"

When Cassy spoke her name, Kaden's grip on her tightened. Ava wasn't sure if it had been because he thought she was going to try something, or if because he heard Cassy speak. Whatever his reasoning, Ava was helpless. Incapable of letting her best friend know that she was in danger.

She saw Cassy reach for the passenger door handle, then freeze. _She knows the protection branch only works for the car_ , Ava thought to herself. _She won't leave the car._ But when she saw Cassy move to the driver's seat, roll down the window, and shine the flashlight on her phone out the window, Ava knew Cassy was looking for the swamp creatures she'd joked about earlier. When Cassy reached for the door handle, Ava shifted her head and yelled to her, "Cassy, stay in the car!"

Cassy's head snapped in her direction and she gasped. She felt Kaden smile behind her. He spoke to her. "I'm giving you one chance, luv. Come out of the vehicle and come to me. I will release your friend. All I want is you."

"Don't you do it, Cass," Ava had snarled. She struggled uselessly in Kaden's grasp. "I'd rather he killed me than you got out of that car."

"Be careful what you wish for, little wolf," he said to her. His arm- which he had wrapped around her neck when Cassy noticed them- tightened, threatening to cut off her breathing.

"Let her go, Kaden!" Cassy begged. She looked out helplessly from the car.

"Come to me and I will."

He must have been controlling her then. He _must_ have been! Because Cassy started to get out of the car. "Cassy, don't!"

But her friend didn't hear her. She got out of the car. Once the door shut, she seemed to remember why leaving the car was such a bad idea. "You tricked me," she growled.

Kaden chuckled and told her that she knew he hadn't. Cassy rolled her shoulders back in annoyance and demanded that he let Ava go. He said he would, and then whispered that dreadful Latin spell in her ear. " _Dormio._ "

Ava fought to stay awake, but her struggle was futile. She passed out just as Kaden threw her to the ground. As soon as she was unconscious, her wolf-self began fighting the warlock's dark spell. If strong enough- or desperate enough- a werewolf could fight off the spell of any magic user. Be it light magic or dark, if a werewolf truly wanted the spell gone, it could fight its way out. And that's exactly what Ava did the second her head hit the dirt.

Kaden's spell was stronger than Ava had expected it to be. She'd been spelled by witches before. Even the odd warlock thought it'd be funny to knock her out and try and have some fun with her. But she had easily undone those spells- in less than a few minutes. But Kaden's spell... she was having trouble with. Just when she thought she was close to breaking it, she would be back where she started- in deep unconsciousness. She'd come to enough to hear bits and pieces of Cassy and Kaden's conversation- she was beyond happy that they were still there. She heard Kaden say something about how powerful blood could be before she went spiraling back into unconsciousness. _Why the hell are they talking about blood?_ Ava thought to herself.

Just when she thought that Kaden's spell was too powerful for her to break, she did. She groaned softly as she finally started to awake from his dark ministrations. Rolling on to her stomach, Ava pushed herself off the ground and forced her body to make the change to wolf form. Seconds later, she was a larger than normal black wolf. She snapped her head up to find Cassy and Kaden gone. She howled her anger.

She sniffed the ground and followed the warlock's disgusting stench. It led to the hood of the car, where another scent joined it. The scent was definitely Cassy's. She smelled of green apple, Hollister perfume, and... lilies. Ava froze. It was vague- so vague she almost missed it. She definitely had to focus on it to sense it, but it was there nonetheless. Cassy was a witch.

_That's why her writing is so powerful_ , Ava realized. It made so much sense to her now. That was why she hadn't been so overwhelmed when they all told her the truth. That was why her characters seemed to have a life of their own. Cassandra Johnson was a witch.

And Kaden had her.

Ava had to tell Liam all that had happened- as well as her new discovery. Shifting back to human form, she opened herself up mentally and called to him. _Yo, boss. We've got a problem._

_What is it, Ava?_ his mental voice replied, sounding both anxious and annoyed.

Kaden showed up. He knocked me out and he took Cassy.

Liam was silent for a moment. He probably didn't want Ava to hear the line a curse words he was undoubtedly unleashing in his head. _Damn it. All right, get back to campus. We'll try and figure out a way to get her back_ , Liam said, his voice tight with anger.

She nodded her head as if he could see her. _There's something else I need to tell you._

What is it, Ava?

She shook her head, again as if he could see her. _I'll tell you when I get back to campus. It's something everyone needs to hear._

Liam mentally sighed. _All right. Get here fast, Ava. I want her back and I want her back now. Dat warlock salaud is going to pay for dis._

She closed herself off and walked back to her car. Turning the key in the ignition, she wasn't surprised to hear the engine roar to life. "Damn warlock screwing with my wheels," she muttered to herself. Putting the car in reverse, she pulled out of the dirt road and headed back towards the University of New Orleans, hoping against all odds that they could figure out a way to get Cassy back and send Kaden back to his rightful realm. And fast.

# Chapter Fourteen

Ava had never sped so much in her life. The drive from campus to Liam's cabin took her and Cassy almost forty minutes. But the drive back from less than half a mile away from Liam's cabin to campus took Ava no more than fifteen minutes. Something must have been working in her favor for her not to hit any red lights or run into any cops. Even Liam was surprised when she walked into Cassy and Morgan's dorm room twenty minutes after their phone conversation ended. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What, did you speed over here?"

She shrugged. "You said you wanted Cassy back now. I didn't want to waste any time."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Good to hear."

Ava nodded. She looked at the witches. "Did you figure out a plan yet?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "You were gone for almost an hour, Ava. We're good, but we're not that good."

Colin stepped forward. "Well, since Liam decided it was going to be him who sent Kaden packing, we've kind of hit a stalemate."

Liam's emerald eyes flashed in anger. "I'm not useless in dis. Why can't I just cut da salaud's head off and be done with it?"

Morgan shook her head. "As I've said before, Liam, it doesn't work that way. He can't be killed like a normal person."

Ava frowned. "Why not? He is flesh and blood now, isn't he?"

Colin nodded. "Yes, but warlocks aren't that easy to kill now are they?"

"Besides," Morgan interrupted. "We don't want to kill him."

"We don't?" Ava asked, appalled.

"Speak for yourself, Morgan," Liam growled.

She glared at him. "I'm thinking for my best friend. You know, your soul mate."

"What does dis have to do with Cassy?" he demanded.

When Morgan mentioned soul mates, Ava smacked Liam on the arm. "What da hell was dat for, Ava?"

"You didn't tell Cassy she was your soul mate. _That's_ what that was for."

Liam stiffened. "I was waiting for da right moment."

"And when you told her you were a werewolf wasn't the right moment?" Ava demanded.

He sighed in exasperation. "Not when you're standing in a cargo bay after some warlock forced himself onto her. How romantic."

Ava rolled her eyes. She knew damn well that Liam didn't care about doing it in a romantic way. He was worried about how Cassy would take being tied to a wolf for all eternity. She opened her mouth to say just that when Liam interrupted her. "Anyway, why would my killing Kaden upset Cassy?"

With a raised eyebrow, Morgan answered, "Because she created him. She put a lot of hard work and thought into writing him and for an author to destroy a piece of their work would be like asking them to cut off a body part."

"It's really that bad?" Colin asked.

Morgan nodded. "It seems like an exaggeration to you and me, but authors take their work very seriously. Cassy once lost an entire story when her computer crashed and I had _never_ seen her so depressed. She looked like someone had just killed her puppy. I was lucky to have had a saved copy of part of the draft, but it wasn't the same."

Liam sighed in annoyance. He wanted nothing more than to kill that warlock bastard- nothing more than to rip him into a million different pieces- but he didn't want to hurt his cher in the process. He was in a bind.

The whole soul mate talk with Ava replayed in his mind and he froze. "Ava, you didn't tell Cassy she was my soul mate, did you?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "No. I almost did, but that's when Kaden showed up."

"How'd you even get to that topic?" Morgan asked. Ava could hear the curiosity in her voice.

"How did Kaden even get the drop on you?" Colin asked.

She looked at Colin and decided his question had a safer answer than Morgan's, so she'd answer him first. "My car stopped suddenly when we were about a half a mile from the cabin. I assumed that it was just my car hating the swamp, so I got out to get my tools from the back and fix it. Cassy was being a smartass, so I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. He got the jump on me and must've cast a spell on Cassy, because she left the safety of the car and walked right into his trap. He knocked me out and then he took her."

"You didn't answer my question," Morgan pointed out, slightly annoyed at having been ignored.

Ava sighed warily. "I asked Cassy how it was that Kaden could read her mind. It's not a normal warlock ability, so I was wondering if it had been a power she had given him in her story. She said that he could read her mind... because she's his soul mate."

The room was silent for a moment as the group of friends processed this. The first sound that emanated around the room was Liam's growl. "He's not her soul mate."

Ava forced herself to look at her best friend. His emerald green eyes were glowing. They looked as if someone was shining a flash light through them. And his fangs were protruding from his mouth. She would have taken a step back if she thought it would have done her any good. "I know, Liam. I told her that."

"You can't have two soul mates," Morgan mused. "I'm sure Kaden knows Liam is Cassy's, so why would he assume he was hers as well?"

"That whole mind reading thing is probably why," Ava muttered.

Colin shook his head. "Soul mate or not, no warlock can read someone else's mind unless they spell themselves the ability to do so."

"And I've read Cassy's description of Kaden's powers," Morgan added. "Not one of those powers is telepathy."

"Den what da hell is going on?" Liam demanded. His fangs where almost gone now, but his eyes were still fiercely glowing.

Morgan shrugged. "I don't know. But whatever is going on, we need to stop it."

"How?" Liam demanded. "How da hell are we going to end dis?"

Morgan sighed warily. "Well, if you keep insisting on being the one that ends Kaden, we'll have to find a way to work with what you have."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "What I have? What's dat supposed to mean?"

"You're next in line to be Alpha, right?" Morgan asked.

Ava nodded. "He pretty much is Alpha. His dad's too sick to lead the pack. We did the ceremony for initiating a new Alpha a few weeks ago."

Colin pursed his lips as he looked at Morgan. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

She smiled up at him. He was quite a bit taller than her five foot four frame. "Possibly. Would it work?"

He shrugged. "It works in theory, but how would we actually connect the spell to him?"

"What are you two talking 'bout?" Liam demanded.

Morgan looked at him, her eyes sparkling in determination. "I was thinking that we could enhance your power of Alpha."

"What would that do?" Ava asked.

"Alpha's are the strongest, fastest, biggest animals in the animal kingdom. Same goes from werewolves, am I right?" When Liam nodded, Morgan continued. "If we could enhance that power, you could have a fighting chance with him."

"But you just said dat killing him would upset Cassy," Liam pointed out.

"I know. I was thinking of casting a spell that would tie him back to the story. So that if you kill him in the real world..."

"It'd send him back to his," Liam finished for her. "Dat's brilliant, Morgan."

She blushed under the compliment. Colin cleared his throat. "But we have no way of knowing that the spell would actually make you stronger. If we just go out there and cast the spell, it could miss you entirely and hit Kaden. There's no way of making sure the spell works on you."

"Couldn't you tie da spell to me somehow?"

"With what?" Colin demanded.

"His blood," Ava said.

"What?" they all asked.

"When I was fighting off Kaden's sleep spell, I would come to long enough to catch bits and pieces of his and Cassy's conversation. At one point they were talking about how powerful blood could be. What if when you cast whatever spell it is that would call out his Alpha side, you used some of his blood? That would guarantee that it went to him, right?"

Morgan looked at Colin. "It could work."

Colin nodded. "It could definitely work. Using his blood would pretty much ensure that the spell worked on him and him alone."

When Ava mentioned overhearing Cassy and Kaden, something she had said before she got back to campus replayed in Liam's mind. "What did you want to tell us, Ava?"

She looked at him, a confused expression on her face. "What do you mean?"

"You said you had something to tell me, but dat you wanted to tell all of us it. What did you have to tell us?"

She continued to look at him as if he had grown a pair of horns. Finally she remembered what he was talking about and her back stiffened. "I'm not sure you're going to like this, Liam."

"Just tell us, Ava."

She watched him for a few more seconds before she sighed. "All right. When I woke up from Kaden's spell, I shifted into wolf form so I could attack him. By the time I had shifted and was ready to pounce, they were gone. I wanted to know if they had walked away somewhere, so I followed his stench to the front of my Jeep. Up there, I smelled Cassy as well. It was her usual scent, except..."

"Except what?" Morgan and Liam asked at the same time.

"Except it had a hint- a very vague hint- of lilies."

The group froze. "Dat's not possible, Ava."

"Not only is it not possible," Morgan said, "It's completely, one hundred percent _im_ possible. Cassy isn't a witch. She would have told me."

"Like you told her?" Ava scoffed. "I'm telling you guys, I know what I smelled. It was honestly so faint that if I hadn't had focused on it, I wouldn't have noticed it. She obviously isn't a practicing witch."

"Where did she get it from? Contrary to popular belief, you have to inherit your powers. And neither of her parents are witches," Morgan said.

"She's right, Ava," Liam added. "We met her parents. The only witches I sensed were Morgan and her parents."

Morgan froze. "My parents?"

Liam frowned. "Yeah, you're parents. Isn't you dad a practicing wizard?"

She shook her head. "My dad isn't magic. He's just a Wiccan."

Ava's brow furrowed. "I thought you said his mom was a high priestess?"

"She was. But you don't need to be a witch or warlock to be a high priestess. Believe me, my dad isn't a wizard. He doesn't have a drop of magic in him."

"Den whose magic did I sense?" Liam demanded.

"How strong was it?" Colin asked.

"Not very. I could tell dat whoever it belonged to hadn't used deir magic in more dan thirty years."

Ava looked at Morgan. "It could have been Cassy's mom. Didn't your moms use to be roommates in college?"

"I guess that's possible," Morgan said. "I just can't believe my mom never told me. She used to tell me that Alicia never knew about her powers."

"Maybe she didn't want you telling Cassy anything," Colin suggested, putting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Speaking of Cassy," Ava said. She looked at Liam. "How are we going to tell her this?"

"Let's worry about dat later," he murmured. "First, let's get her back home. We need a plan. Something Kaden won't see coming from a mile away."

Morgan smirked. "I have just the plan."

******************************************************

Being asleep by normal means is a lot different than being spelled into unconsciousness, at least as far as Cassy was concerned. For her, sleep was a place she could escape to when the waking world was overwhelming her. It was peaceful, filled her to the brim with content, and left her longing for more the next morning. She would dream every night of worlds far beyond her reach, of people and experiences she could only dream of. Perhaps that was why she was a writer. It was a second escape for her when sleep wouldn't come. She didn't know which she preferred. Writing, which let her express her pent up dreams and desires, or sleep, which brought _her_ through her deepest- and sometimes darkest- desires.

But when Kaden had spelled her unconscious, it was the complete opposite of her peaceful slumbers. It felt as if she was being drowned in an aphrodisiac so potent, if she moved a single muscle she would go spiraling into orgasm. She felt as if she was being pinned down by a man so beyond sexy, that her body was begging to be taken. And she was too far gone, too deep under its sway, that she couldn't fight her way back to the real world.

At least, not until she felt his lips at her neck.

His lips, hot and dry against her skin, made a trail up the curve of her neck. She became painfully aware of the fact that he was pressed between her legs. Cassy could feel his left hand wrapped around her right thigh. His free hand was brushing the skin of her taut stomach. Her breath caught in her throat when his hand dipped under the rim on her panties. He chuckled against her skin. "Sorry, luv. I couldn't wait."

Using more strength than it should have taken, Cassy opened her eyes. She had been right. Kaden was resting between her legs and he had a hand on her right thigh. But that's not all she noticed. She was in a room that looked to be at least a hundred years old. There was a fireplace at the end of the bed that nearly gave away the age of the room she was in. The walls were decorated with purple wallpaper that had what looked like brown leaf shapes on them. The ceiling above her was pitch black, as was the trim around the top of the walls. There were four lights in the ceiling and a chandelier hanging over the foot of the bed. The giant mirror atop of the fireplace caught her attention. She loved the detail that was etched into the frame surrounding it. Cassy had always been a sucker for beautifully designed furniture.

The bed she was on was a four poster California king. Why Kaden needed a bed that big, she didn't know. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to find out either. But the further up her neck his lips went, the more she thought she wouldn't have a choice in the matter. She moaned when he gently started sucking at her skin. Kaden chuckled once more.

"I'm glad you like our new home, luv. It really is a magical place," he murmured against her skin.

"Where are we?" she asked. She could tell by what she could see of the architect that they were in a very old building, and he had said it was a magical place. The only place in New Orleans that was really magical was the French Quarter. Its history alone made it that way. She tried to look out the two windows to the right of her, but she couldn't see anything from her angle on the bed.

"You're right on the nose, luv. We _are_ in the French Quarter. I've acquired the Lalaurie House."

Cassy froze when he said the name of the house. The Lalaurie House was one of the most haunted places in New Orleans. It was built in 1831 by a Delphine Macarty Lalaurie, a New Orleans native who was a part of the French Creole wealthy circuit. In 1834, a fire had swept through the house and neighbors discovered the horrors that happened inside. They had found seven slaves that were near death from being tortured and starved. Some of the slaves had been found with holes in their heads, maggots in their wounds, welts from being whipped, and other horrible lacerations. Today, the mansion was owned by a man who swore up and down that it wasn't haunted. And yet...

There was something about being in that house that had Cassy's blood singing in her veins- and not in a good way. She felt the eyes of people long ago dead watching her every move. She shuddered beneath Kaden. He smiled. "I take it you know the history of the place, then, luv."

"That would be an understatement. Almost everyone in New Orleans knows about the Lalaurie House." She frowned. "What are you doing here?"

" _We_ own it now," he said, his smile turning dark.

"And how did you manage that?" she demanded. The man who currently owned this house was a retired physician- a man who just happened to be racquetball buddies with her dad. If Kaden did something to hurt him...

"Don't worry, luv. I didn't kill the man. I just asked him to leave his house, and he did. He told me the house was mine." He shrugged. "Perhaps he didn't like all of the ghosts hanging around. You do sense them, don't you?"

_Of course I sense them_ , she thought to herself. _You'd have to be an idiot not to. And an idiot to have wanted this house in the first place._

Kaden clicked his tongue at her. "Now, now, luv. That's not very nice. I have good reasons for wanting this house."

"And the angry spirits have nothing to do with it," Cassy retorted.

He smirked. "Actually that's part of it."

She raised an eyebrow. "What are the other reasons?"

He was about to answer her question when they both heard a loud buzzing sound. The sound didn't belong to a bug- a fact for which Cassy was beyond thrilled- but it sounded like a whining vibrate. Like the vibration of a cellphone ringing. _Her_ cellphone ringing. She turned her head to see her iPhone sitting on the end table by the bed. She froze. "That's my phone."

Before she could stop him, Kaden was rolling off her and reaching for her phone. She moved her hands to try and grab her phone, but something prevented her from doing so. Looking up, she saw that her hands were tied to the headboard behind her. She growled. "Kaden!"

He chuckled softly. "Sorry, luv. It's just so much more fun when you're tied up."

She pulled at her bounds, but it did her little good. The only thing it did do was cause the rope to dig into her skin. The sudden pain made her hiss. Before she could stop him, Kaden answered the phone. "I'm sorry. Cassandra isn't available at the moment. She's a little tied up. If you'd like to leave a message, I'd be sure to never give it to her."

Cassy didn't even have to guess at who was on the other end of the line. She heard Liam's answering growl to Kaden's words. She had to really concentrate, but she heard every word he said. "Give her back, salaud."

"I don't think so, wolf. She's mine. Not yours."

"I'm my own person," she muttered loud enough for Liam to hear her. "Not a fucking prize to be fought over."

"I'd listen to her if I were you, warlock. She doesn't take too kindly to being owned."

"What do you want, Liam?" Kaden asked, the annoyance loud and clear in his voice.

"I want to meet. Bring Cassy to da Cabrini Playground in an hour."

"Or what? What are you going to do if we don't show up?" Kaden demanded.

"Or I get my pack involved, and we scour da entire town until we find you. And believe me, you don want dat."

Kaden gritted his teeth. "Fine. Cabrini Playground. One hour. We'll be there."

He hung up and threw Cassy's phone against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces and Cassy flinched. "Was that really necessary? I just got that phone."

Kaden spun around and captured her gaze. Cassy froze. He was looking at her with a mixture of anger and lust burning in his eyes. She swallowed hard and pulled at the rope binding her to the headboard. _This won't end well._

# Chapter Fifteen

When Kaden had phased Cassandra and himself out of the swamp- after spelling her unconscious, of course- he had been so beyond exalted, he could barely contain his joy. He had managed to catch the wolf off guard and immobilize her before she could warn Cassandra of his presence. What made it all better was that Cassandra knew that he had no intention of killing her friend and yet she still got out of the car and came to him of her own free will. It slightly hurt him when she accused him of using his magic on her, but the feeling disappeared as soon as she reminded him that she was indeed out of the car. He had spelled the wolf unconscious and approached his love.

She must have seen something unsettling in his gaze, because she had turned around and started to run from him. She didn't make it more than a few feet before he caught her and pushed her face first against the hood of the Jeep. Her first thought when that had happened was that she was so close to him that if she moved even a little, it would turn him on and he'd take her there in the swamp. The very thought set his blood on fire. He wanted nothing more than to magic her clothes away and thrust his then hardening length into her undoubtedly already wet opening. He settled for kissing her neck instead.

She had shuddered violently beneath him and moaned after his fist kiss. He wanted to take things slower this time, but because his thoughts had already taken him down the road of seduction and sex, his fangs were brushing against her skin when he placed a second kiss on her neck. She had squirmed beneath him and questioned her decision to give him fangs. He had explained to her how powerful blood could be- as a magic user, he knew nothing amped up a spell more than a little blood- before he sank his fangs into the side of her neck. She had cried out in pure bliss.

He had wanted her closer than humanly possible after his fangs broke through her skin. His hand had tightened around her waist, causing her body to press harder against his. He knew that she could feel the fact that he was getting aroused when she moaned breathlessly. Groaning, he swallowed more of her blood.

For reasons beyond his comprehension, her blood held more power in it than it ever should have. He truly couldn't explain it. She was a human- though she was a very powerful writer, for all intents and purposes she was human- and no human had blood that powerful. _Perhaps there's a bit of magic in her heritage_ , he had thought to himself. Whatever the reason behind it, he was glad he'd never have to stop drinking from her.

Being the British gentleman that he is, he had wanted to bring his love the same pleasure she was bringing him. He had slid his free hand down the length of her body and shoved it inside her panties and thrust two fingers into her wet opening. He had groaned when his fingers were fully sheathed inside her and she had moaned. He could tell that his bite had brought her close to the edge. His fingers had been helping her. She almost reached that sweet peak, when the wolf had groaned. It had been obvious to Kaden that the wolf had fought off his sleep spell. _No matter_ , he had thought to himself. _It's time for us to go._

He had phased them back to the Lalaurie House. He had talked the previous owner into giving it to him after he had left Cassandra the first time. Because she had given him the knowledge of New Orleans, both through her writing and when he had spent time in her head as a faceless idea of a character, he knew the power that the old haunted house had. Many of the slaves had practiced voodoo- a religious cult that practiced the combination of Roman Catholic ritual with that of traditional African magic and religious rites. It was known for its sorcery and spirit possession. That kind of power, be it good or bad, could serve Kaden well in his mission.

The spirits in the house recognized the magic in Kaden's veins the second he had walked through the front door. He had told them that he meant them no harm, he was just looking for a place to stay. He had promised them retribution if they allowed him to stay with them. They had agreed.

Kaden had phased them right into the master bedroom, which was on the third level of the house. He had placed her on the center of their bed. Kaden had to admit that seeing her there, in their home, on their bed, had a thrilling effect on him. He wanted nothing more than to strip her of her clothes, wake her up, and take her with all the passion and love he was feeling towards her. He had paused at the thought. _I love her. My god, it's obvious, isn't it. I love her._

She was the most breathtakingly beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. Both inside and out. He loved the way she looked at the world, even after everything he had done. She would never lose faith in the people of this universe, no matter what atrocities they committed. She was kind and loving to everyone she met. She was even relatively decent to those who no longer deserved her kindness- someone like Nathaniel. He had broken her heart, and yet, unless he said something rather nasty to her, she was still pleasant to him. She left the rude comments to her friends- unless she was feeling bold and truly annoyed. Or was even drunk.

He loved the way her chestnut brown hair shimmered in the sunlight. The way her sky blue eyes glittered with amusement when someone told her a joke. Hell, he even loved the way she smiled freely at everyone- though he wished she would do so solely for him. He loved her gentle touch, the way her body curved in all the right places. She may not have the biggest assets, but she was perfectly proportioned for someone her age and size. The feel of her beneath him... the thought was certainly getting to him.

She was the light to his darkness, that was for sure. Where he could be cruel and malicious, she was kind and compassionate. He would be the ruthless lead and she would be the sympathetic queen. He couldn't wait to take New Orleans by storm.

Kaden decided he couldn't just stand there contently watching his unconscious love any longer. He snapped his fingers and rope appeared in his hand. " _Ligatio,_ " he murmured to the rope. Doing exactly as he directed, the rope slid out of his grasp and, much like a snake would, slithered its way up the bed, around both of Cassandra's wrists and tied itself to the middle portion of the headboard at the top of the bed. Then with practiced ease, he placed himself between Cassandra's legs and brought his lips to her neck. He grabbed her right thigh with his left hand, bringing it up tight against his waist. His breathing quickened as he moved his mouth up her neck. Brushing his fingers across her taut stomach, he dipped them inside her panties and was rewarded by the sound of her breath catching in her lungs. He had chuckled against her skin. "Sorry, luv," he had told her. "I couldn't wait."

He knew that she had opened her eyes and was looking around the room. It pleased him that she loved what she could see of the house. He knew she would. He couldn't keep from talking to her about it. When she questioned his reasoning for picking such a place, he wanted so badly to tell her. He opened his mouth to do just that when her phone rang. He reached for it and froze when he saw the name on the screen. "Kaden!"

His dark heart melted when she said his name, even if it had been in anger. He looked back at her and smiled his wolfish grin at her. "Sorry, luv. It's just so much more fun when you're tied up."

He looked back at her phoned and answered it. The wolf had given him an ultimatum: show up at Cabrini Playground in an hour or Liam would send his pack out looking for him and Cassandra. Begrudgingly, he agreed. Anger coursed through him. He couldn't even enjoy the fact that Cassandra was here, with him, in their bed. Liam and his friends were making sure that his existence was a living hell of burning, unreleased passion and hunger. He threw her cellphone against the wall and watched as it shattered into a million pieces. "Was that really necessary?" Cassandra asked. "I just got that phone."

Kaden spun around to face her. He saw her freeze on the bed. She pulled against her bindings one last time. He chuckled darkly. Pulling at the ropes would do her no good. It would only serve to hunger the beast inside him. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. _I do have an hour until I need to meet with the wolves_ , he thought to himself. _What a better way to pass the time than to enjoy myself with my bride._

His gaze grew heated, and by the mixed look of fear and lust- more lust than anything else- crossing Cassandra's face, he could tell that she wanted him as well. He smiled wolfishly at her.

Walking towards the bed, he placed his knee between her legs. He braced his hands outside her head and leaned his body into hers. "We've got an hour to kill, luv. I say we enjoy it."

With that said, he claimed her lips with his.

He groaned the second their lips touched. It was true, he would never get enough of her. Slipping one of his hands around her waist, he lifted her body to his. She fit perfectly against his body. It was as if she had been made for him. And only him. He opened her up and his tongue delved deep. Kaden expertly explored her mouth, stopping on occasion to spar with her tongue. He would never get enough of her taste.

When she wrapped her legs around his waist, he groaned deeply. He wasn't even controlling her body this time around. She did that on her own accord. He heard a soft groan and knew that it came from her. Shamelessly, he probed her surface thoughts. She was annoyed. She wanted to touch him but because her hands were tied to the headboard, she couldn't. He chuckled against her lips. It amused him that it annoyed her, but another part of him was exalted that she even wanted to touch him in the first place. Wanting to ease her annoyance, he reached his free hand up and placed it in her hands. He interlocked their fingers. She clasped their hands together and he groaned. Everything she was doing, she was doing on her own. His heart soared.

He couldn't wait patiently any longer. Removing his hand from the small of her back, he slipped his hand into her panties and thrust two fingers into her wet opening. She bucked beneath him when his thumb brushed her clit and moaned. As his fingers moved, he shamelessly read her mind. She was on cloud nine. _My god, I don't want this to end. What's wrong with me?_ she thought to herself. He barely suppressed his chuckle. When he caught the twinge of guilt flash through her mind, he stiffened. At first, he thought her guilt would be that she shouldn't be making out with him- that she should be making out with Liam and only Liam- but when he caught the thread of thought on _why_ she was feeling guilty, his breathing quickened. He was bringing her pleasure, but she was incapable of reciprocating. Her hands were tied, she couldn't relieve the pressure he was undoubtedly feeling at that moment. _I can change that, luv_ , he said to her mind.

Using his warlock powers, he sent an orgasm so intense shooting through her body, she screamed into his mouth. _How. Is. This. Changing. That?_ her mind asked his.

He chuckled against her lips. _I'm getting you ready for me, luv. That's how I'm changing it._

As she came down from her orgasm, he broke the kiss to mutter, " _Emoveo._ " Suddenly, both of their clothes began to slowly disappear. Once they were both completely naked, he positioned himself at her opening. Looking up, he captured her gaze as he slowly entered her. It was one of the most intense things in the world to do, keeping eye contact whilst your bodies joined. It was something most people only did with the love of their lives. It was personal, and passionate, seeing exactly what the other was feeling through their eyes. And that was exactly why Kaden did it.

Normally, he would thrust his full length into whatever girl ended up in his bed- it was what he had done to Cassandra the last two times they had slept together. But this time was different. This was the first time they were sleeping together after he had discovered that she was his soul mate. He had guessed as much beforehand, but now he was one hundred percent sure. This joining would be more personal, more passionate, than the previous two.

Cassandra moaned when he was fully sheathed inside her tight opening. He rested inside her for just a moment, both letting her get used to him once again and savoring the feeling of her tightness around him before he started to move. Never once the entire time did he break eye contact with her. He watched her every move as he slowly thrust in and out of her shivering body. With his free hand, he wrapped it around her waist, pulling her closer to him as he thrust back into her.

_This is how it's going to be from now on, luv_ , he told her, his soul to hers. _We will be together forever. I will always love you._

She moaned when he said the last four words, and her inner muscles clenched around him. He groaned. He couldn't hold it back any longer. He started pounding into her, harder, faster, and deeper than ever before. Finally breaking eye contact, he bent his head and their lips met. He opened her up and _she_ delved deep. He groaned into her mouth.

Cassandra tightened her legs around his hips and pressed her feet against his ass, causing him to thrust into her even deeper, if that were at all possible. She screamed as he hit a forbidden place inside of her. He smiled against her lips.

Kaden could tell that she wasn't content with just sitting there any longer. She started thrusting up to meet him halfway. For the first time in his life, he wanted her to be in charge. Testing the length and strength of the rope tying her to the headboard, he decided to switch things around. With his arm firmly around her waist, he rolled, causing her to be on top of him.

He broke the kiss and she looked down at him questioningly. He smiled encouragingly up at her. "Go ahead, luv. You know what to do."

She smiled down at him and began to move. Gripping her hips with both his hands, his head dropped against the pillow and he groaned. This was the most amazing feeling in the world. He would have never thought that he would get this much pleasure from letting someone else take charge. He was usually the dominant one in all things- especially in the bedroom. But to relinquish control with the person you loved more than life itself was an amazing feeling, and Kaden was learning that first hand.

Cassandra picked up the pace. Kaden wanted to stop her- he never wanted this feeling to end- but he didn't want to take control after he'd just given it to her. Besides, he could tell they were both getting close to the edge, which meant only one thing: he'd get to bite her soon.

He became even harder at the thought, if that were at all possible. His grip on her hips tightened and he started bringing her hips down against his harder and faster, causing him to go deeper into her tight opening. She moaned.

Lifting a hand from her hips, he tangled it in her sweat dampened hair and pulled her face against his. He claimed her lips in another breathtaking kiss. He opened her up and his tongue delved deep. They kissed passionately for a few more moments as he started thrusting up to meet her, causing him to go deeper inside her. She moaned against his lips.

Breaking the kiss, he left a trail of kiss in his wake as he made his way to the crook of her neck. Without hesitation, he sank his fangs into the side of her neck. She cried out in complete and utter bliss as his bite brought her over the edge. Her muscles clamped down hard around him. He wasn't sure if he could keep himself from exploding then and there. But somehow he did.

Without pulling his fangs out of her neck, he rolled once again, pinning her beneath him as he picked up the pace. He didn't give her a chance to come down from her orgasm as he pounded into her. As he pulled a little bit more of her blood into his mouth, he thrust into her one last time before he called out against her skin as we reach his own climax. He felt his seed fill her opening and he knew that she didn't care. She was too high off of her orgasm to care about anything.

Feeling just as sated as his love, he pulled his fangs from her neck and captured her gaze. "That was amazing, luv."

She smiled up at him and his breath caught in his lungs. "Yes, that was."

He chuckled softly. He couldn't believe any of that had just happened. _I'd like to see the wolf top that_.

That thought made him freeze. Glancing at the clock, he saw that they only had ten minutes left before they were supposed to meet the wolves in the park. He sighed. _There went my good mood._ "It's time for us to go, luv."

She froze beneath him "Where are we going?"

"To Cabrini Playground. Your wolf friend wants to meet."

He sat back on his knees and sighed. " _Appareo_."

Just as suddenly as their clothes disappeared, as soon as Kaden muttered the spell, they were dressed once again. He reached forward and untied her wrists. Sighing once more, he cupped the side of her face with his right hand. "Come on, luv. Let's get this over with."

******************************************************

Liam paced nervously back and forth in the middle of Cabrini Playground. Ava, Morgan, Colin, and himself had gotten there fifteen minutes before they were supposed to meet with Kaden. Liam didn't trust the warlock not to try anything. It also didn't sit well with him that they had given Kaden an hour to meet up with them. Who knew what he would do with Cassy in the meantime... _Don tink like dat, Liam_ , he scolded himself. _Tinking like dat will get you nowhere._

But he couldn't help it. He knew what Kaden was feeling when it came to Cassy. She was the love of his life. He honestly couldn't explain how he didn't see it beforehand. Every time he checked out another girl, he had always compared her to Cassy. Oh, her hair isn't the same color as Cassy's. Her eyes aren't as blue as Cassy's. There's no way her breasts are bigger than Cassy's. She's nowhere near as smart as Cassy is. And yet, he had only thought of Cassy as a friend until just two days ago. And he was already sure she was the love of his life.

It was hard not to see it now. He loved how her eyes were calculating everything around her, trying to memorize every detail of everything she saw so that, one day, she could use it in a story. He loved the way she would drop everything to help her friends- as evident by the fact that she sacrificed herself so that Kaden wouldn't kill Ava. Though he half hated her for that last part as it would put her in danger, he loved how loyal she was. She listened to everyone else's problems before she'd ever reveal hers. If she wasn't so intent on becoming an author, she would have made a great psychologist.

"Time's almost up," Colin said as he glanced up from his watch. He had finally managed to change out of his tuxedo. He was now dressed in a Tulane University t-shirt and ripped blue jeans. Beside him stood Morgan. She had changed out of the black skirt into black jeggings. When Liam had asked her why she decided to change, she simply shrugged and told him "just in case." Neither he nor Colin liked the idea of her going up against Kaden, but she reminded them that she brought him here. She would send him back herself if it came to it.

"Where are they?" Ava demanded. Liam glanced at her. She was dressed in black jeggings as well and wore a dark green V-neck tee. Her raven black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and her storm gray eyes were glowing. Liam was willing to bet that if she parted her lips, he would see her fangs. Everyone was on edge. They all wanted this over.

"We're over here, wolf."

They all turned to see Kaden standing no more than twenty feet away from them, with Cassy at his side.

"Cassy!" Morgan and Ava shouted.

"Girls!" Cassy yelled back. She took a step towards them, but Kaden's arm shot out and stopped her.

His right hand wrapped around her right hip and he pulled her back towards him. Liam growled when he touched her. "Let her go!"

Kaden smiled darkly at him. "Never. I believe you wanted to meet, and I think I know why." He cocked his head and his sapphire blue gaze narrowed. "You really think it'll be this easy to get rid of me?"

"No, but we're willing to try," Liam snarled.

Kaden's grin widened. "Then let's get started."

# Chapter Sixteen

Cassy had never been more scared in her entire life. Not when she had to take the ACTs. Not when she took her license test. Not when she got her acceptance letter to UNO. Not even when she decided to have sex for the first time. Never in her life had she known fear like this. She didn't want to lose her friends.

Kaden's grip on her waist tightened. She looked up at him. He wasn't looking at her, but she could tell from the tight expression on his face that he had just read her mind. She knew he didn't want to hurt her, but he also didn't want to go back to the fictional realm. And she wasn't so sure that she wanted him to go back either. Especially after the experience they had just shared.

But then she heard Liam growl and reality came crashing down on her. She looked at him and saw the look of anger on his face. He was angry that Kaden was touching her. And knowing what she did about a werewolf's sense of smell, he could undoubtedly smell Kaden on her skin. She blushed.

Kaden took a step towards Liam. "So how is this going to work? Are you going to cut off my head? Rip out my heart?" He shook his head. "Believe me, none of that will work."

Liam chuckled darkly and goosebumps arose on Cassy's skin. "I know it won't, salaud. But a little magic might help."

Kaden stiffened. "You don't have that kind of power."

Liam shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Morgan brought you into dis world. She can send you out."

Kaden laughed out loud. "Morgan didn't bring me here."

Her friends all froze, as did she. _Oh, god_ , she thought to herself. _Please no._

He turned to look at her, his eyes flashing apologetically at her. "Sorry, luv. But they should hear this."

"What do you mean I didn't bring you here?" Morgan demanded. "I messed up on my Ostara blessing. The egg fell on your description and that brought you here... didn't it?"

Kaden smiled darkly at her. "Yes and no."

Ava glared darkly at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "It means that that's _part_ of the reason I'm here. But not the only reason."

"What's da other reason?" Liam demanded.

Again, Kaden shrugged. He then smiled and looked at Cassy. She looked at him with pleading eyes. She didn't want her friends to hate her. It really was all her fault. She looked down as tears started to fill her eyes.

Her friends looked at her. "Cassy, what is he talking about?"

She didn't want to look at her best friend. Morgan may have blamed herself for Kaden being free, but it wasn't her fault. Cassy's damned drunk mind had to come up with this stupid idea...

"Cassy!" Ava shouted. She flinched. "What does he mean?"

"Cher?"

Liam's voice is what broke her. A sob escaped her lips and the tears started streaming down her face. She never wanted to hurt him. She didn't want to meet his gaze as she whispered, "I wished for it."

"What?" She could hear the stiffness in his voice and another sob seeped passed her lips.

"What are you saying, Cass?" Morgan asked.

"She wished for me to be here, little witch," Kaden said. Cassy could hear the sympathy in his voice, and because of that, anger spiked inside of her. It was his fault that her friends were about to hate her for the rest of her life. What gave him the right to feel bad for her?

"You did what, Cass?" Ava demanded.

Cassy's head snapped up and she glared at Ava. "I wished for him to be here, okay? I was drunk and lonely and I wanted some adventure in my life. Excuse me for thinking that the world was dull and boring because no one told me that it wasn't. So yes, I wished for him to be here. Do I regret it? Of course. But that doesn't make everything that's happened any less my fault."

Her friends all stared at her. Even Kaden was watching her, undoubtedly angry at her for saying that she regretted wishing for him to be real. It wasn't until Liam spoke that Cassy released the breath she didn't know she had been holding. "It's not your fault, cher."

She blinked. "What?"

Morgan shrugged. "You were drunk. How were you supposed to know that someone in the universe was listening to your plea?"

Ava nodded in agreement. "As Liam said earlier, you didn't write him to be a killer. You didn't tell him to kill Nate. You didn't wish for him to come after you. I mean, how many times do I wish for things that go unanswered. It's not your fault."

Cassy couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. She couldn't believe it. Looking around at her friends, none of them were looking at her with anything other than support and love in their eyes. They didn't blame her for this. They didn't hate her for it. They understood that she had wanted to spice things up. They sympathized with her for feeling left out. The rest of them were a part of the supernatural world- a world that was full of magic and mystery. They could only guess at how she must have felt that night.

Kaden cleared his throat. "While that's all nice and everything, I'd like to get this over with. I'd like to get back to my house with my bride to continue where we left off before this inane meeting interrupted us."

Liam growled. Taking a step forward, he reached his hands out to his sides and Cassy watched as his fingers turned into claws. Looking back up at his face, she noticed that his emerald green eyes were glowing and both his upper and lower fangs were showing. "Let's do this."

He rushed towards Kaden, who braced himself for impact. Liam tackled him to the ground. Kaden stayed down for only a moment before he was back on his feet. A fireball appeared in his hand and he threw it at Liam. Cassy screamed, "No!"

Liam dived out of the way and the fireball hit the ground and distinguished itself. Kaden cast Cassy a dark look over his shoulder before he was attacking Liam once more.

It hit her then. He may know how she felt about Liam, but he didn't care. He was going to kill him tonight, most likely _because_ she had feelings for him and vice versa. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. She couldn't lose Liam.

Cassy groaned in frustration as she watch Liam dodge another fireball. She wished she knew what was going on, what her friends had planned. Looking at Morgan, she noticed at her best friend was watching her. When they made eye contact, Morgan winked at her. Cassy froze. What was she planning?

She watched as Morgan and Colin reached behind themselves and pulled forth a little vial that held red liquid in it. _What the hell is that?_ she thought to herself. She wanted Morgan to look at her again, but both she and Colin had their gazes locked on Liam. That's when it dawned on her. The red liquid was his blood. What had Kaden told her? _"Blood can be powerful."_ Were they going to use Liam's blood for something?

Having read her mind, Kaden froze. He looked from Liam to the witches. He snarled at them. Raising a hand, a giant fireball appeared, glowing brighter and wider than any of the ones he had thrown at Liam. Rearing his arm back, he threw the fireball at her best friend.

"No!" Cassy shouted, raising her own hands. Just as the fireball was about to hit her friends, it slammed into an invisible wall and instantly went out. The sound it made was like when a lit match hit water. The fired puffed out.

Everybody stared at the spot where the fireball had went out in shock. Even Morgan and Colin looked surprised. That stunned Cassy. Weren't they the ones who had put the invisible wall there to begin with?

Ava chuckled and everyone's gaze landed on her. "Nice going, Cass."

Now everyone was looking at her. Cassy raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do that, Ava."

"Yes, you did, cher."

She looked at Liam. He was looking at her with a mix of awe and pride. He smiled at her. "You're a witch."

Cassy froze. "No, I'm not."

Kaden nodded. "Yes, you are, luv. That's why your blood is so powerful. I can see it now."

She looked at all of her friends, and they all shared the same look on their faces. They really did believe she was a witch. "Guys, I'm just a writer."

"Think about it, Cass," Morgan said. "The way your writing seems more magical than others is because it _is_ more magical. Your powers are in your words."

Cassy shook her head. She opened her mouth to argue about it further when Liam interrupted her. "It's in your scent, cher. Ava smelled it earlier. You have a hint of lilies in your aura."

Her head flashed in his direction. Scent wasn't something she could argue with. If Ava had smelled lilies on her when they were alone in the middle of the bayou, then it had to be true. "Well shit."

Everyone laughed at her, for a second forgetting where they were and what had brought them there. Kaden regained his composure first, and flew Liam back with his hands. With Cassy protecting her witch friends with that invisible shield, he would have to focus his attentions on Liam if he had any hope of winning this.

Sensing that, Morgan and Colin acted faster. She looked at Colin and nodded her fire red head. "You first. And remember, you have to chant it three times."

Nodding, Colin began his spell. His right hand tightened around the vial of Liam's blood as he spoke. "Strength of day, strength of night, give him strength beyond his sight."

The first time Colin said his portion of the spell, a flash of light emanated from Liam's bent form. His head snapped up and Cassy could see that his eyes were actually glowing brighter than they had been before.

After Colin said the first part of his spell, Morgan chanted hers, her vial of Liam's blood in her left hand and Colin's free hand in her right. "Amoveo ut quis est iam quisnam sit. Planto quicumque sit centum vicis validus. Planto Liam a verus Alpha. Is est meus mos. Sic vadum is exsisto!"

Cassy had absolutely no idea what her best friend had said, but whatever it was, it had obviously affected Liam. His growl echoed around them. He actually looked bigger now. His muscles seemed more tense and were wider than they had been minutes ago. His aura seemed a thousand times more dominant than it had ever seemed.

As both Morgan and Colin repeated their spells a second time, Kaden actually took a step back. Cassy could see the fear in his eyes. He obviously knew what spell Colin and Morgan were casting. He cast a look her way. She could tell that he was trying to pilfer through her thoughts to see if she knew anything about this. But she was in the dark, just as she had wanted to be. He was on his own.

When Morgan and Colin repeated their spells a third and final time, Liam stood from where he had been kneeling on the ground. He looked meaner, stronger, and taller than he had seconds ago. His normally emerald green eyes were glowing and had a hint of red in their haze. His fangs looked longer and sharper than they had when Cassy had first seen them. " **Now dat we've evened da playing field a bit, let's end dis.** "

Cassy shuddered when he spoke. His voice was deeper, held more power, and wrapped around her like a seductive dominance that she couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her lips. Kaden glared at her once more and Liam chuckled softly, which didn't help her and he knew it.

Seeing that Kaden was distracted, Liam lunged for him. He was fast, but Kaden was faster. He phased out of the way and appeared behind Liam. He threw a fireball at him and it hit him square in the shoulder. Liam growled in pain and swiped at Kaden. He moved out of the way, but not fast enough to escape being cut. Liam's claws ripped into his left arm. Kaden cried out in agony.

Cassy flinched. She didn't want to see either of them get hurt. She didn't want to watch any longer, but the fight held her transfixed. She couldn't looked away if she tried.

Kaden reached forward and grabbed Liam around the neck. With his right hand, he swung back and, with little bolts of lightning now zinging around his hand, punched Liam square in the jaw. The blow sent Liam flying through the air. He landed against the welded wire fence. Kaden appeared before him the second after he hit it. His right hand wrapped around his throat and he chuckled as he saw something on the fence. "You brought me to a dog park, wolf? The irony is not lost on me, believe me."

He placed his left hand on the fence and Cassy watched in horror as he sent electricity surging through the fence. Liam screamed in pain. Kaden laughed in evil delight. "You're going to lose, you know that right?" He looked over his shoulder at Cassy. Liam followed his gaze. "You're going to lose, and you never got to claim your girl. You'll never know what it feels like to have her lie beneath you. Never hear her sigh in content, never hear her _moan_ _in pleasure_ as you thrust into her." He chuckled darkly. "I can tell you, it is the most wonderful sound on the planet."

Liam growled. He brought his hands up from the fence and pushed Kaden as hard as he could. They started fighting again. Liam punched Kaden in the jaw and Kaden threw a fireball at Liam's leg. As they continued their dance, Cassy couldn't stand it anymore. She finally looked away.

_It can't end this way_ , she thought to herself. _I have to end this... but how?_

The sound of Liam shouting in agony had her looking back towards the action. Kaden had Liam on his knees in the middle of the field, a triumphant look on his face. "Say goodbye to your wolf, luv. Because he's about to meet his maker."

Cassy's heart stopped in her chest. No. This couldn't be it. _How the hell do I end this?!_

And suddenly, the thought appeared in her head. It was that simple. If she could wish for him to be real... then why couldn't she wish for him to disappear?

Kaden froze where he stood in the field. He looked at Cassy, his eyes wide and filled with hurt. "Cassandra."

_I'm sorry, Kaden_ , she thought to him. She opened her mouth and whispered five simple words, "I wish Kaden would disappear."

The air around them became thick and heavy as the universe heard her plea. He looked around, his sapphire blue eyes wide on his face. She could tell that he half expected to just disappear then and there. But when he didn't, he thought he was in the clear. But what he hadn't counted on was Liam. He stood up from where he had been kneeling, and spun around. He shoved his claws into Kaden's chest. Right into his heart.

Cassy gasped in shock. Kaden looked down, stunned that Liam had gotten the drop on him. Before he could even try to pull Liam's claws from his chest, a strong gust of wind appeared out of nowhere. Looking over his shoulder, Kaden saw time and space ripping and bending as a portal appeared behind him. It started out small at first, but soon the sky was opening up and a grayish purple hole was pulling at him.

For an instant, her friends' fear of Kaden taken her back to the fictional realm entered her head. But she wasn't worried that Kaden would take her with him. No, she was too far away from him for him to be able to do that. She was afraid that he would take _Liam_ with him.

But Liam seemed to know what was going on. He pulled his claws from Kaden's chest and took a step back. Kaden grunted when Liam's claws exited his body. Cassy could tell that he wanted to fall to his knees, but the vortex's pulling winds kept him standing. It pulled him back a step.

Knowing that he only had a few seconds left, Kaden captured Cassy's gaze. "Don't worry, luv," he told her. "I forgive you."

He smiled at her one last time before the vortex pulled him through. It jerked him through the portal and as soon as it had its victim, it closed with a loud _zap_. The air around them calmed the instant it was closed. They all watched in awe as it happened. Once the portal was closed, they looked at each other. It was clear to Cassy that none of them had actually expected to win this battle. After a minute had passed and Kaden remind gone, they finally relaxed. "Well I'll be damned," Ava said. "We did it."

Cassy released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She chuckled softly. "Yes, we did."

Once Cassy confirmed Ava's suspicion, the gang began to cheer. "Holy shit, Cass!" Morgan shouted. "We did it! He's gone!"

She forced herself to smile. "Yeah, he's gone."

Movement to the right of her caught her attention. She turned to see Liam walking towards her. "Are you okay, cher?"

His voice was back to normal. Though his eyes were still glowing slightly, they were nowhere near as bright as they had been earlier. His fangs were gone and so were his claws. He looked like he normally did. Cassy didn't know if she was glad or disappointed.

She nodded at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..."

"What?" he probed.

She shrugged and looked down. "I didn't like the look of betrayal on his face when I wished him away."

Cassy half expect Liam to groan in annoyance. She thought he'd be angry that she was hurt about Kaden's reaction to her part in his demise. She expected him to yell at her from having any feelings for him at all. Instead, he place a hand on her shoulder. Looking up at him, she saw the compassion in his emerald green gaze. He gave her a small smile. "It's okay, cher. I'm not gonna hate you for your feelings."

She blanched. "Y-you're not?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. You created him, cher. You gave him life in more ways dan one. You had to send him away. Of course you feel bad."

She stared up at him in shock before she smiled at him. "Thank you, Liam."

He winked at her. "Any time, cher. Any time."

Turning towards him, she looked him up and down. "How are you feeling?" Kaden had burned him in two spots that she knew of. He had to be hurting.

He shrugged. "I'll heal. Unless..."

She looked startled. "Unless?"

He smirked. "I'm not about to say no to being nursed back to health."

Cassy stared at him for a moment before she smiled. "Who am I to say no to the man who risked his life to save mine?"

Liam threw his head back and laughed out loud. The sound had Cassy's heart pounding in her chest. Reaching out with his left hand, Liam cupped the side of her face and brought her closer to him. Bending his head, he captured her lips with his.

_Finally_ , Cassy thought to herself as Liam wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her body against his. He opened her up and his tongue delved deep. She moaned into his mouth.

As he kissed her, Cassy realized that this was how things were supposed to be. She wasn't Kaden's, she was Liam's. There in his arms, Cassy felt safe and content. She never wanted this feeling to end. She wanted to spend the rest of her life like this.

They kissed for a few more minutes before Liam pulled away. Leaning his forehead against hers, he murmured to her, "I might just take you up on dat offer."

# Epilogue

It had been a week and a half since they had sent Kaden back to the realm of fiction, and ever since then, Cassy had been feeling uneasy. She truly couldn't explain it. Every step she took, every move she made, she felt as if someone was watching her. She thought that one of the spirits from the Lalaurie House had latched onto her, but Morgan told her that wasn't the case. Ava rolled her eyes whenever she brought it up and told her that she was just imagining things. Liam would look at her worriedly, but brush it off. "Kaden's gone, cher," he would say. "You don have nothing to worry 'bout."

On the Sunday after they had sent Kaden away- which just happened to be Easter Sunday- Cassy had woken up screaming. She had dreamed that the power and meaning of Easter had brought Kaden back to life. Liam shot up in bed when she had started screaming. He had reached for her, pulled her down against the bed and looked around the room, his emerald gaze glowing. Ava and Morgan had burst through the door. "What's going on?" Ava demanded.

Cassy had closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt Liam's hand against her stomach, acting as an anchor, tying her to reality. After taking another deep breath, she said, "Nothing. It's nothing. I just had a bad dream. I'm fine now."

Ava and Liam shared a worried glance. The two of them had been staying at Morgan and Cassy's dorm room ever since they had sent Kaden back to the fictional world. Ava claimed the couch and Liam... well... he slept in Cassy's room.

Cassy had sat up in her bed. "Really, guys. It was just a dream. I'll get over it."

"Dis is da second night in a row dat you've woken up screaming, cher," Liam murmured.

"We _just_ got rid of Kaden, Liam," Morgan said, coming to her best friend's defense. "After all that he did to her and all that's happened, you can't expect her to be back to normal that fast."

Morgan had been right, after all. Cassy took a few days to get back to normal. Part of getting back to normal was getting rid of everything she had written about Kaden. Morgan made her completely destroy her entire short story. She told her that it was just a precaution, that even though Kaden was gone, it'd be safe to get rid of his existence, just in case. And that meant Cassy had to start over again on her short story. Which is what she was working on now.

Cassy sat on a bench at Pontchartrain Beach, her laptop open on her lap. She was reading over her new short story. This one was about a girl named Alison who just happened to be a part of an ancient society meant to protect the world from monsters. The society was separated by two factions: those who protected the human race by exterminating the evil monsters in the world and those who rehabilitated the ones who didn't want to see the world burn. Her father was the leader of the protectors and her mother was the leader of the rehabilitators. Alison got to be a part of both worlds. That made her coveted by all who were involved. She was helping her mother rehabilitate a vampire prince by the name of Adam. He looked to be around the same age as her, even though he was 400 years old. The two instantly shared a connection. But she also shared a spark with Adam's older brother, Drake. He was on her father's hit list because he was the rebel leader.

She had finished the story last night, so now she was going over it to make sure it was ready to be turned in tomorrow. She saved her final edits and was about to close her laptop when a shadow fell over her. Gasping, Cassy slammed her laptop shut and spun around to find Liam standing behind her. Her sudden movement caused him to raise an eyebrow at her. "Everything all right, cher?"

Shaking her head, Cassy forced herself to laugh. "I'm fine, Liam. You just startled me."

He frowned. "Still feeling jumpy?"

She shrugged. "Just a bit. How'd you know I was here?"

He smiled coyly at her. "I followed your scent."

Cassy scrunched up her nose at that. "Oh. Right. I forgot you could do that."

Liam laughed out loud. "You brought it on yourself when you didn't tell anyone where you were going." He nodded towards the open spot on her bench. "You mind if I join you?"

She shook her head. "No. Please, sit."

Walking around the bench, Liam sat to the left of her. He watched her move as she put her laptop in her backpack. Casting her a sideways glance, he asked her, "Have you figure out who your witch heritage comes from yet?"

Cassy shook her head. "Morgan and I have been digging into it, but nothing so far. I think Ava's right though. I don't see my dad having ever practice magic. It probably comes from my mom."

"You gonna confront her 'bout it?"

She paused. Morgan had asked her the same thing and Cassy hadn't had an answer for her. Did she have one for Liam now? "No," she said. "I don't care who the witch is. It doesn't matter either way."

Liam nodded. He figured she would say that. "Are you gonna let Morgan teach you how to use your magic?"

Again, Cassy shook her head. "No, it's not something I really want to learn. I'm fine with just being the writer."

He chuckled softly. "It does keep you out of dis world."

"I want to be a part of your world, though," Cassy told him. "I just don't want to mess around with something I don't understand."

When she said she wanted to be a part of his world, Liam's gaze flashed her way. With an opening like that, he knew that it was time to tell her the full truth about him. His eyes began to glow once more. Cassy noticed and swallowed hard. "Why are you looking at me like that, Liam?"

He sighed heavily. _Dis is da moment of truth._ What if she didn't want to be tied to him for the rest of her life? What if she tried to fight it? He would try to give her the space she needed, but once a wolf found its soul mate, there was no stopping it until it claimed what was rightfully theirs. And as Alpha, Liam would know that urge more than anyone else. He barely made it through that first weekend, being so close to Cassy yet not being able to do anything about it. If she ran from him, he knew he wouldn't stop until he caught her and made her his.

"Dere's something I have to tell you, cher."

She raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Liam?"

"It's something I should have told you from da beginning. Back when I told you I was loup-garou." He paused before he said, "You're my soul mate, cher."

He closed his eyes. This was it. Time for her to reject him, to call him crazy and tell him she never wanted to see him again. He braced himself for the pain of rejection... but it never came. Instead she chuckled softly. "I figured as much."

His head snapped in her direction and his eyes flashed opened. "You what?"

She shrugged, a smile pulling at her lips. "When I told Ava that Kaden had said I was his soul mate, she told me that I couldn't have two soul mates. She started saying that she was going to kick your ass when we got back to campus. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

He stared at her, completely dumbfounded by her response. "And you're okay with dis?"

She smiled at him. "Would I have kissed you after we got rid of Kaden, or let you sleep in my bed that entire weekend, if I wasn't okay with it?"

Liam started at her in shock and awe. He had been wrong about her. Now that it was out in the open, and she was actually okay with it, they could begin their lives together. Just as fate had planned.

With lightning fast speed, Liam tangled his fingers in her chestnut brown hair and pulled her close. He captured her lips with his. With his free hand, he pulled her body closer to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Cassy groaned against his lips as his hand trailed up her back. She had been waiting for this moment ever since they had vanquished Kaden. Sure, they had kissed that very night, but Liam had given her space after that weekend. He had lain in her bed with her, but he hadn't tried anything. Cassy had thought that he had changed his mind about her. Decided that she really wasn't meant to be with him. But here they were, their bodies pressed against each other, limbs wrapped around each other, lips desperately coming together. It became clear to Cassy that he had given her space so that she could heal, and so that he could figure out a way to tell her the truth. The fact that he didn't just force the soul mate business down her throat right away made her heart soar. He really wanted this to work.

Liam lifted her body from the bench and she straddled his waist. She didn't care that they were in public and most likely not alone. She just wanted his lips against her and all that he had to offer.

Just when he opened her up and his tongue had delved deep, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted their passion filled hazes. Cassy pulled away to see Morgan and Ava standing behind the bench. Morgan had a sheepish smile on her face, whilst Ava's was all wolf. "Really, you guys? This is a public beach. _Children_ could see this."

"Da only child I see is you, Ava," Liam growled.

Ava laughed. "Whatever you say, boss."

He gritted his teeth. "What do you two want?"

Morgan shrugged. "You didn't text us saying you had found her. I got worried. I called Ava and she followed your scent."

"We're getting hungry," Ava added. "We wanted to know if you guys would join us for dinner."

Liam looked up at Cassy, his emerald green gaze capturing her sky blue one. "What do you say, cher? You hungry?"

She smiled down at him. "I'm starving. Come on, let's get a bite to eat."

Unwrapping her legs from his waist, Cassy picked up her backpack. Flinging it over her shoulder, she smiled at her friends. "Lead the way, girls."

Ava rolled her gray eyes and turned around to walk towards RFoC. RFoC stood for Real Food on Campus. It was the residential dining hall. It was your typical college dining hall. Usually they avoided eating there because the food could get pretty boring, but the gang ate there on occasion.

Morgan smiled and turned to follow her raven haired friend. Liam looked down at her. He cupped her cheek with his right hand. "Are you sure you're okay, cher?"

She forced herself to smiled. "I'm fine now, Liam."

He smiled brightly down at her. He removed his hand from her cheek, instead placing his right hand in her left one. Interlocking their fingers, he said, "Come on, den. Let's eat!"

******************************************************

He watched as Liam interlocked his fingers with hers and led her towards her friends. It was obvious to him that she had lied about being all right. Her forced smile gave her away. But Liam had bought it hook line and sinker. He chuckled darkly.

From skimming her surface thoughts, he knew that she was aware of his presence. She felt his eyes on her, yet she had no idea who he was. That frustrated him. After all the time they had spent together, the wonderful memories they had share, she didn't know who was watching her? How could she _not_ know? She created him.

Kaden sighed in annoyance. He had so badly wanted to throw Liam off of Cassandra when they had been kissing. But he was stuck in this in-between world, invisible and powerless in the real world. How that had happened, he didn't know. He knew when the portal appeared behind him that Morgan and the wizard had bound him back to Cassandra's story so that when Liam killed him, he'd go back to the fictional realm. That's where he should be right now, not in this half-way state, capable of seeing and hearing everything that happened in the real world, but being powerless to stop it.

He had a feeling that it had been Cassandra's wish that sent him to this plane. She said she wished he would disappear. She didn't say to where. The universe must have heard her plea, because here he was, invisible to the naked eye, but still there nonetheless.

It was pure torture seeing his love but not being able to touch her. It was like an itch that wouldn't stop by being scratched. You could scratch it a hundred times, but it wouldn't go away. He wanted to scream in frustration.

_There has to be a way out of this_ , he thought to himself. _Perhaps I could somehow trick the witch into doing another spell..._

But he knew that was unlikely to happen. Not only could he not interact with them, he knew that Morgan had no desire to do magic at the moment. She was afraid that any spell she cast might bring him back. Cassandra had told her that was insane, but Morgan believed it nonetheless. She told her best friend that she would be practicing magic again by the time the summer solstice came around. Cassandra was convinced that Morgan would feel up to celebrating the start of summer. Morgan, on the other hand, wasn't so convinced.

_That's it_ , Kaden realized. _If I can hold out until the summer solstice, I can force myself back into the world on that magical night._ He chuckled darkly once more. _It's perfect._

He just had to wait three months. And he would bide his time. He'd come up with the perfect plan, the perfect revenge. No one would be safe.

Not even Cassandra.

The End.

**Look for the second book in the Cassy Johnson series,** _The Summer Solstice_ **, coming summer of 2015.**

**Be sure to check out the Kate Dahlberg Trilogy. Books one and two (** _Enthralled by Kate_ **and** _Turning Kate_ **) are available now. The final book,** _Saving Kate_ **, will be out October 2014.**

