William (The Valentines) - By Sam Crescent
Prologue
A few hundred years ago
The sounds filling the air were of running feet and heavy, panicked breathing. Two people running for their very lives. They ran through the forest, not sure what was coming. William could feel the power coming towards them, not seeking to help their situation but to destroy them.
“Run, Emma.” William grabbed her hand and urged her forward.
“I’m trying. I can’t continue anymore,” she gasped, slowing to a stop, grabbing her side in pain.
“We don’t have time for this.” He pulled on her arm and tried to get her to move, his fear for her life making him forget she was only human. She cried out, falling to her knees.
“Stop, William, please. I can’t go on,” she sobbed.
He glanced down and saw her agony. They’d been running for well over an hour. William looked through the thick layers of leaves and trees, nodding. He crouched down beside her.
“We can stay and rest a little.” His eyes strayed to the trees all around them—any one of them could hide a foe.
She shook her head. “You should go on.”
He disagreed. “I’m not losing you.” He held her face—beautiful; this was the woman he had fallen in love with—and he could see how weak she was. Already, her face was beginning to look gaunt and shadows were appearing underneath her eyes. He knew in his heart of hearts that unless she rested she would not be able to make it.
He laid a gentle kiss on her lips. They felt dry even against the barest touch. He could taste death and he couldn’t…he wouldn’t accept it.
“We’re in this together. No matter what.” He held her against the strength of his body. “Take some more of my blood.”
He made to bite into his flesh, to make it easier for her to drink the powerful liquid, but her hand on his arm stopped him.
“No, no more.”
He nodded reluctantly, holding her cold body against him, humming to himself. He could even smell a change within her, almost an acceptance of what was about to happen. It terrified him. He kept looking around for any signs of danger, hoping and praying that he wouldn’t find any. William wouldn’t be able to protect them both for long. He wasn’t strong enough.
William knew, deep down, that this sense of calm was about to end. His brother Robert had already told him what to expect. His father had shipped his mother, younger brothers and sisters off out of danger the moment it had all gone wrong. The witch hunts had grown more deadly than any of them could have imagined. A madman’s accusations…and now this. Humans hunting them as though they were nothing but dogs, forcing them to run for their lives.
None of them were safe anymore.
“They’re coming. I can feel them, William. So much anger and fear, and it’s all for us.” He could hear the fear in her voice. They had survived many attempts on their lives—they were immortal, after all. But never had anything scythed through their numbers so quickly. Just as a plague kills humans, now the humans were a plague to the immortals, killing them off one by one.
“Don’t worry—just rest,” he told her, but his eyes stayed on the forest. He could feel them there. He couldn’t see them, but it wouldn’t be long until they were here.
Just then, Emma started to panic in his arms, lashing out with her hands and screaming, ‘Get off me, get off me’, over and over again. He couldn’t see what had her so terrified.
“Emma? What is it?” He was helpless. She was screaming and crying for him to help her and he didn’t know how. There was nothing near her that could hurt her.
Laughter emerged from the tree line, followed by a male form.
“Witches are such pesky little things.”
William stood and squared off against James, the Alpha wolf of the Beyer West pack.
“What are you doing here?” William asked.
A female followed him—her eyes were shut, James guiding her by the hand, and he could tell that she was chanting. William was confused. Why would Emma be terrified of what was coming when James was bringing reinforcements? James was one of them, he wouldn’t attack them. Would he? But the wolves were supposed to be taking cover…
“Yes. My little witch, it seems, is more powerful than your witch.”
James leant down to where Emma sat crying. “Boo.”
William shoved the other man away. “Leave her alone.”
They circled each other in hunting stances. The sounds around them were of the mystery witch chanting and Emma whimpering.
“What are you doing here? You’re the leader of the wolves.” They could live among the humans, which meant that they were safe and could help vampires and witches to hide from the search parties.
The wolves were in hiding…weren’t they?
“Well, you see, here is my problem. I’m supposed to risk my neck, and those of my wolves…for what, exactly? For you and your vampires? You see, I suddenly had this idea.” William had a sick feeling in his gut as he listened to James talk. “This idea of what would happen if the witches and vampires who controlled me and told me what to do just disappeared…poof. Then I suddenly wondered what would happen if I screamed devil and witch in a room full of humans. You see, William Valentine, the mind is a dangerous thing. They went nuts.” James started to laugh, the sound hysterical.
He was mad—barking mad. William couldn’t grasp what he was telling him. He refused to believe it.
But looking into James’ eyes, he knew.
“You led the humans right to us.”
All this time their father had wondered how so many witches and so many of their own kind could have been hunted and killed within just months. Now it seemed obvious. Someone had to have known—someone from the inside.
The leader of the Beyer West Pack, one of the most powerful werewolves in the world, had destroyed hundreds of witches and vampires alike.
“Yes!” James jumped up and down with joy. A rather strange and child-like thing to do.
William felt like he was going to throw up. All this time, the person they had believed was helping them had been the one destroying their kind.
“But the one downside is that I have to have a witch of my own. Helps to weaken yours. You should be thankful—she’s the one sending the humans off in the other direction at the moment. We’re safe for now.” James patted the chanting witch on the shoulder. “You can stop now, my dear.”
“So how shall we spend our time together?” James asked William.
William saw the hundreds of dead faces. Remembered the reports of a vampire being burnt in the sunlight, of witches being hunted and killed. Months of agony, trying to protect his friends.
William was still a young vampire. He couldn’t control himself. He lashed out and dived for James, going for the other man’s throat. James swatted him down as if he were no more than a bug. William got up and went for him again, landed a punch that knocked James to the ground. He fought fiercely but there was no way he could win. James was the leader of an entire race; William, the younger son of the most powerful vampire. His older brother Robert might be able take James, but not him. He never stood a chance.
As William charged at him one final time, James had obviously already seen his opportunity. He grabbed William around the neck and pinned him to the ground, standing over him, his foot resting heavily on his chest.
William was stuck. He couldn’t move.
“You know, I came here to see if you’d join me. I’ve heard about you. You never do as you’re told. A free spirit. The one Daddy Vamp can’t control. Join me, William, and together we could own this world.”
William hated the power his family had and he’d never wanted to be part of that world. But as much as he pissed his father off, he still loved him—he was still his father.
“Never,” he growled, blood landing on James’s face.
James wiped the blood away with the material of his shirt. “Big mistake.”
James tightened his hold on William’s neck. The pressure felt as though James was going to rip his head from his body…which was one of the few things that would kill him.
William closed his eyes, praying for Emma.
“Big mistake, wolf.” A flash of light threw James off him. Emma was standing, pale and shaking, her hair dishevelled.
James collapsed in a heap across from William, but he wasn’t dead.
“The next time you get a little witch, get one who knows how to do a chant properly,” Emma panted. A burst of flames consumed the other witch as Emma was hit by the final blast from the other witch.
William could feel Emma’s pain, but the other witch screamed.
“Nooo!” James yelled. “Bitch!”
Emma threw more magic his way. William grabbed her before she allowed it to consume them both. She had created enough of a diversion.
They ran.
Neither of them was powerful enough to take down James and William needed to get to his father. He needed to warn everyone.
How was he going to tell his father—their leader—that they were at war with the wolves?
“William, stop.” He stopped and turned to the love of his life, then gasped.
She looked old; her hair was grey and her face gaunt.
“We have to go,” he insisted. “You’re using too much magic.”
She paused and pressed a kiss to his palm. “You have to go. You must tell your father.”
“Together, we can do this together,” he earnestly pleaded.
She shook her head. “I love you, William, and that’s why I have to help you. He will keep coming. James won’t stop.”
“Don’t do this,” he begged, tears falling from his eyes.
“I love you, Will. I always have. Listen to me. You will find another.”
He shook his head in denial.
“You will. I’ve seen it. You love me but you’re not meant for me. You’re meant for another.” She rested his palm against her heart. He could feel the steady beat. She wasn’t afraid—she had accepted her fate.
Once a witch knew what she had to do, in the steady beat of her heart, there was no stopping it.
William looked into the face of the woman he had loved for more than a century. She was his bonded mate. He loved her with all his heart and soul. He couldn’t imagine life without her.
She kissed him one final time.
“Well, isn’t this a touching scene?” James was standing a few feet away.
William broke the kiss and stared into the face of the man he was going to hunt for the rest of his life.
“You interrupted us.” Emma turned to him.
William noted the squared shoulders, the jaw set with determination. She was here for business and she was taking James with her.
“You killed my witch,” he growled.
“You killed hundreds of mine.” He could hear the anger and the rage. Her kind—her race. She was fighting for them. For the countless men and women who had lost their lives in this man’s hunt for domination.
“Well, that was just plain fun,” James gloated.
Emma screamed and threw all her power against him. It was awful to see. William watched and could do nothing. She’d cast a spell to keep him in place. He could only watch James winning, taunting her with his own abilities.
Finally she threw enough power against him, using up the last of her magic in a killing blow. James disappeared.
She collapsed in a bloodied heap on the ground.
William felt the magic wear off, releasing him, and he ran to her side.
The tears rolled down his cheeks, thick and fast.
“Oh God, Emma.” He cradled her so that she was draped across his lap.
Her face was pale, blood spilling from her mouth. “Go and warn the others.”
“I love you,” he said.
It was too late. She was gone.
William held her to him for the longest time. Her pale, lifeless body in his arms, laid against his heart. Time passed. It didn’t matter. He held her and he felt nothing.
“William… William… William…” He heard his name spoken, but he didn’t care.
Eventually he looked up to see his brothers, Robert, and Adam. They were waiting for him.
“I couldn’t save her,” he cried.
“Come with us.” Robert held out his hand.
He shook his head. He couldn’t leave her—he and Emma were meant to be together.
Adam shoved Robert out of the way and growled at William. “Look, William, it won’t help the situation if you just stay here and die.”
Reluctantly, William let her go. A witch needed to be given back to the earth. It was their way. He couldn’t take her with him. He laid her to rest, said his prayers and walked away with his brothers, a changed man.
Several hours later
James stood over the body of the dead witch. A waste, but worth it.
He moved over to the other witch and looked down into her face. She was a rare beauty. Her brown hair was tinted with the white of a witch who had abused her power.
“You should learn balance,” he tutted.
He knelt by her side and touched her cold cheek. He stroked the cold, lifeless flesh, so still and silent in death.
He pulled back, laughing as Emma came to, choking and gasping for air. She pulled the air into her lungs as if it were a rare find.
“Had me worried there, little Em. Didn’t think you were going to wake up.” He handed her a cloak to cover her bloodied body.
She took it. He could see her fingers trembling.
“Spell go wrong?”
Once she’d placed the cloak around her shoulders, she got to her feet. She flipped her hair over one shoulder. “Spell went perfectly, didn’t you think?” She placed her hand on her hip.
She was saucy and hot, and he’d come to appreciate her over these past months.
“It sure had William convinced,” he agreed.
She didn’t even bat an eyelash.
“Not concerned that your one and only mate thinks you’re dead and innocent?” James asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “You gave him the chance to join us; he wanted to stay with his daddy. That’s his business. I’m not prepared to go back.”
“Did you honestly think he’d join me—us?” James leaned against the tree, taking her in.
“He doesn’t agree with his father. I guess he just thinks he’s bad.”
James hadn’t been able to believe it when he’d got a visit from this witch, some months ago, late at night. She had wanted to join forces. She’d known it had been him who had started the hunts of the witches and vampires. Emma was an evil witch to the core and she was tired of being the good girl.
There was no love and no compassion in this package—just pure hatred.
The partnership worked very well.
“Remember what you promised me?” He walked over to her, his power and energy clashing with hers, sending tingles of pain shooting along his nerve endings.
“Yes, I know what I promised.” She took a step back. A huge mistake. His wolf liked to see her scared. He could smell her fear.
“You’d better not mess with me, witch,” he warned.
“I came to you, remember? No messing from my end. You’ll get what you want and I’ll get what I want.” Her tone was insolent.
He didn’t like it.
Within seconds he had wrapped his hand around her neck and was squeezing. “I want you to remember, sweet Emma, I don’t care about you. I’m not William Valentine. You’re one witch in a sea of others and any time I want I can pluck the next one out. You get on my nerves and your days are numbered.” He thrust her away and turned from her.
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?” Emma cried.
He stopped, stood rigid and turned with a snarl on his face.
“You’re doing this because—”
“I suggest that if you like breathing you keep your mouth shut.”
He didn’t speak again. He didn’t need to. His warning was clear.