2. Betrayal

“You did dis!” Phoenix points to Valery and Michelle as I stand behind her looking, watching Michelle’s reaction of shock and confusion while Valery looks afraid.

“You twied to kill Alpha Queen Raben and my Gunnar!” Phoenix’s scream is full of rage as her hair begins to rise like she is floating in water. I look down and shake my head unable to believe what I am seeing; the ground beneath her feet is scorched.

“I…” Valery tries to speak when Phoenix raises her hand and clenches her fist, silencing Valery, who looks around to everyone for help.

“No lies! All you speak is lies! You only eber hurt Raben, you hewlped habe her hurt and bwamed it on Michelle!” Phoenix raises her fist making Valery rise until she’s hovering just inches off the ground, unable to move.

Michelle’s eyes widen in horror as I watch Thane slowly limp his way to her and pull her into his arms. She whimpers as she can’t take her eyes away from her twin who has done nothing but betray her family.

“You, your mate worked for da bad man, you helping Dagon!” Phoenix screams before stopping, then slams her fist to the ground making it shake, forcing Valery down making her land face down on the ground.

“Help! You have to stop this, she’s a crazy little bitch!” Valery’s screams before Phoenix silences her again, and growls even louder.

“Little bitch, that’s what you called me, lucky little bitch, ‘cause Gunnar is my mate, I saw you speaking da bad man in da dark. I show you da bitch I be, dey called me dat before when da rogues scawed,” Phoenix screams at Valery, using her magic to press her harder into the ground making it harder for her to breathe.

“Phoenix, Gongju you need to stop, you need to calm down. Let Papa take care of this, she will be punished, and she won’t live,” Benjamin steps beside me. I shake my head while watching in complete shock and awe at what Phoenix is capable of.

“No Papa! She is mine! She tried to take my Gunnar! She almost killed my Kitty and my Daddy twying to kill my Mumma Raben!” Phoenix’s furious scream nearly sounds demonic when she reaches Valery who screams in pain.

Looking closer I can see her skin is burning from the heat radiating from Phoenix, making her name all the mor appropriate.

She has risen from the ashes, literally, and is burning so hot she scorches the ground beneath her.

“Phoenix no! You don’t want to kill, let me help you,” Benjamin tries to use his aura on her. She looks back at him, giving him a sweet innocent smile. Holding her hand up, and slowly moving it lower with her fingers spread wide, she dulls Benjamin’s aura and forces him to kneel.

“Sit Papa, I oday… I habe to do this, I pwotect my mate wike you do Daddy,” Phoenix’s sweet angelic voice comes out clear and calm as she speaks to her father, making everyone step back further, afraid of her.

“No, Gongju, you don’t want to do this, killing someone isn’t easy ever,” Benjamin begs his daughter to stop, she smiles at him before turning to focus her attention on Valery in front of her.

“Raven, do something!” Benjamin yells at me, making me step forward and Phoenix to look back at me, I notice her eyes glowing brighter.

“Phoenix, Papa Ben is right; you don’t want to do this. You take her life and you’ll never be the same. I took a life when I was young, and it still haunts me,” I confess, trying to reach her while walking forward, thankful she’s letting me get closer.

“You understand, Mumma if it was just you taking dem, you woulda libed, but Gunnar and Ro Ro would habe dieded,” Phoenix’s voice is eerily calm and steady, as tears fall down her cheeks.

“Dagon wants you dead, if he can’t habe your power he wants you gone. She’s hewping Dagon! She wants my Gunnar dead, she wants eberyone I love dead!” Phoenix screams while kneeling by Valery’s head, she cries out in pain trying to fight Phoenix’s hold.

“Phoenix, let me do this for you,” I firmly speak while kneeling down beside her, and when her eyes lock to mine I can see the pain, anger, and fear in her eyes.

I understand why she feels like she must do this, and I nod my head watching her reach down, grabbing the sides of Valery’s head.

Valery’s agonized screams last for a short moment before her body goes completely still. I feel her life burn out, and her soul completely destroyed, giving her no chance to move on.

“It habe to be me, see,” Phoenix places her hand against my temple and begins to project an image of where we are in my mind.

Only this time it is me walking towards Valery holding her with my aura. When I reach out to grab her throat a smirk crosses Valery’s lips as she grabs my wrist, struggling against my hold.

I don’t move while trying to tighten my grip before I slowly begin to drop, fighting to breathe.

I hear my mates howl in agonizing pain as I begin to seize on the ground with foam coming from my mouth, with everyone watching in horror.

“Raven!” Liliana screams, running to my side as my eyes stay focused on Valery, confused about what had just happened.

“You really should be more careful,” Valery smiles while showing off a ring that has a sharp spike facing inwards that is dripping blood.

“See she poisons you, you libed, but da Alphas don’t,” Phoenix turns my attention to the scene behind me, where I see Mum, Eya, and Mummo trying to help my mates who are on the ground writhing in pain.

“I couldn’t let you,” Phoenix pulls her hand away, making my surrounding fade bringing me back to the present and out of her vision.

“She had a backup plan,” I gasp, grabbing Valery’s limp wrist, and find the poisoned ring she planned to use once one of us got close enough.

“Let me,” Mum gracefully walks over and kneels beside me, and I nod, knowing she will know how to handle something so dangerous.

“Thank you, Phoenix how did you do that? Where did that power come from?” I question, looking over to Phoenix while everyone stares at us in complete shock.

“My magics, I was angwy. The madder I gets da hotter I burn, like the fire biwd… my name? I see things, and I feel things because I can touch the soul. My magics is evewything,” Phoenix explains staggering closer to me, so I pull her into my arms feeling her exhaustion bleeding into me.

“Dagon wanted kill you before da war,” Phoenix’s exhausted voice comes out almost as whisper, and I nod.

“One he just started, we’ll be ok though, I won’t let anything happen to you or your daddies,” I brush her hair out of her face, and she smiles gently.

“You always pwotect us and you win, yous not fighting for power, you fight for us, for you peoples,” Phoenix stares up into my eyes, and I smile watching the fire in her eyes die down, leaving them their stunning green.

“You’re an amazing little girl, you know that?” I speak with a dry laugh then look up feeling several people standing over me.

“I tiwerd I take nap,” Phoenix yawns while curling up on her side and buries her face into my stomach.

“Sleep,” I whisper while running my fingers through her hair, watching Benjamin and Ares kneel beside her as Osric, Embry, and Jonathan stand behind me.

“Papa,” Phoenix softly whimpers when Benjamin takes her from my arms, she curls up into his chest and holds onto him tighter.

“It’s ok Gongju, Papa and I are here,” Ares whispers while leaning down and kissing her temple, only for Benjamin to pull him into his arms with Phoenix.

“We’re both here, everything is going to be ok,” Benjamin comforts while holding his mate and their child, then nods to me.

“Everything will be ok, I won’t let anything happen to any of us, we will be ok,” I reassure, rubbing his shoulder before standing and turning to my mates.

“It’s time we prepare, if Dagon wants a war, we will be ready,” I softly speak before burying myself in Osric’s chest, pulling Embry and Jonathan to me wanting to be surrounded by their scent and warmth.