Page 290 of His Sunshine Baby

I try to feel the other Alphas. I can feel Lysandra, fighting like a lioness, and… and… Arthur Seaver. I can’t… I can’t feel him. I didn’t even realize. Our link was so thin…

It means there’s a big gap in the west. Whether the witch got him, or the vampires, I can’t tell, but his wolf is nowhere to be found.

“Damian! Nate!”

The King knows too. He turns his head to me, nodding. The witch is in the west; now that we are sure, that’s where we need to move. We break our former line, letting Lysandra Jones and all of the betas take our place to fight the new waves of vampires. I hope they will be able to hold on long enough. The Black brothers and I start running, but our run is cut short.

A few paces away, standing behind several lines of vampires, is a woman. Her blue-green eyes and human appearance can’t be mistaken. She’s dressed all in black, and looks younger than I had imagined, maybe about Clark or Reagan’s age. We run to Sylviana’s side, who stands facing her, though they are a few feet apart.

“So… Those are your little guard dogs. The sons of Black…”

Her voice is strangely hoarse, like she has been screaming for days. Next to me, Sylviana is fiercely staring at her, her fists closed.

“Enough, Nephera. You need to stop all of this, now.”

The Water Witch chuckles.

“Nephera? Is that what you call me after all this time?”

We frown, confused. What the heck is she talking about? I exchange glances with the Black brothers, but even Liam doesn’t seem to know what’s going on. Suddenly, the Water Witch laughs loudly, staring at us like something funny is going on.

“Don’t tell me? Sylviana, after all this time? You couldn’t tell them? Really?”

What the fuck is she talking about? Sylviana looks utterly sad and sorry right now, making me fucking uneasy about whatever’s going on. The Water Witch stops laughing, and sighs.

“Really, my little sister. You’re as weak as ever.”

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

I turn to Sylviana.

“She meant that metaphorically, right?” I ask, channeling the three brother’s words echoing in my head into one question.

“We are half-sisters,” confesses Sylviana, white as a sheet.

What? I did not see that one coming. Sisters. That Water Witch and Sylviana. Why did she hide this from us this whole time? Even Liam? He looks as confused and shocked as all of us. I would never have guessed. How many years apart are they anyway? Sylviana is Damian’s age, give or take a few years, butthat woman is much older. They don’t even look alike, except for maybe their eyes? Damn it, what is going on?

The Water Witch sneers.

“That’s right, we are,” she says. “Witches, daughters of the same wretched mother. You didn’t tell them anything, did you, Sylviana? Isn’t that why you were Mom’s favorite? Always the little werewolves’ friend…”

“Nephera, you must stop this. Whatever Mom did to you, she–”

“What she did to me? You think this is only about our mother, Sylviana? Oh no, I’m going to destroy these packs and take this city. It was mine to begin with, wasn’t it?”

“What the heck is that woman talking about?” I growl, glancing at Sylviana.

Just then, the Water Witch turns to me. It’s odd that all the vampires stopped attacking when she started talking. It’s almost like they froze up. Is she really controlling them all? It’s like she’s holding her dogs back.

“Your golden eyes. Aren’t you Gabriel’s precious daughter?”

I’m speechless. She knows my biological father? What the heck!

She looks at all of us, her eyes going slowly to Damian, Nathaniel, and Liam as an ugly smile appears on her face.

“Isn’t that perfect. I already have four of you right here… Sylviana, did you do this on purpose? How thoughtful of you. Now you’re going to watch while I make these dogs suffer.”

For a second, a very scary thought crosses my mind, that maybe this was all part of their plan. It’s wiped away as soon as I see Sylviana’s horrified expression though, and how she steps forward in a protective stance.

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