HUNTED-Chapter 315: Bullseye

Relief flooded through Gabriel as he heard Esme retreating with Aila. The pair killed any in their path, the lycans protecting them. Now, in all of this chaos was him, his brother and Damon Steel.

"It ends here." Gabriel took another slow, measured step towards Cassius. His brother watched the movement, eyes sweeping to the others around him and the blood splattering to the ground from both werewolves and vampires.

Gabriel could see the blue fires burning in his brother’s eyes. He was also recalculating, reassessing and scheming. Dread slowly filled his chest, though, as Cassius smirked, all his confidence returning. "Yes, it does."

Gabriel frowned and followed his gaze to the outskirts of the castle grounds. They were surrounded by men dressed in black, guns now aiming, readied at the small battleground between the werewolves and vampires. It was about to get bloodier.

"Wow, you brought off the hunters?" Gabriel questioned, sounding impressed. He kept the smugness from his voice or his eyes from roaming to the Alpha King coming towards his brother.

"There should always be a backup plan, dear brother," Cassius smirked again, looking as though he’d already won. "Sadly though, I don’t think Damon behind me is going to make it."

Gabriel’s eyes widened, flicking to the Alpha and the five hunters geared up to the max who appeared and aimed their assault rifles at the Alpha King. "Not unless our dear Aila will return to my side."

Damon growled, his eyes sussing out the hunters behind him, his muscles tensed, ready to attack. Gabriel shook his head slightly, urging him not to be a fool. This was just a way to get Aila back. He knew his brother enough. Even with his black-stained heart, he would not kill Damon Steel. If he did, everything would fall apart.

Aila would never forgive him or help him. She might even kill him. Their bond was not as strong as a mate bond. How could it ever be?

Gabriel clenched his teeth together, refraining from cursing aloud. It would only make his brother smugger. "She’s gone. Leave her be, Cassius."

"Is she now? Not from what I can tell. Come on out, Aila. Don’t be shy," Cassius called out, his and Damon’s eyes looking behind and to the right of Gabriel.

"I’m not being shy, maybe a little sly. Something I learned from you," Aila shouted from his side, and he looked to see her holding one of the hunter’s air rifles. It looked strange in her hands and the awkward way she held it by her side, but Gabriel wasn’t noting that or the blood staining the side of her lips.

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He wondered where the lycans and Esme went. He couldn’t delve into her mind or locate her at the moment, but he knew she was safe. That was all that mattered right now.

"What do you think you’re going to do with that? Come on." Cassius flicked his hand towards him. "I’ll call them off of your mate."

Gabriel watched as Aila took each step incredibly slowly. It made Cassius frown; his attention was zoned in on her. She was quiet, not responding to him, and glowering at Cassius. Gabriel could tell his brother was trying to read her mind, and she was thinking of memories between them. A distraction and a shield to stop the twin vampires from their ability to read minds.

The slight movement out of the corner of his eye made him almost freeze, and his heart skipped a beat, but he remained collected, realising what Aila was doing. Black smoke appeared out of nowhere behind Damon, and his little she-wolf tackled two of the hunters down in a lethal acrobatic display of violence. The other two were swiftly taken out by two lycans.

They didn’t even grunt as the hunters shot bullets into their thick-skinned bodies.

That was when Damon lunged for Cassius, but the vampire was quicker, spinning around and clasping the Alpha King by the throat. Aila screamed from the side; she could feel Cassius’ intentions. Then she felt the bones in her neck beginning to shatter, no not her bones but Damon’s.

Her mate didn’t stop, though, even as his eyes wavered, going in and out of consciousness. He punctured his hand through Cassius’ chest. That was when Gabriel began to intervene, waltzing towards them.

Aila could feel pain ripping through her neck. She gasped, her eyes watering, but she dismissed the feeling, it wasn’t her pain, and she was now in danger from the person sneaking up behind her. But that didn’t matter. Her mate did.

Aila stepped forwards, aiming the gun at Cassius and sucked in her breath as she heard something break. She pulled the trigger just as pain cut into her from behind her shoulder blade. It didn’t matter, though. Aila watched as her bullets shot through Cassius’ spine, up his neck, until a bullet blasted through his head.

Bullseye.

Aila released the breath she held. None of the bullets hit her mate. Gabriel flew forwards then as Cassius released his hold on Damon. The Alpha King fell to the ground, and Gabriel held Cassius by his collar, but his brother slumped against him, and the pair slid to the floor.

Aila stepped towards them and then felt another wave of pain ripple through her. A force pushed her down to the ground, and she gasped, realising this pain was her own. Already she felt the warm liquid of her blood pooling at her back.

"Aila Cross, down." A radio crackled.

"Go confirm."

Aila was flipped onto her back with a military boot and saw a gun aimed at her head.

"It really was a stupid idea to leave that threat for the hunters," Malia murmured, her voice now full of tears. "Are we really going to die again?"

"What are you talking about?" Aila whispered back, not realising she said it aloud, her voice raspy.

"It’s silver bullets laced in wolfsbane," Malia sniffled back.

"I’m not only a werewolf, though," Aila replied as she turned her head to the side, spitting out the blood that rushed up her throat and mouth.

She heard the click of a gun and sighed, "Really?"