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Sophia’s POV

I brushed my hair away from my face as I walked up the house with Jenny. She was rambling about how she had gotten over Ronan and how she was so ready for her next relationship.

We were close to the front door when I felt it—a shift in the air, a ripple of coldness that had nothing to do with the early morning chill. I tensed, my senses sharpening as I scanned the surroundings. Jenny must have noticed the change in my demeanor because she stopped talking mid-sentence.

“Sophia? What is it?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Before I could answer, they appeared—three figures cloaked in darkness, their eyes glowing with malevolent energy. Witches. Not the benign kind that Lyanna was, but the darker, twisted kind that thrived on fear and chaos. I cursed under my breath. I should have sensed them earlier, should have known something was off. But they had masked their presence well, almost too well.

“Get inside,” I hissed at Jenny, pushing her toward the door. She stumbled, panic flaring in her wide eyes, but she obeyed without question.

The witches advanced, their steps slow and deliberate, like predators closing in on their prey. I stepped in front of Jenny, baring my fangs in a silent warning. My vampire instincts roared to the surface, the urge to protect her overwhelming every other thought. But I knew I was at a disadvantage. And there were three of them. And there was just one of me.

“Such a pretty pet you have,” one of the witches sneered, her voice dripping with venom as she eyed Jenny. “Shame you can’t protect her.”

“The same way your vampire prince can’t protect you,” another one added.

“This is about Ian and me?”

“Your prince betrayed us for you. He betrayed his own people, the witches and the lycans for you. You’re supposed to be dead. We’re here to finish what Freya started.”

The others laughed, a sound that echoed with dark magic. They were confident, too confident, and that meant they had a plan. My mind raced, trying to figure out their angle. Why now? Why here?

I didn’t have time to figure it out. The first witch raised her hand, and a bolt of dark energy shot toward me. I barely had time to react, throwing up a shield of my own power. The impact sent me staggering back, and I growled, my fangs fully extended as the fight instinct took over.

But then, just as I was about to launch my counterattack, a familiar voice cut through the tension like a blade.

“Enough!”

The command was sharp, filled with authority, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Lyanna stepped out of the shadows, her presence a sudden, overwhelming force that seemed to push back against the darkness. She looked every inch the powerful witch she was, her eyes glowing with a fierce light that I had rarely seen.

The witches hesitated, their confidence wavering for the first time. Lyanna was not someone to be trifled with, and they knew it. She walked forward, placing herself between me and the intruders, her back straight, her posture commanding.

“This isn’t your fight, Lyanna,” one of the witches spat, but there was fear in her eyes now. “Step aside.”

Lyanna’s laugh was cold, devoid of humor. “You think you can threaten them and I’ll just let you?” She shook her head. “You should know better.”

Without warning, Lyanna raised her hands, and the air crackled with energy. She didn’t even need to speak; her magic was so strong that it responded to her mere intent. The witches staggered back as a wall of light erupted between us, pushing them away from me and Jenny.

They weren’t giving up easily. One of them tried to push through the barrier, her hands glowing with a sickly green light. But Lyanna’s magic held firm, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the witch flying back, crashing into the ground with a force that made the earth shake.

“Leave,” Lyanna commanded, her voice laced with power. “Or I will make you.”

The witches exchanged looks, fear and anger warring in their eyes. They weren’t strong enough to take on Lyanna, not with the sun setting and their element of surprise gone. Finally, with a hiss of frustration, they vanished, their forms dissolving into the shadows from which they had come.

The moment they were gone, I felt the tension drain out of me, leaving a bone-deep weariness in its place. I turned to Jenny, who was still pressed against the door, her face pale but her eyes steady.

“You’re okay,” I said softly, taking a step toward her. “You’re safe.”

She nodded, though I could see the fear lingering in her gaze. “Thanks to you. And Lyanna.”

I turned to Lyanna, who was watching us with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said, though the words felt inadequate.

Lyanna shrugged, but there was a softness in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. “Of course I did. Friends look out for each other.”

“I tried to kill you,” I reminded her and she just shrugged.

“Well, a friend of Ian’s is a friend of mine,” she answered and walked towards the house.

“How long have you been here?” I asked because I knew she didn’t just disappear out of nowhere. She turned around and looked at me. Her eyes were still sparkling from all the power.

This was the first time I had seen the extent of her power. And I was sure it didn’t just end there.

“For a few hours. You’re going to have to explain how you managed to get away from the men who are watching you,” she answered.

“Don’t tell Ian,” I pleaded but she shook her head.

“I’m afraid I can’t keep something as huge as this from Ian. And even if I try to keep it, these men wouldn’t. And that’s if they’re still alive. They could have killed them,” she answered, referring to the witches.

“Let’s get inside,” I said finally, wrapping an arm around Jenny’s shoulders. “We need to talk.”

Jenny nodded, but her eyes were still on Lyanna. “Thank you,” she said quietly, her voice filled with awe. Her body was cold all over probably from the shock of everything that had happened.

Lyanna gave her a small smile. “Anytime.”

Ian had a huge scowl on his face he paced around the living room while Jacob just stood there, his arms crossed as he glared at me. It was clear he blamed me for what had happened today, after all if we didn’t leave the house then it wouldn’t have happened.

But I didn’t care what he thought. I shot him a glare right back, narrowing my eyes at him.

Mike on the other hand was just sitting on the couch, digging into his chips. It was like he didn’t care at all about what was going on and he was just here because of Ian.

“Sophia you fucked up! You were careless! Do you know what could have happened if Lyanna wasn’t here?!” Ian exploded at last.

“You can’t fault me for wanting a breath of fresh air with my best friend,” I shot back, narrowing my eyes at him.

“You could have waited till I was back here,” he snapped and I shook my head. “

“Does that mean I can’t live my life without you hovering around? I wanted some time alone with my best friend and I took it. And you’re complaining,” I snapped. “That’s bullshit!”

“I’m complaining because you put both your life and her life in dager, Jeez!” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Don’t you understand the gravity of what you did? You could have died!”

“Well I didn’t,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. “Let’s just face it. Ian. I will always be in some kind of danger one way or the other. You can’t protect me forever!” I got up and stalked up the stairs. I could hear his footsteps behind me.

“I need you to understand that all that I’m doing I just to protect you, Sophia,” he said, shaking his head. “Why are you being so stubborn? I love you. I marked you. I went against my family to keep you safe! I killed Freya and risked a war to keep you safe! And you being so reckless means all that I sacrificed will go to vein! Is that what you want?”

“Don’t throw that at me, Ian. I never asked for this life!” I yelled at him.

“Yeah well you have that life now so stop being unreasonable and act like someone who has some fucking sense!” He yelled at me and walked away, leaving me alone.

His words pierced my heart and tears welled up in my eyes. I tried blinking them away but they only fell to my cheek instead.