Trying to calm down a pregnant woman is like trying to herd a group of cats. It’s something I never want to do again as I try to make Tereza understand that she isn’t going anywhere. Even if it is Red Eyes, I won’t let him take her.

“Tereza,” I growl as we finally make it to her trailer. My fingers wrapping around her arm to pull her to a halt. “You need to stop worrying. No matter what, nothing is happening to you or the baby.”

“How do you know that?”

I glare at her, my nose wrinkling as I’m about to snap back. But I can’t. I’m cut off by her scream as someone drops to the ground nearby. My heart drops into my stomach as I look to see who it is.

Red Eyes.

“Get inside,” I breathe, pushing Tereza towards her trailer as I hear Red Eyes humming. “Now!”

“Isn’t that—"

Yes, but I didn’t want to get into it, so I yanked her a different direction. Cutting her off; I didn’t want to listen to her asking if that was the family lullaby. I had no idea how Red Eyes even knew the stupid thing. Nor did I want to know. All I can focus on is getting us the hell away from him.

An endeavor that failed.

Unfortunately, the one thing that I forgot was the Red Eyes never worked alone. There are always some sort of creatures with him. This time, it is werewolves. One of them cuts us off so that we have nowhere to go.

My muscles tensed up as I felt the familiar tingle in the tips of my fingers. I have to think of a way to get us out of here that doesn’t include using magic. Though it would be the easiest way to go about this, I had no reason to take their life— not yet at least.

"Miss Miller, I'm not in the right shoes to go chasing after you and your companion. If you would do me the favor of just coming with me, I can see to it that the little one you're carrying remains with you."

“Ros,” Tereza looks at me, scared beyond belief; every story we’ve ever heard about Red Eyes ends with death.

“She’s not going anywhere with you, Red Eyes.” I hiss, moving between them. The tingles spread up my hand to my forearm as I look between him and the male werewolf he is with.

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Miss...?

“Cercel.” I state, looking back at him as I flick my thumbnail against my pointer finger. Waiting for one of them to move so I could make their life hell. “If you even attempt to take her, one of us isn’t leaving here alive, and it’s not me, Red Eyes.”

"Rosilyn Cercel? Oh, how I was hoping..." He smiles, and it churns my stomach. "You aren't really going to put Miss Miller through the stress of a fight, are you? I am leaving here with a witch, and considering both of your status', I would prefer it be you."

Leaving with a witch. That statement makes my skin crawl as I think about it. It makes it sound as if he isn’t going to just outright kill whomever he took. Though that idea intrigued me, I don’t want to test it. Not with Tereza.

If I am an acceptable option… “you promise you won’t hurt her? That she won't be taken?”

“You can’t be serious!” Tereza whispers loudly, glaring at me as she pulls her arm from me. “Ros—“

Shaking my head, I glare at her for a moment before I look back to Red Eyes. “The carnage stops here. If another person dies, I will rip out your heart and mount it on my wall. No harm comes to Tereza, her baby, or anyone else. Those are my terms.”