The tension of the cool night air prickles my skin and I watch in dismay as the wolves nearby scatter off
into the preplanned groups and move towards the village. Leaving me feeling like we are vulnerable
and few. They are to try and gain alliance with those we left behind, from the shadows, and we’re to
wait here as a front line for the invaders heading our way. They will drive us back towards the valley
where we will be met with reinforcements and hopefully will have thinned out the invaders a little.
The witch can see them coming and we don’t have long yet it seems like it’s already been hours. Tense
and hidden and waiting as our numbers lessen and our pack melts into the village to try and reinforce
us with the ones we left behind. We need the numbers to stand a chance, and to avoid a collision with
Juan beforehand in case we get distracted. Juan won’t focus only on them, but his desire to see Colton
fall will push his hatred both ways.
My heart starts beating wildly in my chest as I cower behind my mate, flanked by my most trusted and
close my eyes against the now heavy darkness to listen to the sounds around us.
“The vampires know something’s up and have split and made a wide berth around the valley. They
changed course so waiting here is futile. They are aiming for the village, not us.” Leyanne bursts into
our somber bubble, startling me in the process, appearing right beside Colton as though summoned
from thin air. Her dark figure concealed with that witchy cloak she is so fond of, which makes her both
mysterious and terrifying. If I had to conjure a movie witch in my head, she would look like this. Hair
flying in the darkness face pale and delicate with almost black eyes.
“Shit. They know we’re here?” Colton shifts back to human to reply, still crouching on all fours.
“Likely. Varro has his spies much like I do and some of those beasts have wings. No doubt you were
seen. Your wolves in the village….. have they had any luck?”
I shake my head in his stead, not knowing what sort of persuasions are going on as none of them have
linked us yet. They might still be stealth crawling close enough to get in there before Juan’s minions
kick off. It seems Varro has little to no interest in anyone but the ones still living on this mountain.
“We can’t stay here while they infiltrate behind us. We have to hit this face on. …..I need to go right to
the target. My father. It’s the only way to get between them and be where Varro is heading.” Colton
stands up abruptly and Leyanne turns away to shield his unexpected nakedness. She seems unphased
by it since she has been around us but non wolves tend to be conservative about it in the way we are
not. A sign of respect is to not stare at us naked.
“And then what? Fight him?” I blurt out in impulse and instant fear, shaking my head to try and dislodge
the panic forming.
“It’s going to happen one way or another. At least if we are in there first, we can be more use than out
here. If we stay here we might not be part of it at all.” Colton smooths his hand over my hair in a sweet
and comforting way, knowing how I’m starting to feel. His voice tender for a second.
I know he’s right and I am clinging onto some hope that we can intercept Varro, that my existence will
be enough to end this without a fight, even if deep down I know it’s a lie.
“Colton… not to sidetrack, but..” Leyanne interrupts with a sudden serious gaze. “About the issue with
a certain previous conversation. The things I needed for a spell. I ticked it off my to do list while I was
out perusing my birds.” Her penetrative gaze and hushed tone make it clear that her words are not for
Sierra, who is close by and we both know immediately what she’s talking about.
The bind between our lives. She said she could break it and until now she hadn’t mentioned it again.
This is her way of saying she didn’t forget and while she’s been absent, she took care of it. Quiet and
efficient, just the kind of powerful witch she is. As though it was nothing more than a simple errand she
had to run. She wants us to know before we head off to fight. That the danger connecting us to Juan, is
now not an issue to anyone but Sierra.
“Hmmmm” Colton acts distracted and uninterested, but I can read his intensive focus on her and
Leyanne sees it too.
“Problem solved. Isn’t an issue anymore. Completed a successful mini mission with absolution.
Between us three, right?” She smiles softly and pats him on the head in an absurdly cute manner. I
almost baulk and choke on my own saliva in disbelief that with a snap of her fingers, it’s just done. Half
my life tied to my mother-in-law and now, blink, blink, it’s undone.
“I…..?” The words die in my throat as my mate catches my hand and squeezes it tight, bringing me
back to my senses.
“Right. Thanks.” Colton coughs to cover my reaction and yet I can feel his sudden spike in adrenaline
as it courses through me too. She’s unlinked us and now more than ever, Sierra should never find out.
If she knew, she would sacrifice herself for the good of the pack and her son. We both know this.
Alpha… the Vampires are coming in from the mountain and south side. We need you here. It’s started.
The link comes at us out of the blue. Domi from the valley, a cry for help and everything becomes
Chaos. My heart lurching because I know talking it over, making plans, it’s all futile. No longer
hesitating because Colton’s decision is made for him.
Wolves begin breaking away from our line, Colton turns to me and pulls me close to him. It’s so fast, so
rushed and I almost get lost in the movements. I try to cling onto them passing with sudden fear but he
draws me to him and pulls me in to his chest.
“Go with Leyanne and the guard, take my Mom. Get to the manor and wait for me there. That’s where
my father will be and where Varro will go. Flank the main entrance and do nothing else but stay put.”
His casual confidence he normally wears like a shroud is gone and instead he’s grasping for a new
plan as everything falls around us like dust. They were supposed to come head on.
“I can try and talk to him, try and stop this…” I start but am silenced with a shake of the head.
“He won’t stop. He wants revenge. Just go and stay there. You have guards, Carmen, My mom and
Leyanne. Stay safe. Get out of the way if vampires flood the manor and don’t go inside for anything. I’ll
be there as soon as we control the threat to the rest of the pack. They’re hitting the villages first.
Furthest from the manor…. I’ll get back to you before any of them do.”
I know what he’s thinking. Deal with the attack, rally the pack and put me furthest away from the fight
while he does it. His plan to stay with me isn’t going to work if the vampires have separated out to flank
the entire village. He won’t be able to fight hard and gain control with one eye on me the whole time.
He knows he has to come to the manor where his father will be hiding, so right now he thinks it’s the
safest place for me to wait. Varro won’t know where Juan is and will expect him as alpha to come to the
aide of his pack at the south edge. They have no idea that Juan will happily watch his own blood die to
save himself and his loyal.
“Okay… I love you.” I don’t know what else to say beyond that. I can argue, beg him to stay with me but
we both know he needs to lead. Our pack is strongest with him at the forefront.
“Take her and go.” Colton nods to Radar who immediately comes to my side and presses to my
shoulder with his. Flanking me and I’m almost squeezed as another wolf gets at my other side. Colton
leans in fast, hits me on the forehead with a firm kiss before turning and leaping backwards into the air
and turning mid flow. Form beautiful human to fierce beast as he lets out a war howl and it seems to
erupt all around us.
In the blink of an eye he’s gone, along with a trailing tail of wolves coming from the undergrowth.
Heading where they are needed where the battle is already beginning.
Luna…Please Radar links me and I am nudged out of my trance like state and pushed into moving in
the direction their bodies force me. I glance back to see my entourage forming a circle around me and
Sierra comes up at my rear so her nose is an inch from my neck.
We will get through this together. Don’t be afraid. She links me with that sweet and calm tone. The
mother in her needing to console me.
We move stealthily through the woods and out into the open, the night air chilling my skin into
goosebumps. The sight of old familiar territory churning my soul in strange ways as my own homeland
appears before me like a dark and haunting memory. We are fast to close the gap across wide open
space and head to our destination with intention.
To the Manor, the place I never thought I would go back to and the man hiding within its walls I hoped
to never lay eyes on again.
I can feel the tension in the air and the sounds of a raging fight begin to echo our way on the wind,
which is strangely soft tonight. My hair rises on my skin as the hackles on my wolf guards follow suit.
The noises of a war that are familiar with past experiences yet so different form this distance.
Calls, cries, ripping and crunching. It sounds like trees being pulled from the earth while rocks crumble
and wood splinters. Howls circle around us and links form the pack begin a dizzying crescendo in our
heads as they communicate and try to filter one another out amid the frenzy of battle.
Block the links, don’t listen. I’ll tell you if you need to hear anything. Carmen comes through the
deafening mess with her sweet and strong tone. Commanding me yet saving me at the same time. As
Luna I shouldn’t block out my people, but I don’t have the mental capacity in human form to separate
the links the way I can as wolf. It’s all coming at once and ripping my heart to shreds as I absorb the
fear and pain of my pack in our own special way of communicating.
“She’s right. You are here to be seen and nothing else. When your father shows up, then you can do
something. Let your mate do what he needs to do and block the rets out. “ Leyanne pats me on the
head and it’s only now I realize she is with me and not with them. I turn with a sudden flinch and glare
at her.
“Why aren’t you with Colton? Where he needs you the most?” I blanche.
“Oh pet. You really have no faith in your mate or your pack. I am where I need to be. You are important
to not only your people, but the future of two breeds, maybe even three. I am only doing my civic duty
as an immortal sister.” She smiles in her carefree and grating way and saunters on ahead, lighting the
way with a dull glow from her palm and yet it irks me on many levels. I open my mouth to protest but
am silenced by Sierra.
She’s right. You’re in the center of all this. Colton wants you protected, and the witch is useful to us if
we are strolling towards the lion’s den. Juan may not stay inside and hide when he knows you and I are
standing at his front door. In fact, I’m hoping on it.
Sierra sounds detached and almost cold. Her emotions swirling with bitterness and hatred that I know
are aimed at her mate. I blink towards her and have a moment of doubt. Knowing how desperately
Sierra wants to see Juan fall, feeling it in her every breath, I suddenly become scared that she feels the
change about our bond. That maybe somehow, she knows the witch has done something.
There’s fight in her words, a weird sense of fire and fury coming through and I hesitate at the possibility
Sierra is hoping for Juan to face us down while the pack is distracted. Maybe she knows already,
maybe this is what she wants. If somehow, some crazy way, she sensed the bond between us had
been unlinked, then maybe right now all she is focusing on is heading to a target she now thinks she
has the power to take on alone.
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