“Shit,” I said. “Are Sinthy’s wards still up?”
Felipe nodded. “They are, but she’s too weak to enhance them. They’re nothing like they were before. More like a fence than anything. I’m… hell… I’m not sure they’ll hold.”
“Come on. Get everyone to meet at the gate. Move.” I looked at Maddy. “Stay here.”
She looked like she wanted to argue, but she slumped onto the couch, her breath leaving her in a huff as she crossed her arms.
“This is going to be okay. I promise,” I said as I left.
For some peculiar reason, I wasn’t worried. In fact, as I walked to the gate, I was completely calm. Sinthy’s barrier wasn’t as strong as the last. If a big enough force tried to push through, they would probably be successful, but they’d suffer for it. It would be painful, and even if they got through, we’d make them pay.
By the time I made it to the gate, it was already a moot point. The rest of my pack had heard the approaching vehicles and headed to the gates. The attacking force had been determined. They’d managed to push nearly a half dozen of their group through the forcefield, but those had been ineffective fighters asthe electric shock of the spell—while not as strong as before—was still painful.
My pack had given them a few bumps and bruises to remember us by, then pushed them back through the barrier. It was like watching someone push a person through thick gel.
I stepped close to the barrier, raising my voice. “Go home. There’s nothing for you here.”
A man in a rather nice suit came stomping forward, nearly pressing against the barrier.
“You filthy motherfuckers! We’re here to rid the world of you. Viola Monroe knows what’s going on. She will lead us in eradicating your filth. Do you understand?”
Behind him, the flashing blue-and-red lights of cops heading our way lit the sky. I bared my teeth.
“If you’re so dead set on it, then come on through. It’s a little painful, but I’m ready if you are,” I said, staring him dead in the eyes.
The sirens became louder as we stared at each other. Finally, whether he was afraid to put his money where his mouth was or the idea of getting arrested for being a violent bigot got to him, he and the others sprinted back to their cars, jumping in and peeling out as the cops approached.
“Everyone good?” I asked as I turned to my pack.
“All good, Nico,” Luis said. “We got this. I’ll talk to the cops. You can head on back.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need me for anything else. Make sure our people on patrol around the perimeter have enough help. I don’t like that they were able to push through the barrier so easily.”
“It wasn’t that easy,” Luis said. “Did you hear them screaming as they went through? Didn’t look like fun.”
“Yeah, still. Add people if needed.”
I was back at the house less than ten minutes later. If I’d hoped to relax, I’d been terribly misguided. It seemed the drama of the day wasn’t quite done yet.
My phone rang as I walked in the door. This number wasn’t masked, and it wasn’t another alpha calling to give me his support. It was Viola. My eyes jerked away from the screen and locked on Maddy’s face. She jumped up, sensing my fear and anxiety.
“Is it her?” she asked.
I nodded and answered the phone on speaker so Maddy could hear.
“Hello, Viola,” I said with as much calm confidence as I could muster.
“You, Mr. Lorenzo, have become a very large thorn in my side.” Her voice was controlled, but I could sense the undercurrent of rage beneath it.
“In what way, Viola? Are you mad that your little sycophants can’t murder babies anymore?”
Viola chortled a brittle laugh. “Oh, I don’t consider your types human. Killing a shifter baby is no different from stomping on a maggot that churns in the rotting flesh of a rat carcass.”
“Lovely to speak to you as always. Each time is a delight.”
I wasn’t surprised that she’d reached out. She was the face of the anti-shifter movement, and by no planning of my own, I’d become the face of the resistance. It had only been a matter of time before she called. That didn’t make things any easier.
“Your littlerebellionhas gone far enough,” Viola said. “It’s time we settled this once and for all. From the moment you saved that bitch of yours?— ”
