When Talon drew closer, Jewels dropped the alpha, and the dragon automatically reached out and caught him, setting him gently on his feet.
“Pathetic,” Hunter muttered. “Too weak to fall a dozen feet without help.”
Fletcher’s gaze cut into Hunter. “Ah, here’s my most disappointing son. You could have had it all, and you gave it up to be an entitled alpha offour. Tell me, son, has your precious Alpha Council been helpful in this battle against me? With all of their rules and protocols? All of those hoops to jump through?”
Hunter didn’t rise to the bait. “I’ll take being your most disappointing son as a compliment. Why are you even fucking here, Fletcher? You must be one stupid alpha to come here outnumbered and without your army. Your witches have failed. Now we get to kill you.”
Fletcher’s laughter was high-pitched and creepy, as if the final strands of his unhinged mind were unraveling. “Jewels would never let that happen. She’s the strongest witch in the world, and we’ve been planning this for a long time. Ever since she helped me mastermind the last war with her mother.”
Most of my pack and the enforcers around us watched Fletcher, but I was staring at Jewels, who had just been outed as a fuckingTermaine witch.
Her face hardened, and as she narrowed her eyes on Fletcher, there was only hatred in her gaze. “Actually, I think I might let you clean up this mess alone,” she called, her eyes going dark as she turned briefly to stare into that eerie moon. “I don’t think I need you anymore. Or any shifters.” With that, her magic pulsed against us, and she vanished the same way she did before, taking that oppressive blanket of energy with her.
Fletcher flinched, and immediately looked around, his face a shade of pale that didn’t look healthy. The sky was clear and empty as witches either bailed, or were already burned and twitching on the ground. He started to back away, until his gaze settled on Talon, and a spark of life returned to his features.
“Shift and get me out of here,” he demanded, grabbing for the dragon. “We’ll get your mate later.”
Talon stared at me, his expression unwavering and hard, but I still had faith in him.
“She’ll be in pain,” he murmured, voice flat.
Fletcher struck him across the face with a closed fist, which had my wolf raging to the forefront. She burst from my skin, and I launched myself at the alpha, needing to tear him to pieces. Fletcher used his dominance first, seemingly used to fighting alphas, but I wasn’t slowed as I slammed against his chest. Clamping my jaws around his throat.
I jerked back in one motion, following the instinct of my beast to tear and shake.
Fletcher recovered fast, and smashed his fist into my chest, forcing air from my lungs as he pummeled my chest. When I landed on my side, still in wolf form, winded and injured from the blow, the street filled with a menacing rumble. By the time Finley reached my side and started checking for injuries, heat scorched the air around us.
“You’re okay, darlin’,” Finley said, helping me up.
My wolf whimpered as we shook off the pain, and I nodded to assure him that I’d live. Fletcher, who’d remained in the same position, was already healing, his throat closed up.
He was strong, that much was for sure, but he’d made a mistake when he hit me.
Slade and Talon now held his arms, keeping him trapped between them as Hunter stalked forward.
“I’m your alpha,” Fletcher spluttered to Talon. “You were supposed to learn their secrets, not join their fucking team.”
Both dragons rumbled louder, until it felt like the vibration rattled my aching bones.
“You. Hit. Her,” Talon seethed, his teeth clenched hard so that his words were barely audible. “You hit my mate. You hurt her.”
I whimpered again, wishing I could comfort my alphas, who now faced off against the asshole who’d raised them.
“She attacked me,” Fletcher argued, his eyes widening. “I was simply defending myself.”
Talon met my gaze for a long minute, and I silently promised that I would have his back forever.Mate. Pack. Forever.
With a nod, he turned back to his brother, and with one strong inhalation, their muscles tensed and they yanked. Just as Hunter reached out with his claws and swiped.
The three of them tearing Fletcher Davenport into two very dead pieces.
CHAPTER 62
TALON
Alpha hit her. My fucking mate.MINE!
He had promised me from the time I agreed to his plan, that when he presented me with a mate and we bonded, she would be safe from the repercussions of any battle.
