We landed near Hunter and I returned to my bipedal form, the change bringing a wave of fatigue far greater than any I’d felt in a long time.
“Jewels is in Golden Claw,” I told them, forcing my legs to stand strong and sure. “She’s been right there, under our nose the entire time. And she’s gunning for Emme.”
Hunter’s curse rang out through the cavernous space and he just took off for the exit. Talon and I were right behind him, smashing any witches and shifters we passed. Not that there were many left.
“We’ll clean up here,” Will shouted from where he stood with a battered group of our allies. “You take out the witch.”
Hunter saluted him but didn’t look back. While a few might have escaped in the bedlam, for the most part we’d decimated Jewels’ hidden army.
Blood, ash, and death coated us, but we didn’t care. We had to get home to our omega.
“She’s still alive,” Hunter said, desperate worry lacing every word.
She was. That much we could tell. But for how long?
CHAPTER 44
EMME
Jewels’ web of magic had clearly been woven day by day since she’d fled from the family compound. It was so thick and cloying that after only a few minutes within its grasp I felt sick. My head spun, and there was a heavy pressure on my chest that made each breath harder and harder to take.
Tendrils of my magic rose as Jewels lifted her hands; this was the moment she planned to destroy me and tear apart our pack.
Which I couldn’t let happen.
Kassidy met my gaze, and without words we both took off down the hall. Jewels hadn’t bothered to restrain us, knowing we couldn’t escape the house. Psychotic bitch probably wanted us to run.
Predators always enjoyed the chase before the kill.
“Do you know your way around this house?” Kassidy huffed as we darted into the living room.
“Yes, most of it,” I told her in a rush.
This place wasn’t as large as the Reeves pack house, but it was still sizeable, and I’d only lived here for a few days. “She has all the exits locked down,” I griped. “Her magic is everywhere.”
Kassidy’s expression soured. “Yeah. She’s clearly spent her time since the battle fortifying this as her stronghold.”
A black widow building her nest.
Jewels’ laughter rang out from behind us. As I’d expected, she was amused by our pathetic attempts to escape. As we’d just established, this was a nest, and her prey was well trapped.
But that didn’t mean we’d go down without a fight.
“If I can get a minute or two to focus on my quintet bond, I can try and get through to my alphas,” I murmured. “At least warn them, and maybe they can send enforcers here.”
Not that there was really anyone in Golden Claw with the capability to take on a powerful, ancient witch. “How will you get through to them?” Kassidy asked, jerking her head as if she couldn’t understand my words. “My phone isn’t working, and you never take yours anywhere.”
I’d forgotten that she didn’t know the full extent and strength of our quintet. “We can mentally communicate,” I huffed out as we raced through another hallway. “It happened when we sealed the full quintet. Along with releasing my magic.”
I took her by surprise for the second time today. She blinked at me so rapidly I was worried that her brain had short circuited. “Mentally communicating in quintets is like… a myth.” It was a whispered statement of disbelief, but at least she was still running. “I know quintets can track and sense each other. They know when the other is in danger or hurt, but they can’t communicate. That never happens.”
Apparently it does. “You can also never bond six into a quintet,” I reminded her, “and wolves don’t usually have magic. We’re the exception.”
Which wasn’t always a good thing. The exception brought out the power-hungry fucks who tried to either kill or use you.
My reminder snapped her right out of her shock, and within ten more seconds she was all on board. “Right.Right. Okay, we need to give you some time to try contact your pack.” She picked up the pace and I stayed with her. We were nearing the back of the house. “Is it possible you could use your magic to break out of here?”
I had absolutely no idea. “I’m willing to try,” I said as we both slammed against the glass door that led to the back patio area. The material didn’t even flex, magic stopping us from making contact.
