Gideon's expression didn't change, but the air around him shimmered with barely contained power. “Funny thing about prophecies,” he said conversationally. “They have a way of not coming true when you murder the people making them.”
The threat hung in the air for a heartbeat, crystalline and sharp. Then the rogue made his move.
He twisted with shocking speed, using his superior weight to roll us both toward the tree line. I tried to maintain my hold, but he was older, more experienced at this kind of fighting. His claws raked across my shoulder, and the sudden flare of pain loosened my grip just enough.
He broke free and scrambled backward, putting distance between us before I could lunge again. Blood matted his fur where my teeth had found purchase, but he was still standing, still dangerous.
“Until next time, heir,”he said, pale eyes finding mine with predatory promise.“Learn to fight your own battles. The witch won't always be there to save you.”
He whistled sharp and high, a sound that cut through the night air like breaking glass. The remaining rogues immediately disengaged from their fights, flowing back toward the forest with the kind of coordination that spoke of years of working together.
My wolf wanted to chase them, wanted to finish what they'd started, but Gideon caught my eye and shook his head slightly. There were too many unknowns, too many ways an pursuit could go wrong.
Within moments, they were gone—melting back into the darkness like they'd never been there at all. The only evidence of their presence was the blood soaking into sacred ground and the lingering stench of wild places and madness.
I shifted back to human form, the change ripping through me in reverse as bones snapped back into their original configuration. My knees hit the ground hard enough to leave bruises, and blood dripped from wounds that painted abstract patterns across sacred earth.
I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the way my vision swam and my legs threatened to give out. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving behind the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that came after shifting twice in rapid succession and getting the shit kicked out of me by something twice my size.
But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was?—
“Nate,” I called out, spinning toward the tree line where I'd last seen him. My heart hammered against my ribs as I scanned the shadows, looking for any sign of movement.
I found him near the edge of the clearing, Sienna crouched beside him with her hands pressed to his shoulder. Even from a distance, I could see the dark stain spreading across his jacket, could smell the copper tang of fresh blood mixing with pine and earth.
My wolf snarled under my skin, fury and terror warring for dominance. He was hurt. My mate was hurt, and I'd been too busy playing hero to protect him.
“How bad?” I asked, dropping to my knees beside them. My hands were shaking as I reached for him, and I had to clench them into fists to stop the tremor.
“Not as bad as it looks,” Sienna said, her hands steady as she pressed a makeshift bandage against Nate's shoulder. Blood had soaked through his jacket, but he was sitting upright, alert, very much alive. “Claws caught him when that rogue went down. Missed anything vital, but he's going to need stitches.”
Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly gave out. “Nate.”
“I'm okay,” he said quickly, reaching for me with his good arm. “Really, I'm okay. But Evan, you look like you went through a blender.”
I caught his hand, needing the contact to prove he was real, that he was safe. “I'll heal.”
“Yeah, well, I'd prefer if you didn't have to quite so often.” His voice was steady but I could see the shock lingering in his eyes, the way he kept glancing at the spot where the rogue Alpha had been standing.
“Sienna,” I turned to the pack's healer, gratitude thick in my throat. “Thank you. For getting to him, for?—”
She waved me off with blood-stained fingers. “He's pack now, isn't he? We protect our own.” Her expression softened slightly. “Besides, he didn't panic. Stayed put when I told him to, let me work. Smart boy.”
“I have my moments,” Nate said dryly.
That's when Dad's voice cut across the clearing like a blade through silk. “So. You finally showed them.”
I turned to find him staring at Gideon with an expression that was entirely too calm, too unsurprised. Like he'd been waiting for this moment instead of shocked by it.
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. “You knew.”
It wasn't a question.
Dad's silence was answer enough.
I struggled to my feet, fury blazing through exhaustion and blood loss. Nate tried to steady me, but I was too angry to accept comfort. “How long?”
“Since before you were born.” Dad's voice carried the weight of decades, of choices made in shadow and silence. “Gideon's been our ally for over twenty years.”
