“Alpha,” Maurleen croons. “Why don’t we take this inside?”
“Shut up,” he barks. The order makes me flinch. “He hasn’t marked her. Hasn’t brought her before the Council. Why?”
Shoving down my anxiety, I address the elder male. “Axe will return soon with the other warriors. I’m sure he would be glad to speak with you then.”
His broad chest puffs as he takes three giant steps forward. The two males flanking him follow suit. “What manner of witch are you, anyhow? I never did get a demonstration.”
“What makes you think you’re entitled to one?” Nell growls. In my periphery, a lean wolf emerges from the side of the courtyard. Mahogany fur and striking gold irises. Cora. She crouches on my left, growling assertively.
On the Alpha’s right flank, the dark-bearded male breathes my scent in, shuddering. Opposite of him, a lycan with enormous, corded arms falls to his knees, eyes rolling back into his head. Paul whirls over his shoulder, swearing to himself. Slowly, he looks back to me, beady eyes wide and disturbed.
“What kind of hex is this?”
“Ask the moon,” Maurleen muses.
The moonstruck male groans as he shifts into wolf form, crawling towards me with feral eyes. Inhaling sharply, I unholster my guns. Nell unleashes an arrow, where it lands at the lycan’s feet. The charcoal beast freezes, dropping its head with a growl.
“There’s more where that came from,” she warns.
The patrol unit gallops onto the scene, encircling the trespassers. Wyatt kicks off his boots and shifts into his shaggy brown wolf.
“Here’s what I think, Ms. James,” Paul grunts. “You two lied, not just to earn back your status with Glacier Meadow, but to hide a secret right under my nose. I’m not a fool. Whatever she is, Vessa is powerful. But I don’t think you smuggled her into this pack just to unite her with her mate. She might not even be his mate, for all we know.”
“How dare you,” Maurleen snaps.
Dread rattles my bones. Axe isn’t here to defend himself. Or our bond.
Cora objects fiercely, baring her sharp teeth. In my periphery, Nell creeps forward, her next arrow nocked.
“Look around—her scent has every male in a trance. No wolf in his right mind would leave his unclaimed female sovulnerable on a night like this. So, what’s he waiting for?” His black eyes narrow as they flick back to me. “Tell me, are they afraid of Skornokovy, or is it you?”
Paul’s Sentinel lunges at Wyatt and the patrol wolves unleash themselves on the others. Cora quickly shepherds Maurleen towards the stairs. Dodging a pair struggling for dominance, Paul charges Nell, only to be halted at the bottom step as he comes face to face with the barrels of my guns.
“Time to go, Paul. Unless you’re prepared to challenge your Commander.”
He doesn’t yield. “Order me away and I’ll take this straight to the Yinsew Council. Despite what he may think, the Commander isn’t above the law.”
Nell snarls, Cora right at her heels. Waiting for my signal.
Something clicks in Paul’s head. “You know, Maurleen, you had me eating right out of your hand with your little sob story. But your coven leader didn’t die protecting you, did she? She sacrificed herself to ensure the vampires wouldn’t get their hands on Vessa here.”
I shudder at the mention of Jasper Ridge. My first refuge after I was forced to leave home behind, only to nearly be snatched by the demon I’m cursed to marry.
Shit.Shit.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your Alpha’s contempt for vampires. If the Blood Master is interested in a human for more than her blood, then surely the Commander would do anything to possess her. To hijack his endgame, whatever it may be. To claim his vengeance. You sent Skornokovy an offering. Not a mate.”
Maurleen clenches her fists. “You accusing me of treason, Paul? That’s bold, even for you.”
Snarling, he continues. “If this girl is who I suspect she is, then she was marked for death the moment she drew her firstbreath. If war is brewing in the province, we ought to know. Because I refuse to lay down my life for a cause Skornokovy could easily squash with a pair of balls.”
Nell responds with an ear-splitting growl, driving her foot into his lower abdomen. Cursing, Paul tumbles down the steps. Cora descends on him, pinning him to the ground. With a flick of her wrists, the Beta’s long black claws unsheathe.
“One more word and you’ll be choking on yours, asshole.”
Sweat gathers in droplets on his hairline. “Do you think the Master of Somnium will spare any of us when he comes for her?”
My aim is locked in as I scan across the quad. Bursting through the barrier of thick pines, two more lycan males emerge, jumping headfirst into the brawl. Howls echo from deep within the forest. Other wolves are starting to listen in.
