* * *
I went back to Reed’s cabin alone to gather what I needed. The vial of Ethan’s blood, still half full, which I took from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I pocketed it carefully. Reed would need it. The venom in the Algea’s claws would have him paralyzed. Without a way to undo that, this was a suicide mission.
Though it was technically a suicide mission either way.Because my human self had to die for this plan to work.
Next, I retrieved the amulet from my duffel. The heavy gold was cool in my palm. I didn’t know if I’d need it, but I shoved it in my pocket anyway.
Last, I checked my gun to make sure it was fully loaded with silver bullets. Then I grabbed a spare magazine, just in case.
When I had everything, I stood in the middle of the cabin, looking around, trying to memorize it. This was my last time seeing it as a human man. This place had been a home. For such a brief time, but it had been real. And it was worth fighting for.
I left the cabin without looking back.
* * *
The pack was waiting at the fire pit when I returned. They’d lit a fire and then built up the flames until they were bright and crackling in the darkness.
The witches stood off to one side. Poppy, with Simone next to her. On one side of them, Tatiana and Wynn, who’d regained consciousness. On the other, Ethan and Nathaniel.
The rest of the pack formed a loose circle around the fire.
Oliver handed me a machete when I approached. “The Algea needs to be beheaded and its body burned.”
I nodded, tucking the machete through the loop of my belt at my side. I would need my hands free for my gun. The machete was going to be a killing blow only.
Emma stepped forward, a solemn look in her eyes. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “We will administer the bite to your forearm. The magic will take you more slowly than if we did it on your torso, as it will take longer to reach your heart. That will give you more time to reach Reed before the transition completes.”
“How much time?”
“An hour. Maybe two.” Her expression was grave. “The bite will cause a fever. It will stop your heart. You must die as a man to be reborn as a wolf.”
I nodded, even though I felt a thrill of fear at the prospect. “I understand.”
“You are brave,” she said. “You are loyal. And you are true to your word. These are the qualities the pack values above all else.” She paused. “No matter what happens next, you will always be one of ours from this moment forward.”
The subtext wasn’t lost on me.If you die, we’ll remember you.
My throat tightened. “Thanks.”
“Lacey, Hunter, and Lee will accompany you into the woods in wolf form,” Emma continued. “But they will be unable to cross through with you. This is something only you can do.”
I nodded, ready to get this over with. Between the bonfire and the speech, the buildup seemed like it might be worse than the bite.
Then Emma’s expression turned sympathetic. “Unfortunately, this will hurt. There’s no way around that, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah,” I said stiffly. “I kind of figured.”
Lee and Hunter stood, stripping out of their shirts and shoes. Lacey did the same, her expression set and determined.
Then, one by one, they shifted.
The transformations were fast and, unlike the werewolf movies I’d seen, seemingly painless. Within seconds, three large wolves stood facing me.
Lacey stepped forward. She was pure gray and slightly smaller than the twins. Her eyes were locked on mine.
