She looked like she was going to cry, and it was a relief when Kade broke the moment by saying, “Well, at least now we have a plan to scare off the winter queen and the dark fae. We just need Violet to try to dye her hair again.”
That got Violet laughing again, and I was grateful for that. Baladar’s booming voice echoed around the room as he launched into a story of his own.
Kade leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Be right back.”
I lost track of Baladar’s story as I let my focus rest on Kade. I couldn’t believe at a momentwhen the entire world was falling apart, I could still be so happy. It seemed … wrong. But also, it was the best kind of right that had ever happened to me.
Kade paused briefly to chat with Victor, Monica, and Jen, and when they started to get up, he waved them off, no doubt reminding them he didn’t need someone to hold his hand to the bathroom.
I love you.He was going to get a big head, considering how many times I’d told him that, but I would never stop.
His chuckle drifted through my mind, and the heat that followed was like a rush of warm water.I love you, Ari. I’m going to tell you every single day. Multiple times a day. For the rest of our long lives.
Fear trickled through the warmth of his love, and I pulled away to not only give him privacy, but to also hide my own growing anxiety. Those damn fae were trying to take away my happiness. We couldn’t let that happen. I refused to give up. Not now. Not ever.
Calista leaned over to me and patted my hand. “We will win this war.” Apparently, I was hiding none of my emotions today.
Before I could respond, I felt Finn’s energy darken and then bristle with anxiety.Kade’s hurt.
Those two words flushed ice water through my veins and I stood abruptly. Tapping into my bond with him again, I was immediately hit with sharp pain and anger.Oh shit.
“Kade’s under attack!” I shouted.
Baladar stood, throwing his hands out. His magic slammed into all of us; it threw me back a few inches, but once it cleared I burst into action. What was it with the damn bathrooms here? Last time we were here I was attacked by a fae in the bathroom.
Baladar must have thought the same because he said, while running right behind me, “It isn’t fae. That spell was designed to reveal all … and I only sense our kind.”
I was in the lead, and upon turning the corner, a rage so strong and potent I could taste it filled me. Six dominant wolves had Kade pinned down in the hallway, just outside the bathroom door. There was a blanket of magic over the top of him, and they were slashing out with weapons. I took a split-second to catalogue the scene for any other possible attacks, but the only other being in here was Vinnie, and he was knocked out in the corner.
I let out an enraged scream; my ice magic burst from me without thought, slamming the six wolves into the wall. The training I’d been doing with Rowan and Violet had helped immenselywith tapping into it almost unconsciously. The shifters were back on their feet in seconds, turning to brandish their weapons at me.
I snarled, loud and animal-like. My wolf was prancing close to the surface, wanting to break free.No, we need our magic.
“You are all guilty of treason!” I said, my words slow and drawn out, my fury spilling over in each. “You have attacked your king.”
Kade was still trapped under the magical netting, I had no idea where they had gotten such a thing, but I planned on breaking it. It also looked like they were outfitted with magically enhanced weaponry. That was the only way they could have gotten the drop on my mate, I knew that without a doubt.
I recognized them all; it was Stan and his inner circle. They had been very outspoken against Kade and I joining the two packs together. How had they known we were coming here tonight? Had it simply been that Stan had seen us and called in reinforcements? Or had we been betrayed once again?
Stan spat at my feet. “He’s no king of ours, he’s the enemy. You are the enemy also. A fae, mated to a bear … this is blasphemy. You both should die for what you’ve done to our world. You’ve destroyed the ways of old, and we will not stand for it.”
He flung a knife at me; it must have been concealed in his free hand. Mecca and fae power burst from me, aiming to halt the blade. Only it wasn’t halted; it cut through my magic with ease, almost like it had been designed to do that. A low groan escaped me as the blade slammed into my shoulder, all the way to the hilt. The pain burst across my senses, but it was dulled by my adrenalin and anger.
Kade roared from the floor. His huge body started to shift as he fought the netting.
I’m okay,I told him, but he was too enraged to hear.
“How did you know we were here?” I asked, uncaring which of the traitors answered.
Stan chuckled. “Everyone knows your love for Vinnie’s. I figured it was only a matter of time. We’ve been hanging out here daily. You were too stupid to keep an eye on the wolves who did not want this new leadership.”
Not stupid. Trusting. I was trying to appease both sides of the argument. Some days I understood why the Red Queen was so brutal with anyone who didn’t fall under her rule. Look what happened when I tried to allow freedom from monarchy. I got anarchy.
“Those are pretty special weapons,” I said, gritting my teeth against the throb in my shoulder. “Looks like you too, have alignedyourself with the fae?” I lowered my voice, letting my magic seep into it. I knew these weapons, and they were not of this world. I just hoped he would tell me who the hell gave them to him.
When the energy brushed against them, they slashed out with those weapons, dissipating the magic.
“They were left on our doorstep. Someone knew we would need them to kill you, fae-traitor-bitch,” one of them sneered.
