“I thought you took care of this problem two decades ago,” Kian growled at the king.
The alpha king sneered. “I took care of her wolf-father. You assured me the pregnancy hadn’t come to term before you exterminated the mother.”
Holy. Mother. Mage.
What were they saying?
“She is ashifterhigh crime,” Kian snapped. “The responsibility falls at your feet, Declan, not mine.”
My jaw hit the ground, and my entire world tilted.
I blinked, barely seeing the students and pack members gathering around, but I could feel the crowd pushing into the small clearing. What would they do? I could only imagine the picture we made, a small pack of black wolves surrounding a bleeding girl.
The wolves perked up, and I followed their gazes to their mother. The headmistress entered the clearing just as the king pointed at me and declared, “Nai, of Crescent Clan, is a foul perversion of the highest order. Half shifter, half high mage.”
Everyone gasped. Even me.
My mother was … a high mage?
I glanced at the only nice high mage I knew, but his attention remained fixed on the other high mages.
“The sentence for this crime is death,” Kian roared.
The king flicked his head to the royal guards, and they advanced.
Oh, hell no!
I thrust my arms out, and a gust of wind blew outward, knocking the guards back.
The alpha king clenched his jaw, the anger turning his face purple, and he drew his sword. Like Rage, the alpha king’s element was fire, and he pointed his blade at me, flames dancing down the sides to the tip.
Heat pricked my skin, and a hot searing pain ripped through my body as he tried, no doubt, to ignite me. I sucked in a deep breath to cool his magic, and then it was gone.
As I exhaled, relieved, I heard a whimper. My gaze shot to the wolves, and I gasped in horror as realization dawned.
The scent of burning flesh confirmed my fear.
Honor, the smallest of the wolves, let out a cry, and smoke curled in the air. He was my shield. The last to take the oath, he would be the first to fall if…
“No!” I screamed, desperate to help my friend. “Please, stop, he’s—”
The rest of my plea died in my throat as Honor’s fur burst into flames. He collapsed to the ground, writhing as blood oozed from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Time slowed to a crawl.
Howls of agony rose up from the three Midnight wolves, and shock ripped through me. I fell to my knees, water gushing from my palms to douse the fire. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my whole body shook.
“Honor … no.”
Honor’s mother screamed. Her loud wail of anguish tore through the night, mourning for a loss that could never be replaced.
Rage snarled and stalked toward the king, head low and hackles raised, and the alpha king staggered backward.
The coward.
“Shields?” the king gasped. “You idiots!”
I crawled to where Honor’s wolf had fallen and gathered him up in my arms. Rocking him back and forth, I sobbed.
