“What the hell is going on?” Cade snarls, already halfway into the room.
Liz grins wickedly without releasing Bram. “Relax. I was just reminding the alpha here of a vampire’s strength after he said he could take one down in his sleep.”
Bram wheezes. “In my defense, I saidprobably.”
I blink. Once. Twice.
My wolf recoils in offended confusion.
Cade stops dead beside me, chest heaving. “You screamed.”
Liz shrugs. “A war cry seemed appropriate as I charged him.”
Bram tilts his head just enough to look at us upside down. “For the record, I encouraged her. And I regret nothing.”
I stare at them for a long second before the tension drains out of me all at once, leaving behind a laugh I can’t stop. “You’re both assholes.”
Liz finally releases him, standing and offering a hand like she didn’t just tackle a shifter twice her size. Bram takes it, still grinning as he’s hauled to his feet.
“So,” he says, brushing dirt—or maybe wounded pride—from his flannel, “can we get back to business? I’ve got a pack to get back to.”
Cade’s arm slides around my waist again, possessive but controlled now, his presence steady at my side. “Nothing would make me happier.”
I smirk, because I know he’s talking about Bram leaving, not the business part, but I manage—barely—not to point that out.
The four of us take our seats, the room settling into a tense quiet that feels like the inhale before a storm. Except no one has the chance to speak before the door opens again.
Elias steps in first, and Taren follows.
It takes me a second to really see her, because this isn’t the woman I left barely breathing in a bed. She stands tall,shoulders squared, dark hair pulled back from her face—though thicker streaks of white now cut through it like lightning scars earned with age and survival. Her purple eyes are clear, burning with intent instead of pain.
She carries a plate piled with barely cooked steak and two baked potatoes like she’s fueling up for war, not a council meeting. And she doesn’t waste time on pleasantries.
“I called the newly assigned alphas,” she says evenly. “And invited them here.” She meets Cade’s gaze without flinching. “I think it’s time we all sat together.”
Cade’s lip curls, a low snarl rumbling from his chest as he rises slightly from his chair. “And you decided that was your decision to make?” His eyes narrow dangerously. “To invite others into the place I’ve sworn to keep my mate safe?”
“Yes,” she replies simply, her expression unreadable as she holds his stare.
No apology. No hesitation.
Just certainty.
I glance between them, pulse ticking up, my wolf alert and curious beneath my ribs.
This is going to be interesting.
Chapter 27
CADE
As much as I dislike that Taren made the call to bring the alphas here, it’s a decision I would have made myself—if I believed we were ready. I’m not sure we are, but time isn’t on our side.
Malrik’s not going to disappear just because Rowan escaped. And until we understand his true intentions, he remains a threat I have no intention of ignoring for long.
I’ve sent Liz and Elias to the front of the manor to meet the three incoming alphas. According to Taren, they’re arriving via portal transport, courtesy of her pack witch.
“How did you manage to acquire a witch on your payroll?” I ask because in my experience, witches don’t belong to anyone. They tolerate alliances at best.
