Chapter 11

Archer

Less than an hour after ending the call with Chris, Alph Hawk’s call is being patched through to the conference room and I can feel Emery’s anxiety pulsing through our bond. I know there’s nothing I can do to remove her worry and fear, but I make sure to send my support through our bond so she knows she’s not facing this alone.

“Luna Emery, Chris told me you have questions about River Run. What can I help you with?” Without a word, Emery holds up the picture and the sharp hiss on the other end of the call tells us our answer to the question she hasn’t even asked yet.

“You know her?” Hawk nods as he drags a hand down his weary face. There’s no denying how much this weighs on him which only makes me more curious about what he knows.

“We had thought she died with Victor and the others, but truthfully, most of the bodies were dismembered and mangled beyond recognition. We did our best, but identifying the remains was nearly impossible. That’s Ivy, Victor’s luna. Who’s in the picture with her?” She takes a deep breath, the weight of all this information clearly weighing her down too.

“It’s my brother and she’s his new luna, though she’s calling herself Araya these days, but before that, she was Luna Ivy of the River Run Pack and before that she was Luna Silvia of the Ridge View Pack.” Hawk seems as shocked as the rest of us are, but Emery isn’t just shocked…she’s angry.

“Does the council know?” His own anger is shining through as he speaks now. It’s an anger we don’t just understand, but an anger we all share. This one being has eliminated one pack, attempted to eliminate another and is now poisoning my mate’s former pack!

“They’re investigating the Ember Claw Pack right now, but we’ll be sending them the information we’ve gathered from both you and Alpha Chris when we’re done here.” He nods his head, but his anger only seems to be intensifying.

“Thank you, Alpha Hawk. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with us and answer my questions. Would it be okay for the council to reach out to you if they have more questions?” He doesn’t even hesitate to nod in agreement.

“Of course. I’ll help in any way I can. If you need assistance, let me know. I’ll help with whatever you need, even if it’s to send troops to put an end to that witch.” We all say our goodbyes and Micca immediately sends the recording to the council while I wrap Emery in my arms, hoping to calm her. She’s not used to this…facing the darkness. She’s too pure for this, too kind and gentle to face such darkness. She shouldn’t have to get used to it, but there’s no way around it now.

“Micca, let me know if the council gets back to us. I’m going to take Emery for a run.” She clings to me tightly as I stand with her cradled in my arms and proceed to carry her out of the conference room. I take us to the same location as before then set her down so she can strip down and shift. Her mind is so preoccupied that I’m already naked before she even pulls her shirt off.

After her lengthy, though not at all unwelcomed, strip show, we both shift and Wren takes off running, making a straight shot for the stream instead of the lengthy path we took the first time. When we finally arrive, Arrow quickly approaches Wren, desperate to calm our mate in any way he can…which is how they ended up completing their part of the mating process while leaving us knotted together for almost thirty minutes with fresh marks on their fur covered necks. Once we’re able to separate, we both shift back and I waste no time pulling her into my arms.

“Well, that was unexpected. Will the elders be upset that we didn’t wait until after the ceremony?” Not completing the mating process until the Luna Ceremony is an archaic ritual that most packs don’t follow anymore, but I admire her for considering how our actions might affect the pack.

“No, not at all. We’re mates and there’s no punishment for us completing our bond before you’re formally announced as the luna. The way I see it, you were my luna the second I picked up your scent. Are you okay with it?” I didn’t think that maybe she wasn’t ready to finish the process, but her bright smile answers my question and eases my worry before her words do.

“I’m more than okay with it, my alpha. You’re mine and I’m yours. I’d go through every form of bonding that exists with you without blinking. You want a wedding? A ritual binding? I’ll give it to you because I love you and want us to be as closely tied as possible.” I hadn’t considered the human bonds of marriage or the witch’s binding rituals, but hell, I’d do them all just to be that much closer to her.

“How about we do both? We can wait until this whole mess with Ember Claw is dealt with and then we’ll get married and bound all at once.” Her face lights up and her arms wrap tightly around me while she buries her face in my neck.

“It sounds perfect!” Our combined excitement crashes through the bond and has us both laughing and clinging to each other tightly. We spend another half hour by the stream before shifting and running back to get our clothes and returning to our room to shower together and change.

When we make it down to the dining hall, we enter with our hands clasped together and our fingers intertwined as we make our way to the head of the table to take our seats. Unlike when she first arrived, there’s not a single unhappy face in the room, not even Jenna’s. Just as the kitchen staff start bringing out our dinner, one of the guards, Marcus, approaches us with his hands clasped in front of him and his head lowered.

“Luna, is it true you’re a healer?” My brow raises as I wonder where he’s going with his question, but Emery seems more than happy to answer him.

“Yes, I am. Are you injured?” Her instant concern warms my heart and even Marcus offers a faint smile before shaking his head.

“No, luna, it’s my mate. She’s carrying twin pups and has been very sick for the last few days. The pack doctor has tried to help her, but nothing seems to be working. I’m worried about her. She isn’t able to eat, she barely sleeps…” She doesn’t even let him finish before reaching forward and placing her hand on his forearm.

“Go eat your dinner and then we’ll go see your mate. I’ll do everything I can to help her.” He quietly thanks her then returns to his seat while we all proceed to eat our dinner.

As soon as Emery and I finish eating, she hurries up to our room then meets me in the main hall where Marcus is waiting for us. I notice her bag with her herbs and tonics in her hand and quickly take it from her then take her hand in mine as we follow Marcus out of the pack house to his home that’s only a five minute walk away. We’re only inside the home for mere minutes while Emery examines Marcus’s mate then begins mixing herbs that she wraps in cheese cloth and places it inside the tea kettle as it boils on the stove.

“Okay, have her drink this twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. It’ll ease the nausea so she can eat and get her strength back. I’ll also leave you some herbs to add to her evening tea that will help her sleep. Aside from her decreased appetite, lack of sleep and nausea, your mate and pups are healthy.” Marcus’s expression is one of pure gratitude as he repeatedly thanks Emery while we make our way out of his house to head back to the packhouse…but then all hell breaks loose as Micca and Drew’s voices tear through the mind link filled with tense urgency.

Chapter 12

Archer

“South border breached, roughly thirty rogues and they’re too damn organized!” Comes Micca’s alert immediately followed by Drew’s frantic voice.

“Five broke off, they’re headed for the packhouse!” I look at Emery who’s amethyst eyes are glowing brightly then her body begins to shift before my eyes until her large white wolf is standing in front of me, but now the purple runes that adorn her body are glowing as well.

“Em, stay close to me. We do this together.” Her wolf nods and I let Arrow push forward then, together, we rush toward the southside of the pack house just in time to confront five rogue wolves, only these are larger than any rogue I’ve ever confronted. They begin growling the second Arrow comes into view, but the sound dies in their throat when Wren steps up beside me. They truly seem unsure of what to make of the white wolf with glowing eyes and glowing runes covering her. She steps forward and they instinctively step back which would make me laugh if the bastards weren’t less than a hundred yards from the packhouse.

“Close your eyes and be ready to charge when I say.” Her beautiful voice floods my mind and I trust her enough to close my eyes with zero hesitation. Seconds later, a bright light pierces through my closed eye lids and then I hear her yell ‘NOW’ in my mind and Arrow charges the wolves who are clearly still temporarily blinded by that light. As we down the first of the five, we look over to see Wren tearing the throat out of one wolf then jumping to the next without pause. She moves so gracefully, even in battle. We make short work of the remaining wolves then rush to the southern border to aid with the larger group.

By the time we arrive at the site of the main fight, several of our warriors are downed, but none have died and I damn well plan to keep it that way. Wren and Arrow rush into the battle, clawing, biting and tearing through one rogue after another, but time seems to stand still when I see Micca charge the biggest damn rogue I’ve ever seen. This giant wolf simply swipes his paw at Micca, sending his tan wolf colliding with a tree with a loud crunch. Before I even have time to react, a deafening roar comes from my right and I turn to see Wren stomping forward toward the giant wolf, her runes glowing brighter than I’ve ever seen and now even her claws are glowing, wrapped in what look like bright purple flames.

I want to move, to jump in front of her and shield her from the enemy, but my paws won’t move and that’s when I notice that no other wolf on the battlefield is moving either…only my mate…my very angry, murderous mate. As soon as she’s close enough to attack, she lunges at the wolf and his eyes widen almost comically as purple flames burst from her paws, searing into his flesh as the claws split his pelt open like razor blades.

It’s obvious that she plans to take her time with him, but that all goes out the window the second a soft whimper comes from the broken, twisted pile of fur that is my beta. She sinks her teeth into the giant rogue’s neck and, with a violent jerk of her head, his neck snaps. Wren rushes to where Micca’s wolf, Lothar, lays and quickly shifts as she drops to her knees at his side.

“Okay, it’s going to be okay, Micca. I need you to trust me and stay very still. I’m going to help you.” She rubs her hands together then holds them out so that they hover over him as they start emitting a blue light then she slowly places one on his head and one over his chest. I watch in awe as the light slowly spreads through his body, the location of each injury glowing brightly for several seconds as we all watch his broken, twisted limbs bend and snap back into place.

As the light starts to fade, I can finally feel my body release from whatever invisible force held it in place. I take a step toward her only to have to dive at her, barely reaching her as her body collapses. All of the rogues that were still standing moments ago are engulfed in purple flames, burning them alive while leaving the ground beneath them unscorched.

“Em? Beautiful? Shit, we need to get her to the clinic!” I pick her up and, even though he was a broken mess only moments ago, Micca jumps up and we both run at breakneck speed to the pack clinic while the uninjured guards tend to the injured. We reach the clinic in under ten minutes and find Doc Jones already waiting for us.

“First room on the left! What happened to her?” He asks his questions as he’s already leading us to a room where he instructs me to place her on the bed.

“She healed Micca and then just fainted, I think. She did just faint, right?!” He seems much more relieved after I explain what led up to this situation and even chuckles softly!

“Yes, that actually makes sense then. His injuries were extensive, weren’t they?” There’s no denying that they were. I’m fairly certain his back was broken before she healed him.

“Yeah, they were.” He nods like it all makes perfect sense, but to him, it probably does.

“Healing takes a lot of energy and if she healed his critical injuries, which is more than a little impressive, then she’ll be absolutely exhausted. A smaller drain of her energy may only take hours for her to recover, but something like this could take days. Every healer is different. The strongest healer I’ve read about was said to fully recover from a full energy drain in only a few short days, but I don’t know how strong our luna is.” Arrow wants to snap at him, to tell him our luna is the strongest damn healer there’s ever been, but even if she isn’t, we’ll forever see her as such anyway.

“Can I take her back to our room?” He quickly nods his approval, but that’s the moment my other fighters and guards start bringing in the injured. I pick her up and carry her out of the room only to see all the wolves in the building freeze in place then one by one, they place a clenched fist over their hearts and bare their necks in submission…showing their sleeping luna the utmost respect after having witnessed her greatness.

“Alpha, is the luna going to be okay?” The question comes from one of our younger guards, Tobias.

“The doctor says she’ll be fine after she gets some rest. You all did well today. Get your wounds tended to then get some rest. Tomorrow, we celebrate our victory in a battle where not one of our packmates lost their lives!” They all smile and start excitedly discussing the upcoming celebration. It’s been years since this pack got together to celebrate anything and I think it’s just what we need. Now I only hope Emery wakes up in time to join us.

It’s official, my mate is the strongest dam healer to ever exist. Thirty minutes…it took her thirty minutes after we made it to our room before she woke up, immediately asking how Micca is doing rather than worrying about herself and how she made it to our room. Just to prove that she was fully rested and ready to go, she instigated what ended up turning into a long, blissfully torturous love making session that lasted almost three hours before we both fell asleep in a tangled mess of limbs and sheets.

Chapter 13

Archer

I wake to the sun shining brightly through the cracks in the curtains, but when I reach for Emery, I find her side of the bed empty. I quickly get up and throw on a pair of basketball shorts then glance at the alarm clock to find it’s already eleven in the morning! While I’ve been able to feel Emery’s emotions through our bond, I’ve yet to try mind linking with her, so I decide to give it a shot. I know her wolf was able to link me when we faced the five rogues last night, so it should work. I focus on the tether of our bond then call out to her.

“Hey, beautiful. Where are you?”

“Nate and I are on our way back from the pack’s nursery. I wanted to check on the pups who had parents injured in last night’s battle.”

“I’ll have the kitchen prepare us lunch then.”

“Sounds perfect. I love you, my gorgeous alpha.”

“I love you too, my beautiful luna.” I can feel her happiness floating through our bond, so while I close the mind link, I leave open our connection, basking in the powerful emotions of joy and peace coming from her side.

“Alpha, there’s someone here to see you…” I barely make it to the bottom of the stairs when Micca approaches me and the look of uncertainty he gives me doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Who is it?” His tense muscles only seem to tighten more as he prepares to give me an answer that I was not ready for.

“Luna Araya.” I’m sure my expression gives away how much his answer surprises me, but hell, I really wasn’t expecting a visit from the very person we’re helping the council investigate! i know this is either a trap, or she’s plotting something, but I also know we need to play this smart.

“Take her to the conference room, but first I want you to switch on the camera, record the whole meeting. Emery should be here any minute and I will not meet with that witch without my mate present.” I refuse to give the bitch an opportunity to cause trouble here, not a chance in hell. I try to close off my connection with Emery while Micca rushes off to do as I asked and, thankfully, Emery walks in only a few minutes later, but I can tell from her expression that I didn’t block our connection fast enough because she looks pissed.

“What’s going on, Archer? What was with that tidal wave of rage and worry that hit me out there?” My name sounds sinful coming from her lips, but thanks to an evil witch, I don’t even have time to appreciate it and let me tell you, that pisses me off even more.

“We have a visitor. Micca has set up the conference room and has taken her there to wait for us, but I refused to meet with her until you were present.” Nate is standing behind her, being the silent sentinel he always is.

“Araya?” I shouldn’t be surprised that she guessed right. I wonder if witches can sense other witches the way wolves can scent other wolves…

“Your visitor is in the conference room, alpha.” She peeks around me to look at Micca and gives him a nod before taking my hand and pulling me with her to the room down the hall. I make sure to push open our connection so we can both communicate and feel one another before we step through the double doors where we find the false luna sitting tall in the chair nearest the window.

“Araya, what a surprise. We weren’t expecting you.” I keep my tone neutral, but I refuse to call her by her title and she definitely catches my failure to show her the respect she wrongly thinks she deserves.

“Alpha, Emery, I think we need to talk.” I let out a low growl, unwilling to let her disrespect my mate, my luna.

“It’s Luna Emery. What do you wish to discuss with us?” She gives me an amused smile and tilts her head slightly.

“Ah, you’ve already completed the mating ritual. You work fast, alpha. It took Jonah nearly a month to complete ours.” Emery’s hand tightens around mine and I can feel the anger pulsing through our bond.

“Why are you here, Araya?” I can hear the growl in Emery’s voice and her hand tightens even further around mine.

“You see, we had a visit from some of the council’s lackey mutts. They claimed to be investigating a complaint they received, but they wouldn’t tell me who it was that sent them the complaint. Now, I had to ask myself…who on earth would complain about their treatment in our pack? The answer was simple, the only one who was never a welcome member of the pack, the outcast, half-breed mutt.” It’s my turn to growl, but she seems unphased by being in a room with two angry wolves.

“Actually, I’m the one who submitted the complaint, not my luna and you will refrain from insulting her again or I’ll remove your fucking tongue.” Araya steps forward, a flash of something in her eyes setting my wolf on edge, but then Emery takes a step forward as well.

“Araya, or should I call you Ivy? Oh, wait, or is it Silvia? Forgive me, but this is all a little confusing. Anyway, the goddess has a message for you…” Before Emery can finish, Araya cuts her off with a hollow laugh that would likely scare the shit out of a lesser being.

“I don’t fear your moon goddess.” I catch my mate’s wicked grin as she holds Araya’s gaze.

“I wasn’t referring to their goddess, I was referring to yours. Hecate is very displeased with you. She told me to tell you that you’re nothing more than a virus, a parasite that needs to be destroyed. Her message to you is this, prepare because your days are numbered.” Araya steps closer, but then freezes, her eyes widening as she stares at my mate whose eyes are suddenly glowing red.

“We’ll see about that. Hecate abandoned me many years ago, so her threats hold no leverage over me. You should prepare because soon, I’ll burn your world to the ground, mutt.” With the wave of her hand, she vanishes in a cloud of black smoke.

“I should’ve just ripped the bitch’s throat out.” She squeezes my hand then she offers me a small smile.

“I assume Micca recorded her visit?” I pull her into my arms and kiss her forehead, feeling instantly calmed by her presence.

“He did. It’s already on its way to the council. So, we’ve arranged a pack barbeque for tonight to celebrate. I was thinking…we could get you sworn into the pack real fast. I’d feel better if you were able to link the guards in case something happens and I’m not close enough to help.” Her nose scrunches up and I can’t help bending down to kiss it.

“What are we celebrating? Oh, and I’m all for being sworn in.” I can hear Micca coming down the hall toward us, so I quickly offer my answer before the doors open.

“We’re celebrating you…and our victory last night.” The door swings open before she can respond and Micca gives me a nod, his silent affirmation that the video of Araya’s visit was sent off. I pull Micca into the room with us, having him act as the witness to swearing her in, which takes mere minutes.

“Luna, alpha, the celebration starts in an hour.” I can feel a swarm of emotions swirling through our bond, but the second I scent her arousal, I’m done for. I barely give her time to mumble a quick ‘see you there’ as I drag her out of the room and up the stairs to our bedroom where I spend forty-five minutes ravaging her and the other fifteen showering with her before we get dressed and head out to the field behind the packhouse. They kept things simple, setting out two dozen wooden picnic tables, five grills and ten tables that my pack has already begun filling with food for everyone. As we walk out of the packhouse, several pups run up to give Emery hugs and it melts my heart to see everyone warming up to her so easily.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” She looks up at me, a bright smile lighting up her face as she stretches up on her tip toes with me bending down to meet her lips for a soft, but loving kiss.

“You’re pretty amazing too.” The entire evening is spent with us laughing and enjoying time with our pack and enjoying each other, but one thing I failed to account for was the fact that tonight is the full moon.

Chapter 14

Archer

Just as the sun begins to set, Emery begins fidgeting then suddenly stands up and excuses herself. Instead of walking toward the packhouse like I expected her to, she heads to the trees at the edge of the field and I quickly jump up to follow her. With how fast she’s moving, I lose sight of her and am left following her scent until I find a trail of shredded scraps of clothes that end at the edge of a small clearing where I find her beautiful white wolf standing with her head tilted to the sky and her runes glowing so bright that it’s almost blinding.

I feel Arrow pushing to take over, feeling desperate to go to her and be with Wren under the light of the full moon. Rather than fight him, I give him control, letting him shred our clothes as he shifts and moves to sit beside his mate. A long moment of silence passes before we hear the soft purr of our mate before she nudges us with her head, her glowing purple eyes pinning us in place.

“I’m sorry I left the way I did, but Wren was getting restless.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Is this why that false luna thought you were dangerous?”

“No. I can show you why she thought I was dangerous, but please don’t freak out.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Arrow and I watch with fascination as she steps away from us and her body is slowly engulfed in purple flames. I can see why she thought I might panic a little, hell, most sane creatures would definitely freak out, but to me, she’s fucking fantastic.

“That’s not all…” Her voice in my head sounds nervous…hesitant…so I send her every ounce of comfort I can through our bond and it seems to do the trick. She tilts her head to the sky and lets out a loud, earth-shaking howl, sending a pillar of purple flames into the sky that spreads until it surrounds us like a dome made purely of the purple flames.

“What is it?”

“It’s a shield. I discovered I could create this when a group of rogues attacked during the full moon after my sixteenth birthday. I was walking through the woods with some of the pups from our pack when they came at us. Wren took control and I could feel the flames engulfing me then she howled and this happened. The rogues tried to come through and were incinerated, but the pups clung to me and the flames didn’t hurt them.”

“Can you only make this during the full moon?”

“I…don’t know. It’s the only time I see the flames appear, so maybe.”

“But I saw your claws burst into flames when we fought off the rogue attack?”

“They did?”

“Yeah, they definitely did. The rogue you killed looked like he was about to piss himself when he saw it. You also did something that made it so none of us could move…not us and not even the rogues. The whole battlefield was frozen…except for you.”

“I didn’t know…I was just so angry when that bastard hurt Micca…”

“Hey, you saved us, Em. You and Wren saved our people. Not to mention, seeing you take that bastard down was pretty hot.”

“Oh really?” Her tone is pure seduction and each word sends a rush of excitement straight to my cock. The dome slowly dissipates until it vanishes, but the heat between us only escalates more with each breath we take. Her body shudders and slowly begins shifting back to her human form, leaving her standing bare before me under the bright moonlight. Arrow steps back enough to shift, but remains at the front of my mind, not wanting to miss a damn minute of this.

“You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, Emery.” She steps closer, radiating confidence with every graceful movement and not stopping until her bare breasts graze the bare flesh at the top of my abs.

“Let me worship you.” Her words slam into me, making my need and desire for her flare to life as I bend down and slam my lips into hers. Don’t ask me how it happens because I sure the hell couldn’t tell you, but one second I’m kissing her and the next, she has me on my back in the field with her legs straddling me and her hot, wet core grinding against my already hard and aching cock.

“Fuck, Em, do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now? You’re driving me crazy.” I whisper the words against her lips and feel her smile against mine in response. She slides up my body then, in a move that’s both surprising and impressive as hell, she slides back, fully taking me into the depths of my own personal heaven. I can tell she’s unsure of herself, but she doesn’t let that stop her as she begins rocking and grinding against me until she seems to find what she likes. She grabs my hands that have been tightly gripping her hips and places them on her perfect breasts then leans back, forcing me impossibly deeper into her as she increases her pace.

Between her pelvis grinding against mine and my hands groping and massaging her breasts, it doesn’t take long to bring her to her first orgasm and while she’s still recovering, I manage to flip us over and begin driving into her fiercely. I’m desperate to claim what she’s offering, to feel her milking my cock until we’re both sated. Just as I feel her walls clenching around me, I feel her claws tearing into my shoulders and see the amethyst of her eyes beginning to glow as Wren joins in the action which has Arrow pushing forward too. In our half-shifted state, I feel my release nearing and something unexpected takes place when I feel my knot slip into her with my next hard thrust, locking us together as we both cry out our pleasure while my damn half wolf ass locks us in place.

I can feel the warmth as I empty myself inside her, but I feel a brief moment of panic as I try to figure out what the hell just happened. I may have been a virgin when I met Emery, but I’m pretty damn sure that mating half-shifted isn’t normal, neither is being knotted in human form. While my mind is switching to panic mode, Emery seems to be seconds away from falling asleep beneath me with a look of pure satisfaction on her face.

“Em, I can’t move.” She opens her eyes and flashes me a beautiful smile.

“I know. Just relax and we’ll be fine soon.” She acts like this is normal…but I know it’s not. Why the hell isn’t she freaking out?!

“Baby, I knotted you…without shifting…” She giggles…fucking giggles!

“Yes, I’m very much so aware of that fact. Our wolves are naughty little shits.” The goddess must’ve decided to take mercy on me because I feel myself slip out of her, unleashing a combination of our release in the process.

“See? Nothing to worry about. I do need a shower now though.” She scrunches up her nose and I can’t even hold back my smile. I stand up then lift her into my arms and begin the walk back to the packhouse where I already know everyone will have turned in for the night aside from the patrols. Emery falls asleep only a few minutes into our journey home and doesn’t even stir until I’m carrying her through the door to our room. By the time I step into the bathroom, she’s wide awake and I adjust her so her legs are wrapped around my waist with one of my arms holding her while the other works to get the water in the shower turned on and warming up…that was my first mistake. With the heat of her core pressed against my abs, it awakens the primal side of me, my desire rushing through me and sending my cock to full attention as if I didn’t just thoroughly ravage her less than an hour ago.

“You’re killing me, Em.” She smiles and presses her lips to mine.

“If this is how we die, it’s one hell of a way to go.” I step into the shower with her, but the little minx shimmies until I’m positioned at her entrance, barely grazing her sensitive, wet flesh.

“Just remember, when you wake up in the morning and can’t walk, you asked for this.” I take a step toward the wall at the same time as I loosen my grip, letting her slide down as I thrust my hips forward, burying myself to the hilt inside her with a single motion. There’s nothing gentle about this moment and as she cries out in pleasure with every rough thrust, I know she’s loving every second of it. After taking her twice in the shower, we barely manage to make it to the bed before we both finally succumb to our exhaustion.

Chapter 15

Emery

Archer wasn’t joking when he said I wouldn’t be able to walk in the morning, but he also wasn’t wrong when he said I asked for it. Making love to my mate is easily one of the most addictive things I’ve ever experienced and while I’m paying for it this morning…it was totally worth it. I lay in bed for almost an hour before Wren has managed to focus our energy on healing me enough to function. I manage to slide out of bed without waking Archer then quickly change and shuffle through my morning routine.

Knowing the pack has already eaten breakfast since it’s almost ten, I link Hal in the kitchen and request he send up bacon, eggs and potatoes so I can make breakfast for Archer. I’m almost done cooking when he comes walking into the kitchen wearing only a pair of jeans and let me say, my mate is gorgeous! I quickly plate everything then set them on the island before coming around to kiss him good morning.

“You, my insatiable luna, will surely be the death of me. At the rate we’re going, we’ll have to build our own house so we have room for all the pups you’re going to have.” This is the first time there’s been mention of us having pups and it actually fills me with excitement. I’ve always wanted a family of my own, even more so since everything with my former pack changed and I spent months feeling isolated.

“Would that be a bad thing?” His blinding smile is all the answer I need, but he reassures me with his words anyway.

“Not at all. I’ll give you as many pups as you want.” While my mind tries to take off with the idea of the family I hope to have with him in the near future, Wren decides to rain on my parade by throwing out facts I’d rather not face.

“War first, pups later.” Ugh…what a kill joy.

“Wren says we need to focus on the coming war first, then we can worry about pups.” I can’t help but pout which makes Archer smile.

“She’s right, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep practicing.” We settle at the island and eat our breakfast, finishing seconds before Micca links us both to let us know that the council is on the video call line in the conference room. I guess they wanted to give us a healthy dose of reality too. We head down to the conference room and the first thing I notice is the way all six men look thoroughly unsettled.

“Good morning, Alpha Archer, Luna Emery.” We both return their greeting as we take our seats at the table.

“Alright, I assume you have news for us?” Bryce nods and leans forward, looking like he’s about to deliver bad news and, as it turns out, he is.

“We lost contact with the group we sent to investigate Ember Claw. We sent ten wolves and can’t reach any of them.” I look at Archer and not only can I see his raging mix of emotions, but I can feel them too.

“I assume you saw the video Micca sent you?” They all nod, confirming they have.

“We’ve requested aid from the dark council to see if they can send in someone to find our wolves. As much as I hate to think it’s coming to this, it might be time to prepare for battle. Call your allies because, like it or not, a war is coming.” Ryan’s tone is grave, but we all feel the truth in his words, no matter how much we wish we didn’t.

“You’re right. We’ll start making calls. Once we know who’s sending aid, we’ll send the reports, so you know what we’re working with.”They all nod and after saying our goodbyes, the call disconnects.

“I’ll call Hawk and Chris. I think they’ll both be eager to help take that bitch down.” I look at Archer and nod, knowing he’s right.

“I can reach out to Alpha Noah from Spire Point and Alpha Trevor of White Ridge.” He seems surprised, but I get it since both alphas are known for their cruel and violent war tactics, but what isn’t widely known about them is the lengths they both went to when Noah’s mate, who happens to be Trevor’s sister, was sick. They searched far and wide for a healer to aid in saving her and I’m the only one who agreed to help them. We spend the next two hours reaching out to all our contacts and not one denies us aid, most promising for their fighters to arrive in the next three days.

“I think that’s everyone.” I smile at Archer’s exhausted tone and nod in agreement.

“I think so. It looks like we should be well prepared when the fight begins. I wish the goddess would give me more to go off of than the faint flashes she gave me two years ago.” If only I knew how much I would regret those words in the next few hours.

“All that matters is that she brought you to me. Everything else, we’ll figure out as we go.” With that, we all separate and head to bed, knowing we need to prepare for the long road ahead.

I find myself in a field as the scent of smoke mixes with the metallic scent of blood. Ash falls like snow around me while the sounds of the battle rage on in the distance. The combination of smoke and ash burn my eyes and with each breath, I feel like my lungs are on fire, but I push forward, one steady step at a time. As I near the trees, the growls and battle cries grow louder until I can finally see the wreckage ahead.

I couldn’t have prepared for the sight of gnashing teeth, bloody claws and bloody, tattered fur. Bodies are sprawled across the forest and I can feel the cold lifeless eyes watching me while seeing nothing. I continue forward, knowing that even with how real it all feels, this is a vision of events that have not yet come to pass. The further I go, the more familiar wolves I see and it makes my stomach churn with unease.

“This is but one possibility of the future. You can change the outcome, choose another path and alter the story.” The goddess’s voice is just as I remember it and her message no clearer now than it was two years ago.

“How can I change it?” All of a sudden, time stands still, bodies are frozen in various states of attack as I stand and stare on in shock of the violence of it all.

“In order to find a future where the land is not bathed in blood, you must unite the enemies of old to fight the new threat. The dark one will not only endanger your kind. Her darkness will spread like a virus, slowly destroying everything in its path. You have the power to stop this, but you cannot do it alone. Your mate will stand by your side, so don’t be afraid. Go now, make your choice and prepare for your future.”

I nearly tumble off the bed as I’m roughly jolted awake, but Archer’s arm snaps forward to catch me even though he’s barely conscious himself. He pulls me away from the edge of the bed then groggily rubs the sleep out of his eyes before looking at me with a furrowed brow. I don’t know what he sees in my expression, or maybe it’s the fact that I blocked our connection to prevent him from feeling what I feel or picking up on any of the images of the vision that are still flooding my mind, but whatever it is, he sits up and pulls me into his arms.

“Hey, what’s going on? Talk to me, Em.” I bury my face in the crook of his neck and breathe his scent in deeply, letting it take hold and soothe me until I feel calm enough to talk. I tell him what I saw and what the goddess said, but it doesn’t seem to surprise him.

“Why did you block me? I can’t feel you, Em. You don’t have to hide from me…not ever.” I shift so I’m straddling him and press my forehead to his, slowly lowering the block as my emotions and thoughts flood our bond, making his body tense and his arms tighten around me.

“I’m scared, Archer. How am I supposed to convince the other packs to agree to fight along side us if I reach out to the dark council? While some will see it as an opportunity to eliminate a threat to us all, others still hold onto old feuds and prejudice.” He knows I’m right, but I feel a sudden surge of determination coming from his side of our bond that has me opening my eyes and locking my gaze with his.

“She never said it would be easy, Em, but no matter what, you aren’t doing this alone. You have me and you have our pack. Everything else will fall into place. The shifter council is already reaching out to the dark council for aid, so we’ll no doubt have their support which means the others will fall in line, even if they hate doing it, they won’t want to lose favor with the council.” I let his confidence fill me, easing my worry until it’s almost completely faded. He’s right, I’m not alone in this. Win or lose, I have the support of the people who matter most and that’s enough to win any war.

Chapter 16

Archer

With Emery having woken up after having another vision, neither of us could bother to go back to sleep. I’d never tell her, but I saw the vision, most of it anyways. I saw the blood soaked ground, the ash that fell like snow and could even smell the smoke in the air. I could hear the sounds of battle, but most of all, I could feel Emery’s fear. She fears that this vision is inevitable, but I refuse to believe we can’t change the future when even the goddess told her it was possible. I understand her worries because even I know that getting the shifters to willingly work with the vampires and witches is a daunting task, but if it’s the only way to save our people, I have to believe that we’ll all do whatever it takes.

After taking Emery and Wren for a run, we shower, change and then head to my office to reach out to the dark council. I expected them to be more hesitant to help, but when we explained the situation and told them about Araya, even going as far as to send them her picture and the information on her other known identities, they agreed to help without hesitation. We let the shifter council know our plan to attack once the packs and the members of the dark council arrive with their warriors, they supported us fully and even agreed to contact our allied packs to make it clear that working with the dark council is mandatory.

“Alpha, do you really think it’s wise to welcome the other races to our land? With the bad blood between our species, they’re as likely to turn on us as they are to aid us.” Nigel, someone I haven’t seen since I returned from Ember Claw, speaks up as he enters the conference room. I feel Emery tense beside me and feel a strange and unexpected mix of emotions flood our bond from her side.

“It’s our best option right now, Nigel. We need their help and they need for our troubles to not become their own further down the line.” I trust my words, believe in my truth fully.

“Before your half-breed luna, you would never have even considered consorting with the blood suckers and spell slingers. Perhaps she’s bewitched you just as you believe this Araya has done to Alpha Jonah. Witches are foul, vile, tricksters who sink their claws into you when you least suspect it. Perhaps it’s you who’s being betrayed after all, or perhaps the two vile creatures are working together!” Shock and anger pulse through the bond with his suggestion, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a brief moment where uncertainty creeps in…a moment Emery definitely noticed because she rises from her seat and storms out of the room, closing off my connection to her completely.

“My mate is not the one trying to eliminate entire packs. My mate is a victim of this evil bitch. She is my mate, your luna, and you will show her respect!” I know I waited too long to refute his claims and now I’m angry because not only did he dare to question my mate’s loyalty, but he tried planting a seed of doubt that I foolishly gave into, even if only for the briefest of moments. Nigel gives a slight bow of his head before exiting the room as quickly as he had arrived, but now it seems Micca and Drew have something to say while Nate slips out of the room without a word.

“You seriously doubt Emery? Do you really think she’s some kind of evil monster?!” They aren’t genuine questions from a wolf who shares those concerns, no, they’re asked in a tone that tells me Micca thinks I’ve lost my damn mind.

“No! I don’t believe it for even a second!” Drew steps forward with his brow furrowed.

“Her face when she left tells a different story, alpha. She looked like someone who was completely betrayed.” His tone is flat, but I can see the anger in his eyes.

“Fuck! I literally hesitated for only a second! I was just processing what he said, that’s all!” They don’t believe me, but hell, I don’t even believe my words.

“I’m willing to bet that second of hesitation felt like a lifetime for her. We should gather the warriors and let them know what the plan is.” Micca’s words hit hard, but he’s right. I screwed up and I don’t know how to fix it. It’s not like I told her I don’t like the dress she’s wearing…I made her question whether I trust her!

“I should try to find Emery, see if I can fix this mess I made.” Micca places a hand on my shoulder and gives me a firm squeeze.

“Nate is shadowing her, so she’s fine. Give her some time to cool off while we deal with the guards.” Once again, he’s right…even if I don’t like it.

We send out a link to the guards and have them all meet at the training grounds so we can explain everything to them while all I can really focus on is the mental wall blocking me from feeling or hearing my mate. We’ve just finished explaining everything and answering the few questions the guards had when I notice Drew tense and his eyes glaze over. After a few seconds, his eyes become slightly panicked and he rushes off toward the forest, his sudden behavior added to my missing mate gives me an instant feeling of unease.

“Have you heard from Emery or Nate?” I watch Micca, anxiously awaiting his answer, but he shakes his head.

“No, not since Nate took off after her.” The universe either has chosen to show pity for me, or perhaps it’s just determined to make me worry even more than I already am because a pack link opens and I feel the tension and a lingering hint of panic when Drew’s voice comes through.

“Um, we have visitors. Head east to the clearing by the river and…come quickly.” He cuts the link completely, but we don’t need to be told twice. Micca and I shift and take off to the east, reaching the field in under twenty minutes where we find my mate and four large, non-shifter creatures standing before her. I can tell right away that one is a vampire, one is clearly a fae, another appears to be a witch and the fourth looks like a demon, though I had thought them to be a myth.

“You have great power, small one.” The witch speaks in an almost haunting tone as she stares down at Emery.

“You look…familiar. Do I know you?” The witch reaches out with long, pale, spindly fingers and gently stokes Emery’s cheek.

“We’ve met before, but you wouldn’t remember since you were so young, only days old. It was the day your mother took her final breath, but not before asking me to save you. You were destined for greatness and even your mother knew that back then. I trust that Selene has been speaking to you?” Emery nods, but I still can’t see her face from here.

“She has, but it’s all broken visions and riddles.” There’s no denying her frustration, but I can’t help finding her irritated tone to be adorable because I just know she scrunched up her nose.

“She’s not meant to interfere, but this is a prophecy from long ago that someone is working very hard to put a stop to. She reached out to you and told you everything she could. It helped you find your mate, did it not?” I notice Emery’s body tense as she hums softly.

“Yes, my mate who thinks I’ve used magic to create our bond just like that filthy creature who’s torn apart pack after pack. Remind me to thank Selene for her guidance.” Each word is dripping with sarcasm, but each one hits like a knife to my heart. How could I have ever given Nigel’s words even brief consideration?

“Your mate is strong and your bond is pure. You will need each other to survive the battle we all will face. You must trust in each other.” The witch’s eyes connect with mine as she says the last part and I respond with a nod.

“What about the group the council sent to Ember Claw? Have you found them?” The vampire steps forward, but his answer isn’t the one any of us were hoping for.

“We did. My men found their remains just outside Ember Claw’s borders in the neutral zone. It was made to look like a rogue attack, but we could detect the essence of magic still lingering on their corpses.” Emery’s hands clench into tight fists at her side as she’s hit with the same anger as the rest of us.

“I have a few of their wolves under my control. They’re relaying information to us daily. It seems the witch has been working to build an army, welcoming rogues onto the pack lands with promise of food and shelter in exchange for their promise to fight at her side. Your brother hasn’t been seen for several days now and no one is permitted to enter the alpha’s chambers.” Emery begins pacing and folds her arms over her chest.

“We can’t wait much longer. What if she kills him? I can’t let her take him from me. We’ll need to leave soon, before she can gain more wolves to fight for her and before she can destroy Ember Claw the way she did River Run.” Unable to watch her work herself into such a panic, I close the distance and pull her into my arms. She doesn’t push me away, but she doesn’t melt into me the way she usually does either.

“I’m so sorry, Em, so fucking sorry. I trust you, I swear to you on my life I do. We’re going to save your brother and his pack, but we’re going to do it together. You and me, Em.” Slowly, her body begins to relax in my hold and I catch the faint smile on the witch’s face at the sight of us.

Chapter 17

Emery

I could hear the sincerity in his words, but in the back of my mind I can’t help thinking about how quickly he doubted me without reason to. Wren wants to forgive our mate, but even she was hurt by his doubt, no matter how brief it may have been. It’s these thoughts and painful feelings that have me holding off from reopening our connection, even as he holds me in his arms and promises to love and trust me.

“We should prepare for battle. If we leave by dawn, we’ll have the element of surprise.” Knowing the other packs will have their warriors here by night fall, it sounds like our best option. I nod at Martius, the vampire king, then pull away from Archer to face the coven mother, Estreya.

“You know what we need from you and the coven. When it’s time, I’ll do my part, but if things go wrong…please remember what I asked of you.” She gives me a solemn nod, though I know she isn’t thrilled with my request. When they first arrived, I made it clear that my brother and the pack were to be saved at all costs. I know Archer wouldn’t agree to my request, but I just know this is what I need to do.

“Let’s pray things don’t go wrong. How long until the other packs arrive?” Estreya directs her question to Archer who clearly picked up on her mood shift and is now tensed up beside me.

“They’ve already started arriving, the last of them should be here within the hour.” Estreya and Martius exchange a weighted look, almost as if they’re having a silent conversation that none of us are privy to.

“I’ll get my hordes into position then.” Siirielle, the demon queen, declares in a voice that’s both entrancing and eerie.

“We’ll see you there.” I give a slight bow then watch as the dark council leaders turn and leave the clearing to prepare for the battle that lies ahead, leaving me standing here alone with Archer, Nate and Drew.

“Luna…what part are you playing exactly?” Drew’s concerned voice has me turning to him, forcing my best smile.

“The part I was destined to. We should get back and make sure the others are ready.” I can feel Archer pressing, trying to test the mental wall I placed to block him out, but it stands strong. Drew and Nate excuse themselves to go address the army of wolves we’ve amassed, leaving Archer and I to walk back together. I know he can feel the distance I’ve put between us and while I know he’s apologized, the thought that he could even consider that I might be as evil as that false luna who’s poisoning my old pack…it breaks my damn heart. We make it only half a mile from the clearing when he finally seems to be unable to stand the silence.

“Em, I know I screwed up. Please, just tell me how to fix this.” My steps falter and, much to my irritation, Wren begins whimpering, wanting to mend things with our mate. Instead of speaking, giving voice to the hurricane of emotions that are raging inside me, I choose the easy path…I drop the block and let every damn one of them slam into him, taking great satisfaction when he drops to his knees. I don’t want to hurt my mate, but being here gave me a glimpse of the life I should be living, the life that was stripped from me by others’ hatred, fear, lies and betrayal.

“You tell me you trust me, yet it only took the word of one wolf to make you doubt me. I’ve spent months being treated like some vile creature by people I risked everything for. I’ve never given you or them a reason to doubt me, yet it was so easy to believe that I’m guilty of something you have no proof of me being involved in. Before you can fix anything, you need to reflect on this moment. You need to figure out if truly trusting me unconditionally is something you’re even capable of. While you do that, I have a job to do.” I don’t doubt that I sound cruel, but maybe if he’s upset with me, it’ll keep him from getting in the way of me doing what’s necessary to save my brother and his pack. Yes, I honestly believe he needs to figure out if he’s willing to trust me without restrictions, that much I meant, but I hate that I have to push him away to do this and I hate that he may end up hurt at the end of this.

The rest of the walk to the packhouse is silent and I don’t stop for anyone as I make my way up to our room. It takes me only minutes to get dressed in all black, pull my hair back and slip a black hat on to hide my fiery locks. Once I’m dressed, I exit our room and head down to meet up with the others in the backyard. Alpha Chris is the first to approach me and I can tell how hard this is on him, knowing the pressure he’s feeling to close this chapter and put an end to the woman ultimately responsible for his father’s death.

“Luna Emery, it’s good to meet you in person, though I wish it were under less horrible circumstances.” I give him my most comforting smile and keep my voice calm despite the worry and nervousness I’m currently choking down.

“It may be poor circumstances, but good company more than makes up for it. It’s an honor to fight at your side.” I can feel the anger, determination and a lingering hint of sadness through my bond, knowing Archer is here and struggling as much as I am, brings a small amount of comfort. I don’t want him to suffer, but I do want him to learn. Archer delivers an, admittedly, motivational speech to the gathered army and less than twenty minutes after I reached the backyard, we’re loading into armored SUV’s and buses, heading to the battle that lies ahead.

“Em, I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be, but…in case something happens out there…I need you to know that I love you and I do trust you.” He’s been sitting beside me in silence for over an hour before declaring his love for me and I know he can feel my emotions through our bond, so I grab his hands and lace my fingers with his.

“I love you too.” I give him a shaky smile and he squeeze my hand in response. The last of the drive is tense and quiet, but when we reach the meeting point, a clearing two miles out from the pack’s border, we all pile out and stretch before gathering at the center where the dark council members are waiting.

“We’ve located him and he seems weak, but is still alive.” Martius speaks in a cold, even tone as he delivers the news I’ve been waiting to hear.

“The entire pack seems to be weak.” Estreya chimes in, but her words offer no comfort.

“My hordes are awaiting the order.” Siirielle adds with a slight bow of her head.

“Try to subdue the pack members, only harm them if there’s no other option.” Estreya has her witches start handing out various items that will help to sedate the wolves of the pack without harming them, ensuring everyone has enough to complete our task. Once the powders, serums and darts have been distributed, we spread out and begin the trek into the territory, a territory that used to feel like home, but now feels like tainted grounds…like a cemetery with ghosts haunting the shadows.

‘Stay by me, Em.’ Hearing Archer’s voice actually eases my tension some. I should warn him of the plans I made with coven mother, Estreya, but I know that, if I do, he’ll never allow me to go through with it. I choose to respond with a single nod as we continue on. It takes forty minutes to reach the edge of the forest, the packhouse sitting a few hundred yards ahead of us. Estreya steps up beside me, her eyes focusing on the house as she lifts her hand, palm up, and summons an orb of glowing blue energy. With a flick of her wrist, the orb of energy explodes into hundreds of smaller orbs that race off toward the packhouse, phasing through the walls.

“It’s time. Move now!” On her word, the army behind us charges in, yet she remains by my side, prepared for our hidden part in this attack…the part that will hopefully save my brother.

Chapter 18

Archer

I can’t stop thinking about something Drew, Nate and I heard my mate say to the coven mother. “You know what we need from you and the coven. When it’s time, I’ll do my part, but if things go wrong…please remember what I asked of you.” I don’t know what she meant and both Arrow and I have been on edge since she said it. Her emotions through the bond aren’t giving anything away either, but there’s been a near constant undertone of unease that I can’t ignore.

I watch as Estreya gives the order to move forward and I’m about to rush forward when I notice that Emery and Estreya don’t follow the army into battle. I quickly close the distance between us, but just as I reach them, Wren pushes forward as Estreya begins chanting something in a language I can’t understand. Wren gives me a look that makes my heart sink then takes off, not toward the packhouse, but toward the eastern forest. The look in her eyes felt an awful lot like she was saying goodbye.

“Where’s she going?!” Estreya doesn’t stop chanting, so I quickly pass the reins to Arrow and let him carry us to our mate. It takes us a few minutes to catch up to her, but it shocks the hell out of Arrow and me when I see her shift, brush some dirt away from something on the ground then she pulls open a damn hatch door! Her amethyst eyes meet mine and I see worry there, but even more potent is her determination. Without a word, she jumps right into the damn hole, a hole too small for me to fit through in wolf form, so I quickly shift and follow her down, finding her waiting for me at the bottom.

“You were supposed to go with the others! You shouldn’t be here, Archer!” Her whisper shout is far from angry, but it only makes me worry about what the hell her plan here is.

“I’m not about to let you do whatever crazy shit you have planned without me. I told you, Em, it’s you and me to the end. Where you go, I go. Now, what the hell are we doing and how did you know that door was there?” She closes her eyes and takes a deep, steady breath before opening them and locking her gaze with mine.

“Jonah and I used to play in these tunnels when we were pups. Estreya and Siirielle were able to get him a message for me and he said to use the tunnels, that they aren’t guarded. He’s being held in the cells and this tunnel has a path that leads right to them.” I nod my head, understanding her plan, though I know there’s something she’s not telling me. Then another thought occurs to me…she’s trusting the brother who’s under the evil bitch’s spell?!

“Wait, why are we trusting a wolf who’s being controlled by her?!” She gives me a sad smile and lets out a soft sigh.

“She put bindings on him, Archer. The minute those spelled bindings were in place, her hold on him broke, but he’s too weak to fight her.” I feel a small amount of relief from this and give her a stiff nod.

“Alright, let’s go get your brother.” I would push her to tell me whatever she’s hiding, but with time running out, we need to focus on this first. She shifts into Wren and I let Arrow take over then let her lead the way. The tunnel goes on for miles with us running at least two before taking a tunnel on the left that goes on for only a few hundred yards before we reach a tapestry that hangs on the wall, covering the entrance to the tunnel that opens to the pack’s holding cells. Just as the others said, Jonah is bound and collared in one of the cells and looks as though he’s been thoroughly beaten and deprived of food for far too long. Rather than shift and try to pick the lock, my beautiful mate hooks her claws on the bars of the door, pulling the entire door off and tossing it to the other side of the room.

“Wren?” Jonah’s voice is weak and strained, but the way he’s looking at her now is the same way he used to look at her…before the evil bitch showed up. Wren releases her control, letting Em come forward so she can use her abilities to remove the bindings and collar.

“You need to follow the tunnel to the forest. Estreya will be waiting for you. Go!” She rushes him out then turns to me, so many conflicting emotions on display in her expression. I shift the second Jonah is out of sight, needing to find out what the next step is in this crazy plan.

“Em, talk to me. What are you planning to do? I damn well know you’ve got something up your sleeve.” I see the flash of uncertainty in her eyes, but then I see it…the moment resolve settles in.

“They’re not going to find her…but I can.” My brow furrows as I try to understand what she’s saying, what she knows that the rest of us don’t.

“How can you find her if they can’t? They’ve been watching her, studying her.” With a deep breath, she manages to blow me away.

“They’ve been watching a part of her…an illusion. She knew they were there the whole time. I know where she is and I’m pretty sure I know what she has planned. That’s why we had the witches supply the sedatives. Without them, she’d use the entire pack to fight the battle while she slips away. I need you to trust me, Archer.” I don’t even have to think about it because I do trust her, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.

“Lead the way, beautiful.” She gives me a stunning smile then pushes Wren forward with me passing the reins to Arrow. We follow her back to the main tunnel then turn left, heading deeper into the unknown. We walk for over ten minutes before she slows her pace and crouches low to the ground with Arrow mimicking her movements. Just as I’m about to link her and ask what she senses, I hear it…a soft chanting coming from further down the tunnel.

As we follow the curve in the tunnel, I see a flickering light ahead, coming from the same direction of the chanting. We make it another twenty yards and that’s when I see her…the vile bitch who’s causing so much trouble for too many creatures. If I weren’t trained in reading body language, I would think she doesn’t know we’re here…but I can…though she quickly reveals her knowledge anyway.

“Ah, the mutt and her mate. How nice of you to join me, but I’m afraid you’re too late. By now, this pack is already tearing apart your little allies.” I try to hide my reaction, but I feel my eyes widen slightly at the thought of my pack and all of the beings who came to help us dying at the hand of these puppets.

“Oh, you mean the pack that’s currently subdued and being cleansed as we speak? Hold on, let me help open your eyes.” Em waves her hands, shooting a purple gust of energy toward Araya, earning a loud, angry scream from the evil bitch.

“What have you done?!” I see the walls light up with a purple, shimmering barrier that blocks the tunnel entrance and the doorway on the other side, looking like a barrier of purple flames…just like she showed me in the field.

“I’ve played your game. Now, the pack members and my brother are being transported to a safe location far from here, so you’re on your own, Araya.” I step closer to Em, feeling the need to ensure I can step up the second she needs me…which comes much sooner than I had planned.

“When I charge her, use her distraction to get in behind her. The flames won’t hurt you, but they will kill her if she touches them.” Without a second of hesitation, she thrusts forward a burst of energy that makes Araya stagger, but not fall. She doesn’t allow Araya a chance to recover being sending another burst and then another, pushing her little by little, closer to the barrier. I make my way around them, trying not to draw attention to myself as I try to get in position.

Chapter 19

Archer

I’m finally positioned behind Araya, but I don’t see it in time…I don’t see her channeling her energy…I don’t see the energy in front of her forming a blade…I don’t see the blade slice through the air, but I feel the moment it hits Emery and that’s when Arrow attacks, his rage instantaneous and his jaw wrapping around her neck in a lethal grip and not releasing her until her body stills. We drop her limp body on the ground and run to Emery, shifting as I slide up to her side.

“Oh goddess! Em?! Hey, look at me, beautiful. Just keep those beautiful eyes on me. I’m here, Em. I’ve got you.” I link Micca, Nate and Drew, telling them where we are and ask them to bring the others with them. It takes them ten minutes to get to us and Estreya is the first to reach me and Emery, quickly getting to work tending to the injury.

“I can stabilize her now, but we need to get her to an infirmary and I need my spell books if I’m going to stand a chance of healing her fully.” I don’t question her, but it’s partly due to my focus being divided between listening to Estreya and listening to Emery’s heartbeat. Once she’s deemed stable enough to transport, I carefully pick her up and follow them out of the strange room, not stopping until we step outside where two of the transport vans are waiting.

“The pack members have been cleansed, but Alpha Jonah is requesting permission to travel back with us. He wants to be there for our luna when she wakes.” Micca’s tone is cautious, likely out of uncertainty of whether or not I’d want him there after all this hell we’ve suffered through…after the hell she’s suffered through.

“Get him in here. We need to get going.” Micca jumps out of the van and returns only minutes later with Jonah, who looks completely devastated. The ride back to our pack’s lands is made in silence and the second we return, we go straight to the infirmary where Estreya is already waiting for us. We get Emery set up in a room with machines monitoring everything from heart rate to oxygen levels while Estreya works to mix herbs as several spell books are spread out on the counter around her.

“Alright, stand back and let me work.” Estreya’s voice has us all stepping away from the bed, though it’s very difficult for me to do. I watch everything…her rubbing the salve with he herbs onto the injury…the spell she chants as she burns sage and waves the smoke into Em’s face…the way she channels her own energy into my mate, helping to strengthen her in anyway she can.

“Oh, goddess…alpha? Your mate…she’s carrying your heir.” Estreya looks both excited and worried, but she also looks determined. As for me…I’m shocked. My mate…my precious Emery…she’s pregnant…and I let her go to battle!

“Will they be okay?” I barely manage to choke the words out, but the second she smiles, I feel immense relief.

“The pup is fine…strong…and your mate…her wolf is protecting her…helping her heal.” Estreya quickly finishes doing whatever it is she does then clears everyone out of the room but me and Jonah.

“I was so awful to her. How the hell is she ever going to forgive me?” Jonah’s voice is wrecked, completely devastated, but before I respond, I look at my beautiful mate and can’t help smiling as I deliver the truth.

“She’ll forgive you, Jonah. She’s strong, intelligent, but most of all, she’s pure. She knew you weren’t being yourself. Em has a capacity for forgiveness that exceeds all sense of reason.” He chuckles and nods his head, but neither of us look away from my sleeping angel.

“You’re not wrong. When I first took over as alpha, I was so damn stressed out all the time and I would act like a complete dick, but she always forgave me. Hell, most of the time, she would find ridiculous ways to make me laugh, even when I absolutely didn’t want to.” There’s no denying how much he loves her, but I get it…it’s impossible not to love her.

“She’s amazing. Goddess…we’re going to have a pup.” My eyes lock onto her still flat stomach, the place where our pup is safely nestled away.

“Congratulations. I’m really happy for both of you.” I can tell he means it, but I’m having a hard time letting myself be too excited, not wanting to let it fully sink in until Emery’s here to celebrate with me.

“Thanks, Jonah.”

It’s been two days since we returned from Ember Claw and I haven’t left Em’s side for more than a few minutes at a time and Jonah has been just as bad. I just got done with reviewing pack transfer request from the comfort of my spot beside Emery’s bed when I see the first sign of movement from her…her fingers twitching. I lean forward in the chair, watching closely as her fingers slowly curl, clenching into a fist as a soft groan escapes her. By the time my eyes raise, she’s already looking down at me with a soft smile.

“Hey, you look awful.” I can’t even stop the chuckle that rumbles through me.

“And yet you look as stunning as ever. How’s that even fair?” That earns a bright smile from her that I’m all too happy to return.

“Did we finish it? Is she gone?” I quickly nod, wanting to reassure her so she doesn’t get too worked up.

“Yeah, we got her, Em. There’s…we found out something…when we got back here. I should say that Estreya found something. Em…you’re pregnant…we’re going to have a pup.” I was worried she might be upset, or maybe not be ready, but that smile on her face becomes brighter.

“Really?” Her voice cracks a little as I nod while moving to sit on the edge of the bed so I can pull her into my arms.

“Yeah, really. Also, Jonah’s here. He’s been here the whole time, waiting for you to wake up. He’s been beating himself up for everything.” It doesn’t surprise me when she shakes her head, or when she pulls back and looks at me with those amethyst eyes, filled with sadness.

“It’s not his fault. He can’t blame himself and he can’t get caught up in the past. He has a pack that needs him.” He must’ve heard us talking, something made clear by the look in his eyes when he walks into the room seconds after she finishes speaking.

“Hey, Emery. How are you feeling?” She gives a gentle lift of her shoulders, a half-shrug that comes with a soft smile and that adorable as hell crinkling of her nose.

“I’m okay. So, I know you heard us, but I’m going to say it to your face now. You’re not to blame for any of this. You’re going to stop with your self-pity and blaming yourself and you’re going to suck it up and be the alpha your pack needs. Besides, you need to get your shit together so you can be the best uncle in the world.” That’s all it takes to have him beaming a bright smile at her.

“Alright, you win…this time.” Jonah stays with us for a few more hours before letting us know he’s returning to his pack to get started on cleaning things up there. After Estreya gives us the all clear, I carry Emery back to our suite so I can pamper her and worship her like the goddess she is.

Chapter 20 – Epilogue

Emery – Epilogue

Three Years Later…

It’s been three years and two months since my last vision and life has been beautiful. Archer and I welcomed our son, Liam, into the world a little over two years ago and our daughter, Chloe, joined us only five months ago. Jonah met his second chance mate the day Chloe was born. With Estreya’s help, he discovered the tragic truth about his first fated mate’s death, she was killed by Araya so she could use the energy of the dormant mate bond to form a false bond.

Both of our packs are doing amazing and have formed an alliance with every one of the packs that helped us put an end to Araya, though we’re still not entirely sure what her real name is or what made her do such awful things. The dark council has agreed to come to our aid in the future, should we need them. While we’re thankful for their help, we hope we never require their aid again. I think we’re all more than deserving of peace after all we’ve been through.

We had my luna ceremony and the entire shifter council attended. Let me tell you, seeing the council members when they’re drunk and carefree was quite an experience. Councilman Ryan tried dancing on one of the tables while Bryce and Cole had an arm-wrestling match that ended with both of them on their asses, the table all but destroyed. It was definitely a night I’ll never forget.

My past has taught me many things, but the biggest thing I learned was to never take a single moment for granted. Every moment with my family…with my pack…is a moment I will cherish. I’ll admit, I never imagined that those crazy, vague and confusing visions could lead me to where I am. I have an amazing mate, we saved my brother and his pack, I have a pack that loves and respects me and then there are my amazing pups.

My journey has shown me that, sometimes, you have to trust yourself to choose the right path, that forgiving others can help you heal just as much as i can help them and that sometimes you just have to leave things up to fate.