“We need to speak with Anika,” Adne said before the woman could question us.
“We’re in the middle of Council,” the woman said stiffly.
“I’m aware of that.” Adne straightened to her full height, which wasn’t very tall, but she managed to appear menacing. “This is an emergency. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
The woman pursed her lips. “I’ll inquire as to whether she’ll see you.”
“She’ll see us.” Adne pushed past the now-sputtering woman. I threw her an apologetic glance and darted after Adne, taking Ren’s hand and pulling him into the room with me.
Anika and about a dozen other Searchers were gathered around the table. I didn’t recognize most of them. Connor was there, as were Ethan and Silas. They were all watching Logan. The Keeper leaned against the table, looking far too much at ease for my liking.
“Like I said.” Logan took a drag from his cigarette. “I don’t know that I can reveal the location of Shay’s parents without further reassurance about my own safety.”
Anika was rubbing her temples. “Would you please put that out? I don’t want to ask again.”
“I’m simply acting according to my current circumstance.” Logan blew a smoke ring, scenting the air with tobacco and cloves. “I thought prisoners were always granted a cigarette before their execution. And since you all keep threatening to kill me, I believe I should always have this small luxury afforded to me as long as my life is at risk. Don’t you?”
Ren and I growled in unison when Logan gazed at us, a slow smile curving one corner of his mouth. He began to laugh, shaking his head as he took another drag off his cigarette. Silas stared at us openmouthed. Connor stood up as Adne approached the table. He frowned at her, but then his eyes found Ren and me.
“Holy shit,” he breathed before turning to Adne, his voice quickly becoming a shout. “What the hell did you do?!”
Adne balked but gave him a steely look. “What I had to.”
“Ariadne, what’s the meaning of this?” Anika had risen.
Adne opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a snarl ripped from the room. I heard a crash as a chair was thrown back, smashing into the bookshelves behind the table.
“What is he doing here?” Shay’s face was like a thundercloud. He didn’t bother to come around the table. He was over it in a single leap, leaving me no time to launch into an explanation.
The air around Shay rippled, tinged with the rusty hue of his rage. I caught the scent of Ren’s own fury, sudden and violent, as he stepped in front of me, blocking Shay’s approach. It was an act of possession, as unmistakable as if he’d thrown a gauntlet at Shay’s feet. Ren was an alpha, and he was reclaiming his place.
He dropped to the ground, a massive charcoal wolf snarling at the golden wolf, who bared his own fangs, bristling, muscles bunching as he prepared to strike.
I tried to speak, but it was as if an invisible hand was strangling me, my words choked off by own rising horror.
What have I done?
The Searchers were drawing their weapons. Swords slid from sheaths; daggers flashed in the sunlight. Crossbows took aim. At Ren.
Shay launched himself forward, slamming into Ren. They tumbled across the floor, a mass of teeth and claws slashing out from golden and dark bodies. The furious struggle moved with such speed as the rival alphas tore at each other that their figures blurred, becoming a play of light and shadow. Fortunately for Ren’s sake, the lock of their limbs around each other made it impossible for any of the warriors to take a clear shot.
I smelled the blood before I saw it. Metallic and rich, its scent filled the air. Shay twisted, sinking his teeth into Ren’s shoulder. Ren snarled, his own jaws clamping down on Shay’s foreleg. They slid along the floor, a crimson trail staining the marble beneath them. And then they broke apart, struggling to catch their breath, bracing for the next attack. Ren howled as Shay hunched down, ready to leap back into the fray. The ring of Searchers took aim at Ren once more.
“No!” Adne’s cry broke through their growls. She threw herself between the two wolves, shielding Ren with her body. Startled, he yelped, but stopped himself from snapping at her.
Shay was equally thrown by Adne’s appearance. He scrambled back, still growling, but staring at her. He stalked sideways, angling for a new line of attack. Adne draped herself over Ren like a cloak. The dark wolf snarled in aggravation, trying to shake her off.
“Calla!” Adne stared at me, eyes wide. “You have to stop this!”
Connor strode across the room to Adne’s side. I expected him to drag her off Ren, but instead he turned around, adding his body as another buffer between her and the Searchers. He drew his swords.
“I suggest everyone else put their weapons away. Now.”
Logan was grinning, taking slow pulls off his cigarette.
Anika’s eyes narrowed. “I trust there is a reasonable explanation for this chaos?” She was looking at me.
I nodded, walking forward until I stood between the two wolves. “Shay, Ren.” I gave an icy glare to each of them. “Shift. Back. Now.”
They both hesitated, hackles raised, gazes moving from me to each other.
“Now,” I said, flashing my fangs.
Ren shifted first. Adne toppled over when the tall boy bumped into her. Connor grabbed her arms, looking like he was about to shake her in frustration. Instead he just held her, eyes alight with anxiety.
Shay was still glaring at Ren when he shifted.
They were both breathing hard. Stains darkened the shredded fabric at Ren’s shoulder, while Shay clamped his hand around his bloodied forearm.
The room was full of the scent of their blood and the sharp tang of the Searchers’ fear. The warriors had lowered their weapons, but I knew it would take only the slightest provocation to spur them into attack. Shay was their only hope at winning this war. If Ren posed a threat to the Scion, the Searchers would kill him without hesitation. I had to convince them we needed Ren’s help.
I took a deep breath, putting as much strength into my words as I could muster. “Anika, I apologize for the intrusion. Adne and I had to take care of something. A vital rescue if this alliance is to succeed.”
I was grateful Adne managed not to gape at me.
Anika arched her eyebrow. “You ran your own clandestine operation?”
A slow smile pulled at my lips. “I apologize for the surprise. I didn’t trust that I could share my plan with such an untrustworthy creature in our midst.” I glanced at Logan, whose grin vanished. My confidence bloomed.
“A rescue, you said?” The suspicion in Anika’s gaze was less pronounced, but still there.
Adne cleared her throat. “Yes, Anika. A rescue warranted by my father’s sacrifice.”
At the mention of Monroe’s death, murmurs passed among the Searchers. Worried glances, uneasy shifting of weight stirring their bodies.
“Your father was killed in combat,” Anika said. “A terrible loss, but casualties are a way of life here.”
“It was more than that.” Adne took Ren’s hand. He looked surprised but smiled at her. Shay’s brow knit together as he watched Adne draw Ren toward Anika.
“Anika, I’d like you to meet Renier Laroche. My brother.”
Gasps filled the room. Shay stiffened, glancing at me with wide eyes. I nodded. The fury in his eyes swirled with newborn curiosity, giving me a breath of hope. Shay had liked Monroe, respected him. And he’d quickly befriended Adne, who was desperate to keep her brother safe. Maybe playing on those sympathies could lessen his hatred of Ren. I had to reassure him. It was ripping me up inside that Shay might think I’d betrayed him by going to rescue Ren. When I thought about the way I’d coaxed Ren away from Vail, I felt even worse.
“Ren, this is Anika.” Adne ignored the flurry of whispers and disbelieving stares. “Anika is the Arrow. She leads the Searchers.”
“Sorry to crash your party,” Ren said, eyeing the gathered Searchers warily.
Anika frowned and looked at Connor. “The letter.” Her hand rested on her coat pocket.
Connor’s face was grim. “Yes.”
Anika stared at Ren, then glanced at Adne with a sigh. “It was a fool’s errand.”
I bristled. “No, it wasn’t.”
The Arrow turned to me. “The son of the Bane alpha is here. His presence risks everything. His first move was to attack the Scion and—”
I snarled, cutting her off. “He is not Emile’s son. He is nothing like Emile.”
This time the weapons drawn were aimed at me. Shay and Ren both growled, moving beside me. Thankfully they ignored each other, focusing their attention on the Searchers.
Anika held up her hand. “Speak your mind, Calla.”
My heart slammed around my chest. This was it. This was the moment that would make or break everything, pulling Guardians from our past and hurling us into the future. And it all rested on my shoulders. Could I bear this weight? Was I truly the alpha I’d always wanted to be?
“He is Monroe’s son.” I pointed at Ren. “And he’s your best hope to win this war.”
“He’s what?” Shay’s voice was deadly quiet.
“I’m what?” Ren kept his own voice to a whisper, but the look he’d thrown me was a bit alarmed.
Damn. That was the problem with impromptu plans. You didn’t have any time to weigh their consequences.
Ignoring them, but knowing I’d have to deal with Shay’s jealousy later and that I still had a lot to explain to Ren, I kept my focus on Anika.
“The Scion is your weapon,” I said, touching Shay’s uninjured arm. His skin was hot under my fingers and I could feel his pulse jumping. I wanted to pull him close to me, but I didn’t dare. Not yet. “But you still need an army.”
“Your turncoat pack is hardly an army,” Logan said. “And Emile’s bastard certainly hasn’t shown himself to be a leader.”
I was forced to let go of Shay so I could grab Ren’s hand, holding him back when he snarled at Logan.
“And why are you here, Logan?” I glared at him. “Because you lived up to your father’s expectations?”
He pulled his gaze from mine and I smiled, knowing I had him. “You lost your inheritance, didn’t you? Failed in your duty? That’s why you had to run. Your little kingdom has crumbled, hasn’t it?”
Logan didn’t look at me. He lit another cigarette.
“He has a point, Calla,” Anika said, though her expression showed that she had no love lost for the Keeper either. “Your pack isn’t an army.”
“But we can bring you one,” I said.
“How?” One of the Searchers I didn’t know stepped forward. His shaved head and hooked nose gave him a hawk-like appearance. When he spoke, I heard traces of a French accent. “Monroe is dead. The potential for an alliance died with him.”
I gave the sour-faced Searcher a hard look as I walked up to Logan, taking the Keeper’s shirt in my fist. “Tell me, Logan. How many Banes did your father kill when Corrine’s betrayal was discovered?”
Logan’s eyes bulged. “How can you expect me to know about that? I was a child!” He gaped at me, disbelieving that one of his former servants would now threaten him.
My blood was singing as the peppery scent of his fear filled the air. “I can hardly imagine that Efron Bane would leave his only son so poorly prepared as to not know his future pack’s true history.”
Logan’s face was growing paler by the second. “But . . . I . . .”
“Answer her.” Ethan had come to my side. I heard his dagger hiss out of its sheath.
“Twenty-five,” Logan said. “Twenty-five traitors were killed.”
“That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” Ethan smiled.
I snarled and Logan backed against the table.
“How many wolves knew that Emile wasn’t Ren’s father?” I asked.
“None.” Logan ground his teeth. I slammed him against the tabletop.
“None that we knew of,” he whimpered. “But there have been rumors since the revolt. It was no secret that Corrine despised her mate. My father kept the truth quiet, but Emile’s temper gets the best of him at times. He wanted to kill the child. He was ordered not to.”
I glanced at Ren, whose face was drawn. I wished I could spare him the pain of this knowledge, but I had to get answers out of Logan.
“Would you say that the Bane pack lives contentedly under Emile’s leadership?”
Logan swallowed hard. “Perhaps not.”
I let him go, turning to Anika. “What’s happened in Vail will have thrown the packs into chaos. The Nightshades aren’t loyal to Emile Laroche. They’re loyal to my father. My family.”
Connor was nodding. “Good girl.”
“What are you proposing?” Anika asked.
“Guardians need alpha leaders. The bonds of the pack are what make us fight so well. The Keepers made a serious mistake by killing my mother and deposing my father. We’ll exploit that mistake.”
“Don’t they know their packs well enough to avoid such an error?” the hawk-faced man asked.
It was Ren who answered. “Their pride makes them believe their rule is absolute.”
Anika turned to Logan, who had scrambled to his feet. He glared at me, but gave a reluctant nod.
“And you believe that you and this boy can be the new alphas?” Anika’s steely gaze was on me. “Both packs will follow you?”
“We are the alphas. One Bane, one Nightshade. The packs will follow us. We can unite them and lead them against the Keepers.” In truth I wasn’t at all sure they would, but it was the only thing I could think of that might convince the Searchers to welcome Ren.
“There are those still loyal to Emile,” Logan said, rubbing his throat where my tight grip had left bruises. “You won’t sway them all.”
I kept my focus on the Arrow. “We can sway enough. Enough to make a difference.”
“It’s Monroe’s plan, Anika,” Connor said. “This is the revolt he wanted to stage from the beginning.”
“I know,” she said. “Very well.”
She crossed the room to stand before Ren. “Welcome, Renier. Your father was a good man.”
“No.” Shay’s eyes were wild. His knuckles were white as he clenched his fists.
“Shay, please,” Adne said. “This was always the plan Monroe hoped for.”
“I can’t go along with this,” he said. “It’s not what Monroe wanted. It’s what the Keepers wanted, forcing them to be together. Calla doesn’t belong with Ren.”
Ren bared his teeth at Shay. “She does. She always has.”
“I will kill you before I let you touch her.” The air around Shay was rippling again. “You aren’t the only alpha and you know it.”
My breath caught in my throat. Shay understood. His wolf instincts were teaching him faster than I ever could have anticipated. He was the interloper, and he was ready to challenge Ren for rule of the pack.
“Give it your best shot.” Ren smiled, just as ready to accept that challenge.
Shay stepped forward, only hesitating when Anika drew her sword, barring his path.
“Someone throw a bucket of ice water on these two,” Connor said.
“Calla,” Adne said. “Make them stop.”
The truth of her words was like a slap in the face. I could stop them.
Pushing past Anika, who sheathed her sword, I stood between Shay and Ren.
“Listen to me, both of you.” I placed a hand in the middle of each boy’s chest; their heartbeats thrummed against my fingertips. “This ends now.”
“Of course it does,” Shay said. “You have to choose.”
“He’s right,” Ren said, looking past me to glare at Shay. “Choose, Calla.”
“I won’t choose,” I said. “Not yet.”
Their hearts both skipped a beat in sync, revealing their shared uncertainty. A wave of giddiness washed over me. I was the alpha, and I didn’t have to submit to anyone. I finally
was able to follow my own path, a destiny I could discover for myself.
“I don’t need a mate,” I said, measuring my words. “I need soldiers. You two are the best I know. I need you. Both of you. Will you fight for me?”
Neither boy answered. They glared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
I let my words drop into their silence like stones into a deep well. “Will you fight for me?”
Shay frowned. “Always, but—”
“No buts,” I said, turning to Ren. “Will you?”
“You know I will.” His eyes were wary.
“Ren leads the pack. He’s the key to cementing this alliance with the wolves still in Vail,” I said. “Shay gets his hands on the Elemental Cross and leads the Searchers into battle.”
I glanced at Anika, who nodded.
“What about you?” Shay asked.
I smiled. “I’m the one who makes sure we all get along.”
“Good luck with that,” Ren growled.
With a quiet laugh, I moved my hands from each of their chests to grasp their wrists.
“I don’t need luck,” I said. “You’re going to swear to me that you’ll help and not hurt each other. You’re about to make a blood oath.”
“Uh . . . what?” Shay stared at me.
“Until this war is over, winning it is all that matters.” I pulled on them until they were standing face-to-face, inches apart. I could feel the tension pouring off each alpha. The scent of sunlight and thunderstorms swirled with the smoke of autumn bonfires and sandalwood.
“Heal each other,” I said.
“No,” Ren said.
“I need my warriors whole. You made each other bleed.” I ignored Ren’s bewildered expression. “Now undo the damage.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Shay grimaced.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I’m not kidding.” I stepped back, folding my arms over my chest. “Until I choose a mate, I’m the only alpha here; I’ve made it clear that I’m not making a choice right now. You two answer to me. Prove your loyalty. Heal each other.”
“I don’t believe this.” Ren groaned, but he bit his arm and held it out to Shay.
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