Chapter 8 - Gage
Gage
An alarm started blaring, pulling our attention back to our own surroundings. Denraider was coming.
Somehow, we’d all been able to see clearly through Rowan’s eyes, no doubt a gift from our newly expanded Bonded circle and the Odinswolf powers surging through us as a result.
Since the Howling Echo could use the Bonded link to communicate over distances, I ordered us all to split up and stay with different groups. We could relay messages faster than any other method of communication, sensing what the others were experiencing before they even gave voice to it.
As such, I positioned myself with Hugo and Idori outside Moonblessed’s walls, our eyes on the valley where Denraider would most likely hit us.
The wind carried the scent of snow and enemy shifters. My wolf was already on edge.
Through our bonds, I felt my packmates settling into their positions across the battlefield.
Heath’s determination pulsed from where he waited with the Bloody Dawn forces, the small force barricading a chokepoint through the eastern pass.
Flint’s protective resolve anchored the Frost Fang camp defenders in the valley opening to the south.
And Freya… her magic blazed like a beacon as she stood with Zak and Brielle.
Their tiny coven’s power entwined, already humming through our connection.
I stupidly reached for the Howling Echo pack bond to get a sense for Rowan’s position, then his absence hit me. Reaching instead for the newer Bonded link, I found him far distant, nowhere near us, which was a relief. The same could be said of Torsten, newest to Freya’s Bonded circle.
“Rowan is still in Oregon,” I reminded the others as much as myself. “He won’t get pulled into this.”
“Gage,” Pack Alpha Hugo’s steady voice reflected his years of leading Moonblessed alongside his mate. “Our scouts report movement along the expected routes.”
I nodded, my attention split between the immediate tactical situation and the constant flow of information through the Bonded link. “Positions are set. We’re ready.”
“However, the scouts from the northeastern roads into Montana had something else to report,” his mate, Pack Alpha Idori, added wryly. “Ironwood decided to show up at last.”
As she spoke, the roar of engines made me turn.
The vehicles pulled up short, marked with Ironwood’s pack tattoo symbol of a lofty tree in front of a full moon, and then two shifters made their way to us in human form.
The wind traveled the wrong way for me to get an immediate sense of their identities, and my fingers tightened around my gun until recognition hit.
“Thatcher. Lee.”
The two Ironwood alphas wore matching grim but determined expressions. Behind them, half a dozen other vehicles rolled to a stop, carrying betas and subordinates who’d chosen to ride into battle rather than cower behind their territory’s borders.
Relief, then worry, flooded my veins. I needed backup, but uncoordinated allies this late in the game could get us all killed.
“We got here as fast as we could,” Thatcher said, giving me a fistbump. “Left a skeleton crew of fighters to guard Ironwood packlands and brought those who wanted to fight alongside the Howling Echo.”
Lee stepped forward, his expression fierce. “We all know that if we have any chance of holding back the Denraider tide, we have to make our stand here, with you.”
He nodded to Hugo and Idori as well.
“Grateful for the backup,” I said, mentally running through adjustments to our plans. “But I need you integrated fast. Can your people follow Flint’s lead?”
“Without question,” Thatcher confirmed. “Where do you need us?”
I glanced at Hugo and Idori, whose eyes held nothing but trust. Since they didn’t immediately speak up, I answered for us all. “The walls will protect Moonblessed on this side. But Flint and Frost Fang are holding the more vulnerable southern valley where we have fewer defenses.”
Hugo and Idori explained how to drive through the eastern pass to get there fastest.
“You might get there after Denraider strikes,” I warned. “You could be wading straight into battle.”
Thatcher grinned. “Then we’ll take them by surprise. And we have plenty of weapons.”
“We have your back,” Lee assured us.
Both alphas turned to relay orders to their wolves. As they moved out, I felt a surge of gratitude tempered by the weight of responsibility. More lives depending on my decisions. More wolves trusting me to navigate them through the coming storm.
Through the Bonded link, I reached out to my packmates. “Ironwood reinforcements just arrived. Thatcher and Lee are moving to support Flint in the valley.”
“We know,” Heath said.
“Frost Fang is ready,” Flint confirmed. “We’ll hold the south.”
And then Freya’s presence blazed through the connection, warm and fierce. “We’re prepared. Zak and Brielle have the wards set.”
Heath’s view of Artemis and the other Bloody Dawn wolves suddenly flickered through my consciousness — not described in words, but how he experienced it. I could see through his eyes for a heartbeat, feel his assessment of the best firing angles from their position.
“Can you all feel that?” I asked through the link.
“It’s like we’re sharing more than thoughts,” Zak’s voice carried wonder. “I can sense everyone’s position like I’m right there.”
“The bonds are stronger,” Flint confirmed, his own amazement and wonder flowing through the Bonded link. “More unified.”
“Just like how we watched the fight through Rowan’s eyes,” Heath commented.
A new presence touched the edge of our link, bringing Torsten’s unfamiliar voice. “Freya’s Odinswolf abilities are expanding what’s possible between us. Denraider will hit your positions in approximately fifteen minutes. They’re splitting up now.”
The seamless way Torsten integrated into our communications amazed me.
He felt like the missing piece we hadn’t known we needed, his presence completing something fundamental in our pack structure.
Even now, unknown miles away, he was directing his ravens to provide crucial intelligence for both us and Rowan.
“Doesn’t sound like a wise plan, tactically,” Heath mused.
“Tor, are you going to take advantage of Denraider’s attack to sneak past?” Zak asked.
“That’s the goal. In the meantime, I’ll do everything I can from here to ensure it’s a victory.”
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Flint’s warm voice assured him.
Through our new mate bond, I felt Heath’s spike of protective concern. After years of unspoken tension, the new type of connection between us felt raw and powerful in a way that made my chest tight. Being separated from both him and Freya across the battlefield was nearly intolerable.
“Freya, Heath,” I said privately.
“Don’t worry about us,” Freya said.
Freya had Zak and Brielle to watch her back, so it was Heath I felt more concerned about at the present moment.
“Stay sharp,” I told Heath, letting my own fierce protectiveness flow back through the link. “Come back to me in one piece.”
“Always,” he promised, and the warmth of his certainty steadied something deep in my chest.
Hugo and Idori began disrobing beside me, bringing my focus back to my immediate surroundings.
“They’re only a few minutes away,” I confirmed. “It sounds like Denraider may attack on multiple fronts.”
“Any idea why?” Hugo asked.
I shook my head. “I’ll let you know if anyone figures it out.”
Hugo and Idori shifted along with roughly half the wolves nearby, while half remained with me in human form, ready to pick off Denraider at range. Hugo and Idori would command the Moonblessed wolves using their pack bond, while I would call out orders to those still in human form.
The weight of command settled fully on my shoulders.
Not just my pack this time — all these allied lives depending on the decisions I made in the next few minutes.
Through the Bonded link, I sensed Freya’s awareness of that same burden alongside her determination to prove herself worthy of the trust our allies had placed in us.
Rowan’s voice blazed through the Bonded link with sudden urgency.
“Are you under attack?” His voice was rough with worry.
“Soon,” Heath and I answered at the same moment, not mincing words.
Rowan’s mental voice carried shock and confusion. “Lydell’s not with your attackers — he’s busy preparing for his big party.”
If the pack alpha wasn’t leading this assault…
Ice filled my veins. Of course, it made sense. Denraider didn’t care about their packmates’ lives, only the conquest.
“So, while he’s planning a party, he’s just sending out a probing attack,” I growled. “Testing Moonblessed defenses before committing their full force.”
Heath huffed, putting it together with lightning-fast understanding. “He’s sending these wolves out to the slaughter.”
“Does that mean the real attack won’t come until later?” Freya asked, her voice too hopeful.
“Right,” Rowan answered. “After Lydell hears how this assault went. Once they’ve pinpointed any weaknesses in your defense.”
“That matches what my ravens are seeing,” Torsten’s voice carried agreement. “It’s a smaller force than I would’ve expected from them.”
“It’s only two days until Christmas,” Zak’s words carried genuine bewilderment through the link. “If this isn’t the real attack…”
“They won’t want to wait too long between testing our defenses and the main attack,” Flint said grimly. “Wouldn’t want to give us time to shore up our weaknesses.”
“They wouldn’t really attack over the holidays… would they?” Zak gasped.
“I’m not sure yet whether the party is a ruse or not,” Rowan admitted. “I’ll let you know the moment I find out.”
The first Denraider wolves crested the ridge, their forms dark against the winter sky, but not in range of our guns just yet. I raised my hand, and the Moonblessed defenders around me tensed, weapons ready.
“Here they come,” I called out, my voice carrying across Moonblessed lines.
Through the Bonded link, I reported, “Contact.”