Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
T he hike to Niall’s territory was as long and dark as last time, but now they had to wade through drifts of snow while a frigid wind whipped at their clothes. Kade and the other shifters were largely unbothered by it—especially those in their wolf forms—but the mages shivered at the arctic blasts. The lights in their hands cast eerie illumination that twisted the trees into hulking monsters looming over them.
Kade crowded close to Liam, as close as he could on the winding paths, finding comfort in being able to touch him as much as he wanted, pulling him even closer to warm him with his body heat and feeling Liam melt against him when he did. It was too soon for them to be out of their room, out of their bed. Risking Liam by crossing through those wards into who knew what was making his wolf half-feral. The idea of losing Liam to one of the spirits, of something happening to him, had an uneasy, anxious sickness squirming in his gut as they neared the border of their territory.
Ahead of them, Victor was also sticking close to Elijah, and Kade noticed Grant hovering beside Miles as well. Although he didn’t lean in to warm Miles up, the way Grant held himself made Kade think he wanted to do exactly that.
Behind them, Aran grumbled to himself. “Excuse me, but where’s my large, muscly wolf shifter to keep me warm?”
“Please don’t let that happen,” Liam said under his breath.
When they reached the meeting place, they didn’t have to wait for Pierce. He was there, standing inside Niall’s wards, casting furtive glances behind him, twitching when they emerged from the trees and passed into the neutral area between their territories.
The icy brush of the wards swept over Kade as he crossed that line.
Pierce’s eyes darted around their group, then back to Kade. “Why did you bring so many people?” His words were quiet and agitated.
“They’re here to guard us from the spirits.” Elijah’s voice was low and soothing, as if he were trying to calm a frightened animal.
Pierce’s head jerked toward him. “You shouldn’t have all come.”
“It’s okay,” Elijah said. “They aren’t going to hurt your pack. The last two times we fought a spirit as large as this, it created golems to attack us, and we assume this one will do the same. We need them to protect us as we trap it.”
Pierce glanced over his shoulder. “You shouldn’t all be here. The rest of you should go. Just the mages stay.”
Kade’s hand settled on Liam’s back, and he saw Victor do the same to Elijah.
“No,” Victor said. “We do this together. I give you my word. We’re here to help your pack.”
Pierce pressed his eyelids shut like he was fighting against his instincts and trying to gather himself. He shook his head. “No. You don’t…”
“You have to trust us,” Elijah said.
Kade couldn’t breathe as he watched the exchange.
Finally, Pierce opened his eyes. He took a step forward.
“Why didn’t you meet us on the new moon?” Aran asked, and Pierce lurched to a stop, his gaze whipping toward the mage.
“ Aran .” Elijah’s warning was clear. He didn’t want Aran scaring Pierce off.
“No. We need a reason. Why didn’t you meet us?”
Pierce winced. He lowered his voice further, whispering harshly and staring at them with wild eyes. “He ordered us to stay inside. I couldn’t leave. He’s too strong. When he uses his alpha command, I… I can’t… He’s…” His breathing accelerated, and he fisted his hands in his hair.
“After we capture the spirit, it’ll no longer affect him. He’ll return to the alpha he used to be.” Elijah’s calming tone was back in full force.
Pierce looked up at him, desperation stark on his face. He was so different from the kid Kade had gone to school with—sweet confidence replaced by a hunted, cornered skittishness.
“We can fix this,” Elijah said, “but you have to let us.”
Pierce darted another glance behind him, then raised his hand to the barrier, giving them permission to enter. It rippled under his touch, becoming a visible, twisting black. Silver energy leached from his palm and corroded as the swirling darkness devoured it.
Kade sucked in a sharp breath as Victor walked through the wards, followed by Elijah. They both shuddered. Grant and Miles went next, and Miles turned to stare at the barrier, his expression horrified. When Kade stepped across, he understood why.
The wards didn’t feel like any he’d touched before. The closest he’d ever felt to them was the decay spirit descending upon him. This wasn’t that, but it was still corruption and filth crawling over his skin. He shuddered, and Liam did the same.
“You okay?” Kade asked.
“Yeah. You?”
Kade nodded, but he was far from okay. Eyes were watching him from every direction, following his every move, waiting for him to make a mistake.
He spun around, peering into the trees, and Liam grabbed his wrist, his touch bringing Kade back to reality, allowing him to recognize the paranoia suddenly gnawing at his mind, like he couldn’t trust anyone. Anyone but Liam.
He forced out an exhale, taking Liam’s hand and using it to remind himself that those thoughts were the spirit’s influence, and he had no intention of letting them control him again.
Above them, lightning flashed, though there was no storm that night. But what Kade saw between the skeletal branches of the trees stole his breath and clamped around his chest with oppressive horror.
A bluish fog floated in the sky, blocking out the stars and waning moon. Cracks of jagged yellow shot through the haze, shattered and broken.
“ Holy fuck ,” Aran breathed.
Kade couldn’t have agreed more. The spirit was massive . The pack wards had been hiding it from view. He squeezed Liam’s hand, anchoring himself in Liam’s presence.
“We’ve got to move quickly,” Elijah said. No one argued.
Kade still felt jittery. The eyes were still on him, but his bond kept him as grounded as possible.
Paranoia was written on the face of every shifter who crossed the barrier.
“It’s the spirit.” All of Victor’s command and authority was in his words. “ Remember , the spirit is making you paranoid.”
They nodded, but that didn’t stop them from looking around like they expected something to jump out at them.
“Get into position,” Victor said, and they spread out.
Rick brought the chest he’d made to Elijah and set it on the ground. “Good luck,” he said, then headed into the forest.
“Let’s do this. I don’t know how long we can last in here.” Elijah knelt and placed his light beside him. Shivering, he stripped off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, exposing his arms.
Liam extinguished the fireball he was holding and reached out, placing his other hand on Elijah’s bare arm. Miles did the same with Grant on the opposite side. Victor took his place behind him.
Kade resisted the urge to check to see who was staring at his back.
“Let’s hope I can use your energy,” Aran said, eyeing Pierce. He pulled out a small knife and sliced it across his palm. “I’m not taking any chances with this. Do the same to yours.”
He held the knife out to Pierce, handle first, and Pierce hesitated, debating whether or not he should take it.
Before he could, there was a shout Kade recognized as Rick. “There are shifters in the forest! Their pack is here!”
Kade jolted at the warning. Were there really, or was the spirit making Rick imagine things?
Snarls rose around them, too many to be just their pack and Grant’s.
Kade pulled Liam closer, spinning to find the threat, but the sounds were coming from all sides, closing in on them.
“Did you betray us?” Aran demanded, flipping the knife around and glaring at Pierce.
More snarling rang through the night. Pierce took one step backward, like he might try to flee, but then a voice, deep and commanding, said, “ Pierce, do it .”
Kade’s gaze snapped to the forest, but it was too dark for him to see past the first couple of trees. The illumination from Elijah’s light didn’t penetrate deeper than that.
Pierce flinched and, as if he had no control of his body, knocked the knife out of Aran’s fist, sending it flying. Aran raised his hands and the trees shook, but Pierce was too fast. He struck him across the head hard enough that he crumpled to the ground.
The forest stilled.
“Aran!” Liam cried, stepping away from Elijah.
Kade moved with him, but it was no use. Pierce was already grabbing Aran, tossing him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing, and sprinting off.
Liam’s shock staggered Kade. He went to run after Pierce, but Niall materialized from the trees, his eyes feral as he stared them down.
“You’re on my territory uninvited.”
“We’re helping your pack,” Victor said.
Niall scoffed. “You’re here for my land.”
“We aren’t,” Kade said, but Niall wasn’t paying him any mind.
Half of Niall’s pack sprang out behind him in their wolf forms, and the forest exploded into chaos.
A ball of fire appeared in Liam’s hand, and he lobbed it so it landed in front of a wolf stalking toward them. The wolf flung itself back, but it was unharmed, and Liam repeated the motion, throwing a second fireball at another wolf, though he wasn’t aiming to hit or hurt them.
The growls and snarls of wolves boxed them in.
“Stay back.” A cool threat lingered in Elijah’s tone, but Niall strode forward and pointed at Victor.
“You. You and I will fight.”
“We’re not here for that,” Victor said.
“Have it your way. If you won’t fight, I have no other choice.” Niall tilted his chin up.
Snow crunched, and Kade turned in time to see one of Niall’s betas slipping out from between the trees, a knife in his hand. It glinted as he sprinted toward Victor.
Kade lunged between them, catching the beta’s arm, but it was too late.
The knife plunged between his ribs, burning as it sliced him open, cutting off his breath. Scorching heat spread through his body, starting at the wound and searing through him. Warm blood gushed down his side.
Fire whizzed past Kade, hitting the beta square in the chest.
“Miles!” Liam yelled. “It’s wolfsbane!”
Kade gasped for air as he sank to his knees, but his lungs weren’t working. He thought Victor’s hands were on him, catching him as he fell, but he couldn’t feel them.
Wolfsbane. Yeah. That was what that was. Made sense. It explained the agony lancing through him, eating away at him, destroying him from the inside out. Blood no longer ran through his veins; it had been replaced by blistering pain.
Liam’s magic poured into him through the tether, cooling and welcome, but the wolfsbane clawed at it, ripped at it, tore it apart the moment Liam fed it to him.
The edges of Kade’s vision began to darken, and his eyes locked on Liam.
Liam.
The only light in the world.
His rage and panic flooded through their bond. He threw fireballs at the wolves surrounding them, not pulling his punches, his aim deadly accurate. The scent of singed fur and yelps of pain filled the clearing.
“Fall back!” Victor shouted, the sound muffled like Kade’s ears weren’t working right.
Kade struggled to focus on the blurry shape of Liam. He opened his mouth to call Liam’s name, but only a rattling breath came out.
“ Shit ,” a voice said. Miles? Kade wasn’t sure. It had come from so far away.
Tingling magic spilled into him, but it did nothing to quell the fiery pain.
Kade tried to blink, tried to move, tried to go to Liam. His body refused to obey.
Liam was still throwing balls of fire, beautiful and vengeful in the night that just kept getting dimmer and dimmer until all that was left was Liam.
Then even he faded into darkness.