Chapter Twenty-Eight
All hell broke loose as the guard dropped to the ground.
I took their moment of shock to slash my blade through the air between myself and Garith, nearly slicing him open as he whirled away from my knife.
I swung on the next male holding Rowan as the female slipped a knife into Rowan’s hand.
She twirled away, manoeuvring through the crowd as they tried to grab her.
One snagged the string to her mask as she slid towards Lynn.
Her mask slipped from her face, revealing dark eyes I recognized.
Brandon dove for Lynn, but the female, dark and ready, was already there slashing at his face as Lynn cackled.
Toya’s grin matched Lynn’s as she jabbed her blade towards Brandon again.
The two twirled around each other, Toya with her knives and Lynn with her claws, slashing at any man that got too close.
Brandon tried again but earned himself a nice cut up his arm as Toya danced away. “You stupid bitch.” He screamed as the blood dripped from his fingers.
Toya grabbed Lynn’s hand, and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Lynn twirled Toya in the air, kicking the five men trying to attack them at once.
“I may be a bitch.” She grinned as she landed back on her feet.
“But I’m the bitch that is going to make sure that in this lifetime, you fucking die, Alpha.
” Her mocking tone had Brandon gritting his teeth.
More men pushed forward, and I lost sight of my friends.
I dodged a blade, my attention back on my battle to my mate.
Somehow in the fray, Rowan had been pulled farther away from me, and I called after him.
“Rowan!” I took a step but then whirled away from another attack.
I heard another voice from the crowd in the opposite direction, and I spun to find who screamed.
The knot in my chest loosened when I heard Micca’s voice call from the middle of the pack of me. “Get off of me.” Her scream was one of anger, not fear, and a smile worked its way onto my lips.
I started towards the voice only to see Hanna bellow as she dove for our friend. “She said get off.” Hanna kicked him and the male that had Micca went flying. They grinned at each other as Micca got up off the ground and dusted her pants.
“Stupid fucking males.” She slipped a sword from her back and screamed. “Let’s fucking go.” She looked like she was going to take off again, so I called out to everyone.
“Stay together and fight as pairs.” I called out. Toya and Lynn put their backs together as Hanna and Micca did the same. I fought my way to Rowan. “Where is Garith?” I called out, searching for the man of the hour.
Rowan spun in a quick circle. “He must have slunk away when you attacked. He must be running away or waiting for this to end.”
I scoffed as I cut down another man. “Pathetic.” Another man tried to tackle me as I jumped over him, but the blood on my hands made my blade slip from my grip. I spun, looking for it, but it was lost in rose petals, and grass.
Hanna tackled someone against the makeshift walls that Shannon had the pack erect in the field, and the pair went through it, making the entire room shake.
Micca followed quickly through the same hole.
I felt panic wanting to bubble until I saw the pair jump back into the room, and attack a new group of men.
Someone’s claws suddenly sliced down my arm, and I screamed as I twisted away from the attack.
Rowan bellowed my name, but I shifted my claws and attacked.
The male was going for blood, his fangs bared as he swung at me.
“You stupid, traitorous bitch. You should follow your grandfather’s plans.
The brotherhood knows what is best for our kind. ”
I shook my head as I snapped my hand out, my claws catching his flesh, earning a moan of pain.
“If you believe his lies, you are dumber than you let on. He doesn’t want our kind to flourish.
He wants power. He wants to be king, but he is too weak to rule, he is setting up the perfect puppet so he can pull the strings. ”
“Shut up, you whore. You don’t know what you are talking about.” The man shuddered as the shift took over him. I shook my head as my hand shot out.
“You think I’m stupid, but you are the one who shifted mid-fight without enough room.” I ripped his spinal cord out, and his shift stopped. I dropped his body to the ground, spinning to the next attack.
There was a shriek, and everyone seemed to pause for a second, unsure of what to do. “You ruined everything.” Shannon materialized behind me with a knife. She pierced the silver blade into my back as I let out a howl.
Rowan’s eyes shifted instantly as he ripped the heart from another guard. “Amy.” He stepped towards me, but Garith reappeared behind Shannon. He smiled as he pushed her away, taking the knife in his own hands.
“If I were you, I would tell everyone to stop fucking moving.” Garith shoved the knife deeper inside of me, making me groan, and Rowan' slammed his aura out, dropping everyone but me and Garith to the ground. A power flung outwards, creating a bubble around the two of us, leaving Rowan standing outside of it. “Look at your mate, granddaughter. So strong, so powerful…brought to his knees over a whore.” He snorted as he moved me forward. He pushed me to the edge of the bubble, so close I could count the darker lines of blue in Erubus’s eyes. “Look at how helpless he is.”
Rowan crashed against the bubble, his fist pounding on the outside. “Let her go. You can take me. Leave her out of this.” The panic in his eyes was clear to me, but he tried to hide it. I watched his emotions shutter, and then his face was cold, and calculating.
Garith laughed. “You are smart; I will give you that. But my granddaughter here, she is my insurance.” He grinned. “Now what are we going to do?”
Erubus faded from Rowan’s eyes. “Tell me what you want.”
“Well, you see…I kind of have all the cards here.” Garith twisted the knife a little deeper.
“You see, my lovely granddaughter is stuck with me, in here.” Garith reached another hand around and grabbed my face, earning a growl from Rowan.
“She is impaled on a silver knife, and we know what that means.”
Erubus ran out of the trees, speeding directly to Nix. MATE!
Nix whirled and furrowed her brow. What are you doing here? Her question was through gritted teeth. I couldn’t protect them from my pain, not since she made me promise to share everything with her the last time we were dealing with Verity’s magic.
I’m here to help you.
Megan trotted over. How? There is silver in Amy’s body.
So what? Erubus walked closer and rubbed against both of my wolves.
Wolves can’t shift with silver in their bodies. Megan bumped his shoulder.
Erubus licked her snout. Wolves can’t, but Lycans can. He turned to face Nix. You can still shift.
How can I shift into my wolf with his knife inside of me? It will move or tear. And it isn’t like Garith is going to sit there and wait for me to finish shifting.
Erubus shook his head. You do not understand.
What are you talking about? I looked back at my wolves, trying to pay attention to inside and outside.
“Let her go.” Rowan slammed his fist on the barrier. “You can take me instead; isn’t that what you wanted to begin with?”
Garith threw back his head, pulling me back with him, deeper onto the knife. “That was before I found out that this bitch already mated you and is ready to step in as the next ruler.” Garith leveled Rowan with a look. “No…I think she is going to die. Right after you.” He grinned.
Rowan pounded on the bubble, and I saw a flash.
I recognized it. This wasn’t a full shield like I did at the cabin.
This was a temporary one, one that shrinks as the magic is used up.
“Let her go.” Every time Rowan smashed the bubble, it shrank.
Not by a lot, but enough. His eyes bored into mine, and I saw a flicker of panic.
Lycan’s can always shift. Erubus called out again, drawing my attention. His eyes flashed towards me. Lycan’s are more powerful than a wolf. They can always shift. They are stronger and faster.
I know what the books said. I called out in pain when the knife shifted.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Garith leaned over my shoulder and pressed his face against mine. “No talking to each other’s wolves. Cai tur flo shi nockta.”
Erubus was yanked out of my mind, our bond rebounding from the magic that Garith spoke into my ear. Rowan staggered, and both of my wolves howled their pain. “What the fuck did you do?” Rowan hit the shield, causing it to flicker and shrink again.
Garith smiled. “I did exactly what I needed to do. I stopped your wolves from crossing that pesky little bond bridge to talk to each other. This way, you can’t plan together. This is between the two of us, my King. My granddaughter is honestly just my bargaining chip.”
Rowan snarled, his eyes flashing and teeth snapping into place. “Let her go.”
“There you are. Erubus, King of the Lycans, the beast of the capital.” Garith leaned into me, pressing me against the barrier and shoving the knife further into my back, but this time I was prepared and I bit the inside of my cheek.
Garith turned to me with a smirk. “Quiet as a mouse, huh? Well, let’s see what you can withstand then, granddaughter. ”
He ripped the blade out of my lower back and slammed it into my shoulder. I kept my eyes on Rowan’s and my teeth firmly into the meat of my cheek to stop any sounds from escaping.
“Oh ho. Look at you. You think that keeping quiet is going to do you any good?” Garith growled.