Forever Broken

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  The dynamics and balance of being a female Beta who also happened to be a lion shifter wasn’t for the timid.

  But she’d done it.

  And then Blade had gotten worse. He’d shown his true side. And she’d honestly tried to save her Pack. She’d thought she found a way to make sure Blade didn’t ruin everything, that he didn’t destroy the Pack from within because of his greed.

  But he’d given her orders to stay away, commands her lion had been forced to obey even as the human rebelled. That was why he was Alpha, and she was Beta.

  He was just strong enough that it broke parts of her deep inside to disobey him. And though she’d tried, she hadn’t been able to, not really. She hadn’t been able to tell those who needed to know the truth anything until it was far too late.

  She’d saved that young woman from the Talon Pack, and in doing so, had broken a law in her Pack so taboo that she hadn’t been able to hide it from her Alpha. She might have tried to fight back, but he had others on his side, those who thought individuals weaker or different than they were should be culled from this Earth.

  Audrey had known the only reason Blade and the others tolerated her kind or the others hiding within the den, was because Blade liked knowing he held a secret, and thereby had power when it came to those still hidden from not only the humans but also the other shifters and magic users in other Packs.

  When she came back to the Aspen den after helping Aimee, Blade had been waiting. She hadn’t been able to fight off the other wolves and hadn’t seen the sun or the moon since.

  He’d caged her. He’d chained her.

  He treated her like his pet.

  But the last time he’d come to beat her and whip her, he’d looked weaker than he ever had before.

  Audrey withstood each blow because she knew she’d get out of this. She would fight for her Pack and for those who needed her help. She’d gone through worse, and she’d be damned if this Alpha would win.

  But he hadn’t looked like the Blade who had captured her.

  And when he left, his body grey and weak, he’d left the cage open. He’d forgotten, and he never let anyone near her other than himself, so the entire place smelled only of him and her fear.

  Only it wasn’t fear anymore.

  It was hope.

  She’d found her way out of the cage and the basement he’d held her in. She’d always been able to get out of the locks, that had never been the problem. The problem was the cage and the shackles themselves. Blade’s witch had cursed them before she died. But it had simply taken Blade’s lack of thought for Audrey to get out.

  She found an old dresser full of clothes for the shifters on call and pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt that happened to fit, thankful there were also reasonably fitting boots in the closet. She didn’t know who she was stealing from as the whole place reeked of more than a few shifters, but she was grateful that she had something to wear other than the rags she’d been wearing. She still smelled and needed to wash her hair badly, but she’d do that later.

  Soon after, she found one of the offices Blade used to make his plans and snatched one of the folders on a high stack. She didn’t know what was in it, but if it could help, she’d use it. Then she was out of the den, running away from those who needed her.

  She couldn’t help her people if she was dead.

  Now, she was covered in sweat but free. At least as free as she could be still connected to Blade and the Aspens through her bonds. She shut them down as much as she could so no one could find her if they looked, but it hurt to do so. She couldn’t break the bonds completely, not when she had those she loved and cared for back in the den.

  She’d come back for them. That much she promised herself.

  And when she opened the folder, having waited because she didn’t want to look down and see a menu or something equally as worthless, her heart nearly stopped.

  Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away.

  This could help the Talons and the others. She knew they were fighting back because Blade was always angrier than ever after they defeated him.

  Blade was going to lure them out to a battlefield soon, using the weakest of the Aspens as bait. That made Audrey’s skin crawl, but she did her best not to growl and alert anyone nearby that she was hiding up in the trees. She was a cat, after all, that was where she felt the safest.

  Blade would be at a specific place at a specific time in two days.

  If she could get to the Talons and warn them, they could catch Blade unaware.

  This could help. It had to help. All she’d gone through could not be in vain.

  She just prayed to the moon goddess that she wasn’t too late.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cheyenne knew they had an advantage, she just hoped it was enough. Audrey had been a blessing. A frail, bleeding, and clearly hurt blessing, who held so much anger within her, Cheyenne was afraid the woman would break at the slightest stress.

  But Audrey was strong, that much was clear.

  And Cheyenne knew that she had to be just as strong.

  There was no other choice.

  When Audrey came, she’d brought maps and details about Blade’s plan. After everything that had happened, after every failure and inability to find exactly what they needed to do to survive, this was like a gift from the goddess herself.

  And maybe it was.

  As soon as they made sure that Audrey was well enough to make it through the night, they had contacted the Redwood Pack, the Central Pack, the Coven, and the Thames Pack. Allister, as well as a few of his men, were actually already in the United States. Cheyenne hadn’t been aware that Allister himself had come when she heard that some of the Thames members had entered the den, but in retrospect, it made sense.

  For the Alpha to leave his den, that meant he was ready to fight, ready to sacrifice everything to protect his people.

  She knew the other Alphas, as well as the Coven leader, would do the same. Because they planned to meet Blade before he was ready. Apparently, Blade was going to use the artifact on the battlefield to draw them in.

  Well, they were already on their way.

  Before he could use the magic.

  Before he was ready.

  And, hopefully, that would be enough. With any luck, that would give them enough time.

  Parker and Gideon had even done the nearly unimaginable and had contacted the US government. The humans would be on the battlefield with them—not fighting them this time, but fighting alongside them. Gideon would be in charge, the point-man for the whole event. It had been eighteen hours of no sleep, and adrenaline ran through all of them. But now, they were ready.

  Humans, wolves, multiple Packs, and witches alike fighting against a common enemy.

  One that was strong because of his people and because of the dark magic he used.

  As long as Blade didn’t find a way to use the artifact on everyone at once, they could beat him.

  At least, that was the hope.

  “Cheyenne? Are you okay?” Max came up to her and tugged on her bulletproof vest. She wouldn’t be shifting today because the only reason she was out on the battlefield at all, or at least planning to be out on the battlefield, was because she needed to be close just in case she could figure out how to stop Blade from using the artifact. She’d almost done it once, had even saved someone because of it. And if she trained hard enough, or at least focused hard enough, she might be able to do it again.

  That meant she got to wear a bulletproof vest, because while the humans would definitely be using weapons, and wolves usually just used fangs and claws, they weren’t sure what Blade would do. The rules of engagement were far different than they used to be, and they weren’t taking any chances.

  Namely, Max wasn’t taking any chances with her.

  “I’m fine. Just oddly wanting to get this over with, and worried about the fact that it’s actually here all at the same time.”

  He kissed her forehead then her li
ps. People mulled about all around them, getting ready to attack, and doing whatever they needed to do before they started fighting.

  They were near where the clearing was located, but thanks to the witches from the Coven and the Packs themselves, they were hidden from view using temporary wards. No one would be able to see them, not even the satellites from the human governments.

  Two squadrons of humans would fight alongside the group, and there were others waiting in the wings, and even more standing by to see what would happen if Blade prevailed.

  Because if the Packs lost, then the end of humanity as they knew it would likely be over.

  It was a daunting revelation, but one they all understood. They would fight against Blade, all of them as one. But first, Cheyenne knew she had to try and stop the artifact itself. Because if she didn’t, then there was no hope.

  Just a bit of responsibility on her shoulders. She bit her tongue so she couldn’t say it. She didn’t want to die today, but both she and Max knew she might. She had just found the man she loved, had only now found a way to be with her friends and new family until the end of days. But it seemed her end might be today. It wasn’t fair, but life wasn’t fair. It didn’t matter how many years someone lived, sometimes, life just wasn’t fair.

  It hadn’t been fair to Dawn that she had to grow up in a Pack that had to hide from the others because of what had happened to her forebears. It hadn’t been fair to Aimee that she was made to live her life knowing she was dying because of a curse that had happened years before she was born. It hadn’t been fair to Dhani that she grew up knowing that something was different about her, but had to find out that she’d been stripped of her powers because her grandmother was forced to bind them to save Dhani’s life.

  It hadn’t been fair to her friends, and yet they survived.

  Cheyenne just hoped that, somehow, she’d be able to find a way to survive.

  “You’re starting to scare me, Cheyenne. You’re not saying anything.”

  She swallowed hard before she spoke. “I know I’m going to have to close the Conduit today. This is the last step. This is where Blade has all his plans laid out, where he intends to kill everybody in his path. He’s going to use that artifact for this final step, and we don’t know what that step is exactly. But I know that I’m connected to it. I have to stop what he’s doing. And I don’t want to lose you.”

  Max kissed her hard, and she felt his wolf brush against hers, those two paranormal parts of them yearning for each other just as much as the human parts did.

  “I’m not going to lose you, Cheyenne. If you fall today, I’ll fall right with you.”

  She put her hands over his lips. “Don’t say that. Never say that. If I fall, you have to keep fighting. You can’t let Blade hurt anyone. You can’t let Blade win.”

  “If you die because you’re trying to stop him, then part of me knows he’s already won.”

  “Be selfish right now, say the words, but don’t actually go through with it.”

  “I love you, Cheyenne. I don’t think I can fight the way I need to if you fall right now.”

  “Then do it for me. Avenge me if you have to. But don’t die.

  “Then you can’t die either.” He kissed her again, and she closed her eyes, falling more in love with him than she ever thought possible.

  Gideon walked by then, and she pulled away, looking at her Alpha.

  “Are you ready?” she asked, knowing that he was missing his mate and his daughter fiercely.

  “We’re getting there. Take some time for yourself, Cheyenne. I know we’re relying on you, but it’s still a lot to put on your shoulders. Just know you’re not alone. We’re all here for you. If you can somehow use the Pack bonds to help you do whatever you need to do, pull them through Max, pull them through me. I’m strong enough to handle it. And your mate is strong enough, too.”

  She nodded, her wolf calming at the sound of her Alpha, who was getting so fierce, so dominant, that it was sometimes hard for her to be in the same room with him. That’d been easier when she was human, but as a wolf, she was still trying to find her place in the hierarchy of dominance.

  Gideon had said it would take time, but sometimes, she was afraid that she didn’t have much time left. Gideon gave her a nod and then went over to talk with Parker and some of the others.

  Most of the Brentwoods were there, ready to fight. Gideon was there, of course, arranging everything with most of the Alphas. Brie and her daughter were back at the den. Brie was not a fighter. She stayed in the den to soothe those who were frightened because they couldn’t fight. Not all shifters were fighters. Just like not all humans were.

  The Talons didn’t even have all of their own fighters on the battlefield that day. Some had to remain behind to protect the den, and protect what was left of their way of life if they were to lose today.

  Finn was on the battlefield, along with his mate, Brynn. Those two were very dominant and strong fighters. They needed to be there. Finn and his father represented the Redwoods, along with a lot of the older hierarchy in that Pack. So Finn’s uncles were there, but not his cousins. The Redwoods had decided to do that to protect their den because they had such depth in their power.

  The Talons didn’t have that depth, not in the way the Redwoods did. They had been forced to send a lot of their own leaders, but they also had a lot more dominant wolves like Max who weren’t in the hierarchy itself. So those had been left behind to protect the den. The lieutenants like Shane and Bram and Charlotte were also back in the den, safeguarding their own.

  While Ryder, the Heir, was there because he wanted to keep his wife safe. If there were another choice, Cheyenne was pretty sure that Ryder would be back at the den protecting his people. But his wife was a water witch, possibly the strongest one in the history of the world. She was on the battlefield along with the other witches of the den and the Coven to do what they could to protect the world. And Ryder would be there to catch his wife when she fell. Because he seemed certain she would fall.

  Apparently, Leah didn’t know when to stop. She put her all into everything she did, no matter the cost. Cheyenne didn’t know if that would actually be the case this time, considering they had left their child back with the other children in the den. Leah had other things to fight for these days, and something to go home to. That changed things.

  Parker was there because he knew the other Packs better than anyone. But his two mates, Brandon and Avery, were at the den.

  Brandon, as the Omega, was better suited helping those in the den with their anxiety, rather than those on the battlefield itself.

  And Avery, while she was getting better at fighting, had chosen to stay behind to make sure Parker could focus on fighting rather than protecting her.

  Mitchell and Kameron were there to fight, but their mates, Dawn and Dhani, had stayed behind, the two of them not yet ready to battle. Although Cheyenne knew that Dhani had rebelled against that idea. She was a witch, and a very strong one, but she would do better protecting the den and keeping the wards up in case Blade came at them from another angle.

  Walker was there, but as the Healer, he needed to be. Aimee was back in the den, as well, still not up to fighting shape.

  But Cheyenne knew if they lost today, the Talon den would be the first place Blade went. That meant those who got left behind would have to be ready to fight no matter what.

  There were so many people Cheyenne didn’t know, so many ready to lay their lives down for those they loved and those who were part of their Pack.

  Cheyenne knew she wasn’t up to fighting strength. She might be a wolf now, might be able to fight Aimee and even Max during training, but she could never win hand-to-hand or fang-to-fang in a real battle.

  That wasn’t her lot, wasn’t her duty today.

  Today, she was going to try to stop the artifact.

  And if she succeeded, the others could take down Blade.

  That was the hope, at least. And that was what she praye
d to the moon goddess.

  “I think it’s time.” Her fingers buzzed, and she looked down at them, instinctively knowing that Blade was coming.

  “Are you sure? Can you feel him?” Max asked the question quietly, but Gideon and the other Alphas were suddenly surrounding her in the next instant.

  Max stiffened, and she knew his wolf was fighting all of the dominant wolves around her, at least mentally. He didn’t like when other men were close, at least single men. And, apparently, Allister was single. Max would get over that eventually, all wolves did. But he was newly mated and, sometimes, he let it get the best of him.

  Cheyenne put her hand, tingling sensations and all, on his chest and let out a breath.

  “My fingers are tingling, and I feel like the artifact is near. I’m not connected to Blade, don’t get me wrong, that would be very weird, though not unheard of considering this Pack.”

  Gideon snorted, and it was the first time that he had sounded at least a little bit relaxed since she had met him.

  “I just think he’s here.”

  One of the wolf sentries ran up and whispered something into Kade’s ear. The Alpha of the Redwood Pack gave a tight nod before speaking. “She’s right. The Aspens just showed up. Not all of them, but some of their most dominant wolves. I don’t think there are any cats or anything else that might be hidden within that den. But I have a feeling that there may be more waiting.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Audrey said as she made her way over to them.

  Audrey was pale and looked like she could use at least a month’s worth of food and sleep before she was at full strength, but Cheyenne knew the other woman had to be here today.

  “What do you mean?” Gideon asked. He folded his hands over his chest, and Cheyenne knew he wasn’t trying to be intimidating, that was just how he stood. The male was intimidating no matter what he did.

  “I mean that not all of the Aspens are on his side. But he has some of the strongest wolves out there. And it’s not what is going to be out there, it’s what will be hidden. He still has witches. Scarlett may be dead, but he still has power. If you can take out his men, then the next of the hierarchy will come in. I’m going to fight as much as I can, but if he orders me to stop, I’ll have to fight my own cat, too. Do you understand that?”