by Leia Stone
They all nodded, puffing their chests up with pride at my praise.
My gaze then found Jakko, standing behind King Ozark. “And the mages from Mageville are industrious and clever—and too often overlooked.”
Jakko’s eyes filled with tears and he gave me a nod.
“My point is,” I continued, holding my hand out to stop the murmurs, “it’s true there are a lot of blood mages, but if we work together, if we pull all the mages in from Mageville and train them too, we can take our land back. We will not only win; we’ll wipe out these monsters, once and for all.”
The table erupted into a chorus of cheers, and I looked over to see Rage grinning at me. ‘You make one hell of a queen.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Just because I’m your mate doesn’t make me queen.’
‘I’ve already commissioned a crown. New decree, by order of the alpha king and ratified by the pack alphas, the wife of any king alpha is a queen,’ Rage said with a wink.
My eyes widened, and my insides felt infused with sunshine. In one of the shittiest moments of my life, he was my brightest ray of hope and love.
‘It better be full of diamonds,’ I told him jokingly.
‘Oh, just you wait.’ He grinned.
Then he stood and addressed the rest of the table. “Tomorrow, we’ll start training our people. This will be a multi-pronged attack, and each of us will play to our strengths. Together, we’ll triumph. But for now, let’s all get some rest.”
“Steele,” Ozark called out, and a familiar selkie dressed in army fatigues stepped up to his king. “You’ll be leading surveillance tonight. I don’t want anyone leaving the mainland or any blood mages arriving on it. Is that clear? We need to protect everyone, which means we can’t risk renegade attacks on Shifter Island. Make sure those in Mageville know the danger.”
Steele tucked his chin to his chest. “Yes, My Liege.”
It had been a long day, what with the blood mage attack happening in the middle of the night.
“Thank you,” Rage said to King Ozark.
The selkie king waved his hand dismissively once more. “For most of my people, our day is just beginning. Yours are exhausted. If they don’t get rest, your force will become a liability instead of an asset.”
King Ozark was spot on.
Everyone dispersed, and shortly thereafter, Rage came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“You’re amazing,” he said, nuzzling my neck. “Amazing and beautiful.”
I smiled, but the smile fell when I remembered the conversation I’d overheard the blood mages have. Seeing Kian die, hearing them talk so casually about us as if we were food. It unhinged me.
How had this happened so fast? One minute, everything was fine, and the next…
Grandpa.
My heart panged as grief squeezed it like a vise. I thought of how he’d sacrificed himself … to save me. I didn’t even get to say goodbye … not really. I wanted more time. I … I don’t think I had even told him I loved him.
At some point, I started to weep, and without a word, Rage gathered me into his arms and walked me back to our tent. Once inside, Rage held me, letting me grieve as I mourned all of the death from today. He must’ve known I needed this. Because come tomorrow, I had to be done with the sadness stage of grief. Tomorrow was time for anger and revenge. Those were the final stages, right? They were in my book.
I woke up to all the Harvest alpha heirs standing outside my tent, shushing one another. Kaja and her sisters were here—probably with coffee and breakfast. As soon as I opened the tent flap, everyone fell silent.
“I thought you might want breakfast,” Kaja said, holding out a steel plate brimming with fresh fruit, muffins, and boiled eggs, along with a mug of coffee with steam rolling off the top. “Your aunt and Annette took over the kitchen in King Ozark’s castle for breakfast.”
“Thankfully,” Fiona muttered.
The scent of the blueberry muffin wafted up from the plate, and my stomach rumbled.
Reyna was with her sisters but hung back as they swarmed me. I looked over her and noticed her eyes were red-rimmed like she’d been crying.
Rage had left the tent an hour ago, after telling me that all the leaders had slept on our plan and agreed to move forward together. So today we’d strategize. And tonight, we’d attack.
I was worried about the haste of the plan, but if we left them alone for any length of time, we risked them leading an offensive on us. Their plan of three days might’ve been moved up after my spirit walk yesterday. So we needed to use our biggest advantage: the element of surprise. Besides that, I had lots of little plans swirling in my head. The most important involved a familiar mage who I needed to track down.
“So what’s your pack’s plan?” I asked Kaja and her sisters as I ate my breakfast. “Does your father have you going in Team A or Team B?” Rage and I had agreed in the late hours of last night that the leaders of each pack should split his or her people into two groups. Team A and Team B. One would go to Alpha Island and flush out the blood mages there, and the other would go to High Mage Island. We’d leave no stone unturned.
Reyna shot Kaja a narrow-eyed look, and Kaja nodded, glancing at Fiona and Nell. Mele didn’t look up from her book, but she cleared her throat.
Suddenly, I felt an ambush coming.
“Now that you mention it, Nai, we wanted to talk to you about something.” Kaja twirled a curl nervously between her fingers.
I steeled myself, wary of what it could be. “Don’t ask me to step between you and your alpha, okay? Whatever team he put you on—”
Especially not if he was going to keep them safe.
“No,” Kaja said, offering me a tentative smile. “Nothing like that.”
She looked at Reyna, but my bestie tilted her head toward me as she widened her eyes at her sister.
Reyna took a deep breath and then spoke in a rush. “I don’t know how to be anything else besides a shield, and since all of the other shields perished…”
My brow furrowed as I tried to tease out exactly what she wanted.
“We want to offer to be shields for the new high mages,” Kaja explained. “Our family has always had the honor of—”
“All of you?” A strangled noise left my throat. As I looked at the Harvest alpha heirs, my heart dropped into my stomach. We were about to go into battle. If the blood mages hurt any one of the high mages…
My heart clenched with the thought of losing any one of them.
“No. Let’s ask for volunteers. Let’s—”
Fiona reached out and put her hand on mine. “We come from the longest line of shields this school has ever seen. There has never been a council of high mages without a Harvest shield. It is the greatest honor our family can have aside from being alpha.”
A tear trailed down my cheek, but I nodded. Who was I to keep them from such an honor? It was not my choice. If this is what they wanted … I needed to support it.
“I … I’m sure they would be honored to have you, I just don’t want anything to happen to you girls.” My voice cracked.
Fiona pulled a dagger from its sheath behind her back and snarled. “Just let one of those bloodsuckers try to get the drop on me.” She blew on her knife, and flames licked the edges.
Oh, Fiona. I loved her so much.
Nell stood, smoothing her hair. “Dibs on any of the high mages except that douchebag, Julian.”
We all snickered.
“Well, someone has to keep his ass alive,” Fiona growled. “I’ll take the douchebag.”
Rue grinned. “Aww, taking one for the team! Thanks, sis.”
“I’ll take the girl,” Mele said, still not looking up from her book.
Jane didn’t deserve a shield, in my opinion, but I was working on turning a new leaf with my fellow councilman, so this was a good start.
I frowned. “There are only four high mages in need of shields.” I counted the girls. Rue, Kaja, Mele, Nell, Fiona and Reyna
made six.
Reyna and Kaja shared a look. Then Kaja reached out and touched my arm. “We know how much you love the Midnight brothers, and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to Rage…” She paused, and my mind went wild.
Holy crap! What if I died and took out the freaking king and all of his brothers? The wolves would be left in utter chaos.
“Reyna and I would like to be your shields, and you can let the other brothers go,” Kaja said.
Tears welled in my eyes.
“Well, I don’t want to lose you either,” I cried, pulling her in for a hug. She grabbed for Reyna, and then we were enmeshed in a group hug.
“Of course not. But the boys aren’t nearly as badass as we are. Imagine an all-female shield squad.” Fiona’s words were muffled into my shoulder.
“Oh mage. Don’t ever say ‘female shield squad’ again, or I’ll disown you,” Reyna grumbled.
We all broke apart, laughing.
It was such a kind, generous offer, but I didn’t know if I even liked the whole shield thing. Yet, at the same time, until Rage and I had kids and they were trained in spirit magic … there was no one else besides me to hold this magic.
“We want this,” Kaja pressed. “And you’re obligated to let me because we’re besties.”
“I need this.” Reyna peered into my eyes, her expression filled with anguish. “I’m so … lost. Please?”
Her begging broke me.
Nodding, I forced a swallow and then said, “Okay.”
Kaja pumped her fist in the air. “Female shield squad!”
Reyna bopped her on the back of the head, and we all laughed again.
I wiped my eyes and told Reyna and Kaja not to say anything to Rage or the Midnight brothers until I could have a talk with them.
With that, we finished our breakfast, and then the Harvest girls ran off to offer themselves as shields to the new high mages. I promised to meet up with Kaja and Reyna later after I’d talked to the Midnight brothers and cut them loose.
As I marched out of the camp of wolves in search of Jakko, away from my tent, I tried to shake off my worry and focus on my plans for the attack.
‘Nai.’
Honor’s voice startled me. I spun to see him right behind me, looking at me with a solemn expression.
I gulped. “Hey.”
He cocked his head to the side. ‘I overheard everything you discussed with the Harvest girls. I wasn’t eavesdropping. You just didn’t notice I was there.’
Crap. He heard? ‘I’m pretty sure that is the definition of eavesdropping.’
He gave me a wolfish grin. ‘I think your solution is for the best. If Rage or Justice were to…’
My breath came out in a rush. ‘Oh good.’
He agreed, which would make this so much easier.
He stepped closer and nuzzled my leg. ‘But I want to stay with you. Let Noble, Justice, and Rage go, but keep me. Please?’
My heart pinched at his words. Three shields? I mean, I had four currently, so three was still downsizing, but … I crouched and pulled his face into my hands, looking into his hazel eyes.
‘Why?’ I asked.
He dropped his chin, looking down. ‘I … I don’t fit in with my brothers, not now. If I can still be your shield, it will bring me … honor.’ He raised his chin, but there was no humor with the pun. ‘I need a purpose. Please? This will make me useful.’
Oh, Honor.
I pulled him to me, holding him to my chest, and squeezed tightly.
“Honor, you will always be useful.” My voice broke, and tears spilled from my eyes as I embraced him.
‘Is that a yes? Please tell me that’s a yes, and then let me go. I can’t breathe.’ He croaked into my head.
I chuckled, the sound equal parts laughter and sorrow, and let him go. ‘It’s a yes. You want to be with me when I tell Rage and the others?’
He backed away, his eyes wide. ‘No way. Rage will spit fire. Best if I’m not there.’
“All right. Well, I still need to go find Jakko. Want to come?”
He nodded, and together, we went on a mage hunt.
I found the young male mage in a little workshop inside the selkie king’s castle. I was surprised because King Ozark had said the mage would be in the hole for a month after he’d tried to kill the selkie king, but apparently, the king had shown the dude yet another kindness. Hopefully, this would mean he’d be humble and helpful.
Whistling away, he ground pungent dried herbs in a stone bowl.
“Hey, Jakko.” I knocked on the doorframe and waited for him to notice.
He looked up at me with those same red, glassy eyes he’d had before. Dude either had permanent allergies or was constantly high.
“Miss Trouble,” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“Har har,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I need your help so that all of our people don’t become blood slaves.”
He froze, his gaze narrowing. “I’m listening.”
Good.
“I want some bombs of that powder that takes away our powers.”
He grinned like a young wolf who’d just learned to shift. “You know, I discovered that.”
Okay, so he wanted an ego stroke too. “Yeah, I heard. It’s very cool.” Unless you’re on the receiving end—then it sucks. “This time, I’d like to be the one dishing it out.”
His eyes lit up as I spoke. “Thanks. How many do you need?”
“That depends. Will it work on a blood mage?”
He shrugged. “It won’t keep them from sucking your blood as that’s not really a power, but it’ll subdue their magic. Strength, speed, and whatever else those creepy bastards have.”
“You’re sure?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said. “Magic is magic.”
That was good enough for me. If we were going to take out the queen and Kalama, we needed to level the playing field. “I’ll take as many as you can make in the next ten hours.”
His eyes widened. “That’s going to cost you.”
I crossed my arms. “Really, Jakko? I’m about to fight to the death later and save you from future blood slavery, and you want to charge me!”
He sighed. “Fine! You can pay me after … if you survive.”
Oh, that was nice. “Fine.” I growled. “I need one more thing.”
“You’re really piling on the favors here, Nai.” He gave me a sobering look.
Maybe his weed was wearing off.
“I’d like you to spread the word throughout Mageville that we need fighters. Tell the mages what we’re going to do, and ask them to join us. We want as many mages as we can get … from Dark Row, the villages, even in the outlands. I thought maybe your mom and siblings could help.”
He studied me, seemingly considering me or my plea.
“It’s bad, okay? They’re way more powerful than we ever could have realized.”
“I was there in Ozzie’s throne room yesterday. I heard.”
I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. “Then you know we need everyone if we’re going to defeat them.”
His pupils dilated, and he swallowed. “I’ll get word out right away.” He stood.
“Thanks,” I turned to walk away and then spun on my heel to face him once more. “I’ll pick up those powder bombs later tonight. And I’ll need antidote flowers for those of us throwing them so we aren’t affected by the powder.”
“Anything else, princess?” He gave me a hard stare like he wanted to kill me.
Time to go.
“Nope.” I forced a cheery smile and waved. “See ya later!”
I left his room, feeling better than when I came in. Now I just needed to cut the Midnight brothers loose. It was probably best to just pull that Band-Aid off.
Chapter Fifteen
“Absolutely not!” Rage growled, his expression tight. He slammed his fist down on King Ozark’s brand new table and then winced when a new crack appeared.
“I’m not really as
king, Rage,” I said, keeping my voice calm. The last thing I needed was for Rage to lose it—especially right now. “I’m not rejecting you in any way—”
“Damn straight.” He strode out from behind the table and stalked toward me. “We’re fated mates, Nai”—as if I didn’t know. “Why would you even suggest breaking the shield bond?”
Justice and Noble both watched me with nearly identical pinched expressions, their eyes narrowed, but thus far, neither had said anything.
I took a deep breath and faced Rage. “I love you. And … we’re going into battle tomorrow.”
Rage glanced at Justice. “Well … aren’t you going to speak up? Tell her this is insane.”
Justice opened his mouth, but I spoke first.
“If I’m repeatedly attacked and mortally wounded, the Midnight Pack will lose one heir after another—all the way up to you, the alpha king. If you die, Rage, there will be no one left in your pack to rule. Your entire line will die out.” My shoulders sagged at the very thought of losing any one of these boys … but— “I can’t be the reason for your death. But more than that, I can’t be the reason Midnight Pack loses all its alpha heirs. Please don’t make me bear those burdens, Rage.”
Justice cleared his throat, and his gaze bounced to me before returning to his older brother. “As much as I hate to admit it, she has a point.”
Rage growled low in his throat and shot Justice a death glare.
“She’s putting the wolves before herself,” Noble added. “An act of a true wolf queen.”
Rounding on his brother, Rage stared down the third Midnight heir. “Is that an attempt to insult me?”
Noble blanched and then lowered his head. “No.”
‘Rage!’ I snapped through our bond. ‘What the mage are you thinking?’
All I could feel through our bond was his anger, but he didn’t even look at me.
Obviously, he wasn’t thinking, and I could understand that. I’d been contemplating this change for a bit, but I’d just blindsided him.
