"Are we sure we can't negotiate with the Leos?" Ethan asked, rubbing his chin. "I’ve heard that the new alpha is much more level-headed than Dixon was.”
"No, there is no negotiating with them," I said. "There was a time when I thought Jordan might have an ounce of goodness in his heart, but I was wrong."
Pierce narrowed his eyes at me. "And what do the Ophiuchus get out of this alliance you're proposing?"
"We only ask for our exile to be over, and to be allowed back into the Zodiac Wolves," Kaden replied.
I gave him a supportive smile. He'd come so far from when I'd first met him, when his only goal had been to wipe out the other Zodiac Wolves or make them bow to his rule—not very different from what Jordan wanted. The difference was that Kaden had changed and come to see there was another way. A better way. Because of me, I realized.
Pierce snorted. “I can speak for all the Capricorns when I say we don’t want the Leos to take over our pack, but we'd rather that happen than to ally ourselves with snakes. We’ve been the twelve Zodiac Packs for years, and we have no interest in changing that. You were cast out for a reason.”
Eileen's dark eyes glimmered with fury. “You stubborn goats never want anything to change."
The Capricorn beta gave her a cold smirk. “And you never stick around long enough to know what real change looks like. Your pack runs away whenever things get hard.”
Devin jumped up at that with a growl, but Wesley stepped between the two betas, effectively cutting off their line of sight to each other.
“Now isn’t the time to be fighting amongst ourselves,” Wesley said. “We're here to make a decision about our future, not drag up old petty disputes. Will any of you ally yourselves with the Cancer, Pisces, and Ophiuchus packs against the Leos and help us plan an attack?"
The Libra alpha looked thoughtful but didn't say anything. The Capricorn beta still looked pissed. That left the Sagittarius.
Kaden turned toward Devin and Eileen. "What do you say?" he asked them. "Your pack has long been allied with ours."
Devin shared a look with Eileen before turning back to Kaden. “Though our pack values freedom and independence above all else, we're hesitant to commit to something this big."
Damn. If we couldn't even get the Sagittarius on our side, we were totally fucked. The others would back down too, and all of this would have been for nothing. I wanted to tear my hair out.
"I know it's a tough decision," Wesley said, though he shared a look with Kaden that said he knew we were in trouble.
Eileen rested a hand on Devin’s shoulder, then leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He looked down at her, considering, and then nodded to Kaden, looking grim. “Sagittarius will stand with you,” he said.
I nearly let out a loud whoop but held it inside, trying to remain calm and collected. The Sagittarius joining us was a huge victory—they had amazing warriors, and like the Leos, they were a fire sign, which would give them some resistance to the Sun Witches' attacks.
“And you?” Wesley asked Pierce. “We’ve been allied with your pack for so long. Are you willing to put aside your differences to help us go against the Leos? Or are you going to let your hesitation lead to your downfall?”
The Capricorn beta grimaced. “You’re right, son of Harrison. Though we have some...reservations, we will never bow to the Leos. We are still your allies."
Wesley inclined his head. “Thank you."
I could hardly believe it. After everything Pierce had said, I'd expected the Capricorns to walk away from this meeting without pledging their support. That only left the Libra alpha undecided.
"Where does the Libra pack stand?" Kaden asked.
Ethan tapped his fingers against his lip as he considered. "I'm not sure yet. I think we're being too hasty in making this decision. There’s still a chance for diplomacy. If we could only sit down and talk with the Leos—"
The Pisces alpha shook his head. "That's not going to work. I know your pack likes to mediate, but now isn't the time for that."
The debate continued in the background, but suddenly I couldn’t focus on it. The mate bond tugged at my gut hard, making my mouth fall open in a silent gasp. It had been dormant for weeks while I'd been with the Ophiuchus and I’d almost forgotten what it felt like, or how persistent it could be. Especially when my mate was close.
Jordan was here, and the goddamned mate bond was still pulling me toward him.
No—pulling him toward me.
Chapter Thirty-One
I jumped up and grabbed Kaden's arm. “The Leos. They’re here.”
“What?” Kaden asked, gaze sharpening. “How do you know?”
“The damn mating bond,” I grumbled. “Which means that Jordan knows where I am too. I’m like a fucking homing beacon for him.”
"Shit," Wesley said, his eyes going wide. "I guess we'll be putting those alliances to test now."
"The Leos are on their way," Kaden announced to the others. "We must prepare for an attack."
The other shifters scurried to their feet, springing into action. Kaden ordered those who weren't fighters inside the cabin, while everyone else would fight outside of it. I saw Eileen hand Devin a long bow and some arrows, then give him a long kiss before heading into the cabin. I shooed Mira and Aiden after her, along with the Pisces alpha. Jack rushed over and confirmed that the scent of the Leos was in the woods, along with the smell of others—Sun Witches.
Kaden glanced up at the sky, where the sun had completely emerged from the eclipse, and then swore under his breath. We'd spent too long deliberating, and now the Sun Witches would be back at full strength.
He turned to me and pulled me against him. "I don't suppose I can convince you to get inside too."
"No way. This is my fight too. And don't even try to use an alpha command on me again. We both know that didn't work last time."
"Of course it didn't." Kaden's fingers tightened around my chin. "Because you're my alpha female. The only one who is my equal in this world." His mouth crashed down on me and he kissed me hard. I gripped his face and kissed him back with the same vigor, in case this was the last time.
He pressed his forehead against mine. "I know you'll fight, and there's nothing I can do to stop you. Just know that I'll be fighting alongside you the entire time, and I'll be damned if I let them take you again."
"I'm not getting captured this time," I said and ran my thumb across his lips. "Just don't die on me, all right?"
He gave me a wry grin. "I'm not going anywhere."