Baladar must have thought the same because he said, while running right behind me, “It isn’t fae. That spell was designed to reveal all … and I only sense our kind.”
I was in the lead, and upon turning the corner, a rage so strong and potent I could taste it filled me. Six dominant wolves had Kade pinned down in the hallway, just outside the bathroom door. There was a blanket of magic over the top of him, and they were slashing out with weapons. I took a split-second to catalogue the scene for any other possible attacks, but the only other being in here was Vinnie, and he was knocked out in the corner.
I let out an enraged scream; my ice magic burst from me without thought, slamming the six wolves into the wall. The training I’d been doing with Rowan and Violet had helped immensely with tapping into it almost unconsciously. The shifters were back on their feet in seconds, turning to brandish their weapons at me.
I snarled, loud and animal-like. My wolf was prancing close to the surface, wanting to break free. No, we need our magic.
“You are all guilty of treason!” I said, my words slow and drawn out, my fury spilling over in each. “You have attacked your king.”
Kade was still trapped under the magical netting, I had no idea where they had gotten such a thing, but I planned on breaking it. It also looked like they were outfitted with magically enhanced weaponry. That was the only way they could have gotten the drop on my mate, I knew that without a doubt.
I recognized them all; it was Stan and his inner circle. They had been very outspoken against Kade and I joining the two packs together. How had they known we were coming here tonight? Had it simply been that Stan had seen us and called in reinforcements? Or had we been betrayed once again?
Stan spat at my feet. “He’s no king of ours, he’s the enemy. You are the enemy also. A fae, mated to a bear … this is blasphemy. You both should die for what you’ve done to our world. You’ve destroyed the ways of old, and we will not stand for it.”
He flung a knife at me; it must have been concealed in his free hand. Mecca and fae power burst from me, aiming to halt the blade. Only it wasn’t halted; it cut through my magic with ease, almost like it had been designed to do that. A low groan escaped me as the blade slammed into my shoulder, all the way to the hilt. The pain burst across my senses, but it was dulled by my adrenalin and anger.
Kade roared from the floor. His huge body started to shift as he fought the netting.
I’m okay, I told him, but he was too enraged to hear.
“How did you know we were here?” I asked, uncaring which of the traitors answered.
Stan chuckled. “Everyone knows your love for Vinnie’s. I figured it was only a matter of time. We’ve been hanging out here daily. You were too stupid to keep an eye on the wolves who did not want this new leadership.”
Not stupid. Trusting. I was trying to appease both sides of the argument. Some days I understood why the Red Queen was so brutal with anyone who didn’t fall under her rule. Look what happened when I tried to allow freedom from monarchy. I got anarchy.
“Those are pretty special weapons,” I said, gritting my teeth against the throb in my shoulder. “Looks like you too, have aligned yourself with the fae?” I lowered my voice, letting my magic seep into it. I knew these weapons, and they were not of this world. I just hoped he would tell me who the hell gave them to him.
When the energy brushed against them, they slashed out with those weapons, dissipating the magic.
“They were left on our doorstep. Someone knew we would need them to kill you, fae-traitor-bitch,” one of them sneered.
“Distract them,” I murmured to Baladar, Violet, and Rowan, who were all standing around me.
The magic born didn’t hesitate, they started blasting spells at the six wolves, most of which were deflected by their fancy weapons. Forcing myself to focus, I tapped into the pure fae power inside of me, specifically the energy I used to shatter spells. I directed it at the net holding Kade. It took quite a bit of my control; I had to funnel it for a minute or so, and only aim for the netting, but, eventually, with a push, it shattered into a thousand magical pieces.
The wolves should have taken more care to watch the threat behind them. They thought they had trapped Kade, that he was no threat. They were wrong.
In a flash, he was up on his hind legs, bear paws slashing through the six of them with ease. Body parts flew everywhere, and the rest of us took a step back so as not to accidentally get in the path of an enraged bear.
When the room was covered in blood and severed bodies, Kade stood there half shifted, his chest heaving as he fought the anger still riding him.
Kade, love, I’m okay.
His head shot up; his eyes locked me in place as he stalked slowly over the gory scene to me. I could barely make out his tawny skin he was so covered in the blood of our enemies, and for a brief second I almost wanted to run.
“You okay?” Violet eyed the knife in my shoulder.
I nodded. “I’m fine.”
Ignoring me, she stepped forward, pulling a vial of a green swirling fluid from her pocket.
“Oh look, it’s a bird!” Violet pointed to the ceiling.
“Wha — ow, muthaf — ” My curse was cut off as I panted in and out, trying to calm my racing heart. She had just yanked the knife out, quickly murmuring a short incantation and pouring the green fluid into my open wound. My entire shoulder went ice cold then, before warming, and then the pain was gone.
“I’ll look at it again later, but that should stop the pain and bleeding for now,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied, before all of my focus went to Kade. He was breathing slowly, trying to find his humanity again.
“Okay. Call us if you need help. We’re going to check around back and make sure there are no more attackers.” Violet threw one last worried glance at the pile of bodies before she left with the others.
When Kade reached me, I was glad to see he had returned to his normal giant size, not that half-morphed bear he did so well. Uncaring about the blood, I reached out and placed my hand on his chest, right above his heart.
“I’m okay. I promise.”
His eye flicked to the blood that had stained my dress.
“It’s just a small wound,” I said.
Some of the dark angles of his face softened, and he cupped my chin gently, rubbing his thumb across my cheek. “I got a bit of blood on you,” he murmured, and I had to chuckle at that.
“You got a bit of blood on everything, mate. I think your lips are the only thing on your body not covered.”
Kade bent down and picked up the blade that had been lodged in my shoulder and held it up for me to see. “Where have we seen weapons like these before?” he asked.