Alpha Queen (Claimed by Wolves #4) - Callie Rose Page 0,80

the air. The memory washes away around us—Cleo’s dead parents vanish and the house melts away into history until we’re back in the cave.

And now the only dead body on the ground is Cleo’s.

29

Ridge

Cleo’s blood pulses from her body against my tongue, and it’s a strange sensation. This place is real, but not real, and her blood is an illusion. I know that. But I can taste it, coppery and bitter. I can feel it slippery on my tongue, leaking down my chin as her heartbeats slow. Underneath that, I sense the life leaving her. And it’s all as real as if we were back in the real world.

In my peripheral vision, the unfamiliar house fades away, replaced by the dark cave where we were waiting when Sable and Cleo disappeared. Then, with a strange rush, something shatters and power floods the cave. The energy flashes and then peters out, and I realize it’s the connection between Cleo and Sable breaking.

The sensation of Cleo’s warm, bloodied skin between my teeth vanishes, and I hurtle through the dark, cold ether with no control over my limbs. It’s so sudden it knocks the wind out of me, like I’m plummeting off a skyscraper on a collision course for the asphalt, but I can’t even scream.

I slam back into my body and open my eyes to fiery purple twilight and the ongoing sounds of battle from below. I have no idea how long we were gone, and no way to know if time moves the same in the astral realm as it does in the physical realm. As my companions return to their own bodies, I rush forward to look out over the edge of the plateau and take stock of what’s happening in the battle.

I see more witches sprawled lifeless on the ground than I do wolves, but the fight’s still going strong, which means they don’t know about their leader yet. It’s only a matter of time though. Chances are good she has witches guarding her hiding place. At some point, they’ll figure out she’s dead.

And now that she’s no longer a threat… it’s time for us to join the fight.

We’re needed below, I say through mind speak as the others join me on the edge of the overlook.

Trystan huffs in agreement. Sable stays here.

We all look at her, and I know every one of us is stuck on one piece of information—the woman we love is carrying a child. Our child. There’s not a chance in hell we’re letting her go down there to fight.

She frowns at us. “I can help.”

You can stay here, I say firmly.

Her glare hardens. The fact that we can now communicate through the bond when we’re in wolf form and she’s in human form is helpful, but it doesn’t change her stubborn nature.

Archer leans against her side, nuzzling her hand as he says, Use your powers from above and keep us safe.

She sighs. “Fine. But I don’t like it.”

You don’t have to like it. Trystan grins. You just have to let us take care of you sometimes.

My gaze drops to her stomach, a torrent of emotions lashing through my chest. He’s fucking right about that. I know Sable can handle herself in a fight—she just weakened the leader of a powerful coven, breaking down her defenses until we could go in for the kill. But knowing she’s carrying a baby, the beginning of our little family?

Fuck. I can’t let her risk herself anymore today. I just can’t.

I step toward her and nuzzle her stomach, wanting so much more but knowing there’s no time. She runs her fingers through my fur as she catches my gaze, her blue eyes glittering like stars. Then she nods.

Let’s go, I say to the others, and we leap into action.

We race down the steep slope past the witches’ flat-fronted stronghold. The building is the same color as the mountain’s dirt, which explains why it’s so well camouflaged. The doors are hanging wide open, and if there were witches defending the fortress before, they aren’t there now.

But the battle hasn’t gotten too close to the stronghold. Witches and shifters clash violently in the open clearing, where blood already paints the ground and black smoke hangs like a dense fog over the chaos. Adrenaline pumps through my body at light speed, and I pick up the pace, drawing ahead of the other alphas and baring my teeth.

I barrel into the fray at full speed, my gaze darting around for my first mark.