equivalent of the entire room. Nissa, the high fae had returned as well as Riven and Vale, the fae warriors who seemed to lead the others, and at least twenty or more fae who had brought everyone. Thalion and Cyn and around a score of elf warriors stood ready. Tyler, the Missouri alpha, and fifteen of his pack members were present.
Vasile couldn’t help but let his eyes roam looking for Lucian and Perizada, but they weren’t there. These, along with his own pack, would have to be enough. He had no idea what the Order was bringing, but he knew everyone in this room was willing to die to keep the Order from taking power.
“It appears we are out of time,” Vasile said, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. The room went silent, and all eyes turned toward him. “We are in your debt for coming and defending our pack.”
“We are all pack,” the king of the warlocks said. “Pack is family. Family. They are the people we are willing to lay down our lives and bear our swords for.”
There was a rumble of agreement throughout the hall. Vasile nodded. “You are right, Cypher. We are pack. We don’t have to be Canis lupus to be pack. And I will fight proudly beside you all.
“Andora was not able to give me details, but from what I could gather from her tone, this will be bloody. Fight dirty if you must, for your enemy is not honorable and will not give you a fair fight. Strike to kill, not to capture.” He felt Alina tense beside him. His mate could be ruthless, but she had a gentle heart. Then he felt her pull her shoulders back and raise her chin. His Luna was entering battle mode.
“The people coming for us have captured many of my pack,” Alina said. “They have my grandson, my daughter-in-law, our Beta’s mate and child, and our healer, her mate, and their son. Our enemies have no morals. They care not who they hurt. They lost their chance at mercy when they dared to lay hands on those in our care, those who are our future. Our young, who we hope will be better than ourselves. Our pups, who we raise to see value in all life and to defend those weaker than themselves.
“We will raise our swords, our arrows, and our claws to fight this foe, and we will win because we are the only thing that stands between their evil and the rest of the world. And if any of us should fall in this battle, you go to the Great Luna knowing you gave up everything in order to help those who need you and cannot help themselves. May the Great Luna bless our sacrifice and fight alongside us in battle.”
There was no victorious cheer or battle cry. There was too much at stake. Vasile directed Gavril, Drake, and Wadim to take anyone who might need weapons to the armory to be outfitted. Then the alpha and his mate headed for the pack’s sleeping quarters. He’d be awakening his warriors from their slumber, not merely asking them to give up a good night’s sleep, but quite possibly their lives.
By the time they had roused the pack, the Order had showed up in force.
Chapter 11
“I was under the impression that the stronghold of the pack was, well, strong. But seeing as how the most precious members of the pack—the children—have been stolen right out from under us, and we are now being attacked, I feel it must be renamed. How about The Giveaway. Or maybe The Keep Nothing Out? Has a nice ring to it.” ~Zara
“I thought the whole point of this place was that it was safe,” Zara said as she followed Wadim to the weapons room. A week ago, they’d had the little munchkins stolen right out from beneath their noses, which seemed far from safe, and now they were being attacked by the monsters who had taken them.
“It seems our allies are falling faster and faster.” Wadim sounded more defeated than ever. “Alina said Vasile told her that someone had warned the Order that we were coming to Phoenix. That means it was one of our own—the good guys.”
A chill ran down Zara’s spine as she glanced around at the people gathering in the armory as they entered. Most of them she didn’t know. They were all different races of supernaturals, not just wolves and not just from their