Oath Sworn - K.N. Banet Page 0,97

to my feet, running back to Carey. The half-witch was just trying to prove her point, laughing as I huddled over the human girl again. This time, Carey used her unbroken hand to grab me.

“Emma, this is madness,” Heath beseeched. “Look at what you’ve done to your husband. Your mate.” He pointed towards Dean, who was still pinned to the wall.

“Leave it, father,” Richard said, humor lacing his words. “Emma is going to get what she wants.”

“No, she won’t,” the Alpha countered. “At dawn, the Alpha Council is riding into town to help clean up this mess. That’ll either be to help me rebuild and get into retirement or put down whoever started this mess. If they can’t beat you, Emma, the Tribunal will come. That won’t end well for any of the wolves in the city, including you.”

“I’m not scared of the Tribunal. More Laws no one cares about anymore. If anyone here should, it would be her, and yet she’s here, breaking them just like I am. Your werecat and I are two peas in a pod! Are you going to let the Tribunal have her?”

He glanced over at me.

I nodded my large head.

“Yes,” he whispered. “Because she’s willing to live and die for her beliefs and knows the Law is in place for a reason.”

“See, cat? He never fights for anyone,” Richard spat. “Once you’re not strong enough, once you’re useless, he casts you aside for a new face. Just like he did to my mother.”

“Your mother didn’t want to be a werewolf,” Heath said, his voice like sandpaper. “She’ll turn in her grave if you start blaming her death on me. She wanted one human life. She didn’t want to become a monster against God’s children like we are.”

“She was my mother!” his son roared.

“Ask them how they can keep their word if you’re dead already.” I told Heath. He was caught up in arguing with them, trying to talk them down. He needed to find another way.

“How can I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain if I let you kill me right now?” he asked loudly.

“I could have already killed you if I wanted to,” Emma informed him. “I figured I would finally challenge you the way wolves do. I’ll meet you on that battlefield.”

Heath nodded, and waved me to move further back. I nudged Carey gently, using my body to help the girl stay out of Emma’s line of sight. Dean slowly sank to the floor now as Emma grinned.

“Yes. The wolves won’t question me if I kill you in wolf form.” She sounded half-insane at this point. Pondering a future she would never have. No one would ever let her run a wolf pack, and her takeover was evidence as to why. She didn’t do it right. She employed human tactics, underhandedness that the wolves would never respect completely. They might like her now, but when she started using her magic on her loyal wolves when they upset her? They would turn and bite the hand that fed them.

And she will turn against them. She just proved it by throwing her own damn mate around.

Heath and Emma both began to strip. So did Dean and Richard. Heath didn’t say anything, but I knew he could see them as well as I could.

They all shifted together as well, Heath being done first. He was a brilliant grey-blue, almost like his eyes, with more white to him than anything else. He was also a bit bigger than the others. I felt good to have him on my side.

“Finally, I can talk back. Emma can still use some of her magic in wolf form. Be careful, Jacky.”

“I will,” I promised.

22

Chapter Twenty-two

I kept my body between Carey and the wolves as Emma and Heath began to circle one another. Carey clung to me with her good arm, holding me tightly. For a kid, she was strong, but it didn’t cause me any discomfort. Honestly, I was just glad she was there and okay.

I should have left with her. I knew I should have, but I didn’t want to leave Heath fighting alone for the lives of Landon and Tywin. I couldn’t bring myself to move, really.

“Don’t tell anyone you can hear me right now. Carey, you should run. Down the street, three wolves are waiting. It’s Ranger, Sheila, and Keith,” I told her softly. “You can make it to them, I promise, but I can’t leave your father here alone.”

“I’m not leaving him,” she