looked back at Starlight Woods. “It’s a mediation meadow. Equidistant. If she can get back to the packhouse, there’s a safe room, but if it came to…” His phone was in his hand as he tapped out a text. His face paled, and a choked noise came from his mouth that had the others whirling to face him.
“Shannon,” I ordered, pushing Luna into her arms despite the girl’s desperate attempt to cling to me. “Due, what’s wrong?” The male threw his head back with a roar, whirling to face Gwyar who was suddenly enclosed in what seemed to be beams of light.
“I’ll kill you!” Due roared, stalking the other male as he dropped his phone to the ground. His skin rippled as patches of gray fur pushed to the top.
“What the hell is he doing?” I gasped, shoving Shannon into the middle of us as Alarick scooped up the phone.
“Shielding,” Ian replied grimly, adjusting his glasses. “It’s not his power though. He has a very weak healing gift—minor injuries only. There’s no way he can shield.”
“Oh, fuck,” Alarick hissed. “They have Eirian.” He angled the phone so we could see it. On the screen was a video. The alpha female lay bound and unconscious with blood pooling underneath her. Her chest still rose and fell slightly, so she was clearly alive, but a gun was pointed at her.
“A gun?” I squeaked.
“Yes, Pixie.” Gwyar sneered my name like an oath as Due dove into the shield, screeching as his skin smoked. “I wouldn’t do that again, Due. Not unless you want my man to pull the trigger on your mate. It’s only fair that if you side with a human, she’ll die like one.” Due froze, panting as he glared at Gwyar. “Now, let’s try this again, shall we? All you have to do is choose the winning side, you see.” He lifted his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not asking for much, and you’ll have your mate back in just a few moments. If you had listened to me earlier, it never would have come to this. All you have to do is have your pack hold off the pups here, take down this so-called Alpha of Lupine Hollow, and hand me his still beating heart.” The calm words turned into a spitting, raging snarl at the end before he slid a hand down his shirt. Alpha Due was nearly vibrating with tension as he turned his head to stare at Alarick with wide eyes.
“You’re insane,” Ian declared, stepping in front of Alarick, his voice echoing around the clearing. “You’ve kidnapped and injured a mediator in front of witnesses. You’ve ordered him to take on an unsanctioned challenge in your place and murder another alpha so you can eat his heart and then pretend you’re Alpha of Lupine Hollow and the academy. You know the magic will not pass to you! You know that none of us will allow it, that these witnesses will all speak against you.”
“Ah, but that’s the thing,” Gwyar murmured, tapping his finger against his chin. “The little alpha here did me a favor by requesting this match.” Ice filled my veins as my wolf snapped and snarled, yanking at me. “You see, Due, I never could have gotten my people onto your territory without an invitation. But when you invited witnesses…” He laughed, the sound high-pitched and manic as wolves began to shift to stand behind Gwyar, growling low in their throats. Many were redheaded, clearly pack members of Starlight Woods, but other colors danced through there as well.
With yelps and whimpers, some of the wolves—clearly those who had truly intended to simply witness, not fight—began to flee, only to be boxed in as other wolves slunk from the shadows.
“No one leaves,” Gwyar snarled. “You’re with me, or you die. Lupine Hollow is not the only pack with allies. Too many of our kind are sick of watching the Temples make a mockery of what we, as wolves, should be. You ban the execution of pack members in favor of banishment. You allow your omegas to forget their places as toys of the pack.” He glared at Chann and Shannon, who raised their chins, refusing to flinch under the litany of snarls directed their way.
“You allow humans to carry the knowledge of our kind, then to join us as an equal!” He spat at his feet, curling his lip when his eyes turned to me.
“You allow matings between wolves of the same gender, or