call me Xichil,” she answered. “And my companion is Montu.”
Montu dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I assume you took the staff due to the Morrigan’s invasion?”
“I did,” I admitted with a nod. I saw my other wolves burst out of the house, but I held up a hand to stop them from coming closer. “I’ve got this,” I told them through the bond.
My mates spread around us in a circle, not taking their eyes off the confrontation that was happening on the damp grass.
“Drake told us you’re an ally,” Xichil said with narrowed eyes. “But we came to see for ourselves.”
My eyebrows rose at Drake’s name, but I fought to keep the surprise off my face. If he was gathering the gods of this world to battle the Morrigan, did that mean he was truly on our side?
“You wish to see the Morrigan gone?” I asked coolly.
Montu clenched a fist. “She doesn’t belong here. This is our world.”
Xichil laid a hand on his arm to soothe him, but her own eyes flashed with rage. “I will shred her from existence myself.”
I took a deep breath. “If we want to succeed, we’ll have to plan together, coordinate our attack. We can’t take her on one by one.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Montu assured me.
I let myself truly feel the gods in front of me. From Xichil, I sensed a fierce protectiveness, a mother guiding her children to safety, but willing to risk her life for theirs. From Montu, I heard the beat of war drums in his heart. He relished the struggle of battle, but he fought with honor. He fought on the side of truth and cosmic order, and inspired others to do the same.
I knew the two gods sensed my tendrils of magic reaching for them, but neither objected. I could feel them taking my measure in return, weighing my intentions, and judging my ability as an ally. I withdrew from my exploration once I was satisfied, and they did the same. These gods would fight with us against the Morrigan, but there were no guarantees after that.
“I sense a strong warrior spirit in those gathered around you,” Montu said as he cocked his head to one side. “But your powers don’t derive from war or violence.”
I shook my head. “My mates are the warriors.”
“And you are the light that guides them,” Xichil said softly. “They’re willing to fight to protect everything that you represent.”
“Come with us,” Montu offered. “Meet the others and take part in our war council.”
I blinked in surprise. “Others?”
Xichil gave me a sly smile. “There are still a number of us left, weakened, but not yet dead.”
I nodded and let my humanity slide away to reveal the goddess inside of me. The power of the world hummed around me, the threads that made up the tapestry of life clear to me. I didn’t lose myself to it, not like I had before. This time I was in control.
“I’ll join you,” I said decisively.
I turned to my mates, knowing that they were seeing something other than the Anna that they knew. “I’ll be back,” I said to them through the bond. “Be ready.”
Chapter 27
Austin
I watched Anna step through yet another gateway that took her far from our pack. Far from me.
I still had a small kernel of worry for her deep in my heart, but my faith in her strength was stronger than ever. Her strength went well beyond the physical, her grit and determination would get her further than muscles ever could. She didn’t need me to lean on, but her love for me was strong. Anna had grown into a fierce fighter, and I trusted her to handle the magical side of the battle that was to come.
I turned away as Anna’s gateway snapped closed and faced my packmates.
“Mason, Jason,” I addressed the twins first. “I need you coordinating with Trevor and his team to take stock of all of our weapons. Identify how many of our packmates we can reasonably arm.”
Mason nodded, and Jason gave me a mock salute before they jogged off.
“Cody,” I called to the big wolf. “I need everyone in the pack triaged based on skill level.”
“Already done,” Cody said with a smile. “Each one of our wolves is categorized as level one through four. Ones aren’t sure how to hold a weapon, and fours are experienced combat vets.”
“Perfect,” I said with a sigh of relief. “I want everyone on a training schedule. No one is going to be left helpless