12. Jace

My council sat around the table, each of them looking tense and worried. If I looked deep inside myself, I felt the same. Everything was speeding up, like someone had hit fast-forward on our lives. The problem was, none of us could see the end, and we were barreling toward it like a runaway train. With only two days until we infiltrated Eren's pack lands, the chances for disaster grew exponentially with every minute that passed.

Waylan's phone lay in the center of the table, switched to speaker. Stephanie was giving us a rundown on what she'd learned.

"No one's allowed out of town," she said. "Only his most trusted betas can leave. It's the same as I told you earlier."

"Right," Waylan said, "but there must be trusted people moving about. Where is he focusing his security force?"

"There are only two ways in and out of Scottsdale, and that's the highway that runs through town. He's positioned his strongest people at those two inlets."

"How much does he trust these men?" Reese asked, leaning forward.

"They're committed to his cause," Steph said, sounding disgusted. "Over the last decade, he's apparently brought more and more people into his inner circle. It's almost like they're brainwashed. They look at him almost like the freaking messiah or something. He keeps filling their heads with shit about taking over and becoming the most powerful pack in the country."

I did some mental math in my head. Eren's pack was a bit smaller than mine. The percentages of men, women, children, and elderly should have been roughly the same.

"How many betas does he have under his control? How many men are actively helping him?" I asked.

She was quiet for a few seconds before answering. "That's the strange thing. There should only be a dozen or so that are his main betas, men who work directly beneath him. It's like any pack, but there are a lot more betas than that here. Apparently, over the last two years, a bunch of new faces have started showing up. Rumor is, Eren's been recruiting outcast wolves. Shifters who have been exiled or banished from their packs for whatever reason. Those guys are the most loyal to him. Even more so than his sycophants like Poli."

The rest of my council looked as surprised by that as I was. Confused and concerned looks were on every face I looked at.

"We've never seen any new people at the mating party the last couple years, though," Abi said, a deep crease between her brows.

"Eren's kept them away from that," Stephanie said. "This plan has been in motion for a long time. Who knows how long."

"Let's think," I said. "If his strongest allies are at the main entry points, then we need to find another way to get into town. Do we have other options?"

"You can't come in from the west because of the river. The only option would be from the south, over the ridge. It's dense forest, lots of undergrowth. It would be very tough-going," Stephanie explained. "That area is guarded as well. Eren's not stupid. Though, he did assign his weaker betas to that location. So, I suppose, it'll be your best bet."

"How weak are these shifters?" I asked. "Are you talking physically weak, or allegiance weak?"

"None of them are as strong as you, Jace. That's not a problem. Most are physically weak, but there are two who aren't as loyal to Eren. Don't get me wrong, they still follow orders, but they aren't as gung-ho as the others. Eren thinks they're all good little soldiers, but anyone not blinded by power can see it."

"Why would their allegiance be waning?" Waylan asked. "If they are some of the only people in town with freedom and power, you'd think they'd be in Eren's corner a hundred percent."

"Most are," Steph admitted. "The main beta who's slowly turning on Eren is a guy named Byron. His son is probably months or weeks away from his first shift, so there's still some time, but he can see the writing on the wall and isn't happy with the direction of the pack."

Her words rang through the room like a gong. Langston's face was a mask of incredulous shock.

"Wait," Langston said. "You're telling me that even his beta's kids aren't safe? He'll torture them, too?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm one of the few who has any autonomy here. Eren likes taking me to his house. I think he wants someone to gloat or show off to, maybe? But when he talks about his plans, he has no remorse or love lost for these kids, and he doesn't give a damn who their parents are. To him, they're just tools."

"So you get to interact with these guys much? These other betas?" I asked.

"Sometimes. When I'm at Eren's place, and they're around. Eren is still trying to talk me into being his consort or whatever. I see them when they have meetings and meals and stuff."

"Do you think you can pick this Byron guy's brain a bit?" I asked. "See how close he is to tipping over? If his head isn't in it, then maybe we can sway him. If you can get him on our side, and maybe one or two others, that gives us true double agents. Men on the inside who can help when the time comes."

"I'll do my best. I can't promise anything. Eren's house is usually full of people. I'll need to be careful, or this will all fall apart."

"That's fine," I agreed. "Stay safe. We need you there. Without your intel, we'll be going in blind. That being said, time is still a factor. Get back to us as soon as possible."

"Okay."

Waylan swiped his screen and disconnected the call. The stress in the room had grown exponentially. Kirsten sat beside me, chewing nervously on a hangnail. The other alphas sat around the perimeter of the room, each one looking like they were contemplating how badly this could all go.

"I'd like Kirsten to be with me when we infiltrate for the rescue," Langston said, breaking the awkward silence. "What kind of limitations does she have with her magic?"

"Limitations?" Kirsten asked. "What do you mean?"

Langston looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. I mean, will we be going into battle with a rifle or a bazooka?"

"She's still getting a grasp of what she can do," I said, hoping to keep the spotlight off Kirsten. She had enough to worry about. "Her great-grandmother was powerful as hell, though. Strong enough to put a century-long curse on me. I'm not sure if power is depleted every time or not. I know that Tinsley said she thought Kirsten might be the strongest witch she's ever heard of, based on the power she could feel within her."

Langston absorbed that information and nodded his head sagely. "A hundred-year curse. Goddamn, Jace, you're old as hell."

That broke the tension as titters of laughter sounded from those gathered. Even my own stress abated a bit.

"Back to the original question," I said after everyone had settled back down. "I know Kirsten's magic feels a lot like her great-grandmother's." I glanced at Kirsten, catching her eye. "Random question, but are you sure there was no magic on your mother's side?"

"Why do you ask?" Kirsten asked, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she spoke.

Instead of answering directly, I looked across the room at Ivy, where she sat leaning against the wall. "Do you notice it?"

Ivy blinked at me in surprise. "Notice what?"

"You know what I'm talking about," I said.

She opened her mouth to say something, then froze, realization dawning in her eyes. She grinned. "Yeah, actually. I do. I guess I've been ignoring it."

"What are you talking about?" Kirsten demanded, irritation rising in her voice.

"The hum in the air whenever you're around," I said.

"It's almost like an alpha aura," Reese said. "Honestly, I'd sort of thought that was all it was. Now that you've pointed it out, I can feel it's different. Slightly, but different nonetheless."

"You're strong," I said, turning back to Kirsten. "Really strong. Your magic gets more powerful every day. It's almost like, before long, you won't be able to mask it the way your grandmother did or Tinsley does."

"The main reason I asked," Langston said, "is that I've heard of old stories about witches who could create visual illusions. Lots of the old tales talk about that. Have you had any experience with those spells? Do you think you could do it?"

"I've never tried," Kirsten admitted. "I supposed I could give it a shot. If I'm an eclectic witch, like Tinsley says, and the stories you've heard are true, then I don't see why I couldn't. How big of an illusion would it have to be?"

"If Steph does help us flip this one guard to our side, then we can use him somewhere else the night of the extraction," Langston said. "With him using his influence and contacts, he could keep prying eyes away from the homes with kids. Maybe you could create an illusion of him walking the perimeter so it looks like he's still on duty. It would prevent any other betas guarding that area from thinking something was amiss."

Kirsten pursed her lips and frowned. It looked like she was working on a particularly difficult math equation. Eventually, she heaved an exhausted sigh.

"That sounds like a huge illusion. I'll do my best to figure it out, though. I want to help in any way I can. I promise, I'll try."

Langston nodded and smiled ruefully. "All right, then. If Kirsten can do that, then we have a better chance of this working. If not? We'll have to hope luck is on our side."

The meeting broke apart, and people trickled out. Dustin and Ivy stopped by on the way to the door.

"With the whole town on lockdown, we won't be able to do an official announcement for the challenge," Ivy said. "It'll have to be an ambush like Langston is planning. I don't see another way around it."

"Doesn't really matter at this point," Dustin added. "All of us know he's a piece of shit. It may not be official, but all the alphas in the area are on your side."

"Sounds good," I said. "Go ahead and start gathering all your people who are willing and able to fight. We need a head count before we go in."

"Will do, Jace."

Kirsten, looking determined, pushed away from the table and stood. "I'm going to go dig into my books. I need to figure out how to cast those illusion spells."

She sounded like a woman on a mission. I grabbed her wrist before she could disappear. "Hang on," I said.

"Yeah?"

I pulled her close, pressing my forehead to hers. "Don't push too hard. Stay safe. Do what you need to help, but don't fry your body and brain with magic. You'll be no help to anyone if that happens. Okay?"

Her face softened a bit. "Got it. I'll be careful. Promise."

I kissed her then, deeply, before Harley tugged on her shirt sleeve.

"Come on, girl. I'll help you study. It'll be like we're back in college."

Once they headed upstairs, only Langston and I remained. He didn't look all that relieved.

"Something's still on your mind?" I asked, sitting back down.

"I can't help thinking how bad this is gonna get if we succeed."

"Aren't we supposed to succeed?" I asked with a grin, though I knew exactly what he meant.

"If we manage to get all those kids out of Scottdale, Eren is going to lose his fucking mind. It might trigger him to act."

"True, but I think there's something else ticking away in your head. What are you really worried about?"

Langston let out an exasperated breath. "We aren't protected, Jace. Our town, I mean. You saw what happened the other day. Not one but two feral shifters got all the way to your front yard. No one saw them. And they were kids, man. Not even seasoned fighters. What do we do if Eren launches another sneak attack on us?" He grunted in disgust. "Hell, what if he's planning on sending guys here to kidnap our kids?"

An icy shock of fear stabbed me in the gut. That thought hadn't once crossed my mind.

"Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent that?" I asked.

"Yeah. We should put together a militia of sorts. Train the pack members like it's the military. He's going to come for us. Either as revenge for rescuing his kids, or to take our children, or to go after Kirsten again. He is dead set on having a pack witch, and Eren is determined to have Kirsten."

"That's not happening," I said, slamming my fist on the table. "Not on my watch. I'm prepared to kill Eren to keep Kirsten and my people safe." I looked him in the eye. "You have my permission. Do whatever is necessary. Get with Waylan, get volunteers to start training and doing patrols around the outskirts of town. Not just men, either. Our women are strong as hell. Ask them, too."

Langston grinned. "Yes, sir. I'll call him as soon as I leave here."

"Good."

He stood, but I called to him before he got to the door. "Langston, we're going to be okay. I swear."

With his hand on the door, he nodded slowly. "I know. I'll tell you this, though. There's no alpha I'd rather have going into battle with me than you."

After he left, I went upstairs to check on Kirsten. She was in her room with Harley. Kirsten sat at a table, an ancient book sitting open in front of her. An apple and orange sat beside her.

Harley, ignoring my entrance, sat on the bed with another book open on her lap. "Have you tried, uh, accessing your inner illusionary spirit?" She slammed the book shut and rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I don't know what the hell that means."

"Shhh," Kirsten hissed. She had a hand poised over the apple, her eyes scanning the page in front of her. "I think I found something. Let me try."

Intrigued, I leaned against the doorjamb to watch her. Kirsten's lips moved soundlessly, and before my eyes, the apple turned into an orange. An exact copy of the one sitting beside it. An instant later, a third orange appeared beside it. My mouth fell open in surprise.

Kirsten gasped. She clasped her hands to her mouth and jumped up. As soon as she did, the spell broke. The third orange vanished, and the second turned back into an apple.

"I did it!" Kirsten squealed and smiled goofily.

"Son of a bitch," Harley breathed, staring unblinkingly at the desk.

"Wow," I said, the word slipping unbidden from my lips.

Kirsten whirled at the sound of my voice. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see that happen," I said, pointing to the table. "Looks like you're a fast learner."

Kirsten furrowed her brows and licked her bottom lip. "Go away. I have a theory."

Chuckling, I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, fine."

I went down the hall, waiting for whatever she was planning. A few minutes later, she called me back.

"Jace, get back in here."

"Yes, my lady," I called.

"Try again," Harley said once I'd walked back in.

Kirsten's hand hovered over the fruit, and a moment later, the apple morphed into an orange. She then moved her hand to the left, and an apple appeared from thin air. She pulled her hand back slowly, her eyes focused on the illusion. Kirsten let them sit like that for a few seconds before snapping her fingers. The illusion vanished.

"You were right," Harley said to her with a grin.

"About what?" I asked.

"My magic is stronger when you're nearby," Kirsten said. "Nothing was happening, but as soon as you walked into the room, my power spiked and it worked."

Harley bounced on the bed. "He's your magic Viagra."

Kirsten turned a withering glare on her friend. "Thanks for that."

She shrugged a shoulder, unperturbed. "It's true. You couldn't get it up, and Mr. Wolfman here walks in, and boom, massive magic hard-on."

"Harley, could you give us a minute?" I asked.

"Sure thing." She jumped off the bed, swatting Kirsten's butt as she went by. "Don't wear him out too much."

Kirsten rolled her eyes. "We aren't—"

But Harley was already gone.

"I have my own theory," I said. "What if it doesn't have to be me close to you? I hate the idea that you have less protection if I'm not right there."

"What are you thinking?"

"What if you had something personal of mine? Something that means a lot to me."

"I'm listening," Kirsten said.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I dug under the collar of my shirt and pulled out my necklace.

"What's that?" Kirsten said, eyeing it.

"It's the pack crest," I said, holding the small medallion in the palm of my hand. The solid white alabaster stone had a carving of a howling wolf's head and a thin crescent moon. "I haven't worn it in a long time. It belonged to my mother. Dad gave it to her the night they officially became mates. I wore it every day, but then they died. It hurt to look at it, so I tucked it away safely. It's been there for… well, as you know, a very long time. This morning, when I got up, something… I don't know, it called to me. I dug it out of my bedside drawer. It's one of the only things I have from them. Nothing is closer to my heart than this."

I pulled it from my neck and looped it over her head. The medallion lay nestled in the dip of her breasts, looking as if it belonged there.

"Jace, I can't take this," Kirsten said in protest.

She made to take it off, but I put my hands on hers, stopping her. "I want you to have it, especially if it helps with your magic. Just remember," I said, tapping the medallion, "when you're wearing this? I'm with you."

Kirsten smiled sheepishly and looked down at it. "It really is beautiful." She lifted the crest and stared at it more intently, inspecting every curve carved into it.

Seeing her hold the crest sent my inner wolf into a spasm of desire. My chest swelled with need. The need to claim her. It consumed me almost fully, and if I didn't leave soon, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Claiming her needed to wait until Eren was handled.

Taking a step back, I gestured vaguely at the door. "I need to head out. Langston and Waylan are gonna get some more people together to guard the whole town." I swallowed hard, trying to force the image of me claiming her from my mind.

"Oh." She cast her eyes down, her mouth twisting to the side. "Okay, that's fine. I guess I'll see you later?"

"Definitely," I said, giving her my best smile. "See you soon."

Before I could stop myself, I hurried away, rushing toward the stairs. My palms were slick with sweat, and there was a hard lump in my throat. The farther I got from her, the more the desire faded, but it never quite went away.

I'd have to discuss it with Kirsten. And soon. Otherwise, my inner wolf might go mad.