Chapter Forty-Seven

June

Sleep hadn't come easily last night. I woke up from a mix of nightmares and full-moon energy every hour or so. Forty-eight hours now, and I still didn't know where Dom was or how to free Kat.

My head was clearer this morning. My wolf was awake and alert. My eyes darted to the candle near the door; it wasn't lit yet.

I went straight to the bathroom, turning the hot water on and dropping my clothes in the hamper. After quickly scrubbing down and washing my hair, I stood under the water for a bit.

I stared at the pipe on the wall. My only lifeline to Kat. What I wouldn't give to talk to her a little more, but I hadn't had the chance since that first time. I shut the water off and stepped out of the shower.

Brushing my hair, messing with my undercut and looking in the mirror, I wondered what clothes were acceptable tonight. Lately, even my wardrobe had come under scrutiny, and I felt more and more like I was stealing Naomi's closet.

What does a girl wear to overthrow a corrupt alpha?

I wrapped the towel around myself and walked back into the bedroom, opening the closet door and picking a loose sundress that could be discarded quickly for a shift. Whatever tonight brought, the shift was inevitable for all the wolves.

I barely had the dress pulled over my head and a pair of panties on my ass when the door to my room clicked open.

Startled, I yanked the dress in place and stared wide-eyed as the closet door was pulled open.

"There you are, June," Evander said, a gentle smile on his face. He walked over and lit the candle. Dammit .

Of course, I'm right here, asshole! You can sense me wherever in the house I go!

My wolf growled, hard and loud enough that I had to resist it slipping through my own lips as well.

Evander smirked and looked me up and down. "You look lovely, June."

"Thank you," I said, not sure what else to say.

Evander watched me a moment longer, and then stood back so I could leave the closet.

"I have some business to attend to this morning," he said.

I took a step into the room and frowned as I smelled the smoke again.

"Okay," I murmured.

"I was thinking since you will be with me tonight at the full moon, you might like something to take your mind off of things today while you wait."

My eyes widened. "Take my mind off of Dom?"

Evander gave me a sympathetic look. "Poor girl. Yes, June. Alice does quite a bit of cooking for the full moon meal after the run, and I thought you would enjoy helping her downstairs."

My heart raced. I had to play my words very carefully to keep my act up right now. But getting out of this room could mean contacting Kat, or reaching out to Amelia or Aaron or someone in the pack who could tell me what had been going on for the last few days.

"Oh, that would be wonderful," I said. "I've liked helping Alice ever since I arrived in Moonpeak."

Evander smiled, seeming to accept my answer. "Very good. I'll let you finish getting ready and then you can come downstairs, Alice has arrived and is setting up in the kitchen."

"Thank you, Evander. And thank you for letting me out with you tonight. I know you're just worried about me."

"Oh, June." Evander pulled me into an embrace. My wolf threw a fit, and I almost let out the growl building inside of me.

"It's a pleasure to look after all of my wolves," Evander said. "And to make sure you have a safe place here." He smiled and looked me over once more, lingering maybe a little longer than I liked on my legs. "I'll see you later. Don't be afraid to stop and rest if you need it."

"I will."

Alice was in the kitchen peeling carrots over the sink. "There's my June!" She winked. "So glad to see you feeling up to some work."

"What can I do first?"

"Take that basket there and wash all the food in it. It came straight from my garden an hour ago," she said, gesturing with the vegetable peeler to a basket on the counter.

"Got it," I said, and began sorting the veggies. The excuse to work did pass the time, much better than sitting in Naomi's room all day. But under Alice's sharp eyes I had no chance to investigate the house. I could be finding things in Evander's office, or figuring out how to get into the basement.

But at least the morning passed quickly if nothing else. My thoughts kept coming back to Dom, worrying about where he could be and if he was hurt, and worrying about Kat in the basement.

Dom? I tried.

The link didn't really go anywhere. Like there was nothing on the other side to latch on to. Or maybe it was me who was having the problem. My head couldn't shake the cloud, making me second-guess everything I did.

I tried again to reach out to him and failed. I also reached out to Amelia with no results, and in a desperate moment, I tried Smokey too. Nothing.

The only positive now was that I had learned how to make potato salad. I hadn't cared for it much before, but Alice's was fantastic.

Morning turned to midday. Evander came back in, ruining my chances of exploring the pack house. An uncomfortable lunch, and then an afternoon in the kitchen again.

As I pulled the last pan of rolls out of the oven, I looked at Alice, who was mixing some kind of sauce. She seemed to sense as much and looked up at me.

"Oh, June. Don't look so down." She put down the bowl she was mixing in, wiping her hands on her apron as she came to give me a hug. "You look like you're about to cry, dear. I know you've been through a lot these past few weeks, but the Moonpeak pack will take care of you. You're one of us now."

At her touch, the arms of a motherly figure, the tears started falling. I reached out for her, wrapping my arms around her small shoulders and sobbing.

She didn't even know what I cried about, but she didn't have to. She was just there for me when I needed her.

I was crumbling. If Dom didn't return, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if Amelia was out there. I couldn't reach her, I couldn't reach anybody, and I couldn't let Evander continue on this path. What was I supposed to do, challenge him myself?

My tears finally ran their course. I blinked, wiping off my face as I leaned away from Alice.

"There now, a good cry can make anyone feel better," Alice said. "We're done here, dear. Why don't you go up to your room and rest a bit? We've got a big run ahead of us."

I sniffed, nodding. I wasn't paying very close attention to what she was saying, but I knew she meant well. My mind was filled with other thoughts right now. Thoughts of me, thoughts of my wolf, and thoughts of what I might have to do.

"Yeah, thanks, Alice," I mumbled, and left the kitchen as I tried to dry my face.

Dom. He wasn't dead, he couldn't be. I had to believe in him more than I believed in Evander. So wherever he went, I'd be on his side until he came back. And the one thing I knew he wanted was freedom for Moonpeak.

I took in a shaky breath as I closed the door behind me. Sitting on the bed, I reflected on my options.

"What now?" I asked weakly.

If I could find Amelia, she could and very likely would still challenge Evander.

If Nathan came back, he may be persuaded to challenge Evander, but what would that mean for the future of Moonpeak?

Aaron might do, he was definitely the strongest after Dom and Amelia of the wolves I came here with, but was he strong enough?

Smokey? No. He wouldn't do anything of the sort without a lot of proof of a bad alpha, and while I felt I had that, my head was so foggy I couldn't remember straight to tell him anyway.

So if all of those plans failed, was it up to me?

What if I have to fight Evander?

No , my wolf insisted.

No? What do you mean no?

Mate. Mate will come.

"I hope so."

I lay there a little longer, trying to reflect on everything Smokey had taught me about fighting. When I was watching Dom and the other wolves train, I never imagined I'd regret not joining them.

Tanner's training was good, true, but maybe not as useful as Smokey's. Still, I wondered if I could drop enough hints to him that something was wrong to make him investigate. He must be annoyed that he just got a tracker, only to have me taken away days later.

Evander's footsteps came down the hallway.

Sitting up on the bed, I watched as the enemy came into my room with a smile. That was what he was, the enemy, and I couldn't let the fog make me forget that.

"Feeling better, June?" Evander asked.

"I'm fine. I just needed a rest. The run will do me a lot of good."

"All right." He nodded. "Meet me downstairs when you're ready, we'll make an appearance together."

"Okay," I agreed. He left, closing the door behind him.

My heart was racing, but I stood with determination.

Get it together, June! Tonight is the night.

I took a deep breath and left. I wished I could stop and tell Kat what was going to happen to her tonight. I really regretted not being able to warn her through the pipe the other day, but I'd run out of time. She was going to be down there, trying to shift, and not having a clue what was happening to her. I had to hope she'd make it through.

But right now, I had the problems in front of me. Evander.

At the front door, Evander smiled and opened it for me to leave first. I did, and he stepped out beside me, and we walked to the field. The sky was darkening and the moon would rise in a few hours.

"I've told them not to bring up Dom," Evander said. "There will be time to mourn later, but this isn't the night to distress you. We will watch the wolves gather and you can talk when you're ready. I'll be right by your side."

"Okay," I answered, internally cringing at his attempts. Where Dom was smooth and rugged, Evander was slimy and fake.

The field was full. Moonpeak wolves in varying states of dress, and a few already shifting for fun. As we arrived, one of the wolves howled out the presence of their alpha.

"Good evening!" Evander waved. "Don't mind me, enjoy yourselves. Socialize, and we will begin the run at moonrise."

A few cheers and waves and the wolves returned to whatever they were doing before we arrived.

I was able to stand next to Evander and not need to speak as he greeted a handful of wolves who came to make polite conversation with him. Meanwhile, my eyes roamed over the field, looking for anyone I could reach out to.

I spotted Tanner, but he was more of a last resort. He didn't know our plans, and I didn't know how far I could push his loyalties without getting caught.

It was a special kind of agony to be looking around a field full of happy people while trying to reach out for a lifeline.

When I spotted Amelia, my heart jumped. Yes!

Amelia! Can you hear me? I tried to link her, but my head was still fuzzy.

She didn't so much as look at me, she was more engrossed in conversation with her mate and the biggest person I had ever seen.

A little more of a search, and I spotted Jack. He actually looked my way, eyes wide in shock.

Jack! I called. Jack, where is Dom?

But Jack couldn't hear me either. It looked like he was trying to reach out to me as well, and failing. I sighed, shaking my head. It was no use.

"Alpha." One of the warriors came forward, getting Evander's attention.

"What is it?" Evander asked.

"We sense the warlock returning to pack lands," he said. "Smokey is about to intercept. Orders?"

Evander's expression slipped into annoyance momentarily, then back to the mask of a happy alpha. "Send Smokey. See what he's here for and let Smokey dispose of him as he sees fit if it's not important."

"Yes, Alpha," the warrior answered, and left.

I watched after him, mild interest on my face, but all of my senses were focused in that direction. Jerod? Was Carmine with him? Surely his magic trick would be on our side tonight. He'd figured out the candles, maybe he could help undo whatever hold this potent one still had over me. I put all my focus on that direction of the field, waiting and hoping.

Something stirred in the back of my mind. It was far away, foggy. Distracting.

I shook my head, trying to listen for new arrivals. Hoping that Smokey would bring Carmine and Jerod here.

The thing prodded my mind again, this time it a little more clearly.

I tried to keep my face still, but I could swear I heard the smallest hint of a link. The first to come through since Evander had kept me in that candle-smoke-filled room.

June!

My heart pounded in my ears. That time I heard it for sure.

Dom?

June! he answered. June, I'm on my way.

My heart could have burst. My eyes started to mist over but I blinked it away before anyone could see. My head was a swirl with emotion and relief.

Dom—he was fine, and he was coming!

I looked over at Evander, resisting the urge to betray my happiness. I focused on clearing my head before anything else. Breathing in slowly through my nose, exhaling through my mouth, slowing my heartbeat. Breath in, breath out, focus. The minutes dragged on as I practiced focusing on things. A pair of children playing, the leaves of a tree swaying with the breeze, a lone cloud wafting overhead. When a commotion came from the edge of the gathered pack, my heart nearly leaped into my throat.

Smokey's white-faced wolf padded through the crowd, trailed by Jerod and Carmine.

Evander's face was strained as he eyed them. "What's this, Smokey?"

The wolf shifted, allowing the benefit of human speech for Carmine and Jerod since they weren't Moonpeak and couldn't link. I was also relieved that I wouldn't be straining to hear, since my mind wasn't completely clear yet.

"The warlock brings an accusation," Smokey said. Worry rippled through the wolves, shock on many faces.

"An accusation, on the night of the full moon? Surely this can wait. Take them to the cabin to wait for tomorrow."

Smokey shook his head. "I will not, Alpha. The code says we stand to hear an accusation this serious, no matter the moon phase."

Evander's face slipped for a moment. "Still, the moon is nearly here, and we can't speak once we're all shifted."

A good point, unfortunately. Jerod seemed calm, which didn't surprise me, but so did Carmine. She wouldn't let anything happen to him, which meant she knew he had some kind of plan, or at the very least she didn't think this was putting him in danger.

Jerod shook his head, looking up at the sky. "I'll cut to the chase then."

Lifting a hand, he whispered something unintelligible and with a burst of blue smoke a large burst of fireworks lit up the sky above.

"What did you do?" Evander growled. "Warriors! Remove this warlock."

Jerod calmly raised a hand before him in a "hold on" position while he kept his eyes overhead. A screech tore through the sky, and that was when I felt the overwhelming presence. My heart hammered as we all watched the impossible rise above the treetops. Wings, spanning so far I wondered if they could cover the village, flapped as a creature from fairy tales headed our way. My knees weakened as the word formed in my head.

Dragon .

It let out another screech, and descended near the unphased Jerod. Was this another one of his summons? Was this the thing he summoned in Seattle that created that mess between him and Amelia?

The biggest wolves of the pack surrounded the dragon and Jerod, but didn't dare to get too close.

"Dani, thank you for coming," Jerod said, and it was in this moment I noticed the woman in black sitting on the dragon's back. She slid down, the dragon's tail moving to catch her if she fell too fast, and once she was on the ground, she threw her arms around Jerod.

"You should have called sooner! I didn't know where you went," she said.

"Later, I promise. For the moment, I need your assistance," Jerod said.

Howling from the east made my head turn. My heart raced; I could feel him. Dom, he was getting closer. All of them were getting closer.

"What?" Evander snapped, a snarl on his face as he swung his head to the east.

I took off before Evander could realize I'd left his side. Dom was the first of several wolves to emerge, and I ran to him. "Dom!" I cried, throwing my arms around his furry neck.

He stopped, pressing his nose into my neck as I clung to him, nearly sobbing.

So, he brought the dragon and the witch , Dom said.

"You know them?" I asked, stunned.

"The moon rises, Evander!" Our attention turned back to the group as Amelia walked forward from the crowd. A wicked smile played across her lips. Other wolves walked forward behind her. Bianca. A large blond man I'd never seen before stepped behind them as well. Aaron, Jack, and Carson followed, standing in solidarity behind Amelia.

The others in the crowd looked a mix of confused, fearful, and solemn. Many of them looked as though they knew what was coming and wanted to be far away from it when it began. Evander growled, forcing out that pressure of an alpha that sank most of us downward.

"I am the alpha who saved this pack from the rogue attacks ten years ago!" Evander snarled. "Smokey, get this abomination off of my lands!"

Smokey gave a dark look to Evander. "The code, Alpha. Not even you can sway me from seeing it through."

The alpha snarled, turning on Jerod. "And you, what unholy wretch did you summon here, warlock?"

"Me?" Jerod asked casually. "Nothing any worse than what you've brought to these lands. In a sense." He looked up at the dragon, giving him a nod.

"What does that mean, warlock?" Amelia snapped.

Jerod, who had all of the attention until now, pointed our way. "I'm here to help this one level the playing field. You have a claim, don't you?"

Around Dom settled the other wolves who had followed him. Nathan, Anna, and many more that I didn't know. I was so consumed by Dom's return that I hadn't noted who'd come with him.

"You said he was dead, Alpha," one wolf in the crowd remarked.

Several growls of agreement rippled through the field.

"Don't question the alpha," a timid female said, but the glares from those around her silenced any further thoughts.

"He . . . Dominic!" Evander screamed. "How did you survive? I saw you being attacked with my own eyes."

Dom shifted, and I let my arms fall away from him as he stood and glared at Evander with fire in his yellow eyes.

"I survived all right, and I brought back more proof that you are unfit to lead this pack."

If anything, that caused the murmurs in the crowd to grow worse. From the back of the new batch of wolves, Naomi stepped forward.

"She knows," I whispered, looking from Naomi to Evander. Naomi knew what Evander was doing in that house, and now she'd had days of clarity away from that terrible smoke. Naomi's word in this pack meant a lot, but would they be enough to reveal Evander's darker deeds?

"Naomi?" Evander asked in disbelief.

"Evander," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't know how, but you have something to do with the rogue attacks."

Nathan tightened his hold around Naomi as she leaned into him.

"A wild accusation," Evander spat. "Dom, I'm disappointed. Is this all your proof that I am an unfit leader? A bitter plot against me in your father's memory, perhaps? I'm ashamed to have thought you smarter than this."

"Oh, don't you worry about proof." Jerod pulled the spotlight back to himself. "Ryker, would you please take a shape with hands please? I need you to hold something for me in a minute."

The dragon shifted, a human form appearing as his massive body receded into . . . well, still a massive body for a human shape, really. His glowing silver eyes remained, as did a large pair of wings on his back.

"What is this, Jerod?" Dani asked.

"Ah, I need a spot of blood, my dear. And if Ryker could hold something for me, that would be great," he said.

"Enough!" Evander had recovered and was standing like he was about to shift. "Get off of my lands, now!"

Ryker laughed, a dark rumble that was the first sound he'd made echoed across the fields as he stared down Evander. "No."

A chill ran down my back. "He's on our side, right?"

Dom pulled me tight against him with one arm. "I believe so. Or at least, his mate Dani is on Jerod's side."

"Hold on there, Evander," Jerod said. "Smokey, you know a lot about this wolf code nonsense, correct?"

Smokey spat on the ground, then nodded. "You had a piece to speak about Evander hurting this pack. That's to code, you have the right."

"I have a testimony accusing an alpha of dark magic that directly harmed pack members. So I would be allowed to speak here tonight?"

"Yes," Smokey answered. "By the code."

"This is ridiculous!" Evander spat.

Jerod held up a hand, glee plain on his face. "Now, now, let me finish. I promise to be quick. Evander, I accuse you of summoning demonic souls and low-level necromantic sorcery."

The crowd gasped, and I clutched my chest. "The smoke!"

Dom frowned down at me. "Smoke?"

"He, yeah, he was doing something to me. And to Naomi. He has one of those candles, only it's way more potent than the ones in the village. He kept me in a room with smoke from it, my head was in a fog and I couldn't link with anyone."

Dom gritted his teeth. "That's how he kept Naomi under his control and she unable to link with us."

"Preposterous," Evander spat.

"Is it?" Jerod asked. "These so-called rogues of yours, they aren't right. There's something off about them, and it takes a warlock to see it, because it's our magic. Those rogues aren't just stray and sick wolves, they are dead and dying wolves that you've found and stuffed with demonic energies."

Murmurs of agreement. Those rogues were not right, and any wolf who'd fought them knew it. Evander laughed a dark sound. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. What proof could you possibly have, warlock?"

"I thought you'd never ask," he said, gesturing toward Evander with one hand and pulling out a small bone from his pocket, snapping it with his thumb. "Revelare!"

Evander jerked back, his wide eyes falling to his arm just about where a warlock's mark should be. He hissed, covering the skin with his other hand, smoke billowing from between his fingers. His cry of pain was the only sound in the silent field, but every pair of yellow eyes in the area was trained on him. Panting, Evander fell to a knee as the smoke subsided. Looking down at his own arm, he took in a freshly scarred mark that looked strikingly similar to one Jerod had. Evander's mark revealed his rank in the fifth circle.

"What is the meaning of this?" Smokey asked quietly.

"Can't you tell?" Jerod asked, giddy. "Your beloved yet corrupt alpha is a warlock. Or at least he was, and then he must have been bitten."

Evander roared, charging in fury. Ryker stepped in, just catching him and pushing him back.

"You!" Evander spat. "How dare you? That a measly first circle warlock could even recognize me, let alone reveal my marks! How?"

Dani laughed. "You think Jerod is a warlock of the first circle?"

"Oh, my fault there, Dani." Jerod showed the mark on his own arm. "Do you mean my mark, Evander? I do have an unfortunate tendency to break rules in my coven, and their preferred punishment is to demote me for a while. This is nothing more than a reminder of the last time I disappointed them."

Dani shook her head, amused. "I don't know who you are, wolf. But you stand before a warlock of the ninth order, and the only asshole I know who's ever summoned a behemoth by himself."

Evander's face paled, adding an eerie effect. "That's impossible."

Dani snorted. "Tell that to Seattle."

"Let me ask one question to the wolves of Moonpeak!" Jerod shouted, reveling in the attention of his grand reveal. "Who here has been influenced in a strange way by Evander? Can none of you recall a moment where you could not think straight around him?"

Me, I absolutely could and would speak out against what I now knew was magic used against my will. I stepped forward from Dom's side. "I have! In the pack house, for the last few days. If any of you thought I wasn't acting myself, it's because I wasn't."

Evander snarled.

Naomi stepped forward, her eyes meeting mine before staring down Evander. "I have as well."

Naomi's confession held a lot more weight than mine did—she'd been here for the entire time. But the wolves around us were now turning angry. Some shifting, some stepping closer to Evander. Dom looked close to shifting, fury in his eyes. Amelia was alight with a partial shift.

"Whelp, it's about time to level this playing field, isn't it?" Jerod asked. "Dani, my dear, I need a dash of blood. And, Ryker, could you be a peach and hold something for me? It's a touch heavy."

"Sure thing," Dani said.

"I suppose," Ryker answered. "Is this all you called us here for?"

"Oh, I promise I need you to be the one to hold it," Jerod told him. "Dani, the blood?"

Jerod was looking around on the ground for something as Dani followed him.

"A-ha, right here then." He gestured to a spot on the ground. "If you would, please."

Dani sighed, pulling out a small knife from her pocket and cutting into her hand. She spilled a few drops of blood onto the ground and Jerod leaned down to press his hand over it.

"Summonitores . . . Befvelzetah!" Jerod commanded.

A pillar of red light erupted from the ground, shooting toward the sky. But it wasn't the only one, as four other identical pillars shot up from the locations we'd hidden the things from Jerod's instructions.

"Those places—"

"I know," Dom murmured. "It looks like our warlock has been plotting this for a while."

"A heads-up would have been nice," I said.

The five points around the village glowed. A shaking in the ground sent alarm through me, and I reached out to hold Dom's arm.

"What is this?" Ryker frowned.

"Whoops, better hold out your hands," Jerod told Ryker. "He's going to dump his burden for you to hold while he works. Just a pesky curse, don't fret too much over it, but don't let it touch the ground or we will all end up in his realm, and I can promise you we don't want that."

"What?" Ryker barely asked when a flash of black vapors blazed across the field to him. Suddenly, Ryker's arms were full of a shadow of some kind, a ball of shapeless energy.

Ryker, on the other hand, hissed out a curse, and it looked as though he was putting everything he had into holding the thing up.

"Argh!" Evander cried. "What are you doing to me?" He had wretched onto the ground in pain, his body sizzling.

"My acquaintance is creating an antimagic field," Jerod told Evander. "I'm afraid whatever you were before you were bitten isn't going to help you anymore. Not here, at any rate. You've done this pack wrong, and now you'll have to face them as nothing more than the wolf you were bitten to be."

Dom stepped forward, his hands growing claws, his fangs sharpening. "Evander of Moonpeak . . ."

"No!" Evander screamed.

Dom continued walking forward and shifting bit by bit, Amelia a few steps behind, a hunger in her eyes. "The moon rises on this pack, and I find your rule lacking."

"NO!" Evander was now writhing on the ground, shaking off his sudden loss of magic and scrambling to shift himself.

"For the reasons of magical influence inflicted on this pack in bad health, I challenge you for your seat," Dom said, and finished his shift into one big and pissed-off wolf.

"So be it!" Evander snarled.

And the fight for Moonpeak began.