Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

W e pass through the wards on pack land and I exhale. This is the moment we've been working toward. The amulet rests between my breasts. I wait for it to give some inclining about how it should be used. So far, it's been little more than an ornament.

Parking haphazardly by the community building, we pile out of the car.

"Are you ready to break up the celebration?" Bo asks, grinning savagely.

I press my hand over the broach, gifted from my family and the amulet on my chest.

"Let's."

"I want everyone to keep their eyes open." Caodoc directs as we walk pass the building toward the woods.

"Yes, Captain, my captain." I salute him.

"Watch that mouth, brat." Cadoc points at me.

Kirk snickers. "Into the woods we go once more. Hopefully this time goes better than the previous one."

Silent we all remember the forced mating directive that placed us together in the first place as we continue down the path, through the tall oaks.

Magic fills the air. It sizzles, making the air thick as we approach the forest. Ethereal and powerful, the sound of women singing raises the vibrations of the area. I sense the land spirit's joy as we approach the lake. Flowers bloom, leaves grow lush, and waves of pure happiness flow from the trees.

Haunting and melodious, the song guides us to the ceremonial space. Gathered in a circle around Bodil, the elder females with magic resemble angels in flowing white gowns.

"Sorry we're late. We were trapped in a cave." Bo yells over the music.

Heads turn and the singing halts.

Alpha sneers. He opens his mouth and I hold up the amulet. His jaw snaps shut and whispers travel through the crowd.

"We're glad you're safe and victorious. Hail Odin."

"Hail." The others cheer, raising a fist in victory.

"You're just in time to see the new Volva take her place before we say goodbye to her successor."

I shake my head. "I don't think so."

"This is not your jurisdiction, Keeper." Alpha growls.

"No, but it is mine." Fell steps forward.

"This is out of the realms of book history keeper," a man in the crowd shouts.

Fell's eyes white over. The pack scrambles back.

"A male Volva?"

"Blasphemy."

People shout their opinions. Restless and confused, the crowd jostled each other.

"Fell," his mother calls out. He flinches briefly, ignoring her otherwise. They've come down to see him return.

"That's an embarrassment," the Alpha's voice silences everyone.

"This is a woman's position. What magic have you used?" Alpha points at me.

"None, Alpha." Fell's voice is two in one. A cloud covers the moon. The area dims. Heat lighting streaks across the sky.

"Impossible," Alpha whispers.

"The time for change has arrived," Fell states.

"How dare you?" Alpha sneers.

"Do you think yourself above the gods?" Fell inclines his head.

Lighting forms in the shape of two ravens before it crashes down into the river.

"Odin?" Alpha's eyes bulge and his mouth forms an oh.

Fell snaps his fingers. The boat housing the previous Volva goes up in flames. The rope tethering it to the dock burns through, releasing her.

A ring of fire circles the false Volva. Blood drains from her round face. She looks to the Alpha, who's gone silent. The perimeter shrinks, closing in around her. Men and women fall to their knees, praying to Odin.

"Alpha, help her, please."

Anger flashes in his blue eyes. He holds his arms up.

"The gods are among us once more. We've gained their favor. We welcome in this new era with our first male Volva."

The flames extinguish and Fell walks through the crowd. People stumble away, tripping over themselves to clear a path. He enters the circle, and the false Volva rushes out. The women encircle him.

Their singing begins anew. Flames on the funeral pyre shoot into the sky. Fell's wrapped in white light. Wind picks up around us. The women's long hair flies out around them as they too glow.

They look like Valkyries coming onto the battlefield, fierce and otherworldly. Their song reverberates through the land beneath our feet. The positive feelings of pack community returns.

My heart sings as we watch Fell take his place. The choir stops and they part. Fell strolls forward, with a sobering power that can't be denied.

"His connection with the ancestors is strong," an elder behind me says.

"The gods have blessed us." The Alpha's words sound false to my ears. Everyone else eats it up.

Cheering, they praise the Alpha.

He keeps spinning things in his favor. Kirk's angry voice comes through the link.

Time to shake things up. Fell's amusement confuses me.

"We have liars among us." Fell's words end the celebrating.

The Alpha tenses.

"There's deception hidden well."

Everyone turns away from the Alpha to face Fell.

"Gerda cast a spell on me. But it's been broken. She's a witch."

"That's impossible," the Alpha scoffs.

"Magic can't be done behind the wards without Alpha's approval," a woman cries.

The shock on Alpha's face appears real, but we know how well he acts.

"Come forth for judgement. Gerda," Alpha demands.

She walks up, head held high. My uncle watches in a stupor. I almost feel sorry for him.

"You stand accused of magic use."

Her eyes glow, shining like a blue diamond. "My time here is finished. Curse the Thostenson pack, and the Ekildson blood line." A wicked smile lines her lips. She opens her arms.

"May the great wolf rise and end the gods' interference." Her hair tumbles free, turning black. Power explodes outward. Bo knocks me to the ground. A sickly green light flies over our heads. Pack members race away from the scene. Other women shift around us, revealing their true natures.

"Coven!" Cadoc yells. He shifts into wolf form, jumping on a tall, purple-haired witch. His teeth sink into her shoulder. She screams, blasting him with a colorful burst of power. Ripped free, he lands on his feet. Kirk and Bo stand in front of and behind me.

I pull the axes from my sling. The runes etched on the blade glow. This is new. A streak of violet bounces off the metal. It's warded.

Two witches rush toward us. One engages Bo, who dodges her fists. The other darts toward Kirk. He swings his blade and one jumps back. Balance off, she sends a bolt of energy. It knocks him in the shoulder, forcing him back.

I swing my ax. The blade sparks, hitting an invisible shield. She turns to me and spits. Her saliva burns my face. I swipe it away with my sleeve. Eyes watering, I'm taken to the ground. I look up into the hate-filled eyes of my aunt. She wraps her hands around my neck. Choking, I try to push her off. She feels like she weighs a ton. Seeing her hate fully manifest after all this time steels my breath and breaks the small chain that tethered me to my past.

Light-headed from the lack of air, I feel my energy waning.

"I waited years for this moment. You'll be the last Keeper." She slams my head against the ground. "We'll be free of the gods and their meddlesome rule soon."

"No." I mouth the word. I extend my claws, digging them into her wrists, and slicing through tendon and muscles. They fall away, useless. I use my remaining strength to roll us over. I pat the grass. Finding the wooden handle, I grip it tight and bring it up above my head.

A massive explosion blows me back. Ears ringing, I moan as my body protests movement. Forcing myself into a sitting position, I lift my head.

"The wards are down." It wasn't a physical bomb, but a magical one. My aunt is now crouched three yards away, ready to come at me again. I hold the ax blade out and slowly gain my feet.

She grins maliciously. Her fingernails become long spindly black talons. Clacking them together like chopsticks, she runs at me. Like a batter, waiting for the right ball, I hold my ground. Swinging, I jerk to the side.

Her nails nick me, but my blade burns her flesh as it sinks into her chest. Blood spurts from the gash. She screams. With a swift kick to her gut, I pull the blade free. Hand to the wound, she glares and tries to heal herself. Lifted off my feet, I flail in the air. I slam to the ground.

Bo appears in front of me in wolf form.

You okay? Bo asks.

Yes.

He guards me while I gain my footing.

"Out of the way, son." His parents appear in front of us.

"She's worth more dead than alive now," his mother explains.

Bo snarls. The deep guttural sound is a nasty warning.

"You'd choose her over us?" his father flares. "Step away. Now." He issues a strong alpha command.

Breathing hard, I watch Bo. He freezes. Parental bonds heighten an alpha's ability to control a less powerful wolf.

Stomach twisting, I ready myself to fight off an attack from both of them.

Bo snaps his jaws, shaking off his father's thrall.

Furious, his father shifts into a sleek brown and gray wolf and charges. Bo meets force with force. They clash. His mother shifts. I bash her in the head with the blunt end of my sword. Evil or not, I don't want to be responsible for offing my mother-in-law.

I seek Bo out in the Chaos. Jaw clamped on his father's jugular, he looms over the limp wolf, who cedes his power.

Holy shit. Bo is now the head of Jensen family.

"It's Ragnarok." The screamed statement draws my attention to the distance where a massive black clouds roll toward us. Smoky, the only visible features are red eyes.

The burned man. Bo drops his father. My mates gather around me, returning to their human forms. The smoke stops a few yards away. People in black robes take shape.

"You stole what's mine." The burned man removes his mask, revealing his grotesque face. He points at me. "I will give you a chance to make it right, Ylva. Family should stick together."

What?

"Sister. Do you truly not recognize me?" He shifts his eyes from red on black to his natural blue.

"Jarl?" My lower lip trembles as the pieces of the puzzle snap into place.

He nods. I drop to my knees. He holds out his hand. "We can rule together. There's no need to be on opposite sides."

This is what Alpha made him. I glance over to find the pale-face coward surrounded by his pack enforcers.

"Why did you fight me?" It's hard to speak around the lump in my throat.

"I had to be sure he hadn't brainwashed you, too." His face fills with regret. "I'm sorry about that. You know what happened to me now?"

I nod. "I am so sorry." Tears blur my vision, burning my eyes and twisting me up inside. Relief, grief, and anger form a tornado inside my heart.

"I wanted you to be safe. That's why I stayed away until I knew you'd be put into play. Have you figured out our secret yet?"

I shake my head, unable to speak.

"We have elf blood. That's what everyone is willing to—" An enforcer charges. Jarl tosses him aside like a rag doll. What had they added to my brother's genetic make-up?

"Are you on my side or theirs?" Jarl demands.

"It's not that simple."

His lips thin. "I don't want to hurt you?"

"But you will." I sob.

"The amulet decided who controls everything."

His words jump start me into action. I rise. "And you think you should be in control?"

"I'm owed this. I'd bleed a million times over for the right." His eyes bleed back to red on black, and I lose my tenuous connection with the sibling I knew.

I drop my head. Tears pour down my face, and my heart breaks all over again. He was back and gone in a span of minutes.

"I can't," I choke.

"I thought you'd be stubborn." He frowns. "Girls."

The four fierce female warriors appear behind him. They're his mates! He's formed his own clan in an attempt to retrieve the amulet, but it hadn't worked. I can sense their bond from here.

"Fenrir decided."

"Where is he now, sister?"

The women and my mates remain locked in battle as he comes for me. I dodge his hands.

"You can't win. I've trained for this since I escaped."

I duck and twist his hand, forcing it away from my body.

He chuckles. "Your fast, just like when we were kids."

"Bring her to me," the Alpha screams the command. Enforcers flood toward us like a football team. Streaming toward him, they force him back. One lifts me up and tosses me over his shoulder.

"Don't touch my sister." His voice turns guttural. He shifts from the beast from the tunnels. It's the elf blood that makes his form different.

Awed and horrified, I watch him fight his way to me.

The ground erupts beneath my kidnapper's feet, sending us flying. I hit the ground, rolling. Magical fire licks at my pants. Screaming as my flesh burns. I'm thrown back into the house fire. I lose the ability to think.

A cool blanket settles over me. Eyelids fluttering open, I stare up at Jarl.

"You're going to be okay." We're surrounded by a bubble of magic, blocked from everyone else.

"I can't let you have the amulet, Jarl." Is that my apologetic tone?

"We'll see how you feel once your eyes are open." He lifts his bleeding palm and drips the blood into one of my wounds.

Blood of my blood

See through the veil.

Receive your birthright

Without fail.

Heat washes over my body. He reaches out to grab the amulet and screams. His hands smokes and sizzles. Waving it, he roars. My body shakes. A bright light pours from my chest, destroying the sphere surrounding us. It throws him back. I hear my mates calling my name before the darkness steals me away.