Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

" J arl," I croak.

"He's gone, princess. Can you open your eyes?"

I lift my heavy lids. Evasive light shone in my eyes. I groan. "It's bright," I rasp.

"Her pupils are responding now."

Why does Kirk sound relieved?

"What?" I smack my dry lips together.

"You went into a coma." Cadoc's voice comes from nearby.

"My brother?"

"Looked much the same as you." Fell squeezes my hand. "There was a huge power backlash."

"What did he do?" Kirk's intense doctor's tone frightens me.

"Mixed our blood." I cautiously wiffle my toes. No pain. I relax. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days. It's been hell keeping everyone out of here." Kirk presses two fingers on my carotid artery. "Sounds good." He lowers his hand.

"Maybe that's why I feel well rested?"

Eyes adjusted to the dim lighting; I take in the four men around my bed.

"My aunt Gerda?"

"Slipped away in the mayhem," Fell answers apologetically.

"The backlash shut all the fighting down. People retreated to regroup." Bo runs his thumb over my forehead, smoothing out the crease.

"Can I have water?" I rasp.

"A few sips," Kirk agrees.

Cadoc returns with a bottle of water with a straw. He holds it to me, and I sip. The cool liquid lubricates my throat.

"What's the fallout?"

"Wards had to be reset. I recommended Cal." Bo grins.

"So we have a back door in and out?" I guess.

"Damn straight." Cadoc chuckles.

"And Alpha?"

Fell snorts. "Doing a PR spin worthy of a celebrity comeback campaign."

"Bastard." I scowl.

"People didn't miss the way things happened under his nose. Your aunt and her cronies, plus Jarl, has people talking," Bo assures me.

"About damn time." I mumble.

"We need to talk about your uncle," Kirk says.

"Why? Was he a witch too?"

Fell laughs. "No, when your aunt left, his spell broke."

"Say what now? All this time she was the damn master of puppets?" I whisper.

"Seems like it." Cadoc places his hand on my leg.

He was a prisoner, just as much as I was. Maybe when we were alone together, the man I glimpsed was the real him. "Is he okay?"

Kirk frowns. "That's still debatable. Right now, he's confused, and processing."

"But he could be a potential treasure trove of information. There's no telling what he saw or heard over the years." Bo toys with strands of my hair.

"Alpha knows this. He wants him badly." Fell runs his thumb over my hand.

"I've told him he's under evaluation, drifting in and out of consciousness." Kirk smiles mischievously.

"Where are we?" I clear my throat.

"Our house." Cadoc sinks onto the end of my bed by my feet. After nearly two weeks on the road the soft mattress is a piece of heaven.

"He's in one of the spare rooms downstairs."

"Has he said anything of interest?" Curiosity peaked; I look at Kirk.

Kirk shakes his head. "No, he's still in shock. He's a bit like a ghost going through the motions of living."

"We need to get him to Sanctuary," Bo suggests.

"Agreed. I don't think any of us are safe around here."

"I think the Alpha hopes you don't wake up," Kirk admits.

"People saw who was out there fighting and who wasn't," Cadoc says sternly.

"We also have another problem," Fell says slowly.

"What?" I turn my head to face them, propped up on the pillows as I digest everything that's happened.

"Look at the amulet." Cadoc gestures toward my chest.

I reach into the white t-shirt, pull out the necklace and gasp. Half of it's black.

"It can't be broken, can it?" Hands trembling, I look at them.

Fell winces. "I'm still not sure what it actually does." He lowers the railing on the side of my bed and sinks onto the edge.

"We'd better figure it out quick. Shit." I close my eyes.

My heart rate kicks up. The monitor beeps wildly.

"Hey breathe." Kirk cups my shin.

"How did you even get this equipment?" I ask, realizing I'm in a high-tech mini trauma unit. Expensive machines are places on either side of the hospital bed, monitoring my vitals.

"It's amazing what being head of a powerful family can get accomplished," Bo shoves his hands into his pockets.

I blink slowly. "So that wasn't a fever dream?"

"No. I Finally beat my old man at his own game."

"Did we ever figure out what the hell they were talking about?" I remember their strange words.

They exchange looks. "Guys?"

"I ordered him to talk. Alpha's sent out some suggestions to powerful people."

"Are you telling me the asshole put a fucking hit out on me?" I sputter.

"He wants you disgraced and discounted, not dead," Cadoc says reassuringly.

"Oh, well, that's much better." Sarcasm drips off my tongue.

Bo bends down and kisses my forehead. "I have my men working on it."

"So I'm a sitting duck here?"

"We have carefully vetted pack members patrolling," Cadoc says.

I frown.

"You gained supporters," Fell explains.

"At least something positive happened." Deflated, I sigh.

"Jarl is alive." Pain explodes in my heart. "And he's horrid."

"They put him through a hell," Kirk reminds me.

"Doesn't excuse it." I grip the sheets tight.

"Where do you stand on facing him again?" Bo asks cautiously.

"It's inevitable, isn't it?" I wipe away my tears.

"That's not an answer." Fell tucks my hair behind my ear.

"I don't want to do it. But I will." I grit my teeth.

They share a doubtful look.

"Haven't I proved myself?" I ask bitterly.

"We're more worried about what it'll cost you," Cadoc admits.

"He made his choice. I have to do the same." I squirm. "Can I sit up?"

"Of course." They work tougher, getting me propped up against pillows.

"What did he say to you?" Fell asks.

"You couldn't hear him?"

"No, when he spoke to you, the words were distorted."

"We have elf blood. That's the family secret. The reason we can heal and why he looks the way he does in half form. They must've tapped into it in the lab and activated it or something." I try not to think too hard on the how.

"That's not like any elf I've ever heard of," Bo protests.

"Remember, some scholars thought dark elves might be dwarves? Looks like they were right," I respond joylessly.

"Why don't you look like that?" Fell stares.

"Well, my blood hasn't been activated."

The men look guilty.

I remember the ceremony he'd done. Oh God. What have you done, Jarl?

I narrow my eyes. "What are you hiding?"

"Bring her a mirror." Cadoc's voice is subdued and worried.

"Am I scarred from the fire?" I inhale, preparing myself. It can't compare to my previously healed damage.

Fell walks over with a hand mirror. I raise it and still. My hair's gone white. I turn my head to the left and right. I lean in, shocked by the curved points of my ears.

"Fenrir's Chains! I'm a fucking elf." Is that my shrill, melodic tone?

Cringing, I lean back from the offending, reflective surface. Dropping the mirror to the bed, I fling back the bedding. The peaches and cream skin tone has a dewy glow. I touch my plump pink lips.

"When did this happen?"

"Gradually, while you were sleeping." Kirk rubs the back of his neck.

"This makes no sense. Why does Jarl look the way he does if I'm like this?" I wave my hands at my body.

Kirk frowns. "We don't know what's experiment results or natural."

"And you said yourself, there are two kinds of Norse elves. Light and dark." Fell tugs a strand of my hair.

"How the hell am I supposed to hide this?" I raise my arms.

"Braid hairstyles for the ears, or your hair down over them," Bo suggests.

"The rest we can chalk up to being a byproduct of the amulet." Cadoc nods toward my chest.

"What else is different?" My voice cracks.

"We won't know yet." Kirk removes me from my monitors.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed. Fell and Bo offer their hands, helping me stand. Upright and focused, I'm startled by the complex energies and natural connections I never noticed before.

"We need to water the garden more. It's thirsty." I frown.

"This is a whole new level of plant, mom."

A very distant awareness tells me there are others like me on our plane. A greater being tries to connect. Terrified, I pull back from the powerful energy.

"You, okay?" Kirk places a hand on the small of my back.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to process."

"You look scared." Fell's brow wrinkles.

"The veils between worlds are thinner to me now. It was surprising."

"Wait. You feel them? The elves?" Bo stares.

"I felt something. I'm not tapping into it again, so don't ask."

"Noted." Bo raises his hand.

"Despite the sleeping beauty routine, I feel refreshed." I walk around the room.

"You look like you're floating," Cadoc marvels.

"What?" I ask with a laugh.

"You're going to have a hard time flying under the radar now." Fell whistles.

"I hate this."

"I know you do, brat." Cadoc gives me a side hug.

The doorbell rings, and we all pause.

"Back in the bed, look sickly," Kirk orders.

"I'll answer it." Cadoc strolls from the room quickly.

"They've been visiting him off and on since we arrived." Bo smirks.

"Who? Why?"

"Pack members. They're asking him for advice, offering to help, and checking in on you." Bo boops my nose.

"Did I wake up in an alternate dimension?"

My mates laugh.

"You're a hero now, Ylva." Fell pulls the covers back for me.

I climb under, going over what I know. We've positioned ourselves favorably.

"I don't think we can hold the Alpha off much longer. We have to make our move soon."

Kirk sinks into the chair beside my bed.

"To get where?" Bo lifts his eyebrow.

"Sanctuary."

"To check on your people." Fell asks.

"Partially. It's the perfect place to regroup without eyes on us." Kirk shrugs.

"Gray knew. He talked about those under the ground and above," I whisper.

"He has both. That's why his coloring is the way it is." Kirks' exuberance makes me giggle.

"Why would he talk about them coming to our realm?" Fell frowns.

"I supposed we'll have to ask him." I purse my lips.

" If he's lucid."

"Zeke's kept me up to date on his progress. His recovery has been slow, but steady. His body went through so much." Kirk's face is full of compassion.

"So, he's no longer rambling?" Bo's voice holds a challenge.

"I didn't say that." Kirk pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales.

"Cadoc needs us downstairs. Alphonse just arrived." Bo relays the information.

"Okay, I'll stay here and keep monitoring."

I wrinkle my nose at Kirk.

"Just to be on the safe side."

I feel the mood shift as Bo and Fell don their public personas. We're sinking deeper into dark waters, despite our wins.

"Fill me in, Kirk, and leave nothing out. I'm back and ready to help bring us out on top."

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" He looks at me skeptically.

"We've lost enough time as it is. Even now, the Alpha's people are circling and sniffing around our house."

Kirk nods. "Alright." Leaning back against the pillows, I soak everything in and plot.

Walking into the Alpha's house feels like entering a courthouse before a case. We're not sure of our reception or the end result. Dressed smartly in designer suits and expensive watches, my mates are mouthwatering. I match their style in a black dress, heels and pearls that screams boss bitch.

We came to play and be seen today. It was an out-of-body experience walking down main street, shaking hands, and accepting kind words of thanks. Gratitude wasn't an emotion I received among my pack.

That was the past.

Head held high; I scan the hallway, meeting curious glances. The battle unlocked a new confidence in me. I survived and fought for my people while they stood back and protected a man who'd sell us all down the river if it meant getting what he wanted. We still have yet to decipher his goal. Destroying your pack from within makes little sense. But he's shown the ends justify the means in his mind.

My heels click over the marble as we're led back to his office. I inhale sharply as we cross the threshold, remembering the way he'd drugged me the last time. Not this time.

"Good to see my star investments are doing well." He smiles, smug and arrogant, behind his desk.

Your concern is touching.

The enforcer, Alphonse stands quickly. "What you did was a great service to our people."

He can't even thank us himself. Bo's voice is full of incredulity.

Biting my cheek, I hold back my laughter.

"It's our honor to assist the pack in any way necessary." Cadoc bows.

The Alpha raises his eyebrows. He didn't miss the slight distinction between us and them. "It appears your clan is coming along nicely." Irritation drips from every word out of Alpha's mouth.

"Yes, you choose wisely." I grin.

"With your ascension interrupted, we planned something special for you at the fall equinox." The words feel more like a threat.

Fell bows. "I'm honored, Alpha." I think of the blackened corpse of the girl he'd tried to put in his place. How many had already died for this man?

"I'd like to know your plan." Alpha folds his fingers together in a triangle.

Frowning, I study his expectant expression. "What do you mean?"

" You have the amulet." He waves his hands toward us. "Now, what do you intend to do about the threats we face?"

"We are your tool to guide." Cadoc's nostrils flare slightly.

His pheromones spike, releasing a potent bergamot laden scent.

"You have a seer and the Keeper. People are looking to you for answers and guidance. You must know this."

He's trying to trip us up. Speak cautiously. Kirk warns.

"You are the leader. We are simply vessels for powers gifted to us." Fell bows, and we shift as he narrows his gaze.

"That's what you say here in my office. But I heard about your receiving line at the house." He sneers.

"People were worried about Ylva. We did what we could to reassure them and keep the peace you've been working to spread since the attack, Alpha." The silence in Bo's words isn't detectable verbally, but I can feel it.

"Do you think I'm blind? You've been waiting years for this." Alpha stares at Kirk.

"We had no way of knowing that Fell would be Volva." I shake my head.

His gaze settles on me. "You who speak to the gods? We're supposed to believe you're not picking what you share with the rest of us."

This is dangerous. Cadoc's voice is full and anger and worry.

"It's be a shame if that habit leads to disaster in the future."

"I guess it's a good thing that's not how it works since we're not prophets."

"What is it you are, exactly?" He tilts his head.

"Five wolves trying to figure out how to save the pack's future," Cadoc answers bluntly.

"If you want me to believe that, you'll need to prove yourselves." He presses his hands flat onto his desk. "To me and the others."

"I think we already did," Kirk's quiet reply packs a punch.

The Alpha widens his eyes and takes a quick breath. "We will reassure the people. They need to know who is in charge." His voice holds a challenge.

"Of course, Alpha."

"Now. They're gathering in the community space as we speak."

Because they wouldn't they be? Sarcasm coats Fell's words.

Alpha rises. His power creeps over my skin. I look down, playing the role of submissive.

Now isn't the time to buck his hold. It attacks swiftly, thrusting itself into my brain and twisting around my soul where my she-wolf lives.

I shove down the urge to fight and let the forced change happen. Racked with pain, my bones break, muscles twist, and hair sprouts. Jerky and unnatural, the shift is a punishment. I choke back the whimper that tries to break free and press my head to the ground.

"Good to see you back in line. Follow me."

We walk on four legs, holding back our rage as the Alpha struts in front of us. Chest puffed out, he greets everyone, displaying the control and dominance he has over us despite our new titles.

Shamed, I keep my eyes fixed on the floor. Hustled into the meeting room, we're on display in front of the pack at Alpha's feet. He lets his power sweep out over the pack. Shivering, they all change. It's a scene from a horror movie. I look away, unable to watch as he abuses his position.

"We are one pack, led by one wolf, who keeps us all safe from harm. The unfortunate events were a test we passed together. And we'll rebuild the same way. Rise, recommitted and reclaimed as mine."

He holds his hand up, forcing the change in reverse. Panting, I sway, steadying myself as I try to shake off the sensation of being on all fours. My brain is slow to shift and adapt.

The temperature drops. I turn to Fell and watch as his eyes white over. Invisible pins and needles run over my exposed skin. I rub my arms. The energy in the room continues to build. Shuffling anxiously, the crowd stares.

"Speak your words, Volva," Alpha commands.

The tower will fall, only one can remain

A new empire rises, in blood, ash and pain

Pick your side of the line, chose it well

Because I've seen what's coming, and it is hell

There's nowhere to hide or bargain to make

One will win while the other will break

"It's a prophecy." Whispers travel through the crowd.

"Tell me, Keeper. What do the words mean?" Alpha turns all eyes toward me.

Fell blinks, eyes clearing. Spent, he leans on Cadoc. I swallow, and peer out into the crowd full of expectant faces.

Throwing my head back, I howl. They answer the call, creating a chorus of celebration, loss, and hope. As the howl dies down, a ghost howl comes from outside. Static electricity dances along my body.

"Fenrir, the Great Wolf celebrates with us," the Alpha whips them into a frenzy.

I hate the way he twists everything for his benefit.

He meets my gaze. The lines tighten around Alpha's mouth. "After everything you've been through, you deserve rest. But we all expect answers soon."

Ignoring the threat embedded in his words, I shift on my own terms, and leap into the crowd with my guardians on my heels.

We need to unlock the mystery of the amulet and find a way to defeat my brother before the Alpha grows so impatient he makes a move. Under his watchful eye, we'll need a miracle to pull this off.