26. Kezia

It waslike something from a movie. A really big Hollywood blockbuster movie, where special effects took the budget over the quality of the acting. The moon’s light cast eerie shadows, illuminating the scene in front of us.

Wolves fought with tooth and claw against men and their weapons. I saw the glint of silver in some hands, but amidst the noise of fighting—snarls of rage, cries of pain—it all melded into the earsplitting sound of battle.

A cacophony of growls echoed in the air, accompanied by the desperate cries of humans and the metallic clash of weapons meeting fur.

Fueled by instinct, each movement was a swift and purposeful blur, figures clashing in a brutal struggle for dominance. They vanished and reappeared in the shadows, taking advantage of the moon’s intermittent cover. The air was thick with the scent of blood and damp fur, intensifying the savage atmosphere. I watched on in mounting horror as the primal instincts of the fighters took over, blurring the line between human and animal, and shifters fought fiercely in the sudden almost pitch-black darkness.

Reaching out, I took Cass’s hand. “Come on.”

We ran towards the fighting, while somewhere in the back of my head, a small voice was telling me to run back, away from it all, but I plowed onwards, Cass right beside me.

I pulled her to the side of a building, its musty scent filling the air as we hid in its shadows. I’d never seen it before, and judging by the look on her face, neither had she. We looked around wide-eyed as I tried to figure out who was who.

“What the fuck is this?” she whispered as she pressed close to me.

“Bale’s other pack,” I grunted, flattening against the wall.

“This is insanity,” Cass muttered. “How am I going to find Landon?”

How were we going to find anyone?

“We have a problem,” I murmured to her quickly.

“What?”

“I don’t know all of Cannon’s pack.”

“And?”

I winced. “I may not know who is who,” I confessed.

Cass cursed but I heard her take a deep breath. “Then we avoid them all. We just need to get to Landon.” She gripped my wrist. “Then find Kris. We’ll be okay when we get to Kris.” She said it almost like a prayer of hope.

I wasn’t convinced that this would be as straightforward as she believed. Seeing the battle, witnessing the savagery, I knew why Cannon didn’t want me near this.

This wasn’t a barn fight.

This was war.

It was so much more than I was expecting. I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t know how to fight like this, and my unease grew as I realized the mistake I’d made by coming here. Cannon was going to be so pissed, and he was right to be.

“You’re freaking out,” she accused me in the sudden darkness.

“You’re not?” I asked her incredulously.

“Yes, but the longer we stay here like freaked-out pups, the quicker we’ll be caught.”

She was right. I needed to pull it together. “Stick to the edges. I was in some kind of giant cabin-like compound thing. We find it. We may find…someone.”

Thankfully, Cass said nothing as we crept along the side of the building. We edged backward away from the fighting, and then we were once more in the rough grass.

“Stay low. No matter what you see, stick with me,” I instructed her.

“What if I see Landon?”

Rage raced through me. “If you see your brother fighting my pack?—”

“I get it, okay. Let’s just…let’s just get him.”

As the battle unfolded before me, the knot of fear tightened in my stomach. With a racing heart, I frantically tried not to look around the chaotic brawl, trying desperately not to seek out a familiar face. The thought of encountering a friend amidst the chaos sent shivers down my spine. The fear of seeing someone I cared for amid the battle frenzy made my heart pound and my palms sweat. The fighting raged on ahead of us, an unsettling landscape where the fate of my loved ones teetered on the edge, filling me with a constant worry that followed me with every step as I skirted the edge of the fight.

A body came flying through the night towards us, and I grabbed Cass, frantically pulling her out of the way. He landed with a thump and a sickening crunch, making us both wince. I almost didn’t want to, but I peeked to see if he was one of my pack. The relief I felt that he wasn’t almost knocked me over. He was the guy from the showers, and when Cass tugged on my hoodie to get me to move away from him, I went.

“There!” I pointed to the two-story building. “It’s there.”

Cass looked at me and the building. “We’re not getting in there.”

She was right. It was surrounded, the fighting heavier here, and my heart stopped when I spotted a familiar black wolf right in the middle of the fight.

“He’s not here,” Cass whispered.

I couldn’t take my eyes off my mate, fighting as his wolf, ripping through Bale’s pack as easily as a knife slices through paper. With an unstoppable momentum, Cannon cleaved through the enemy, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. On the battlefield, his movements displayed raw power, each action executed with precision and calculation. In the madness, he stood tall and unyielding, a formidable figure that demanded both respect and fear.

Holy Luna, my mate was phenomenal.

“Kezia.” Cass’s urgent hiss broke my trance. “We need to move.”

Nodding, I started to inch forward, but my gaze kept returning to Cannon. “Stop.” I yanked her to a halt. “This is stupid. We need to let them know we’re here. We’ll find Landon together.”

Cass pulled me down lower, crowding me. “Are you insane? Kris told me what Landon did. You think your mate will let him live?”

I blinked at her in surprise. “You think Cannon is the threat here?” I asked incredulously.

“Do you think he’ll save him?” she asked, tears falling rapidly. “Landon’s dead either way, whether it’s my father because he brought you here, exposing this”—she waved her hand frantically—“shitshow, or Cannon because Landon brought you here.”

I took a calming breath, which was really fucking hard when a battle raged around you. “He won’t harm him. He knows Landon could have been playing both sides.”

“Kezia!”

“Stop screeching,” I hissed. “Your brother may have played fast and loose with the truth, but I don’t believe he meant harm. Not a lot of harm.” She was glaring at me. “He was a douchebag, okay? But he wasn’t a murderous one,” I added grudgingly.

Cass peeked over my head. “Well, we can’t walk into that and say surprise.”

“We’re fucked.” Rubbing my temples, I shared a look with her. “Fine, we find your stupid twin.” Gnawing my cheek, I looked at her. “Any idea?”

“Kris and I were underground.”

I gaped at her. “You tell me this now?”

“I don’t know where we were, but we were in tunnels. I thought they may have them here.”

I was going to hit her. “How in the name of the Goddess am I going to find tunnels when there is a damn pack war on the ground?”

Cass bit her lip as she stared at me. “I didn’t think about that.”

“How you two got this far amazes me.”

We both jumped and a hard hand over each of our mouths stopped us from screaming. Leo glared at us, and I almost wept with relief that it was one of my pack who had found us.

“He’s going to go fucking insane when he sees you, you know that, right?” he told me bluntly, and I saw the hard anger in his eyes. “This is beyond irresponsible.” Leo pushed us both down into the grass. “Why are you here?” He let my mouth go. I noted that he kept a firm grip on Cass.

“Landon.”

Leo’s eyes widened in disbelief, but he said nothing. Looking at Cass, his scowl deepened. “Did she talk you into this, Kezia?”

“No. I was coming anyway.”

He looked undecided for a moment, and then his face was grim once more. “This is for your own good.”

I didn’t get the chance to ask what; the howl of rage had me shrinking into the ground, wishing it would open and swallow me.

It was moments, seconds really, but it felt like an eternity, fear filling me with dread before I felt him looming over me.

The black wolf was furious. It rolled off of him in waves, and I was too chickenshit to look up at him.

Kezia!

Wincing, I forced myself to lift my head.

Are you out of your mind?

I didn’t have an answer. I was beginning to think I was. His eyes were burning an electric blue, and I felt so incredibly small and foolish as I crouched at his feet.

I’m sorry.

Sorry isn’t good enough. Cannon turned from me, surveying the scene behind him. He turned back and looked at Leo, who nodded once.

“Come on, you two, let’s get you back.”

“No!” Cass was on her feet, bolting for the main building, not caring who saw her. I heard a howl I knew, and I knew my brother had spotted his mate, along with every other shifter in the vicinity.

“Fuck!” I went to run after her, but the black wolf knocked me off my feet.

Do not even think about it.

Cannon shifted to his human form, blending into the shadows between Leo and me, and he crouched low. ”Leo, get her out of here. I don’t care what she says. Gag her if you have to.”

“Alpha,” he said with a nod.

“Cannon!”

He turned to me, his eyes turquoise. “I will deal with you later.”

I was crying and I didn’t care. “I shouldn’t have left, I know. I realized the moment I got here. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry from you means nothing.” He looked at Leo. “Can you scent her?”

Leo looked surprised and then shook his head. “No…I can’t sense her at all. I found them because I just killed some fucker and was checking he was dead. I saw two shadows that didn’t look right and closed in on them, thinking they were the enemy.”

Cannon looked at me, and I answered quickly. “The shaman left a potion.”

“Take her.”

I reached for him, but he pulled away from me. “What about Cass?”

He looked at me with such coldness it was as if he was a stranger. “She has a mate. She’s his problem.”

My throat closed with fear. He wasn’t going to help them?

Cannon shifted. Leave now.

I watched as he bounded back to the fight, his attack more brutal, more savage. The pain in my chest was throbbing.

“Come on,” Leo murmured. “We stay here much longer, we’ll be exposed.”

“My chest,” I told him, clutching it.

“You fucked up,” Leo told me harshly. “The alpha’s angry. We can all feel it.” Gripping my bicep, he pulled me across the ground. “We stay low and we move fast.” He eyed me angrily. “Got it?” I nodded once. “You won’t give me any shit?” I shook my head, my throat too swollen with holding back tears. “Let’s move it.”

I followed Leo dutifully. I knew I’d fucked up. Cannon might never talk to me again, and I’d taken one of the pack’s prime fighters out of the fight. I didn’t lift my head, I didn’t turn to look at the melee, I just followed Leo’s lead.

We were hundreds of yards from the fight, almost clear completely, when I heard Cass scream.

My whole body whipped itself around, and I was running back to the fight, not hearing Leo’s savage curse or giving any thought to who could see me. Cass screamed again, and I shifted to my wolf.

I dashed into the fray, feeling the adrenaline surge through my veins. With each stride, a surge of determination pulsed through me, my shifter instincts heightening my physical capabilities, making me stronger and faster. Amidst the turmoil, the sharp odor of blood cut through the air, blending with the cries of my comrades and foes, only fortifying my resolve. My focus zeroed in on the sole objective: to get to Cass.

I felt others reach for me, but I was too swift, too evasive. I deftly navigated the battlefield with astonishing ease, skillfully evading any attacks that came my way.

I saw her ahead, in the doorway of the compound, on her knees with her father’s hand wrapped in her hair, holding her in place. Keeping her down. Beside her lay the unmoving body of her twin. Bale didn’t see me, his focus to his left, and when I looked, I saw the body of a broken tawny wolf.

No.

With a thunderous roar that echoed through the air, I sprang at Bale, unleashing my sharpened claws. I bared my teeth as I went for his neck. He turned just as I landed on him, jerking his head back, my fangs narrowly missing his neck. With a loud thump, we landed in a heap on the unforgiving ground, our bodies tangled together. I lunged for his throat, my claws tearing through his flesh with a sickening sound. As he shifted, the brute strength of the pack leader knocked me back.

Shaking my head, I got to my feet. We circled each other warily. Every movement was measured, every step calculated, as we assessed each other’s strength and determination. As we crouched in anticipation, our muscles coiled tightly like springs, every heartbeat seemed to resonate with the ancient, instinctual rhythm of the hunt.

Bale leaped forward first, and I surged to meet him. Claws dug into my side, and I bit into his shoulder, tearing at his fur. His hind leg dragged down my belly, slicing me open, and I yelped in pain. Agony ripped through me, but I refused to yield, my resolve unbroken even as my blood spilled freely. With a roar of rage, I fought back, driven by an unwavering determination to protect myself from his relentless attack. I fought on despite the overwhelming pain, refusing to let him get the best of me. Not again.

Bale’s teeth circled my throat, and he flung me aside, and I went crashing to the ground. He stood over me, saliva dripping from his fangs. I tried to push myself to my feet when the black wolf soared over me, knocking Bale off of me.

Cannon.

The black wolf pinned Bale to the ground, and in one sudden violent move, he ripped the pack leader’s throat open. Turning to look at me, Cannon had blood dripping from his mouth, and I fell back as all my pain came rushing back into my awareness.

Cannon rushed to me, shifting mid-run and landing on his knees at my side. “Kezia, you need to shift. You need to shift and shift again. Right now, Kezia.” He reached out to touch me, hand pulling back as if he was scared to touch my fur. “Shift now, Kezia.”

I felt the alpha’s Will and I screamed as the shift forced my human body to endure the immense pain.

Shift.

I did, with his help. My wolf was panting, my heart racing.

Again.

I was sobbing so hard I could hardly breathe. Blood poured from my human body faster than it should have.

SHIFT.

His Will once more surrounded me, and I was my wolf again. His hands were in my fur, his forehead against mine. “One more time, sweetheart, one more time,” he pleaded.

I shook my head and he gripped my fur tighter.

Shift.

The pain didn’t ease. It was still so much…so much. My fingers dug into the ground as I tried to crawl away from the intense agony.

“Shift again.” Cannon looked away from me for a moment. “Bring him,” he barked.

As my wolf, I tried to get closer to my alpha. A tight hold on my neck, he held me back. “Not yet, I need you to shift one more time.”

I could feel the healing power of Luna as I lay on the ground, but there was so much pain. It had lessened some, but not as much as it should have.

I shifted once more to my human form, the fight to shift taking more of my strength. I knew I was still bleeding. I was burning.

“She’s still bleeding,” he said to someone close by. “Why is she still bleeding?”

Someone stood close to us, the echoes of the fighting distant but still around us. “Cannon, his claws, they’re tipped with silver.”

I heard Cannon’s roar and I closed my eyes. I could feel it within me, and I knew I was too weak to resist it this time. I’d lost too much blood. The wounds were too deep.

“Kezia, sweetheart, shift for me.”

And I couldn’t. I knew I’d had my last shift. Opening my eyes, I met his green ones. They were almost glowing in the darkness.

“Hey,” I whispered. “Did we kill him?” Warmth trickled down my chin, and I knew it was blood.

“Don’t speak.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Someone pressed into my side, and with effort, I turned my head and saw my brother. He was bloody and looked wrecked, but he was alive.

“Hey.”

As Kris reached out to stroke my hair back, I could feel him recoil at the touch of my bloodied hair. ”You’re so grounded,” he muttered.

“I’m—” I coughed and it sounded wet. “I’m mated now.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

He looked over my prone body to Cannon. “We need to combine our Wills.”

“Wha—” My eyes closed. I was so tired. Peaceful darkness tugged at me.

“Stay with me, Kezia,” Cannon ordered, and my eyes snapped open.

If we combine our Wills, we can force the shift.

Who was talking?

Show me.

Thatwas my alpha, I’d recognize that bossy tone anywhere.

Pressure surrounded me. Forcing me into a hole I couldn’t squeeze into. Pain that had numbed me erupted anew, pouring through my veins like molten lava.

I screamed in agony, my back arching off the ground, as suffocating weight pressed all around me, and then there was nothing.