Page 93

The Stone brothers weren’t just fighting—they were putting on a master class in wolf combat. It was like watching a choreographed dance of violence, each brother perfectly in sync with the others, covering weaknesses, creating openings, moving as one devastating unit.

Blood stained the moss around the stone circle, and I realized with a jolt of satisfaction that most of it belonged to the Knox Pack. One by one, their wolves fell—some limping away in submission, others lying motionless but breathing. Through it all, my mates remained in perfect formation, protecting each other with a level of coordination that seemed almost supernatural even in this gathering of the supernatural.

“It’s beautiful,” Liam commented, his voice holding genuine admiration. “I’ve never seen three alphas coordinate so perfectly.”

“It’s not just coordination,” James added, his fighter’s eye clearly appreciating the technical aspects of the combat. “It’s trust. Complete, absolute trust.”

Even Xander looked impressed, his cold eyes tracking the battle with analytical precision. “Remarkable,” he murmured. “Perhaps we underestimated them.”

I wanted to snark backYou think?but being stuck as a tiny wolf severely limited my ability to deliver cutting remarks. Instead, I settled for watching with growing pride as my mates systematically dismantled the Knox Pack.

Within minutes, the outcome became clear. The Knox Pack was decimated, with more than half their number lying injured around the stone circle and the rest backing away, heads lowered in submission. Only Alpha Knox himself continued to fight, though he was clearly outmatched against three virtually uninjured alphas.

Marcus stalked toward him, his massive black form radiating lethal intent. Knox tried to stand his ground, but fear had replaced the arrogance in his eyes. When Marcus lunged, Knox finally broke, dropping to his belly in the universal wolf gesture of surrender.

Shadow, Storm, and Scout pranced, their tails high and bodies vibrating with excitement as they watched their masters’ victory. Scout actually yipped with joy, a sound so at odds with the formal ceremony that several elders turned to glare at him. He didn’t seem to care, his golden form practically bouncing with pride.

The clearing fell silent as Marcus stood over his defeated opponent, teeth bared inches from Knox’s exposed throat. For a terrible moment, I thought he might kill him—the tension in his powerful body suggested he wanted to. Part of me, the part that remembered being attacked by them in the woods, kind of wanted him to as well. Which was probably something I should discuss with a therapist, if I could find one who specialized in “My Werewolf Mates Have Anger Issues And I’m Weirdly Okay With It.”

“Alpha Stone,” Elder Grey called. “The challenge is met. The submission is given.”

Marcus held his position for another heartbeat, then stepped back, allowing Knox to crawl away, belly still pressed to the ground in submission. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at seeing the once-arrogant alpha reduced to crawling away like a scolded puppy.

“The Stone Pack’s claim is upheld,” Elder Grey declared. “The Knox territory shall be ceded, and all Knox Pack members shall swear fealty to Alpha Stone or face exile.”

One by one, the defeated Knox wolves shifted back to human form, kneeling before Marcus as he too returned to his human shape. The formal oaths of fealty were spoken, binding the Knox Pack to Stone leadership. It was like watching the supernatural version of a corporate merger, except with more blood and public nudity.

When the last oath had been sworn, Knox himself approached Marcus. Instead of the expected resentment, his expression held something closer to relief. And when his gaze flickered to me, I again saw fear mixed with something that looked disturbingly like reverence.

“There’s something you should know, Stone,” he said, his voice just loud enough to carry to the front rows. “About your mate.”

Oh, fantastic. More secrets about me that everyone else seemed to know while I remained clueless. Story of my life lately.

Chapter 22

Marcus tensed. “What about him?”

Knox glanced around nervously, then leaned closer. “There are others looking for him. Not wolves. Something… else. They’ve been watching our territory for weeks. Asking questions.”

“What kind of questions?” Derek demanded, now back in human form.

“About old legends,” Knox replied, the word sending a chill through the assembled crowd. “About children born of two bloodlines.”

Was he serious? What next—unicorns and fairies having a tea party in the forest? This supernatural world was getting more crowded by the minute.

Marcus’ gaze snapped to where I sat, his expression unreadable. “And what did you tell these… visitors?”

“Nothing,” Knox insisted. “We know the old laws. But they’re persistent. And they’re here. Now.”

As if summoned by his words, the energy in the clearing shifted again. The mist that had been gathering at the edges of the forest seemed to thicken, taking on shapes that were almost—but not quite—human.

“Marcus,” Elder Grey called, her voice sharp with warning. “We have uninvited guests.”

The reaction was immediate. Derek’s team formed a protective circle around our group, weapons appearing as if by magic. The Stone brothers moved back-to-back, their postures screaming danger. Even the Blackwoods were suddenly on their feet, their previous arrogance replaced by wary alertness.

“Show yourselves,” Marcus commanded, his voice carrying the full weight of his alpha power.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like ghosts materializing from the mist, they appeared—figures dressed entirely in white, their movements fluid and silent as they emerged from the tree line. I counted at least fifteen, their faces concealed behind white masks decorated with stylized tiger markings.