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Well, I hadn’t necessarily wanted the alpha to die, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Wasabi licked the blood off her face and trotted over, rubbing her head against my hip. “Good girl,” I said, petting along her smooth, green skin. “Any chance you know a good way out of here?”

Wasabi trilled, her body quivering until the scales along the side of her body detached, making way for two large sets of wings, papery thin and iridescent in the moonlight.

“Oh, Wasabi, you’re glorious!”

She trilled again, crouching down so I could climb onto her back. As soon as my other leg was around her, she took off, her wings vibrating and buzzing as she flew over the keep and the surrounding wall into the night air.

Tears flowed freely down my cheeks, the wind carrying them behind me, and I reached out to my pack.

I’m on my way!

65

KIAN

The alphas’ eyes glazed over, and I watched them anxiously. Their omega was speaking with them, and by the way their hands were gripping the table, it seemed urgent.

“Shit, we gotta go!” Cam cried, accidentally waking up the kid on his lap. Elyndra took him from his arms and soothed the startled tot.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, her pitch high with concern.

I stood with them, ready to run.

“Marlowe has escaped,” Archer explained, handing off the child from his lap to another vampyr. “She is headed towards us, we need to meet her.”

Cavelli bared his teeth. “Leave, now. You cannot let her get any closer to the village. The king will track her, and…”

I caught his eye and nodded. “We understand. We won’t let him find you.”

This village, the people in it—I couldn’t let the king hurt any of them. They were innocent, peaceful, and happy. The males respected their servaglios, treating their females as equal partners rather than tools for sexual gratification. I loved how they all worked together, not just as individual families, but as a community.

I had a few vampyr friends my age, other males who were also eschewing the culture of our fathers in favor of a simpler, happier life. I knew we still had a lot of work to do, and if the king was as powerful as Cavelli claimed, I might not make it back alive.

But if I did, I was going to try to create something like this place, and I believed Aisha and Jasmin would like that, too.

We rushed towards the outskirts of the village, and the vampyr leader waved his hands in the air, clearing away the invisible shield. “I wish you luck and speed in your quest, alphas. And young Kian…” His hand shot out, grabbing me by the shoulder and squeezing it tightly. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

I clasped my hand on top of his. “Thank you for everything. If… if we somehow fail, bring your people to Earth and look up my father, William Sable, of the Vampyric Council. He’ll help you.”

Cavelli gave him a tight smile. “I appreciate it. Now go, quickly!”

A chorus of growls and ripping fabric told me the alphas were wasting no time, and I couldn’t, either. They ran through the opening, and I was right on their heels, taking to the sky as I followed them.

As much as I didn’t want to be a part of a shifter pack, I did at the moment wish I could communicate telepathically with them, if only because I still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. Was the king on her trail? How did she escape? How did they know which way to go?

All I could do was follow and provide aerial cover as we barreled forward into the night, although that was easier said than done.

The tree canopy was thick and difficult to see through. Even with my heightened senses, it took all of my concentration to keep them below me. They’d be running full speed, then suddenly stop on a dime, sniff the air, and as a group alter their course.

I couldn’t even enjoy the feeling of flying. I hadn’t really gotten a chance to test my speed and agility in the air yet, but I was too afraid of losing the alphas to surrender to the pure joy and freedom that flooded my veins.

Aisha was afraid of heights, but Jasmin would absolutely love to fly with me like this, and I added that to the list of things I wanted to do once I got back home.IfI got back home.

The alphas ran for hours, and while it didn’t really take any effort from my muscles to keep up from the air, it drained my magic and I was worried I might deplete my sources and slow them down.

There was no way they’d sit and wait, and I had a feeling they weren’t in the mood to top me off with more blood. Not with their omega on her way.