Page 8

I ignore the sound of my men training around me and focus all my attention on the target in front of me. The only target that would volunteer for something as foolish as this—my brother, Aiden.

We’ve been using our powers against each other since we were pups, sometimes in jest and other times in outright conflict.

Aiden and I had a very specific game growing up, and although we haven’t challenged each other in a very long time, I’m no less determined to win now.

In fact, with a deep sense of frustration and never-ending rage coursing through my veins, I think a victory is just what I need right now.

Aiden isn’t going to know what’s hit him.

My brother’s gift is fire; being the youngest, it took him a bit longer to master his skills.

I took great delight in blowing out his early attempts to harness his fire, much to his annoyance, and so it became a game of sorts.

As Aiden grew stronger, so did our contests.

What once took a simple harnessing of the wind now requires a hurricane.

And right now, there’s nothing I’d rather bring.

I’m not sure what shocked me more: how responsive Emily was to my touch or the fact that she rejected me. She rejected me. I finally give in to her bewitching, and she rejects me—more witch mind games.

I bite back a growl as I close in on Aiden, watching his hands begin to glow with fiery anticipation.

I can taste the sweetness of victory already.

There’s simply no way I’m in the mood to back down today.

The wind around me picks up, sending leaves and twigs swirling in a chaotic dance.

My eyes lock onto Aiden's, silently challenging him to meet my pent-up fury head-on.

Aiden's lips curl into a smirk as he raises his hands, fire igniting the air between us. "You really think you can take me, Tristen?" he taunts, amused by our lifelong battle of wills.

“I know I can, brother,” I chuckle darkly.

Without another word, we unleash our powers on each other.

The heat from his flames singes my skin even as I direct a volley of hurricane-force winds at him, pushing him back against the tree line that borders the training ground.

Our respective elements illuminate our bodies.

The rest of the pack stops their training session to watch us, riveted by our magical and primal display of dominance.

It’s true that other shifters have been born with magic, but our family is rare in that we all have it.

A fight like this between shifters who aren’t trying to actually kill each other is unique.

The battle rages on, with neither of us willing to give an inch. We always were the most stubborn, and Callum often has to be the voice of reason, but he’s not here today. He’s with Ava as she nears the end of her pregnancy.

The sound of our fight echoes through the forest, drawing even more interest from the other shifters who’ve gathered around to watch us.

Aiden is strong, but I'm feeling stronger today, driven by my feelings of frustration and the need to channel my rage somewhere.

My hurricane grows fiercer, tearing at his clothes and hair as I drive him back further into the woods.

He retaliates by summoning a wall of fire that threatens to engulf me.

I roar with rage as the fire whips at my clothes, burning my arm, and shift at the same time Aiden does.

To outsiders, it may look like we’re two adversaries set on fighting to the death.

But the truth is, our fights usually end this way, our wolves tearing into each other until one concedes. And it won’t be me today.

I sense Aiden is tiring of the fight, but I’m enjoying the distraction of adrenaline flowing in my veins, and I slam into his side, sending him flying. He growls a warning at me, hackles raised, and I see red circling him.

“Enough,” Ryan says, stepping between us. It's something very few would do, and I can sense his apprehension as he holds his hands aloft. The crowd is holding its collective breath to see what we’ll do next.

I’m not sure if it's my brother finally tiring of the fight or Ryan stepping in that breaks my concentration.

Either way, my powers begin to dissipate, and I shift back into human form, panting heavily from the exertion.

Aiden does the same; both of us are breathing hard as we stare each other down.

“Well,” Aiden says bitterly, spitting out some blood. “You’re certainly spoiling for a fight today. What’s gotten into you?"

Ryan relaxes slightly and smirks at him. “Not what, who, I’d say.”

Immediately, I feel my hackles rise again, and I have to temper my reaction, well aware the crowd is waiting to see if I can get a hold of myself. “Don’t fucking try me today, Ryan,” I snarl, and walk off to get some water.

Training resumes around me, and I’m glad for the temporary respite.

My wounds are healing already, thanks to the shift.

I look over at Aiden and see him laughing with some of the betas; I shake my head.

It’s amazing how literally nothing ruffles him.

Even after a fight that would piss most wolves off, he just shakes it off and moves on to the next thing.

Some might think it’s because he’s so laid back, but sometimes I wonder if he’s just a bit too used to playing the nice guy, and one day he’ll really explode.

I don’t have long to think about Aiden’s quirks as the alarm on my phone sounds, and I hear similar alarms going off around the training ground—someone has sounded the alarm, and the runes have been triggered.

The fight is forgotten as men pile into trucks, Aiden following as the alert is coming from close to his border.

A small village I’ve long worried was vulnerable appears to have finally been attacked by rogues.

There are screams in the distance as we race towards the village, fire and smoke billowing into the sky.

It’s a sight that chills me to my bones, and I can feel my wolf rumbling with rage.

Jumping down from my truck, I immediately spot some rogues on the road, obviously intending to move further into my territory.

I set to work with my betas, killing the stragglers and clearing a path for us to get closer to the burning buildings.

We find some of the villagers huddled together, mainly women and children, many wounded and scared out of their minds.

The sight fills me with rage. I send some betas to help them while I lead others to help the men fighting the rogues, still trying to escape.

It's chaos, but I thrive in it. My wolf, who had to be contained in my earlier fight with Aiden, finally lets loose, and my frustration dissipates somewhat as we start taking down our enemies one by one.

One of the men from the village I instantly recognize, Samuel, turns to me, his face covered in blood from the fight.

“You need to get men down the trails,” he says, the urgency clear in his voice.

“They broke through here, but we all heard them saying they needed to get to town to destroy more runes. They’re destroying all the runes. ”

I nod, calling over to Ryan. “Take half the men and follow me. The others stay here with Aiden and see to the wounded.”

I fire off a message to the team back in town, warning them of the threat and having them send men up the trail, hoping we can cut off any intruders.

Ryan nods, and we shift, breaking through the underbrush and out onto one of the main trails in the direction Samuel indicated, our senses on high alert for any sign of rogues.

Thoughts of Emily flicker in and out of my mind, and I try to shake them off; I know she’s protected in town.

Everyone is. That should be enough. But somehow, it’s not.

The thought that something may happen to her, that she could be caught up in an attack…

being defenseless, she’s completely vulnerable.

The self-defense training was supposed to help prepare the witches for an attack, but if anything, it only highlighted how physically weak they are.

Sure, I wouldn’t want to mess with Marian and her sisters using the full force of their craft, but that isn’t always enough to stop a multi-shifter attack—and it certainly isn’t enough to stop Malik. Emily doesn’t even have that.

Thoughts of Emily spur me on, and as we break through a clearing, I pick up the scent of unfamiliar wolves ahead. I double down, soon spotting them up ahead with my betas from the town also closing in from the east. It’s a perfect setup for an ambush, and I almost grin as I line up my first target.

We charge forward, the pack moving as one as we begin to take down the rogues easily.

It might have been a different story if they'd surrendered, but they’re as battle-ready as we are and eager for a fight that we’re more than happy to bring.

My wolf is in its element now, and I let it loose, sinking my teeth into their necks without a second thought.

This is what I need. To be doing something about this Malik situation instead of just sitting around waiting.

Taking some of his rogues out—rogues who destroyed that village—feels righteous.

This fight cleared my head better than my previously restrained one with Aiden, and I'm happy to let my wolf rule briefly, taking what he needs.

The dust settles, and with the rogues dead, we check the surrounding area for more but don’t catch any lingering scents.

After dispatching a further patrol just in case, I call Marian to send more witches to replace the runes.

I could call Emily; I should call Emily.

She is in charge of the overall rune strategy, but for some reason, I don’t.

I want her at home, not out here surrounded by all this death and the lingering threat of further attacks while the runes aren’t active.

I circle back to the village and help with the cleanup, finding Aiden and sorting out some of the alarms to see what can be salvaged. He looks up when he sees me approaching, taking in my torn clothes and disheveled appearance that somewhat matches his own.

“Been a hell of a day. I only came out here for some bonus sparring,” he laughs, the smile not quite reaching his eyes this time.

“Got more than you bargained for?” I sigh.

He shakes his head, turning over one of the broken runes. “Nah, it’s always a pleasure to take down some of those bastards.”

“Damn right,” I mutter and then wave my hand at the pile of runes. “Marian is sending some witches to set those back up.”

“Well, I hope Em’s got some bright ideas to stop this happening again,” he says.

I shake my head. “Emily is back at the house. She doesn’t know yet.”

Aiden looks taken aback. “She’s the rune queen, isn’t she working on something new for these?” he asks. “She’ll be pissed you didn’t tell her.”

“She’s pissed at me for a lot of things,” I reply sharply, realizing too late I’m giving away more than I intend.

Aiden chuckles. “I see. That’s what Ryan meant earlier—who, not what. Trouble in paradise?”

I roll my eyes at him. “A fake union to get the witches to toe the line is hardly paradise.”

“Of course, I forgot how selfless you are, brother.” Aiden laughs, but doesn’t risk saying more. I look away and see Marian and her sisters arriving. Sighing, I run a hand through my hair. Just what I need—more witches.

It’s late by the time I get back to the house, and I'm more tired than I have been in a long time.

I instantly know Emily is in her room, her uniquely alluring scent calling to me.

I stand in the hall, my hand twitching as I recall how tight she felt around my fingers.

Hot and tight. After all the violence and death today, something within me calls for me to go to her, sink into that heat, and forget everything.

Knowing she’d reject me again, I force myself to turn and walk away. Deep down, I know fucking her wouldn’t change anything. However much my wolf protests.