Page 328 of Alpha Mates

“One good act doesn’t make a witch good,” Stone says sardonically, making my canines descend as I feel my eyes glow.

“Watch your tongue with me,” I warn as an inch of the pressure building inside me slips free. It’s enough to make him bow with a swift apology.

The rest of them quiet as well, allowing Aiden to wrap this matter up.

“Kat is not some witch. She’s one of the strongest I’ve ever encountered, and yet, she has always been an asset to us,” Aiden says, but one glance around the room shows they’re not much closer to being on board. He sighs. “If you trust nothing else, trust this—I consider her a friend, and I trust that her words are true.”

“Aw, Aidennn!” an all-too-familiar voice coos before Katerina suddenly steps out of the warbling space beside Aiden. “That was so sweet.”

In an instant, everyone is on their feet and ready to attack. Claws drop with canines, and while the first set tries to make a barricading line, others make calls for backup that remain unheard with the magic circling the room.

When they seem to notice as much, the attacks begin—or theattempts. Every person who charges at her or tries to reach Aiden and me, slams into an invisible barrier she must’ve placed between us and them.

It’s comical at best, shameful at worst, and seeing as we’re in the worst reality there can be, I watch the scene with silent frustration. The only people who retain their composure are Emitt, Beckett, and Isabel, who’ve met her before.

“What are you doing here, Katerina?” I sigh as I rub at my brows, hoping to ease my pending headache. “This really is not the best time for you to just … appear.”

“You said Kat and I’ve been bored on the roof since you left,” she argues with a shrug before she grins widely at Aiden, who pointedly ignores her.

I face the others, who have wisely stopped their attacks and watch on warily.

“This is Katerina,” I say with a gesture. “She is the witch we spoke about.”

Katerina, being Katerina, waves at them with a large smile. When the warriors maintain their glare, she releases an exasperated breath.

“I know I’m a witch and that’s repulsive to you,” she groans dramatically, “but here’s a fun little fact. I feel the same way about all of you.”

She receives sneers in response and her grin doubles.

“Kat,” I beg as I close my eyes and steal a breath. “Please.”

“Fine,” she groans like a scolded pup before she disappears once again.

The relief that follows is palpable, but it only lasts for a handful of moments before the alarm rises.

“We’re concerned with rogues far away when a witch was here,in our lands, with no invitation,” Jamerson whispers as if Katerina might return if he’s any louder. “Awitch, Alpha.”

“Yes, a witch who could kill us all right now if she pleased,” Aiden replies with a calm that would be terrifying if I did not know Katerina myself. “I’ve seen her power. She could probably wipe out our entire species if she felt like it. She hasn’t. In fact, all she’s done is help Julian and me since we met. So, she’s not our problem at all. The rogues are.”

“Will she help us with the rogues?” The question comes from a quiet voice in the back, a shrewd elder who does not look quite as panicked as the rest. They eye me, seeking my answer.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “We haven’t asked, but she stays close to Aiden and me, so perhaps.”

The elder nods once, satisfied, and following her lead, the rest are forced to calm.

“We would not know nearly enough about the threat we’re going to face if it were not for her,” I remind them as I eye each wolf in turn. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you trust her. Trust us. We’ve seen the threat, and we need to be ready to deal with it.”

To my surprise, that actually carries weight. They stop badgering and puffing and grow silent as the severity of what we have to face returns.

“The rest of the Council Warriors should be here by tomorrow morning, which means we’ve got less than forty-eight hours before we’ll be facing theserogues,” Aiden says as he steps into the space beside me, and it’s like a bucket of ice.

Somehow, this whirlwind that already feels too real steals the air from the room. But standing shoulder to shoulder, he makes us one whole unit that appears far stronger than the broken things we were an hour ago.

We’re fearless and unbreakable to them, and even if that’s the last thing we were, we knew how to pretend to be.

“Now you know the details, we need to perfect them before we share it with the rest of the pack, which means I need every one of you stepping in so that we don’t lose a single life more than we have to out there,” I state as I look at them each in turn. “Can you do that?”

The answer is an unwavering, resounding, ‘Yes, Alpha’.