Page 50 of Bound to Exiles (Rejected Wolf Pack #5)

Gage

“She’s one of ours,” Dean said, by way of introduction.

Despite the Frost Fang shifter’s obvious exhaustion, she carried herself with determination.

“Pack Alpha Gage,” she said, dropping to one knee. “I followed our pack bond to find you. My name is Veronica. I escaped from Frost Fang.”

“She backed Fern during the pack meeting,” Heath silently warned.

“Stand,” I commanded, gesturing for her to approach. “Tell me what’s happening.”

She rose shakily. “Dryden came first,” she said, her voice shaking with exhaustion and rage. “Heath’s father. He arrived alone, claiming he wanted to help after you left. Said he knew how hard it was for a pack to survive without strong alpha leadership.”

Heath’s growl rumbled through the clearing, his hands clenching into fists.

“He listened to our complaints,” Veronica continued.

“About alphas, about feeling powerless. He agreed not to try to take over like you all did. Then he told us about his ‘allies’ — witches who could provide magical protection without the need for alpha commands or subjugation. He made it sound like the perfect solution. ”

“And Fern agreed to this?” I demanded.

“Fern argued against it, but others were desperate enough to listen. The witches arrived the next day, presenting themselves as healers and protectors. They said they could offer us safety from rogue alphas, from power-hungry alphas like you, from packs like Denraider.” Her voice cracked. “It was all lies.”

“What happened?” Heath asked, his voice deadly quiet.

“My littermate Viveca was one of the first they tested their magic on. They used a stone carved with glowing symbols, said it would enhance her natural abilities.” Veronica’s eyes filled with tears.

“Instead, it trapped her wolf. She couldn’t shift, couldn’t access that part of herself.

At first, it just seemed like weakness. Then the pain started. ”

She swallowed hard before continuing. “Every time her wolf tried to surface, it was like her body was rejecting itself. Fever, seizures, bleeding from her eyes and nose. The witches called it an ‘adjustment period,’ but I could see the truth in their eyes. They took notes like she was just a lab rat. They were prepared to watch her die.”

A sob caught in her throat.

“Goddess,” Zak whispered, his face pale. “This is worse than I imagined.”

“How did you escape?” Heath asked.

“They hadn’t gotten to me yet,” she explained.

“And Fern allows this?” I demanded, anger building beneath my pain.

“Fern was the first they took,” Veronica said.

“She fought back after Dryden’s lies became obvious, so he ordered her into the jail, where they locked her away.

When she comes out, it’s because they’re using her as a figurehead.

The pack is in chaos, but Dryden uses his alpha-bark on anyone the witches can’t control. ”

I exchanged a look with Heath, whose expression had hardened into something dangerous.

“There’s something else you should know,” Veronica added hesitantly. “They’re asking questions about a hybrid female — a wolf with witch blood. And about you, Heath. Dryden seems particularly interested in finding his son. ”

Heath’s jaw tightened, and his gaze met mine with steely resolve. “I don’t care if he is my father,” his vicious words echoed across the Bonded link. “He deserves to die for betraying fellow wolf shifters like this.”

“Bretton,” I said. “Find Veronica somewhere to rest and get her some food. She’ll need her strength.”

I gave him a meaningful look, and Bretton nodded curtly. He would keep an eye on her, just in case her presence was some kind of trap.

“Yes, alpha,” Bretton gently guided the exhausted shifter away.

“Dean, double the patrols,” I ordered. “No one goes into the wildlands. If these witches are hunting Heath and Freya, we need to be ready. Then go to Moonblessed and tell them everything you just heard. They need to be ready.”

“Fuck,” Heath said, causing Dean to pause.

Heath’s worried gaze rose to mine, and I realized what he was going to say. “Tork.”

Heath nodded. “The witches could learn about the walls and defenses of Moonblessed from him.”

“Whether through torture or otherwise,” I added, remembering the image Rowan had sent us of Tork standing free while other shifters were taken.

“A wolf wouldn’t willingly aid witches,” Dean stated confidently. Then his eyes drifted over to Zak, and his gaze darted away. “I mean…”

“Tork is a traitor,” I growled. “We can’t be sure whose side he’s on. Warn the Moonblessed alpha pair to be careful.”

Once Dean was gone, I turned back to Heath and Zak. “We need a plan.”

Zak’s expression was thoughtful. “What Veronica described sounds similar to what the Ravenscroft Coven did to suppress my shifting, but much more aggressive. I’m not sure the spell is the same, but clearly it uses some kind of an object to keep the curse active.

If we can take the stone she mentioned, that should help us figure out how to unravel the curse. ”

“You think you can you counter it?” I asked. “Undo it like Freya undid yours? ”

He hesitated. “Maybe. The suppression spell they used on me was designed to be permanent but gentle — to use my own magic to separate me from my wolf without killing me. What they’re doing to your pack sounds like they don’t care about long-term survival…

which makes unraveling it a lot more dangerous to the victims.”

“Like lab rats,” Heath growled. “Our packmates’ lives have no value to them.”

“The principle seems to be the same, though,” Zak continued, ignoring Heath’s outburst. “They’re using magic to create a barrier between human and wolf. With Freya’s help, I might be able to break it, but…” He trailed off, uncertainty in his eyes.

“But what?” I pressed.

“I’ve never tried to break this kind of spell on anyone but myself, but we might have to do it one at a time, victim by victim.

First, we need to know if they’re using one master object or multiple stones, one for each victim.

And our magic probably isn’t strong enough to counter a full coven,” he admitted.

I considered our options. I refused to let Frost Fang suffer, but marching in without a plan wouldn’t do them any favors if we all got captured.

“We need information,” I decided. “We need to know exactly what they’re doing and how to stop it.”

Heath’s eyes met mine, determination hardening his features. “I’ll go.”

My response was immediate and visceral. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

The words had formed on my lips before Heath had even finished speaking, every instinct I possessed screaming against the idea. My wolf snarled, hackles raised at the thought of sending one of my mates into the den of his lifelong enemy.

“My father wants me,” Heath argued, his voice thick with self-recrimination. “I should have seen this coming. Dryden’s been planning this for months — maybe years. The way he tried to marry me off to that Colorado coven… I bet that’s who he brought with him.”

“This isn’t on you,” I growled, but Heath shook his head.

“His ego is so big, he won’t be surprised when I surrender to him. He’s always expected his pups to fall in lockstep with his vision. It’ll get me close enough to learn what they’re doing.”

“It’s a trap,” I growled. “He’ll hand you over to the witches the moment you arrive.”

“Not if he thinks I’m there to join him,” Heath countered. “He’s been trying to get me to leave the Howling Echo for years. If I pretend I’ve finally decided he’s right and stroke his ego enough, he won’t be able to see the truth until it’s too late.”

“You’re too valuable to use as bait,” I said, my voice carefully controlled even as my wolf clawed at my ribs.

“I’m asking you to let me do what I do best,” Heath countered. “Get close to people who underestimate me. Play politics. Find strategic advantages.”

Zak spoke up, his voice calm despite the tension crackling between Heath and me. “Even if Dryden forced Heath to reject the Howling Echo pack bond to prove himself, Heath could still use our Bonded link to relay information.”

I wanted to refuse outright, to forbid Heath from putting himself in danger. But the pack alpha in me was already calculating odds, weighing risks. Heath knew the territory, knew the players, knew his father’s weaknesses. Strategically, it made sense.

The war between my two natures — alpha and mate — raged in the space of a heartbeat. The pack alpha in me recognized the logic. My wolf wanted to lock him away where no one could hurt him.

And deep down, I knew I couldn’t stop Heath from trying to help, especially when his own father was responsible for the suffering of our old pack.

“I don’t like it,” I admitted.

Heath’s hand landed on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. “I don’t expect you to like it. But you know it’s our best option. And we have a lot more recent experience on Frost Fang packlands. I know of escape routes Dryden probably hasn’t discovered yet.”

“Probably.” I closed my eyes briefly, fighting against the instinct to protect him. “You’ll need something to shield you from their magic.”

“What about Brielle’s protective amulets?” Zak asked. “Wearing one might buy Heath enough time to warn us if they try to curse him. ”

The thought of Heath walking into danger made my wolf howl with rage, but I forced myself to think like a pack alpha rather than as a mate.

“Fine. But at the first sign of trouble, you get out. That’s an order.”

Heath’s grin was fierce. “Yes, alpha.”

Before we could discuss further, I sensed Freya’s approach. She burst into the clearing with Flint at her side, Brielle following at a more measured pace.

“Gage!” Freya rushed to me, her hands cupping my face as she searched for injuries. “What happened? Your pain felt so—”

“I’m alright,” I assured her, pulling her close. “But Frost Fang is in trouble.”