Page 182 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
My wildness rose up in response to Cyrus’s power, while desire spread low in my core.
Mine. He was mine, and I was going to protect him , protect all of my mates, and not the other way around.
Cyrus held my gaze, his eyes filled with determination and hunger, and it felt like the air was sucked out of the room. For a moment there was just us, captured in a whirling vortex of desire and need, and my soul ached for him.
We still hadn’t had our talk, but if he was going to tell me he couldn’t be my mate I was going to scream. He’d sent me heated, possessive glances yesterday when he thought I wasn’t looking, and I’d had to grit my teeth to not reciprocate.
We belonged together.
And I refused to let him deny it.
That said, I also knew now wasn’t the time to get into it. Cyrus needed to remain focused on saving our pack and so did I. Our relationship could be worked out later.
“We don’t know for certain if Sterling is around or if he’s even involved with the merchants,” Deacon said.
“And the merchants are our first priority,” I added. Protecting the pack protected our mates.
“We need to inform the other leaders.” Cyrus set his teacup on the table and stood.
“Can we trust them?” Whil asked. “Bishop told me that Speaker Jundar wants to buy the weapons.”
“Only because he doesn’t know the increased beast attacks are because of the merchants,” Bishop replied. “He’s honorable. He’ll want to put a stop to this, too.”
“What we don’t want is to tip off the merchants.” Cyrus shot me another fierce look with a possessive heat burning in his mossy green eyes then strode out of the greenhouse.
I bit back a groan and sank deeper into Knox’s embrace.
“We need a plan to quietly capture the merchants here,” Deacon said, his gaze going unfocused for a second. “Finn is on his way.”
“Agreed,” Bishop replied. “It would be best if the merchants didn’t know we were coming.”
My thoughts whirled. With that many grimalkins, not to mention the swordmen who also probably had access to those deadly lightning weapons, we were going to need an army.
How many fighters did the pack have left? We were going to be making up the most of it since there wasn’t time to call in any cavalry.
From the conversations I’d overheard during dinner last night, the merchants were getting frustrated. I didn’t know if they’d figured out Cyrus had been stalling the talks for the previous day and half, but they’d certainly figured out something wasn’t right.
The gryphons could get to Stonehaven the fastest even though they were the farthest away, but they still needed a whole day to send a messenger back to their pack then another day for their hunters to show up and that would mean the hunters wouldn’t be rested if we then headed straight to Anakar.
Which meant, if we were going to deal with merchants now — and since they could release the grimalkins on us at any time, now was way better than later — it was up to our pack to stop them and we were going to need anyone in Stonehaven capable of fighting.
And that included me. Somehow, I’d killed two grimalkins in the last fight, but more importantly, I could control them… I hoped. In the very least, I was certain I could influence them.
“You’re going to need me,” I said.
“Absolutely not!” Bishop replied as Knox snarled.
“You’ve gotten lucky and killed a few grimalkins,” Deacon added, “but this is going to be different. There’s a chance it won’t be one or two of them at a time.”
“Which is why you’ll need me.” I sat up straighter, staying within Knox’s grasp because I knew if I stepped away from him, his wolf would lose it. “I can control the grimalkins.”
“You controlled two,” Whil said as Deacon’s eyes widened with surprise.
“What do you mean you controlled them?” Knox demanded.
I turned to meet his wolf-darkened eyes. “Why do you think those grimalkins ran away?”
Knox stared back and his emotions churned through our bond. He was angry and afraid and that mixed with confusion and self-recrimination probably because he hadn’t thought to wonder what had really happened.
“Forty-eight is a lot more than two,” Bishop said softly.
“It doesn’t matter if I can’t control all of them. Controlling some will help,” I insisted. “Even if I can just get them to hesitate. That might be enough to save someone’s life.”
“No,” Knox snarled, his power crashing over me.
“Yes,” I snarled back, meeting his power and forcing it back, proving that I was the more dominant alpha — although it hadn’t felt like Knox had used all of his power. “I’m not stupid. I’m not going to run into the middle of them.”
“Audrey, please,” Bishop whispered, a rush of terror racing through our bond. “We have to protect you.”
“And I have to protect you. ”
I understood how he was feeling. My instincts were freaking out over the thought of my mates facing off against forty-eight grimalkins.
“I don’t understand this power, but I have it and I’m going to use it.” I was going to save my mates with it before it could turn me into a monster.
The other leaders arrived and we worked out a plan. Today we were going to slowly send wolves, gryphons, and King Gower’s men out of Stonehaven so the merchants weren’t tipped off. No one wanted to risk the merchants having men around town watching for unusual activity. Jundar’s and Pimryl’s men would stay since they needed translators, which could be dangerous for everyone involved.
Jundar and Pimryl agreed that they’d lock themselves and their translators into the smaller meeting room for a “leaders only” meeting, and all leaders’ aides would distract the merchants saying the alliance was working on a final decision. At noon, Finn would arrest the merchants — since Cyrus and Folmar were certain the merchants would become suspicious by then.
Whil said she could make a sleeping potion with a mix of magic and the sedative we’d gotten from Kelna. She’d then use her magic to swirl it around all the swordsmen while they ate lunch to ensure they were all put to sleep.
Everyone understood why Whil had to join the strike force.
And everyone questioned why I was going along.
“She’s killed three grimalkins,” Knox growled even though I could feel how much he wanted me to stay safe in the Residence.
Cyrus glanced at me, asking me with a look if I wanted to tell the truth. I was sure he and my guys could tell the others I was going and that was that, but the truth would come out anyway and it was better if everyone was prepared.
“We’ve discovered Audrey’s alpha power is special and she can use it to command the grimalkins,” Cyrus said.
Jundar’s, Gower’s, and Pimryl’s eyes widened in surprise while Folmar’s narrowed. I could sense her alpha power even though she was a gryphon, but I didn’t know if she could sense wolf shifters’ powers. And if she could sense mine now, she’d think I was an utter weakling.
“I plan on sticking to the back and helping how I can,” I told everyone. They were all bigger than me and trained warriors, and it was clear I didn’t have any fight training at all.
“Then it’s decided,” Folmar said as she stood.
She and Knox left and the rest of us waited a few minutes. Gower left next then Jundar and a few more minutes after that, Bishop and I headed out of Whil’s greenhouse.
Outside, the faint light of dawn peeked over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day, and despite my worries, only the soft birdsong and the gentle rustle of leaves disturbed the tranquil morning air. The sun had yet to rise, but there was already a pleasant warmth in the air that spoke of bright summer days ahead.
It was as if nothing had changed.
And yet everything had changed.
And more changes were on the horizon.
I had a growing darkness inside me that terrified me, and yet I knew I had to use it to save my mates and my pack. If I didn’t, the merchants with their monsters would destroy them all.