“You might have some reservations—hey, so do I. You’ll never be my favorite person, but we have to put our differences aside for Bane’s sake.”
“You’re absolutely right, but you’re still not going to the party.”
I whirl around to run, but he strikes faster. His hand clamps around my arm, his fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. I struggle against his grip, my strength nothing compared to the Alpha’s power.
“Let me go!” I snarl. He doesn’t budge. I force myself not to panic.Calm down.
My wolf side is no use against him, but if I center myself, my magic can help. Everything clicked into place when Bane and I finally discussed our future. It even led me to my new craft, a craft withso manyuseful applications in a dangerous situation like this.
But it’s too late.
Elias’s fist rockets toward my face. Pain explodes across my skull, and darkness swallows me whole.
21.Defying Fate
Josh
Ugh. Where am I? Why does my head hurt so badly?
My head pounds like it’s been used as a drum in a rock concert. I blink, trying to shake off the foggy edges of unconsciousness.
I open my eyes, but it’s still dark. Blackness surrounds me. Groaning, I try to get up… I can’t. Pressure on my chest and wrists holds me tight. I strain in the darkness, unable to move.
The last thing I remember… Elias. What did he do?
Suddenly, my vision returns. A hood rips away from my head, and harsh light stabs my retinas. I squint, vision swimming as shapes blur into focus, revealing a miserable sight, the face of a scowling Alpha.
“Elias,” I croak out, my throat dry. “What the hell is going on?”
His stone face remains as cold as ever, but there’s something different in his eyes. Determination? Regret? Anger? I can’t quite pin it down. He doesn’t answer immediately, looming above me, arms crossed, watching me like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to solve.
“Is this about Bane? The fight? What’s going on?”
“Josh, you need to understand,” the Alpha rumbles slowly. “This is bigger than you and Bane. There are things at play you can’t even begin to imagine.”
“Let me go,” I snarl. Understanding isn’t my top priority right now. I’d rather get the hell out of here, wherever here is. A cabin? Somewhere remote and completely unfamiliar to me.
He stares down, indifferent to my pleas. “I can’t do that. Not right now. You were getting in the way.”
“Because I want to be with Bane?” Five years later and he’s still trying to pull the strings. “You said you wouldn’t oppose us and that it was up to us now.”
“And you two made your decision,” he replies with a sigh. “Perhaps I hoped you two would fizzle out or not be ready for the fight. It’s not just about Bane and you. I haveplansnow.”
“Plans?”
Elias opens his mouth, then stops and puts distance between us, crossing over to the window at the other side of the living room.
I use the opportunity to check my bindings. My torso is bound with thick rope, securing me to the armchair. I strain against the bonds, testing their strength, but they hold firm. My legs are tied together, also making it hard to move. I resist the urge to shift because I’ll only get one chance to catch him off-guard. Gotta wait for the right moment.
“This will be difficult for you to understand,” he begins without turning around. “The Iron Pack is supposed to stand for something. Your pack has no values.”
Or our values of community and peace are foreign concepts to him, but I don’t get a chance to interrupt.
“Our packs coexist because the witches believe Concordia is big enough for two wolf packs. They shield and protect us, so my predecessors went along with them. But the Clover Pack is adisgrace,unfit to even call yourselves wolves. How can my people respect ourselves if we let such weakness go unchallenged? It’s time the Iron wolves become the last pack standing.”
“You’re going to get rid of the Clover Pack?” I gasp.
He turns away from the window, pride taking over his face. His smile is chilling. “Yes.”
