Page 82 of Ignited

And she heard Boomer’s mental voice, as he fought desperately to get to them, to give his brother all the strength he could.

But she could feel the life leaching out of him.

And then DB stepped through the portal.

His eyes glowed electric green, and lightning danced around him. One of the soldiers shot at him, and the bullet simply disintegrated.

Holy shit.

Karisma knew that if he tried to break the connection between her and Maximilian, the entire circle would explode. She could feel it. She tried to cry out, Don’t do it! But the words were only in her head.

Somehow, though, he heard her. I know.

He reached out his hand, and spoke three words in Draken. The first of the orbs she’d brought with her sprang into life, and then the second, and the third, shining with a clear light. Arcs of magical energy sprang from them, like the first three—only instead of connecting to Maximilian’s controller, they connected to Thanatos’.

Three on three.

Thanatos started chanting a spell, and the arcs on Maximilian’s side of the circle began to bend toward him. But Maximilian pulled on the power of the pack, diminishing Thanatos’ power, and slowly pulled the magic of the arcs towards himself.

Back and forth they went, struggling for dominance. Gunn and Mikey finished their fight, all the soldiers in the room dead or unconscious. Wolf howls still came from the hallway, and the rattle of gunfire.

But Maximilian was winning, weakening all of them. And DB stood there, frustrated, knowing that anything else he did would only make things worse.

Karisma knew there was only one thing to do—and she was the one who had to do it. She was the point of power, Maximilian’s access to the pack bond. Gunn! she called, knowing he could hear her through the bond. Cut me off!

His head came up. What?

You’re the alpha. You can kick me out of the fucking pack. Cut me off.

I can’t! His mental voice was desperate. The backlash—it will destroy Boomer. His gaze dropped to her hands on Bro’s chest.

He didn’t have to say the words. If it destroyed Boomer, it might kill his brother.

Maximilian is stealing our power, she said desperately. If he wins, we all die.

I’m not cutting you off. You’re pack.

Boomer, his wolf running desperately towards the heart of the underground lair, heard Karisma’s demand, heard Gunn’s refusal.

Felt her need to do something, anything that would save as many lives as possible. Even at the cost of her own.

But she didn’t get it. She didn’t see. There was only one way to save his brother. One way to save them all.

We’re pack, he told her, reaching out with his mind, repeated what he’d told her the very first time he’d pulled her out of her tiger. I know you’re all about that epic loner shit, but that’s not how it works with us. We work together. Protect each other. Help each other. Get used to it.

And he felt the moment she understood what he meant. The Outlaw Ridge wolves were a pack, dozens and dozens strong. And Maximilian had brought every last one of them here in spirit. He’d given them the means to bring him down. Don’t cut off the power flow, she told Gunn. Reverse it!

Gunn got it too. Through Karisma’s eyes, Boomer saw his hand go to his chest, wrapping around the magical pendant that had been passed down from alpha to alpha since the pack was formed. Gunn ripped it off his neck, held it high in the air, and he howled.

Light burst out of the medallion, spreading through his fingers. He called the pack together, blending their magics—their love for each other, for the land they roamed, for the mountain that was there.

Even for its keeper.

Then Karisma grabbed Bro’s knife and stabbed Maximilian in the leg.

He screamed, and lost his concentration. The tide of the pack’s magic turned. Instead of it pouring from them into Maximilian, they pulled it away from him—out of his half of the Orb, out of his controller. From the sorcerer himself, the magic he owned and the magic he’d stolen. All that power flowed through Karisma, harnessed by the pack and by Gunn, and into Thanatos.

The crystal sphere in his hand burned like a star.