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"Let me go," I panicked. "Let me go, I need to get to Joaquin!"
"Rosa, tranquilízate," Javier piped in. "We'll get him back, but if you take off now without a plan, Pierce will capture you."
"It doesn't matter if he captures me or not if he can just kill Joaquin to get the Wolf Moon’s gift!" I countered.
"But it'll be more dangerous if he extracts it from you," Roxanne spoke gently, still seated in her chair watching as everyone else fought against my resistance. "The Wolf Moon's gift inside you is much stronger than your mates, and you're the only one who can transfer fragments of it into others. What do you think will happen if someone takes it from you?"
I froze, taking in what Roxanne was telling me. If Pierce stole the powers from me, he could willingly transfer it to whomever he chooses. People like Whitney, who was itching for more power. With the immunity that comes with it, no alpha would be able to overpower him mentally.
"But what's stopping him from killing Joaquin anyway, especially if he knows he can't get to me?" I asked in a final desperation for them to release me so I can run after my mate. It didn't work.
"Maybe Pierce doesn't know about it," Kai offered. "It could be that he doesn't know that that's how he can take the gift from Joaquin."
"Or maybe Pierce's greed is preventing him from taking the gift from Joaquin, and instead wants it from you," Kao added.
Both statements were enough, but it didn't make me feel better. Not when Pierce could eventually learn about it if he didn't know to begin with, or if Pierce became too impatient.
"Rosie, look at me," Del called out, grappling for my attention. "I'm not denying how important it is to rescue your mate, but that doesn't mean we should jump in recklessly. We talked about that before. If the stakes are higher, then we'll act sooner, but not without a plan in motion."
"Listen to your friend, Rosie." I looked to Roxanne as she spoke. "Being one of the moon's chosen, you have a lot more responsibilities than just to your mate. All shifter life is currently in your hands, thanks to the Wolf Moon. If that kind of power falls into the wrong hands, nobody's safe. If what you saw in your vision about Selene is real, then you've seen firsthand the kind of chaos that awaits in your future."
That wasn't the only vision I had to think about. Atropos' vision of that monster killing everyone came back to me as well. That was my potential future, one that could come true if I failed to keep the gift safe from Pierce. Now that I thought about it, that monster also climbed up on two legs before trying to lunge for me. It was anthropomorphic. It was a werewolf; I was sure of it. And if it was, then it must've gotten the powers from me or the mates it killed. Either way, that was the result of my failure. As much as I hated to admit it, everyone was right.
Everyone must've picked up on the fight draining from my body and released their hold on me. I slumped back in my chair, feeling helpless and defeated all over again. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. At this point, I didn't care what I had to do so long as everybody I loved was here and safe.
"Okay, given all the information we've gathered, I think it's best if I go back to Kingsrose and rescue Joaquin," Del said.
"Absolutely not," Javier protested immediately.
"Del, I don't think so. It's too dangerous," Raph chimed in.
Del rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I've handled worse before I met you guys."
"Del, if you go there, we won't be able to protect you. Shifter laws would prevent us from fighting unless we want to declare war between our packs," Raph said.
"I'm not asking you guys to protect me, nor am I asking for you guys' permission. This is too important to ignore any longer, and you all know I can handle myself."
I wanted to protest Del going after Joaquin too, but she did seem to be the only one who was capable of doing it. The shifter laws didn't apply to her since she was human, and I didn't want to risk Kai or Kao going for fear of them getting captured too. I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable of her strengths as her mates—the first fight I'd seen from her being the time she sparred with Kao—but she had a reputation for a reason. She was the Blue Hunter.
"Del should do it," Roxanne announced.
"No, she should not," Javier sneered at the witch, his wolf inches from the surface and showing through his eyes. "I will not have you jeopardizing my mate, spell-slinger."
Roxanne's response was her eyes glowing with violet flames. "And what would you do if I were, fang face? Do you really think you can best me in a fight?"
I had to jump in. I didn't want to start fighting amongst ourselves, and more importantly, I wasn't sure how my brother would do against a witch who could bend the will of anybody she wanted. Minus myself, of course.
"Enough," Del raised her voice before I could intervene. "This is my decision, and I'm going to do it. Is that clear?"
She narrowed her eyes looking to the five sets of eyes that belonged to her fated mates, daring them to try and argue with her. She could be scary when she wanted to. If she were a wolf, she could very well be Alpha of the pack.
While most of her mates seemed to back off, Javier looked ready to challenge her resolve. "Mi amore, por favor," he pleaded.
Del reached out and interlocked her fingers with Javier's. "I'll be fine, I promise. You have to trust me."
My poor brother looked physically ill over the idea of Del putting herself in danger, and I understood. I wouldn't want my mates in danger either. A part of me wanted to damn all consequences and go with her. It didn't feel right to have someone else rescue my mate. It should've been my job. I hated that I couldn't.
KAI
