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Reginald scoffed. "Then why didn't you? And what the fuck was up with Kai?"
I ignored the second question, mostly because I didn't have an answer to that myself, but I did answer the first and only question that mattered. "Because you're going to deliver a message to your alpha."
"What makes you think I'll do anything for a backstabbing whore like you?"
Roxanne chuckled beside me. "Oh, trust me, you will."
Smirking, I relayed my message loud enough for the crowd to also here me. "Report back to your alpha. Tell him the town of Kingsrose is now under the protection of the Kingsrose Renegades Pack. If he wants his precious territory back, he's going to have to fight for it. But I promise him this, only one of us will be walking out alive. Tell him he better be ready to fight for his life." When I was done, I nodded to Roxanne. With a raise of her hand, the wisps of violet magic danced in her palm. Reginald's eyes widened before glowing purple, signaling Roxanne's complete control over his mind. Javier and Raph released him, and Reginald stood up before shifting to his wolf form and bolting down the road without saying a single word.
Next up, I turned to face Byron and our small group of betas. "You know these guys better than I do," I said to Byron. "Do you think you can set up a border patrol schedule for them to follow?"
Byron gave me a thumbs up. "I'll take care of it."
That only left the crowd of shifters who still needed to choose between sticking with Pierce or staying with me. But now that my nerves were shot, I was no longer playing nice. "You've seen it for yourself. Someone challenged our pack and lost. Kingsrose belongs to us now. I'll give you all the rest of the day to think about where your loyalties lie, then if you're wanting to join us, we'll see you back here tomorrow at sunset for initiation. If you want to side with Pierce, you best better start packing. You're not staying here. And if you think of trying to pull a fast one,"—I gestured to Roxanne—"I'd advise you don't. Trust me, we'll know what your attentions are."
Feeling all the adrenaline drain from my body, I turned and headed for the lodge. Halfway, I declared, "This pack meeting is adjourned."
Now it was time to deal with my mates.
8
ROSIE
I didn't talk to anybody while I sat beside Kai and held his hand while he rested. A part of me was worried that he would end up in a coma too. We had him resting on the couch in the living room area, a blanket draped over his naked body and wet wash cloth placed over his forehead. He was alive, and his breathing was normal, which were good. He didn't look nearly as bad as Joaquin did, so I was hoping that meant he'd wake soon.
While everyone else was settling into whatever rooms they wanted for the night, I sat beside Kai, along with Kao, Byron, Joaquin, and Rowan. Kao fidgeted in one of the love seats in the far end, averting his gaze from everyone else. Footsteps sounded, and I looked up to see Abuelita entering with a tray of drinks. Her hands shook but she managed to make it all the way without dropping everything. Remembering her arthritis, I motioned for Byron to grab the tray. He did, mouthing a silent thank you, then set the dray on top of the coffee table. Everyone reached for their respected cups except for Kao and me. Joaquin grabbed one of them and passed it over to me, urging me to take it.
In all the excitement, I almost forgot that Joaquin finally woke from his coma. I shot a glance to his wrist, noticing the pale, salmon colored spot along his wrist where his skin regrew and attached itself together. Since he was able to lift a cup, that meant he was safe to use his hands. Cautiously, I reached out and took the cup from him. After this was over, I planned to properly check up on Joaquin to make sure he was okay. After waiting for twenty minutes, a moan sounded from Kai as he stirred. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I slid off my chair and knelt beside him. Slowly, Kai's eyes lifted. Gone were the glow of crimson, and back were the bronze globes I fell in love with the day we first met.
"Kai?" I reached out, grabbing the washcloth off his forehead and gently padded it across his face. He still looked groggy, but he wasn't acting feral so that was a good thing.
"Rosie?" he croaked out. I grabbed the water we sat beside him and held it to his lips. Kai slowly slurped up the cool liquid until he dropped his head back onto the pillow. "Where am I?"
"In the lodge. You're okay now."
He sighed in a relaxed state that lasted for two seconds before he bolted up to a sitting position. "Reginald! Where is he? Is he—"
"Easy. Easy," I coaxed him back to lay down. "Reginald's gone."
"I killed him?" he asked with widened eyes.
I shook my head. "No, you didn't. But you almost did."
"Oh," was all he said before looking around to see everyone else huddled together. He winced when his eyes met Joaquin's, seeming to remember their altercation. So, he was mentally aware even though he couldn't control his actions. I filed that tidbit away. "I don't suppose that everything was all just a really bad dream caused by lack of sleep?"
"I'm afraid not," Rowan said with a frown.
Well, that was as close to an invitation as I ever thought I'd get to bring up the conversation. So, I got us started. "You two have a lot of explaining to do, and this time, there is notalking about it later. We're going to discuss this now."
Both twins looked sheepishly at one another before breaking eye contact. Defeated, Kai spoke first. "Apparently my wolf is a Berserker Wolf."
I quirked a brow in confusion. "Apparently?"
"Yeah. For the longest time, I didn't have a name for this angry, violent side to my wolf until recently when Roxanne told me what it was called. It was merely a curse, nothing more."
A curse, as in the curse of the New Moon? Could the two be linked, or was this an entirely different curse? Another one we had to worry about.
"And how did you end up with this curse?" Byron asked.
