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“Do you think you’ve won this?” she sneered imperiously.
I glanced over at my pack to see Noah had worked his way around and was coaxing a devastated Liam away from his father’s body.
“No,” I murmured, grief and pity swelling in my chest. “There’s no victory here.”
“They will all die, Daughter, mark my words.”
I spun to face my mother again at her cruel promise, my power rising with my anger and whipping strands of hair around my face.
“Leave,” I hissed. “Now, or I’ll do more than just defend us.”
She scoffed. “You don’t have the strength to kill me, child.”
I lifted my chin defiantly, unflinchingly holding her gaze. “Not yet.”
Her eyes flared a little at the conviction in my tone, but she pasted an unimpressed mask back onto her face as she turned and began to walk towards the treeline.
“I’ll be back for them, Cordelia,” she called before she disappeared into the shadows. “You can’t protect them forever.”
I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I watched the place she had vanished for a few long moments.
“Just watch me,” I whispered, finally relaxing enough to take a deep breath.
Movement from my left had my head snapping around to see Linc carrying my sister back into the clearing, conscious but her face twisted in pain. Hawk limped behind them, supported by Spencer, all three now in human form again. I ran over, reaching for Briar frantically.
“Shit, B, are you ok?”
She grimaced at me. “Don’t panic, I’m fine.”
Linc huffed a humourless laugh. “Yeh, sure you are.”
He looked at me. “She’s badly twisted her ankle, maybe fractured it, and at least three of her ribs are cracked.”
Spencer gave her a concerned glance before addressing me. “She’ll live, thanks to Hawk’s speed. Are you ok, Cor? That was intense.”
I nodded briskly, reaching out to give my sister’s arm a supportive squeeze.
“She’s gone, it’s over. For now anyway,” I said softly. “I need to see my pack. Can you guys stay over here for a few minutes?”
They all nodded their understanding, and I turned back to the group of shifters who were stood in restless shock around their Alpha. Liam sat with his head dropped on his knee, Noah sitting in silent support beside him. Zeke stood on his other side, his eyes locked on his mother’s body, his face eerily expressionless.
The pain and grief pouring down both my bonds was so intense that I’d had to partially block them off, knowing that it would only add fuel to my own reaction and that I didn’t have time to fall apart right now. The guards we had subdued would wake soon, and we had injuries to deal with before we could travel far. Grief could come later, especially when my mates needed me more than ever.
I walked towards Liam, the pack falling silent as they watched me approach and drop to my knees before him.
“Liam,” I said softly, reaching out a hand to touch his leg.
I gasped as his hands shot out and he grabbed me, pulling me into his lap and wrapping me in his strong arms.
“I failed them,” he rasped from where his face was buried in the crook of my neck. “This is my fault.”
I folded my arms around his shoulders, holding him as tightly as I could as I shook my head in denial.
“No,” I said, pushing strength and conviction into my voice so that they could all hear it. “You were all tricked; you were influenced by magic. And there was no way you could have known. It is notanyof your fault.”
He was shaking in my grip, grief and shock rampaging through his system. I held tight as I looked around the pack, catching on Noah’s red-rimmed eyes before speaking to them all again.
“You all heard who was responsible for this, the truth of the Queen’s plans for us all, and the extent she will manipulate anyone she can into betraying us,” I said, my voice cracking a little as I saw the sorrow on their faces. “There was never a chance for peace, I’m sorry.”
