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"Bring me the draught," Teller commands someone within. "It's time."
A beta emerges carrying a smoking cup. Teller drinks deep, then sighs in satisfaction. "Go, and tell the witch woman to make another. I don't want to lose my knot when the full moon rises."
So that is how he maintains his dominance; his stolen knot needs power to maintain. Cut off the source, and the general will fall, as he'll no longer be an alpha and his betas will turn on him. This may be our path to victory.
I head back to talk with my mates. We have intel. Now to form our plan of attack.
Once we are far enough away, I share my most important discovery.
"Teller takes some sort of potion nightly to retain his stolen alpha power," I tell them. "If we can taint it somehow..."
I see understanding light their eyes. Sever the source of the general's might, and his illegitimate reign ends. He'll be cut off from his stolen pack bonds and any ability to draw on the wellspring's ancient magic. After so much struggle, final victory is within reach at last.
Thale strokes his beard thoughtfully, pale eyes glinting. "I can use my magic to change the draught. It'll mean touching the potion, but a few changes in its nature will stop his heart swiftly and silently."
Hope and fierce satisfaction rise within me. After so much struggle and sacrifice, Teller will finally fall tonight.
"We must tell the witches, so they're ready to stabilize the packs when Teller is gone," Lucian says urgently. "The lone wolves will seek new land."
I pass the word to Rhea through my communication stone. But as I speak, a cold hand closes around my wrist in an iron grip.
I look up with a gasp into the red eyes of Sybil. The vampire witch hisses, her sharp fangs bared.
"Clever girl," she sneers. "But your plan will fail." With casual strength, she crushes the stone in her grip.
My mates leap forward, but Sybil moves in a blur, reappearing further away in the darkness. Her piercing gaze bores into me.
"You cannot stop what is coming. My Master will see you dead, Rina." Her voice drips contempt.
Then she vanishes into smoke before my mates can seize her. I sag into Thale's steadying embrace, heart pounding.
The vampire witch knows our plans somehow. We'll have to act quickly before she can warn Teller.
But Sybil's chilling words echo in my mind, seeding doubt. What other tricks might Teller have planned?
Sensing my unease, Adar tilts my chin up. His amber eyes blaze with determination.
"We've faced worse odds, little flame. Have faith."
His unyielding confidence buoys me. One way or another, tonight we'll kill Teller.
ChapterFourteen
The full moon rises, bathing the forest in silver light as our small group gathers. After Sybil's dire warning, we know Teller will be on high alert tonight. Our window to eliminate him undetected is vanishingly small.
But Everett may have found a solution. "Poisoning his draught directly is too risky now," the big man rumbles, brow furrowed in thought. "But now that I know he has magic in his blood, I can use my water magic to poison the blood in his veins instead."
I frown, not following what he means. But Lucian nods as he gets it. "The draught makes him vulnerable and he probably doesn't even know it. We couldn't use our magic on him before because of his wards, but that kind of dark magic opens up a hole that'll let your water element in."
"Do it," Adar growls, cracking his knuckles impatiently. Sparks dance along his fingertips. "I'll cloak the camp in smoke and chaos to distract that leech Sybil."
Hope rises within me, tentative but growing stronger. By sunrise, Teller's bloody reign over the packs will finally end.
We share grim nods of agreement and resolve. The time for attack is here. We melt into the shadows, moving swift and silent beneath the moon's bright light.
At the border of our territory, we halt. Power thrums beneath my feet where Thale carved ancient wards into the living earth. Ahead, only speed, stealth, and skill stand between us and being discovered.
One by one, my mates draw me into a fierce embrace before we head out on our own. Lucian's angular face is taut with grim purpose as he presses a swift kiss to my hair. "Stay safe, my wild one. We shall celebrate victory when the sun rises."
