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The two alphas squared off to face each other. Cullen didn’t like Colby’s chances. There was a loud whistle, and both of them switched their attention to Salem.
“It’s my Celestial Key…” she said stubbornly.
“Which has done its job…”
“Maybe and maybe not. We don’t know what else it might be able to tell us, and I’m the only one it’ll talk to. My intel, my op. You can include me in your plan, or I’ll go on my own. I’m sure the Shadow Sisters would be happy to have my back. Alternatively, I’m willing to let you take a leadership role…”
“You’re willing? You forget who is alpha here…”
Colby leaned back against the heavy desk, clearly enjoying the spectacle of Cullen and Salem going toe-to-toe. He watched as Jinx tapped the lynx-shifter on the arm and pointed to her computer screen. Colby got closer and began reading over Jinx’s shoulder.
“Cullen? You might want to take a look at this,” said Colby.
“What is it?” Cullen growled.
“Jinx has found more of the prophecy. There’s a paragraph here that seems to speak directly about you and Salem.”
“What does it say?”
“It talks about the ice wolf—that’s another name for arctic wolf, right?” Cullen nodded. “The ice wolf… blah, blah, blah… it lists all of your attributes and then says, ‘the ice wolf will mate with a dark-haired warrior who has yet to become a she-wolf…’ She’s described as descending from the old line in the original colonies, and that it is their combined power that will defeat this army of darkness and tip the balance back toward the light. From what Jinx tells me, that pretty much describes Salem.”
Cullen looked between Jinx and Salem. “Did either of you know about this?”
“No, Alpha, I literally just extracted it from one of the SPU documents,” said Jinx.
“Those bastards,” said Salem. “They’ve known all along.”
Cullen nodded.
Colby placed his hand on Cullen’s shoulder. “If anyone understands wanting to keep her safe, it’s me. Sometimes your best bet is to keep her close, though, and let her be who she was destined to be. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss. Why don’t Jinx and I slip out and get Shaw and Hamish started on coordinating getting your people ready and my people here.”
After they were gone, Cullen said, “I don’t like it. I know you’re trained, but not in an active combat situation, and you’ve never trained with my people. You will remain here.”
“Our people, jackass. Look, I know we haven’t known each other very long, but you can’t honestly believe that. I mean, you’re smarter than that,” Salem said, calmly.
“If we had time for you to transition, I might feel differently…”
“I doubt it…”
“You’d be a wolf. You’d be stronger, faster, and able to shift and run with us.”
“Then bite me now.”
“That isn't how it works. I mean, it does, but it takes at least a few days or more for the transition to be complete. We don’t have time.”
“Not true,” she said, brushing her lips against his. “We have all the time in the world.”
He hugged her close for a brief moment and led her out to join his—no, not his, but their—people. It seemed that the Ghost Moon Pack was entering the fray, and they might be the only thing standing between the Resistance and an army of the undead children of the night.
CHAPTER 17
CULLEN
The plan had been simple and thus far had worked perfectly. They’d moved into place before nightfall the day before, concealing their presence from the vampires, who’d been lax on security. They seemed fixated on their upcoming ritual. Jinx had found reports stating that the Wurdulaks practiced a form of ghost marriage or ghost unions—taking living human women, turning them against their will and keeping them to warm their beds until tiring of them.
Cullen had not been happy about her inclusion in the battle and had tried unsuccessfully several times to keep her out of the fray. She had been adamant, and in the end, Colby’s persuasive argument that it was safer to have her at his side than not had made Cullen relent and bring her along. Given that she was the only non-paranormal in the fight, he had given orders that she was to be protected at all times. That had been non-negotiable for him.
They had found two points of entry into the haunted mine. He and Salem were at one, and the rest of the strike force was at the other. They planned to wait until full light and make a coordinated, simultaneous entry. They were well-armed, well-trained, and had excellent comm units. It didn’t hurt that they also had two fully armed and stealth-capable helicopters that could and would be called in as backup and support.
