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My wolf bit my tongue before I could respond to the thoughts buzzing in my head.
‘She’s not dead. She knew that this wasn’t her time. She trusts you to get her out of this.’
The Moon Spirit was right. I was supposed to unite these people and telling them all to go to hell wasn’t what Pearl wanted. Regardless of my current feelings, I couldn’t. No matter how much I wanted to put her before the packs.
The very idea made me sick to my stomach, but I pushed it all aside. Right now, I needed to get my head straight, and I needed to keep skin-to-skin contact with Pearl. Otherwise, I would be susceptible to whatever control Tamra was using.
This posed a different problem. I couldn’t fight and maintain contact with Pearl. What I needed to do was get us out of this situation and regroup. We’d fight another day.
“Look out!” Deacon yelled, moving to put himself between me and the assailant.
A snarling growl ripped through the silence, followed by a scream of pain.
“Holy shit!” Deacon exclaimed, watching the scene with wide eyes.
I turned my head as far as I could without dislodging Pearl. A white wolf was growling and shaking my aunt Tamra’s arm. She screamed as blood dripped from the wound, staining the muzzle of the wolf crimson.
Confused, I glanced around and found the Moon Spirit sitting beside me watching the commotion with dark blue eyes that saw more than I ever could.
‘She’s been waiting for this for a long time,’ the Moon Spirit whispered in my thoughts, eyes flicking to mine quickly. ‘I couldn’t tell her no.’
I nodded, pretending that I understood.
“Enough!” my aunt roared, drawing my attention back to the fight.
Tamra had managed to shake off the wolf and was now cradling her mangled arm. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the red stained wolf, her face going pale. The two stared at each other for several heartbeats, the kind of look that held a whole conversation.
The wolf’s hackles rose, revealing fangs covered in sticky blood and saliva. This seemed to shake my aunt out of a daze. She looked around the room like she forgot what she had been doing until her eyes landed on me and the Moon Spirit sitting by me.
“Ah, I remember now.” My aunt smiled, and in that moment, I realized that she wasn’t my aunt at all. She was something different. I felt the presence of enormous power coming from her. A darkness that called to me seductively.
It felt familiar, like I’d felt this before. My wolf moved my hand, so my skin was pressed against Pearl’s. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but my mind remained clear and sharp as long as I stayed in physical contact with her.
A surge of energy rocked me, followed by a blast that I felt more than heard. The Moon Spirit’s chest began to rumble with a growl as the blanket of force settled over everyone in the room.
Together, in perfect synchronization, every shifter took a step forward and spoke like they were all one collective being.
“You have no power here.”
‘I think that’s our cue. We need to regroup.’ Deacon’s hand was on my shoulder, and I realized his mind was clear. I guess contact with me had the same effect that Pearl had on me.
“We can’t stay here,” I spoke quietly. The wolf beside me nodded minutely while the hand on my shoulder squeezed, letting me know I’d been heard.
“I know a place,” he replied just as softly. “A safe house.”
‘I’ll cause a distraction. Estella will join you,’ the Moon Spirit said, moving to a standing position.
I looked toward the head of the room to the alpha table. My uncle and cousin stood amongst the others, looking dazed, and I knew that whatever had happened to me was now happening to them. They were trapped inside themselves, and I didn’t think I had the strength or knew how to break the enchantment again.
“Keep your hand on me at all times,” I told Deacon, hoping he realized just how lucky he was not to be trapped like so many others.
“Got it.” Deacon squeezed my shoulder again.
The bloody wolf backed up until it was next to the Moon Spirit.
A sharp and shrill whistling split the air before part of the building exploded. I covered Pearl as best as I could while avoiding pieces of the roof raining down on the gathered crowd.
“Keep moving,” Deacon advised, pushing bystander statues aside. I prayed that they regained control of themselves.
