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“Truly?” Estella’s eyes were brighter than they were. “Tamra wouldn’t trust just anyone.”
“You’re right.” Alder rubbed the back of his neck while shooting glances at Arden, who was conversing with Teo several paces away.
“If you could complete a thought, that would be really helpful,” Deacon said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
Alder’s gaze snapped to Deacon, a sneer on his face that was clear distaste for the other wolf. I could practically feel the hostility in the air, and it was already getting old. This many dominant wolves in one place was a recipe for testosterone-fueled mayhem.
“Enough,” Rylan growled, snapping the two shifters out of whatever game they were playing. “What do you know?”
“These aren’t all of the shifters she sent,” Alder answered, turning his gaze to Rylan then dropping it out of respect. “We were just the first wave.”
“The first wave?” Deacon repeated, shooting a worried glance at Rylan, who clenched his jaw.
“Teo, get the newcomers in the house,” Deacon commanded quickly before he began barking orders at the enforcers who had subdued the first attack.
“You need to go with the others,” Rylan told me, glancing around with clear worry.
“The best place for me is here.” I gave him a look that said I wasn’t leaving his side.
He jerked his head, conceding to me, but I could tell he wasn’t happy about it.
“There,” Estella shouted, pointing in the direction where the first group had come from.
Shifted wolves appeared from between the trees, fangs bared, ready to attack. A dark wolf in front howled, which seemed to be some sort of signal because every wolf started running toward us.
“Guard her,” Rylan barked at Deacon, who stepped closer.
“Rylan?” I called, worried for his safety while fighting the urge to ignore his command.
“Stay here, Pearl. Promise me.” Rylan grabbed my arm, looking truly scared.
“Rylan, what…” I managed to get out before my mate shifted into his half beast form and growled a name that made my heart stutter.
“Ledger!”
Chapter Thirteen
Rylan
I knew yelling my cousin’s name would attract his attention, and I was determined to keep it. Not only did we look similar, but we also had around the same amount of dominance and strength. I’d gained more power recently and could probably easily overcome Ledger, but he knew my weaknesses.
I sent my intentions through the pack bond, letting every wolf know to avoid Ledger and let me deal with him. Ledger wasn’t above fighting dirty. He would exploit anything and everything in order to win.
Knowing what I did now, I wondered how much of that was really Ledger and how much was his mother’s influence. She’d been controlling him and my uncle for decades; who knew how much she’d managed to manipulate them? It now made sense why my uncle wasn’t seriously upset about his true mate dying. She’d probably buried the mate bond so deep inside his mind that he couldn’t draw strength from it or even access it.
I felt sympathy for both of them, but right now, the threat was my cousin. We were family, and while I hated the thought of going against him, I had to protect my mate and pack. No one else knew how far he was willing to go.
My arms shifted first, followed by my face then the rest of my body. This form was difficult to maintain, but I needed every advantage I could get.
“Promise me,” I repeated, needing Pearl to understand that she could not interfere.
“I promise,” she muttered, not sounding happy about it.
The truth was, I wasn’t happy about it either. I would much rather have her by my side fighting every battle that I did, but my instincts wouldn’t allow it. I had to keep her safe, to protect everyone, and the only way to do that was to face the threat myself.
My wolf wondered if we should roar again. If we had more time, I would say yes, but I’d just used my power to release the first wave. I had no idea if I could use it again so soon or if it would even work on my cousin. I got the distinct feeling that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary fight. I wasn’t battling for trust or loyalty anymore. I couldn’t hold back.
Once completely shifted, I sprinted forward, intending to meet Ledger head on. He had other plans though. He saw me coming and swerved, as if intending to avoid me in order to get to my mate. I snarled, whipping around so fast I almost lost my balance.
