I hear his howl.  The howl I’d heard at the beginning of so many battles.  The howl I’d heard prior to hunts, for game and for punishments.  The howl I’d heard when he first realized that I was his mate.  The howl that I hear in my nightmares and I’m sure that Nathan hears as well. Julian. He’s here. At first, my fear threatens to overtake me.  I let it wash over me, breathing through it.  One of the things that we found out about Gael’s gift is that the more it is used, the more lasting the effects are.  Since the first time that he used it on me at the Alpha Council meeting, Sandra set me up with a therapist and one for Nathan.  Between twice weekly visits to the therapist and two to three visits per week with Gael, both of us are better able to control our fear. As the fear passes, a fierce sense of protectiveness for Nathan and my new pack and friends crashes over me.  And anger.  So much anger.

I’m using all of my Goddess gift to frighten the enemy wolves on my side away from Julian and Zak.  At the same time, I’m reinforcing our allies’ courage and determination to protect our packs and keep us safe.  Many of the wolves are using the forcefield to kind of bounce the enemy off of.  The harder they bounce, the harder and farther they fall.  Many wolves are being telekinetically thrown or are stumbling over unseen obstacles.  Some enemies suddenly find their bones snapping when they cross a certain boundary, while others forget why they are there and stop moving in the middle of the battlefield. I hear Julian taunting Zak and I can feel my friend’s anger rise.  Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do to help him since I’m controlling moving targets on my side.  I’ve got to keep my focus out here.  Zak’s got to take care of himself. Suddenly, I hear Julian’s threat.  “Gladly.  And after I kill you and your mal

While Xander, Devin, and Liam are figuring out what to do, I run over to the injured wolf.  I should have realized something was wrong the second that I got to his side.  There was no one else around.  I couldn’t figure out which wolf attacked him and there’s no way that a wolf would have left him alive.  They would have finished him before moving on.  It’s almost like he was dropped out of thin air.  I also should have seen how close the wolf was to a large storage shed at the edge of the woods. I should have realized it was a trap.  But I was too focused on the wolf that needed healing.  I should have known that Mathias would use an injured wolf as bait to try and reel me in.  But I didn’t. I rush to the wolf, hearing him gargling on his own blood.  His eyes are wide, filled with the knowledge that he is going to suffocate on his own blood. “Hold on, I’m gonna help you.” I say as I kneel beside him.  I

After linking Xander and Devin, we shift and run into the forest to aid our allies.  We leave Naomi behind, taking control of her pack.  She has mindlinked them all, ordering them to stop fighting.  Most of them have stopped, but because she hasn’t officially taken control of the pack and had them swear fealty to her, they don’t have to listen.  And not all of them do.  There are some who thrived under Julian’s rule and are pissed.  They are only a small group, but they are made up of some of the fiercest warriors that Julian had.  And they have gone into the forest to help support Mathias. The good thing is that Jeb’s warriors had been absorbed into Julian’s, so by killing him, we took control of two-thirds of the warriors.  And they were also pissed.  They never wanted to be a part of this, let alone have their pack taken over by the “Bloody Rogue Prince,” their pet name for Julian.  They had been pissed that Jeb ha

I stand behind Arya, Devin, and Xander’s mom’s chairs.  Zak is to my left, directly behind Devin, and Charlie is seated directly behind Arya.  They are holding Jared and Christine, bundled up against the night chill.  All of our friends and family are gathered around us: Lauren, Clara, Meredith, and the other she-wolves around Arya and Xander’s mom, and Richard, Carl, and the other alphas around Devin. The pyres are set up in front of us.  Arya and Devin have barely spoken since we found them.  We still don’t know exactly what happened, only that Arya is Luna and Xander is gone.  They sit, dried eyed, just staring at the wooden bed where their mate lays. The family members of the deceased are all dressed in white in their mourning, but Devin and Arya are both dressed in a deep forest green.  One of the few things that Arya said was that her family dressed in the favorite color of the one who passed on.  It was a way to honor th