*Gemma*Kael and I followed Izar to the next empty house over after our company was dismissed to share a meal with the other shifters hidden somewhere in Cargan. Though I was desperate for food, and I knew Kael was too, we were more interested in securing the next steps in Izar's plan. It was mind-boggling. I was now willingly walking into a secret resistance.We sat across from the Nightguard Alpha on a plush rug, Kael's hand on my knee. Although it was unnecessarily protective, I enjoyed it. "Right," Izar said, propping his forearms on his own knees, "catch me up. Start at a year ago."After Kael regaled him with this past year's events, he repeated once more what happened after he was kidnapped by Hazel. With every word my mate said, I sank deeper into sorrow and guilt. Every single day he snuck out wearing an ugly black wig to gather supplies for his pack, and do everything in his power—which wasn't much—to keep his packmates' morals lifted by making sure everyone wa

*Kael*Jerah and Jaci keep that promise. They did protect me.But they protected me too much.Did they make the same promise to Elara and Rian? If they did, they failed.And I couldn't trust them anymore.Gemma was trying to stop me, but I ripped free to storm to the room that Bly pointed to. I slammed the door open, making Helie shout in surprise and snap, "Hey!" Then, seeing my face, she bolted to her feet and pressed her palms to my chest to hold me back. "Get out of here, Kael. You can't pull this shit—"Both lucky and unlucky for me, Ferio, the silent, steadfast pillar, was there, too, and suddenly took Helie's place to block Jerah from my view."Out of my way," I snarled. "That bastard betrayed me—betrayed my entire pack—""I know," Helie said desperately, "but that doesn't mean—""It's okay, I can take it."We froze at Jerah's voice. Hesitating, Ferio stepped aside. I stalked to Jerah's bedside. Like Bly, he was worse for wear. Some part of me cared and wa

*Gemma*The driver slammed his foot down on the brake. Kael, Helie, and I smashed face-first into the seats. The car skidded, swinging sideways, the tires unable to keep traction on the sand. Ahead, the car holding Izar and four other Nightguard shifters was crushed. I couldn't see anyone moving inside it. The two males in the front seats made to open the doors and jump out to rescue their Alpha—but then I looked to see who was climbing out of the enemy car's wrecked doors.The scream ripped from my throat. "No!""Why?" they barked in tandem. "They're just Herrick's guards. We can take them—"Maybe they could, but I didn't want them to risk their lives for my kidnappers.Gralyn and Hadley's feet hit the sand, and they stalked toward Izar's car."Gemma," Helie hissed. "What's wrong?"I wasn't afraid of them, but I was afraid of what I didn't know–their capabilities. Maybe they could be taken down by any of the Nightguards shifters—or maybe they could be strong enough

*Kael*I jumped out of the car before it came to a stop, skidding across the sand and throwing myself onto my knees, putting two fingers to my brother's neck. There—a pulse. Alive.I shook Rian's shoulders—and my horror spiked. He looked worse than I ever did: cuts, bloomed bruises, swollen lip. He'd been tortured. I knew exactly by who.Connor Herrick had tortured my brother.I'd kill him. "Rian, wake up. Wake up, for Mom's sake!"His face was already sunburned. He would look like a molting snake when he healed. When, not if.Helie appeared. "He's alive. I'm going to kill him.""We have to get him in the car." I hauled my brother over my shoulder, lying him down in the backseat just like Jerah. I really didn't want to make this a habit.Cari had squeezed herself in the small trunk, watching Gemma climb into the passenger side. I set Rian's head on Helie's lap as she set to work on his face with the medical supplies that every car was equipped with—along with wate

*Gemma*I never imagined my uncles could be so conniving.But that didn't matter. If we could make them happy by eliminating a threat to them and the rest of Oceantide, even the entire East—hell, the rest of the West—then fine. Kael and everyone else who was about to fight alongside us; none of us were doing it to satisfy anyone. We were going to war with the intent to free the country from slavery. We were going to save villages and cities, protect daughters and sisters, and prove there could be futures for all without the threat of fear."You just might start a revolution, Gemma Brooks."Maybe so. Maybe I really was the reason an army was standing behind me as I stood beside one of the most important Alphas of this lifetime. Would any of this happen if I hadn't plunged that knife into Connor Herrick's spine?Maybe, maybe not.All that mattered was that it was happening, and there was no going back. Conviction was everything. This was not the time or place for hesita