Page 7 of Resurgence of the Pack

I resisted the urge to point out that Terrance’s questiondidrequire me to say some more.My grandfather used to be afire elemental but he lost his powers. Some vampyr prat has noticed that he hasn’t been using them of late and challenged him to a duel. We need to set the rumours to rest that Grandfather’s powers are gone forever.

Ah – now, that I can do,Terrance said complacently. He’s not my kin, so he can’t wear me on his bonce, but he can carry me in his hands and I will assist his fiery endeavours in this matter.

I grinned.Perfect.

Amber studied me. ‘Sentient crown, huh?’

‘You bet,’ I smirked. ‘Can you make it so no one will notice the crown?’

She looked at the gold circlet in my hands. ‘As long as it’s happy with that.’

You okay with her making you invisible, Terrance?I asked.

Well, I do love to be resplendent but I am willing not to be to assist the Royal Family. As long as I’m not hidden forever, Your Majesty.

Thank you.‘He’s good with it, as long as it isn’t permanent,’ I told Amber.

‘No,’ she assured me. ‘It’ll wear off in a couple of weeks after the runes fade or I can remove it sooner, if you prefer.’

‘Great. Thank you.’

She rifled through her tote bag again, selected a number of paintbrushes and got to work.

‘And how,’ my grandfather asked derisively, ‘is a werewolf crown supposed to help me?’

I beamed at him. ‘It’s not any old crown, Grandy, it’s amagiccrown. It’s haunted by a fire elemental called Terrance.’

He blinked. ‘And Terrance still has his powers?’

‘Yep.’

‘Most unusual,’ he mused aloud. ‘He can’t be dead, then. More likely he has been transformed into a non-corporeal being. Ghosts aren’t real,’ he explained absently to me.

I shrugged. ‘Call him what you will, he’s definitely haunting this crown – and thank goodness he is. He’ll be your salvation.’

For the first time in ages, Grandy looked vaguely optimistic.

Chapter 4

I was just about to go back into the mansion when a foreign mind touched mine – no, notoneforeign mind but several. The corvids on the roof were panicking.Danger!

‘Anyone around, on me!’ I hollered as I ran through the mansion and pelted up to the roof. I repeated the call. Doors opened and my wolves poured out of the pack living room: Archie, Thea, David, Tristan and Elena.

‘Intruders on the roof!’ I barked. More men came out of the room: Greg, Thomas Elliott and those whom I recognised as my newcomers, Lord Samuel’s friends Tarkers and Wakado. I was surprised to see Elliott; he had hosted the ball where I’d been crowned but what was he doing here? He hadn’t been invited to this soirée. I dismissed the question and focused on the intruders who were the more pressing concern.

‘Shift!’ Tristan barked at the others and, just like that, their clothes fell onto the floor as they pounded up thestairs and overtook me. Tarquin and Wakefield joined the fray, transforming into their impressive wolf forms as they also pelted up the stairs. I very much appreciated an ally who was willing to muck in; fingers crossed these two gentlemenwereallies and not surprise enemies at our heels. It was notable that Elliott stayed where he was, leaning indolently against the door frame whilst the rest of us ran up the stairs.

We burst onto the rooftops ready to fight – only to find it wasn’t an enemy that had freaked out the poor corvids but several more allies. The dark seraph looked at us in surprise. ‘Were we ever that fucking excitable?’ one of the five remarked, looking at the host of panting wolves at the door.

‘You still are,’ another shot back with a snort. She was a dark seraph; unlike her male counterparts, she was wearing a little more clothing on the top half of her body. She was dressed in a black crop top that contrasted with her pale skin, and her flaming red hair was tied back in a high plait; she looked ready to kick ass and take names. Apparently she had sass, too, and wasn’t afraid to use it. I liked her already.

‘Hello,’ I said, a little more calmly now. ‘Apologies for the … excitement. We were notified of intruders on the roof.’

Greg joined me. Unlike many of the others, he was still in his human form; he was a weapon on two legs or four. He didn’t need his claws because he could kill you six ways with his bare hands. Probably more.

‘It wasn’t them that caused a stir,’ a droll voice spoke out of the shadows. ‘It was me.’ Bastion stepped out of the darkness.

My jaw dropped as I studied him. He lookedexhausted; I could only imagine that pure strength of will was keeping him upright. ‘Bastion! You look like shit,’ I said as I flew into his arms.

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