Calix stepped in between Knox and Julius’s aim, and Knox turned to his mate.
“Zara, get her to Northernmost immediately and keep her safe there. Don’t come back until I call.”
“What?” Ivy whisper-shouted. “No! I’m not leaving.”
“Zara,” Knox said, putting all his authority into his tone.
“On it,” Zara said.
As the enforcers reached Knox, a melee broke out as shots were fired into the air, and Knox had just a moment to see Zara and Ivy escape through the back exit.
Unsheathing his claws, he let his fangs out and howled.
No one endangered his mate.
“Zara, come on!” Ivy said, tugging on her arm. Zara had an iron grip on her forearm and was pulling her through the snow. “I don’t want to leave Knox.”
“Ivy, we have to go! I do what the alpha says.”
“Aren’t I alpha?”
“Not officially yet. It’s not safe, we need to get you back to Northernmost.”
“Okay, fine, geez.”
Zara stopped pulling on Ivy’s arm and plowing them through the woods. She looked over her shoulder and couldn’t see the meeting hall anymore. She felt weirdly disconnected from Knox.
“If I were just to run?” she asked.
“I’d chase you and I would win,” Zara said. “I’m faster than you, and honestly I want an alpha female in the leap, so I don’t want you to get hurt. Knox’s worried about your safety andbelieves Northernmost is the safest place for you. So open the portal and let’s go.”
Ivy was feeling pretty dang miffed about the whole thing. “Why can’t we just go back to the alpha’s house?”
“Because there’s no telling how many people Julius has on his side, they could be waiting for us. I’m good, Ivy, I can kick ass. But if I’m outnumbered?” She shrugged and let the words hang in the air.
Ivy rolled her eyes. “Way to make me feel guilty that you might get hurt.”
“Aw, you care about me.”
“Shut up.”
Ivy focused on her magic, drawing a portal to her aid. A portal could be opened anywhere by anyone with magic, but all portals to Northernmost only opened to one place: the Entrance. She didn’t like opening a portal without letting anyone in security know, but after hearing how worried Zara was, she thought it was best to just get the heck home.
The portal opened slowly, and she was surprised to see another elf standing near the portal.
“Oh, hi, Bruce,” she said. “What are you doing?”
“I was waiting for an escort to go to Orlando for some supplies,” he said, his brows high. “You?”
“I’m in danger and my bodyguard is being a real coal-head about my safety.”
“Coal-head?” Zara asked with a snort.
As the two moved to the Entrance, Ivy felt something stopping her from moving forward.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“What?” Zara asked.