Page 42 of Ember's Claim

“Look what I found,” Athos says, chucking something from the mist. He appears from the waist up as the body he tossed down works to uncrumple itself from the earth. “It’s a warlock. I wouldn’t let Eldritch catch sight of him until we know if he might be useful.”

The warlock stands, swiping his messy whitish-blond hair back from his face. He looks young, somewhere around his early twenties, but when magic is involved, it’s impossible to tell. He adjusts his thick black glasses, his blue eyes narrowing as he eyes me up and down.

Bane jogs over in human form, but I ignore him to focus on the warlock.

“What’s your name?” I growl as my eyes glow, lighting up the dark clearing.

“Cohen,” he says, pulling his shoulders back. He’s got a slender build, and without his magic to protect him, I could break him in two. “You’re not supposed to be on pack land. You’re not a wolf.”

“I am not,” I agree, letting my hands shift into my claws. “But my mate is, and she seems to have stumbled into the wrong area during her nightly run.”

Bane stays a few feet back from the warlock, watching the sky like he’s ensuring Eldritch doesn’t swoop in from nowhere and murder our information source. He glances at me long enough to say, “She was injured but alive when she left the ring. There’s nowhere close to enough blood for her injuries to be fatal. The dead wolf was using wolfsbane.”

“How do you know?” I snarl.

Bane shrugs. “The stench is unmistakable, and there’s residue under every one of his front claws. It shouldn’t kill her, but it would have weakened her significantly. She probably feels like death warmed over.”

My dragon roars in my mind, desperate to burst free and wreak havoc. He’s close to the length of a bus when fully shifted, and, with how furious he is, I wouldn’t put it past him to eat the warlock.

“The female wolf is your mate?” Cohen takes a step back as my fangs elongate.

“She is,” Athos says, answering for me. “And his dragon is close to escaping to burn the entire village to the ground if you don’t tell him where to find her.”

“She fought Aimes,” the warlock sputters. “And she won. She’s the Prime Alpha of the North American Pack.”

My jaw falls as I stagger back several steps.

Oh, fuck me.

Ember, what the hell did you do?

My eyes fly to Athos, and his head shakes.

This isn’t something I can wish away.

The consequences would be too great. The universe balances his power in terrifying ways. Say I did make the wish—it would be granted, but rather than keeping her away from pack lands tonight, it could be that she fought and lost. Thus, ensuring she was no longer alpha.

“Do you know where she is?” Bane asks, coming closer. “Or do we need to find her ourselves? I can guarantee, you won’t like our search methods.”

“I’ll take the alpha’s mate,” Cohen says, shoving up his glasses. “But the rest of you need to go. The pack was already in turmoil. If they see all of you, it will only fuel their panic. Someone will challenge her before she has the chance to heal.”

My dragon snarls in my mind, but I stifle it. “And as her mate, I would fight as her proxy.”

The warlock’s head shakes. “You’re not her family member. Onlybondedmates are able to fight in place of another.”

Bane curses under his breath. “Do you want me to go for Dread?”

Dread is one of Ember’s fathers. He could fight in her place if need be, but the pack wouldn’t take kindly to that.

There’s also no guarantee the same law that stands in Haven will apply here. This is a community of wolves. I’m not surethey’d allow a hellhound to fight in her place in an alpha challenge.

There’s also the fact my dragon is probably right. Ember would never forgive me for ratting her out to her family.

My head shakes.

I’m not even sure they’ll allowmeto fight in her place, considering I’m a dragon. That just means I’ll have to get creative.

I pull my shoulders back. “No, I’ll ensure no one lives long enough to contemplate challenging her.”

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