Page 47 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

I harnessed my magical supplies, my heart pounding in sync with the chaotic bustle around me. Beneath the flickering torches, I sketched a huge pentagram rune of protection over the sparring ring, casting a shimmering barrier—a safe zone, much like the circle I had conjured on the mountainside to shield Logan and Tyler. But as I carefully etched the final lines of the symbol, Logan hovered nearby. A swell of discomfort zipped through my chest.

Both he and Tyler were organizing the units of wolves they would be leading. But with Logan’s unit organized, he was getting distracted. I felt the pull of the mate bond in my chest as he kept turning to watch me.

“Logan?” I asked. “Do you remember the tagiu stones in the Council Chamber?”

“The ashy blue ones?” he replied.

“Exactly. Can you pry out as many as you can?”

“On it.” In a moment, he’d gone.

I had been about to go and get the precious ores myself to reinforce the protective circle. But Logan needed to refocus his thoughts on the fight ahead. We couldn’t afford to be distracted or have our attention divided.

But then, my gaze found Tyler amidst the ranks of the shifted wolves, the rumble of his voice roiling through the air, steady and reassuring, as solid as the strong lines of his body. He hadn’t shifted into his wolf form yet, but his muscled body amidst the sea of silver fur looked just as magnificent as his mighty silver wolf.

Just then, his eyes found mine, and it felt as if the storm in them was all for me. As if we were back in the supply closet, his lips on mine, his kiss telling me he wanted me, the fierce flicker in his eyes seemed to tell me he felt the heat banking between us still.

As Logan re-entered the sparring ring, arms cradling a bundle of tagiu stones, I shook my head, feeling like the world’s biggest hypocrite as I tried to clear my attention.

“Bury the tagiu at each point of the pentagram,” I instructed Logan. “It’ll reinforce the protective magic.”

The howls in the north grew clearer: The Black Moons were drawing ever closer. Anticipation thrummed through me, aware that the witch who had used blood magic to frame my parents was about to emerge from the shadows.

Too soon, silence settled over our pack like a thick fog. Everyone, except for Tyler and me, had shifted into their wolf forms. I remained at the center of the sparring ring, feeling my magic surge around me, enveloping me like a warm summer breeze.

Shapes began to slip from the night as the first waves of Black Moon wolves emerged from the tree line, their obsidian-furred forms stalking forward. The air thickened, heavy with malice, as their silhouettes danced ominously in the flickering torchlight.

The formidable figure of Alpha Marcus emerged. His muscled chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. The intricate tattoos coiling over his arms seemed to ripple like serpents. Each sinew tightened as he organized his pack with a commanding presence. In his grip, he wielded the medallion from our last encounter, its dark aura pulsating ominously and sending chills racing up my spine.

But he didn’t keep it for long. He extended it towards another figure emerging from the shadows: Elvira, the dark witch of the Black Moons. Icy tendrils of terror curled around my heart as I felt the power intensify when it was transferred into her hands.

The two figures advanced across the land toward us, their pack of Black Moons stalking close behind them. Alpha Marcus stepped forward, his voice carrying across the night with cruel amusement.

“Tyler,” he called, a mocking smirk on his face. “For too long, I’ve had my sights set on your precious Silver Moon lands. Tonight, I take them.”

Tyler’s jaw tightened, his gaze unwavering as he stared Marcus down. “We’ve chased you from our lands before, Marcus. We’ll do it again!”

Marcus laughed, the sound chilling. “I believe your mighty pack these days is about as sharp as your sense of smell,” he jabbed, glancing sideways at the ranks of wolves behind him. “How long was it before you discovered my own in your midst?” His voicedripped with mockery as he gestured to the two silvery wolves within the Black Moon ranks, Darius and Linda’s eyes glinting with betrayal.

Tyler growled low in his throat, fury flashing in his eyes. “Their deceit will not go unpunished!”

With a scoff, Marcus stepped forward, the medallion’s dark aura pulsing with energy in response. “No, tonight, I’m going to take everything from you—your pack, your lands, and even your precious little witch.” He shot a glance in my direction, a wicked grin playing on his lips.

My heart raced, ferocity bubbling within me as I braced for the fight, already feeling Elvira’s infringing darkness radiating beside the Black Moon Alpha.

A low growl, filled with fury and resolve, sounded from Tyler. “Tonight, I’m going to tear you apart.”

With those words, Tyler’s muscles rippled, and silver sprouted as he shifted seamlessly into his mighty wolf form. The air vibrated with power as his eyes shone, the fierce spirit of the Alpha embodied in his majestic shape. With a roar that pierced the night, he let out the howl of battle, a sound that echoed through the trees.

In that very moment, Marcus followed suit. He, too, shifted, but his form transformed into a massive black wolf, sleek and powerful. He unleashed a howl, deep and resonant, a challenge that reverberated through the very ground beneath us.

The two Alphas stood poised, their forms exuding strength and authority, howling for dominance—making the air electric with the promise of impending conflict.

Suddenly, the howls and growls of battle erupted like an explosion around me. My heart raced, each thump screaming of what was at stake—our lives, our pack, and everyone I loved.

Elvira raised her arms and shouted an incantation that sliced through the night air. “Unnuak atuutluk tuku!” Each word was aimed toward me as she tried to shred the protective circle I had created.

This time, I was ready for her dark magic, though. The tagiu stones Logan had buried at the pentagram’s points surged with energy, their glow merging with the rune of protection I had drawn. I thrust my arms forward, channeling the pentagram’s protective barrier.

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