Page 179 of The Lands Defying
He growls playfully and I scratch his ears before he turns to do just that.
I look down at my hand and play with my power, rolling strands between my fingers.
I never let him out in front of Rhea before he barged out of me. I didn’t want our already complicated relationship any more messy, with adding in the fact he was the wolf she saw when she was younger. That we both saw each other.
If I could kick my sixteen year old self back then to grab her. To go after her and take her away someplace safe, I would.
Footsteps approach and I turn to my brothers.
“What news?” I ask Leo as Damian yawns, stretching his arms over his head.
Zaide and Jerrod are on night duty tonight, but I know they probably filled them in.
“Maverick says he caught a few stragglers around Vokheim last night. And now we haven’t been able to get in contact with him.”
I stand up straighter. “Rogures?”
“And witches,” Damian says, a concerned look on his face.
“They definitely know,” I tell them.
Leo nods. “We think so.”
“Casualties?”
“None, the rogures were taken care of and when one of the Elites on patrol confronted a witch, she said she was poweringup the wards.” Leo runs a hand down his face, stress lining his eyes. “What do you want us to do?”
“So they knew I had been slowly changing the wards to my own.” They nod. “Send some more Elites to the keep, have some from Colhelm follow.” He nods as Damian takes his blade out. “Damian, you go on ahead with them.” He nods, face turning into a coldness I am familiar with as he readies himself. I look back at the cabin. “Leo, stay with her, let her know I won’t be long when she wakes.
“I’m more useful to you.”
“I can’t…I can’t trust anyone else with this. I need to know she is safe and you are that direct link.”
He stares at me hard for a moment before his shoulders slump. “She’s going to kick your ass,” he mutters.
“Probably, but I’m not sure how long I can stay away from her to be honest.”
They both give me a sympathetic look.
“And after we are done there?” Damian says, coming closer as I mentally call Drax back to me.
He comes through the tree line, aiming directly for my outstretched hand.
“We prepare.”
As soon as Drax is with me, I gather the extra men near the gathering, and with one last look at the cabin, we port.
Only, we port into a bloodbath.
My men battle with others in the courtyard, archers on the battlements getting blasted by witches’ magic. Wolves and rogures tearing each other apart as balls of fire hit the side of the keep.
What the fuck.
“How did they get in?!” I shout, grabbing a guard by the scruff of his neck and sending him flying back as he nears one of my men.
Fucking Highers guard.
“They breached the west wall, Alpha.” I send out my magic and it splits off into five sharp points, hitting a few more enemies. “They came with witches and a trebuchet. The witches got through the wards and then the trebuchet hit, smashing through the wall.” He spins, slicing a guard in his neck. “Then rogures followed.”
