Page 53 of Wolf of the Storm
"That's what the old stories say. Written by people who feared power." He stands, begins pacing. "But I've studied the rituals, Eliza. Really studied them. The Fomori aren't mindless chaos—they're pure power. Ancient and uncorrupted."
"You actually believe they'll serve you?"
"I believe the strong will survive. And the weak?" He shrugs. "Natural selection."
"How many young wolves have you recruited with that lie?" I keep my voice level. "How many did you promise power?"
His smile widens. "More than you'd think. Young wolves from all three packs—Graeme's, Elena's, even Declan's. They're tired of hiding. I'm giving them a choice their alphas won't."
My stomach turns. "You're manipulating children."
"I'm offering freedom." He stops pacing, looks at me with something calculating. "But I didn't come here to recruit you. I came because you need to understand what you've become. What the mate bond made you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Three seals weakened. Four more bloodline deaths needed—druid blood, Fae blood, earth warden blood, and one I'm still tracking.” He takes a step closer, his expression almost gleeful. "But you, Eliza Warren... you're magnificent. A gift I didn't expect."
My heart hammers. "What do you mean?"
"When you became Declan's mate, when you transformed into a shifter, you didn't just join his pack." His smile widens. "You joined his bloodline. Storm Alpha. The mate bond doesn't just connect souls, Eliza—it connects blood, magic, power. His storm became your storm. You carry it now, as much as he does."
The room tilts. "No...”
"Yes." His voice drops, intense. "Storm blood is one of the seven seals. I've been searching for the storm bloodline holder for months, trying to identify which family still carries it. And then you walked onto the island and solved my problem. You transformed. You became storm-touched through the mate bond."
"You can't...”
"But that's not even the best part." He leans forward. "Six bloodline deaths open six seals. The seventh seal—the strongest, the final barrier—requires a combination of bloodline and bond magic. The mate of the Storm Alpha, killed at the most powerfulconvergence point on the island. The bond between you and Declan, severed violently at a place of power."
Horror washes through me. "Both."
"Both." His smile is triumphant. "You accomplish both requirements. Storm bloodline death AND mate bond severance. You're the seventh seal in one perfect sacrifice. Three more deaths over the next few weeks, and then you. One death, the last seal shattered, and the Fomori rise."
"You won't touch her." Declan's voice drops to a growl that shakes the very stones of the house.
He stands in the doorway, eyes already shifting to wolf-gold, every line of his body radiating lethal intent. Behind him, Jax and Tessa emerge from the basement stairs. Outside the windows, I see Rafe and Kian closing in.
Connor laughs. "The trap. How predictable."
"Did you really think we'd let you leave?" Jax's voice carries vindication, all his paranoia finally justified.
"Did you really think I came alone?" Connor backs toward the broken window. "My wolves are everywhere, Declan. In your pack. In your home. Waiting for my signal."
"Try to run," Declan says softly. "Please."
Connor shifts.
Mist explodes around him, violent and swirling, obscuring everything. The air crackles with power. For a heartbeat, I see nothing but churning white mist—and then it clears as suddenly as it came.
A massive brown wolf stands where Connor was, amber eyes gleaming with intelligence, fangs bared. He crashes through the window in an explosion of glass and wood, hitting the ground outside at a run.
But he's not alone.
Six more wolves emerge from the tree line—young, strong, loyal to his cause. They surround him, teeth bared, ready to fight.
At the treeline, Connor shifts and raises his fist. "Tell your alphas the old order is dead!" His voice carries in the storm, somehow audible over the thunder. "Tell them we're coming!"
The mist swirls up around him and in an instant, he has shifted back to his wolf form and disappears into the night. His supporters scatter all around him, moving in different directions, making pursuit impossible.
