Page 65 of Beta Hybrid

I watch the moon slowly shift—at the same time careful where my feet tread, because slipping on a rock would really not be helpful—as the night progresses.

Finally, the blue ute—conveniently easy for me to see—comes to a stop. Cai climbs up onto the roof and lets out a low whistle that brings everyone in closer. ‘Time to break,’ the alpha says, his voice low. He spends the next ten minutes sorting out who will rest and who will be on guard duty. He and I—as leaders of the pack—will rest.

I lay down in the bed of his ute in a circle of sharp-eyed wolves and vampires keeping us safe. I turn into him on the bedroll, needing my mate close.

She’s coming, Zen. Alaric can feel it. He filled me in on the Origin’s strange communication methods. He can talk in wolf form, and seems to be able to reach any wolf to speak with. Drusilla is coming, and we have to be ready for her.

I close my eyes against the warmth of his chest, pressing into him.

He wraps both arms around me. It’s going be okay. I’ll protect you. And you won’t lose me. He holds my hand, my left hand, and gently thumbs my ring. It’s a promise, Zen. He plants a particularly wet, slobbery kiss on my forehead, eliciting a groan-smile from me.

I nod against his chest as we fall into an uneasy sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mordecai

Despite being comfortable in the back of my ute with my mate—or, as comfortable as a ute bed can be—I can’t sleep. I carefully move Zenna without waking her, and slide out of the truck, intending to stretch my legs. I’ve been stuck in the car for hours. I wish I could shift and go for a run, but that would be suicide at this point.

I ordered the convoy not to start any fires too big. Instead, there are clusters of small ones, set in roughly dug pits barely more than two hands wide. I recognise most with us. Noah and his wife, and that little beast of a Second, sit around their own little camp, their wolves scattered around them.

My wolves, the Triple Moon wolves, look like there’s something missing.

Our witches.

We aren’t whole without them. We have mated and joined with them, but they need to be protected. I glance back at Zenna. Except for her. I would die for her, but she would kill me if I told her she couldn’t come. She deserves better than that, especially from me. So, here she is.

The vampires, Callen, Evelyn and Siobhan, went to hunt. They brought back—in record time—half a dozen deer and smaller game like rabbits and foxes, to be shared amongst us. I sent them out, far away from the group, to have their own meals.

Two unfamiliar witches sit by a fire. I know their names, and it’s about time I had a moment to talk with them.

Aidan and Will both sit up straight as I approach, wary, and a tiny, tiny part of me is happy about it.

‘May I join you?’ I nod at the space around their small fire.

The guys exchange glances, then Aidan, the taller of the two, nods. ‘Yeah, man, of course.’

Will’s blond hair shines in the firelight. He clasps his hands together, then turns the slow-roasting rabbit on the spit over the fire.

‘How is it my witches stayed behind, but you two are out here? Can you defend yourselves against vampires?’ I know I’m coming off a bit harsh, but why keep Jana and the others back when these two are wandering into the line of fire? I know Zenna trusts them, but I can’t help but worry.

Aidan barely contains his scoff of derision. ‘You’re thinking, what, we don’t actually want to take down Drusilla?’ He gestures to his face; he has a black eye with multiple cuts over his cheek, and there are still fingernails missing from his hands. ‘Believe me, I do.’

Will silently turns the rabbit. ‘I doubt he cares.’

I grit my teeth. ‘What I do care about is why you’re here.’

Aidan opens his mouth, but Will meets his gaze, shakes his head. I know that look. Vale has given it to me often enough. Don’t start something. Aidan gazes out into the dark woods. ‘I am here for Evelyn. Drusilla has put her, us, through enough. I won’t have that woman control her anymore.’

My gaze slides to Will. ‘What about you?’

Will’s gaze flicks up to me, bright as the fire at our feet. ‘I’m here to fight with my friends.’ He nods at Aidan, then gazes off into the woods, as though he can see Siobhan. ‘And for Zenna,’ he adds quietly. ‘She was put in our care. We kept her safe. I helped her escape. We all did.’

‘Eventually,’ I say darkly.

‘Yeah? Faster than you,’ Aidan spits.

Will meets his gaze again, another head-shake. ‘We hated every day she was down there, wolf, because we knew it was against her will. We could see how scared she was. We befriended her. Tried to make her feel safer while we could.’

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