Page 34 of Wicked Fate

Reid stared at me. His jaw worked like he wanted to keep pushing, but my words—my tone—had landed.

Finally, he gave a tight nod. “We’ll talk inside,” he said flatly. “All of us.”

“Are you serious?” Sun’s mouth dropped. “They—”

He cut his eyes to her, and she stopped talking. He frowned, clearly not liking being questioned in front of his pack.

I understood his situation. He’d become an alpha because of his father’s death, and he was injured with a huge threat looming at his property line. He couldn’t seem weak, not in the slightest.

Sun cleared her throat. “Of course, let’s talk.”

Reid limped toward the house with Sun shadowing him. She glanced back at me with a look just as guarded as his.

We followed in tense silence and filed into their home one by one. The scents of blood and herbs still clung to the air, thick and acrid. A reminder of the night they’d lost so many and how injured Reid had been himself.

Ryker stayed close to me, the tension in his body making him move as if he had to force himself to go forward. I took his hand and tried to push calm toward him, hoping to take off the edge. I could feel how much he hated this—being called into another alpha’s space and expected to fall in line.

Remember, this is about aligning and keeping all shifters and witches safe. Not all the witches are as bad as Cassi, and the vampires are a whole other ball game,I linked only to Ryker.You’re my alpha now, and I’m asking you to consider the needs of all. If you don’t, we may not be able to achieve justice for the loved ones we lost.

He exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment as Reid eased into a chair at the head of the room, shoulders rigid, cane resting beside him. Sun stood to his right, arms folded, her gaze cutting through every one of us like she was daring someone to step out of line.

Xander growled, clearly feeling similarly to another alpha giving commands.

I didn’t want to overstep, but the bridge between Ryker and the other three men of our pack needed to be repaired.You may want to caution them to be rational.I didn’t want to be the one to inform them of what was needed.

Reid straightened his spine, trying to look strong despite his injuries. “If you aren’t going to respect our pack, especially since we extended a home to you for safety, then you’ll have to leave. I’ve lost too much to gamble what little we have left.”

Clenching his hands, Gage bared his teeth, and Briar grabbed his forearm like she was preparing to hold him back.

Hand tightening, Ryker linked with all of us,Calm down. I don’t like it either, but we’re not going to be able to take out the vampires by ourselves. We need allies, and the Blackwoods have extended their home to us.

Satisfied that he’d taken the lead with our pack, I interjected, knowing that saying the words out loud would be harder. “You’re right, and we understand.”

Sun’s and Reid’s heads jerked back as if they hadn’t expected that.

Ryker tilted his head and inhaled deeply. “To be honest, my pack isn’t used to having to coordinate with other packs. We give orders, and others obey.”

Fair. I hadn’t thought of it that way. The Grimstone pack had been the protectors of the royals and had obeyed the king and no one else. They didn’t have to work with other packs; they’d ensured the others stayed in line.

“Well, that’s not the case anymore, and we need a royal fast—before our power begins draining.” Reid sighed. “But we need to address one problem at a time. From now on, I want full cooperation and transparency. If anyone in your group senses a threat—whether it’s a vampire, shadow, or your weird magical stalker—you come to me.”

Gage, Xander, and Kendric huffed a little, but Briar held her breath like she hoped Ryker would agree.

I did too, but I couldn’t push him. He was the alpha. I’d given up that right by rejecting the bonds when they’d tried to come to me.

Ryker’s mouth twitched, but he gave a stiff nod. “Fine.”

His displeasure twisted between us as he swallowed hard.

Silence stretched a beat too long before the front door creaked open again.

Every head turned.

A sharp citrusy scent rolled in first—bitter orange and dried herbs—followed by the thud of heavy boots. Bruce, the Shea pack’s alpha, entered the house, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe. His normally groomed hair was a mess, and the dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced. His usually sharp green eyes were dulled. “Sorry it took so long to get here.” He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Another pack member died.”

My heart cracked further. Another life lost, and for what? I wasn’t even sure what Queen Ambrosia’s end goal was.

“I’m so sick of this. What the hell does she even want?” Xander snapped, dragging a hand through his hair. “Is this just about killing? Or is she after something bigger?”

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