Page 112 of Fated Exile

This is what I will do to them. All because you’re too afraid to face me. Because you send inferior males in your place, when you should be the most powerful of them all.

I can’t kill her without the dagger. That’s what I tell myself.

But I can face her. Push her back. Make her feel pain.

I won’t let her take more lives. Sensing the warriors at the border rush this way, knowing Delphine’s dark magic waits for them, I shift into my wolf form.

And I run towards her.

Because if I’m not the first to face her, others will face her first.

They’ll fall. They’ll die.

All because I wasn’t brave enough to protect them.

That’s not what an alpha does. It’s not what aleaderdoes. I promised myself that I wouldn’t fail the pack the way that my father did.

Delphine has cursed my pack, killed dozens of wolves, murdered my mother, and been the center of so much of the heartache from my youth. If it weren't for her, I might never have been rejected or exiled. I could've had a nice, happy life, raised as a hybrid without fear.

Or my parents might never have met.

Either way, I know that I have to face her. I can't stand the thought of her taking me from my mates, but I also can't bear to watch her hurt them or the rest of my pack.

So I head out into the darkness with courage and conviction inside me, determined to face her one way or another.

And make her suffer, even if I can’t make her die.

Forty-One

Bastian

Something tells me to turn around and aim my gaze into the darkness.

There's Delilah, heading out to scout ahead for Delphine. But she's not prowling slowly and cautiously onto the road that heads out of town. She's a streak of white fur in the black of night, running as fast as she can.

Though she said she couldn't feel her bond with Roarke, I can feel her. Whatever it is that stopped the others from seeing Ignacio, it didn't work on me, and neither does the spell blocking our bond. So I can feel her determination, her rage, and her desire to fight.

She's going to face Delphine one way or another.

And if I turn around now, I'll never be able to catch up to her to stop her.

So I'll have to get her reinforcements as fast as possible. Racing through the darkness, I tilt my muzzle up to scent the air, using the tricks Finn taught me. Roarke's scent is there, further out near the woods.

I peer between the trunks and catch a sliver of his fur. He's far off ahead of me, down a steep hill and across part of the stream that runs through much of the territory. Tilting my head back, I let loose the loudest howl I can manage, putting all my emotions into it: the fear I feel for Delilah, my anger that Delphine has somehow gotten through, and most of all, my anticipation for a fight.

Roarke's howl returns, and I feel his presence slide into my head, forming a telepathic bond I could never create with him from my side.What's going on?

Delilah smells Delphine. Out near the house, at the edge of town. She's going to face her alone—we need all the warriors. Everyone.

On it.His response is sharp, and his eyes glow as he races towards me through the darkness, making short work of the steep hill.I've contacted all the warriors I sense near that part of town. Lance, Finn, and Kieran are awake and ready to go. What do you think we're facing?

He slides up next to me and aims his muzzle towards Delilah's house. Together we race through the darkness, and I tell him,I'm not sure, but I think there were vampires with her. It was hard to see them—even for me. They're planning some kind of attack.

Or they're going to kidnap Delilah again.Roarke's voice is grim.I just tried to reach her, but I can't seem to find her presence through the bond. Can you?

I try, and shake my head.There was some kind of interference. If she's gotten closer to Delphine, it may have gotten worse. Bad enough to block all the bonds.

Damnit. I wish she had waited for us before charging into battle. Last time we nearly lost her.He peels his lips back.As soon as I'm by her side, I'm going to tear any vamp limb-from-limb that even so much as looks at her.

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