Page 69 of Challenged Mate
Jenny closed her eyes. Her nostrils flared, then her entire body started to glow. From the tops of her ears to the soles of her boots, pale lavender magic surrounded her. Her hair fluttered around her face, but no breeze blew through the park.
The display was mesmerizing. I’d seen magic, but nothing like the powerful dance twisting its way around the petite shifter.
Seconds passed. The lavender glow dimmed, and Jenny opened her eyes. “Southwest, near outpost four. I asked Asher, and he confirmed he sensed the breach at that location. They’re heading that way now.”
I was about to ask how she could’ve asked Asher, then I remembered the Wilds Pack could communicate in skins.
“Who was on duty?” Chase asked the group.
“Stanley and Garret,” Axel answered.
“Did either of them report the breach?”
Jenny swallowed. “No.”
“Fuck.” Chase ran a hand through his hair.
Either Stanley and Garret didn’t report the breach because they didn’t notice… or they didn’t have time to report it before they were attacked.
A lull fell over the group. I didn’t understand why, but then I noticed the distant look in each one of their gazes.
My suspicions were confirmed when Chase finally cleared his throat and said, “You heard Asher. The trespassers are not in the Southwest. Until they find them, we need to secure the safety of those in the bunkers. Reed, Wes, Quentin, Fiona—take the west side of Main Street with Axel. The rest, come with me.”
The group dispersed without another word.
I followed Chase, wondering—again—why Axel wasn’t the one calling the shots.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw him moving to the remaining groups in the park. After a few words, the different groups went out towards the forest.
I shrugged away my questions, turning back around to follow Chase and our group into town.
We moved quickly. Only fifteen minutes had passed since the sirens first went off, but depending on what had crossed into Wilds Pack territory, fifteen minutes was plenty of time to do serious damage.
Thankfully, the streets were quiet. No shifters roamed. Everyone had reached their assigned post or hiding place.
Chase led us to the parking lot adjacent to The Daily Bean. We slowed to a stop as he turned to face the group. Without taking a breath, he barked orders, sending shifters to different streets. I assumed the streets correlated to bunker locations.
Jenny shot me a tense smile before bounding down the street, turning left to reach her assigned spot.
Kayla stayed with me and Chase.
I looked at the beta. “Should I shift or stay in skins?”
His face hardened with indecision. “I don’t know. We can’t communicate if you shift, but you’re stronger as a wolf.”
And depending on what we were going to face, I might need that strength.
“I’ll stay in skins for now, but I’ll shift if needed.”
He nodded. “We’re guarding the bunker under the coffee shop,” he told me. “It’s one of the largest.”
My shoulders rolled back. I let the seriousness of this situation wash over me—fueling my determination to do my part and protect the shifters inside the bunker.
I may not be a Wilds Pack shifter, but I’d trained for this type of situation my entire life. I would lay down my life to protect the vulnerable. It was what an alpha did. It was why the alpha bloodlines in each pack were the most powerful. We owed it to our packs to sacrifice everything for them.
I might not be the alpha heir anymore, but that blood still ran through my veins.
I called on its power, as well as my golden magic, and stared into the night, ready to face whatever was to come.
