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So much for looking down on others for being inexperienced.

“I had no choice!”

“You did, but you chose poorly. You could have confided in us instead of betraying us and making everything worse.” I don’t waste any more time, I can feel Fenris' aura getting stronger. We pull Philipp up to his feet and deliver another punch to his stupid face, sending him flying once more.

Aryanna and the others have already succumbed to the effects of the wolfsbane, but while wolfsbane works on me too, it does so much slower and less effectively than on regular wolves and even most Lycans. I’m far more powerful than most others as part of the royal family. I have only seconds to think this through, though, before deciding what to do. Before my powers diminish too much, I open the mind link to my pack. I can’t do it for long, linking takes a lot of concentration, and I’ll need my strength later. I don’t say anything, but I let them see what I see and see through my eyes.

Then I close off, cutting the link for now. I need to keep my strength with me, wrapping my mind around it like a cocoon. I could technically break free right now and flee, but then they would probably kill my warriors and Beta. I can't leave them behind. I'm their future leader, and as their Alpha, I have a responsibility toward them. I led them into this trap, and now I need to make sure we make it out of it alive. Even if I leave now to return with reinforcements, it will be too late for them. I'm certain now that Marcus wants me... and no one else. My pack already knows what happened anyway. They will come to get us.

Fenris?

Risky,he says.But we need to try it. We can protect them better when we are close.

I'm glad to know we are on the same page.I need to know what’s going on inside this goddess-forsaken pack. There are so many innocents involved...

Yeah, he agrees.Let's play along for now.

I will let Marcus and his men take me to their dungeons. Whatever they do to me won’t break me, and Marcus has no idea what I'm capable of. He doesn't know of my powers. He heavily underestimates me, which I can use to my advantage. It will open new possibilities for me to be locked up on his pack grounds, and I might be able to strike from within.

Just like that, a plan forms in my mind. It could work, but I will need help from outside.

Time to involve the one person I trust the most.

Chapter forty-six

Chapter 46 Liam’s plan

*ANNALISE*

EversinceLiamopenedthe mind link and we saw what happened, all hell broke loose at Silverlake. First, I thought he might have only linked me through the mate bond, not aware that as a Lycan, he could also mind link his entire pack while being so far away.

I couldn’t sleep anyway, too nervous waiting for Liam when I felt him link me and saw the scene through his eyes. There was Philipp, his eyes wide with guilt, mumbling something about his mate. Our warriors kneeling on the ground, gasping for air, little arrows sticking into their bodies. Aryanna trying not to succumb to whatever they injected everyone with… I assume it’s wolfsbane again.

For a moment, I am unable to move. Liam, Goddess, Liam! Leah goes crazy in my mind, growling and whining for her mate. They are going to kill him. They are going to take him from me. Alpha Marcus was just waiting for that opportunity. He will-

Annalise…My thoughts stop rushing through my mind all of a sudden. Liam, it’s Liam! How can he contact me despite his body being infused with wolfsbane? I don’t care about the why, though… All I care about is hearing his voice.

Liam! Tell me, where are you? We are going to save you! Hang in there, please hang in there!

That’s what he wants… for our warriors to come and save me…they will do that… come and save us,Liam mutters.Marcus is not going to kill us yet. Trust me…we are part of the plan. I knew he had a plan, just didn’t know it would be through Philipp. It’s a suicide mission. Annalise…you need to…

With that, it’s all quiet again.Liam!I call out.Liam? What do you mean? Where… what kind of… suicide mission? I need to do… what?

Don’t talk to anyone aside from our very special allies. We need to strike from within.

Okay,I make sure to reassure him fast.What am I supposed to do? Liam?Silence greets me. Damn it, it seems like either his strength subsided, or they pumped him with another dose of wolfsbane.

I try to call out to him a few more times. But when I am only greeted with silence, I grab my jacket and hurry downstairs. I see Elden and Flora downstairs and Liam’s siblings. I bump into Marius, which earns me a glare. I have no time for his shit, though, so I just ignore him, hurrying towards Elden. His Betas and Dante are with him. Ella is there too.

Vincent is already on the phone, talking to someone.

“I should have gone with him!” Dante blurts out. “I knew it was a bad idea to stay behind!”

“He wanted you as backup,” Calvin points out. “In case we would need to attack.”

“What kind of backup!?” Dante huffs. “I don’t understand.”

Flora eyes me in the crowd, reaching out her hands to pull me towards her. “Honey,” she says softly, brushing over my hair and hugging me. Only then do I notice I have been crying.