Page 62 of Sinful Shifters

What she can do is more than I can expect. I'm grateful for everything she's given me, and now, it's my turn to fight. Shifting to my human form, I approach the alpha of the River Pack.

She's standing in the middle of rings of her warriors, who protect her with incredible loyalty and bravery. Even as their tongues loll out of their mouth, blood dripping from their wounds, they go for another round of attacks. Still, they can't fight Teller, and he's making his way through, no matter who stands between him and what he wants.

The alpha is standing on top of a circular stone shape that I recognize as the River Pack's wellspring. It's buried beneath the ground near a fast-flowing river. When I reach out to it, I can sense the magic that flows underneath the stones. It's gentle like water, yet just as powerful, capable of eroding entire mountains and sweeping them away. She's a tall woman, with long brunette hair and a chiseled face, her thick brows sweeping low over her bright blue eyes.

"You smell different from other wolves," the alpha says, tilting her head at me as I approach. "I've let you in, because your people have clearly come to help. But if you attack me—"

"I'm not going to attack you," I reassure her, holding up my hands. "I'm here to help you out. You can't fight this enemy on your own, and neither can we. But we can defeat him together."

At the same moment that I speak, I send out some of my perfume, sensing that it calms her. And I make sure to keep my voice pitched low, hoping that Teller won't be able to interfere.

Even as I think that, Lucian throws a great funnel of a tornado at Teller. The wind hits and tears through his shields just enough to affect him. It throws him across the battlefield, closer to the rear, where Klaus and Eli are, protected by his shields. I send up a little thank you to him—and spare a moment to promise myself that as soon as we have the power we need, Klaus will be mine.

He's standing in the shadows, like a coward, directing the action but not participating in it. The sight of him sets my hair on end. But I'm glad that he's still alive, because I want to be able to destroy him.

First, though. I redirect my attention to the alpha. "I'm Rina, by the way. From the Mountain Pack."

"Victoria." She holds out her hand, and I shake it, noting her firm grip and wary expression. "I've heard that the Mountain Pack has been through some changes lately."

That's an understatement. "We were attacked first, by the same enemy. Then he almost completely destroyed the Fury Pack. Now he intends to take you down and steal your wellspring—and if he does, he'll use it to kill all your people."

"I won't let him," she says fiercely, planting her feet on the wellspring's stone cover. "He'll have to do it through my dead body."

I think she's saying that literally. It makes me appreciate her that much more, and regret that she's in the way of us right now. Somehow I doubt that she'll be eager to giveusher pack's wellspring when she's clearly willing to die to keep it from Teller.

But I have to try to convince her.

Before he manages to steal it, too.

Chapter52

Ali

The alpha of this pack is different. I can see it in the way the ancient power moves around her, shifting like a breeze in the wind.

I call out to the gods, who are edging ahead in this battle. "Give Teller all you've got! I'm going for it!"

Nods of assent go around. They shift focus from destroying the vampires pouring through the portals, and instead whip their power at the general.

He has to retreat to deal with the wind, water, and storms coming his way. None of them touch him enough to harm him, but he's forced to waste valuable magic each time their tear through their shields.

Which means this is my chance.

Pouring all my energy into a shield, I throw a wall of energy in front of him, keeping him away from the wellspring. He huffs in annoyance.

"Thank you," I tell the gods.

I watch them return their attention to the vampires, feeling a twinge of guilt as I note the warriors we lost in the brief moment when they weren't part of the fight.

We've lost a lot of warriors lately. Werewolves, mostly. There are some among my kind—witches—who think they're useless because they can't see and use magic.

I don't agree, and neither does my coven, but even the Mountain Coven witches don't socialize with and mate with werewolves very often. They always looked down on me for being born to a human father. Especially one who was a werewolf who never turned.

Being raised among werewolves has helped me in moments like this, though. I can recognize the energy that the alpha is pulling at, can see the way she's pouring her heart and soul into her warriors via magic.

She's rallying their spirits through the bonds by siphoning ancestral magic from the land around her and giving it to them.

It makes them run faster, heal better, and fight longer. But I wonder if they even know that she's doing it.

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