19
Ryder
I thoughtthe pack had listened and that they’d finally understood what they had to do. I’d shown the Lakesedge pack the finger in the box. They’d all recoiled from the stench of it as I told them who it belonged to and how it’d come into my possession. Indecision had passed over almost every face.
Only Ness’s father and Connor bore the same grim expression all throughout my speech. They were ready to fight back; they just needed the others to rally with them. If the pack could come together as a whole, then this would be easier.
Then, I would know that this pack deserved better. So far, they’d only shown me that they were no better than their Alpha. If they couldn’t stand up for one another, then I didn’t want to help them.
I’d really thought that I’d won, but when I arrived at the pack meeting and watched everyone fall to their knees without a fight, my hoped died. Some of them struggled against their Alpha’s command. They were the last to fall.
Didn’t they realize that they could move after they followed his command? Why didn’t they get up? Over their heads, I saw the scene that kept them on their knees. Alvin stared down the older shifter before backing away. When he lifted Cerri from the ground, my heart lodged itself in my throat.
I stepped forward, but a small whimper stopped me. A wolf loomed over Ness. He had her throat in his mouth. My vision tunneled. White-hot rage hit me like an all-consuming inferno. I closed the distance between us before the wolf could react.
Jamming my fingers into the wolf’s mouth, I pried his teeth open so that Ness could wriggle free. She did and then shot in Alvin’s direction. I brought my fist down on the wolf’s head. He crumpled in a heap, allowing me to follow Ness.
A door slammed in her face. She snarled and scratched at it, a howl escaping her.
“Get the fuck up, you spineless cowards,” Vi snarled at the pack.
I glanced back just in time to watch Vi step over a shifter who’d lowered himself all the way to the ground. She looked down at him in disgust.
Ness threw herself at the door, making a loud thud that was echoed by the storm above. She growled her frustration. I caught up to her and reached to open the door, but it refused to budge, even when I poured my strength into it.
That’s when I noticed the row of sigils above the door.
“That witch,” I snapped.
She’d been working for Alvin this whole time. I knew that she did work for whoever had money, but it was getting frustrating. I slammed the door with my shoulder, but a magical barrier rippled over the wood. Snarling, I tried again and again, but it would not budge.
“Maybe we can get in through a window?” Vi suggested. “I mean, I can always smoke him out, but everyone keeps telling me not to set things on fire.”
I spent a moment debating Vi’s offer. It could have been handy, but we needed to think about Cerri’s safety. If Alvin left her in the fire, and she couldn’t move, then we would kill her ourselves. We had to do this carefully.
Ness continued to scratch and growl at the door. The storm rumbled menacingly. I turned and looked the pack down. They were watching Ness’s feeble attempts to rescue her friend.
Bri shook her head, let out a growl of frustration, and joined us.
“Get off your knees and make yourselves useful.” A thread of power wove itself through my voice.
Was that the command of an Alpha? I wasn’t anyone’s leader, but the power found its way into my voice all the same. The pack shared looks, some sort of unspoken conversation unfolding before me. Breath held, I waited for them to come to a decision.
When no one moved, my stomach dropped. My dragon rose to fill the space, it’s roar deafening as it echoed inside me. The sky flashed bright, the lighting above answering my beast’s call.
Ness pressed her flank to my calf. Her touch grounded me. The lightning ceased, and I sucked in a new breath. Reaching down, I buried my hand in her fur and tried to do the same for her. A chill emanated from her raised hackles. I tucked that information away for later, when Cerri’s life wasn’t in danger.
Vi went from window to window and banged her fist on each of them. More magical barriers flashed each time. Bri followed her and threw in her dragon strength, but the barrier refused to budge. I checked the sigils over the door again. They were freshly carved. Alvin had been prepared. He must have known that there would be an uprising soon.
I turned to the pack. “Do you see what he’s done? Your leader, who should have been protecting you, has gone and locked himself inside so no one can stop him from hurting one of your own.”
The elder shifter put her hands on her hips. Her lips were pulled tight, her expression refusing to reveal anything other than discomfort. Behind her, the others still kept their gazes lowered.
Connor and Ness’s father joined us. They helped Vi search for an opening. I was grateful for the little bit of help we received, even if this house seemed impenetrable. How long would we have to wait?
If Cerri had been here, she would have found a way to overwrite the sigils. She’d broken curses before. She was a good person to have on one’s side. Alvin was going to throw away an amazing ally all because he was a scared little rabbit.
My beast gnashed its teeth in anger. Cerri belonged to us. She was a part ofourpack.