74

74
“What is my mother doing here?”

My grandfather is quiet as he glances over at Elsa, who is clutching my mother, her face pale. “I regretted my actions. You were right. I didn’t want to face Grace. I didn’t want to see what was left of her because of my arrogance. The South was being attacked when we reached the border. We dealt with the attackers and called reinforcements. They are coming as well. We didn’t have many witches with us, so the portals will take time.”

I look at my grandfather, and then back toward Elsa, and then at all the white wolves. “I don’t understand. The soldiers from the South are coming?”

Cyrus gives me a small smile. “Yes. The South is coming. And we are here.”

Karina looks furious now. “I will not allow you to interfere in this! This is between me and the Queen of the South Alliance!”

Cyrus ignores her and looks over at Elsa. “Bring Grace inside the barrier. She should be safe here.”

Karina immediately intervenes. “Capture the other Silver Wolf!”

However, before her people can move, the white wolves surround my mother and Elsa, creating a terrifying wall of teeth, saliva, and snarls. Elsa hurries over and is helped by another soldier as I lift a part of the barrier to let her in. Logan and the others slip out now, eager to join the fight. The fighting has already begun as a result of Karina being unable to capture my mother.

Her soldiers now go after Cyrus’ soldiers. The fighting is brutal and I look around with a tense expression. My grandfather doesn’t linger. He shifts and jumps into the fray with a battle howl.

I look at Elsa, shaken. “What happened? When we left…”

“If you had stayed a few more minutes, none of this would’ve happened,” Elsa tells me. “Cyrus arrived with his soldiers minutes after you left. They had witches with them. Strong ones. Cyrus…” Elsa looks down toward my mother. “Cyrus gave Grace the cure, Sophia.”

My eyes widen, but I don’t get the opportunity to speak, because Elsa lowers her gaze. “It didn’t work.”

“What?” I stammer. “You said…you said it would work. You were sure of it. She drained herself, right? You said the other Silver…”

“I thought it would as well, and so did Cyrus, but she only got worse.” Elsa looks distraught.

I sink to the ground, defeated. “What are we going to do now?”

Elsa just looks at me. “I don’t have an answer. I wish I did.”

Logan and the others have already joined the fight. It’s just me and Elsa in here. The witches are still attacking the barrier and I struggle to my feet. “We’ll deal with this later. First, we have to get rid of these witches.”

Together with Elsa, I attack the witches. As the soldiers from the South begin to arrive, we are definitely turning the tide, but Karina’s soldiers are great in number. Now that they’re fighting, I see how vicious her soldiers are. Both white and brown wolves are being overwhelmed all around us. It’s obvious that my grandfather didn’t bring the full force of the Central Alliance. I don’t know if more are on their way or if this group is all he was willing to bring to the fight. It doesn’t help that the witches are interfering in the fight.

Karina is angry, but she doesn’t look very concerned. The witches have increased the intensity of their attacks on the barrier as well, determined to break it now.

“I can’t…” I breathe heavily, struggling. “I don’t think I can hold onto the barrier for much longer, Elsa!”

Elsa is also infusing her magic into the barrier, but it doesn’t help. Things are not looking good for our side now that the witches attacking our soldiers as well. I see Dorian facing off against Nathan, and my heart sinks. I’ve seen the Alpha in his wolf form far too many times to not recognize him. I look at the sky but there’s nothing.

Dorian glances in my direction, and my jaw tightens.

I can see the question in his eyes, the concern, but I have no answer for him right now. My eyes drift toward the sky again, as I try to maintain the barrier. Howls, snarls, and death rattles fill the air. The smell of blood is everywhere. Death is everywhere. Karina is still just a spectator, having decided not get her hands dirty.

I lift my eyes, looking at the sky and Elsa asks, “What are you looking for?”

I can’t answer her. Karina overhears and laughs. “Praying to the Goddess isn’t going to help. She’s not the one with your life in her hands. I am!”

But just as she utters the words, a single firework shoots out of the trees into the sky. It is followed by eight more fireworks, all from different locations, all magnified by one singular witch.

I can feel the barrier cracking, but I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.

“Sophia! The barrier!” Elsa shouts out.

But I have no more power left.

I slump to the ground and start laughing, a hysterical sound filled with relief.

Karina looks wary and I flip her off. “Up yours, bitch.”

As soon as I say that, the Northern Alphas stop fighting and turn around. They go for the throats of Karina’s soldiers.

The North has finally joined in.

Their children are safe.

“What is going on?” Elsa asks, bewildered.

At the same time, Karina shrieks, “What are you doing?”

It’s not just the Alphas who have turned on Karina’s soldiers. It is every soldier who arrived with the Alphas of the North. Karina’s soldiers are being pushed back with this new assault. It is now the entire three alliances against Karina’s pack. I see the alarm in her eyes. It is the first time I’ve seen fear in her eyes since the attack began. She had anticipated everything but this.

“Have you lost your minds?!” she shouts. “Your children will pay the price…”

I laugh. “No, they won’t. You can’t touch the children anymore.”

Both Elsa and Karina look at me.

“You!” Karina spits out, immediately concluding that I had something to do with this. “What have you done?”

“What were those fireworks, Sophia?” Elsa asks.

I look at Karina, exhausted but smug. “Did you think I would just come here with only the soldiers from the South Alliance? No. I spent two days reaching out to the Alphas of the North. I created barriers for their children.”