Chapter 213: Brandon's Here

Chapter 213: Brandon's Here
Evelyn's POV

My order went through the mind link. Everyone paused for half a second—that brief recalibration when new info hits.

Capture when you can. Don't chase kills. Just get them under control.

Mark's voice came back immediately. Under control? Have you seen these guys? They're not exactly sitting still.

I moved closer to the battle line.

Give me two minutes, I said. I'm figuring something out.

One of the controlled wolves was charging straight at me. Eyes completely bloodshot, movements mechanical. No dodging, no strategy, just a straight line forward like something was remote-controlling him.

I didn't move.

Pushed my Beta aura out—not explosive, just steady pressure aimed right at his head.

He stopped.

Two seconds. I watched the red in his eyes lighten, confusion breaking through like he'd surfaced from deep water. Then it dragged him back under. Two seconds later, he was charging again.

But two seconds worked.

I stepped back. My aura breaks their control temporarily. Super short window, but it's something. Freya, how many people can you spare?

Freya said, Six close-combat. They're ready.

Alright, I said. I'll hit them with aura, you guys pin them down.

Milo cut in before I could say more. Hold on, let me test something.

He was already moving. Closed the distance on one of the controlled wolves before the guy could blink, tackled him flat, then shouted something directly in his ear.

I couldn't hear what he said, but the effect was clear.

The wolf went still. Way longer than my two seconds—closer to five.

Milo said through the link, Physical shock plus loud voice extends it. Can your aura do that?

I said, Nope. But yours works better.

Milo said, Total accident. I just yelled.

Keep accidentally yelling then, I said.

I checked the outer edge of the fight. A few people were coming out of control—shaky, disoriented. Two were actually shoving each other because they couldn't tell friend from enemy yet.

Then I saw Nadia.

Not fighting. Moving between the newly conscious ones, talking to them in different languages. Some of these people had been dragged here from way outside our territory and didn't speak anything we used. Nadia switched languages every few seconds, calming people down, pulling them to safer ground.

Milo noticed too.

You're translating?

Nadia said, Yeah.

How many languages do you even know?

Enough to get by.

That's not an answer.

That's me telling you to focus on your job.

I bit back a smile.

You smiled, my wolf said.

Wind in my face.

Liar.

Freya and I pulled our team together—six Sentinels who could handle close combat. Plan was simple. I'd disrupt with aura, they'd have two seconds of confusion, Freya's group would rush in and lock them down with restraints.

First attempt was rough. Freya moved a half-second too slow. My aura push wasn't quite strong enough.

Second attempt, still off.

Third attempt, we synced.

I released my aura and Freya was already in motion. No verbal signal. She knew when I'd move, I knew when she'd follow. The whole sequence ran like we'd practiced it a thousand times.

Doesn't need planning, I thought. Just fits.

Mark's voice broke through from the right side. Hey, look at Magnus and Lucian—

He didn't finish, but everyone's attention snapped that direction.

I glanced over.

Magnus and Lucian were working through a group on the right flank, every movement perfectly mirrored. Magnus went left, Lucian went right, both dropped their targets at the exact same moment, pivoted in sync, moved to the next batch. It looked choreographed.

The whole north line went quiet for a beat.

Mark said, What the hell.

Milo said, That's how they've always been. Got cut off when they were controlled. Now it's back.

Lucian's voice came in, amused. Glad you're all enjoying the show, but you're kind of distracting us.

Magnus said, Focus.

Lucian said, I am focused. They're staring.

Magnus said, Stop talking then.

Lucian said, Fine.

Pause.

Lucian said, Nice timing on that last turn, by the way.

Magnus said, I know.

Lucian said, You could say thanks.

Magnus said, ...Thanks.

Lucian said, Better.

I pulled my focus back, kept advancing. But I was doing math in my head.

If I kept burning aura at this rate, I'd have nothing left when Brandon actually showed. Needed to save some for the real fight. Couldn't blow everything on cleanup.

I shifted tactics. Let Milo and Freya's teams carry more weight on the clearing side. Pulled myself back to support—maintaining coverage without actively pushing forward.

Smart, my wolf said. Save it for later.

Yeah.

Cyrus's voice came through the link.

Tone was flat. Everyone heard what was underneath it anyway.

Brandon's here.