Before It Gets Better
The war for our future is not an explosive battle in the heart of the city. There are no banners, no explosions, no clashing swords, or dramatic battle cries. No, this is a delicate affair; a game of chess played against a psychopath.
With his mercenaries poised in Ossory guarding the Alphas, and the rest of his soldiers patrolling Silver Manor, Kade has the upper hand. He has the weapons, the numbers, and the high ground.
But Goddess willing, by sunrise, we’ll have turned the tables on him.
He hasn’t found our friends in the bunker, so he’ll be expecting us to go rescue them in Silver Manor. He isn’t aware that we know about the Alphas being kept in Ossory, so he’s positioned his pawns accordingly.
He’s waiting for us. He knows that for Will and me, this is a personal matter, and he’ll be expecting us to go after him directly. Together.
But tempting as it may be to aim for the head of the snake, we have to fight smarter, not harder. Kade is all temper and talk, but he lacks patience and perspective.
We can’t let him see us coming.
It breaks my heart to part with Will, and I can tell he hates the idea of letting me out of his sight. Neither one of us will be able to breathe easily until Kade is dealt with. But we cannot win this war alone as partners; we need to face this as a pack. We are mated now, our bond stronger than ever, and we have a family to fight alongside us.
Perhaps I’ll never truly know what my father wanted for me, but I’d like to think my parents would be proud. Whatever happens tonight, I am proud of my family. All of it.
“If you need me, call for me, and I will hear you, little wolf,” Will whispers to me as we prepare to leave the safe house. They’re the same words I said to him in the manor.
The other wolves are off getting ready, and my mate and I steal away for a moment between the trees next to the cabin.
“What I need is for you to stay focused,” I urge, and I press a finger against his lips before he can argue. “I know it’s no use telling you not to worry about me. I couldn’t stop worrying about you either, even if I wanted to. But the two of us have protected each other enough to trust each other. I can handle myself for one night. So, don’t get distracted.”
He takes my hand in his own and kisses my fingertips. His instinct has always been to defend and protect, but tonight he has to be the one to strike first.
“I can’t help it if you’re distracting, princess,” he says, pulling me close. Some of my nerves soften at the familiar comfort of his teasing, and I rest my head on his chest.
“Shut up and just be careful out there, okay?” I tell him, but for once, my voice is too small and soft to match his playful tone. He wraps his strong arms around me, and we stay there for a few moments.
“I will, I promise,” he reassures me, resting his chin on top of my head. “And maybe when this is all over, we can finally go on that trip to Europe together. After I get you a shiny engagement ring, of course.”
I think my parents would have liked that. They would have wanted me to see the world with my mate. And they would have loved him.
“Maybe we could spend our honeymoon in Paris,” I say with a smile.
“Sounds perfect.”
The sound of boots crunching on snow and soil draws our attention, and we turn to see Jackson gesturing at us from the front porch. The sun has nearly set, and the wolves are ready to head out.
“I’ll see you on the other side, little wolf,” Will says, and I try not to think of his kiss as a goodbye. I’ll see him soon.
“I love you.”
“Always.”
It’s time to go.
Once night falls, we split up into three groups.
The smallest among them consists of the fastest wolves in our pack, led by Jackson. Their task is to move across the city as quickly as possible undetected and to get the word out about the return of the Argent Pack. Their message is simple: a new Alpha King has risen, and he fights alongside the Silver heir to reclaim Wynter City. Our hope is to find any other survivors of our pack that might be hiding in the city and to prepare the other packs to take a stand by our side once their Alphas are freed.
They are our voice, rallying our allies to our cause.
The second and largest team is led by Will. He goes with the warriors and guards of the pack, and they move across the city in wolf form, circling the university like vengeful ghosts among the shadows. Will waits for my signal to lead the charge into the campus.
They are the teeth and claws of our people, ready to attack and defend as needed.
I lead the final group, consisting of scouts, rangers, and scholars. We sneak into the city separately to avoid being noticed, staying in our human form. Our task is to evacuate any remaining students or civilians from the campus that are unable to fight and locate the Alphas.
We are the eyes and ears of the night.
After any innocent bystanders have cleared the building and we find where the Alphas are being held, things start to get really interesting, really fast.
Subtlety goes out the window, and I pull the fire alarm, sending the mercenaries into a confused chaos. Once they’re distracted, the wolves descend. Our warriors strike with ferocious fury, giving the hostages a chance to flee to safety or join in the battle.
The fighting is quick and ugly. Howls and the all-too-familiar scent of blood spill across the campus.
But the darkest hour comes right before the dawn, and for once… everything goes according to plan.