We Fight Apart But Win Together

I’m not prepared for how fast and brutal the fight is, and I’m certainly not prepared to be so far away from it.

The Alphas of Wynter City were being kept hostage in the auditorium. There are five in total if you also count Will. As Alpha King, he is at the heart of it all, but I’m not a part of the bloodbath.

If the Alpha falls, the Luna must be ready to lead the remaining wolves. That is our way.

So, Will heads the attack from the north end of campus in the main theater while I oversee the scouts in the south. My team sounds the alarm, and we cut out the lights across the university, allowing our warriors to move unseen through the halls.

After that, all I see are flashes of the fight on his side through our bond. I can taste the metallic tang in his mouth as he tears through the flesh of our enemies, hear their cries, and the gunshots that fill the night through his ears. It takes a human hand to pull a trigger, but wolf eyes see better in the darkness.

The visions ache in the back of my head; the sensations that seep into me through the mating bond itch under my skin and make me dizzy.

Up to that point, everything was a matter of scheming and strategy, but once the lights go out and the fighting begins, the world becomes violent chaos. While the battle wages, I order several of the scouts to set up a perimeter around the exits.

If any of our allies or civilians need to escape the bloodshed, they’ll find help waiting at the doors. But, if any of the mercenaries try to get out and fetch reinforcements… we won’t let them.

My job is to stay with my team and help them patrol the campus. If things go wrong, I’ll have to contact Jackson and the other wolves.

But things won’t go wrong. They can’t. And so far, they haven’t.

But then suddenly, Will’s rage hits me through the mating bond. His anguish courses through me as he watches one of our wolves die in the midst of the fight.

I stagger backward against the large, wooden double doors as I see it all happen through Will’s eyes, the mating bond tugging at me until I lose track of my own surroundings. It feels as though the gunshot went off right in front of me and not on the other side of the university. For a moment, I’m untethered to myself, and all I feel is Will’s shock, his pain, and anger as he watches our pack member die.

I snap back into myself, still reeling as the gunshot rings in my ears and tears sting my eyes. Everything inside me screams to run to Will and join the fight.

Acting against our instincts gave us the element of surprise. It allowed us to strike Kade in a way he did not expect, and so far, the plan has worked.

But I’m a reckless soul.

My father ruled only with his heart. He saw the best in people and acted out of ambition and optimism. My aunt led only with her mind. She made plans and stuck to them so intently that she could not see the flaws in her own design.

We need to find a balance; we have to do better. Perhaps they were both wrong; perhaps there is another way somewhere in between our heads and our hearts. Whatever my family decided in the past, tonight, I make my own choices.

I chose Will. I trust us, and I believe we are stronger together.

After a heartbeat of hesitation, I order one of the Omegas to cover for me at the southern entrance of the campus and abandon my post.

By the time Will kills the mercenary that shot our pack member, I’m already running toward him.

My wolfsbane dagger is still at Silver Manor, but Jackson gave me a set of knives before we left. The black twin blades are smaller than the bone-hilt dagger, but they’re light and deadly in my hands as I rush past the corridors and classrooms of Ossory.

Only one of the four captured Alphas is too weak and injured to fight. He flees the hall while the other three join Will and the Argent Pack’s warriors in combat.

I pass the elderly Alpha on my way to the auditorium. We waste no time with words, but I slow my sprint to a jog as his gaze meets mine. The old Alpha’s eyes widen when he sees me. Recognition flashes through his expression at the sight of my grey eyes and platinum hair, but all I do is point one of my knives toward the exit, signaling the path that will lead him to safety.

My scouts will help him get back to his pack. The Alpha says nothing, but when he nods at me with gratitude and understanding in his eyes, I know he will not forget this kindness.

I keep running past him.

When I finally reach the auditorium, only one of the mercenaries is still standing. I see Will just past him, and I drop to my knees without slowing down. In one swift motion, I use my momentum to slide beside the mercenary, slicing at his legs with both of my blades.

The mercenary cries out as I tuck and roll past him. As he falls to the ground, one of the other Alphas descends on him, and I don’t look back as he finishes him off.

And just like that, it’s over.

The fighting stops, and Will’s eyes meet mine. Even in his wolf form, feral and wild from the battle, his expression softens when he sees me. He lets out a slow breath as his humanity returns, and he shifts out of his wolf form.

I run to him and nearly knock him over, but a second after I tackle him with my embrace, he wraps his arms around me as well. He’s sweaty and panting, covered in scrapes, bruises, and blood that is not his own. His weariness seeps into me as he holds me close.

“I’m surprised it took you this long, princess,” he chuckles softly, sounding mildly amused even though his voice is strained and out of breath. My racing heart skips a beat at his words.

He knew I’d come.

Even though we’d agreed that one of us needed to steer clear of the fight in case things went wrong; he knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away. Hell, he was counting on it. That’s why he didn’t call for me.

He told me he’d stand by me no matter what I chose. He told me he’d wait for me always. I now understand just how much he meant it.

“What did I miss?” I ask him, pulling away enough to look at him. I forget all about the other wolves and the three Alphas standing in the auditorium as I survey every little cut on Will’s skin, every bead of sweat on his brow.

I know exactly what I’ve missed; I saw it and felt it through our bond. The mercenaries have fallen. The five Alphas of Wynter City are now free to lead their packs, including the Alpha King. My mate.

Maybe I just want to hear him say it; only then will all of this feel real.

“We lost three wolves, but they lost a lot more. You were right about outsmarting them,” Will says slowly, but he knows that’s not what I’m asking. He knows what I need to hear, and he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear before kissing my temple.

“The worst part is over, little wolf. We won.”