Alphas burden

37AVERY

Caden’s spirits are high on the journey home from the summit. He’s bolstered by our successful trade proposal with the other nearest packs, and opening up to the idea of selling to humans to bring in more money for the pack. On our walk through the foothills at the base of Silver Mountain, he’s animated and I’m charmed by it, unable to keep a smile off my face.

“You said Ashbury hosts a market. We could start there. Word will spread amongst the humans that our pack is selling handmade goods from our apothecary,” he suggests.

“Oh, so now you’re on board with me going to town?”

“With me there to protect you,” he concedes. “I’ll never leave you alone.”

“Are they like this all the time?” Atlas mutters to Callie. “I thought Caden Blackburn was supposed to be this badass. He’s the youngest alpha, but he just seems like a lovesick fool.”

Liam snorts. “Get used to it, pup.” His amusement drops, growing serious. “And watch your tone, or I’ll whoop your ass.”

Caden flashes me a sly look, stealing a kiss before he makes a move. He catches Alistair’s son and heir off guard, sweeping his legs from under him. Atlas overbalances, landing on the ground. Taryn cracks up.

“Lesson one,” he says with a smirk. “Always be ready. Especially when everyone else thinks you’re too distracted to act.”

“Right.”

Caden offers him a hand up and slaps him on the shoulder. “You’ll learn.”

We’re getting close to our territory, starting up the mountain. I drag in a lungful of crisp air, smiling. Eagerness to be home stirs within me.

Then a ripple disrupts the air, zipping across my tongue with a crackle. Magic. We halt and a coil of unease forms in my stomach. Something’s wrong. My wolf is alert, teeth bared.

The bushes rustle. Caden tenses, throwing an arm out in front of me. Liam takes point beside him, blocking Taryn and Callie.

They relax somewhat when Hodge, Ford, and a few others from our pack come out of hiding. Alisha helps Alma over a large stone and checks behind them. My stomach drops at Alma’s healing bruises. They’re all worse for wear, Ford favoring his left arm, Hodge’s forehead sporting the remnants of a healing gash, and the others with torn clothes.

My heart rises into my throat. Our packmates have been attacked and hurt.

“Alpha,” Hodge says gravely.

“What’s going on? Why are you outside the perimeter?” Caden demands.

Before they answer, more people emerge from the trees, shimmers of magic unveiling their presences. They’re witches, some dressed in eccentric swaths of fabric decorated with baubles. A few dress like humans, but their scents and the electric aura of magic they aren’t masking give them away to a shifter’s heightened senses.

Caden growls, his wolf riding him. “What the fuck is going on?”

I put a hand on his arm when I recognize the witch leading the small group, standing between her and my mate. “Jade. You’re back.”

She looks the same as the day I met her, regal and mysterious, her age just as indiscernible. “Yes. My coven’s returned to these woods.”

“Caden, this is Jade. She’s the witch I told you about. The one that saved my life.”

He eyes her warily, nudging me behind him. I grip the back of his sweater.

“Calm down. She’s good,” I insist. “Jade, this is my mate, Caden.”

“I know who you are. We’re here to help,” Jade confirms. “I wish we’d returned to your region under different circumstances, though I’m glad to see fate’s worked out for you, little wolf girl.”

“What? You knew my future?”

“I’m not a seer by any stretch,” she explains. “But the Fates are all around us if we open ourselves to listening. I had a good feeling about you when I came across you trying to poison yourself.”

“I wasn’t—it doesn’t matter. Hodge, what’s happened? Why are all of you injured?” I leave Caden’s side to check them over.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Ford says.

Hodge’s expression shutters. “We failed you, Alpha. I’m sorry.”

Caden’s jaw works, his shoulders a rigid line. “Tell me.”

“It’s Lorne and Cormac. They’ve taken the pack,” Ford says. “Lorne’s named himself Alpha.”

Caden roars, slamming his fist into a tree. It splinters, the cracking trunk sending a shocking echo through the woods. I cover my mouth in horror. This can’t be real. Caden worried there was a risk in leaving, but I didn’t think anything like this could happen.

“Those fucking co

“Anyone who they’ve gathered favor with helped them. They ambushed us on patrol the night after you left and captured a lot of the enforcers that didn’t bend their necks like Weston and Abbott.” Ford looks like he might be sick. “Gabe. They’ve also got Tobin, Marissa, and the others being held.”

“We managed to escape the territory in the chaos and Jade helped keep us hidden to scout out what’s going on inside. Everyone who didn’t make it out’s been rounded up in Cormac’s compound,” Hodge says gruffly. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop them.”

“It’s okay.” Caden grips his shoulder, features set in resolution. “We’re going to fix this. I’ll take the pack back. They’ve broken shifter law. They can’t take a pack by force without challenging me.”

“My sisters?” I choke, struggling not to panic. “Are they okay?”

Hodge nods, morose. “They have them. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to the girls in time to protect them.”

“What about our way in? We need to free our enforcers first before we go for their throats,” Liam says.

“We’ve been watching. They’ve got a few patrols, but most are avoidable,” Ford says. “It’s the compound that’ll be a bitch to infiltrate without anyone noticing.”

Caden and Liam exchange a glance, able to understand each other without words.

“You guard Avery, Callie, and Taryn. Ford and Hodge, you’re with me.”

“With my life,” Liam swears. “We’ll go to my cabin.”

I grab Caden’s arm. “You expect me to sit tight in a hideout? Hell no. I want to go with you. My sisters are in there.”

His chest reverberates with a rough noise and he takes me by the shoulders. “Yes, damn it. I can’t fight knowing you’re in danger. I need you safe. I’m going to end this.”

“I can help,” I protest.

“You’ll help by staying put with Liam.” He lays a hand over my heart. “I need you to do this for me. I promise everything will be alright.”

My throat tightens. His eyes bore into mine, bouncing back and forth. I don’t like it, my wolf just as pissed, pressed close against the veil. She’s ready to tear through the territory on a rampage for harming her pack, her family.

I give a jerky nod. He presses his forehead to mine, then captures my mouth in a blistering, heart-stirring kiss that ends too soon.

“Caden,” I rasp.

He studies my face, cupping my cheek. I bite my lip.

“Don’t you dare lose. Not to Lorne or Cormac.”

The corner of his mouth lifts, his expression turning savage and driven. “Never. No one could take me from you, mate. I’ll wipe their existence from this earth for touching everything that’s mine. My family. My pack.”

His fierceness sends a shiver down my spine. I hug him before he goes to fight the corruption infecting our pack.

“Be careful. I love you.”

He crushes me to him. “I love you, too. I’ll finish this quickly.”

“We’ll join you.” Two of Jade’s coven members step forward. “We’ve sensed magic inside your packlands.”

“Dark forces are at work,” Jade says. “It’s the same forbidden black magic we’ve been tracing for years. Whoever’s casting it needs to face the council. That’s why we’ve come.”

“What about me?” Atlas asks.

Caden jabs a finger at him. “You stay out here. The last thing I need is another pack’s heir getting underfoot.”

“What? No! I’m your ally. Let me fight with you.”

Caden’s jaw works. “I don’t have time for this. Alma.”

Alisha supports her as she makes her way over and grabs Atlas’ ear. He yelps in complaint.

“Behave, pup. You’ve got a lot to learn about the way of things,” she says.

I watch Caden lead his men through the trees until they’re out of my sight. Then I turn to the bond to feel the distance stretch between us. Swallowing thickly, I follow Liam the opposite way to sneak through the perimeter to his cabin at the opposite end of the territory. Jade comes with us.

No one’s around. It’s eerie to see the packlands so empty and lifeless.

“Here.” Jade hands me a velvet bag from her belt once we make it to Liam’s cabin. “These are spelled for protection. Place them at the back door to ward off those that wish us ill intent. I’ll get the front.”

I’m grateful for something to do to distract me from my worries about my sisters. Inaction is making me restless, spurred on by my wolf. She hasn’t stopped pacing. Her agitation tightens my muscles until my skin feels stretched uncomfortably tight. She’s not happy to be sitting out when she’s ready to fight anyone who dares threaten her pack.

We’re strong, she seethes. We should fight.

Part of me agrees. I promised Caden, but I don’t want him fighting on his own, either.

Blowing out a breath, I step out back on Liam’s deck to set Jade’s protective barrier. A twig snaps to my left and a figure hobbles out, tripping against me when she tries to take the steps to the deck two at a time. I stiffen, then relax when she makes it to me without setting off Jade’s spell.

“Avery?”

Sylvie clings to me desperately. I help her up.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. Saw you from where I was hiding. I—I ran. I couldn’t stand it no more. Cormac, he, he—” She breaks off with a gasping sob. “He’s so cruel. I’m sorry. So sorry. I should’ve listened. You said you’d help me.”

My gaze narrows at the way her fear smells. It’s making my wolf gag, shaking her head to dispel it. It’s off, overpoweringly foul and bitter, but there’s something else, a sour note underneath the stink of terror. She’s lying to me.

“Sylvie,” I snap. “Where are my sisters? Do you know?”

“I do, I do.” She pulls at my clothes, encouraging me to move. “I can take you to them. Come with me now. I’ll show you.”

She’s insistent. Too insistent. I want to rescue my sisters and get them to safety, but there’s no way I can do it on my own.

“They sent you to lure me into a trap.”

The cold accusation makes her flinch. Real tears well in her eyes. She doesn’t bother denying it.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I have to do whatever they tell me to. If I don’t obey, Cormac hurts me.”