The hairs on the back of my neck stood, and my wolf rose to the surface.

  Andie.

  “Someone’s here,” I said to Mack. “I need to find Andie. Where’s Gemma’s cabin?”

  His eyes darkened. “Is that the shield?”

  “Highly possible. Where is my mate, Mack?” I asked one last time before unleashing my wolf.

  “About half a mile out. What are we supposed to do?” he asked me, and my alpha power surged forward without thought.

  “You find Holden and put any plans you’ve been concocting in the event that someone attacks the pack into motion,” I said, jogging toward the door, ignoring the furrowed looks from the other shifters as I paced by.

  “Is that what’s happening?” he called out.

  I didn’t bother to turn around. “We’re about to find out.”

  After nearly ripping the door from its hinges, I stepped outside to find the sky covered in dark, swirling fog and flashes of lightning striking through the sky but never touching the ground.

  The air was heavy and pressing down on my chest. My skin tingled with energy, and my wolf senses were fully awake for the first time in days.

  Andie’s getting closer. We need to wait for her here, my wolf said.

  Before I could respond to him, Holden came racing toward us in his wolf form. He leapt and shifted back to human midair before landing on his feet. If I could have thought of anything other than Andie, I’d have been impressed.

  “I’ve been calling for the pack, but nobody is responding,” he growled just as Mack stepped outside.

  “I just told the shifters inside to wait there for me. But what do you mean we didn’t respond? I must have missed your message, but I told you I was headed to the pack house,” Mack said, not understanding what Holden was saying, but I did.

  “Moira cut your ties to the pack like she did with James.” My fingers tightened at my sides, and my insides burned with fury. “Holden, she was testing us when she used him. The kid wasn’t the main event. Whatever this is? She’s coming to destroy us.”

  Holden’s chest rumbled loudly. “I need to figure out a way to warn the pack and get those who can’t fight out of here. We have pups and mothers who don’t need to be anywhere near that.”

  Holden pointed up and I agreed. The darkening sky was bearing down over the shield, and I suspected it wouldn’t be long before our layer of safety was broken.

  Andie’s pink hair appeared in my peripheral vision, and I whipped my head around to see her. She wasn’t hurt, but she was alone.

  “Where’s Charlie?” Mack asked.

  Andie stopped and sucked in a breath. “She took Gemma and the baby to the coven. Is the pack ready for whatever this is? Charlie will get the witches here as soon as she can.”

  “Holden can’t reach the pack, but maybe Mack can?” I glanced at the beta, doubtful, but it was worth a try.

  He closed his eyes, and his jaw tightened. “No.”

  Andie’s lips thinned. “What do you mean? What about your mind speak? Did Joseph even hear Gemma before I forced her to leave?” Her words began running together as she spoke faster.

  I grabbed her shoulders. “We’ll find Joseph to make sure, and we’ll help the pack.” Then I turned to Holden. “Where do we start?”

  Mack stepped back. “I know where Joseph is. He’s with the group we’ll want here fighting. I’ll go get them and then circle the perimeter of the pack, but how are we going to get people out of here?”

  Andie raised her hand. “I’ll do it. More witches will be here soon to help. I can open a portal right here and send them to the coven. Just point the pack in this direction.”

  Holden let out a heavy breath. “That will be a huge help. I’ll head the opposite way of Mack and begin sending people here. Thank you, Andie.”

  Mack was already gone before Holden had finished speaking, and the alpha shifted as soon as he was far enough away from us.

  Andie was still breathing hard, and her face was pale. I pulled her into my arms as another pulse of energy vibrated around us.

  She pushed me back. “Standing here, just waiting for people to show up doesn’t feel like enough.”

  I nodded. As much as I just wanted to keep Andie safe and run away with her, this was our fight. Moira wouldn’t have attacked this pack if I hadn’t come here for help.

  “But it is. Until that shield fails, this is the most helpful thing we can be doing. You work on the portal and maybe open it on the backside of the coven so the witches who don’t know what’s going on yet don’t freak out. While you’re doing that, I can shift. My wolf’s howling should draw pack members in as well.”

  Andie pointed up. “That should be enough to make people worry, but howling will give them a sound to follow instead of wandering around, not sure what to do since they can’t communicate.”

  She made a valid point, and I was thankful she wasn’t panicking.

  While she worked on the portal opening, I shifted to my wolf form. Are you ready for this? I asked him.

  I am. There’s a reason I’ve been reserved. I knew our fight was far from over.

  We have to save as many of them as we can.

  It won’t be like before, he promised.

  It can’t be.

  My wolf’s howls cut through the air, a signal to the pack that I hoped they wouldn’t ignore. We kept that up for several minutes before a small family sprinted around the corner of the pack house.

  I transformed back to two feet when they did the same. It was a mother with her two children. A teen boy and a young daughter.

  “We’re going to get you out of here,” Andie said, the portal nearly big enough for people to walk through.

  I went to the mother, whose name I didn’t know. Her blue eyes were wide, her light strands were haphazardly sticking out from her ponytail, and she was shaking. “It’s going to be okay. My mate will get your family to the coven.”

  “Why can’t I reach Holden? Where is our alpha?” she begged.

  “He’s here and he’s trying to bring in the pack members so we can get them out of here. A dark witch has silenced our communication, but we’re going to help as many as we can.”

  She glanced behind me. “My mate. He’s with the guard team training. I told him I was coming here. He can hear me, but neither of us could reach Holden. He told me he’d meet here as soon as he could get some answers.”

  That was good to know, and I was sure a relief for Andie since she had felt guilty about sending Gemma away without being sure their mate connection still worked.

  “Tell your mate to stay where he is and to let the others know that if they haven’t already, then they need to tell their families to do the same as you. Come here as quickly as they can.”

  She pressed a hand over her chest and closed her eyes. I glanced at the kids. The little girl was clinging to her brother’s neck, nearly choking him. He met my stare and didn’t seem the least bit scared.

  “Gerald is taking care of what you asked. He said Mack is also there and helping,” the woman said, and I nodded before looking back at Andie.

  “Good. The portal is ready. This leads to the forest within the coven territory. You’ll be safer there and more will join you soon.”

  The shifter reached for her son’s hand and pulled him toward the opening. Andie stepped out of the way and to my side.

  Her eyes were bright, and her skin was glowing a faint purple. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I’m ready to face Moira.”

  “How do you know she’ll be here?” I asked since the dark witch herself hadn’t shown up when her group had last attacked.

  “I just know.” Andie’s hands curled into fists. “What did you mean when you mentioned the communication with the pack being cut off before?”

  I sighed. “I think what happened to James was only a trial run. Holden hadn’t been able to feel the pup when he went after you. If you hadn’t electrocuted him, there would have been nothing we could have done to stop him unless we’d really hurt him. I can only assume now that Moira has figured out a way to cut off all contact with the pack except for mates, but let’s hope she’s not controlling any of the wolves this time.”

  Andie’s shoulders slumped. “I hope like hell not. We can’t kill our own.”

  I wanted to agree with her, but I stayed silent instead, because my words would have been a lie.

  More wolves began showing up and they didn’t question the portal. Thankfully, they took their children and moved on through, spreading out into the trees.

  After nearly thirty pack members had made their way to the coven, Charlie finally returned. She wrapped Andie up in her arms and then looked up at the sky.

  “The shield is only going to last another few minutes. Then, that dark sky is going to let in witches and warlocks who want to kill us all until Moira gets what she wants.”

  I thought back to the last attack at Spell House and tried to remember anything helpful. “Moira’s coven is connected somehow. How can we use that to our advantage?”

  Charlie kept her eyes on the sky. “With each member who dies, their strength weakens. Since the coven is joined mostly by dark magic, they don’t get to recoup the power from their deceased like we do. They’ll slow down with every death, but it won’t be noticeable until we’ve eliminated more than half of them.”

  Andie shuddered next to me.

  “Just remember, they’re not giving you a choice,” I whispered. “It’s your life or theirs, and it was their choice to attack us.”

  She nodded, but the action lacked conviction. “I’ll be fine.” Then she looked at Charlie. “Where are Beatrix and our coven members?”

  Andie was right. They should have been here by now.

  Charlie’s response was cut off when Benjamin’s head peeked out of the portal. “Are there more coming?”

  “More wolves? I don’t know. There could be,” Andie answered.

  “Beatrix asked me to stay here and make sure everyone got through and then to close access so none of Moira’s witches sneak through. I’ll leave it open as long as I can. Do you need anything?” he asked, glancing at all three of us.

  Before any of us could respond, screams cut through the air around us, and Benjamin took a step back.

  The barrier has been broken, my wolf warned.

  I grabbed both of Andie’s hands. “I’m going to shift again, but I won’t leave you during this fight.”

  “If I’m hurting you or your wolf, then you’re going to have to,” she begged. “It might be the only way to win this.”

  My wolf growled, and I echoed him. “That’s not possible.”

  Her hands cupped my face, and she pulled me closer. “We don’t have any other choice, Foster. We both need to know the other will be safe, and if that means we need to be separated, then we need to be okay with that. Right now.”

  I jerked away from her and gripped my hair tightly. “Fuck!” We didn’t have time for me to be indecisive. I understood what she was saying and, shit, I even agreed with her, but I couldn’t lose Andie. I couldn’t fail to protect another person I cared about.

  I wouldn’t survive that.

  The fog from above the clouds began shooting toward the ground. We were out of time, and I would not let my last conversation with Andie before we entered into this fight be one that had ended in disagreement.

  My hands gripped her hips, and I lifted her up, devouring her mouth with my own for just a second—one I knew we didn’t have to spare. “I love you so fucking much,” I murmured over her lips.

  “I love you, too. We’re going to be okay.”

  Her forehead pressed against mine, and I slowly let her back to the ground. I was terrified to let her go, but I also knew we didn’t have any other choice. Time had run out. It was time to protect our pack and coven.

  When we pulled apart, Benjamin was guarding the portal with glowing, green hands that matched his eyes, and Charlie was bouncing on her feet. “The witches have begun arriving. Looks like the fight is beginning behind the pack house.”

  She started running that way, and Andie took a step to follow her. My hand flinched to pull my mate back to me, and she paused for the briefest second. “Believe in us, Foster. That’s all we can do if we hope to win.”

  I nodded stiffly. I could do that. I had no other choice.

  Andie moved farther ahead, and I let my wolf push forward.

  We’ll keep her safe for as long as we can, he said.

  But will that be long enough?

  He howled into the air. It will have to be.

  24

  ANDIE

  Foster’s darkening eyes, clenched jaw, and increased breathing were hard to ignore and caused my anxiety to rise, but there was nothing either of us could do. Running wasn’t an option. It was a death sentence.

  With the last crack of thunder, I knew Moira had arrived. She wasn’t close, but my magic recognized her energy. If she was here, then she meant to take what she wanted, which I assumed was me.

  With the pack’s communication down and all of us feeling so separated, Moira had the upper hand, but I hoped it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

  At least Benjamin was watching over the portal. He was only a teenager, but he had heart, and that meant a lot when it came to protecting the innocent.

  I considered teleporting, but I didn’t want to appear somewhere less than ideal, so I followed Charlie’s path and continued to race around the back of the house.

  When we arrived, witches were teleporting in from our coven—though not as many as I would have expected—while dark witches were forming out of the shadowy fog from Moira’s.

  My eyes scanned the crowds, searching for her. The witch was nowhere to be seen, but she hadn’t gone far. I was as sure of that as I was that Foster’s wolf was snarling next to me.

  I bent down and gripped his fur. “Don’t let him stay with me if I’m hurting you. I’ll be fine.”

  The wolf’s warmth soaked into me, and he nudged my stomach with his massive head.

  I moved to place my lips on his coarse hair, but the wolf was out of my grasp and jumping over me in the next second.

  A warlock had been coming up behind us, and Foster’s wolf now had him by the neck. Within seconds, the unknown man was lifeless on the ground. I tried to process what I’d witnessed, but there was no time.

  Our arrival was being noticed, and they were coming toward us in hordes. Witches, warlocks, and wolves alike.

  Foster had hoped none of the wolves within the pack were being controlled, but as they sprinted forward with black eyes, I knew that hope was lost.

  His wolf jumped in front of me, and I readied my magic, saving my syphon power for when I needed it most.

  Charlie appeared at my side and moved to stand so that our backs were touching. “They’re searching for you and Foster both.”

  I wanted to be surprised by that, but I wasn’t. Moira would know that if she took my soulmate from me, I’d be more willing to comply with her demands. I just hoped that wasn’t a situation we found ourselves in.

  A wolf leapt at us, and I sent a stream of the same magic I’d used on James straight into its chest. There was a loud yelp and then the beast crumpled to the ground, but it didn’t stay there like the boy had.

  “They’re stronger than James was,” I warned Charlie and Foster, wondering once again where the hell Beatrix and the rest of the coven were.

  Holden’s wolves who weren’t being controlled were helping as much as they could, but from where I stood, most of them were only able to get a bite or two in before they were zapped with dark energy.

  We were quickly losing numbers and running out of options. I had a thought on how I could help in a bigger way, but I needed Foster to get as far from me as possible first.

  His wolf was busy snapping at incoming pack members when I noticed three witches dressed in the same robes that I’d seen that day at Spell House. Their glowing, silver eyes were the only thing I could make out beneath the hoods, and I stepped forward.

  Charlie called out a warning to me, but I ignored her. This was what I’d been training for. If these witches wanted me, then they were going to get me. All of me.

  I began to jog forward and pushed magic into my palms. My left hand created a shield that I held in front of me, and the right was packed with a punch powerful enough that it should put all three of them on their asses if I timed my hit correctly.

  Except they separated at the last second, a black tether of energy connecting them as they circled me.

  Shit. I was trapped, and they were chanting something that didn’t sound like it was going to be good for me.

  I glanced at Foster’s wolf. He wasn’t far enough away, but I had to do something before these three captured me.

  Dark magic began pressing down on me and I dropped to my knees, digging my fingers into the ground. As I called energy to myself, whips covered with black magic lashed at my back. I stifled my cries and began to push the energy I’d collected back out.

  It took concentrated effort to stand again. Every muscle inside me ached and the witches were only a few feet away now, but I wasn’t giving up. They wouldn’t take me. Not today. Not ever.

  I pressed both of my hands together, charging them up before I thrust them out and spun in a circle. Light-purple magic began to darken and hit each of them in the chest.

  They faltered, but their connecting tether didn’t break.

  I was going to have to get closer.

  Foster’s wolf howled, but I didn’t look back. I only acted on instinct and closed the distance between me and the nearest witch.

  My hand slammed into their chest, but it went straight through the cloaked figure. There was no body mass to absorb my hit.

  Charcoal-colored magic traveled up my feet, swiftly moving up my legs and bringing me closer to the ground.

  I choked on the energy. It was taking the air from my lungs, and my vision was fading.

  Another howl cut through the air, but this one was a reminder. I couldn’t give in. I couldn’t let them win.