Foster still stared at me, waiting for my approval. “William and Marlene are like family. Of course I want you there when I see them again.”

  “Then I’ll be there,” Foster said with a wink. I let out a sigh of relief.

  I knew family was a sore subject for him, and I didn’t want to pressure him into these types of situations, but I also didn’t want him to doubt how I felt about our bond. Having Foster be part of today was important to me.

  A few minutes later, we arrived at the meeting hall. I immediately recalled my first time here when Foster had pinned Beatrix to the wall for hurting me when I’d stepped in front of her spell. I hadn’t been back since, and the tension in the room was just as thick as it had been before.

  With a heavy sigh, I followed Charlie toward the row of chairs and took a seat, hoping like hell that all the alphas in this room could keep their cool long enough for us to actually get something accomplished.

  6

  FOSTER

  Walking into the meeting room felt like running straight into a wall. The air was thick, and nobody was smiling, least of all Holden.

  I leaned over and gave Andie a soft kiss on the side of her head. “I’ll be back to sit with you before things start.”

  She nodded and offered me a small smile before glancing toward my alpha. Her shoulders drooped as I strode toward the corner that he and Mack were currently glowering in.

  I reached my hand toward Holden first and he accepted the gesture. His grip was firmer than normal, and his frown didn’t lessen.

  Mack at least offered me a quick grin and fist bump. “How’s Andie?”

  “She’s doing—”

  Holden cut me off, his eyes examining my mate from across the room. “Seems what happened to her was just what she needed.”

  I sighed. “Yes, Andie was able to fully bond with her aunt’s magic last night.”

  “So, there was no reason for Beatrix to show up at my pack, waving her magic around, and yelling at any wolf she crossed paths with,” he pressed.

  “No, but is there ever a reason for what that witch does?” I countered.

  Holden straightened his shoulders. “There better be when she steps foot on my land. What the witches do here or elsewhere isn’t something I’ve let bother me before, but my territory isn’t a place for her to do as she pleases. Not without just cause. I’m not happy Andie was hurt or that one of my wolves was compromised, but acting without thinking isn’t acceptable and Beatrix is going to understand that. Today.”

  Holden made some good points, and I didn’t blame him for still being furious. If this had happened at my original pack, I’d have been at the witches’ coven, ready for war, but him being willing to come here and talk things through showed me again why I’d made the right choice in joining Holden’s pack.

  He’s a good alpha. He’ll take care of us as long as Beatrix keeps herself in check, my wolf said.

  I know he will, but I’m not so sure about the witch.

  My wolf rumbled in agreement.

  Evelyn rang a bell to presumably get the meeting started, and I turned to find Andie, but she was already coming toward me. I didn’t have to leave the members of my pack to go sit with her. That was an action that hit me harder than I’d expected it to.

  My chest warmed when I took Andie’s hand and led her to the nearest seat, with Holden and Mack right behind us.

  Charlie came over as well, sitting on the opposite side of Andie. She leaned forward and raised a brow at Holden and Mack, then whispered not-so-quietly to Andie while fanning herself, “Dude. Wolf shifters. Yum.”

  Mack nearly choked, and Holden’s lips at least flinched at her comment, but before anyone else could say something, Beatrix moved to stand before the room of a dozen witches and warlocks, plus three shifters.

  “For the last five decades, it has been my responsibility to keep this coven safe. While my methods haven’t always been conventional, I’d say I’ve accomplished what I set out to do all those years ago. Though, I’m not senile, regardless of my age. I know things are changing, and last night reminded me of that.”

  Beatrix turned toward Holden and nodded. “First, I’d like to formally apologize to Alpha Holden Carson for storming into his pack the way I did. That was irresponsible of me, and I shouldn’t have let my emotions control my actions. I hope you can forgive my misbehavior and rest assured that it will not happen again under the same circumstances.”

  Holy shit. Beatrix was apologizing to a wolf shifter in front of the most important members of her coven. I didn’t know her well, but I knew enough to understand what a huge fucking deal this was.

  Holden stood and met Beatrix’s gaze before giving those in attendance a quick glance. “Your apology is appreciated and noted. My wolves were ready to tear the coven down after receiving such disrespect last night, but I know they will appreciate your words when I share them. Just know that words only go so far.”

  The alpha’s brow raised pointedly at Beatrix who nodded respectfully.

  He continued, “Our pack is not opposed to continue our work alongside the witches, but we won’t be treated as though there’s no trust between our lands while doing so. We expect to be considered equals for however long this partnership lasts, and that includes being privy to information learned about this witch who dared to touch one of my wolves.”

  Holden sat back down, and Beatrix straightened her shoulders, addressing the room as a whole again. “Before we move forward with the rest of the meeting, does anyone here object to a secrecy spell?”

  Voices murmured through the room, but nobody stood to disagree with their coven leader. I had a feeling if they did, she’d be sending them right out the door.

  Beatrix went to Holden and whispered into his ear, low enough that the rest of the room shouldn’t have heard, but my wolf ears had no problem picking up her words.

  “You and your wolves won’t be included in this, but you will feel the magic. Do I have your permission to proceed?”

  Holden gave her a curt nod and kept his face neutral. Beatrix really was shocking the hell out of me at every turn. Andie getting injured for what felt like the hundredth time must have shaken her more than any of us had realized.

  Do you understand what’s happening? Holden asked me through our pack connection.

  I do. Seems the old witch has learned a few lessons.

  We all have. That’s part of being a good leader, as you well know.

  I most certainly did, but this wasn’t about me. This was about keeping Andie safe and stopping a crazy-ass witch from stealing more power that didn’t belong to her.

  Ava and Evelyn joined Beatrix, and they each placed a hand on one of Beatrix’s shoulders before closing their eyes and lowering their heads. Beatrix pressed her palms together, and they glowed the light-silver color I was becoming used to from her.

  “Ligamintus sacrutim historius.” She only said the words once, then clapped her hands, and a wave of magic washed over me. My skin tingled and warmed from the energy, but I was more concerned with how Andie stiffened in her chair.

  Her eyes were closed, and she let out a slow breath before reopening them and turning toward me. “I’m okay.”

  I doubted she’d tell me if she wasn’t okay in front of all these people, but when she also offered me a soft smile, I didn’t let my worry linger.

  “Now, if you try to speak of things that you shouldn’t, I will know and so will you. Painfully so.” Beatrix paused, a smirk growing on her face.

  Well, she hadn’t changed all that much overnight.

  She cleared her throat and scanned the gathered group. “Let’s start with something we haven’t talked about. Some of you are aware that William and Marlene have just returned from their quarterly meeting with the Supernatural Council. They will be privy to some of the things we’re discussing here today, but we thought it best to keep them out of the finer details in case they need to leave again.”

  Evelyn and Ava shifted on their feet, standing several feet to Beatrix’s left. It made me believe the three of them knew there was something going on and had failed to tell us. Again.

  The warlock I knew as Chase shoved out of his chair from the row behind us. His hand rubbed over his shaved-down, dark hair before gripping his neck.

  “Yes?” Beatrix asked.

  He took a calming breath. “What happened with the council? Why were they gone for so long?”

  Beatrix shared a glance with me and Andie before answering. There was a hint of something maybe like regret peeking through her green eyes, but it was gone just as soon as she began speaking.

  “Their trip didn’t quite go as planned. The council kept them longer for questioning in regard to the bonding of Foster and Andie. Apparently, other covens and packs have found out about the pairing and aren’t happy. While there have been cross-species bonds in the past, there has not been one for many decades. With the human-born shifter coming to light last year, the council being compromised, and other things they would not reveal, the council members believe there is valid reason for concern in regard to the bonding of Foster and Andie.”

  My wolf roared inside my mind. This council will die before they keep us from our mate.

  My chest rumbled. Agreed, but let Beatrix finish before we say our piece.

  Andie squeezed my hand and leaned closer to me, helping to calm myself and my wolf.

  “Shouldn’t they be more concerned with Moira trying to take a founding family’s magic and using it alongside dark energy?” a stout woman I didn’t recognize asked.

  Beatrix grimaced. “Until Moira causes problems outside of the covens, she is not their concern.”

  “Even though Andie and Foster haven’t caused problems within or outside of the coven, they’re considering them their concern? That makes no fu—freaking sense.” A pinched expression graced Charlie’s face, and she crossed her arms with a huff.

  Andie frowned, and her mood dropped drastically. “What does their curiosity in us mean?”

  Beatrix’s eyes landed on my mate. “It means that we’ll need to be careful when it comes to the information we share outside of this room and, when the two of you are in public, do your best not to draw attention. Outside of that, until we hear just what the council intends to do about these other ‘complaints and concerns’ they’ve received from outside sources, we do nothing.”

  Beatrix paused, but nobody else piped up. I wanted to say something, but the old witch was in a mood unlike I’d ever seen before. One that made it seem like there was more forthcoming, and I wasn’t about to be the person to shut her up.

  “I know some of you believe I haven’t been doing enough when it comes to Moira.” Beatrix paused, and her eyes briefly landed on me. “I understand why you’d think that, and I’m ready for full transparency.”

  Andie squeezed my hand tighter as we waited for Beatrix to continue.

  “I know the interest from the Supernatural Council seems daunting, but that is going to be the least of our worries for now. They’ve been through their own ordeals over the last year, and we need to only concern ourselves with the more immediate problems.”

  Beatrix met my gaze, and I raised a brow. “What if the council becomes an immediate problem and we wasted needed time pretending there was nothing to worry about?” I asked.

  The old witch smirked. “I didn’t say there was nothing to be cautious of, but Moira is the more prominent threat. If the wolves would like to send their own representatives to the council and request that they keep their cloaked heads out of our asses, then you’re more than welcome to do so.”

  Mack snorted next to me, and I just shook my head. Beatrix might be acting more respectfully, but she was still the snarky witch we all knew.

  I’ll speak with the wolf council before we take this any further. Don’t worry. We won’t let this get out of hand, Holden said to me privately.

  Thank you.

  Beatrix continued. “Moira is the biggest issue and where our focus shall remain. She has been able to infiltrate our Spell House and get to one of the wolves. Holden, have you uncovered when or where the pup was compromised?”

  The alpha stood, facing the rest of the group. “From what he remembers, he was still within our territory, but outside of the barrier your coven created. He recalled tiring quickly and possibly sleeping in the forest, but nothing more than that. We’ve pulled as many of the pack members we could to stay within the barrier, but not all of them were willing to leave their homes.”

  I’d expected nothing less. It wasn’t often wolves cowered from a threat, even from a powerful witch.

  “My team and I will come back and extend the barrier as far as we can without compromising its integrity. Does this work for you?” Beatrix asked Holden.

  Andie’s brows furrowed and she glanced over at me, nibbling on her lower lip. She leaned closer. “I’m worried about her.”

  “She’ll be fine,” I whispered, draping my arm over Andie’s shoulders.

  While this wasn’t even close to normal behavior for Beatrix, I wasn’t considering the change a bad thing. At least, not yet.

  Holden had already retaken his seat and nodded in confirmation to Beatrix’s suggestion about expanding the shield around the pack.

  The witch then addressed the group as a whole again.

  “Our partnership with the wolves isn’t only important because of the bond that Andie and Foster share. I bought this land with a purpose. I knew there would one day come a time when we needed to work with other supernaturals in order to keep the coven safe. We have an alliance with the wolves that’s been made stronger as of late, and we also have an agreement with a group of vampires who are trying to change things for their race.”

  Beatrix shifted her feet and checked the time on her watch. “In fact, a group of them will be coming by later today. I normally keep such meetings confined to Spell House, but given that it was compromised, I’ve agreed to let these vampires come here as a show of good faith.”

  A woman I didn’t recognize shot out of her seat. Her stout form teetered before she grabbed onto the chair in front of her. “First wolves and now bloodsuckers? How far are you going to take this, Beatrix?”

  She narrowed her dark eyes on the grey-haired witch. “As far as I need to, Sheila. If you have a problem with that, I will gladly take back the knowledge I have shared with you and release you from this coven right now.”

  Sheila’s shoulders hunched, and her voice lost some of its previous bravado. “Why do you suddenly feel it’s right to involve outsiders in our business?”

  Beatrix sighed. “Because our communities will never thrive until we learn to work together. We all have something to offer, and it’s taken a long time for me to see that. I won’t be rushing to invite the world into our coven, but those who have proven themselves will be trusted to an extent. I assure you that nothing I decide is done so lightly. I have kept quiet over the last month because I didn’t want to disclose the direction my instincts were taking me until I was certain they were right.”

  Sheila quietly took a seat, but another witch I couldn’t see spoke up. “And what direction would that be?”

  “One that won’t be easy, but it will strengthen us for centuries to come. One where, in the end, barriers will come down, and those who live in fear will no longer have to do so. We might believe that Andie and Foster’s bond is rare, but how do we really know that when we spend our years avoiding the other supernaturals we could be working alongside?”

  Holden leaned forward in his chair. “Are you suggesting the possibility of a future where the races no longer live separately?”

  Beatrix grinned, and her eyes sparked with interest. “I am. Even more so, I’m saying that Andie and Foster will be the first of many bonded mates to prove why this is exactly what our world needs to thrive.”

  My grip tightened on Andie’s shoulder. “How are we going to prove anything? More importantly, why would we?”

  Being in the spotlight wasn’t something I was fond of. That brought unwanted attention that typically caused more trouble than it would ever be worth.

  “Because when the two of you finally”—Beatrix raised her thick brows—“consummate this bond, the power you share is going to be what helps us win against the most powerful dark witch who has ever existed. All without sacrificing what we should be standing for.”

  “And what’s that?” Andie asked, leaning closer to me.

  “Peace, light, and community.”

  7

  ANDIE

  Hearing words like peace and light come from Beatrix surprised me nearly as much as her heartfelt and public apology to Holden had.

  With every scare, she was showing me that she could be someone I considered family again. I didn’t have that anymore and wished for it dearly. Though, I hadn’t missed some of her snarky comments about the council and the “consummating” of my bond with Foster. Those ones had at least made me want to chuckle.

  “While peace, light, and community sound grand, I don’t understand how that’s going to help us stop Moira from getting access to Andie’s magic and becoming unstoppable,” Holden said, and murmurs of agreement echoed through the small room.

  Beatrix held her hand out, and Evelyn deposited the jar of dark magic into Beatrix’s waiting palm. “Last night, I did a lot of thinking while staring at this energy. This is tainted original magic. Moira used to be just like the rest of us, and then something changed. Maybe someone wronged her. Maybe she bargained for the wrong power, and it corrupted her. Whatever the reason, I want to know what happened. I want to know why the two other remaining members of her original line are hidden away. When we have those answers, we’re going to know how to beat Moira.”

  Foster’s grip tightened on my shoulder. “What happened to the contingency plans you mentioned before? How do you intend to keep Andie, the coven, and the pack safe while we find the answers to these questions?”