Chapter 42

LLOYD

I removed my foot from the warrior’s neck, and he immediately shifted to his knees, exposing his throat in submission. The sight of him, so defeated, should have filled me with satisfaction, but instead, it only deepened my unease.

“Lloyd?” Charlotte’s voice cut through the chaos in my mind, pulling me back to the present.

I turned toward her, still dazed, and quickly scanned her injuries. Thankfully, they were mostly superficial. My eyes then shifted to Chelsea, who was hunched over, cradling her stomach, yet her gaze was steady as it met mine.

“Long live the alpha king,” she murmured, her grin tight with pain.

I shook my head in denial, but her words echoed around me, taken up by those nearby. They all looked to me, their new alpha, for guidance.

More pack members began to gather, most of them she-wolves and pups, all watching me with a reverence I neither sought nor welcomed.

David stepped in, sensing my inner turmoil. “Everyone, let’s give Lloyd a moment to breathe,” he announced, his voice authoritative yet calming. “I suspect he’ll be joining the attack on the palace. Let’s focus on patching up the wounded and burying the dead.”

I turned my attention back to the palace warrior, who still knelt at my feet. “What is your name?” I asked, my voice firm but measured.

“Mervin, sire,” he replied, his tone laced with fear and respect.

“You will help bury the dead and defend this pack until I return. Take your instructions from David. Understood?”

“Yes, sire. Thank you, sire,” Mervin responded quickly, his submission complete. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him not to call me sire, but I knew it would be a futile effort. The title had already taken root.

Charlotte sidled up beside me, her expression troubled. “What about the alpha command?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

I shrugged, trying to make sense of the shift within me. “I can’t explain it. I know Misty hasn’t broken the curse, but I don’t feel compelled to hunt her. Something has changed.”

Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, I can feel it too. The dominance you displayed just now was immense. I’ve never felt such power radiating from anyone. Now, come with me.”

I glanced back at Chelsea, but David was already tending to her, so I followed Charlotte to a house not far from the pack house. As we entered, the scent of Misty filled the air—this must have been her home before she moved to Knox.

Charlotte disappeared to get dressed, leaving me to stand awkwardly in the living room, fully aware of my nudity. I had no clothes and hoped Harris might have something in my size.

I found the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and poured some cold water into it, downing it in one go.

I had to call Misty to let her know that the situation had changed. A glance at the clock over the sink told me it was already a quarter past two.

Charlotte returned, handing me a bundle of clothes that still had the tags.

I blinked in surprise, and she shrugged. “I went out early this morning to buy you something that would fit. There wasn’t much in your size, so I could only find sweatpants and T-shirts. No shoes, unfortunately.”

“Thank you, that was very thoughtful,” I said, sincerely grateful. I tore off the tags and quickly dressed. “May I use your phone?”

“Of course,” she replied, but her expression darkened. “But you won’t be able to reach them now. I’m not even sure you’ll make it in time,” she added, her voice heavy with concern.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my pulse quickening.

“Harris called,” Charlotte explained, her expression grave. “All phones will be off and left in the vehicles until after the attack. The teams have been paired with males from different packs so each can link and pass on messages.”

She turned quickly, snatching a set of keys off the wall-mounted board, and thrust them into my hand. “These are for the station wagon. Hurry—you might be able to link with Misty if you get close enough, but you’ll have to drive like the devil. Pray no cops pull you over.”

“Before I go, tell me how the hell the palace warriors snuck in so easily?”

“They overpowered Bob, but he managed to link the Monolith Pack members. Chelsea was here with me, and that’s how I knew.”

Two squads meant forty-eight wolves, not that difficult to defeat, but still a lot with everyone gone.

“Tell David to order Mervin to stand guard once he has completed his tasks. Who else is left?”

“Shane and Ulrich.”

“They can keep him company, but I don’t think the warrior was lying.”

I bolted out of the house, fumbling with the keys as I unlocked the station wagon. I reversed with a screech of tires and sped off, my thoughts a chaotic storm.

The road stretched before me, and fear gripped me, pressing my foot harder on the accelerator. I weaved through traffic, overtaking every car in my path and pushing the old vehicle to its limits.

As I merged onto the highway, I could only pray that I’d reach linking distance before Misty stepped one foot into the palace.

~“Do you think the curse is broken?” ~Vetus asked, his voice laced with cautious hope.

~“I don’t know,”~ I replied, my mind racing. ~“Maybe Misty discovered something at Knox, but she would have called if that were the case…”~

~“I’m wary.”~ Vetus’s tone darkened. ~“Maybe Axel rescinded the command and is waiting to issue another one. Even if we outrank him, it wouldn’t matter…”~

~“I know,”~ I thought, the unease settling in my gut. ~“Or maybe the binding circle failed because Misty left the territory.”~

~“Yes, that sounds feasible,”~ Vetus agreed. ~“The only real change is that she marked us. Maybe that’s why the circle no longer worked.”~

That possibility gnawed at me—the marking had been powerful, more potent than I’d expected. A terrible thought flickered at the edge of my mind, but I refused to entertain it.

Every few miles, I tried linking with Misty, but each attempt was met with silence, and my fear for her safety grew with every passing second.

The minutes dragged into agonizing hours, and finally, I knew I was in range.

~“Misty?” ~I called out, my voice sharp and urgent.

~“Lloyd? Oh my God—”~ Her voice was cut off abruptly as she blocked me.

Frustration surged through me, and I slammed my palm against the steering wheel. I kept pushing against her block, desperate to reach her.

~“She thinks you’ve come to hunt her…”~Vetus exclaimed, alarmed.

~“Break her block!~” I ordered.

~“I can’t do that,”~ he snapped back. ~“It could have serious side effects; I won’t risk that with my mate.”~

~“Damn it!”~ I yelled, my frustration boiling over.

As the palace loomed into view, the sounds of battle reached my ears—snarls, growls, and the clash of bodies echoing through the air. There was no point in sneaking in; the chaos was too widespread.

I drove through the gates, my headlights illuminating wolves locked in combat. I swerved to avoid them, though many leapt out of the way as I sped by.

I barely had time to cut the engine before I was out of the car, sprinting toward the entrance. My nose guided me, but the scent trails were too tangled in the blood and sweat of countless wolves.

It wasn’t long before I was confronted in a hallway, leaving me no choice but to fight.

Wolves surrounded me, their numbers overwhelming, but I could identify the palace guards by their scent. I didn’t know those fighting for us and knew none could link Misty.

I stayed in my human form, tearing through the palace wolves, giving the fighters on our side some much-needed relief, and praying they wouldn’t mistake me for the enemy.

The electric light above robbed me of the shadows I relied on, and masking my scent was pointless in the thick of battle. But I pressed on, carving a path through the mayhem.

Slowly, I fought my way up the stairs, flinging a wolf through a window on the landing when he lunged at me.

I was close to the gallery now, but the hallway ahead teemed with battle, a writhing mass of fur, teeth, and blood. I jumped into the fray with a roar, ignoring the claws that scraped at me.

The familiar smells of Luke and Harris hit my nose, and I made for them, plowing my way through, but even as I reached them, more wolves came barreling into the hallway.

Had Misty even made it into the palace? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door to the gallery open a crack and recognized him immediately—Adam. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he slammed the door.

“Harris,” I shouted. “Link Adam, tell him the curse is broken and I am not a threat to Misty.” I wasn’t sure he heard me.

I caught the wolf attacking Harris from behind with my bare hands and broke his neck, but there were too many for Harris and Luke to deal with, and there was no way I could leave them to deal with this on their own.

I shifted, and dominance exited every pore, as I growled ferociously.

The fighting ceased abruptly, and everyone turned to me deferentially. I shifted back in surprise and roared. “Submit.”

Every wolf in the hallway shifted, baring their necks, and I wished I’d thought of that sooner.

I was at the gallery door in two steps only to find it locked. “Open the door now, Adam,” I yelled through gritted teeth, but there was no response.

I howled in frustration, but he left me no choice, and I barreled into the door, the lock giving way under my weight—to find Adam on the floor, bleeding from his gut, a door that looked like the panel leading to the chamber open behind him.

My nostrils flared, and I turned toward Misty, faltering as Axel’s faint smell penetrated my nose, realizing he could mask his scent.

With Harris and Luke flanking me, I took in the scene.

Misty was on her knees, tears coursing down her cheeks. A silver collar fitted around her neck, immobilizing her.

Harris stiffened beside me, his fury matching mine.

“Now, unless you want me to kill her, I suggest you do as I say,” Axel said, giving the leash a jerk.

Misty grunted in pain, her eyes meeting mine in confusion.

“Let me kill her,” I said, hoping he would fall for that ruse.

He laughed out loud. “I might have some faults, but stupidity isn’t one of them. Although I regret sending you after her, I should have kept you by my side. The little bitch obviously broke the curse. Her presence here was an unexpected bonus, but providence has always accompanied the rightful king.”

“What do you want?” Harris snarled.

“Everything, but I realize the timing isn’t quite right—but make no mistake, the throne is mine. Now, this pretty little she-wolf will keep me company and provide safe passage out of the palace. You come any closer, and I will kill her.”

He brandished a short sword tapering to a wickedly sharp point, covered in blood, and flicked Misty’s ponytail with it.

A growl escaped me, and Axel grinned. Could I make him submit?

“If I feel your dominance,” Axel said idly, “I will stab your little sweetheart right in the heart…”

“You evil sonofabitch,” Harris bristled.

I rubbed my eyes to hide that I was linking Misty. ~“Use your witch powers, baby.”~

~“They’re gone,”~ she responded, and anguish came through the bond.

Panic threatened, and I had to push Vetus back forcibly.

I heard a strange sound getting louder, and for a moment, I had no idea what it was until I remembered Tanner’s explanation.

My heart dropped; this was something that flew in the air, and tracking Misty would become very difficult. I’d have to stop him before they got in.

Axel’s grin widened. “Now, if you don’t mind, my helicopter awaits.”