Chapter 55

LLOYD

After dinner, I accepted the kitchen staff and some servants, and Misty kept me company.

“How many more?” she asked as we walked tiredly up the stairs. It was close to midnight, and the day had taken its toll.

“The twelve squads we send as reinforcements to the packs, plus another five that I didn’t get around to, and countless more servants. Not everyone is on shift day and night.”

The news about the drones had thrown me for a loop, and I was all too aware that these squads were not under my control. It also meant fewer guards patrolling.

Accepting everyone would take time, and I was heartily sick of listening to the old pledge, which had spread around the palace like wildfire, and every servant was now using it. We reached the room, and Misty threw herself on the bed and sighed.

“That’s some pledge…,” she said wearily. “No wonder your ears are bleeding. Was that what Axel demanded?”

“No, this pledge dates back centuries. I have no idea what pledge Axel used. I never accepted the royal pack link; it just appeared after the curse, and I suspect it had something to do with the binding of the bones,” I explained.

Misty sat up. “Binding of the bones?”

“That’s what it said in the grimoire…,” I clarified.

“Where is my other backpack? The one with the grimoire?” she asked.

I frowned. “It should still be in the administration office. Do you want me to get it?”

“No, we can do that tomorrow. I’m bushed and can’t keep my eyes open.” Getting to her feet, she started stripping and then frowned.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, admiring the beautiful swells covered by the lace brassiere—bra—

“I didn’t buy sleepwear…,” she said.

“I’m glad. What did you buy?” I asked curiously, nodding at the shopping bags still lying on the floor.

“Shoes and a few other things you’re not allowed to see. I planned to model it for you, but I’m too tired.” She shimmied out of her jeans and slipped under the covers, wearing only a bra and panties.

“Are you going to sleep in those?” I asked.

“I’ve always worn something to sleep in… And there’s a reason. When you’re asleep, you’re vulnerable, and if you’re naked, doubly so.”

I chuckled at her reasoning. “But you can shift instantly without ripping your clothes,” I countered. She lay still for a moment, considering, before slipping out of bed, removing her underwear, and diving under the covers.

“Much better,” I said approvingly.

Stripping off, I slipped into bed beside her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close.

“Sleep, sweetheart,” I murmured, my voice heavy with exhaustion. But even as tired as I was, the feel of her warm skin against mine, the soft scent of her filling the air, was a comfort and pleasure that I would never take for granted.

***

Tanner’s link woke me from a deep sleep.

~“There’s some sort of skirmish going on at the gate,”~ he linked.

~“I’m coming.”~

Disengaging myself carefully so Misty wouldn’t wake, I dressed, linking Adam. ~“Adam? I need you to guard Misty.”~

~“Yes, Alpha,”~ came the sleepy response.

Opening the door silently, I almost laughed out loud when I saw Adam lying in the hallway, right in front of Dawn’s bedroom door. Misty had told me that Dawn had an issue with the age gap.

“That was quick.” I grinned.

He looked at me sheepishly, getting to his feet and grabbing the pillow he’d been using. “I, er, just wanted to be on hand,” he spluttered.

“No need to be embarrassed, I understand. She’ll come around, don’t worry.”

“You think so?” he asked, needing reassurance.

I nodded and patted his shoulder.

The palace was eerily quiet, and judging by the lingering exhaustion in my body, I couldn’t have been asleep for more than a couple of hours. Tanner met me at the palace entrance, jaw tight, shoulders tense.

“What’s going on?”

“Humans showed up at the entrance gate,” he said, already moving. “Busload of them. Guards said they looked lost.”

“Humans? At this hour?” It sounded fishy.

“Exactly.”

I followed him through the courtyard, the air thick with that unnatural stillness that warned of a coming storm.

“Why didn’t the guards handle this?” I muttered.

Tanner sighed. “They are not supposed to bully or hurt humans and therefore are hesitant to take action.”

The moment we got to the gate, a flare went off, shooting into the sky, almost blinding me.

“What the fu—”

Tanner grabbed my shoulder urgently, but I’d already seen what he was looking at. The humans were scattering, but they weren’t running far. They were repositioning. Others took their place, dressed in black with night vision gear and guns.

Stepping out of the bus, a huge smile on his face, cool as anything, was Axel. How many mercenaries had he hired, and what were those blinking lights on their night vision goggles?

“It’s a trap!” I shouted. “Retreat!”

The two guards near the gate didn’t move. They turned to me with that same sick smile, then shifted, teeth bared.

“Not just a trap,” Tanner growled as wolves poured in from the inner halls and out the front entrance. “An ambush.”

Gunfire cracked like thunder, and in my heart, I knew we’d be fighting against our own.

I lunged sideways, grabbing Tanner and dragging us behind a half-wall as bullets chewed through stone.

~“Adam,”~ I linked urgently. ~“Grab Misty, Chelsea, and Dawn—get them out of sight. Find a hiding place and don’t come out until I say.”~

~“What the hell’s happening?”~ Adam’s voice was tight with panic.

~“The palace is compromised. Axel gave an alpha command.”~

“This was planned from the inside,” Tanner spat.

A squad of warriors rounded the corner, a team I had just accepted into the pack, and I knew they were on our side.

~“I don’t know who’s on our side,”~ I growled, as another group of wolves sprinted across the courtyard—were they attacking or defending?

~“Defend the entrance,”~ Tanner shouted, and the team followed him as we fought our way forward.

A wolf landed behind me, claws out. I turned just in time, slamming my shoulder into him. He hit the wall and didn’t get up. But I knew then that we had enemies on the inside, and my fear sparked.

Another charged Tanner. They grappled, neither shifting fully. Tanner finally punched him hard enough to crack bone, and the wolf dropped.

Two more flares went up, and I despaired.

The palace foyer was a teeming mass of teeth and fur.

“We can’t let Axel gain access to the palace,” Tanner shouted above the din. Gunshots sounded, and his eyes met mine. “Mercenaries—they’re already inside…”

The mercenaries were indiscriminate and mowed down anyone who got close, but they definitely had their own agenda.

“Luke was right, they are recording, and if we want to survive, we need to get rid of them first,” Tanner said, out of breath.

“Agreed,” I growled harshly, ducking low to avoid a volley of bullets.

Neither of us mentioned our mates. There was no way we could get to them in time. All I could do was hope Adam would keep them safe.

A wolf hurtled from the stairs above me, his teeth fastening on my raised arm, but a bullet went straight through his skull, and he dropped to the floor. I did the same, checking where it came from.

Were the wolves attacking the mercenaries loyal to me or Axel? I couldn’t tell.

I spun, teeth bared, as another wolf attacked, catching him mid-leap. We hit the floor hard, rolling through scattered debris. I landed on top and didn’t hesitate—one punch, then another, until his head lolled.

This is not how I envisioned taking over a pack, not at the cost of so many lives.

A second wolf lunged from the smoke, too fast. I braced for the hit, but a blur of motion intercepted him. One of our warriors. Maybe. I couldn’t tell.

The air was thick with gunpowder and panic.

I could hear someone screaming, the sound transporting me to that clearing at the Monolith. Clenching my jaw, I focused. There was no point in calling my shadows, and masking my scent was a double-edged sword.

A flash grenade detonated just outside the entrance, and the shockwave sent two bodies flying across the foyer. One hit the column beside me with a sickening crack.

Tanner fought two at once, blood pouring from his temple where a bullet had grazed him, but it didn’t slow him down.

Another mercenary raised his rifle, aiming straight at him.

I tackled the shooter before he could fire, and we tumbled through a heap of broken stone. His gun clattered away, but he drew a knife and slashed at my side. I caught his wrist and twisted hard—the bone snapped, and he screamed.

There was no time for mercy; I snapped his neck and moved on.

The power was cut without warning.

The entire palace plunged into darkness.