Caster grabbed his shoulders. “The witch?”
“Yes,” Dean answered.
“Transform, now.” The command was unmistakable, but his scramble to obey was hindered by the Prime Alpha’s influence on his wolf.
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
“What?”
He glanced at his brother, Caster’s eyes following. “He won’t let me.”
Dean sighed. “Shit, sorry.”
His influence disappeared, and Mark breathed a sigh, his wolf finding its feet. It wasn’t like Dean to lose control of his Alpha like that.
You’ll tell me about that later?Caster’s voice floated through his mind, and he nodded.
“Wait.” Riley stopped him just as he allowed his wolf to take control. “It may not be a good idea to give her what she wants.”
Mark frowned, failing to follow Riley’s train of thought.
“She wants your lifeforce, which is strongest when you’re in wolf-form.”
Edie nodded. “Yeah. It is safer for you if you remain inhuman form. She—”
James, already in wolf-form, and Julian burst in, interrupting Edie. Whatever Julian said was distorted by the screaming effect of Ethel’s power as it raced through the house, leaving in its wake a mess of broken windows, shaking the mansion to its foundation.
It propelled him forward, Caster’s strong grip on his shoulders the only thing keeping him upright. The walls crumbled around them, Caster pulling him out of the falling ceiling’s path, the heavy debris missing his head by a whisker. The sound of a demolition in progress, one instigated by magic, was drowned out by a hush, a misplaced silence, and he opened eyes he hadn’t known he’d closed to find a shield around them.
Somehow, they’d all been drawn together in a circle, a red orb of protection over them. Ethel’s power continued to tear the house apart, but the debris bounced off the shield. He glanced at the source of their protection to find a determination that bordered on terrifying. Riley’s gaze was hyper-focused on the large gaping hole that was once a wall, trained on Ethel, who stood just beyond it, an even larger army of her twice-dead Made-Vampires behind her.
Caster refused to release his hold on Mark. He would die before he let him go. Without the protection spell that had been around his house, the Prime Alpha’s residence had no chance. The draft of cold air on his back in the moment before Riley’s protective shield had gone up was an indication that the walls were all but gone.
Mark growled, his body shaking in his grip with the beginnings of a transformation he seemed unable to prevent.
“Stop!”
The shaking stilled, Mark’s growls faded into a whine, the wolf readying to confront its nemesis, returning to its depths.
He felt the Prime Alpha’s stare and realized he’d spoken the command out loud. Whatever questions he had would have to wait until they’d dealt with the witch.
“Get ready to fight,” Riley said, never once looking away from Ethel.
He released his hold on Mark, his desire to keep him safe overriding every instinct. But previous experience and memory of the witch’s attack a decade ago had proven Mark’s prowess in battle.
“Now!” Riley yelled, and the protective barrier lifted, as the creatures that made up Ethel’s army raced across the front lawn towards them. But whatever they were, they would never match a Born-Vampire’s speed. Caster had two in his grip in a flash, tearing their heads from their writhing bodies before they could cover too much ground.
He reached for the next two, who all but launched themselves at him and tore them in half. Similar movement from the periphery of his vision caught his attention as he dispatched the next two, and he saw Damien, Marcus, and Julian clearing a path toward Ethel with beautiful efficiency.
Mark was right behind him, unable to move as fast as he could. His precision was once again on display as he too joined the battle, the Prime Alpha and James, the only one in wolf-form by his side. Together, they made quick work of the dead creatures who didn’t fight back, once again content to just die.
Ethel remained in the same spot, unbothered by the death of her army. She raised her hands as she had before, and her army grew twice as large, a darkness, the same darkness in Mark’s memory, blackening the pristine beauty of the wilderness thatwas the Prime Alpha’s backyard.
Growls that couldn’t have come from the twice-dead army pierced the darkness, and red eyes broke through. The threatening growls celebrated the resurrection of the twice-dead army as each one rose from the ashes. Their deafening screeches synced with the growling creatures of the dark, the sound so loud it tore at his eardrums.
Ethel’s laughter joined the chorus of celebration. She held up her hand, and the sound died down. She caught Caster’s eye. “You’re alive?” She smiled. “That’s interesting.” She glanced at Mark before returning her attention to Caster. “Give me what I want, and I’ll spare the world.”
“Not happening,” Marcus answered, moving to stand with him in front of Mark. The Prime Alpha did the same. Caster reached behind him to grasp Mark’s arm, tightening his hold.