"This way," I told Kaden as I started walking away from the battle.
Kaden let out a low growl in return and loped alongside me like my own guardian wolf. I debated letting my wolf free too, but I wanted to stay in human form in case I needed to do more magic. I kept my shield around both of us as we moved deeper into the woods. At the sound of movement behind me, I spotted Larkin flying after us, though she struggled to weave through the forest as easily as we did.
Jordan wasn't far away, standing under a large tree with some of the other Sun Witches, along with three of his Leo shifters in wolf form. Jordan seemed to be arguing with the Sun Witch Roxandra, his hands waving frantically, but I couldn't make out the words, not in human form, anyway. When they spotted us coming, Roxandra promptly vanished in a flash like a firework going off, leaving only a trail of smoke behind. Jordan's shifters charged us, but before the Leos even got to us, I threw up a wall of moonlight. They slammed into it and fell back, dazed, and then Larkin quickly tied them up with some magical chains. They snapped and fought, but remained trapped.
Kaden charged toward Jordan with a fierce growl that sent a shiver down my spine. Jordan let out a Leo roar that made Kaden pause, but my shield protected me from the effects, and Larkin seemed to be okay too. Jordan shifted then, becoming a big golden wolf, and the sunset colors made his fur look even more glorious. He was as big as Kaden and fast too, and when they collided in a flash of teeth and claws I cringed a little.
"Don't kill him!" I yelled, as Kaden bit down on Jordan's flank. "We need him alive!"
At first, I didn't think he would listen, but then he let go and looked up at me, lips curled back in a growl. Jordan's blood stained his massive fangs, and my half-brother stumbled a little from the Ophiuchus poison now running through his veins. Hopefully only enough to knock him out. Kaden shook his head, and I could almost hear the way he wanted to protest, but he backed away.
I blasted Jordan with some of my moon magic, and together Larkin and I tied him up like the other wolves. Jordan then hit the ground hard, his eyes closing, even as his limbs still struggled and tried to escape. But eventually, he succumbed to the poison and went limp.
“Stop!” a familiar voice called out, and I turned around in time to see Evanora striding toward us. My aunt, according to Celeste. Evanora was the High Priestess of the Sun Witches, and I wasn't sure if even Larkin and I could take her together. It didn't seem to stop Larkin from trying though. She shot a beam of moonlight toward Evanora. The High Priestess swatted it aside as if it were an annoying pest and raised her hand to shoot back.
“Kaden!” I yelled and motioned for him to bring Jordan over while Larkin raised her hands and projected another wall of moonlight. Evanora's first sunbeam hit the wall and fizzled, although Larkin grunted.
“Damn, she's strong,” she said, her brow furrowing as she reinforced the magic.
"Shit, we have to get out of here," I said. "Come close!"
Kaden, back in human form and completely naked, now had Jordan slung over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I gave myself one split second to enjoy the view I'd missed so badly, then grabbed hold of Kaden and Larkin and let the magic pour through me once more. I had yet to try teleporting in the daylight, but Celeste had assured me I would be able to do it now that I had full access to my magic.
When we'd invited all the other packs here for our solar eclipse meeting, Wesley had made up a map of the cabin location for everyone, and about two miles away he'd marked a rendezvous spot where we'd said we would meet if we ran into any trouble. Kaden and I had briefly checked it out when we'd arrived, and I felt confident I could get us there now, and hopefully find our friends waiting there. I pictured the spot and reached out with my magic, and in a flash, we were all there.
I let go of Larkin and Kaden and glanced around. No one else was here yet. Dammit. Where were they? Had anyone made it out alive?
Kaden dropped Jordan on the ground unceremoniously and then turned to us with demands already on his tongue. “Someone better tell me who the hell the kid is, and why you're wearing a hooded cloak, and how you can shoot magic all of a sudden.”
“I'm not a kid, thank you very much,” Larkin said, rolling her eyes as if this was something she was used to saying. “I'm probably older than both of you put together.”
Kaden frowned at her. “What?"
"This is my cousin, Larkin," I said. “A lot happened while you were...passed out. I'll tell you everything later."
Movement in the bushes put us all on high alert, but then Harper and Dane burst out of the trees, both naked and a little bloody, with the Pisces alpha, Amos, right at their heels. I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of them, hoping others were coming too. But when no one else came through the trees, my heart sank.
"Glad you made it." Kaden nodded to them both. "Have you seen any other survivors?"
Dane shook his head, and Harper replied, "No, not yet. The forest is on fire and it's spreading fast. It's a nightmare back there. I'm not sure if anyone else is coming."
"No," I whispered. So many of the people I cared about were still out there. Wesley, Mira, Jack... Plus all the alphas and betas we'd invited to the meeting. Surely some of them must have survived the attack. I drew in a deep breath. If there was even the slightest chance that some of our allies were still alive and needed my help, I couldn't abandon them. "I'm going back to find them."
Kaden shook his head immediately. “No fucking way."
“Someone has to go search for survivors,” I said, propping my hands on my hips. I'd missed Kaden's possessive alpha attitude, but now was really not the time for it. “I can teleport in and out, and I can defend myself against the shifters and witches.” Most of the witches anyway. Evanora was another story, but I hoped I could avoid her altogether.
Kaden let out a low growl. "No. It's too dangerous."
"Trust me," I said softly. "I swear I'll return to you. I didn't bring you back from the dead just to let something happen to me now."
Kaden blinked at that. "Back from the dead?"
“Like I said, we have a lot to talk about." I desperately wanted to stay with Kaden now that I had him back, but there were other people out there who needed me more right now. As alpha female, it was my duty, and in Kaden's eyes, I saw the grudging understanding of an alpha who knew we had to do this to protect our pack.
I stepped back and vanished.
CHAPTER TEN
Thick smoke billowed into the air, turning the sky black. The fire had spread quickly through the woods, making it almost recognizable from even a few minutes before. I coughed and stumbled through the burning forest, looking for anyone friendly, knowing I would have to hurry. I debated shifting, but my nose was useless now, so clogged by the smoke that I doubted I'd be able to smell anything but fire for the next few days.
I checked the cabin first, covering my mouth and nose with my hood as best I could to shield myself, but the place was already engulfed. I tried to peer inside anyway, calling out for any survivors, when a beam fell from the ceiling, sending cinders everywhere. I narrowly teleported just in time to avoid getting crushed. So much for my father's cabin. If anyone was in there, it was too late for them. I had to move on.