I shrugged, even as my wolf snarled. “Owein was more impressive.”
“I can control over distance now too.”
I smirked, shaking my head. “Liar. Face it, Rhiannon” —I let my eyes shift, highlighting the different colors as I pulled on each of my powers— “I’m more powerful than you. A former human. I will always be more powerful than you. Beta of Lupine Hollow. We’ll win this. I’ll mate Alarick. You were just a pawn to get him here, nothing more.”
“No!” she screeched. “He trusts me! I’m the one with the power! I’m the one who controls everyone! I’m the one who can shoot the alpha—” I didn’t let her finish, command filling me as I lashed out hard.
“Do not shoot that gun or let the person hurt her. Don’t move.” My voice echoed in my head as Rhiannon bobbled, nearly falling, but I had leashed her with my magic, preventing her from tumbling. “Tell me where Eirian is.”
Alarick, tell Due I have control of the gun! Rhiannon’s controlling Ocean Mist, but I’m holding her. I screamed the words into Alarick’s head, but he didn’t hear me, his mind locked into battle, his sole focus on surviving.
“The safe room in Ocean Mist, locked inside with Tala,” Rhiannon parroted. No sparks flew from her, and I nodded. Truth then.
“Walk with me. Do not attempt to harm me or anyone else,” I commanded, as I scrambled back to a shaking Shannon. I propped her up, knowing her magic would drop at any moment. “Answer me, is Tala compromised? Or if you release him, will he help Eirian?” Switching between command and truth was more draining than just using one power, but I couldn’t trust her otherwise.
“He is not one of us,” she replied woodenly. Again, no sparks.
“Release your hold on any Ocean Mist members who are not part of your faction, then stand there,” I ordered.
I chewed on my lip, shifting to face Due and Alarick. Fuck, though, how did I prove it? “Due!” I screamed. “I have Eirian! Tala has her!” I saw a flash of gray eyes as he faltered for a moment, but he didn’t break. He wasn’t willing to risk it. He wasn’t willing to take the chance.
“Phone,” Shannon muttered, pointing to our feet where Alarick had dropped his shirt.
“Right, right.” I scrambled for it, pressing the button frantically until a voice I didn’t recognize answered.
“What the hell is going on?” the male rumbled, and I heard Eirian swearing in the background.
“Please tell me you have some way to stop your alpha before Alarick and him kill each other!” I begged. I heard a scuffle, then Eirian came on, her voice weak.
“Who is this?” she snarled.
“It’s Pixie. Look, Gwyar had you kidnapped. He’s having Due kill Alarick to save you. I need some kind of emergency brake here because there’s an all-out war going on!” I screamed the words into the phone as two wolves flew past my head, tearing into each other and soaking me in blood.
“If I tell you, will you be able to stop your mate from killing mine?” Her words were controlled and calm, but I could hear the fear in them. “He will stop, and if Alarick keeps going, he’ll kill Due.”
“Damn it.” I looked up at them, then at Luna and Shannon, and I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I’ll stop them.”
“Pixie, no!” Shannon’s eyes were wide, her legs shuddering underneath her.
“They’re going to kill each other at this rate,” I snapped. “We have to stop this! Tell me, Eirian, I promise I will protect your mate.”
“Say ‘marine.’” She sighed. “Goddess help me. Say ‘marine,’ Pixie, and save my mate.”
I thrust the phone at Shannon and turned to Rhiannon, letting command ring through my voice. “Protect those two with your life.” When I knew the command held her, and she shifted in front of them, I ran toward the alphas. Their power pushed at me, wanting to shove me off my feet. My wolf shoved against my skin, snarling her rage. We were not weak. We would do this, and we would win. The battle raged around us, the sounds and smells trying to distract me.
Kitten, no, Ian roared, but he was on the other side of the field, still searching for the shielder. Chann’s and Zev’s cries rushed across the link, but they were too far to reach me as they battled through the bodies between us.
I pulled my power forward, the same way I had when I challenged them so many weeks ago, letting it spread across my skin. My wolf howled her approval as it coated us, rolling in a wave.
“Marine!” I screamed the word as I dove between the two, my eyes locking on Alpha Due’s for a moment as his magic dropped away instantly. “Marine!”
Alarick’s strength battered me, tearing into my body as my wolf shrieked. “Penny!” His cry was anguished, and I could hear Gwyar’s laughter ringing in my ears. My body turned of its own accord, searching Alarick out as if an invisible tether combined us. He grabbed me, his power pulling me to him as he yanked it back in, hauling me into his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pixie
“Well, that was unpleasant,” I murmured, blood trickling from my lips as Alarick cradled me against his chest.
“Impossible!” Gwyar screeched, falling onto his ass.
“You have a stupid codeword,” I told Alpha Due. “Your mate’s at the pack house with Tala.”
Alarick’s face was gray, his blood dripping onto me as he patted me down. “You’re okay, you’re okay,” he chanted, and I shoved at him, stumbling gracelessly to my feet. Silence reigned across the battlefield, and I feared for a moment I had gone deaf as wolves of all color stared at me, many in the middle of different battle holds.
“That should have killed you,” Alpha Due explained conversationally, though there was a quaver to his voice now, his blood spattered face stark. Around us, the wolves began to move again, but for many, it seemed the battle was over. Alarick wove his arm around my waist, carefully supporting me. His eyes were full of pain as he stared at Alarick. “I’m sorry, my friend,” he murmured.
“I understand the love of a mate,” Alarick replied, leaning down to kiss my head. “I will not begrudge you yours.” He reached across the divide between them, and the pair clasped hands before turning to face Gwyar. The shield around him was already flickering—it might have been for some time, covered as it was before by the blinding glow of the two alphas’ powers. The pair snarled madly as they watched the fumbling male.
“Your plan’s fallen apart, Gwyar,” Due spat. “My mate is safe. Half of your followers are decimated.”
“You cost the lives of dozens of good wolves today,” Alarick roared, waving a hand across the battlefield that was littered with bodies as the shield around him flickered again. “The wolf shielding you won’t last much longer.”
Although Gwyar was gray with fear and sweat slicked his skin, he lifted his chin. “You think this will end it?” he hissed. “What are you going to do with the rest of these wolves?” He waved a hand at the ones who had returned to gather behind him. “Execute your new packmates?” He laughed, his shoulders shaking. “Your grandfather banned executions. How do you know which ones I forced to fight? Which ones I made a manipulator influence?” Alarick had stiffened beside me as Due snarled. “What about the ones who aren’t your pack? Are you going to kill them all? Start more wars that will fall at Lupine Hollow’s feet?” He inclined his head at other wolves now, ones I assumed weren’t members of Starlight Woods. “They may not be here with their alpha’s knowledge, you know. They may have been manipulated too.”