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“They’re having a meeting there about the vampires today. Do you think something is going to happen?”
“I think it already is. You remember that feeling I had in my room when we were trying to figure out my power?”
“Yeah, you felt the vampires coming,” she said, and realization crossed her face. “They’ll be sitting ducks in there, but it’s daytime.”
“I don’t know, but something is off,” I said, not giving her time to say anything else. I ran to the hall, feeling that knot in my chest getting bigger as I got closer. Sam was right behind me, but I doubted neither of us knew what to do if a vampire charged us.
I opened the door to the hall and locked eyes with Erik. Then I saw the vampire who was tearing through the wolves in the hall. Three were already dead on the floor, their throats ripped out.
My mind tried to understand what I was looking at. Any vampire out in the day would normally be burned to a crisp, but this one, he was tearing through wolves like they were nothing.
That’s when I saw my mother not far from Erik. She was standing there, looking as unsure about what to do next as the rest of us. The vampire turned and glanced at me, and I realized why he was able to be out like this. His freshly cut face healed right in front of me. He’d taken a witch’s power to heal and was using it to take us all out.
His mouth twisted in a weird snarl, and he lunged at me. I sidestepped him, and he hit the wall. If I could get him back outside, at least he wouldn’t kill anyone else.
I backed up and hit the door to the outside, moving through it. The vampire kept his eyes on me and lunged again, this time he was a blur of speed I wasn’t ready for and I slammed into the cement of the parking lot outside.
“So, you’re the little wolf witch hybrid, huh?” He cocked his head at me. “But are you the one she wants?”
“What are you even talking about?” I pulled myself to my feet and kept my eyes on him. My chest burned with something I didn’t recognize. It was pure power I’d never felt before.
“She’ll give me a place by her side if I bring you to her alive,” he said. “Don’t you want to live?”
“Who are you talking about?” I shook my head. This woman he was speaking of didn’t want me. I was a big, fat nobody. I wanted to learn how to not be a wolf or even a witch. I just wanted peace and an education, and out of this shithole my family called home.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
I didn’t know how to pull that power out of me. The one burning me from the inside. I just wanted to let it go and save myself, but I also had to know if this was why my mother never told anyone about my father. If this was the destiny I was really supposed to be?
“They tried to keep you small, keep you away from the vampires because you’ll be able to hold it. The one thing that will tip the future in our favor,” he said, his smile getting bigger as he spoke. “And I’ll be the one to bring it to her.”
“You won’t. You’ll be dead in a few minutes,” Erik said from behind him. I watched as his whole body broke and shifted. It looked painful, like every bone was breaking to be remade. He roared as he finally shifted fully into his wolf form and charged at the vampire.
The vampire was faster, though, and grabbed him around his neck. He squeezed and Erik’s wolf self yelped slightly.
I felt all of my anger bubbling up and realized I couldn’t let him hurt Erik. The blood rushing to my head carried with it a whisper that I couldn’t ignore. He was my mate, and even if I didn’t want it, we were already connected.
At the same time, power pushed from me and I aimed it in the direction of the vampire. He turned to look at me before his head was separated from his body and everything turned to ash.
And every wolf was watching me.

Erik

I watched her for a moment. The silver power wasn’t just there this time, it was radiating from her. Ivy’s beautiful blond hair had a small silver tint to it that made her even more gorgeous to me. Every strand seemed to glow. I knew no one else would see this unless they were shifted, and I probably shouldn’t be staring, but considering she’d just popped a vampire head, there wasn’t going to be any hiding her power anymore.
I slowly shifted back to my human form and grabbed my clothes. Carefully, I pulled them over me and tried to push back the little bits of wolf remaining from the shift. I’d done it too many times and was too close to the wolf.
My father pushed past the others with a huge smile on his face. “I knew you were different, and mating my son is going to make sure we are all safe.” He glanced at me and back to her. “Remember, you already agreed.”
“I..,” she stuttered.
“She knows, father,” I cut in. “You don’t have to keep reminding us what we agreed to.”
“I’ve heard you planned on letting her go with her father to learn more magick. That will not be happening,” he said, glancing at her. “You’ll mate on the full moon like the alpha you are and take your place here.”
I glanced at Ivy. “I wanted her to learn her power so she could use it better. There is nothing wrong with delaying the ceremony.”
“No,” my father insisted. “The sooner you are mated, the better protected we all are.”
“It’s me they want,” she said without looking up at me or my father. “If I gave myself to the vampires, they wouldn’t fight you any longer.”
“That’s not happening,” I said before I could stop myself. “They would take your power and kill you. That’s what they do.”
“It seemed like he was more interested in bringing me to some woman alive than taking anything,” Ivy said. “They will keep coming if I’m here.”
“All the more reason to get this mating done as soon as possible,” my father watched her. “You do know that is what activates your power, don’t you?”
“Did you know the entire time?” I snapped, and he glanced at me.
“I had suspicions, but couldn’t be sure. Some wolves born to both magick and animal don’t develop power.” He glanced at Ivy. “It seems she did.”
I looked at Ivy, helplessly. If the only way to protect her was to mate her, I’d do it. Not just because of that, but also because of how much I wanted her. The need to have her next to me got stronger the more I shifted. The more the wolf had a hold on me.
The moment my father walked away, I moved to Ivy and pulled her away from the others. “I’ll do whatever you decide, but if he’s right and your power is tied to the mating, you’ll lose it after the full moon.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to lose my power. I just found it.” Something in the way she wasn’t looking at me told me there was more to it. “Can’t we just do the mating and then not stay in the same place? Give me the time I need to learn my power and then come back.”
“It doesn’t work like that. The moment we’re mated, we have to be near each other or…”
“Or what?” she kept those damn green eyes on me, waiting for the answer she probably already knew.
“Or we die.”

Ivy

I felt like my whole world was caving in. First, the father I never knew actually came looking for me and offered me a way out. A way to be free, and then I found magick I didn’t know I had, only to learn it’s tied to the very thing I wanted to leave behind until Erik.
Could I just leave him and never look back? Did I want to live without the magick I was just discovering?
I shook my head and pulled away from Erik. “I need to think.” It was the only way I was going to figure any of this shit out. I needed time, and I needed my friend.
“I understand,” he said, not fighting me when I walked away. “Take Sam with you at least. Better to stay together.”
I turned and nodded. That was exactly what I needed, my friend, and time to figure out what the next move needed to be. My hand grabbed Sams who still looked like she’d seen way more than anyone should. “Come on. I need to talk.”
“We can go to the park. It’s probably going to be pretty barren with all the attacks,” she said gently. “You have a lot going on.”
It was a short walk to the park, and I took a seat on a swing. Gently swaying like I did when I was a kid. “You heard what Erik’s dad said, right?”
“Yeah, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. After the full moon, he will see you as useless to him, and you’ll be free,” she said. “If that’s what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want,” I said without thinking. “I wanted freedom, but when that vampire was about to kill Erik, something shifted.”
“The wolf spoke to you, didn’t it?”
I looked at her, sitting on the swing next to me. She had a slight smile on her face. “I heard something, yes.” I shook my head. “Barely.”
“It’s more like a feeling with the wolf. You know, before she actually shows herself.” Sam dug a foot into the dirt. “Mine came when my mother died.” She smiled. “She told me everything would be okay, and it was.”
“You never told me that,” I said.
She shrugged. “It’s a personal thing, and I didn’t want you to feel left out since yours hadn’t come yet.”
For the first time in a long time, I looked at her, really looked at her. She was content with the life she had, and I envied that. She loved books and the library, and even the pack. I wondered if my father was a wolf instead of a warlock, if I could have been okay with living here like this.
“Do you think accepting this mate thing is the right move?”
“You’re the only one that knows the answer to that. Ideally, a mate wouldn’t be the end all be all, but with your magick, it might be the thing that sets you free,” she said. “But if you choose to leave and start a new life in the city, I’ll make sure to always visit you.”
“I’m glad I have you in my life,” I said, and she reached over and hugged me.
“Me too.”
“I think I know what I need to do,” I said. “I need to talk to Erik.”

Erik

My father cornered me when I came back into the hall. All the wolves had gone home to either take care of their dead or get ready for the fight we all knew was coming.
“You are my son and you will not disrespect me in front of the new additions to our pack. Larics have a reputation to keep up,” he said, his eyes pinning me in place.
I should have shrunk under it, but instead I pushed back. “Maybe we shouldn’t be running packs like dictators. Maybe it’s time for a change.”
“You still want to defy me. I’m your father. I have kept this pack safe for forty years,” she snarled. “This is how you do it.”
“I’m not you,” I snapped. “This is my pack. I may be your son, but I’m their alpha and I will not tell them what they have to do. I’ll discuss it like a leader should.”
“You’ll lose to the vampires. They will tear your pack to shreds because you won’t force that witch to mate you like you should. We need her power.”
“You want to use her to win your war,” I said. “She’s my mate, not some weapon to fight for you.”
“She’s nothing if you don’t use her,” he countered. “She’ll be dead and your whole pack will be too.”
I shook my head. “You should go home, Father. This isn’t the place for you.”
“I’ll go home after the full moon, unless you’re all dead by then,” he said and turned away from me before walking from the room.
I sighed. He fully expected me to give in and mate Ivy, even if she didn’t want that. Everyone always fell in line for him, and he was losing his shit because he wasn’t in control.
I won’t force Ivy. She has to make this choice on her own.
“That was intense,” Skyler walked into the room with a smile on his face. “I guess you’ll have to deal with his anger once Ivy leaves with me.”
“Did you know?”
“Know…?” He kept his eyes on me, and I sighed.
“You did,” I said. “Then why do you want her to leave before she comes into her full power?”
“How do you know that’s the only way?” He cocked his head. “There are many theories about how a moon witch gets her power fully.” He took a step toward me. “Some say she has to mate a wolf. Others that any man will do as long as he fucks her at the right time.”
My face twisted in disgust. “Is that what you’re planning?”
“No,” he said. “I would never force my own child to do that with anyone, but it’s possible she could fall for another and her power would come.”
“Any man?” I felt my whole chest constrict at the thought of anyone touching her like that.
“It’s a theory,” she said simply. “There are very few reports of moon witches actually existing, so we really don’t know.”
“What about what the vampire said? He claimed he was bringing her alive to some woman,” I said. While I had someone that might know more about what the vampires were planning around, I might as well take advantage.
“Interesting,” he sighed. “There is some talk of a book no one’s seen in a long time being connected to a moon witch. One that tells the future.”
“They think she can bring them to it?”
“Maybe. It’s possible the vampire was talking about Ami,” Skyler said. “She’s the one in power now, as far as I know.”
“He wanted to score points with his boss.” I shook my head. “If what you’re saying is right, that she could gain her powers with any man, then she’s still in danger if she leaves. She’d lose the pack as a protector.”
“And gain the warlock council as one,” he countered. “Tell me, who has the better chance of keeping her alive and out of vampire hands?”

Ivy

I hesitated at the front door to the house Erik and his brothers were staying at. How would I tell him my decision? He was the only man I’d ever felt like this with, and I was going to break his heart and my own. But I had to protect him.
“Are you just going to stand there?” A voice from behind me said.
I turned and realized it was Gavin, waiting for me to go in so he could. “Sorry.”
He sighed. “Don’t be. I don’t envy what you have to do.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to do,” I countered, and he smiled.
“You’re going to leave and think that the vampires will follow you.” He laughed. “Trust me, they won’t.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” I watched him, and he glanced at the house.
“I’m a tactical kind of man. If I were in charge of the vampires, I would make sure as many wolves as possible were dead before I came for the prize.” He watched me for a moment. “The last thing they will want is the wolves to actually form an alliance and become stronger than they are.”
“So, it was just a happy coincidence they found me here?” I crossed my arms. “They knew.”
“And you should ask yourself how they knew?” He walked past me. “Or who else would have told them?”
“You’re implying my father,” I said, following him inside.
“The timing is pretty convenient, don’t you think?” He didn’t look back at me as he walked through the living room.
“You think my father told a group of vampires about me so he could swoop in like a savior and take me to safety?” I shook my head. “No way. He’s here to help me get my powers and get them under control.”
He stopped and just looked at me for a moment. I shook my head. There was no way he was right. He wouldn’t chance my life if he needed me. He’d want me to stay alive. Then again, none of the vampires had ever tried to kill me.
“You know it’s true,” he said. “It makes too much sense. He can force you to go with him and control your power.”
“Everyone wants to control my power,” I said.
“Not Erik.” He sighed. “My brother loves you. If you really want to be safe and loved like you should, you should mate him.”
“Why would I listen to you?”
“Because you know deep down, it’s all true. He’s not just your mate. He’s a good man. He stands up to our father, which is not an easy thing.” He watched me for a moment. “He protects the people he loves.”
I sat on the couch and took everything he was saying in. If he were right, I was playing right into my father’s hands and giving him control of my power. But if I stayed with Erik, I was chancing the entire pack. I didn’t even know if I had enough power to actually protect the pack from the vampires.
“I don’t know if I can protect the pack,” I said, and Gavin knit his eyebrows together before he chuckled.
“You don’t have to protect the pack alone, you know. That’s what Erik is here for. The pack is strong as long as we work together.”
“I thought you were such an ass when I first met you,” I admitted. “You always look like you’re fighting some demon.”
“You don’t know me yet, but maybe if you and Erik end up together, you can,” he said. “I don’t like people very much.”
“Yeah, neither does Sam, my friend,” I said with a smile.
“The one who works at the library?”
“You know her?” I waited, watching a change in his eyes and realized I wasn’t the only one fighting something.
“You should talk to her sometime,” I said.
“Vampires, remember. We need to deal with them before anything fun,” he countered.
“Agreed. But first, Erik.”

Erik

I laid in bed thinking about what Skyler said. It didn’t matter to her if she decided not to mate me, she’d still get her powers with some other asshole. The very thought of someone else touching her made me want to break something.
I steadied myself. It wasn’t me that was so angry. It was the wolf, now so close to the surface. Every time we shift it gets closer, and I’d done it two times in the last week for her. Because it meant keeping her safe, but now everyone in the pack knew what she was and that she had magick.
The door opened slowly, and I glanced at Ivy walking in. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I thought that was part of the plan. You know, make your father think we were getting mated like he wanted,” she said, and my throat tightened.
“We aren’t mating,” I said simply. “You’re going with your father. He has the entire warlock council at his back. You’ll be safer there.”
“And if I say no?”
I glanced at her and shook my head. “You already told him you would.”
“Maybe I changed my mind,” she said with a sigh. “I talked to Gavin, and he seems to think it’s pretty suspicious how he came into my life at the same time as the vampires.”
“You think he planned this?”
“I think it’s possible,” she said with a shrug. “I need more time.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “I can’t deny my feelings for you. I can’t say there’s nothing there and pretend like I can just walk away.”
I sat up and my first instinct was to pull her into my arms, but didn’t. “Then don’t.”
“What happens if we do this and then it all goes to hell?”
“Then we figure it out,” I said. “Look, I’m not saying I’m perfect. I was ready to let you go if that’s what you wanted. Even if the idea of some other man touching you made me want to hunt them down and bring you home.”
She snorted. “You would hunt me down?”
“Is that what you want? A man who would search the world for you just to make sure you were safe and happy?” I leaned in, letting my hand tangle in her hair. “If you were mine, I’d make sure no one touched you or hurt you ever again.”
“You really do mean that, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I shook my head. “You’re my mate. You’re my everything. If you want to go, I won’t stand in your way. But I’m offering you everything if you choose to stay.”
“Erik, I do love you.”
I smiled and raised my eyebrows. “I know.”

Skyler

Leaving the town without the wolves noticing was surprisingly hard. They kept the outskirts covered and had taken Erik’s advice to be in wolf form for most of it. I got as close as I could and used my magick.
The world around me folded into itself, and I pictured the area outside the town where they wouldn’t see me in my mind. As fast as the folding took me, I was standing at the tree-line waiting.
I glanced at my watch and back at the town. If they decided to look for me, they’d find out I wasn’t there and know the plan.
“Skyler, you were right. The moon witch is here,” a dark-haired vampire said, looking past me. “We should take her. Now.”
“All in good time. She hasn’t gotten her full powers yet. In order to find the book, she needs to lean into the witch part of her,” I said with a smile. “I plan to take her out of here, and then you can kill the wolves.”
“You want to bring her to Ami yourself,” he snarled.
“Oh, not even close. I want to negotiate. The warlocks are in control right now. I know she has no desire to elevate the vampires to the same place. She wants freedom. The book gives her that.” I took a step toward him. She only wants one thing, and then my daughter will be left with all that power.”
“And you want to control it,” he finished. “What about the council?”
“Sanir is a reasonable man. He’ll see the use for Ivy and be glad she’s under our control. Once you kill this pack and all the other Larics, there will be no one left for her to turn to.”
“Except you,” he finished.
“I have no idea how strong she will become, but one thing is for sure: her power will be mine.”

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