***
“Ryan and Deloris, you’re up,” Philip said out loud for Deloris’ sake. Warlocks didn’t have the ability to communicate with werewolves telepathically.
“On it, Alpha,” Deloris muttered as she reached for Ryan’s hand.
The two didn’t even have to open their mouths. The dark clouds instantly cleared. What happened next was both funny and strange. The witches stopped chanting and looked at one another as though they didn’t know where they were or what they were doing there. The look on their faces soon turned from confusion to apprehension. Some started crying, saying they didn’t feel the same, whilst others stated angrily that their powers had been stolen.
“You’re no longer witches, ladies,” Deloris announced with a smug smile. “You’ve been stripped of your…gift…” She shrugged.
“How dare you…” One former witch began to speak angrily but the high priested waved her wand again, instantly sealing the lady’s lips.
“You should be grateful, ladies.” Deloris’ eyes narrowed. “We could have killed you all. This is a better fate don’t you think? We can always give you back your abilities and then kill you instead. What will it be?” When the angry murmurs gave way to silent sobbing and grateful nods, Deloris nodded. “That’s what I thought.” Deloris snapped her fingers then, causing all nineteen ex-witches to disappear. “Meet Mama Cora, ladies.” She muttered, drawing a snicker from the high priestess.
“I’m definitely glad I’m not in their shoes right now.” The high priestess chuckled. “That’s one pissed-off sorcerer they’re about to meet.”
‘Time to end this, boys.’ Kate instructed the warriors and assassins who were battling the rogues. ‘They can’t be saved.’
Due to the spell cast on them, the stubborn rogues although weak, refused to submit as the pack wolves had expected them to. The pack might have been merciful enough to spare their lives. But it seemed as though the only choice the pack had was to put the rogues down as they’d already been ruined by the spell they were under. And that was exactly what the warriors began to do.
‘Baby?’ Ryan turned to look at Jeremy when he heard that sexy tone that never ceased to make his heart beat faster.
‘Yes, Gorgeous…’ Ryan responded, drawing a grin from Jeremy.
‘Can you recreate that dark cloud the witches’ created earlier?’ Jeremy asked. ‘We wouldn’t want the warlocks to think their strategy isn’t going as it should.’
‘Good thinking.’ Philip nodded.
‘Sure.’ Ryan waved a hand. The sky instantly filled with thick dark clouds. ‘Good?’
‘Perfect.’ Jeremy responded. ‘What the fuck is he doing here?’ He groaned suddenly.
“Travis, honey, you shouldn’t be here.” Gloria stared at her younger son with eyes filled with alarm. All eyes turned on an angry-looking Troy.
Troy had done exactly what he’d been instructed to do by his mate. He’d stayed in the mansion and spent time with his friends. According to his mate, who he now realized had lied to him, they had to go and meet with Ryan, Agyemang, and Paul and bring them home. Philip had then added that due to the threat by the Wyatt clan, he needed to stay inside the mansion till he got back.
Although what his mate had told him made a lot of sense, Troy just hadn’t been able to shake off the feeling that something was going on. So when he heard the faint sounds of wolves fighting in a distance, he’d been curious. He’d decided to step out and investigate what it was all about. The warriors guarding the entrance of the mansion had been no problem at all for Troy.
All he had to do was cast an invisibility spell. He’d walked right past the warriors and followed the sounds. Troy couldn’t suppress the molten anger that welled up within him when he saw his mate, mother, brother, and all the others in a stance that screamed war. Troy didn’t have to be a genius to know who they were going up against. If the dead wolves lying around surprised him, he didn’t show.
“Really?” Troy growled in indignation. “You actually kept something like this from…”
Everyone was so much focused on Troy that they didn’t see the lone rogue wolf who charged at Gloria. Troy saw the wolf, saw the murderous glint in the wolf’s eyes, saw its target, and reacted without a thought.
Everyone gasped when an angry Troy suddenly sprang in his mother’s direction, shifting midair so that his clothes fell in tatters. For a moment, every person, with the exception of Gloria, looked horrified, thinking that Troy was attacking his mother. But the beautiful golden wolf went over his mother’s head and clashed with the huge rogue. Jeremy, Philip, and the others started to move towards the fighting wolves but Gloria raised a hand, stopping everyone.
“Leave him.” Gloria rasped with eyes filled with so much confidence and pride.
The battle that ensued was hands down one of the best the pack members gathered had ever witnessed. The rogue was huge, strong, and relentless. But the golden wolf was agile, precise, vicious, and bloody furious. Unlike the warriors and assassins who engaged the rogues just for the fun and sport aspect, the golden wolf went in for a deadly combat. Troy didn’t just seek to pin down the rogue to show dominance, he went in for the kill. He gave quick-killing bites to any vital area that got exposed on the rogue’s body until the bleeding and confused rogue exposed his neck. Troy struck hard and fast, his fangs coming away with a sizable chunk of meat from the writhing rogue’s throat.
Before Troy could leave the side of the dead rogue, three warlocks clad in black gowns appeared. Neither could mask the shock in their eyes when their gazes fell on the dead rogues. Fury and disappointment filled the eyes of one particular warlock when her gaze landed on the dead rogue lying beside Troy. Her red hair and blue eyes gave away her identity, thanks to Amber’s detailed description. The sound that left the warlock’s throat caught the attention of the golden wolf. It turned to look at whoever had made that sound and froze.
Troy shifted immediately after his eyes landed on Mary. “Mary…” He breathed as he stared at the warlock who had raised him.
“Troy…” Mary whispered, her eyes filled with so much tenderness and warmth despite her blanched pallor at seeing Troy shift from wolf to human. “You’re…” She waved a hand at Troy and instantly covered his nakedness.
“Why did you kidnap me?” Troy asked, not even looking down at the t-shirt and shorts that Mary had magically dressed him in.
“I didn’t kidnap you, Troy,” Mary responded softly. “You were…”
“Mary, let’s just do what we came to do and…” Mario never finished what he’d been about to say because the high priestess pointed her wand at him and turned him into a toad.
“Oh no, you didn’t.” Sally, the third warlock bellowed as she raised her hands and furiously began to recite some words. But nothing happened. “What is going on?” She screeched, looking at her hands.
“You’ve been rendered powerless, honey,” Deloris told Sally. “Just like those witches, you sent ahead of you. You might as well shut up before you join your colleague in the amphibian world.” She drawled. “Oh, and this depressing dark cloud was conjured by us just for your benefit by the way. Ryan, could you be a dear and…” The cloud instantly cleared. “Thanks, darling.”
“Y’all are so fucked.” Paige burst into laughter.