The desperate look of help on Brandon’s face as he fell to the ground caused terror to fall upon Peter and his mate especially, seeing that they knew Brandon from when the latter had been young. Brandon was rarely terrified by an issue.
“What is the matter?” Derek asked when he noticed that his father wasn’t forthcoming with the question, obviously overtaken by surprise, and then fear.
“What do you mean by they are back, Brandon? Who are they?”
Brandon lifted up his face, anguish spread thickly over his handsome features. “The shadow warriors. But this time, they aren’t just here to capture or make a statement. They are killing!”
It was then that Peter opened the Alpha’s all-knowing mindpath, which he rarely does because of the energy it consumes. He balked visibly, when he heard the cries of his people, their lament and plea for help. He could hear the thrumming of energy from the shadow warriors, hear the slashing of a neck.
Peter didn’t know when a tear slipped from his eyes, he didn’t know when he jumped to his feet, and started toward the door. Behind him, Melvina shouted “Shut it down, Peter! You won’t be able to work in that state!”
But Peter was not listening, and Derek exchanged a wary glance with Agrip.
Was this the moment that the old man had been talking about? The moment when his father would die?
Agrip shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know.
Derek was about to follow his father out of the room, knowing that the ancients wouldn’t leave them to fight this alone, when Brandon started speaking again.
“Alpha Lorenzo sent people to the pack. Delegates. Their pack is being attacked too. Just our pack and theirs.”
So, this was it? They were attacking the two packs? Was it a diversion or a full blown war. Nathan wondered, digging into his years of experience. He wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t taking any chances, nor was he allowing the Alpha plunge to his death because the cries of people had gotten to him. If he died, what would happen? A fast strategy has to be done now! There was no time for Kane’s well laid methodologies.
“Alpha Peter, if you go out there, spurred by emotions, you will die. Shadow warriors are not fought with physical objects, with fists and whatnots. They are fought with magic.” He spoke when he noticed that Peter was on the move again. The latter had paused when Brandon spoke.
Peter swerved and flung his hands up in frustration. “What do I do, Nathan? My people are dying?”
Peter spoke through gritted teeth, putting a leash on his tears. If he should weep for the pain of his people, what would his mate and the others in this room do? Already, he could hear his Beta heading towards here.
“If there is anything you want to hit on, get on with it, Nathan. My Beta, Gamma and a few others are heading here.” He said, calling Nathan by his name for the first and second time.
Nathan was okay with it. Finally, the man saw him as an equal, and had gotten rid of the binds that had held him to a belief that his rank was lower than even the lowest of the ancients. “As I said before, shadow warriors are only fought with magic. You don’t have magic, but there are a few of us here that do. Since Lorenzo is in cohorts with us, it means that we have to fight for him too, it means that we have to divide the group into two.”
Nathan pointed at Lucille, Claire and Sheila, Dobah and Aiden. “You will go with the messengers to the Faugers pack. Turns out your training will be put to use soon. Some of the werewolves can go for added protection. Kane, Freya, Margo, and I, will take guard here.”
Yodah and Julius furrowed their eyebrows, wondering why they weren’t called.
“In a war, attacks could mean a direct confrontation, or a diversion. So, if this is a diversion, they might be targeting something else, something more important, maybe the abstenum. If the vampires are converging, it might be a good trading tool for their allegiance. Or it could be one of my daughters. Freya, Lucille, this is the time your training will be put to test. Hold out and hold strong. Do you understand? Don’t let yourself be captured.” Nathan stated, refusing to pamper his children. His father didn’t. He knew they wouldn’t like that either. How else will they reach their highest potential?
Freya and Lucille nodded with all confidence, knowing that they couldn’t show any other emotions, even though they were terrified that they were engaging in a war. How do one prepare a mind for this?
“Julius, you will follow the Alpha to the cave of Baresis and stand guard. Derek, you can join him, or your friends can, in case defending it might need more manpower. Yodah, you stand guard over Eva. She is a potential treasure to them. Legardo possessed her, so he might know of her true worth. Keep her safe.”
Nathan turned aside and perused everyone in the room. “I’m sure some are questioning why I am separating the life mates from each other…well as much as they can be good motivators to the other, it is quite risky in war. You can lose guard if your mate is around you-you will keep wanting to see her so that you will be sure that she is okay, and not harmed. That in itself is a distraction to male ancients. So, everyone go out there, fight, win, and come back here safely. If the enemy is too hard to conquer, send a beacon. We will find you in seconds. Is that clear?”
Everyone in the room nodded, already getting off their seats.
Peter left first with Julius and Anthony, who had chosen to go with them, after Nathan’s eye connection with Julius that obviously said:
‘Do all you can to protect them and the mineral. That is our life. Come back to your mate too.’
Ava would have chosen to go with them, but for Nathan’s previous statement. So, she chose to remain in the center of the pack with her grandfather and help out with the displaced people. Already, she was heading out with Nathan, who after he dropped a kiss on the foreheads of his daughters and his lifemate, strolled toward the exit door with Freya. Those assigned with him also rolled out of the room. Clem and Curtis followed the group too.
After they left, Jan exchanged a hug with a Claire whose hands had gotten sweaty since the bombshell.
“You will be fine.” Jan promised her. “Just remember all that the witch taught you, and follow Lucille’s lead.”
Lucille smiled at the two women, then turned to her mother and Dobah. The both were speaking to Brandon, definitely asking for the coordinates to the Faugers pack. She noticed Derek walk up to them.
“Are you coming with us?” She asked, as she dealt a blow of reassurance to Kane down the bond, sighing in relief when he did the same. They were keeping the line of communication open.
Derek nodded, standing by her side. Before them, Shane and Maya stood with Yodah and an Eva who wasn’t entirely happy to not be in action, despite the energy thrumming at her fingertips.
***
“So, you are saying that the ancients are presently at the pack, and they formed an alliance with the werewolves?” Zipfarah asked Keturah, incredulity ringing in her voice.
With her in the office were her grandchildren, including Damon and Daniel whom she had sent to retrieve Emma and Prescott. The two had returned a week later after an intensive search, mentioning the absence of the duo in Florida. They had tried every channel available to their use, but it had seemed that the duo had disappeared into thin air.
Zipfarah had been restless ever since then, sending spies upon spies, even to the Alpha’s pack, but nothing of substance came out. Now she understood. The ancients had been in play, and they had mounted safeguards around the pack. It would explain her spies being unable to enter the pack.
“Yes, considering their Prince is mated with Sheila, I am not surprised. I can only say that the gods are fighting with us. They seemed to have seen this coming, so they had put some pieces together, so that darkness will not win.” Keturah replied, checking out Tempest’s grandchildren. Tempest who she hadn’t seen since she returned to her residence. Where had her friend gone?
“So, did you hear anything about Emma and Prescott there?”
Keturah nodded to the happiness of Zipfarah who sighed audibly in relief. Damon and Daniel, with Lily, moved closer as if doing so would enable them to hear the information well.
“She actually called her sister, Freya. The latter had put the phone on loudspeaker. So, we all had heard her speak. Even through the phone, her powers had been very evident.”
Zipfarah sighed again. She had seen this coming.
“Her father had wanted to come for her, but she wanted to be left alone to train. She will be going with a rare human, Annabel, her Jaguar sister, Amelia, and then Prescott.”
Zipfarah shook her head, not understanding a certain clause, or rather not believing. “What do you mean by Jaguar sister? And who is Annabel ? How did they meet?”
Daniel was already shaking his head in unbelief too. He had laughed and joked with Amelia. How hadn’t he known that she was a jaguar? Wasn’t she her father’s daughter?