Jax walked into the conference room where Dylan was waiting and went straight for the drinks cabinet. “A little too early for that, isn’t it?” Dylan said. He threw his head back and downed the shot before he poured another. And that still wasn’t enough fortification. He turned around and looked at the envelope Dylan placed on the table. There was only one group of people so full of themselves that they still sent messengers when they could easily have called. The little envelope had its official seal, a raised circle stamped in red wax, and it stank of dark magic. “It’s been over a year since that incident at the gate and longer since Alpha Finn. Why would they do this now?” Dylan asked. “Because they’re assholes,” he growled. He’d started to believe that the Circle accepted his declaration that they were breaking away because he hadn’t heard from them since their last visit. Since Layla grabbed Hugo by his throat. He should have known better. They would never let him go t

Jax pushed his frustration down as he watched his mate walk—no, run away from him to avoid a confrontation. It had been a long time since she’d masked her emotions from him, but he could still sense the underlying panic because they were forever bound. What the fuck was she hiding? “Can I train with you, Alpha?” He looked back at the trainees and saw Josh among them. The young wolf was already a warrior because his skills had been impressive even before he shifted. Micah trained Josh himself, so he would always be one of the special ones. He had the most potential out of all the young wolves to be ranked higher, perhaps even to Beta, because his wolf was more dominant. He was right to make him focus on his training instead of a girl. If Britney was his mate, that would have been different. He wouldn’t have been able to keep them apart anyway. But she wasn’t. Josh’s place was with the warriors, learning how to keep the pack safe. Something in the air didn’t feel right; he needed his

“We’re here.” Jax finally noticed his surroundings and realised they had already stopped at the Crimson Valley territory gates. He’d been stuck in his head for hours but it was time to put his emotions aside. Layla would be there when he got home; they would fix this mess once and for all. “Why aren’t they opening the gates?” he asked with a frown. Maybe he should have asked why he couldn’t sense anyone at the gates. How would they keep anyone safe if there was no one to patrol and alert them of intruders? “I’ll call them,” Dylan said as he pulled his phone out. While his Beta ordered the gates to be opened, he rolled down his window to understand what they were up against. There was no scent of magic in the air, light or dark. There should have been a little if the pack had protective wards. “Do they have witches in their pack?” he asked. Since he’d been cursed the day he’d taken the throne from his father, he’d been too messed up to keep up with such details. He hadn’t g

It took them the rest of the day to ensure their guests were fed and settled. The children refused to be separated, so they settled in the packhouse hall. His Omegas spent the better part of the afternoon moving mattresses and other essentials for them, some of them donated from the pack because he couldn’t risk anyone going out for a supply run. The children were still scared, making everyone else around them anxious. The pack was still on edge since the scare with the Hunters. But Layla seemed more anxious than the rest of them. Jackson looked at his mate as they went up the last flight of stairs and gently squeezed her hand. “Are you okay?” “I... I’m not sure. Rebecca hasn’t come back yet,” she answered. “I’m probably just being a bit paranoid because of those children. She disappears all the time and comes back as if nothing’s happened.” “It hasn’t been that long since the memorial. The last person I’d worry about right now is your mother,” he answered. “She can take care

Layla looked up at Britney’s window and then at Dylan holding the passenger side door open for her. “She’ll be fine, Luna. Don’t worry about us here,” Dylan said with a smile. But the smile was strained. She’d heard him arguing with Jackson about why he suddenly decided not to take some warriors with him for protection. And Jackson’s argument was sound. She also wanted as many people as she could trust to look out for Hope and Britney while they were gone. But the tension in the air only confirmed that where they were going was much more dangerous. “Don’t let her run away,” she whispered. “We have twice as many patrols around the boundary. Britney’s not going anywhere,” Dylan assured her. “Just stay safe out there, okay? Don’t do anything foolish.” Like choking out another Circle member? “And Hope—” “Will also be fine. Go, Layla. You’ll be back in a few days.” He didn’t sound sure. She sighed and got into the car. Jackson already had the engine going and looked straight a