บททั้งหมดของ Alpha’s Blood Mate: บทที่ 171 - บทที่ 180

Almost all the alphas had spent the night on our property. Nobody felt comfortable staying at a hotel in Clearidge. You could never tell if the person at the front desk or the housekeeper was an anti-shifter bigot. You might fall asleep at night and wake up to a silver bullet tearing into your chest or a machete slicing across your throat. So, we had offered them all the open fields at the back of our land to set up camp. Most slept in their vehicles, but some had arrived with campers and tents. It could have felt like a cheerful gathering if there hadn't been so much riding on it.Lyanna had come back late the previous night. It had taken every bit of my self-control not to head out into the woods to search for her. We had strengthened the outer patrols, put up fencing all along our border, and set up dozens of new cameras, but the thought of her being out of my sight troubled me more than I cared to acknowledge.The following morning, as all the alphas came filing in for a second da

Days had passed. Four full days of discussion, argument, and deadlock. All those alphas, all that talking, and there was still no plan in place. Nobody could come up with anything to do about the royals beyond running and hiding. If I had a dollar for every different hideout or escape route they had suggested, I could have bought lunch for everyone in that entire room. It was frustrating and disheartening to witness the kind of hold the royals had over all of us.Over the past couple of days, I had been turning over my own ideas about how to deal with Viola and her organization. Assassination felt satisfying just to think about. Some kind of computer hacking and public truth reveal sounded simpler than it probably was. A handful of other half-formed and barely developed plans were brewing in my head, but most were brushed aside just as quickly as the first two.Rather than dwelling on the dozens of ways we might defeat the royals and the million ways they could crush us, I focused on

Not long after the news report, the alphas began making their way out, heading toward their cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Though it looked on the surface like everyone was simply leaving after a party, there was an ominous weight hanging in the air. They had to get back to their packs to protect their families, their land, and everyone who depended on them for leadership. Yet it felt strangely final. Like men heading off to a war zone or walking toward something they might not return from. I still had faith in our cause, but the odds were heavily stacked against us.I stood at the edge of the field, shaking hands and exchanging a few words with each alpha as they departed, reminding every one of them that we should stay in contact daily.Harvill stopped and gripped my hand firmly. "Good luck," he said. There was a haunted look behind his eyes.I gripped back just as firmly. "Stay safe. Email, text, call, whatever works. I want to hear from you all regularly. We're in this together."

When I came downstairs the following morning, I found Leo and Valerian in the kitchen. Leo saw me making my way down the stairs and smiled. "Morning. Sleep okay?"Nodding and rubbing my eyes, I sat down with them. "What's up?"Valerian and Leo exchanged a grim look before either of them spoke. Leo took my hand in his. "Tonight. We're leaving for Croatia tonight. Actually, very late tonight, before dawn."The ground seemed to fall away beneath me. We needed to move soon, but today? Tonight? "What's changed? Did something else happen on the news?"Leo shook his head. "It's not the news, though I am worried there's going to be a travel ban for shifters before long. So far, that hasn't happened yet. They'll probably wait a week or two to see how many of us turn ourselves in before they push things further. No, Valerian got some information late last night."I turned to Valerian, who pulled out his phone. "I talked to my guy, Donatello. Told him we needed a few more favors. Honestly, I was

It felt like I was standing outside the whole scene, watching it unfold from a distance. I could see the look of dawning horror spreading across Leo's face and the rising fury building on Rowan's. Mira kept her eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding everyone's gaze, and poor Valerian looked as though he had absolutely no idea what kind of storm was about to break loose."What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rowan said, pointing at Valerian.Valerian frowned blankly. "What do you mean?"Rowan took a heavy step forward. "You know damn well what I mean. I'm", he drove his thumb into his own chest for emphasis, "the one who will be looking after Mira. She doesn't need you doing it."Valerian raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing where things were headed. He shook his head. "Brother, I'm sure you think you know what she needs, but she asked me to stay. Mira said she'd feel safer with me at home."The anger on Rowan's face had given way to something I could only describe as desperate hope col