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  They shared a look. There was love there. It gave me goose bumps. Kai would protect anyone of his pack members but Emma was special to him. Like a true sister.

  A man entered the room with the Los Angeles Alpha. “Kai, this is the pack doctor you requested.”

  Kai shook his hand. The doctor smelled of the Los Angeles pack and was a submissive. I would imagine a werewolf doctor would have to be a submissive. You wouldn’t want a dominant male tending to you when you were injured.

  “Emma is pregnant. Can you check on the baby? Make sure it’s okay?” Kai asked him. Devon placed a hand on her belly.

  The doctor nodded and left. He returned a few minutes later with a handheld ultrasound machine.

  Kai, Devon, and I all hovered around the bed. The doctor placed some gel on Emma’s belly.

  “How far along are you?”

  “I don’t know. I just took a home pregnancy test and found out. We had arranged for a doctor’s visit but then I was taken.”

  He nodded.

  He placed a wand against her belly and a black blob appeared. When he moved it a little to the right you could see a flicker inside the blob.

  “The baby’s heartbeat. Perfectly healthy. You are about nine weeks along,” the doctor said and then smiled.

  I looked up then and noticed that all of us had tears in our eyes. Even Kai. Creating life was an amazing thing.

  The second we got inside our own hotel room Kai collapsed onto the bed out of exhaustion and closed his eyes. I approached him slowly.

  “The government has been watching the supernatural community for over twenty years. They kidnapped me tonight, tied me with silver chains and threatened to kill me if I didn’t answer their questions. In the end, we created an Alliance. Our common goal is to kill vampires and keep humanity safe.”

  Kai’s eyes flew open and flared yellow. “What the hell did you just say?”

  Forty-five minutes later Kai and I were eating room service and he was still probing me about my encounter with RAIDOS.

  “They have a drone flying over Mount Hood!” He was screaming as he chewed his rare steak.

  “Kai, they are the government! What they lack in magical abilities, they make up for in intelligence and money.”

  “They knew my name? They knew to tie you up with silver? I don’t like it.”

  “Think about it from their angle. They know you exist but they have sat back quietly and watched. Then they overheard the vampires say, ‘Hmmm let’s wipe out the werewolves and make a huge vampire nation with tons of human blood slaves.’”

  I shook my hands for emphasis. “Oh and while we are at it, let’s have vampire blood-sucking babies because this Matefinder girl can help us!”

  Kai groaned. “I see your point.”

  I pulled out the phone that had been setting in my pocket. “They gave me this, said we would be in touch.”

  Kai snatched it from me. “We need to tell the council right away. And I want to meet them. And I want that damn drone off my mountain!”

  I stroked my finger across his chest. “First we need a shower.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “We? As in together?”

  I laughed and stood, stripping my shirt and walking into the bathroom, leaving the door open.

  After our shower, Kai called his father and told him that when we went to get Emma, some government agents had detained me. That’s all he said over the phone. We didn’t know who was listening. His father said the council would be visiting us soon. No time or place was given. Maybe that was better. I was sure that RAIDOS could be trusted not to kill us as long as they didn’t have reason. But there were a lot of reasons. As soon as we weren’t a good use for them, or if they felt threatened, they could annihilate our kind. I shivered.

  ***

  It had been a few weeks since we had gotten Emma back. Diya was busy planning her wedding back in Delhi but we would video chat often. I wasn’t even sure where to begin with wedding planning so Diya and Emma said they would take care of everything. Every few days they would ask me simple things like what my favorite flower was or my favorite color. Kai’s mother asked me if I wanted to wear a Sari on our wedding day and I told her yes. I loved the Indian culture and the thought of wearing a red sari just like in my vision made me happy.

  I had called my mother to share the news of our engagement and she was actually happy, a little apprehensive that it was all happening so fast, but happy.

  Kai had stepped up security on the mountain and at all of the pack houses in Portland. Each home had state of the art security and was equipped with a large arsenal of vampire killing weapons. Our daily training sessions now included staking a vampire and how best to fight them. We all knew we were preparing for something, we just weren’t sure what exactly.

  I had just reached home after teaching a self-defense class with Izzy at Safe Haven. We were exiting the car when I smelled something. Foreign wolves. I looked around and noticed a few black cars that weren’t pack. Izzy looked at me but I sent her home.

  ‘Who’s here?’ I asked Kai.

  ‘My father and the rest of the council. Come in quietly and don’t speak.’

  What the hell. Don’t speak.

  I tried to smooth my hair down. I was sweaty and wearing a tank top with yoga pants. Not exactly how I wanted to greet the council. I hadn’t even been properly introduced to Kai’s father last time. I used my key and opened the door.

  The twelve council members sat on the couches and some had pulled chairs up. Kai was sitting in the middle of the room with a dry eraser board. He looked at me and put a finger to his lips. I heard a car door slam and smelled a witch. Sylvia. I creased my eyebrows in confusion.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘We need to talk about RAIDOS but they are listening. Just now, we found out that one of the trees out back is bugged. Sylvia is going to magically keep our conversation safe.’

  Sylvia gave a light knock and let herself in. She glanced around briefly and nodded at me. She seemed to know what was going on. She pulled some white salt from her bag and began sprinkling it around. Then she placed a purple crystal in the center of the room and began walking around to each council member and held out her hand.

  “I need a piece of your hair,” she whispered. They reluctantly gave it to her. When she came to me I happily gave her a piece. I watched, fascinated, as she wound each person’s hair around the purple crystal in the center of the room. Then she whispered, “Let their words make no sound. Let none hear it for all around.” A fine mist crept out of the crystal and created a dome above our heads.

  She spoke loudly now. “You may speak freely. I will wait outside. Come get me when you are finished.”

  “Thank you, Sylvia,” Kai told her. I noticed he was trusting her more and more. That was good because I really wanted to learn more about witches and spell craft.

  Kai’s father stepped towards me. “First let me properly introduce myself. I am Raj, Kai’s father. I’m sorry we have to keep meeting under these dire circumstances.” I shook his outstretched hand and didn’t make eye contact.

  “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I told him as Kai placed a hand on my shoulder.

  Jane smiled at me. “Aurora, thank you for helping me find my mate.”

  I nodded.

  A large Native American wolf placed both of his palms up. “Enough pleasantries, tell us everything you know about this government group that’s tracking supernaturals. We haven’t been told anything!”

  I took a deep breath and told them everything.

  “You offered an alliance!” Raj shouted. I tried not to let my wolf out.

  “Yes, I offered an alliance between RAIDOS and MY pack. I am second in command, I did what I felt is best for our pack.” I met Kai’s father’s eyes briefly and then glanced at Kai. He looked proud.

  “You are not a council member. You cannot offer an alliance with humans. That’s the council’s decision,” Raj challenged.

  Oka
y, now I was getting pissed off.

  “I was knocked unconscious, tied up with silver chains and my life was threatened! I can do whatever the hell I want!” I shouted and immediately recoiled. Raj and I weren’t getting off to the best start. He looked like he wanted to take my head off. Kai stepped forward and placed himself in between his father and I.

  “What would you have her do, Papa? Reject an alliance so they have reason to kill her? There is a war coming. We need allies. The witches have agreed to side with us. Now we have allied with humans. Together we may be able to save our race. Together we can live long enough to live out the new relationships and pregnancies that my mate has helped start!”

  His father looked to the other council members and nodded. They seemed to be having a conversation in their heads. How can they do that?

  “Then there are two more things left to discuss,” Jane told us.

  “Should we publically reveal our species to the humans and would you both like a seat on the council?”

  What the hell?

  “NO and NO,” Kai answered. “Aurora and I aren’t interested in politics and the humans aren’t ready for the knowledge of our kind.”

  Okay, I would have liked to answer for myself but I agreed. I didn’t want to be on some stuffy council. But I wasn’t sure I agreed with Kai about the humans not being ready for knowledge of our kind. If a vampire war was coming and the humans were going to be enslaved, then maybe they deserved to know who was fighting for them.

  “Do we all agree that if there comes a time to fight for the humans, we protect them?” I asked. Somehow this had become my task. To make sure we would be there to protect the humans. Protect our pack, yes, but protect them as well.

  The Native American wolf stepped forward. “I know you are new to this lifestyle, Aurora. Kai may not have had time to tell you all of the stories. It has, and always will be, a werewolf’s duty to protect the humans from vampires. Without that, the balance will tilt and we would be thrust into a future none of us want to see.” He held my gaze and in his eyes I was reminded of Nahuel. As I continued to stare, I suddenly became very sleepy. I began to fall backward and was caught by Nahuel. I was having another vision. We were standing in a deserted field with a huge water treatment plant in front of us. I looked at him. He looked sad. “It’s beginning,” he told me. I looked at the doors of the treatment plant and three vampires came out.

  “What’s beginning? What are they doing?” I asked him.

  Nahuel rubbed his hands together. “I’m not supposed to show you this. But the balance has been tipped towards the dark. I might as well try to tip it back to the light. If it’s going to go one way, I want it to go our way.”

  “I don’t understand! Explain it. Help me.” I felt desperate. I could feel his anxiety.

  “The vampires have poured liquid silver into every major water supply plant in all of the big cities. They want to weaken the wolves and then attack.”

  I grabbed my neck and swallowed hard. “No!” I ran towards the three men coming out of the building. They had huge oil drums full of silver.

  Nahuel caught my arm. “They can’t see us. We are in the future.”

  “So we can stop it. What day does it happen?” I suddenly felt hope burst in my chest.

  “I can only see a few hours into the future. It will happen today.” He looked sad.

  I grabbed his face and turned it towards me. “Wipe that look off of your face. This hasn’t happened yet! You don’t know me very well yet, but I don’t give up! I’ve been through a lot of shit in my life and I didn’t make it out by giving up.”

  His lips curled into a smile. He placed his forehead against mine. “Little sister, I have not given up. I wear this face because I’ve seen too much.”

  “Why do you keep calling me little sister?” I asked.

  He pulled his face back and wore a blank expression. “That is not my story to tell.”

  All of the sudden I was spinning. I came to my body in a series of jerks.

  Kai was in wolf form in front of me. The council was backed up against the wall of our living room. My head lay in Sylvia’s lap.

  “I feel sick.” I grabbed my stomach.

  Kai shifted into his human form, covering himself with a blanket from the couch. His eyes were yellow. The council leaned forward peering at me.

  “Maybe everyone should wait outside until Kai calms down,” Raj told the council.

  “No!” I stood quickly sending a wave of dizziness through me.

  “Get on the phone, email, use your pack bond, do whatever you have to, to warn as many wolves as you can.” I was breathless. I wouldn’t have been shown the future if I couldn’t change it.

  The council stood eerily still. “Warn them of what?” Kai asked me.

  “The vampires are trying to wipe out our race. They are spilling liquid silver into the waterways. It’s going to happen any minute!”

  Raj’s eyes widened in shock. “Do you mean to tell us that you have seen the future?”

  “Yes! Hurry.” Why did they look so unsure? God I was sick of being questioned. I advanced on Jane quickly and the muscles in her arms flexed. I held out my hand.

  “Make them see. We have no time,” I told her.

  She took my outstretched hand and I could feel her sifting through my mind. I wanted to push her out but held still. I could hear Sylvia gasp behind me. Jane broke away with her mouth open. Then she closed her eyes and tipped her head down. All of the council members wore shocked expressions. Kai stumbled backward. She had sent my vision to them.

  ‘The vampires are trying to kill off our kind. We need to protect the water supply. Portland wolves split up. Half of you go to the wholesale market and buy as many water bottles as they have. The other half, bring your weapons and protect the Portland water supply. Mount Hood wolves, same thing. I don’t care who does what. Figure it out and move NOW!’ My head was still ringing with Kai’s command. He whipped out his cellphone and called Shamus telling him to spread the word.

  “We won’t reach everyone in time!” I screamed desperately.

  Sylvia approached Kai’s father. All of the council members were warning their packs.

  “I’ve seen your bond with the other people here. You’re all connected.” Sylvia put her hand out waving it in the air. Raj’s eyes glowed yellow.

  “Calm down, Alpha. I think I can help.” Sylvia nodded me over. I stumbled forward.

  “What is it? What can we do?” I asked her.

  “It’s a very powerful spell. It’s a communication spell between an entire species. It’s been done once before to warn the witches of the burnings in the Salem Witch trials. It would take all of these Alphas’ blood and your power as a witch to help me.”

  “Let’s do it,” I told her.

  “Hang on a second. I’m not giving this witch my blood,” Raj told us.

  My eyes flashed yellow. “Then you will be responsible for the death of our kind!” I shouted. Kai walked forward and faced off with his father.

  “You will do this. We don’t have time to argue. I don’t trust witches but I trust Sylvia.” Kai was barely holding onto his wolf form, I could see it.

  Kai’s father let loose a growl. “You don’t tell me what to do!” They locked eyes. Oh God. I could see where this was going. I looked at Sylvia. ‘Help,’ I mouthed.

  She chewed her lip. She reached into her purse and withdrew a fistful of powder. She threw it in Kai’s and Raj’s faces and whispered. “Sleep.” They both crumpled to the ground.

  My eyes were wide. The council seemed in shock. Kai lay at an awkward angle near his father. I straightened his body and looked at Sylvia.

  She pursed her lips. “Hopefully they don’t kill me,” she commented.

  “They won’t, I’ll protect you.” I looked at the council members. “Extend your arm and we may be able to save our kind.”

  Something seemed to pass between them. They extended their arms. Sylvia gave me the task of c
ollecting the blood. Just a prick from each person there, including myself. I pricked Kai and Raj and winced in fear they would wake up.

  Once I had the droplets of blood inside an ornate glass vessel I approached Sylvia.

  “We must do this outside, in nature.” We all followed her outside.

  “This spell is powered very differently from any other.” Sylvia looked at the council. “This spell is fueled by love. Love for each other, love for your kind, love for your mate, your children. Any love you can conjure in your mind you must do it now!”

  Everyone closed their eyes and began to concentrate. I thought of my mother, of Drake, of Kai. My first kiss with Kai flashed through my mind. My belly warmed. I felt Sylvia’s hand slip into mine.

  “Give me all the mist you got,” she whispered.

  I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. I imagined the mist inside of me. Magic. I let it leak out of my pores. It was never ending. I could feel that. It was everywhere, in the trees, the stars, the rain. This earth was magic! A huge cloud of mist leapt out of my body and slammed into the council members. They rocked on their heels but stayed standing.

  Sylvia raised our hands to the sky. “Let every member of the four-legged race hear my call! Your survival is threatened. The vampires will attack your water supply with silver. Protect it now!”

  Rain began to fall from the sky. It felt miraculous. The message was received, I knew it. The RAIDOS cell phone began ringing in my pocket. We had given it a batman ringtone.

  Sylvia let go of my hand. “So be it,” she said and looked at me.

  “So be it,” I repeated not sure why.

  Then I answered the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “This is Dr. Tavern, our ETA to the Sandy water treatment facility is thirty minutes.”

  “Uh.” I didn’t know what to say. I looked up at the sky searching for a drone.

  “Well, we are allies now, aren’t we? We’re coming to help.”

  I smiled. Maybe this ally thing was going to turn out okay. “Meet you there.”

  The council had received word that the message had been heard. People were calling and asking what to do. Some were panicked and some were prepared. Sylvia awoke Kai and Raj with more spell powder and quickly left.