LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
Elizabeth and Helen spent the entire night scouring the pack lands for more mirrors. The two of them moved like shadows, weaving in and out of buildings, crawling into forgotten spaces, and muttering spells under their breath. Every ti Helen bent down to inspect a suspicious corner or Elizabeth waved her hand over a wall to sense for magic, they’d exchange glances of frustration when they ca up empty-handed.
I on the other hand, followed after them quietly not wanting to get in their way.
By sunrise, Helen plopped into the chair in my office with a dramatic sigh. "Nothing. Not one damn thing," she groaned, tossing her boots onto the desk.
"Feet off," I said automatically, leaning back in my chair.
She smirked. "Oh, lighten up, Alpha. Your desk is clean enough to eat off."
"Unless you want Ares taking over and barking at you, I suggest you follow my rules," I shot back, voice dry.
Elizabeth was less amused. "Please, focus," she said, pacing the room. "The mirror didn’t just appear out of thin air. Magic like that doesn’t manifest without a bind."
I frowned. "What kind of bind?"
Elizabeth stopped pacing and turned to face . "The mirror wasn’t here before Serena started chanting. That ans she conjured it when she tried to call her witches."
Teresa, who had been perched on the edge of my desk, crossed her arms. "Great. So this was all Serena’s doing before you, you know..." She mid ripping sothing out of her chest.
Luke snorted. "You’re husband is brutal."
I didn’t dignify that with a response.
Elizabeth continued, her tone grim. "The good news is, this wasn’t from the Fae. Their magic is... different. More subtle. This was witchcraft, through and through."
"Good news?" Helen said, raising an eyebrow. "I’d hardly call a coven of vengeful witches ’good news.’"
Teresa leaned forward, her fiery gaze eting mine. "She’s right. They’ll co for revenge. You killed their High Priestess, Lucian. They’re not going to let that slide."
"Good," I said, my voice sharp. "Let them co. I’ll rip out their hearts too."
Teresa rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, because that worked so well the first ti. You’re not dealing with amateurs. These witches will co prepared, and they’ll bring magic you can’t just punch your way through."
"Speak for yourself," Luke muttered.
"Enough," Elizabeth snapped. "We need to prepare. If they’re coming—and they will—we can’t be caught off guard. I’ll stay and fortify the pack lands. We’ll need wards, protection spells, and more."
Helen nodded, her expression serious. "I’ll stay too. Maybe this is what my sister was warning about in the dream. I can’t leave until I’m sure my niece and nephew are safe."
"Lovely," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "A pack of wolves with witches hanging around. What could go wrong?"
The next few days were a whirlwind of preparation.
Elizabeth worked tirelessly, placing wards around the pack borders. I’d catch glimpses of her red hair glowing under the moonlight as she whispered incantations, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air.
I had already warned my pack not to get in her way or Helen’s. They weren’t happy about that but they obeyed.
I made every eligible pack mber train harder than ever before. Teresa and Luke threw themselves into the sessions with the enforcers, their movents growing sharper and more precise with each passing day. Watching Teresa spar was equal parts terrifying and srizing. She had a way of moving that was both graceful and deadly, like a blade slicing through water.
Rylan and I oversaw every activity. My Beta had a knack for turning even the most chaotic training session into an organized drill. "Co on, you pups!" he’d yell, clapping his hands. "You think witches are going to wait while you catch your breath? Move it!"
Adrian and Juliette stuck around too, their presence both reassuring and mildly infuriating. Adrian and his infuriatingly calm deanor, like he was above the chaos was getting on my nerves. He’d stand to the side, offering suggestions in that smooth, unhurried tone of his, never helping.
"Lucian, your left flank is vulnerable. Haven’t you learned anything from ?" he said one afternoon, watching as we ran a defense drill.
I shot him a look. "Thanks, Sensei. Would you like to take over?"
He smiled, unbothered. "Only if you’re too tired, Alpha."
"Careful," I smirked. "I might take you up on that."
Juliette, on the other hand, was a force of nature. She had no patience for incompetence and wasn’t shy about showing it.
"Is that all you’ve got?" she snapped at one of the younger enforcers during a sparring match. "My grandmother could dodge that punch, and she’s been dead for fifty years."
Teresa, standing nearby, grinned. "My teacher is as savage as ever."
Juliette smirked. "I call it honesty."
*******
A week later, the witches ca.
It was the dead of night, and the pack was calm for the first ti in what seed like an eternity. I was finally in bed, curled up with Teresa. The faint scent of lavender from her hair filled the room as her head rested gently on my chest. Her breathing was soft and even, with a quiet rhythm that lulled toward the edge of sleep.
Then it ca.
A low, bone-chilling howl split the night, reverberating through the air like a sign of chaos. It wasn’t a wolf’s call—it was sothing far darker. The sound was followed by a sharp, crackling hum, unmistakable in its power. Magic.
I bolted upright, my heart slamming against my ribcage. Teresa stirred, her eyes snapping open, wide with alarm. "What was that?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I didn’t answer. I was already swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, yanking on a shirt. Through the pack link, my voice rang out like a commandnt. "Everyone, to your posts. Now."
Chaos erupted within seconds. The pack house roared to life as wolves shifted, their howls echoing in unison. The few vampires that lived in my pack all stood at a ready, their movents swift and precise. The air buzzed with tension so thick it felt alive.
Teresa grabbed my arm. "Be careful out there."
"You too, my love," I replied quickly.
The front doors burst open with a deafening crash, and the first wave of witches surged through, their magic tearing through our defenses as if they were paper. Fireballs lit up the night like fireworks, illuminating the chaos. The sharp sll of burning wood filled my nostrils as flas licked the walls of the pack house.
"Stay close to ," I said, my voice firm. "And don’t leave my sight."
Her nod was barely perceptible as she gritted her teeth, her determination solidifying in her gaze.
Adrian was already in the thick of the fray, his movents deadly and precise. His claws glead under the pale moonlight, cutting through witches with an almost silent calm. A witch lunged at him, her hands glowing with electric-blue energy, but he sidestepped smoothly, delivering a clean, lethal strike. "You should’ve stayed ho," he murmured coldly as her body crumpled to the ground.
Juliette was pure fury incarnate. Her massive wolf form tore through enemy ranks with brutal efficiency, her growls echoing like thunder. Blood dripped from her muzzle as she snapped at another witch, her voice growling through the pack link. "Who’s next?"
But nothing could have prepared us for what happened next.
Amid the chaos, Teresa and Luke erged, their forms standing defiantly in the heart of the battlefield. I froze mid-step turning to realize Teresa wasn’t by my side again. Their bodies began to glow, their skin shimring with a brilliance that could only be described as divine.
"Do you see that?" Rylan whispered, his voice awed as he fought beside , his teeth drenched in witch’s blood. "They are glowing again"
"Not just glowing," I muttered. "Look."
With an almost deafening crack, massive, radiant wings erupted from their backs. Teresa’s wings glimred with a golden sheen, throwing an ethereal light over the battlefield. Luke’s wings were streaked with silver, shimring like moonlight incarnate. Everywhere around them vibrated with raw, unstoppable power.
"Elizabeth’s concealing spell has been broken. They’ll need a new one." Rylan breathed, montarily distracted as another witch lunged at him. He ducked and bit down on her neck, still staring. "Too slow."
Teresa raised her hands, her fingers glowing as if fire and earth had rged at her touch. Vines as thick as my arm shot up from the ground, coiling around a group of witches and dragging them down with relentless force. Their screams were cut off as the earth swallowed them whole.
Luke wasn’t far behind. With a sweeping motion, he summoned a gust of wind so fierce it sent another wave of witches hurtling into the trees, their bodies snapping against the trunks like twigs.
Adrian fought his way to , his face bloodied but his expression calm. "They didn’t ntion they could do... that," he said, motioning toward Teresa and Luke.
"I don’t think they knew," I replied, my gaze locked on Teresa. She looked otherworldly like a goddess descended to protect us. Her wings folded slightly behind her as she turned to , her eyes blazing with golden fire.
The battle raged on, but the tide had turned. One by one, the witches fell, their magic no match for the combined strength of wolves, vampires, and now these celestial titans in our midst. When the last witch dropped to the ground, the battlefield fell silent.
All eyes turned to Teresa and Luke, their glowing forms still radiant under the pale light of the moon.
"What the actual hell?" Rylan finally broke the silence, his blade still dripping with blood. "Did we just join a fantasy novel?"
I stepped forward, my heart pounding as I approached Teresa. She was still glowing, her wings slowly folding against her back. Her expression softened as she t my gaze.
"We’ll explain everything tomorrow," I said, my voice firm yet exhausted. "For now, let’s rest. You’ve all earned it."
The pack began to disperse, the tension in the air giving way to a heavy, weary calm. As the others moved away, I reached for Teresa’s hand. Her glow had dimd, but she still looked impossibly radiant.
"You’re full of surprises," I murmured, my voice low enough for only her to hear.
Her lips curved into a small smirk, the warmth returning to her eyes. "You have no idea," she whispered, her voice carrying the promise of secrets yet to be uncovered.
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