The Beta's Heart

11. A Witch and a Wish

Tyler

The days after the Tall Pines attack were a whirlwind of activity. We were on high alert, reinforcing our borders and staying vigilant for any signs of further aggression. One morning, as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, we betas joined the alphas for a run with Lark, luna's little runt wolf.

We moved through the forest at Lark's baby pace, not nearly the blur of fur and muscle we usually were, but our wolves were happy to be near her and so were we. The crisp morning air filling their lungs and the sound of paws thudding against the ground created a beat that sang, 'This is pack. This is home.'

As we neared one of our borders, we all started to feel a little anxious. Something wasn't right, but we couldn't pinpoint what it was. Then the wind shifted, and I caught a whiff of something unmistakable.

I smell a witch! I called out through the link.

Shut up, kid, Matthew sneered. Stop trying to show off. You don't smell anything.

I rolled my eyes at him. I knew what I smelled. I'd always been able to sniff out a witch, light or dark. To be honest, it was the talent I was most proud of. Before I could repeat that a witch was nearby, however, Emerson broke in to play peacemaker.

Smell or not, there's definitely the sound of something approaching from the north. How far are we from the border?

Few hundred feet, Alpha Cole told him. Betas, stay close to Lark. Do not leave her side.

Like we needed to be told that. We'd already formed a circle around Lark, and the alphas formed a circle around us. Alpha Cole, who was best at man-to-wolf combat, shifted back to human and grabbed a pair of shorts out Cove's saddlebags, tugging them on right as twenty or so shifters slipped out of the treeline.

We all knew they could only be Tall Pines wolves, and they didn't come alone. The leader, a rough-looking brute, dragged a brown-haired girl by her elbow. She was in bad shape, with several visible wounds, and I figured she was the witch.

Although I doubt she's helping them willingly, I thought.

Then River giggled as Bay, Crew's wolf, had the brilliant idea to nudge Lark under my wolf's belly. She was such a small runt that she could literally stand up under him, and his long fluff hid her perfectly.

It'll also keep her from seeing what's about to happen, Crew linked me.

The Tall Pines leader finally noticed us. Growling, he wrapped the fingers of his free hand around the brunette's throat, and she clawed at his hand, but he only tightened his hold.

"You had one job in exchange for your life, witch. Alpha told you to hide our scent and take us to her, not to the alphas of Five Fangs!"

Throwing her to the forest floor, he kicked her unconscious, and something twanged in the air, releasing the smell of Tall Pines wolves and a witch of the light.

Heh. Told dem so, River snorted, but I was paying attention to Creek, Tristan's wolf, who was howling that the witch was his mate.

The Tall Pines leader threatened the queen and had his men chuck two huge duffle bags across the border. Alpha Cole unzipped them to reveal the beaten faces of twin brothers who smelled of beta blood, and we all reckoned that they were related to Queen Lilah.

Then Quartz leaped forward and ripped the leader's throat out.

The fight that followed was intense, but short, and our alphas killed any wolf that didn't submit and secured the rest to transport back to our cells. While they dealt with the situation at the border, they ordered us betas to go with Tristan, and we wasted no time getting his new mate to the pack's medical clinic. We stayed with him in silent support until the alphas sent us to guard the new queen and Luna Posy while they and the king interrogated our prisoners.