Blood Ties

43

The phone nearly slipped from Accalia's hands and Lycus was in front of her within a second, frowning at the words that came out of Tristan's mouth.

"The other packs have been alerted," Accalia informed her brother and stared deeply at Lycus. "We are preparing."

"Might not be enough, Sissy. Fuck it, I'm coming over there now. Make sure the patrollers let me in, I'm bringing others with me. This isn't an alliance, Accalia, but all of us have to take out the mutual enemy. We end this tonight."

The line went dead.

Accalia looked expectedly to Lycus, wanting the guidance of an Alpha to speak to her. "Are you okay with this?"

She wanted confirmation from her mate that the mutual decision for hunters to join the Fenris pack was what they needed.

Lycus leaned his forehead against Accalia's and she knew then that she didn't need to hear him say it.

Accalia released a strangled breath and wished nothing more but for this to last — for them to last.

"Lycus, I love you."

It wasn't forced out of her like it needed to be said before their lands became a battleground and all hell broke loose. Accalia uttered it because it felt right ... the scales had balanced and she could say it without tipping over. In her soul that tethered to his, it was enough.

Lycus had nothing to say, his lip shredding into a smile flamed with a lightness no one or nothing could extinguish and claimed her mouth with his.

"Alpha—" Tala called out through the house and her voice silenced into a muffled grunt. "Why does this always happen to me?"

Accalia laughed and pulled away from Lycus even though his lips continued to settle short kisses along the side of her face.

But Accalia's laughter drifted away like it was never there to begin with and she peered deeply at Tala's disconnected expression.

"Tala, what's wrong?" Accalia questioned and Lycus parted from her, staring at the Beta tensely.

Tala exhaled a shallow breath and balanced on the back of her heels, struggling to come up with an explanation. "I—I just got word from Gabriel's pack. There's been an attack."

Lycus was in front of Tala and grabbed her shoulders, his face becoming stricken. "What do you mean? Is Gabriel—"

"I don't know," Tala mumbled and her face shook. "The phone cut out before I could get anything else. It was the Beta reporting, not Gabriel. Not Nina."

It was happening. The set-up, being sidetracked with Cole and the beginnings of war — Tristan was right. This was occurring right under their noses, the Thrax fleeing their lands was intentional. Adriana is closing in on them.

"Contact the Jacian pack and get them over there now!" Lycus barked at the Beta.

Tala stumbled back, nodding at the Alpha before running out of the house, the door slamming behind her. A vicious and ferocious roar took haven across the entire pack, shaking the very window glass in the manor and Accalia knew that sound could only belong to Tala as she roared an alert to everyone.

Lycus whipped around, his eyes painted black as if he was going to shift. Accalia couldn't stop him. They would need the Alpha of Alphas.

"The Thrax pack must have gone after Gabriel's pack — they'd have no chance against you, Lycus," Accalia concluded and wiped her mouth shakily, thinking about Gabriel, thinking of Nina and their unborn baby.

Oh god, Accalia struggled to think, her head becoming heavy on her shoulders.

"The Jacian pack will make it over there," Lycus stated and nodded frequently at himself, needing to believe his words into existence. "Our pack wouldn't get there in time. We're too far apart. I'm too far from him."