Chapter 103
Taya Quinn POV
The portal shimmered like some kind of warped water mirror, and let me just say…no matter how many times I see one of these things open, it never stops being freaky as hell.
Zuki huffed in my head. “It’s just magic. You’re fine. Act like you’ve seen a damn spell before.”
“I have, thanks,” I shot back, rolling my eyes as Rylen shifted beside me, his arms crossed like the hot piece of Beta eye candy he was. He was wearing that stoic, I’ve seen some shit face, but I could feel Anton pacing in his head like a damn caged wolf.
“Another group incoming,” he muttered.
“Yeah, no shit,” I said, stepping forward as the portal rippled violently, then vomited out a pile of cursing, wheezing, very ungraceful Marines.
The next batch of soldiers, another thousand or so, landed in piles of limbs and gear. One dude landed face first in the mud and immediately started swearing about the Geneva Convention.
“Welcome to Minnesota, assholes,” I hollered, grinning. “Hope you didn’t think this was gonna be easy!”
The first five hundred, who were now walking around like smug veterans of the wolf realm, rushed in to help. It was a chaotic whirlwind of bags, shouting, laughing, and the occasional scuffle when a wolf stepped a little too close to a cocky corporal.
Rylen barked orders with that deep, rumbling voice of his, and the new troops snapped to attention. They were trying not to stare at the shifters with too much awe, or fear, but it was obvious they were shittin‘ themselves just a little.
Can’t say I blame them.
“Barracks are that way,” I pointed, directing groups with a sharp whistle. “Women’s quarters to the east, mess hall’s already rollin, and training starts tomorrow at dawn. I suggest you all rest those very fragile little human muscles.”
Zuki snorted. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Damn right I am.”
By mid afternoon, the field was buzzing with activity. Mages walked through the new crowd, passing out glowing weapons like it was fucking Christmas. Swords that ignited with moonfire. Daggers that pulsed with binding spells. Bullets infused with wards against vampiric regeneration. Some poor private damn near peed himself when a shield spell jumped into his hands and slammed outward like a goddamn bubble of force.
“Holy shit!” he shouted, spinning. “I HAVE A FORCEFIELD!”
PIS
“Sit your ass down, Tony Stark,” I muttered, sipping my coffee like the badass I am.
Rylen sidled up next to me and slid an arm around my waist. “This is a lot.”
“Understatement of the year,” I sighed. “They’ve got drills, combat classes, species history training, and half of them still think vampires sparkle.”
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9:26 Fri, Oct 3
Chapter 103
“Not for long,” he said grimly.
“And the rest still think we grow fur once a month and eat squirrels.”
He chuckled low, pressing a kiss behind my ear. “We eat deer.”
“Mmm. Sexy.”
Around us, wolves and humans were starting to mingle, cautiously. Training partners were being assigned. A mage instructor snapped at Marine for trying to light a cigarette too close to an elemental bomb prototype. A wolf pup tried to follow a squad inside and got scooped up by an amused sergeant.
Chaos. Pure, magical chaos. But we were making it work. And for the first time since all this shit started, I felt something almost dangerous.Hope.
Alpha King Draven POV
I hadn’t seen Gamma Eron or Maria in damn near a week. Not since the Aegis attack. Convenient, right? A little too convenient.
And now, just as we’re solidifying alliances and bracing for war, in they stroll like nothing ever happened. Like they haven’t been slithering in the shadows while their pack bled.
“Alpha,” Eron greeted with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Luna. We just returned from patrolling the southern border…”
“You were never assigned the southern border,” I cut in, my voice flat and cold. “That post has been covered for days. So try again.”
Maria’s jaw clenched, but she said nothing. They smelled wrong. Not just dirt and sweat. No, this was deeper, rotted, off, and fucking tainted. My wolf was snarling before I even made the call.
Aelira stepped forward, her eyes sharp as daggers. “You smell that?” She said into my mind. I nodded. “I do.” I responded.
“You’ve been absent in our time of greatest need,” I said, letting my voice carry across the war room. Everyone within earshot had stopped pretending not to listen. “You deserted your duties. You hid when our people were dying.”
Eron scoffed. “That’s a reach, Alpha. We..”
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