The Blood Luna stands, her cloaked frame turned away from us as she gazes down at Blood Lake.

Exactly where I knew she'd be.

Recruiting Akoni and Dorian was easy, but this would likely be much harder.

There's no way she agrees to help, Killian mindlinks me, looking at Ares Alstott. I may or may not have threatened to send her pup to an isolated island to starve to death.

I raise an eyebrow at him.

Okay, I did. He grins shamelessly.

I sigh, which makes Ares whip around, two knives appearing instantly in her hands.

Ares relaxes slightly as her one eye narrows in on us. "You look remarkably alive for someone who should be dead," she says to me coolly.

"You look remarkably unguarded for someone on the edge of a territory," I respond, smiling slightly because I Know she ditched her guard.

"I needed a breather," she says drily, and her eyes narrow at Killian. "Now that my pups aren't here for you to threaten, are you ready for an actual fight, pup?"

Only Ares Alstott would look at the Ultimum Viatorem and call him such a patronizing name without batting an eyelash.

Killian chuckles darkly, opening his mouth to respond when I stomp on his foot and mindlink him: Knock it off.

"Actually," I interject. "I was hoping you may be interested in joining a fight."

She perks up slightly at this. "A fight, you say?" she muses.

"Bored with motherhood already?" Killian taunts.

"Bored with being alive, pup?" Ares responds, her grip on the blades tightening.

"Ares, you owe me," I state plainly.

"You said you would only need one favor," she points out.

"Yeah, well, I didn't anticipate living this long." I roll my eyes. "Shall we create a tally of all of the things you owe me for?"

She grins coldly, showing canines far bigger than any other she-wolf. "If you're asking for my help, you must have made quite an enemy for yourself, Seer"

"A witch coven," I admit.

She looks surprised by this, before chuckling coldly. "Fine, I'm in."

Killian blanches. "Really? That's it? You don't want to know why we want to kill a coven of witches? You aren't surprised by the existence of witches?"

Ares shrugs. "Do they bleed?"

"Yes," Killian says slowly.

"Then I'll enjoy killing them." Her one eye flashes silver.

"Cain will notice you're missing," Killian warns.

Ares snorts. "I can handle Cain."

"You just gave birth," Killian adds.

"Yes, Killian, I'm a mother, not an invalid," she says, every word dripping in sarcasm. "Still in perfect shape, still could kill you easily. Want a demo?"

"That won't be necessary," I say, glaring at him. "Are you ready now?"

Ares grins. "Ready to kill? Always."

****

The entrance of the Crimson Shadow Pack House is small, far too small for the circulus, Akoni and a few of his top fighters, and Dorian and the vampires he brought. We kept our numbers to a minimum, not wanting to attract too much attention to ourselves when we infiltrate the coven.

"Who are they?" Ares asks when we land, jerking her head towards Akoni and his warriors.

"The Viatoribus," I answer. "Akoni, this is Ares Alstott, Luna of Blood Lake. Ares, this is Akoni, the leader of the Viatoribus."

Akoni bows slightly, formally, and Ares dips her head slightly in acknowledgment. Her nose crinkles.

"What the fuck is that?" she hisses, glaring at Dorian.

"Uh, that's Dorian," I scratch my head awkwardly. "He's a, um..."

"Vampire," Dorian says, crossing the space between us and offering his hand to Ares. "I've heard about you, Luna."

"Bad things, I hope," she smirks, shaking his hand, and his eyes widen slightly at her grip.

"I'm not sure the rumors are true," Dorian admits. "I have to admit, they seem a little... unbelievable."

"Knife?" Ares says sweetly, summoning a knife from nothing.

Dorian blinks.

"Sword?" Ares presses, a sword appearing in her other hand.

"Ooh, I'll take it," Layla says gleefully, reaching for it, but Kage grabs her wrist, not trusting the Blood Luna.

Wise.

"Okay, the rumors may be true," Dorian acknowledges. "And no, I'm not going to drink your blood."

Surprise flashes across her face.

"Yes, I can," Dorian answers her unspoken thought.

Ares' eye narrows suspiciously at him. "Quite the militia you've gathered, Katrina."

"This isn't going to be an easy infiltration," Killian speaks up. "Everyone needs to be on their guard, kill before they have the chance to do a spell. No hesitation. We'll have to slaughter everyone, children included. If you feel uncomfortable with that, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Ares scoffs, but no one says anything.

"There's three floors in the coven nest," Killian states what I told him earlier. "We're going to split up. The Viatoribus, Knox, and Gage will take the top floor, vampires, Jae, and Maryn will take the middle, and Layla, Kage, Ares, and I will take the bottom floor. I'll teleport everyone to their assigned locations at the same time, and you begin slaughtering immediately. Any questions?"

"I'm going to pretend you just forgot to mention that I'll be on the bottom floor," I say to Killian, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Uh oh," Layla says.

"You won't be going," Killian says smoothly.

Ares chuckles.

I look at him in disbelief. "You're joking. I can See their attacks. I need to be there."

"You don't have enough fighting experience," Killian says calmly, but I can sense his anger through our bond.

I snort, and take a few steps away from them, putting space between myself and Ares. I turn my back.

"Ares, throw 5 knives at me, one after another, no hesitation," I tell her.

"Ares, don't," Killian snarls.

Ares shrugs, ignoring Killian and throws knives aimed to my back.

Effortlessly, I dodge all of them, Knowing where they are aimed, and turn back to them.

They all look at me in awe, unable to believe the strength of my Sight. Ares looks the most surprised of all, and also a bit irritated.

Killian clenches his jaw.

I'll be fine, I promise him. We're stronger together.

I can feel his inner turmoil.

Fine, he relents. I'm teleporting you out at the first sign of something going wrong. Do you understand me?

I roll my eyes. Yes, Alpha.

"Fine," Killian says out loud. "Any other questions?"

Everyone shakes their head.

"Everyone hold on to someone from your group," he instructs. Ares begrudgingly takes my hand, and I See her excitement, she has missed true violence, having kept true to her promise to Onyx Knight.

Killian opens a portal in his hand, and a bag of salt comes through. He dumps it on the ground.

He counts down, and everyone grips their weapons. Ares hands me a knife, and I have two more strapped to my legs.

I love you, I tell Killian, the words feeling weird coming out unprompted.

We complete the mating bond when we get back, Killian promises, still counting down and a chill runs down my spine in anticipation.

He gets to one, and we teleport into a witch coven.

****

Ares is the first to attack a witch, naturally.

The blade sinks into the center of a witch's throat before I understand what's happening.

A portal opens above our heads, and salt falls all over the witches, and they scream like it burns them.

Some of them form some kind of shield above their head, blocking it.

Layla leaps at a witch, slashing her throat, and shadows wrap around Kage as he dashes from witch to witch, ripping out heart after heart before they can see him.

Ares throws blades, one after another, decapitating witch after witch, her expression neutral, like this is the most boring fight she's ever been in. I suppose any fight would be boring after going against a god and winning.

We seemed to have caught the witches off guard, killing many before they come to their senses and start their own attacks.

Fires pop up out of nowhere under our feet, and we hop around them. I cringe as I slash the throat of a witch, probably no older than I am.

I try moving, but something paralyzes me, and a witch takes the knife out of my hand, and is about to stab me in the heart when her face freezes in pain.

She looks down to see a blade poking out in between her rib cage, and my paralysis wears off.

"We're even now," Ares warns before turning around and immediately throwing another knife.

We continue fighting, and I do my best to shove wolves out of the way when I can See where the witches are aiming their next attack.

And then someone appears out of nowhere, and I feel a cold blade pressing against my throat.

"Stop," A melodic female voice says quietly, but everyone freezes as they see the knife against my throat, blood trickling out as she paralyzes me with her magic.

"Weapons down," The woman says. "Or I kill the girl."

She's the leader of the coven.

Terror floods the bond.

Killian stares, wide-eyed, and I can see a portal trying to get through the shield the witch leader put around us.

She can shield Killian's Gift.

"Weapons down, now," The witch leader says calmly.

Ares looks at Killian, and he nods. Everyone drops their weapons.

The others, from the other floors, successfully killed all of the witches from their floor, and look in horror at the scene.

"Let them go," I beg the witch leader. "Let them go and I'll stay here. You can use my blood."

She snorts. "Why would I want your blood?"

"I'm the Luna," I gasp as the knife presses further into my throat. "I'm a Seer. My blood has more magic. Let them and the Alpha you stole go. I'll stay here voluntarily, and you can use my blood instead. It'll be enough."

And it would be. My blood is far stronger than Leo's.

The witch pauses. She knows it's a good deal.

"No," Killian says calmly, though I feel his panic. "Take me instead. I'm the Alpha."

"Her blood is stronger," The witch says. "I accept the girl's offer. Make a blood oath that you won't ever return and I'll let you walk out of here alive and take the other Alpha."

"Make the fucking oath, Killian," I plead.

Killian ignores me, staring at the witch.

"I'm also the Ultimum Viatorem," Killian says, and I feel the witch's excitement over that. "I have more magic in my blood than she does. The strongest blood in any universe. Take me instead and let the others go."

The witch inhales sharply. "You're right. I can sense it now. Your blood is far superior."

She releases the blade from my throat, but I'm still paralyzed, and the shield is still around us.

"Make the blood oath, Seer," The Witch instructs. "You will never again track us, you will not come back for Killian, and you will never help anyone locate us."

"I won't," I say calmly.

Killian, teleport everyone out now, I instruct him, and everyone disappears, going into the in between without warning.

Killian, go, I beg him.

Suddenly, Killian falls to his knees in pain, groaning as he clutches his head.

"No more of that, Ultimum Viatorem," The witch snarls. "Seer, make the oath or I'll kill you both."

Make the oath, Katrina, Killian mindlinks me. I'll be fine, just do it.

I can't, I respond in horror, tears falling from my face.

Make the oath.

He used an Alpha Command.

I can't fight it.

I make the oath.

The shield falls around me, and a new one encloses Killian.

And my mate sends me into the in between.

Alone.

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