Forget revenge.
Forget the packs.
But I also know that isn’t possible.
29
Sabrina
“Absolutely not,” Romulus says when I tell them the change in our plans.
Vivian has taken all of the babies upstairs so that our inevitable argument doesn’t wake them. Honestly, we shouldn’t be arguing at all right now, there are more important things that we need to be doing in preparation for tomorrow.
“I wasn’t really asking,” I say. I’m not trying to get into a fight with Romulus, especially not now after everything he said and after I finally feel like a have a father in my life.
But I am coming.
“Sabrina, you can’t be serious,” Rory says. He’s done a good job of remaining stoic as I explained my plan, but I can tell it’s not been easy for him. The wolf in him is straining to lash out. Not necessarily at me, just … at everything. He too knows how impossible this all is. “You’ve just given birth to our pups. Tomorrow is a full moon and you haven’t even been able to fully transform yet.”
“I’m fine,” I reassure them. “I’m strong enough to fight. Lydia said it’s probably some special shifter power that I have, kind of like her power to read thoughts. My body is healed, and I feel stronger than ever. I want to fight.”
“It doesn’t matter what you want to do or not,” Romulus says. “Tomorrow night will be a brutal fight, and it won’t be in our human forms. Remus and his pack will use the power of the full moon to strengthen them as will we. If you end up not being able to shift again, then you will be slaughtered instantly.”
He lets the gravity of his words sit for a moment.
“Even if the boys and I try to protect you and get you to safety, it will take away from what little force we have to fight them with. It’s too great a risk. You haven’t even had one successful transformation yet.”
“I know it will work this time,” I say adamantly. “I can feel it. It didn’t work before because of the pregnancy. My body stopped it in order to protect the pups. But it will work this time. I know it will.”
“Sabrin
a, it’s such a huge risk,” Marlowe says. He takes a carful step towards me, but I can tell this isn’t easy for him. He doesn’t like to pick sides. Not like this. Not with me on the losing side.
“And what about our pups?” Kaleb asks. “Who will protect them during the fight? And who will take care of them after the fight if none of us survive it?”
“I will,” Lydia says as she steps into the room. She’s been listening at the door, not speaking until now.
“Oh hell no,” Romulus says as he rolls his eyes at her and shakes her head. “Please tell me you didn’t agree to this, Lydia.”
She gives him one of her wan smiles.
“I did,” she says. “Because it was the right thing to do.”
“Lydia, how could you?” Romulus asks her with a desperate look in his eyes. “You know how this is likely going to end. You know Remus as well as I do and certainly better than anyone here. You know what he’ll do if—”
Lydia reaches up and holds Romulus’ face in her hands so that she can look into his eyes as she speaks.
“Yes,” she says calmly. “I know all of those things. And I also know how much it brings me pain to know that I will not be standing in that fight beside you. But Romulus, listen to me.”
She looks so deeply into his eyes that I suddenly feel like I’m interrupting something immensely personal. Something I shouldn’t be looking in on. Something private.
Her voice is quiet when she continues, but I’m still able to make it out.
“Sabrina won’t survive this if the boys don’t. Do you understand what I’m saying? If something happens to them, she won’t carry on. Remember how we first felt about each other? I wouldn’t have carried on without you either. If she is the only one left, the pups won’t make it because she won’t. Now you and I are older and wiser, and we can see past passion in order to do what we must. But they cannot.”
Lydia glances over at me and then at the boys, before looking back to Romulus again.
“If you want to save your grandchildren and your bloodline and try to save what is left of our pack and our family … this is what needs to be done.”