Alpha Queen (Claimed by Wolves 4)

Patrice stares down at th

e map and his hand on hers, then glances up. “You know what, I think you’re right.”

Elder Jihoon shrugs and releases her hand, a hint of color rising in his cheeks. “I have traveled.”

I don’t miss the assessing look in Patrice’s eyes, or the way she seems to look at the North Pack elder with a new level of respect. I’ve always thought Elder Jihoon was crazy as a fucking loon, but hey, if she wants to develop a crush, I’m not judging.

Ridge looks around as if he’s seeking something, and Amora holds out a permanent marker. He nods and uncaps it, then draws a circle around the place where Patrice’s finger still rests.

When he’s done, we all stand back and look down at the map, pressed together like a mob. I can see a muscle ticking in Ridge’s jaw, and Archer has that thoughtful look he gets when he’s mulling over information in his head.

Sable speaks up. “Wolfsbane was a massive mountain when we saw it. With steep cliffs. How are we going to march on the area and find the bunker without being seen?”

“We send a scout,” Dare says. “Me. I’ll do it.”

Sable shakes her head vehemently, but before she can open her mouth and object, Archer says, “No, Dare. Your place is with us. Leading. Elder Patrice, do you think you could put together a small group and scout the area to look for the bunker?”

The older woman inclines her head. “Of course, Alpha Archer. I’d be honored.”

I like this old lady and her willingness to work. Half the shifters in the room look ready to follow her into the wilds without question, so I add, “Small group, no more than three or four, enough to protect one another but stay agile. And stay out of sight. In and out. Quickly.”

“Yes, Alpha.” She bows to me, then wades into the crowd of shifters, pointing at several men and women as she goes so that they’ll follow her.

I realize she’s not just choosing members from one pack. She’s choosing sturdy members of all three. It’s a very pointed gesture, one that says she’s going to support the merger with everything she’s got.

After Patrice and her wolves have left, I lean my palms on the edge of the table and say, “Okay, so what are we thinking? Full on assault?”

Archer sighs. “The truth is, if we don’t take the fight to them, they’re going to bring it to us, just like they did last time.”

“I think it’s better if we take the fight to them. That way, we get to decide the how and the when. We get to have it on our terms,” Dare says. Then his lips press together, his expression hardening. “But we should discuss the possibility that they could have the upper hand with it being their territory.”

Ridge shakes his head. “Maybe, but I think that could be made up for if we have the element of surprise. If we plan our battle strategy right.”

“We’ll be going up against the whole fucking coven.” Archer drags a hand through his blond hair. “That’s a bigger force than we fought here, possibly significantly bigger. It’ll take all of our combined packs to even have a chance against them. Every single fighter we’ve got.”

“Speaking of that,” Amora cuts in. “What about our children and elderly? If the rest of the pack is gone to fight, they’ll be sitting ducks here alone.”

“Not entirely,” Archer points out. “The sigils that make up our wards help.”

I snort. “The sigils haven’t always worked. If they had, we wouldn’t have buried so many dead less than a week ago. Two witches wouldn’t have been able to chase Lawson right to the edge of the village. Amora has a good point. We have to prepare for every possibility.”

The air in the meeting house is tense as all the gathered shifters’ minds set to work, trying to figure out a solution to this newest—and most important—issue.

I don’t yet have children of my own, though I can imagine wanting them one day with Sable. But many of my strongest warriors do have kids, and they aren’t going to want to run into battle knowing their families won’t be safe in their absence. Elderly parents. The ill and disabled. If we leave them without protection, we might as well be their murderers.

But how do we fight two battles? How do we go after the witches, but leave enough wolves behind to protect the children and elderly from being slaughtered?

Then Sable makes a noise in her throat. I can feel her body stiffen a little next to me, and I look over at her to find a thoughtful look spreading across her face.

“I think I have an idea,” she tells us.

21

Sable

I feel very confident about my plan until every eye in the room turns to look at me.

Suddenly, my old panic rustles around inside me, and I have to fight the urge to run away from all those gazes. It shows how far I’ve come that I stand my ground. I’m a part of this pack now, come what may, and I have a voice here. I don’t have to be afraid to speak up, like I did in my fake uncle’s household.