Chapter 318: The Journey To Ravenspire

Lilith’s breath caught and he felt tears on her cheeks even though she did not make a sound.

"Don’t make promises you can’t keep," she said quietly.

"I never do." Sebastian replied.

He pulled back and looked at her one more time, memorizing her face, the way the afternoon light caught in her hair, the bond marks on her throat that marked her as theirs, and then he forced himself to step away.

"I have to go," he said. "Nicholas is waiting."

Lilith nodded but did not say anything.

Sebastian walked to the door and paused with his hand on the handle. "Lilith?"

"Yes?"

"Stay safe. Please. Don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone."

"I’ll try." She replied.

It was not the promise he wanted but it was all she was willing to give.

Sebastian left before he could change his mind about going.

***

Nicholas was waiting in the main hall when Sebastian came down the stairs looking like he had just torn his own heart out and left it bleeding on the floor.

"How is she?" Nicholas asked.

"Angry. Scared. Stubborn." Sebastian’s jaw was tight. "But alive. For now."

"For now is all we need," Nicholas said. "We find the witch. We get answers. We come back and fix this."

"And if we can’t fix it?"

Nicholas did not answer because they both knew what happened if they could not fix it. If there really was no other way to break the curse except Lilith’s death.

They would refuse. They would choose her life over their own freedom. And they would face the consequences together.

Sebastian seemed to understand the silence because he just nodded and followed Nicholas toward the back of the estate where Lucian was waiting with the three Betas.

The eastern woods bordered the estate on that side, dense forest that stretched for miles before giving way to the open territories beyond. It was the fastest route to Ravenspire if they ran as wolves instead of driving, and speed was everything right now.

Lucian stood at the edge of the tree line with his arms crossed and his expression dark. Callum, Finn, and Eli flanked him, all of them dressed for a fight even though the only battle they were preparing for was the one to keep Lilith safe while Nicholas and Sebastian were gone.

"You’re late," Lucian said when they approached.

"By two minutes," Sebastian shot back.

"Two minutes we don’t have." Lucian’s eyes were gold around the edges, which means that Zev was close to the surface again. "Victoria’s deadline expires in thirty-four hours. If you’re not back before then...."

"We’ll be back," Nicholas interrupted. "We’ll find the witch, get what we need, and be back before Victoria shows up."

"And if you’re not?"

"Then you stop her," Nicholas said. "Whatever it takes. Don’t let her take Lilith."

Lucian’s smile was sharp and dangerous. "I won’t."

Nicholas looked at his youngest brother and felt the weight of what he was asking. Lucian would have to face Victoria alone if it came to that. Would have to stand between a centuries-old witch and their mate and hope he was strong enough to hold the line.

It was not fair to ask this of him.

But they had no choice.

"Callum," Nicholas said, turning to his Beta. "You’re in charge of the pack while we’re gone. If anything happens.....anything, you know what to do."

"Yes, Alpha," Callum said. His voice was steady but Nicholas could see the concern in his eyes. "We’ll keep her safe."

"Finn. Eli." Nicholas looked at both of them. "Stay with Lucian. If Victoria shows up with backup, you’ll need every advantage you can get."

"Understood," both Betas said in unison.

Nicholas nodded and then started stripping off his clothes. Sebastian did the same. Shifting was faster than driving and they needed every advantage they could get.

Within seconds both of them were standing naked in the late afternoon sun, and then Nicholas let Kael surge forward.

The shift happened fast, bones breaking and reforming, muscles stretching, fur rippling across skin. It hurt less than it used to now that the bonds with Lilith had eased some of the curse’s grip, but it was still not comfortable.

When the shift completed, Kael stood where Nicholas had been.

He was massive, easily the size of a small horse, with silver-white fur that caught the light and burned like moonlight. His eyes were the same silver as Nicholas’s human eyes but brighter, more intense, and when he moved it was with a predator’s grace that made even the Betas take an unconscious step back.

Beside him, Rhen completed his shift.

Rhen was slightly smaller than Kael but no less impressive, all black fur and golden eyes, moving with a deadly fluidity that promised violence to anyone who threatened what was his. Where Kael was power and control, Rhen was speed and precision.

Together they were a matched set of lethal intent.

Kael turned his massive head to look at Lucian and the three Betas standing at the tree line. Through the mindlink he sent one final message.

"Keep her safe. No matter what it costs. She’s more important than any of us."

"I know," Lucian sent back. "Go. Find the answers. We’ll hold the line here."

Kael’s gaze shifted to Zev, the dark grey wolf barely restrained beneath Lucian’s skin and for a moment the two wolves acknowledged each other. Brothers. Alphas.

"Don’t let me down," Kael sent.

"Never", Zev responded.

Then Kael turned to Rhen and jerked his head toward the forest.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Always," Rhen replied.

Then they ran.

Two massive wolves charging into the woods side by side, their paws hitting the ground in perfect synchronization, eating up distance with every stride. The forest blurred around them as they moved faster than any normal wolf could manage, using the supernatural strength the curse had given them to push their bodies beyond natural limits.

Behind them, the estate fell away.

Ahead of them, Ravenspire waited.

And somewhere between the two, a witch who might hold the answers that would save or damn them all.

Kael ran and tried not to think about Lilith standing in her bedroom with tears on her face. Tried not to think about the curse growing inside her. Tried not to think about what would happen if they failed.

He just ran.

And hoped it would be enough.