Chapter 83

Helen POV

Randy didn’t attempt to stop me. He sprinted along side me in his wolfen form, my coat the brightest, purest shade it’s ever looked. I felt so free in this form.

I just had to make sure I would stay free, or Justin’s Lycan would behead me for defying him.

We ran alongside the warriors, staying on the rim of the mountains so we wouldn’t be seen or have our scent picked up by our pack. Randy hung behind me, the two of skidding to a stop when we could lay eyes on Martha.

She was walking in a dazed fog into Alpha King Juden’s pack grounds. I watched our pack stop, hiding as the warriors of Lone Wolf surrounded Martha. They didn’t intervene, just let her walk toward the Alpha King’s estate.

Randy’s paw swiped at my back leg but I ignored him, prowling forward and using the bush as cover. I snuck into the pack grounds, seeing Martha take the stairs down to the barracks below the house.

I could see the purple, luminescence colors splayed out over the walls, bursting through the windows. It was the beacon, the curse running through her kind that forced her to fall in line.

Watching my back, I crouched down by the sky light of the barracks, spotting Martha and dozens of other wizards kneeling, in a trance of the beacon that covered their faces in bright, colorful lights.

If I break the beacon, it should drop the hold it has on all the wizards inside, but I can’t fit through this window in wolfen form.

I shifted, Randy showing his teeth from the hiding spot just off the pack grounds. He wasn’t happy with my choice, but he knew when I defied my own mate to come here that rules weren’t really on my mind right now.

I carefully popped the pane of glass open, slipping into the barracks. Thankfully the guards were sure of the beacon’s work so they hadn’t been guarding the wizards. It was only me and them now.

The ball of light was held on a stick of a shaft, easily capable of being destroyed.

I kicked the staff loose, the metal and glass ball breaking at my feet with a loud, overwhelming ‘crash’.

I swallowed hard and watched the wizards all blink back the fog in their eyes, staring around the barracks in collective confusion.

I found Penelope and Olu first, taking the young wizard in my arms. She was bruised and scratched from a fight, but she was safer now in my arms.

“Where am I?” Martha snarled, dizzy as she stood up and shook out her haze. “What has happened, Luna? Where are we? Who are these people?”

“I’ll explain it all soon, but everyone needs to run,” I breathed.

I poked my head out of the window I had crawled in through. I could see Randy had moved forward to help, and I watched as Justin rushed up, fury licking his features.

“Here, take her,” I panted, handing Randy the youngest Wizard first.

Everyone flocked over to the window, climbing out one after another as we cleared out the barracks. Justin reached through the window when it was just me left, his eyes squinted in anger.

“I told you not to do this,” he breathed, snarling in tone.

I grabbed his hand, fighting back my grin. “At least I was successful, though. Right?”

He nodded but when I moved to leave the window, the doors to the barracks were kicked open. Justin tried to yank me up but tight grasps were already on my bare hips, too many of them, and they slammed me down to the ground.

“Helen!”

“No, Justin! Run! Get them out of here!” I begged, warriors aiming a silver gun at the window, right for my mate. “RUN!”

They fired a shot, but Justin dodged it instantly.

I could hear him outside, calling for his warriors and the wizards to scatter, to get far away from the Alpha King’s estate. I just hopped that would make it far enough away to not be caught again.

I stayed on the ground, not wanting the next bullet to be fired to hit me in the head.

Naked, panting and scared, I cowered at the feet of the warriors, too many of them to count, and waited for the inevitable return to Alpha King Juden.

Instead, I was thrust into a cell nearby and the doors were padlocked shut.

I landed on my wrist, holding it to my lap while I curled up in the cold, quiet cell, shivering all over. At least, if nothing else, I managed to get the wizards to safety.

Now I just had to worry about myself.

“Stupid mutt,” a warrior snickered, hanging his arms through the cell bars in taunt. “Juden said that plan would work, but we really didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to do it.”

I sneered a reply, “You failed, not me! I got them out of here. That was the plan.”

The warrior howled in laughter. “Oh, little Luna, you’re so pathetic, it’s adorable. The plan worked for us, too. We didn’t need all the wizards, just the ones you cared about. The Alpha King knew you could resist coming after them and when you did, we would catch you.”

My eyes widened in horror.

Their plan did work!

“I will get out of here,” I barked, charging the cell bars and slapping the warrior through them.

He snatched my hair in his fist, yanking me forward so my head slammed into the rusty, steal bars. I felt the blood crack against my temple in an instant.

I had sunk to the ground in a worthless, bloody heap.

“There you go,” the warrior purred. “Stay down, mutt. Juden will visit soon and trust me, he’s got worse planned for you—and your Devil mate!”

I crawled to the back of the empty cell, leaving a streak of blood in my path. I fell limp to the floor and curled up to keep warm, also trying to keep my body covered from the greedy eyes of the warriors who come and go from the barracks.

They’re waiting for Justin to strike, I bet. I can’t let that happen. I just hope that my mate, no matter how furious he is, will stay back. He’s safer away from here.

It felt like years before the Alpha King finally came into sight. He paced the front of my cell bars, letting his eyes drink up the sight of me in full, pathetic display.

The cut on my forehead healed a little already, but not nearly enough for my migraine to go away.

Having my mates estranged father wasn’t helping it either.

“Well, Helen. It’s been a long time coming,” Juden breathed.

“Justin will kill you,” I spat, shivering all over as the blood covered my cheek and throat. “Whatever you do to me, just know that it won’t stop Justin. Kill me, he will still avenge my death. You cannot kill the Last Lycan.”

Alpha King Juden snapped, “oh please, Helen. I didn’t take you so I could kill you or my dear son. Why would I want to kill Justin when I can just have you do it?”