Page 75 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

The largest wolf in the pack skidded to a halt in front of me, mud and dirt spraying as it snapped its massive jaws. Saliva splattered across my cheek.

“Hey!” August roared, flinging out a shield that slammed the alpha back.

Before he could step in front of me, the wolf’s form twisted mid-snarling leap—and in the next breath, Kingsley stood there, blood-soaked, demon gore streaked across his bare skin, and murder in his eyes.

“You let him go?!” he bellowed, voice raw with disbelief.

I nodded once, breath catching.

“Back off,” August warned, stepping between us and giving Kingsley a shove. The King of Terramyst stumbled, then turned on him, jabbing a finger into August’s chest.

“The King of the Dead is forbidden in my territory, you insolent child.” He whirled toward me again, veins bulging. August’s hand shot out, gripping his throat and yanking him back around.

“I said back off,” he growled, voice low and cold.

The wolves snarled, teeth bared, circling us. A dozen massive shifters we couldn’t afford to antagonize—but would fight, if it meant getting August out alive. Kingsley’s fury wasn’t just righteous—it was fucking dangerous.

“Kade defended us,” I said quickly, eyes scanning for Rosaleigh. I didn’t trust the necromancer, but killing an unprovoked ally wasn’t in my arsenal.

“Kade?!” Kingsley spat, outraged, hurt flashing across his expression. “Kade’s people slaughtered the Solskari for sport!”

“I know.” My hands lifted slowly. The images were seared into my memory—light-wielders cut down, Aren calling me in too late to save them.

“Do you? Do you know what it’s like to cleave through the corpse of your brother? To shred what should be healed, just so they can’t reanimate him and turn him against you?!”

“No.” My throat burned. Images of Ansel and Alec blinked behind my eyes. “But I can imagine. And I’m so sorry for your loss. Don’t diminish that. We’re on the same side here.”

“My side doesn’t let perpetrators of genocide walk free, Alvara.”

A slick ruby blade. A twist. A body collapsing—brown eyes wide with betrayal.

I swallowed hard, eyes dropping.

“Kade was young. Vulnerable to his king. That doesn’t ease the injury, but tonight, he defended your people. He protected the safe house.”

“The price of his trespassing is his head, per our treaty.”

“Yes, well, he asked to meet with us. He’s not aligned with Adrastos. Cool your anger and consider humanity’s survival before your retribution.”

Kingsley sneered, but August stepped in—this time with a gentler hand to his shoulder.

“I see you, brother,” he said. “Let’s talk. Tell us what you know. We’ll consider it before we make a decision.”

A reverent hush fell as an albino doe stepped delicately through the wolves. A moment later, Rosaleigh shimmered into her place, blood-splattered chest heaving. She crossed the space, placed a hand over Kingsley’s heart, and leaned up until their foreheads met. After one shared breath, he gave a single curt nod.

The wolves melted into the forest, howls echoing through the trees—long, aching notes soaked in a song of deepest sorrow.

“That could’ve gone better,” August muttered, sliding up beside me.

“Could’ve gone a hell of a lot worse,” I replied, slipping my hand into his as we followed the Thornquists home.

Inside, the hearth fire crackled, flickering over gore-streaked faces. We’d scrubbed the blood from our skin, but no one had changed. No one had spoken until Kingsley broke the silence.

“There was no declaration of war,” he said, pacing in front of the river rock fireplace. “They just eviscerated them. No warning. No survivors. Pinebarrow and Carroway came to aid, but the only North American responders were Grayshell, Westerlund, and Bellaton. None of The Six. Not even Hazelharbor.”

“Autumn sent healers,” Rosaleigh added. “She didn’t bother to come herself.”

August’s eyes met mine—and I saw it register. The scope. The magnitude. Maybe for the first time, he understood what we were up against. We were diplomats. Aren’s voice in foreign lands. But he was the only soul who could walk into nearly every camp on Earth and be received as a friend.