Chapter 18

MISTY

We ate pizza, but my appetite had dwindled. I needed the crystals to break the curse; the only way to do that was to sneak into the palace.

The idea was scary, but something had to be done, and why not me? I wanted to save my father and all the others in the dungeon. The grimoire had a protection spell, and I would use that before going.

“You said the crystals are embedded in the walls. Can they be pried out?” I asked Tanner.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you thinking?”

I shrugged. “You know the palace like the back of your hand, right? What if I snuck in?”

“Too dangerous. I told you the perimeter guards have been doubled.”

“I know.”

I wished I had Lloyd’s abilities and could make myself invisible. The gray wolf I’d seen in the forest at Knox must have been him, and he’d been spying on me the whole time, and that’s how he knew Chelsea was my best friend.

He tried to keep us safe, and I had to give him points for that. If I could, I would save him.

“Can’t Frieda help sneak Misty into the palace?” Chelsea suggested.

Tanner sat back and wiped his mouth with a serviette. “You have no idea how dangerous Axel is. He has no compassion, and the Goddess only knows what he will do if he catches you,” he warned.

“I have to do something and am prepared to take the risk. Are you going to help or not? All I need to do is sneak into the chamber, get the crystals, and get out,” I coaxed.

“Tanner?” Chelsea jumped into his lap. “She’s right. We have to do something. Ask Frieda…”

“Okay, I’ll ask, but against my better judgment.”

He picked up his phone and scrolled before typing a message. Chelsea went rigid and squealed in outrage.

“What the fuck, Tanner?” She scrambled off his lap, breathing hard.

Tanner started laughing. “Sorry, sweetheart. This is our code, in case anyone reads it. Frieda is in her sixties, and we devised this when I was demoted for an occasion like this.”

“Seriously?” Chelsea looked ready to punch him.

He nodded and pulled her close. “If I were being unfaithful, would I do it while you watched?

“Okay,” Chelsea said, mollified.

“What’s it say?” I asked, taking a sip of water.

“I want to come inside you…,” Chelsea whispered in a strangled voice.

I choked in astonishment, spraying water over my half-eaten pizza. “I feel like I’m in a very bad spy novel,” I giggled.

Chelsea joined in, and then we laughed so hard that tears rolled down our cheeks while Tanner shook his head.

“Let’s see what she says, but I suggest you check the rest of the spells and see if there are any on breaking Lloyd’s allegiance. And ~you~ tell your mom when she gets here.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

Sneaking into the palace scared the shit out of me, but there were no other options. Grabbing the grimoire, I walked to my room to study it further. I found the protection spell and read what I needed.

The herbs would be no problem, and Chelsea’s mom had plenty of candles, but did I need a chalice, or could I use a regular household bowl?

I heard a commotion and looked out the window. Holy hell, Knox’s pack had arrived earlier than expected.

I rushed downstairs. Tanner and Chelsea were already outside with Chelsea’s dad, Karl, and her mom, Sharon. More cars drove in, and I wondered where they would all park.

My mom exited the station wagon with Dom and Trent, and I ran down the steps and hugged her tightly. She looked okay, but her eyes were haunted.

“Hey, Mom. We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow,” I said, trying hard not to gag at the rogue smell.

“We had to leave earlier. We spotted warriors on the borders. Dom and Trent took care of them, but we knew we had to leave immediately.”

Sharon stepped closer and hugged my mom. “Welcome back. I wish it were under better circumstances, but we’ll get through this. We’d be in the same situation if it weren’t for Tanner.

“We’ve bought about fifty tents and made space where we could. Chelsea and Tanner have been staying with Misty in your old house, and as there are only two bedrooms, I suggest you move in with us.”

My mom looked overwhelmed, and I was glad she didn’t have to shoulder the responsibility alone. It really was chaotic. A queue of cars was still driving in, and the smell just worsened.

“Some of the pack members aren’t coming and have chosen to go to packs where they have relatives, but we still have 234 to accommodate,” my mom clarified.

It was strange to see Chelsea’s dad take charge, but he seemed confident. As soon as everyone had parked and gathered in the training grounds, he held up his hand, and everyone quieted down.

Tanner stood next to him for moral support but didn’t interfere.

“Welcome, Knox Pack. I am Beta Karl. I know this is a dreadful time for you, but we’ll do everything possible to make you comfortable.

“As your pack link is broken, and linking is of the utmost importance for safety’s sake, I’d like to accept you into the Monolith Pack. I asked Tanner if this was possible as I am not an alpha, and he assured me as acting alpha, it is.”

A murmur went through the crowd, most of them nodding their heads until one wolf in the back called out. “You just don’t like our delectable odor.”

Everyone started laughing, dispelling the seriousness of the situation.

It took hours until they were accepted into the pack. Chelsea’s dad put us in charge of dispensing food and water.

“I hadn’t noticed how much preparation and trouble they’d gone to, too involved with my own problems. Many of the warriors were pitching tents and helping wherever they could.

I looked up to see Perry and ran to him. “Perry?”

“Hey Misty. What a shit show.” He shook his head and then turned on his heel abruptly.

“Um, Perry?”

He started looking around frantically, and I saw Melanie step out of the shadows.

“Mine,” Perry shouted.

As much as I was happy for Perry, sadness enveloped me. I sat down on the porch steps and stretched out my legs. My mom came to sit beside me, looking worn out.

“How are your wounds?” I asked.

“Almost healed, but the last few days were very stressful,” she admitted. “I’m glad we followed Tanner’s advice.”

“Dawn isn’t here…”

“No, she left with her dad to go to her mother’s old pack. I can’t remember the name. He doesn’t want to live, and Dawn has to watch him day and night.”

My heart broke for her. I understood why she didn’t come; she didn’t want to lose her dad after losing her mom and Fallon.

“Mom? I have a plan. I’m going to sneak into the palace…”

“There’s no way in hell,” she cut me off.

“I have to save my mate and yours. You need to trust me—I am a witch, after all. Let’s leave this conversation for tomorrow morning. You’re exhausted, and the plan hasn’t been finalized.”

She nodded and got up with a sigh; bending down, she kissed my cheek. “You’re right. I can’t keep my eyes open. Sleep tight.”

She walked off, and I sat on the porch for a long time, just listening to the sounds of so many wolves. Chelsea sat beside me and squeezed my thigh. “This is not the type of holiday I envisaged for us.”

I snorted. “So much for swimming in the sea and lying on a beach.”

“Oh, we’ll get to do that tomorrow,” she said smugly.

“What are you on?”

“Nothing, but our beach house is less than an hour from the palace, and Frieda said she’ll sneak you in.”

I gaped at her. “Why are you only telling me now?”

“Tanner has been busy, and he only just checked his phone. By the way, don’t you want my dad to accept you back into Monolith?”

“No. I want to be able to link Lloyd when he wakes.”