Jagger was not my Alpha. Liam had not yet marked me. I was only human. Still, as we neared the mouth of the caves, Jagger’s soulcry filled my head and drove me to my knees.

It was Liam who carried Keara to him. When I tried to follow, Mac put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

“It’s not safe,” he whispered. “Jagger’s not himself.”

Jagger wasn’t himself. That sentence echoed through me, hollowing me out. I saw a glimpse of him before Mac and the others pulled me back. Half-man. Half-wolf. He was stuck in some in-between place, his bones jutting at wrong angles, his skin sallow and slack. But, it was his eyes that seared me most of all. They were not the pure gold of his wolf, not the fiery red that glinted when the Chief Pack took hold. They were coal black, almost as if someone had reached in and ripped the orbs out. Anything to spare him the vision of Liam bringing his mate to him.

He would have killed Liam. That was plain. Heavy chains held him back. He strained so hard against them the veins bulged from his temples.

“Come on,” Mac said. “Let’s leave them be.”

Each step to Liam’s cavern sent pain shooting through my heart. We passed the main rotunda and Keara’s refugees. They already knew her fate. They stood with silent tears staining their faces. I knew by instinct that they had known the moment she died. Jagger’s grief had torn through the cave walls.

“You’re all right?” Mac asked. I sank slowly into the pallet of blankets Liam slept on. His scent comforted me. I gathered the top blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders.

Mac’s eyes were kind, though edged in sorrow like all of ours. “It was so fast,” I whispered. “It happened so fast.”

I wondered if the vision of Keara breaking against the wall would ever leave me. For now, it stayed branded behind my eyes. In the end, Tenley had tried to stop it. He knew Keara was more valuable to the Alpha alive than dead. But, Mason had gone fully feral. Keara had been too close to him. Oh, God.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “We never should have let the two of you make that drop alone.”

“You had no choice. Oh, Mac, none of us ever had any choice. It was my fault. I trusted the wrong person.” My last words came out in a sobbing hiccup.

As if my guilt conjured her forth, a shadow darkened the mouth of the cavern and Bess stood there. Tears stained her cheeks as well. Mac growled and turned on her.

I hated her. I blamed her. And yet, she was just as much a victim in all of this. It was my turn to put a steadying hand on Mac.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Mac shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. “It’s what comes from trusting the Pack. You’re lucky it wasn’t you who died.”

“I wish it had been,” she sobbed, leaning against the cave wall. If she wanted sympathy from me, I wasn’t ready to give it.

She did get it though. My heart thundered and broke as Liam came to her side. He put a hand on Bess’s shoulder. “You’ll blame yourself,” he said. “I can’t stop you. There’s enough blame to go around for all of us.”

Mac acted quickly, ushering Bess away leaving Liam and me alone. I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. My vision wavered as my eyes filled with tears. At the same time, my heart soared.

Liam was my Alpha. He had not yet marked me. But his soul still filled mine.

He came to me, breaking. Sinking to his knees before me, I gathered my arms around him and pulled him to my breast.

“He’ll die,” he whispered. “I’m afraid Jagger will die.”

I kissed the top of his head. I had no answers. Slow tears fell from my eyes as I held Liam close. I never wanted to let him go again. His shoulders wracked with violent sobs. They were for Keara. They were for me. Finally, he tilted his face toward mine. I smoothed my thumbs over his strong cheekbones. Then, I leaned down and kissed him.

My heart mixed with guilt and love. Liam came for me. I never doubted it. My heart soared to be near him. But, the loss of Keara was so great.

“She wouldn’t want that,” I whispered. “She wouldn’t want any of this. Keara knew the risks. She believed they were worth it.”

“Tenley,” he said. “His name was Tenley.”

I nodded. “Yes. One of the Alpha’s top generals. He kept the Pack at bay. I don’t know how or why.”

Liam straightened. He sat beside me on the ledge. “He wanted something more.” Liam’s tone darkened. Those last few moments with Tenley replayed in my brain.

“He wanted me,” I said. “I taunted him. Liam, I could see it in his eyes. He was fighting the pull of the Pack. He was tempted by the thought of freedom and choosing for himself. Oh, God, I felt it burning through him. Why didn’t they come? Why aren’t we all dead now? Why aren’t you and the others back under Pack control?”

Liam ran a hand over his face. “The Alpha can’t control the entire Pack alone. He uses his top men to control territories for him. It must have been up to Tenley to make the call to the rest of the Pack. You stopped him from doing it, Molly. My brave, strong, Molly. Oh, God, do you know how close I came to losing you? I’m selfish for feeling it, but God help me, I’m relieved.”

He sobbed against my shoulder. “I’m relieved it wasn’t you.”

“Shh.” I kissed him and pulled him close. “I know. I know.”

“If anything had happened to you. It would kill me, baby. I love you. You’ve seen what it’s doing to Jagger. I can’t let that happen to you. I won’t let…”

I straightened my back and held Liam’s gaze. I knew what he was going to say. I also knew what I needed to say.

“Liam,” I said. “When Tenley...touched me...he could have marked me. He wanted to. If he had, you and I both know what would have happened. He would have been able to make me betray you. And Keara...did you know Davis Tenley was the general she was meant for?”

Liam reared back. “She told you?”

“They both told me.”

Liam put his face in his hands. “Then why didn’t he just take her? At least she’d be alive. At least we’d have a chance to try and get her back.”

“Jagger’s mark repelled him. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Liam, and I...we belong together. I never want to be put at risk like that again.”

“I know,” he said. “Baby, I know. I’ll figure out a way. I’m sorry. I’ll make a plan to send you far away. Michigan, maybe. Over into Canada would be even better…”

“Liam, no. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying I don’t want to do this halfway anymore. In spite of all of it, I know where I belong. And that’s with you. Forever. Baby, I love you. I want you to mark me. Claim me.”

Liam pulled away. He bolted to his feet. As the man inside of him tried to search for logic, the beast within him flared with desire. His eyes flashed gold.

“Molly.”

“I’ve made up my mind. It’s what Keara would want, and you know it.”

“No. You can be safe now, Molly. You can walk away from all of it. Tenley and his companions are dead. The Pack doesn’t know about you.”

I stood, facing him. “But, I know about the Pack. Liam, we’ve only just begun. If I leave now, everything Keara fought and died for will be in vain. There are others like her and like me. Women marked and taken against their will. Tenley mentioned a place...Birch Haven. I think it’s where they send them. It meant something to Keara.”

Liam didn’t get a chance to answer me. Payne and Gunnar came to the cavern opening. Grief still colored their expressions, but there was something else there too.

“Liam,” Payne said. “I think you need to come with us. Just for a few minutes.”

He looked back at me. Payne and Gunnar hadn’t invited me along, but I decided at that moment that I wasn’t leaving Liam’s side. I clasped my hand in his and squared my shoulders. Payne and Gunnar exchanged a look, but they made no move to stop me. I’d fought just as hard as they had today.

We walked out of the cavern together. Payne led the way up the passageways until we emerged into the deepest part of Mammoth Forest.

The sky had gone from inky black to pink. Dawn had come.

Mac was already topside. He stood with his hand gripping a tall poplar a few yards away. When he turned, his eyes flashed silver.

“Listen,” he said. “Do you hear it?”

Liam bristled beside me. His heartbeat tripped right along with mine. Slowly, he inhaled and let his eyes go hooded. One beat. Two. Peace settled over him. I squeezed his hand.

“What is it?” I whispered.

“The link,” he said, snapping his eyes open. “It’s broken.”

“Not broken,” Mac said, coming toward us. “But it’s definitely grown weaker. The Pack’s moved off or something.”

“No,” Payne said. “They’re not gone. Not all the way.”

“No,” Liam’s voice dropped. “But we sure as shit made a dent.”

“Is it because of Tenley?”

“I think so,” Liam answered.

So, we had a greater war to fight. But today, a battle had been won.

Payne and Gunnar moved away from us. They dropped to all fours and shifted. I’d never seen their wolves in daylight. Payne’s was russet with flecks of gold through his fur. His green eyes shone like emeralds. Beside him, Gunnar’s wolf was pale silver, almost platinum.

They howled and ran up an embankment on the other side of the small stream flowing near our feet. When they reached the top of the hill, Payne and Gunnar threw their heads back, howling in unison.

It was a mourning cry. My skin pricked and my blood heated. Liam stirred beside me. I gave him a nod and he dropped my hand. He shifted then joined the others. Mac was soon to follow.

Four wolves stood shoulder to shoulder, their majestic silhouettes cut into the horizon. Their howls honored one fallen warrior and the one she’d left behind. I felt Liam’s vow vibrating through him, a promise to Jagger. To me. Keara would not die in vain. She would be avenged. She would be set free.