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ISODORA WATCHED SARITA go through the moves with fluid grace, reminding her of Hanna. Her chest tightened in remembrance. Hanna would be so proud of both her pups. Thinking of Kim, Isodora released a sigh. Physically unable to travel to America as a pup, she’d remained on the continent with den-mates who loved and supported her to the best of their ability. Isodora never understood why Kim felt slighted and Sarita didn’t. If anything, Sarita should be upset for being sent away to a strange land with no warning. But she’d made the best of it and thrived.

“Again. You’ve almost mastered the offensive moves, practice your defense.” She waved for the combatants to go again.

Within an hour Sarita had bested her sparring partners earning genuine praise and admiration from the older women. Wiping her brow, Sarita met Isodora in the middle of the room and bowed before meeting her gaze.

“You were already trained in the basics of fighting, weren’t you?” Isodora asked.

Sarita nodded. “We all were. Every pup in school had to pass offensive and defensive warfare classes to graduate. When I came to Europe I learned how different Packs operated. La Patron and Mama Jasmine are big on education, it’s just catching on here.”

Pleased Sarita had a well-rounded education which expedited her training, Isodora offered refreshments. When Sarita finished her drink, she met Isodora’s gaze.

“Your questions?”

Sarita inhaled. “What is expected of me as a descendant of Salah?”

“To assist in the protection of pups around the world, to ensure the survival of the next generation of pups and to help be an instrument of blessing to as many as you can.” She looked at Sarita. “Do you think you can do that?”

“I’m not sure how. I mean, if I saw someone doing something to hurt pups, I’d stop them or try anyway. But I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about.” She met Isodora’s gaze. “Is it?”

“It’s more complex than that. You would be assigned a task to carry out and complete. The skillsets you’ve learned will make it easy for your success in these endeavors.”

Sarita frowned. “The past five years I’ve missed out on so much I want to go home, spend time with my family and David. We...I have plans for my life I don’t want to change.”

Isodora nodded. “You asked the question, I gave you the answer. The call to assist pups is strong, when you change your mind, reach out to me and I’ll help. Next question?”

Sarita wanted to object to being called at all but didn’t think it would matter. “Who is Halas? She met me at the airport and disappeared when we landed on the island.”

Isodora smiled. “Think child. If you think you’ll know.” She stared at Sarita who frowned.

“Salah brought you here. She’s done that with each descendant to get the measure of their worth.” Isodora smiled. “She likes you.”

Sarita’s mouth dropped open, then she snapped it shut. That little old lady was her great, great, great grandmother. She couldn’t believe it.

Isodora laughed, a light, tinkling sound. “You’re surprised. I’m surprised you didn’t guess. Come on, Halas... Salah? It’s not very original is it?”

Sarita hadn’t connected any of those dots. She smiled. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Last question for the day?”

Sarita was still wrapping her head around sitting at a table, sharing a meal with a ghost. “Um...Who knows about us?”

“Mostly Alphas, it’s best to operate in the shadows. We go in, take the pups, sometimes destroy labs and test results, but are rarely seen. Even their most sophisticated cameras cannot record us or see through our disguise when we change forms.”

“La Patron and La Patroness know?”

“I’ve never met either, but I’m sure they’ve heard of Salah the Blessed.”

“I have to tell them about this,” Sarita said watching Isodora.

“As your Alphas, it’s understood you’ll share information about your heritage with them. However, they won’t know about your assignments until after they’re completed. Don’t worry, your Alpha will understand and will approve your participation.”

Sarita almost reminded Isodora of her objections to participating in assignments but stopped. Who knew what or how she would react when called to serve.

“I have a mate,” Sarita said, adapting David’s attitude.

“Then you’re doubly blessed to have found him or her?”

“Him,” Sarita said. “Thank you. How’s this going to work with him?”

“Salah explained the choices you’ll need to make in the future?”

Sarita had forgotten the gloomy predictions and nodded.

“Then you know life must unfold. My advice is to cherish every day you’re given, love freely and without restraint. When the time comes, you’ll have fewer regrets.”

“She said there was a way to break it?”

Isodora’s brow rose. “Did she tell you how?”

“No, she said you would.”

Isodora stood quickly as if agitated. “Prepare for dinner, I’ll see you there.” She disappeared.

###

ISODORA ARRIVED AT dinner in better spirits after spending time with Salah in meditation. Neither she nor Salah considered the vines or anything they did a curse. For her to hint to Sarita something could be broken that didn’t exist confused Isodora. Now she understood and was ready to discuss it with Sarita.

“High Priestess Isodora, Amynta of the White Wolf Clan and mate to Alpha Barticus has requested a word with you,” her assistant said.

“Yes, of course.” She paused as she and Amynta linked. “Greetings Amynta of the White Wolf Clan, how are you and your house?”

“We are well Priestess of Salah the Blessed. Thank you for a moment of your time. I will be quick.” She explained La Patron, and his family was in the Torngat Mountains to rescue his son who had fallen into a cavern. They fought and killed Nadira’s servants and wanted permission to go inside or have her retrieve their son, his guard and a stolen pup who had resided there for 20 years.

Stunned, Isodora sat back in her seat and stared at the dining table. What were they doing in Torngat? No one visited there, which was the reason Nadira was imprisoned in such an isolated spot.

Sarita had been on her way to Canada to help a friend. Isodora didn’t believe in coincidences, especially since Sarita had been raised alongside La Patron’s pups.

“Amynta, no female can enter the Nadira’s prison. They would be trapped and powerless. In fact, it would make Nadira stronger because she could pull and use female energy.”

“I thought it was the other way around?” Amynta said.

“No, she corrupts and controls men through feminine energy, it doesn’t work on women. But it’s all feminine energy. The prison is warded against any female entering for this reason. Nadira is strong enough.”

“Will you release the men?”

Isodora almost said yes and stopped. “I will send someone to take care of it.”

“When? They are out of food and no one can leave to replenish supplies.”

Isodora frowned. She hadn’t been told this. “I will send someone within the hour. My word on that. Tell them not to go inside, it may tip the scale in Nadira’s favor and she cannot be allowed to leave. There’s no negotiating with her.”

“I’ll pass it on, but this is La Patron’s son. He will not be patient long. In the end, they will do what they think is best. My daughter Asia is there along with her mate Hawke, they want to go in and bring them out. Is it possible for La Patron or Hawke to go inside? They are mated and not susceptible to her wiles.”

Isodora thought about it. La Patron wasn’t someone she wanted to make an enemy of, they would need to work together in the future. If his son was Sarita’s mate, he had to be protected from Nadira. Again, she wondered why she hadn’t been informed of the men in the cavern.

“Within the hour, someone will contact La Patron and explain what’s being done inside to release his people, my word on that. But if they attempt to go inside they could be crushed or fall into an underground lake and disappear. The prison was chosen for a specific purpose and is difficult to find and enter.”

“Thank you, Priestess, I’ll tell them.”

During Isodora’s conversation with Amynta, Sarita had entered and taken a seat at the table. They blessed the food, served themselves and ate in silence. When they finished, Isodora cleared her throat and stood.

“Come with me.”

Sarita followed her and they entered the temple. Isodora knelt. Sarita mimicked her actions and closed her eyes as Isodora prayed.

Warmth covered Sarita. The room vibrated, no, she vibrated as energy poured into and around her. Shaking, she bent forward and placed her forehead on the ground. When she could speak, she took several large gulps of air until her heart calmed down.

“Are you alright?” Isodora asked and placed her hand on Sarita’s shoulder.

“What happened?” Sarita’s head was on fire. Her hands continued to shake. It was difficult to see, she blinked several times before she could focus.

Isodora helped her stand and sit on a bench in the back. “I’m sorry. We’ve run out of time, you must leave but I needed to negate the disease and there were a few more skills I wanted you to have.”

“You dumped them into me?” Sarita’s ears continued ringing.

“That’s one way of saying it.” She snapped her fingers in front of Sarita. “How many fingers?”

“Three... hey I see your bones.”

“Dial it back, close your eyes and think surface.”

Sarita obeyed, opened her eyes again and saw three fingers. “I have x-ray vision?”

“Not exactly, but you’ll be able to see clearly, no one will be able to hide who they are from you. Going up against Nadira you’ll need to see her plainly, she’s got a lot of tricks.”

“Nadira? Who’s that?”

“Hold out your hands,” Isodora said.

Sarita held them out.

“Put them together and open them slowly.”

Sarita complied.

“Do it over, this time think protection or cover.”

When Sarita opened her hands, a shield appeared and grew larger until she stopped moving her hands. “That’s cool. Who’s Nadira?”

Isodora exhaled and told Sarita about her conversation with Amynta.

Wide-eyed Sarita met Isodora’s gaze. “David is stuck in the mountain with your prisoner? Why didn’t you know? I mean what’s... never mind, help me get there.”

“Nadira will attempt to tap into your energy to enslave the men. You’ll need to fight her for their release.”

“What do you mean? Why can’t they just leave? None of us have anything to do with Nadira’s war with you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong and why I hesitate to send you. Nadira is the person who sold your mother and me to the Liege. She worked with them to hide us, so Salah couldn’t find us. She revealed secret locations of pups to the Liege and is deemed an enemy of the Pack.”

Sarita stared at Isodora for a few seconds as the words dropped into her dazed mind. Nadira was responsible for Hanna’s death? Did she sell Isodora and Hanna to the Liege? Nadira was the reason Sarita and the others remained with the Liege so long?

As each truth reverberated in her mind, her gaze narrowed, and her anger grew. “Why is she alive?” That one question beat a tattoo in her skull.

“There are things —” Isodora stood and placed her fingertips to her skull. “No... no.” She spun around and walked out.

“What happened? I need to go to David,” Sarita yelled running behind her.

“No need, he’s gone, and they’ve released her.”

“What? How?” Sarita caught up with Isodora. “Where’s David? Is he okay?”

“For now, yes.” Isodora walked off, waved her hand and Sarita rose spinning in the wind.