When I opened my eyes, I knew what I had to do. I felt the call of the void.

I lay on the ground, staring up at the newly dawning sky, watching flakes of snow drift towards me as tears tracked down my face.

Then I got up, put out the fire and wrote a letter for the guys. Riley’s music murmured softly through her door and I wrote another note for her. Then I threw some clothes into a bag and put the book on top. I snuck out of the apartment and, passing the grayed and dozing doorman, went out the back door.

My wolf was already connected with my emotions; we were becoming more united and her magic slipped over me easily this time. I couldn’t deal with what I had to do in human form and so my wolf would help me.

Picking up the bag with my teeth, I padded silently through the streets, sniffing my way towards Gerard’s house. When I arrived there, the door was already slightly open. I nudged it and slipped inside, feeling the Queen’s magic as it flowed over my body. Then I moved deeper into the room until I came to the one where I’d met with the Queen. Ember and Liam were sitting crossed-legged on the bed, waiting for me.

They both had on velvet cloaks, like the one Gerard had given me, with comfortable clothing on underneath. I jumped up onto the bed and sat next to them.

Ember spoke first. “We heard about Hunter.” I whined and she pat my head. “We knew you would come here when you realized what you needed to do.”

I lay down, putting my head on my paws and cried salty tears that ran down my muzzle and dissolved into the comforter. Liam placed his hand on my head; it was heavy and warm and also comforting.

“If it makes you feel better, know that you are not the only one to give deeply. But it is what is required of us.”

I blew air through my mouth, making a flapping noise but then settled calmly, moving my tail slowly to let them know that I was ready. I had to do this quickly and now, or I would never do it.

Liam took his hand off my head and gestured towards the bag. “Is the book in there?”

I pushed at it softly with my nose and he unzipped it and pulled out the book. Then he placed my bag on the floor.

He placed the book in the center of us three. Apparently they didn’t need to read the spell, they had the words memorized. I huffed. Showoffs.

They both placed one hand on top of my neck. They closed their eyes and Ember spoke.

She spoke of the magic that ran through her blood, of the sacrifices that she’d given to protect the magic and her story was a sad and soulful one. Then she spoke of my history, of King Roark who gave up his pack to be with the love of his life, the Goddess Luna. Of Luna, who gave up her most treasured magical necklace to give it to the man she loved. Of my sacrifice, to give up the men who’d saved me, who were connected to me with a bond I’d yet to understand but who were in my heart. The men who gave me everything.

As she spoke, I felt her magic flow through my body. It started out soft and probing but as it slowly moved through me, it gradually became harsher, more demanding. My bones began to ache and my energy waned; my pulse skyrocketed. The wolf inside me growled and pushed against it. I fought against every instinct to push back.

I focused on my guys to try to allow the magic to do its work. The protective way that Hunter always took care of me, and the protective nature he brought out in me. Soft and gentle Christian, who was always trying to heal, to help, but a warrior when it was needed. Easton, who demanded that we live up to what was expected of us, but fought like hell for us. And Avery, my hurt little moody bird who would kill me if he knew I saw him that way.

The pain I felt from the magic pulling from my body was nothing compared to the way I felt about losing my guys. It was sharp and agonizing and it tore me apart.

And yet, I knew that I had to do it. The decision had been made years ago, when I was taught that the pack comes first. I knew that this was the right thing to do; I had to give of myself to save them. It was honorable.

Ember completed the words of the spell and I gave a great stifling motion as all of the oxygen was sucked out of the room. My lungs burned for only a second and then it came rushing back through the room with a loud bang. Light blared from the book and it rose into the air. All by itself.

I stared at it in awe; it was like in the motherfucking movies.

The light flowed through the book and its pages flipped as they repaired themselves. A warm, glowy feeling flowed through me and I knew that the damn book was thanking me.

After a few minutes, the light dimmed and the book drifted back to the bed.

The warm feeling I had drained out of me as I understood that I no longer was bound to the guys. They were mine no longer. I couldn’t breathe. I tried to take in deep breaths. The bond was gone.

I was… empty.

I was alone. I had nothing left.

I saw the ring on Liam's finger, on Ember's. I thought about the bond that they had, how they protected each other. That no matter what hell was going on around them, they'd made a promise to help each other. And that promise had saved my life.

Something like that was worth fighting for.

My guys were worth fighting for.

I had to find a way to save the Queen and my relationship with my guys.

And yet, had I given up all feeling for them when I sacrificed my bond?

I searched my feelings, realizing that I still felt something for them. I took in a big gulp of air and relief flowed through me. I’d sacrificed my bond with them but it wasn’t just the bond that drew us together. My feelings for them were real. And yet, there had to be a catch. Something else, because this was supposed to be a sacrifice.

What had Riley told me? Sophia had to respect the bond, because it was my official claim on them. Obviously, Sophia didn’t respect it enough; she’d outright asked Hunter to bind himself to her right in front of my face. And yet, there was a very subtle, but very real distance between her and the guys. I thought that it was because of their past but now I realized that it was because I’d staked my claim on them.

Sophia had to give them the opportunity to find William in Hawaii. Just like now, she had to find a reason to get me out of the picture. She had no clue the importance that the book had to the Queen; she only used it as bait to get me out of the picture. And because it was so important to the Queen, the Queen had taken the bait.

Sophia was their boss, but she wasn’t their Alpha. And by staking my claim on them, I’d offered myself in that role. So my bond with the guys protected my relationship with them somewhat. And now I’d given that up.

I growled, certain that now she would find out and do whatever in her power to take them from me. All of them. She’d already done that with Hunter and now she’d be going after the other guys.

There was no way in hell I was going to let that fly.

I had to figure out another way to bind myself to them. And I was going to start with Hunter.

Then I felt Liam’s stare and I turned to him.

“I have to warn you, Elizabeth. You cannot go back to the way things were, even if your team is willing to be with you again. If you ignore my warning, there will be grave consequences. On you, the team, and especially on the Queen. You could get sick again, or the Queen’s power could wane. Or something could happen to your team and in their line of work, it could be something very bad. Don’t risk it.”

Damnit, how did he know what I was thinking? And yet, I wouldn’t put their lives at risk. Or the Queen’s. There had to be a way to get them back, though. I wasn’t going to just accept this.

I didn’t answer him and he began to move off the bed. “Easton still has charge over this book. Would you like me to give it back to him?”

I nodded.

Ember pushed to the side of the bed. “Gerard says that you’re welcome to stay here until we can find another place for you.”

I closed my eyes, so sick of others taking care of me. I growled, deciding then and there that I would find a way to access my and my parents’ bank account. That or get a friggin job. She pat my head, understanding me.

“Well, you can stay here for as long as you wish.”

They both moved towards the door and I saw them hold hands. They hesitated at the door and Liam turned back.

“Edward spoke with Hunter. He says…” Liam hesitated and I inwardly cringed. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “…he says that Hunter has asked you to come to the bonding ceremony. He knows he’s asking a lot, but that’s the only way he can make it through it.”

The room was quiet as I absorbed this.

“I wasn’t going to tell you, because I knew how you would feel right now, after giving up everything. But I thought that I should tell you; it’s only fair to you to let you make the choice.”

I sat up, my ears flat. What did he mean by right now?

“Sophia called her lawyers in the middle of the night. And now she’s rushed the ceremony; it’s in thirty minutes.”

Overcome with emotion, I howled. “Mother freaking bitch. That stupid whore.” I shifted and the words spilled from my mouth. They looked at me, surprised. “Is there any way possible for me to be with them again?” I gripped Ember’s arm tight. “I have to try, at least.”

They gave each other a look and I jumped off the bed. “Tell me.”

I yanked my clothes out of my bag and pulled them on.

“All magic requires sacrifice. To earn back that which you have given requires strength and courage. You can fight to earn your men back, but I’m not sure how you’re going to do that for Hunter, with so little time.”

I put on my shoes and socks. “I don’t care, take me to him. I’ll figure out a way.”

* * *

I was severely underdressed to the ceremony but I didn’t care about being dressed up for Sophia’s stupid forced binding ceremony. So far, the waiting room was filled with about fifty other people, mostly older people dressed to the nines. The only other people not dressed up were the guys; we’d called them on the way here.

As soon as they saw me, they made a beeline my way and I blanched. I didn’t know if I was ready for this. Avery got to me first. “What the hell did you do, Elizabeth?”

“I explained in the letter; I had to do it.”

He frowned. “We could’ve come up with something.”

Christian moved next to him. “Chill out, Avery.” Then he looked at me, and his eyes were soft, sad. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I did.”

Easton joined them. “We felt the magic break.”

“You did?”

They all nodded. “How?”

Christian shrugged. “It just feels different. Hard to explain. Do you feel different?”

I nodded. “Yes. It’s different. The bond isn’t as strong.”

Avery looked away, scowling.

“You fixed the book?” Easton was so serious, as always.

I nodded and he sighed. “Thank you, Elizabeth.” He hesitated and then his eyes darkened. “But that was the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen you do.”

I blanched. They were really pissed.

Christian stepped forward, frowning. “You could’ve at least spoken to us first.”

I felt horrible. “I know, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t do it. I knew if I looked into your eyes and told you what I had to do, that I wouldn’t be able to go through with it. But I knew that this was what I had to do. I had no choice. I swear the book told me what to do.”

I stared at the floor, regretting now that I didn’t say anything to them first. I took in a deep breath.

“I am sorry that I didn’t let you be a part of the decision.” I straightened my back. “But, it’s time for me to start taking responsibility for my life now and how it’s affecting you. I can’t expect you guys to fix my problems all the time. If I’m going to take my place as Alpha, I need to make the hard choices.”

They were silent, still upset but none argued with my logic. Christian nodded slightly, then looked away, betraying for a second the pain he was feeling.

“So,” I looked at Easton, “the magic bond from my necklace is gone?”

He nodded and my stomach dropped.

“And…? How do you guys feel? Do you all feel the same as before?”

Avery’s eyes narrowed on me. “Yes.”

Easton took my hand. “The binding is a claim from your wolf to our dragon. An invitation to bind with you permanently. But everything we ever felt was real. Nothing in this has been involuntary.”

“Are you sure? What about all of this,” I waved my arms at them, “tangled mess? I like all of you. Can you deal with sharing?” I looked at Christian when I said this.

He frowned, but Easton is the one who answered me. “I can’t speak for the rest of the guys, but I would like the opportunity to spend more time together. To have a chance to make us work. I’ve never met someone like you.” He gripped my chin and stared into my eyes. “I do have feelings for you, Elizabeth; give me the chance to show them.”

I nodded, held by the intensity of his gaze, then turned to Christian.

“Do you feel the same way?”

Christian hesitated, biting his lip. Then he softly tugged his fingers through my hair. “Pinky, I… Give me the chance to show you how I feel. That’s all I’m asking right now. Give me that first.”

I nodded and took his hand, squeezing it. I was touched and relieved that they still felt the same way.

Avery spoke. “So how do we fix this? I refuse to give you up, to lose you after everything we’ve been through.”

“If we just act the same as before, I think there may be consequences on the book.”

Easton’s stare burned into me. “Or, on you.”

I nodded. “Liam said there could be consequences on all of us. But he also said that I can earn you back, whatever that means.”

The guys glanced at each other.

“What?”

Easton answered me. “We’ve been talking about it, ever since we got your note. There is one idea. We don’t have an Alpha of our unit, but Sophia is basically our boss. Challenge her for Alpha of our group, and then you will be ours, and we will be yours. Sophia will have a lot less power over us. And, I would definitely say that fits the requirements.”

I nodded, thirsty to take my power back from that woman - to show her that I wasn’t going to take anything lying down. “Okay, I’ll do it.” I looked around the room. “Where are they? Right now I’m worried about Hunter.”

Easton pointed towards the back. “They’re getting ready in the back room.”

“Okay.” I started walking away but blew a kiss their way. “I’m going to see what I can do to stop this.”

They gave me a thumbs up and Avery growled. “Go win him back from that bitch.”

* * *

Sophia wasn’t in the back room but Hunter was there, pacing. He was wearing a formal suit, with a silver tie and he looked… so handsome. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up and he rushed towards me.

“Oh, thank God. I wasn’t sure if you would come.”

I gripped his hand tight. “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

He swallowed hard. “I wish I could kiss you right now.”

I smirked, biting my lip. “I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

He put his arm around me, laying his forehead on mine and whispered. “What can we do, Elizabeth?” His voice betrayed his fear.

I forced his chin up to look into my eyes. “You can’t just leave Sophia. Liam said if we just go back to the way things were then it would be as if we didn’t even make the sacrifice in the first place.” I swallowed hard. “But Liam says that I can win you back. I’m not sure how, but if we do something to earn back our bond, then we can be together again.”

Hope sparked in his eyes. “He did?”

I nodded and a grin spread up his face. “How?”

I frowned. “I’m… I’m not sure.”

His eyes tightened. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure it will work. And I’m,” his voice caught, “I’m afraid of what will happen if it doesn’t work.”

“We have to try.” My voice was fierce. “Tell me what it is.”

“I can try to fight the binding power.”

I frowned. “Has anyone done it before?”

“Not that I know of. But usually people want to bind themselves together.”

I growled. Stuupid Sophia.

“Okay. We can do this.” I pressed myself closer to him and the heat from his body traveled into mine. “Screw Sophia and screw this ceremony. The book is fixed. I had to sacrifice…” I looked away. “I had to give up everyone, all of the guys.”

He was silent as his eyes probed mine. Then he swallowed hard.

“But I’m going to challenge Sophia for Alpha, and find a way to win them back. But for now, you and me, we’re going to fight this.”

He growled. “Yes. I will fight for this. For us. For you. I made myself a promise to do whatever it took to keep you safe. Last night, that was to give myself up. Today, it’s to fight to be back with you.”

I nodded, then stepped up on my tippy-toes to envelope his mouth with mine. “You belong to me, Hunter. I will fight for you.”

My lips were on his and he clasped me tight, pouring desire and strength into me.

His hand stroked my side. “Promise me you’ll stand where I can see you?”

I nodded. Then Sophia’s presence was at our side and she cleared her throat. I turned to face her; she was wearing a black strapless dress that folded into a soft grey skirt. If she wasn’t wearing her bitch face, I’d say she looked beautiful. Remembering the words of my father to never let your enemies know until you are ready to play your hand, I smiled at her.

“Just saying goodbye.”

She sneered at me. “Great.” She leaned over to kiss Hunter on the lips but he just stared at her, surprised. I resisted the urge to punch her face in. She shooed me with her hands. “Now leave.”

I just smiled. “Okay, Sophia. Bye-bye.” I wiggled my fingers at her. Then gave Hunter a meaningful glance and walked towards the main room.

* * *

If gaudy could be described in two words, it was Sophia’s taste. As I moved into the room where the ceremony was going to be, I stared around me in shock. There were ornamental gold things everywhere. Furniture, trees, even large golden figs draping from the trees. I was in awe of her resourcefulness to bring together so much ugliness in one space.

And that’s where the awe stopped.

A large altar dominated the front of the room. The gilded mirror behind it reflected the faces of the people who were beginning to sit down. They chatted animatedly. Maybe they were so excited because they never thought Sophia could catch a man. Or dragon. Whatever.

My eyes boggled when I saw the reflection of the cool face of Andre, standing towards the back of the room. He looked bored.

Two large, gold, unlit fire torches were featured behind the gold altar in the front of the room. I wondered if they were supposed to light them as symbolism for their ‘bright’ future together. Plus, they were dragons. I was sure their culture was fascinated with fire.

I wondered if anyone would notice if I guzzled it down with a firehose or something. Wouldn’t that be funny?

Ohh, too bad Sophia, your ugly fire thingee didn’t light.

I stood next to the wall, just a short way down. Far enough down to not be noticed by most people, but close enough that Hunter could see me. Avery stood next to me with his hand around my waist, caressing my side softly. Easton was on my left, standing with his arms folded and a serious look on his face. Christian was a bookend to Easton, with the same stance and face, but on the other side of Avery. And I was nervous about them being with me, too! Liam said we couldn’t just go back to how we were before.

What did that mean?

So far, I felt nothing. No sickness, no threat. I let them stay there. Even if it was just for now. I knew that soon enough I would have a huge fight on my hands, so I’d be with them while I could.

Suddenly the room grew silent and I realized that Sophia and Hunter had appeared at the side of the room. I gulped in a breath and my stomach began to squirm. Damnit, only the bride and the groom were supposed to be nervous on a day like this.

There was no walking down the middle of the aisle or wedding songs. Hunter and Sophia moved towards the center of the room together; her arm was tucked into his. He had a frozen smile on his face but Sophia absolutely glowed.

It made me wonder if she really loved him; she looked so happy.

She said that she wanted to marry him for convenience sake, that his status in society would propel her forward in her career. But was it really? Did she really just know in her heart that she would never have him unless she manipulated him by threatening what he loved the most?

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, cuz that always worked.

As they walked to the center of the room, a man in a dark suit and somber eyes waited for them at the altar, looking out over the sea of people that had arrived during the time I was with Hunter.

As soon as they found their place across from him, Hunter’s eyes searched for me.

When he saw me, his face relaxed a bit and I tried to smile at him.

My stomach clinched with nerves; I was so anxious whether or not this would work. What if I lost him forever?

Dark Suit dude cleared his throat at Hunter, who tore his gaze away from me to look up. Sophia’s back was stiff and I could see a skewed reflection of her face in the mirror. Her lips were twisted up in a triumphant grin that clearly showed she thought she was winning here but as soon as she saw Hunter’s distracted stare in my direction, she narrowed her eyes and her mouth moved into a firm line.

My distorted view of the mirror made her cheekbones look wide and her nose small, and I imagined her as one of those funny looking people that toured with a circus. I put a red nose on her face. Looking at her that way, instead of the powerful dragon that she really was, made my nerves calm somewhat.

Dark Suit started the ceremony with a joke about this being a shotgun binding and everyone laughed politely. Personally, I didn’t find it very funny. I'd like to take a shotgun to that bitch right now.

He turned towards Sophia and Hunter, his posture formal and courtly. “Friends and family of the dragons before me, you are here to witness the union of these two very special people, Hunter Larsen and Sophia Sorensen. They stand here today to publicly express their devotion and love for each other.”

He paused dramatically and my palms started to sweat. Tingles shot from my hands up into my chest. Hunter’s face grew pale and Sophia gripped his arm harshly.

"When Sophia called and told me she was marrying her soul mate, I was honored to be chosen to be the one to bind such a union." Dark Suit glanced at Sophia who gave him a nod. "I haven't until now had a chance to meet Hunter, but I can tell..." At this he looked at Hunter and paused unexpectedly to take in the pale complexion and wide eyes staring back at him. His mouth moved but no words came out and then he looked back up at the audience.

There was an awkward silence and Sophia gave out a soft but low, warning growl. Dark Suit snapped his face to her and cleared his throat. Then he forced a smile and faced the audience. “…I can tell he's an honorable and, umm, loyal dragon." At this, he cleared his throat again and rushed the next words. "Let's get these two bound, shall we?”

Suddenly this became very real and a wave of panic washed over me. What was I doing? I was just standing here, waiting to see if Hunter could fight the binding power. I had a lot of faith in Hunter, but this was crazy! Why couldn’t I have been smart enough to think of something else? Heart pounding, my thoughts spiraled as fear took over me. What if he couldn’t fight it, and he was stuck with her forever? What if he actually thought he loved her? What if he forgot about his feelings for me?

Christian maneuvered around Avery and grabbed my hips. He leaned against the back wall and pulled me to him, ensconcing me in his arms. Closing my eyes, I buried myself into his embrace, trying to slow down my breathing, trying to calm my mind. A soft wave of warmth moved through me and I cleared my mind, allowing his power to move through my body.

His hands were strong and firm around my hips, pressing me against his chest protectively. Then my airways cleared and I could breathe again. I gulped in a breath of air.

I could do this.

Hunter could do this.

I opened my eyes and focused on the front of the room.

Dark Suit was blabbing on about love and all that crap that everyone in the room knew was bullshit but it didn’t stop him from sticking to the norm. He was probably too afraid of Sophia to say anything else.

Hunter stole a glance my way, a worried look on his face. I smiled, trying to reassure him, then stuck my tongue out.

The sides of his lips ticked upwards. Then his face grew serious and he put his hand on his chest, right over his heart, and stared right at me. A warm glow washed over me. I knew he meant to say that his heart belonged to me. I wanted to melt on the floor right then and there. I glanced at the floor to make sure I wasn’t a pile of mush.

Suddenly, dark red wings appeared from behind Dark Suit and I gasped. No one else in the room reacted though, so this must be normal. They were about the same size as Avery’s and they spread out across the front of the room. Hunter and Sophia were kneeling and my stomach lurched. I knew we were coming up to something important.

Dark Suit wrapped a ribbon around Sophia’s wrist, which was resting on the altar. Then he turned to Hunter, who was staring at me with a panicked look. I let my stare burn into him, not letting him look away. Then I slowly nodded my head. You can do this.

He took in a deep breath, then his face became more determined. He held his wrist out and Dark Suit, who had a severe frown on his face, wrapped the ribbon around Hunter’s wrist.

He stood back and asked Sophia to repeat the words to the binding ceremony.

Sophia’s repeated words were loud and confident, and even though she rushed them like she wanted to get through it quickly, her dragon power came alive in the room. I stared at it in awe, knowing that she truly was immensely powerful. She wasn’t even trying that hard but it felt authoritative and demanding and it glowed a bright orange around her. I couldn’t deny that it was potent.

Then Dark Suit turned to Hunter, and asked Hunter to repeat the words.

My hands clinched Christian’s tight. I knew this was it. My heart pounded in my ears and I focused on Hunter, pushing all of my power towards him.

His eyes were on mine as he repeated the words and his power came alive, powerful and forceful, except his was a roar compared to Sophia’s. She may be lightning but he was thunder, and his power moved in waves across the room.

And in that moment, all I could think about was how much I felt for him. Even though he was binding himself to another woman, I wanted to rush across the room and throw myself into his arms. He was my warrior and my mate, my heart and soul. He belonged at my side, with me and the rest of the guys.

I grit my teeth against the binding power that was now flowing through the room, fighting the pull with all my might. I could tell by the look on Hunter’s face that he was trying to do the same thing. I let my anger fuel my focus.

Suddenly, Sophia jumped up and put her arms around Hunter, enveloping him in a hug. Sophia knew he was fighting against the binding power and she was determined to make him hers. She imposed her power over him, trying to force him to complete the binding. Dark Suit stumbled back, a look of shock on his face and the crowd mirrored his surprise; some even jumped out of their seats to shout at the couple. But Sophia’s power grew stronger; it pulsed around them in a bright orange ball of energy. She was trying now.

The torches at the front of the room burst into flame.

Magic flew through the room, crushing and overwhelming. It was a battle of wills between two powerful and determined dragons.

Hunter closed his eyes, an intense expression on his face as he said the last of the words.

I thought of my mother’s necklace and the story that my father had told me. That the necklace gave the wearer the desires of their heart. I didn’t believe that this was the same necklace, but what if it was? I channeled my energy into it and it glowed warmly at my neck.

I poured all of my heart into my magic, understanding now that our shifter abilities aren’t just about becoming the beast that lies within us. We were ancient creatures, given slices of divinity that we could channel.

I poured every ounce into my desire, my love, my need to be with Hunter. My instincts came alive; I was a mythical divine creature. And he was my mate.

The guys at my side pushed their power into me, compounding it and suddenly we were the most powerful creatures in the room. A blast of blue energy burst from us, momentarily sucking all of the oxygen out of the room and the fire was extinguished.

Everyone gasped. Sophia’s knees trembled and she almost fell forward. Hunter’s eyes were on me, and I kept pushing my power towards him. Then our power flowed through the room, along with such a large rush of power that it overtook me.

Hunter took a step back, pulling himself out of Sophia’s embrace and everyone stilled. Easton and Avery leaned forward, anxious to hear what Hunter would say. Christian’s fingers on my hips tightened.

And then Hunter spoke. “Sophia, I cannot be your mate.”

His voice, clear and strong, rang through the now silent room. A wave of euphoria rushed over me and I jumped up, elated. Hunter was still mine! The crowd drew in a collective gasp of breath, shocked at the announcement.

He continued. “I’ve never loved you and I never will. You’ve done everything in your power to manipulate me and I won’t stand for it any longer.” He calmly took off the binding ribbon, rolled it up and placed it in her palm, to her absolute amazement. He closed her fingers over it. “I choose to be with Elizabeth, and damned be the consequences.”

For a split second, Sophia’s face betrayed her absolute heartbreak. And then it hardened.

All eyes in the room were on her, except for mine. They were only for Hunter.

A frail woman hobbled to her feet and turned, pointing her finger at me. “It’s the wolf.” Her eyes narrowed at me, hatred spewing from them. “You slut!”

The room erupted in chaos. Several people turned in their seats to glare at me. Others didn’t stay seated, they were up in arms, yelling at Hunter, yelling at me. I’ve never seen so many old people react so fast. The dragon magic in the room quickly spiked and I struggled to take a breath. A blond woman raced towards me, scales flying behind her as her shifter powers sparked, like a metal spoon in a microwave going haywire.

Avery, Christian, and Easton immediately pressed closer to protect me. Christian took my arm and led me towards the side door while Avery blocked her, and anyone else’s path. Easton had his hand out, trying to placate her.

“Now, Aunt Mercury. This was Hunter’s decision…”

Andre stood off to the side, his only reaction a cool smug look.

I turned to glance at Hunter. Sophia was screaming at him, her hands waving animatedly. But he only stared at her, his hands casually in his pockets and the biggest grin on his face. And then Christian pushed me out of the room as Aunt Mercury clawed at Avery, who was growling at her to back off.

I left the chaos behind me, a little nervous about the hell that Sophia was going to rain down on me, my guys, on Hunter. She was still their boss and there was little doubt that she was going to make our lives miserable. Especially since I’d given up my bond with the guys. I was sure she would find out, the only question was when.

I also had to deal with the consequences of how I would deal with that. If I challenged Sophia for Alpha, then I would actually have to fight her. And to be honest, she scared me a little. But I would do it anyway, because I would do anything to have my guys back.

And if it meant to fight the devil bitch herself, then I would do it.

Christian led me towards the street and the cool air hit my face. I breathed in deeply, then looked back towards the building. Avery had some scratches on his face but other than that, he looked okay. Ruffled and angry, but okay. Someone had cut Easton’s tie, and it looked hilariously short. He noticed me looking at his tie and his lips twisted up into a smile.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me close, pressing his forehead into mine. “Totally worth it.”

Surprised by his reaction, I leaned into him, and he put his head over mine. He was warm. Then Christian jumped in on the hug, wrapping his arms around us and squeezing us tight.

“That was the best ever! Did you see the look on Sophia’s face? Now, every time she’s bitching at me, I’m just going to imagine that look. How much you want to bet she’ll avoid Hunter from here on? She was so embarrassed, maybe she’ll never show her face again and we can all live happily ever after.”

Easton laughed, and then we moved apart. I looked at Avery, who was standing to the side, an amused look on his face. I held out my hand, and he took it. Then we walked towards Hunter’s car, and Easton opened the door for me, bowing low and sweeping his hand exaggeratedly. “M’lady.”

I grinned and climbed in. And even though I knew this was probably the last time we would be together for awhile, I pushed all my worries away and just relished in the fact that I had the best fucking guys in the world. And that Sophia had none.