Chapter 136

Dane

He lifted the knife as if he would stab my four-year-old son. Beside me, Aurora screamed. Power surged inside me. Waylon was chanting something, and it called to my blood as it rushed through my veins. Regret pierced my chest as I realized I would never see my children grow up, because I would die before I allowed this to happen.

“No!” I strode toward him, not giving a shit about the Broken Forest wolves that closed in around me. They grabbed for me, and I threw them off. More came, and I shook those off, too. In the end, it took six Broken Forest wolves to force me to my knees. “Listen to me, Reed,” I called to the other Alpha, “If you have to kill someone, kill me.”

“No!” Aurora cried. “This isn’t what the book said!”

I didn’t look back at either of them. Instead, I let the Broken Forest wolves drag me closer, until I was only a few feet from Waylon. If I could get free, I could tear out his throat. But there was no way any of them would allow that to happen.

I bared my teeth. “You heard me, Reed. I’m not going to let you kill my children.”

I heard a whimper and looked down at my kids. They seemed pale and frightened, but I didn’t see any bruises on them. My heart lurched. I could have loved them. I could have been there for them. It was a crime that the first four years of their lives had been stolen from us. Now we were going to lose the rest, as well.

But it was worth it. I didn’t know them, but I could feel my connection to them. I loved them. If I was going to go out, dying to protect them was the best damn death I could ask for.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said to them. They were crouched by Waylon’s feet, clinging to each other, and looking at me with huge eyes. “I won’t let him hurt you. You and your mother are going to walk out of here just fine.”

“We’ll see about that,” Esther Reed muttered.

“So?” I said to Waylon. “You have me. Just like you’ve always wanted. Let them go. Swear to me as an Alpha that once this is finished, you’ll let them and Aurora walk away. I won’t let you hurt them.”

“I didn’t think you would.” He smiled and pulled back, putting the silver knife in a sheath at his hip. “I’ll let them go. I’ll even swear no harm will come to them from a Broken Forest wolf… if you will swear to me as an Alpha that you’ll die in their place.”

Promises sworn as Alphas were binding. If we each did it, we’d be held to our word. The ceremony was unpredictable, and it didn’t mean Aurora and the twins would be completely safe, but it would protect them from Broken Forest forever. I couldn’t ask for more than that, even if it meant I paid for it with my life.

“I’ll even go first, since I’m feeling generous,” Waylon said. I felt magic gather around him. “If Dane Montague gives his blood in place of his children’s, I, Waylon Reed, Alpha of the Broken Forest Pack, swear that no harm will come to… Aurora… or his children at the hands of any Broken Forest wolf for as long as I’m Alpha.”

Power sharpened in the air, making it smell like lightning. Then it tightened around us. His promise was complete.

I bowed my head. I’d known this was a trap. I had taken precautions—placed traps and wolves in the woods all around. But I should have known better. This land was Reed land, back to a time before memory. If my wolves were still alive out there, I had no idea. If any of my traps had been tripped, I didn’t know. Maybe they still would be. At least then, if I had to go down, I would take some of them with me.

“I, Dane Montague, Alpha of the Blue Ridge Pack…”

“Dane, no!” Aurora’s voice sounded closer. There was snapping and snarling, as if she was fighting to get to me. Or more accurately, Trajan was fighting, and she was with him.

I pulled my power around me. “…swear that I’ll die in place of my children, as long as you uphold your promise and allow them to go free immediately and don’t harm them.”

“No!” Aurora cried again. The magic twisted around me, sharp as it had been when Waylon had made his promise. The promise settled around me just as Aurora reached me. She threw her arms around me and cried, but it was too late. They lifted her off of me and shoved the twins at her.

“Dane Montague,” Waylon said, flashing the silver-bladed knife once again, “Time to die.”