Page 92 of Oracles Always Win

“Youcan’t speak for everyone,”Isaid.

Adriancleared his throat. “Yeah, actually she can.Wedecided that as a group a long time ago.Weall agreed.”

Myteam—my family—would stay with me.Warmthenveloped me.Wasthis what love felt like?Hadthey truly been my family all these years?I’dalways thought of them as such, butIdidn’t realize they felt the same way.

“Thankyou,”Isaid quietly. “That… helps.Ishould have talked to you beforeIannouncedIwanted to bond withWillowLakeearlier.”

Iwasn’t much for making speeches, butIknewIshould say more, to tell them how thankfulIwas to have them in my life.Buthalf my team wasn’t here, and we’d just caught up to the police cars.Itwasn’t the right time.

“We’regetting close.Weall know what to do, but let’s go over it.Davina…”

“I’llcheck in with the local ghosts while we get our gear from the trunk.”Sheglanced into the rearview mirror at the others in the backseat. “Andeveryone is going to wear their fucking earpieces this time.Idon’t want to hear any whining about it.They’vebeen spelled to work even when you shift, so there is no excuse.Ican’t update you on what the ghosts are saying if you can’t hear me.”

Adrianhuffed but didn’t say anything.Healways complained bitterly about those earpieces—something about them hurting his ears—butDavinawas right.Beingconnected would only help us.

“Ifthis isJake’svision come to life, there is going to be a lot of people dying,”Teaguesaid. “I’lltrack the people on the edge of life and death.Thatshould get us closer to where the action is.”

“Good.”Inodded. “And,Adrian, you’ll be with me.Let’ssee if we can stop this before it turns into the massacreJake’svision predicted.”

Assoon asDavinaturned onto a rutted dirt road behind the cop cars, magic crackled through the air.Somethingwas happening, andIsuspectedJake’svision was coming true sooner than any of us had thought.Theintensity and grimness of the magic washed over us like an acid bath.

Davinacursed but kept right on the cop car’s bumper while the rest of us stared out the windows looking for a sign of what was happening.Thensomething emerged from the trees at the side of the narrow road.Icaught only a blur of motion before our car rocketed to the side and tumbled over onto its roof.

Myteammates shouted in surprise and then in pain.Angerblazed through me.It’dbeen simmering in my blood since the bombs the day before and now this collision had shattered my tenuous control.Mydemonic bloodlust surged forward faster than it ever had before, obliterating everything but the need for justice and retribution.

“Oh, fuck,” the woman groaned. “Notnow.Itcan’t be happening now.Notwhen he’s so close to anchoring…”

Shewas one of mine.Whateverher worry was,Iwould deal with it.Iwould end it.

Iripped free of the car, tearing the bent metal door open and tossing it aside.Assoon asIwas out, my demonic form erupted, obliterating any lingering human-like aspects of my form and my thoughts.Mywings snapped out behind me.Heatburned through my blood.Mylong black and deadly claws tore free.

Iroared.

Thebeast who’d hit our car cowered and tried to shield himself from my wrath with his arms.Asif that would stop me.Hecould not flee fast enough to escape me.

Iensured he would not harm what was mine again, thenIwalked away.Hewas no longer a threat.Yes, he was still alive, butIsuspected he wished he wasn’t.Behindme,Iheard those who wore my magic emerge from the broken vehicle.Someonemade a retching sound.Ididn’t stop to find out who or why.Ihad prey to stalk.

Inthe shadowy depths of the forest, wailing and begging and whimpering hit me from every direction.Imoved toward the loudest screams.Idid not rush.Idid not need to.Noone would escape me this day, especially not the ones who had tried to harm my mate or those under my protection.

Myfootsteps fell heavily on the forest floor.Leavesshook on their branches with my every step.Thefew animals that weren’t already hiding froze in my presence.Idid not care about them.Theywere no threat to me.Ihad much larger prey to hunt.

Chapter Thirty-Two

JAKE

Istared at my phone.Jeremywas doing the same thing across the table from me inGage’smotorhome.Emma,Jeremy’sstrange supernatural creature, had curled up in a ball on his lap as soon as he’d sat down.Giventhe sound of its little snuffles,Iwas pretty sure it—she?—was asleep.

Everypart of me was on alert.Betweenbouts of wishing my phone would ring,Iscanned our surroundings likeIexpected someone was going to attack at any moment.Myears strained for any foreign sound, even thoughIknew the fight was taking place miles from here.Theback of my neck itched, my hands were ice cold, and my chest ached.

Inother words,Iwas a mess.

Ihated sitting here, not knowing what was going on.Hadthey even made it to the pack lands yet?

Andthat was another thing.I’donly found out about magic and the wolf pack and supernatural beings yesterday, butIdidn’t question it now.PerhapstheEternalMagic, asGagecalled it, had given me a helping hand in coming to terms with this strange new worldIfound myself in.

WhenIheard a vehicle roar up to us,Ijumped out of my seat.Iglanced around for something—anything—to use as a weapon, but it wasn’t like there were guns or even a baseball bat tucked away in here.Ofcourse not.Gageand his people were weapons all on their own.Theydidn’t need anything more.

“It’sjustAshandDillon,”Jeremyannounced, peering out the window.