***Conlan's POV***

My team members, James and Theo, and I closed in on the witches' meeting place.

A mansion in the middle of the woods. An AirBnB property with clear sightlines to the river and adjoining access road. The perfect place for witches to set up a new circle headquarters, or as the witches call it, a Zirkel.

It was difficult to locate them at first.

Upon arrival, I followed royal protocol and requested mandatory mission assistance from the Alpha of the Veiled Moon Pack. My team and I asked questions about the incident that happened so close to his border and gathered details about the area that a computer wouldn't be able to find. As far as first impressions go, Alpha Patrick was a helpful man that wore a mountain of caution.

'I can't blame him. The Veiled Moon Pack is barely a thought in the minds of the northern packs. Even the king leaves them alone. He's never summoned them to court. That says enough.'

During questioning, Karr and I carefully observed the alpha's nervous pulse, the rapid beat of his heart and the submissiveness of his wolf. We looked for any holes. Something for us to target to reveal the source of his discomfort past expectations. Karr believed there was something more, something he didn't want us to know. Although Patrick's answers all smelled true, the meeting left us instinctually unsatisfied.

With the additional information we acquired during our initial investigation, James was able to prove that his tracking skills were the best in the game. He tapped into different databases to gather records to upload into his algorithm. Narrowing down the search to locations with higher probability was exactly why I recruited him as my second. Having James allowed me to have a small specialized team to execute this mission as quickly and as safely as possible.

After eleven days of systematically searching the likeliest locations we got our first sign of evidence.

We used our standard issued hagstones to track the unnatural flow of magic. Their stone holes provided a clean view into their realm. The controlled artifacts allowed us to see traces left behind from their spells.

Red streaks bled through the trees. Purple coiled low along the forest floor. Black slithered like oil over fallen logs.

It took us a day after that to pinpoint their exact location with James' GPS monitor.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Theo asked.

And there—

White.

Faint. Thin. Nearly swallowed by the rest.

My jaw tightened.

"Yes." I answered.

"What could this mean? Did we discover a new kind of witch?" Theo questioned again.

In the quiet woods, a snapped twig sounded like a gunshot.

Karr surged forward in my mind.

Theo's wolf whined an apology through the link.

"Extra training when we get back, Theo." Cold steel dripped from my tone.

We moved closer in formation, guns out. Ready. The mansion came into view between the pines. Lights burned in several windows. Shadows moved inside.

The air smelled wrong.

Not just damp earth and pine. Something metallic. Something sweet and rotting.

'Magic.'

"Halt," I ordered. "Set up here."

James dropped his pack and began assembling the signal amplifier and directional mics.

Theo followed the plan and shifted position south to begin trap placement — silver-lined charges mixed with wolfsbane dust and consecrated ash.

Karr and I scanned the perimeter.

"Ready?" I mindlinked James.

"Signal amp warming. Thirty seconds."

Too long.

I scanned the building with my hagstone to work out my direction once I'm inside their headquarters and saw that magic gathered thicker near the east wing.

"Theo. South traps first. Watch your footing." I directed.

While I waited for James, I moved closer to the mansion with Karr as my guide.

James' voice finally crackled in my ear. "Hold. You're within twenty yards from the dining window."

I lifted the mic.

Inside, candles burned black. A circle was carved into the floor with dark blood pooled in the grooves.

Three witches stood at the edges.

A fourth came into view dragging an elderly woman to the others.

'Silver braid.'

'Bruised face.'

"You're awake now. So be a good little Whitey and get in the circle so we can find her again!" He said as he tossed the old woman into the center.

"Enough!" a woman snapped. Power rippled off her in violent red waves. Blood witch.

"You can tear her apart after we use her," she hissed. "We need that white witch alive. It's too hard to find another Seer."

"But we told the rogues we located that bitch."

My pulse slowed.

Another male voice chimed, "the rogues are too impatient. It's their fault it has taken this long to begin with! They couldn't scent her at all, even now! Useless mutts."

"They will have what they were promised," the blood witch said. "And we'll take what is promised for us."

She ran a hand over the old witch's silver braid and picked it up.

"Remember, it is through this Seer we'll be able to drag her back to Zirkelmond, the High Circle can complete the ritual at the apex. And when the mate bond snaps. Power. Raw and untethered. We will finally be able to harvest it after five years of waiting." She kissed the end of the braid before letting it fall.

My fingers tightened on the mic.

'Mate bond.'

Karr growled low.

"But she slipped our tracking once," another witch spat.

'Purple magic. Mind witch.'

"Clever girl. Hiding in crowds."

The blood witch smiled. "She won't run forever."

Static crackled.

James' voice cut in sharp. "Orange signature. Fifty yards behind you. Familiar."

Of course.

"Theo, check your six."

"Movement northwest!" Theo shot back. "Four rogues. They know I'm here."

Damn it.

"Break west. River. Double back to the safe house," I ordered.

"Yes, Beta."

Highlighted by the hagstone, I could see the orange streak creep closer.

The wind shifted.

'Feline.'

I held still.

Grip tighter on the blade's hilt.

My pulse slowed into a steady rhythm.

'This is it Karr.'

'Ready.' My wolf called back barring his teeth.

At the last second, Karr surged.

I spun and threw.

The blade struck clean.

The creature shrieked. Its body convulsed, orange magic snapping like burning wire.

Inside the mansion, candles flared violently.

They knew.

Howls erupted from the northwest.

"I'm flanked!" Theo yelled desperately.

"James, abort position. Assist Theo. I'm extracting the white witch."

"Copy!"

I sprinted to the front door and skidded to a halt. My nose burned momentarily as it got too close to the door.

'Shit.'

A ward.

Blue flames angrily rippled. Promising more pain if I tried to get any closer.

Gun out I patted down my cargo pockets.

'Where are they?'

Then I felt them. Almost cold to the touch. I slipped one on and pressed my palm to the wood. Silver in my glove flared. The ward snapped like overstretched thread.

'I'm in.'

Lightning cracked down the hallway. A storm witch.

Karr pulled me to dodge, and fire.

He fell.

Two more witches rushed from the stairwell. One threw bone shards that sliced past my shoulder.

'Hex witch.'

The other whispered. The air thickened, trying to slow my limbs.

'Mind binding.'

I shot first. Center mass. Head.

The binding broke.

Upstairs glass shattered.

The white witch screamed.

I reached the dining room as the blood witch dragged her by her garments out of the circle.

"Open the gate!" She yelled trying to run with the white witch.

"Hurry, it's closing!" The last male witch yelled.

The hagstone at my chest burned cold.

White magic flared as the beaten witch lifted her head weakly.

Her eyes were silver.

Not evil.

Terrified.

Two shots.

The blood witch collapsed.

'Not dead.'

Purple magic lunged for me. A final desperate curse to stop me in my tracks. It grazed my shoulder. A numbing cold sank into my muscles on my left side going stiff.

He took the opportunity to grab the blood witch and make a break for the gate.

'Focus.'

I forced my arm to obey. My finger pulled the trigger.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

'Not enough lead.'

The gate closed

'Gone.'

'Anyone else here?' I asked my wolf.

'Dead.'

The scratchy labored breaths of the white witch were the only signs of life left in the room. I scooped her up with my good arm and walked out of the mansion.

She was lighter than she should be.

"You're here..." she whispered faintly. "Save her..."

'Save. Her.'

Outside, rogue howls drew closer.

I ran.

Adrenaline coursed through me. Pumping my legs and giving me the strength to carry the witch with two hands for efficiency.

Once we cleared the treeline, I triggered the charges.

The mansion erupted. Silver-lined fire consumed the ritual circle first.

Magic screamed as it burned. Rogues howled louder.

"Status," I demanded.

No answer.

Fire continued to rage and burn loudly. Heat radiated from the aftermath.

"James." I called.

Time ebbed for one beat. Two beats. Three beats.

'Too long.'

"Beta," There was a tightness to James' voice. It set off a tightness in my chest.

"Report."

"It's Theo."

"What happened?"

"They used silver rounds."

'Rogues with silver bullets.'

'Organized.'

My stomach dropped.

Distant howls rang out from their direction. A shot went off.

'Shit.' My jaw locked.

"What's going on?"

"Four rogues. Wolf form. West access road."

"Damn it! They're trying to finish him off!" I could hear James yell into the mindlinked while he fired four shots.

"Update! Is the threat neutralized?"

"HE'S LOSING TOO MUCH BLOOD!"

For a brief second, I wasn't my title. I was the one who recruited him. The one who promised he'd come home.

"Keep applying pressure!" I bark.

"The silver's spreading. His wounds won't close."

"Take him to The Veiled Moon Pack."

"He won't make it that far."

I looked down at the unconscious white witch in my arms.

Realization of the scope of this mission widened as flashes of the night raced through my mind.

'Harvest.'

'Mate bond.'

'Zirkelmond.'

'Clever girl.'

'Life or death.'

Something much bigger than rogues was moving.

And tonight, it might cost me.

'Live.' I prayed.

"Then take him to the nearest med center." I responded after a beat.

"Conlan."

James' voice stops me in my tracks. My breath hitches to suffocate me.

"I can't. He's in wolf form."