The first werewolf lunged through the shattered stained glass in a hail of colored shards. Keth barely had time to raise their arms before two hundred pounds of muscle and fur slammed into them.
Claws raked their ribs. Hot breath reeking of blood and rage washed over their face. Keth twisted, driving a knee up—
The wolf yelped as Rhis grabbed its scruff and flung it aside like a disobedient pup.
"Enough!" Rhis's voice boomed through the ruined hall, amplified by the lingering gold in her veins. The attacking wolf skidded across marble, whining.
Silence fell.
Then the alpha stepped through the broken windows.
He moved differently now—his tattooed muscles taut with barely restrained power, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. His gaze locked onto Rhis's glowing throat.
"You smell like her," he growled.
Rhis bared her teeth. "I'm still your second."
The alpha's answering smile was all fangs. "Prove it."
He attacked.
Rhis met him mid-leap, their collision sending shockwaves through the crumbling hall. The watching pack howled as the two werewolves became a blur of claws and teeth.
Keth tried to move forward—
A hand clamped on their shoulder. Valtheris's grip was weaker than it should be. "Don't," he rasped. Blood still seeped through his fingers where they pressed against his chest wound. "This is pack law."
The golden-eyed woman appeared on Keth's other side. "And he's dying."
Keth turned. Valtheris's pallor had gone ghostly, his lips tinged blue. The wound wasn't healing.
"You said binding her would kill you," Keth realized.
Valtheris's smile was thin. "I may have... understated." His knees buckled.
Keth caught him as he fell. The vampire weighed surprisingly little—like his bones were hollowing out from within.
Across the hall, Rhis and the alpha broke apart, both bleeding. The alpha's tattoos swirled violently. "You defend these interlopers?" he snarled.
Rhis wiped blood from her mouth. "I defend our future." She pointed at Keth. "The Mark is gone. The Gate is sealed. But that?" She gestured to Valtheris's crumpled form. "That's the last Blood King. And if he dies without an heir..."
The golden-eyed woman finished for her: "The balance shatters."
The alpha stilled. His gaze flicked to Valtheris, then to the woman. Recognition dawned. "You."
She smiled. "Me."
A murmur ran through the pack. The alpha's tattoos slowed. He stepped closer, sniffing the air near Valtheris. "The blood vow."
Keth looked down. Valtheris's wound wasn't just bleeding—black veins spiderwebbed from it across his chest. "What did you do?"
Valtheris coughed. "What my ancestors... should have done... centuries ago." His silver eyes found Keth's. "Broke the cycle."
The alpha made a decision. He barked an order. Two younger wolves rushed forward with a makeshift stretcher.
"Wait," Keth protested as the wolves lifted Valtheris.
The alpha's gaze was unreadable. "Moon's Hollow has healers. If he survives the night..." He glanced at the golden-eyed woman. "We'll talk terms."
As the pack carried Valtheris away, Rhis gripped Keth's shoulder. "They won't kill him."
Keth watched the retreating wolves. "You sure about that?"
Rhis's golden-marked throat pulsed. "No."
Behind them, the woman laughed softly. "Now the real game begins."