Chapter 4

Maddy

The next day I watched Nico, Luis, and Felipe carry three heavy cases up from the basement. The ones Nico and Felipe had looked like really long suitcases. Luis carried one that looked like a thick, bulky attaché case.

What are those? I asked as they came up the stairs.

Stuff Dad bought years ago. I can''t even remember the last time we took them out, Nico said. "As evidenced by the dust."

The cases were caked in dust. Nico flipped his case up and rolled the little combination locks until the snaps popped open. When he lifted the lid, my mouth dropped open. Inside were four rows of what looked like assault rifles.

What the hell, Nico?

He looked at me and smiled. "Don''t worry. We aren''t some anti-government militia or something. Dad got these about ten years ago when a shifter group that was on the bad side of both our and Javi''s pack rolled through. They weren''t afraid of packing heat, and Dad figured it was best we were prepared if they started trouble. We can die as easily from a gunshot when we''re in wolf form as we do as a human. We heal faster as wolves, but still."

I gaped at the weapons. "Are we going to use these?"

Felipe opened his case. It was loaded with six pump-action shotguns. Luis''s smaller case held what looked like a dozen pistols—revolvers as well as semi-autos. I''d never even touched a gun. The only reason I had any idea what I was looking at was from movies and books. The sight of the guns was both scary and exhilarating.

Nico nodded. "The guys and I go shooting every few months, but we need to train everyone to use them. Like I told the other alphas, it won''t only be a brawl if stuff goes bad. And our natural speed and power will only do so much when our enemies are shooting at us from two hundred yards away."

Yup. Felipe grinned and cocked his shotgun.

I flinched at the sound.

Felipe''s smile faded. "Oh, shit. Sorry, Maddy. The guns aren''t loaded. We still have to grab the cases of ammo."

Right, Nico said. "There''s another case of handguns and rifles."

down there." An uneasy chuckle escaped me. Seeing the weapons in front of me brought home how dangerous things were. Nico had said the pack would start training again, but I hadn''t known exactly what that entailed until now.

Before Nico had everyone training to fight a stealth or surprise attack. Now? If the royals or anti-shifters came, it would be in the open, without fear of publicity or the police.

I''ve... uh... never actually held a gun before, I said. Nico''s lips twitched. "I figured. I''ve been worried about how things would go if the time came for you to use one of these." He stood and scratched his head. "Do you think you can?

I looked from his face down to the weapons and back again. Could I? If I really thought about it, I wasn''t sure I could.

I shrugged. "I don''t know, Nico. I mean... that''s murder."

He took my hand and squeezed it. "That''s the first thing you need to get out of your head." He pointed toward the front door. "If a half-dozen anti-shifters with weapons busted down that door right this minute and wanted to kill all four of us, and I picked up this rifle and shot them, would that be murder or self-defense?"

When he put it that way, it didn''t sound like murder. "Self-defense, I guess."

I still didn''t like the idea. My parents were pacifists. We''d never owned a gun, and Dad was adamant about not ever having one. Nico must have seen the hesitation on my face.

Listen, he said, rubbing his hand up my arm to my shoulder. "I don''t want you to be part of any battle. I know the strength you possess from being Edemas''s heir would be an asset, but I plan to keep you as far from any fight as I can. However, I need to know you can protect yourself. I know you can when you''re in wolf form, but I need to know that you can in human form as well. We''ll practice fighting as a wolf later. Right now, this takes precedence.

I nodded and stepped back as they unpacked the weapons. They brought up the other cases and ammunition before taking some of it outside for shooting practice in the open field. Luis ran home to grab some aluminum cans for targets, and Nico and Felipe started heading out.

Before I could follow them, my parents walked up the road toward us. Shock and confusion warred on their faces.

Hang on, I said. "Nico, I''ll meet you guys in a few minutes." He glanced at my parents and nodded. "Okay. See you in a bit."

To make matters even more awkward, my birth mom, Gabriella, stepped out the door, holding a glass of tea. It was like a rule that, no matter what, parents got the chance to question their children''s actions.

What the hell is going on? Dad asked, pointing toward the men carrying guns. "Why do they have those weapons?"

Is there something we need to know?" Mom asked.

Gabriella said nothing as she took a seat on the porch couch, watching quietly.

We''re gonna go down to the field. Nico''s going to teach me how to shoot.

My mom looked aghast. "Is that safe?"

I did my best to keep from rolling my eyes. Even with my own hesitations and fears, I didn''t sound as terrified as she did. Dad, however, looked more furious than anything.

No, it''s not. Maddy, I don''t think this is a good idea," he said.

Dad, it''s for my safety. Nico wants me to know how to use one if the time comes. If a big fight or battle breaks out, he wants me ready."

Sneering, he waved back at the house. "Well... wouldn''t the best thing be for you to hide? I mean, isn''t that safe room in there a better option than blasting away with a gun?"

Right, Mom added. "We don''t want you involved."

That''s a nice thought but unrealistic, Gabriella said.

I groaned inwardly. This was not going smoothly.

What do you mean? Dad asked. "Of course, it''s realistic. If someone is in trouble, the safest thing to do is to hide. You''ve seen what these people are capable of."

Oh, I know, Gabriella said, setting her tea aside. "That''s why I''m sure it is the best thing for Maddy to learn how to fight. Both as a wolf and as a woman. If learning how to use a weapon will help keep her safe, I''m all for it."

Well, that''s your opinion, Gabriella. But aren''t bullets flying around more dangerous? Dad asked.

Enough. Enough, okay? I''m going. For God''s sake, I''m an adult. If I want to go and shoot a damned gun, it''s my prerogative. Gabriella is right. It''s like what Nico told me. If someone broke in and I had to choose between dying and knowing how to use a gun, I''d rather know how to use the gun.

So you''re taking her side? Mom asked, pointing at Gabriella.

I wanted to scream, to tear my hair out. Of all the stupid shit for them to get in a fight over, this was at the top of the list.

I''m not taking anyone''s side, Mom. I thought about it for a second before changing my mind. Actually, no, I am taking a side. My own. I''m doing it. There''s a war coming, and I need to be prepared. Honestly, I think it would be good if you were too, but that''s your decision. I''m leaving.

I stormed off before any of them could say anything else to piss me off.

By the time I got to the field, I''d managed to calm down. Felipe and Luis looked at me, then quickly continued loading the guns. Nico grinned. "So, that went well."

How would you know?

He tapped his ear. "Shifter hearing."

I sighed. "Let''s not talk about it, okay? Show me what I need to know."

Okay, we''ve got some time before Sinthy comes down.

Uh, Sinthy? I said. "Is she also gonna learn to shoot? Is that necessary with what she can do?"

Not really, Nico said. "But she told me she had worked out something to make training more realistic. Not gonna lie, that sounds a little scary, but I guess we''ll see what she has up her sleeve."

Nico showed me how to load, unload, and turn the safety off all the different gun types. A dozen more of his pack mates arrived, and eventually, we were all taking shots at cans sitting lined up on an old wooden fence. Nico and his two friends kept grumbling about how out of practice they all were. That irritated me because, from what I''d seen, they could hit the targets without issue. Me? I was struggling my ass off. I''d fired off at least thirty rounds before I finally put a shot through an old beer can.

I am terrible at this, I said as Nico took the pistol from my hands.

You hit that one, he said, pointing at the can lying in the grass.

All around us, the pop pop pop of gunfire was going off, muffled by the earplugs I wore. I was about to tell him to be honest and tell me how bad I actually looked, but from the corner of my eye, I saw Sinthy strolling through the grass toward us.

Nico held his arm up and shouted for the shooting to stop. Sinthy was grinning and looking very proud of herself.

Okay, what''s this surprise you''ve got for us? Nico asked.

Sinthy clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes. "Oh, you''re gonna love it. First, I need you all to put the guns back in the cases—can''t be too careful."

Nico sighed and frowned. "Sinthy, this is the whole point of the exercise. How are we gonna teach people to use the weapons if we aren''t holding them?"

She pulled a piece of paper out and waved it around. "I''m telling you that I''ve got it. This took me, like, a week to create. You''ll see in a second."

For the next fifteen minutes, Sinthy went about whatever strange ritual she''d written. She spent time with everyone in attendance, placing a hand on them and muttering strange words she read off the paper. After touching each of us, she went around the entire field, stopping every few feet to either draw a weird symbol in the air or mutter some more. The language was like nothing I''d ever heard before. Even though it looked like she hadn''t done much, when Sinthy walked back to us, she looked utterly depleted. Her face was pale, and sweat ran down her cheeks.

Okay, she said with a heavy breath. "All done."

Are you okay? You look like hell, Felipe muttered to her.

She waved him off. This was some intense stuff. Weaving a spell as complex as this takes a lot out of me. It''s hard to explain. Are you guys ready?"

The twenty or so people, including me, shrugged. We weren''t sure what was about to happen. Nico looked more impatient with each passing second.

Sinthy sat down cross-legged and said, "In a second, you guys are gonna have a battle to fight. You''ll be safe, nothing can hurt you, and the weapons you hold will feel real, but they are also totally safe. You''ll probably have about forty minutes, maybe thirty if I get really tired."

What weapons? Nico asked. "You made us put the weapons away."

Sinthy rolled her eyes. "Men. No imagination at all. You''ll see soon. I won''t be able to talk. I''ll be concentrating on keeping the mirage together. Otherwise, it''ll flutter away like dandelion seeds. Ready?"

Uh... Nico looked at me for some kind of help, but all I could do was shrug.

I guess so, sure, Nico finally said.

Sinthy closed her eyes and began muttering in her strange language again. A few seconds later, she went quiet and opened her eyes again. I gasped. Instead of the pretty blue I was used to, her eyes were totally white. No iris, no cornea, not even any thin red blood vessels. Pure white.

A weird crackle, similar to static electricity, filled the entire field. The feeling tickled down my arms. Some of the others cried out in surprise as they felt it. There was a half second where I worried that Sinthy had done something wrong. That feeling vanished when a heavy weight appeared in my hand. Blinking in surprise, I looked down and saw my fingers curled around the butt of a pistol.

What the hell? Nico said. He was holding an assault rifle.

I looked behind me at the gun cases and was shocked to see that all the weapons were still safely tucked away. Everyone had a weapon. Luis even pointed his shotgun to the sky and pulled his trigger experimentally. The earth-shattering boom made me jump. It sounded exactly like a real gun. When he turned the gun toward the grass and fired, the sound exploded again, but the ground and grass were untouched.

This is insane, Luis said, his eyes so wide they might have fallen out of his skull.

She wasn''t lying about realism, Nico muttered as he inspected the rifle in his hands.

From the forest at the edge of the clearing, a shout echoed across.

the field.

Filthy fucking shifters.

As one, twenty heads turned toward the sound. Fear jolted through me. Had the anti-shifters somehow gotten through the defenses? Had Sinthy used too much of her power to create the guns, and that had decreased the efficacy of the wards? Could that be it?

As if in answer, three gun-toting men stepped out of the trees and sprinted toward us. There were some shouts of surprise and shock from the pack. One man stopped running and raised his gun, aiming directly at us. Without hesitation Nico lifted his rifle and fired. Two bullets slammed into the guy''s chest. His arms and head went flying backward as his body tumbled away. An instant before the intruder hit the ground, he vanished in a small puff of what looked like smoke or steam.

Holy shit, Nico muttered, then turned and shouted. "They aren''t real. It''s part of the spell. This is what Sinthy created. Everyone defend yourselves."

As though spurred on by his words, another ten people came running from the forest toward us. I watched them begin to get taken down, each one getting shot and then vanishing. Even though I understood that they weren''t real people, the effect was so uncanny that I was unable to push away my fear. The intruders were all screaming out how much they hated us and wanted us to die. I couldn''t tell myself I wasn''t really in danger.

Forcing myself to act, I joined the others in firing on the magical creations. The gun bucked in my hand, so real that in seconds I totally forgot it was all make-believe. When any of our people were shot, their guns vanished from their hands, effectively killing them. Anytime all of us were killed, or all the intruders were killed, the spell reset, and we started all over. It was awe-inspiring and gave me a whole new appreciation for Sinthy''s powers. After three straight cycles of us defeating the intruders, the human forms and weapons all vanished.

It was so surprising and fast, like a light switch being flipped. I turned and saw Sinthy making her way to her feet, a tired smile on her lips.

How was that? she asked.

All I could do was laugh. "It was amazing." I stepped closer so no one could hear our words. "Just how powerful are you?"

Her smile faded and a shadow passed across her eyes. "Powerful enough for my family to be killed for it. My parents and I were probably the strongest witches on Earth. The royals coveted our power."

It reminded me of all the young woman had lost. She had as much to gain from the fall of the royals as we did. Sinthy had spent her

whole life working toward this final fight.

Sinthy, that was outstanding, Nico exclaimed. "It was so real. How often can you do that?"

The first time is always the hardest. It should get easier to harness the spell each time I do it. Though, I doubt I could ever hold it for more than an hour.

This could be a game changer for training. I wish the other packs could experience this.

I can work on a spell that would work at a distance. It may not feel as real for them, but it might be better than nothing. I don''t want you to drain yourself, Nico said.

It won''t drain me. Not as long as I get a chance to refuel and rest between trainings.

Amazing. Nico took her hands in his. "Thank you. You''ve already done so much for us. You''ll have to tell me how I can repay you one day."

Sinthy smiled sadly. "You''ve given me a family. Besides, we''re gonna take down Viola. That alone is enough for me."

He patted her shoulder and nodded. "Thanks." He turned and addressed everyone. "That''s enough for today. Get some rest."

The crowd dispersed, leaving Nico and me alone. As Luis and Felipe hauled the gun cases back to the house, Nico pulled me aside.

You did great but next time I''d like you to stay farther from the action. I want you to learn, but if this were to happen for real, I''d prefer you have to defend yourself as a last resort.

I''d been shot and killed multiple times during Sinthy''s little mirage. If that had been a real fight, I''d be dead. I nodded. "Got it."

He then grinned and looked over his shoulder toward the woods. I could almost taste his pent-up energy. Even knowing the fantasy hadn''t been real, my adrenaline had still spiked, and I wanted to work it off. From the look he gave me, Nico felt the same.

Grinning, he nodded to the trees. "You wanna go for a run?"

As an answer, I sprinted away from him, shifting as I did. Nico laughed behind me before he shifted and joined me. The wind in my fur and the scents and sounds of the forest exhilarated me. As we ran through the trees, an overwhelming sense of longing and desire hit me, along with a surge of heat across my whole body. I ran faster, my feelings toward Nico building with each minute. It was a strange and wonderful sensation.