Silver light burst from Isla's body like a bomb going off, blasting Marcus and Alina backward into the stone walls."Impossible!" Marcus roared, jumping to his feet. Blood dripped from his nose where he'd hit the rock.Isla didn't answer. Her mind was linked to the triplets now, showing her everything they saw. Thorne crouched behind a fallen tree, circled by twenty Darkwood wolves. Caspian was stuck on a cliff edge with nowhere to run. Dorian lay unconscious in the dirt, Alpha Roderick standing over him with that dangerous silver sword."I won't let you hurt them," Isla said, her words echoing with power.She closed her eyes and reached out with her silver powers. The link to her three mates burned like fire in her chest, but she pushed through the pain. Through Thorne's eyes, she saw the exact moment the Darkwood dogs would attack. Through Caspian's, she spotted a secret path down the cliff. Through Dorian's fading consciousness, she felt his psychic powers fighting to wake up."Get up!" she whispered, pouring her strength into Dorian's mind across the space between them.Back in the mine, Marcus grabbed a silver-tipped stick from the wall. "You think your little light show scares me? I've been hunting Silver Wolves for thirty years!"He lunged at Isla, but she was ready. Silver energy wrapped around her like armor, and the spear bounced off harmlessly. Marcus stumbled backward, eyes wide with shock."Thirty years?" Isla stepped toward him, power sparking around her fingers. "Then you should know what happens when you threaten a Silver Wolf's mates."
Outside, the rescue was turning into a fight for survival. Thorne fought like a man possessed, his tactical mind working even as claws and teeth tried to tear him apart. He ducked under one wolf's attack and spun to kick another, but there were too many of them.That's when Isla's voice whispered in his head: "Left side, behind the rock."Thorne didn't question the warning. He dove left just as a massive wolf jumped from behind a boulder, missing him by inches. The voice came again: "Three more coming from the trees."With Isla guiding him, Thorne started fighting like he had eyes in the back of his head. Every attack was stopped, every trap avoided. The Darkwood dogs started backing away, confused and scared.On the cliff, Caspian heard Isla's voice too: "The ledge two feet down. You can't see it, but it's there."Caspian had always been the risk-taker, but jumping off a cliff in the dark took more faith than he'd ever needed. Still, he trusted Isla totally. He jumped into empty space and felt his feet hit solid rock. The secret ledge held his weight perfectly."Now the cave opening to your right," Isla's voice led him. "It leads back up to the top."While her mates fought for their lives, Isla faced her own fight in the mine. Marcus had given up trying to stab her and was now throwing everything he could find—rocks, chains, even pieces of broken furniture. Nothing could get through her silver screen."You're just delaying the inevitable!" he growled. "Even if you escape, Roderick will finish what we started!""Roderick's not as smart as he thinks," Isla responded. She was getting tired from helping the boys and fighting Marcus at the same time, but she couldn't give up now.Through her link to Dorian, she felt him finally wake up. Alpha Roderick was raising the silver sword, ready to end Dorian's life, when the youngest triplet's green eyes snapped open."Hello, Uncle," Dorian said quietly.Roderick froze. "How did you—""Know you killed Isla's mother? The same way I know you've been planning to kill us tonight." Dorian sat up slowly, his psychic skills fully awake now. "Did you really think we wouldn't figure out that you led us into a trap?"
Back in the mine, Alina finally found her voice. "Marcus! We have to go! If she can help them from here, she's too powerful!"Marcus's face twisted with rage, but he knew Alina was right. "This isn't over, little dog. I'll find another way to get your silver blood.""Maybe," Isla said, stepping closer. "But first, you're going to answer some questions."She grabbed Alina's wrist before the blonde could run. Silver energy flowed between them, and suddenly Isla could see into Alina's memories like reading a book."You've been working with Darkwood Pack for two years," Isla said, watching the images flash by. "Ever since Marcus promised to make you his Luna if you helped destroy our pack."Alina tried to pull away, but Isla's grip was like iron. "He said he loved me! He said we'd rule both packs together!""He lied." Isla saw more memories—Marcus laughing with other Darkwood wolves about how stupid Alina was, how easy she was to control. "He was going to kill you too, once you served your purpose."Alina's face went pale as the truth hit her. "No. That's not... he wouldn't...""See for yourself." Isla pushed the memories into Alina's mind, showing her exactly what Marcus really thought of her.Alina screamed and fell, the betrayal hitting her like a physical blow. But Marcus was already running, disappearing into tunnels that went deeper underground."Coward!" Isla yelled after him, but she didn't chase him. The triplets needed her more.Through their shared link, she felt them winning their battles. Thorne had beaten the last of his attackers. Caspian had climbed back to safety and was going toward Dorian. And Dorian—clever, quiet Dorian—had turned the tables on Alpha Roderick totally."The pack will never follow you once they know the truth," Dorian was telling his father. "Isla's already linked to every wolf in our territory through her silver blood. They can all feel what really happened to her mother."Roderick's face went white. "That's impossible.""Is it?" Dorian smiled coldly. "Ask them yourself when we get home."
Isla felt a surge of joy. Her power had grown so much that she was linked to the entire pack now, not just the triplets. Every wolf in Blackthorn territory had felt her memories of her mother's death. They knew Roderick was a killer.But just as success seemed certain, Isla heard footsteps in the mine tunnel. Not Marcus returning—someone else. Someone whose smell made her silver blood freeze in her veins."Well, well," said a familiar voice. "Having fun without me?"Isla spun around to see a figure emerge from the shadows. It was her father, Rowan—but his eyes were glowing red like a Darkwood wolf's."Hello, daughter," he said with a smile that wasn't his own. "We need to talk."