[Fineon’s POV]The next day I stood outside, taking in the piles of snow that the blizzard from the previous day had left. It would make the journey ahead a little more tricky, but it was still doable.Taking a quick glance over my shoulder, I take in Fallon as she speaks with Cyrus. I’m sure that they’re planning their journey back to Langley.After finishing with our discussion the day before, she had no issues convincing Cyrus to accompany her back home so that she had some sort of protection since she was currently unable to connect with her wolf. Once that was finished, it was decided that we would go our separate ways.A pang shoots through me knowing that I’ll be separated from Fallon for a bit, but I am hopeful that it won’t take too long to find Idris and the others and rescue them from Parker’s grasp.Shaking off the loneliness I already feel, I turn my attention to my team, who are already awaiting orders."Have you made contact with team B?" I ask Ramone, who is standing i
[Fallon’s POV]I watch as Fineon and the others quickly disappear, running headfirst into danger, and I have to fight the urge to join them. However, I’m already aware that if I even tried, I would simply get in the way, and the only thing I can do to help now is to go somewhere safe.Sending a mental plea for him to be careful, I just watch until he is completely out of sight. "Are you ready?" I ask Cyrus, turning my attention towards where he stands, looking in the same direction I just had. "We need to get going just in case there are others waiting to attack.""Yeah, I'm ready." He responds, giving a stretch.I watch as Cyrus shifts and then twitches his head, indicating for me to climb on his back."I can…" I begin, but stop as a growl of protest escapes his lips. "Fine, but I'm truly more than capable of walking."'If you go like that, it'll take us a week to get home.' Cyrus' condescending voice announces in my head. 'Just stop being stubborn and get on.'Rolling my eyes, I cl
[Fallon’s POV]"Repeat that."Mom’s brows furrowed as she tried to process what I had just said. It seemed that she wasn’t connecting with Artemis’ energy since my first shift. Did that mean that she was feeling my wolf then?"My wolf," I say slowly, still trying to fully process what is happening. "Artemis..." The name seems odd as things I had questioned growing up began to make more sense. "Does this mean that she wasn’t truly my wolf?"Asking the question seemed absurd, but it needed to be stated. Was Artemis truly my wolf after all, or was she another being entirely?Frowning, I found myself once again recalling that horrible time with the traffickers, the pain of that mark being burned into my back, and then Artemis’ appearance."I’m not sure." Mom admits, "But there’s a way to find out.""How?""I may know some people that can help."Confusion rolls through me as a small smile of fondness begins to form on mom’s lips. However, before I can question her further, many howls sound
[Fallon’s POV]Panic begins to claw at me as I pull at the door that is keeping me in and everyone else out.From beyond, I can hear Cyrus’ footsteps growing further and further, until I’m sure that he’s truly just going to leave me locked away."CYRUS!" I scream, slamming my hands against the door. "LET ME OUT!"I’m not sure exactly what is going on, but with each passing minute that I’m trapped in my room, my fear grows more and more.It feels as though I will forever be here, and that leaves me desperate to escape."PLEASE, CYRUS!"My hands, which clutch the door’s handle, begin to shake as I fumble to try to get out.By this point, I’m beginning to feel manic, and all I want is to escape this room."Anika…"Flinching, I slowly begin to look around my room, trying to determine where the voice came from, but everywhere I look, it's empty.Was I hearing things in my state of panic?"Anika…"The voice is deep, and something about it makes my heart begin to race. What the hell was goin
[Fallon’s POV]As my eyes close, the world around me begins to shift until I no longer feel the freezing cold stone of the floor beneath me or the pressure of Alton’s body pressing against mine.Gasping, I open my eyes and find myself staring up at a perfect blue sky. However, I don’t have time to truly take it in as I realize that all around me is air.My heart begins to pound as I realize that I'm not in my room; instead, I'm hanging out of a window and the ground is a good three stories below."Fallon!"Fineon’s deep baritone booms from beneath me, startling me enough to make me slip, causing my leg muscles to loosen enough to almost lose their grip on the windowsill.Cursing, I tighten my hold and try to calm myself.Using all the strength I can muster, I attempt to slowly lift myself towards the open window with my legs. It hurts and it feels like my calves are on fire, but I ignore the pain."Al…most…" I wheeze, reaching out in an attempt to grab something. "There…"Gritting my
[Fineon’s POV]“You saw?”Confusion rolls through me as I stare into Fallon’s earnest gaze. How was it possible that she saw what happened between the scorned lovers? Only those who were present back then would truly know.“You don’t believe me.”“It isn’t that.” I say quickly, feeling my heart squeeze at the disappointment that is evident in her voice. “I’m just a bit confused about what you said about seeing it. How is that even possible?”“The silver wolf.” She explains as the big brute remains silent. “We are born with abilities. Usually they have a connection to the earth, but mine were visions.”Nodding, I process what I’m being told, but I still can’t quite piece together why Fallon would have a vision like that, unless...“Is your family line related to Tonitruum?” I ask.Instead of responding, Fallon snaps her gaze at the big brute and waits.“You’d have to ask your mother and uncle Eleric.” He responds. “I only know the bare minimum.”“Then shouldn’t we go find her?” Fallon
[Fallon’s POV]I sit alone and watch as Donald examines Idris from head to toe.After Fineon and dad left to prepare to go find Tyson and Damien of Reiki Island, mom disappeared to go get information on the other members of our pack that were also possessed by the pupa, which left just me to wait and see just how bad of a condition Idris was actually in."Hm," Donald murmurs, taking a few steps back. "He’s quite strong.""Yeah." I respond, not bothering to offer anything further.As the descendants of two alpha lines, we were much stronger than most. It was both a burden and a blessing, but right now more like a burden when it came to me."I can sense the same strength in you, young lady." Donald continues, seeming unphased by my disconnection with the present. "But it seems to be blocked."Letting out a hiss of air, I fix my gaze on Donald’s and furrow my brows."Blocked?" I repeat, "what do you mean blocked?""There’s something keeping it trapped." Donald explains, making his way t
[Fineon’s POV]Once I finished locating the ones that the big brute and Ramone were looking for, I made my way back inside to find Fallon. Even though I knew it wasn’t my business, yet anyway, I still had questions in regards to what she had seen in that vision that almost cost her life.However, when I arrived at my destination, I could hear her and Donald talking.Although I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, I extend my senses, listening carefully as they discuss the troubled past of someone named Artemis.‘Artemis,’ Franz repeats, ‘wasn’t that Fallon’s wolf?’‘Wolf?’"I had a wolf." Fallon’s voice whispers as she is unable to hide the hurt she is feeling. "I thought she was my wolf, but now I’m not so sure.""And what was that wolf’s name?" Donald asks gently."Artemis." She responds, confirming the question that Franz had just asked me. "Her name was Artemis, the same as the moon goddess’ daughter."The world around me begins to fade as Fallon’s words take over. What in the world wa
[Idris’ POV] "Are you sure you’re going back?" Mom’s eyes begin to fill with tears as she waits for a response. I don’t know exactly what she expects me to say. "Yes, I am. It’s been a month since Mateo and his underlings were killed, and the academy is finally reopening. As a student, I am required to go back." She knew that I still had a year left before I graduated. I couldn’t just never go back, no matter what had happened since the school shut down. "But…" "Don’t give him a hard time," Dad warns, cutting her off while wrapping a comforting arm around her. "The academy is one of the safest places on the continent, and the threat is gone. I’m sure the next year will simply fly by." "That’s right," I add, taking advantage of dad’s opening for me to leave. "I promise to keep in touch, and before you know it, I’ll be back to irritate the hell out of you." "You heard him," Dad beams, squeezing her closer. "Now, you should allow him to head out; otherwise, he won’t make it there
[Hindrick’s POV]"Welcome back!"Uncle Elleric doesn’t wait before he pulls me into a hug, crushing me against him and making me extremely uncomfortable.Growling, I work to break free, and once I manage to achieve my goal, I take a few steps back."Ever the stoic," he chuckles, taking me in. "Can’t you drop the act just for a day? You’ve been gone for a month, and you didn’t even bother to send word.""Because I was busy cleaning up the mess that was left behind," I point out. "Anyway, I didn’t come here for a heartfelt family reunion."At my words, Uncle Elleric’s face grows serious, and I get the feeling that he is expecting me to deliver a killing blow."Don’t worry," I sigh before his head can come up with some ridiculous scenarios, "it isn’t anything like that. I was actually asked a favor by an idiot.""Fineon?" Uncle Elleric asks, knowing perfectly well who I would be referring to. I didn’t know if I was that obvious or if he also saw Fineon as a fool. "Or is it Chance?"I bit
[Fallon’s POV]A month passed in a blur before things were finally beginning to become normal once again. With things being so hectic, I didn’t get to see much of Fineon since he seemed to always be busy, but this time when we met, I wasn’t going to let him go until he told me what it was that he was up to.I manage to find Fineon heading out of dad's office with a look of frustration on his face."What’s wrong?" I ask, startling him."F-Fallon!" he gasps, taking me in. "Why are you...""Here?" I offer for him, moving forward. "Because if I wasn't, you would find some way to evade me like you have been doing for the past month."At my words, his expression shifts from shock to guilt. So he was intentionally avoiding me, which is interesting."Anyway, I was hoping you’d come somewhere with me today," I continue, wrapping my arms around his and squeezing. "Saying no is not an option.""But…""No buts!" I snap. "Come on."Giving a tug, I begin to move, dragging Fineon until we arrive at
[Fineon’s POV]Returning home was a bittersweet thing, given the circumstances we were returning under. Whether it should have been a time of celebration, it was instead a moment of saying welcome back and saying goodbye.As we made landfall and began to unload, Fallon rushed off to see her parents and allowed herself to get lost in their embrace.Deciding that the moment should be strictly for family, I stay back as the tears begin to fall."You want to help us with this?" Ramone asks, coming up behind me. "He’s a bit heavy."Nodding, I turn and follow him back onto the boat to collect Cyrus’ body, allowing Fallon and her parents to be alone with each other.Inside the cabin, I can feel the chill of death pressing against my skin, and it makes the fact that Cyrus and Gavin are gone that much more real. Now all that was left to do to say goodbye was give them the proper send-off that they deserved.Sighing, I move forward and help Ramone collect Cyrus first so that his parents could s
[Fallon’s POV]I don’t know how long I stayed in place, staring at the slowly disappearing door that Cyrus took to his final resting place. It was only when Titiana gently touched my shoulder that I finally snapped out of my daze."You need to get back now," she murmurs, giving me a smile filled with sympathy and sorrow. "Although your brother is no longer on earth, there are still many waiting on you.""Right," I sigh, getting to my feet. "I’m sure Fineon and Hindrick are at their wits end.""When you go back, you should really think about yourself more," Titiana chuckles."What do you mean?""You’ve worked so hard to gain everyone’s approval that you have lost yourself," she explains, touching my cheek."That’s what being a leader means," I counter. "I can’t think of myself. I can only think of my pack.""That’s not true," Titiana says, shaking her head. "You must also think of yourself, otherwise, you’ll end up regretting it one day. Now, go back to them."Before I can respond, I’m
[Fallon’s POV]"You had something you needed to speak with me about?" I ask hesitantly as Titiana examines me.After all the bombs that had been dropped on me earlier on, I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for another, but since this was the goddess’ request, there was no way that I could deny her."Not so much me," she responds, giving me a sad look.My stomach starts to roll as a bad feeling begins to creep up in me. Why was she looking at me like that, and why did it make my heart hurt?"Who is it?" I ask quietly, realizing that whoever it was must be someone close to me, and if they were here instead of on earth, then that meant that they were dead."It’s me."The world comes crashing down around me as I turn and find Cyrus making his way toward me.No, this couldn’t be real; there was no way it could. Was he like me, on the edge of life and death? If so, that meant he could be saved. Why was he here, and why did it feel like whatever was going to be said was goodbye?"Cy-cyrus," I w
[Anika’s POV]I continue to stare down at the lava where Mateo disappeared while Fineon and Hindrick remain silent, allowing me the space to process my emotions.Mateo was gone, for real this time. He would never come back to this world in this lifetime, and I wasn’t even sure if we would be able to find each other when we reincarnated like we promised. So that meant this was it, right?That thought alone left an immense loneliness in me that I thought I would never have to feel again. However, I had to admit, the second time around was so much more painful."Sorry to disturb," Fineon murmurs after a bit more time passes. "But how will we be sure that doing what Mateo said really did the trick?""I don’t know," I admitted, frowning."You don’t think that this was another trick of his, do you?" Hindrick growls. "What if...""He wasn’t lying," I say, cutting him off. "The one that was there in the end was Mateo, not Parker.""I understand that, but nothing seems to have happened," Hindr
[Anika’s POV]I wait as Fineon and Hindrick examine me as if trying to determine if they could convince me to stay. It is only when Mount Malum lets out another ominous roar that they seem to concede and begin to move again."Stay close," Hindrick orders when I scramble to catch up. "If you cause anything to happen to Fallon’s body, I’ll destroy you, understood?""Of course," I respond, not taking offense to his threat. "I know my limits.""Then let’s go," Hindrick sighs, though he still doesn’t seem fully convinced.Nodding, I begin to follow, staying close behind the two men who insisted on keeping me safe from any possible rockslides or attacks that may happen."It’ll take at least a day to get to the top of this," Hindrick mutters when we reach Mount Malum’s side. "Do we have that much time?"Looking up, I take in the lava that bubbles up and then explodes and the smoke that is quickly surrounding the mountain, blocking the rest of the world from view."I don’t know," I admit. "Bu
[Anika’s POV]Pain rips through my chest with every inch the anima sword makes through Mateo’s body. Even if I managed to destroy the mark he left on me, our bond was still there, and I wasn’t too surprised I was feeling what he was. This was how strong our bond had always been, and in a way, I was happy he wasn't alone."An…ika…" Mateo rasps, his eyes finding mine. "Why?""Because this must be done."Everything in me screamed to stop, to help him, and to save him from the painful death that he was currently experiencing, but I knew this had to be done. And I was the one who had to do it. Not Hindrick, not Fallon, but me. I had to end this once and for all.Closing my eyes, I allow all the beautiful memories that we shared to begin to flash across my mind. This would be the last time I allowed them to overtake me. Once this was finished, I would fully let go. I had to; there was no holding onto something that would never be again.SIghing, I let my tears flow as Mateo’s love-filled ey