[Fallon’s POV]I sat alone on my bed, staring out the window at the bright moon shining over the ocean beneath it. It was a beautiful sight, and if my mind wasn’t a complete mess, I would have been able to find myself getting lost in the peace of it.However, tonight was different. Three times already, I had tried to fall asleep so that I could get up early and prepare to head back to Grishan, but every time I closed my eyes and began to drift, images of Mateo’s dark eyes and sinister smile flashed in my mind. And if it wasn’t bad enough that I was seeing him in my mind, I was also feeling that damned draw to him as Anika fought to come forward.Shivering, I got off my bed and made my way toward my room's exit. One thing was for certain: I couldn’t be alone right now, and due to that, I needed to find Fineon.Gently pulling open my door, I look around the hall beyond, checking to see if anyone is out roaming. Once I’m sure that I won’t be spotted, I head out, making my way toward the
[Fineon’s POV]Fallon’s body, which pressed against mine, shook as her arms tightened around me and her fingertips dug deeper into my skin.I remained unmoving, trying to understand exactly what was going on with her. Since her arrival in my room, she seemed off, but when she started rejecting my touch, I knew that there was much more going on than what I could see."I want you to make me forget," she whimpers, sending waves of pain through me. "Please."Even though I knew that I shouldn’t, I pulled her close against me, deepening our kiss. And as a sigh escapes my lips, I let my tongue dive into her mouth to meet hers.Running my hands down the length of Fallon’s hips, I scoop her up, allowing her legs to wrap around my waist so that I can carry her to the bed that is waiting.Throwing her down, I watch as her now-deep honey eyes sparkle with desire and expectation while she begins to strip off the thin cotton shirt and shorts that she is wearing until she is completely bare.A rumbl
[Fallon’s POV]"Ah, yes, Fineon!" I scream, tightening my legs around his waist. "Harder, please, harder!"Grunting, Fineon did exactly what I asked, slamming his dick so deeply into me that I was sure he was going to end up breaking me in half, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to become oblivious to everything around me except the feel of him rubbing against my walls and the pleasure I felt as he made me cum again and again.Giving into my urges, I tighten my hold so that our bodies were almost molded together."This isn’t enough," I gasp. "I want more.""Then why don’t you take the lead, baby?" Fineon growls, sitting up and sitting back on his heels so that I’m now straddling his lap. "You aren’t going to make me exert all my energy, are you?""No."Taking the lead, I begin to thrust my hips. Goddess, in this position, he went so deep and touched all the right places."Oh, goddess, Fineon," I whimper, picking up my pace. "So deep, it’s so deep.""Mmmm."It’s the only response I
[Fineon’s POV]The sound of soft whimpering wakes me from my sleep, drawing my attention straight to the woman lying completely naked beside me.At first, I didn't quite understand what was happening, but it didn't take me long to find the reason for her distress.Sucking in a breath, I watch in horror as new marks begin to form on her stomach, taking shape to look exactly like the dark black mark on her back."Fallon!" I hiss, reaching out and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Hey, wake up!"Fear begins to claw at me as the mark continues to form. If I didn't do something quick, it was going to end up stuck on her body. Strengthening my attempts at rousing her, I begin to say a prayer to the goddess that this was all in my head. "Fin…" Fallon finally whimpers, slowly beginning to come to. "Fineon?"I watch as her eyes slowly begin to open and take me in.At first, it seems that she doesn’t quite understand what is happening, but it doesn’t take long for a look of horror to flash acro
[Fallon’s POV]My heart squeezes painfully as I look into Hindrick’s eyes."Hindrick?" I whisper, taking a few steps toward him but stopping as he lets out a growl. "Please tell him that he’s wrong.""I wish he was," Hindrick snaps. "Although there was one thing he was wrong about."One thing… Something told me that this something didn’t have anything to do with his feelings toward me."We aren’t distant cousins," he continues when I don’t speak. "Our grandmothers were sisters. I’m surprised that your parents didn’t tell you just how close. Did you never question why my mother wanted so badly to kill your mom?""No," I whisper, unable to fully process what was going on here. "And does that matter? Your parents, they were...""Wanting to covet the power of the silver wolf," Hindrick finishes for me. "Since it was your grandmother that was blessed with it and not mine.""Hindrick," I begin, but find that I don’t know what to say. "I…""Isn’t it funny?" Hindrick laughs, cutting me off be
[Fineon’s POV]How long has it been since I left Hindrick and Fallon alone? Was it time to go back in and do damage control? Although I felt like an idiot for even leaving them alone, I knew that the discussion that would happen was necessary, especially if I ever wanted Hindrick to move on and stop having hopes for something that was mine.Sighing, I kicked up off the wall I was leaning against and began to move, deciding they had had long enough. However, before I could even move, the man in question came storming out."All done?" I ask, eyeing him to see if there is any sign of how his conversation with Fallon went. "Or are you taking a breather to recoup?""Take good care of her," Hindrick snaps. "Otherwise, I’ll kill you.""Already planned on it."Nodding, Hindrick didn’t say anything more as he turned and began to make his way in the opposite direction of his room."Where are you going?" I call to his retreating form."None of your business," is his only response before rounding
[Anika’s POV]All around me, I could sense Mateo, but no matter how much I reached out, I couldn’t find him. What was this? Why did it feel like he was right here with me?‘Anika?’ Fallon’s soft voice drifts through the void I’m trapped in, drawing me to the world that exists outside of it. ‘Are you there?’‘I am,’ I confirm. ‘What’s wrong?’‘We need your help.’Help? What in the world could they need my help with? All this time, she had been fighting to keep me confined, but now that I was needed, she was willing to allow me freedom. I didn’t know if I should be concerned or thankful. Whatever it was I was needed for must have outweighed her desire to keep me at bay.‘The anima sword,’ Fallon explains. ‘Fineon thinks it may be closer than we think, but he needs you to help him locate it.’As the words drift around me, I can feel myself being pushed forward towards the light of the real world, where Fallon and Fineon exist.After giving a stretch, I look around to find that I am now t
[Anika’s POV]A gentle breeze danced along my skin as the shadows of the limbs above moved about. I was back to a time long past when things were simple, and I found myself wishing that I could just stay here in this moment forever, even though I knew it was impossible."Anika," Mateo’s gentle voice calls. "Are you awake from your nap?""Yeah," I respond, slowly getting to my feet. "Did I sleep very long?""Do you feel any better?"As he speaks, his hand shoots out and touches my cheek to make sure that the cold sweat from before has vanished."Are you sure that you don’t want the healer to check you out?""I’m fine."This point in time was the beginning of my pregnancy, and despite knowing deep down that Mateo would be thrilled to know that we were becoming parents, I was too afraid to tell him. It would only be after my health took a turn for the worse that he would find out and begin to treat me like a porcelain doll."Has Everly finished with her studies?" I ask in hopes of changi
[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