In this Chapter: Azrael: God of Wolves. Draco: God of Lycans. Orion: God of Mages. Ismene: Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom. Solana: Goddess of the Sun. Lunette: Goddess of the Moon.
Blakely Orion shook his head, cerulean flames bursting to life in his hands. “We can’t! It’ll take us to another realm, right? We’ll stay. We’ll help you fight. She won’t win. Not after—” His words were cut short when Ismene snarled, “You have no choice. You cannot remain here. She will tear this place down if I do not let her past the wards.” Light, blinding in it’s intensity, poured into the cavern. It’s heat was searing, unleashing pain unlike anything I’d ever felt. The skin along my arms and cheeks began to blister, but my scream was drowned out by the crash of stone smashing against stone. When the light finally faded, Solana stood at the far end of the room, a Phoenix perched on her shoulder. She smiled kindly and murmured something to the large bird. With a cry, it took off down the blackened corridor, vanishing from sight. Orion pulled me into his side, partially blocking me from Solana’s view. No matter how long I stared at her, I couldn’t see any outward sign of evil.
Blakely “So, where exactly are we?” The red-haired woman—Rachel—tipped her head to the side. Her pert nose wrinkled as she replied, “Do you mean in the country or in the pack?” “This is a pack? Are you Wolves or Lycans?” Since we had no clue how different this realm was from our own, I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. Confusion rippled between her, her mate, and the odd-looking male they’d introduced as Apollo. This time it was Dain who spoke. Even his voice held notes of darkness, as though the shadows that followed at his side were a part of his very being. “I don’t believe there’s a difference here. Is that not the case where you’re from?” Orion and I exchanged a look. We had no clue who these people were, and even if I saw Rachel and Dain in the fountain those months ago, how did we know if we could trust them? Considering they had Azrael and Draco, we had no choice. They’d come through the water almost an hour before Orion and I. Apparently, time worked differently here.
Blakely “No, no! That won’t be necessary. We don’t need to kill anyone, Draco. Dain’s been nothing but kind to us considering we popped up in his pack unannounced. Draco swiveled his gaze to the others. His eyes narrowed into slits. “You are sure?” I placed my hands on his shoulders and tangled my fingers through the ends of his hair. “Yes big guy, I’m sure.” The tension eased from Draco’s shoulders, and from his face. He didn’t bother setting me down, and instead opted to carry me in his arms over to Azrael’s side. One look at him and I could hardly breathe. My mate—the first one to accept what we were—was dying a slow death. Even now, I could feel panic rising in my chest. If I were to give into it for even a second, I knew I’d be lost. “Ismene said we needed to find the woman who can burn the poison from his body,” I told Draco. “That’s Rachel. She can save him.” Draco turned so fast that my head spun. “You can heal my brother?” Her brows shot halfway up her forehead. I k
Blakely I grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. The words simply refused to take form. How could I explain that as angry as he made me, there was no way I’d ever be able to stop wanting him? How could I express that I wanted to let go of the past, that the glimpses of the Orion I saw now were what I wanted to hold onto? “Draco’s watching over him.” I said, momentarily shocked by the drop in my voice. There was no fear, no indecision. For once, I knew what I wanted. “Stay with me, sparky.” His eyes widened, “Are you sure?” A wicked thrill shot through me. Azrael was going to live. That gave us more time, and I wanted to cherish every second of it. I wanted none of it to go to waste. “Don’t make me tell you twice.” The smile that brightened Orion’s face turned him from devastatingly handsome to that of a true immortal. I was so struck by it’s beauty that I hadn’t reacted when he lunged for me, scooping me into his arms and pinning m
Blakely Hours after falling asleep in each other’s arms, momentarily sated after four breathtaking rounds, a knock sounded at the door. It was accompanied by Draco’s voice curling throughout my head. Somehow, I could tell it was flooding Orion’s as well. ‘Azrael is awake and asking for you, tiny goddess.’ All thoughts of sleep evaporated from my mind. I shot up from the bed, snarling as the sheets tangled around my body. Orion, who was leaning against the headboard, watched with a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes. With a huff, I stopped thrashing. “How long have you been up?” “Awhile.” He replied, quickly glancing away. “What? Why didn’t you wake me up?” I finally managed to detangle myself from the blankets. Completely nude, and more than aware of Orion’s eyes locked on my ass, I trudged over to the closet and made my way inside. Since our clothes had been shredded, we needed to find something else to wear. Rows upon rows of garments lined the walls. I grabbed a soft c
Blakely Dain and Rachel, along with their suit-wearing guards, had been silent for several minutes following our lengthy explanation. It had taken some debating between the four of us, but we ultimately decided to tell the couple everything that had happened in our realm. Was it risky? Definitely. There was no telling if we could trust these people, but they had just as much on the line as we did. Besides, if there was even a smidgen of a chance that they might know about this pale beast, then it was a risk we needed to take. Nothing mattered more than killing it. “The white bull,” Rachel swallowed heavily, “It’s in your realm now? It came there through this—this Sun Goddess you mentioned?” “Yes.” The word was curt and cold as it left Orion’s lips. “She betrayed us all. Her sister included.” I took a drink, hoping to wet my dry tongue. Speaking about the pale beast made me feel dehydrated and nauseous all at once. Even after learning the truth, we were still no closer to finding
Blakely Sitting down at the desk stationed at the far end of the suite, Orion closed the book in front of him with a sigh. “Both beasts came into existence along with the universe. It doesn’t particularly say how that’s possible, only that it is. Apparently, they exist in every realm, in every galaxy. They’re infinite.” “Which means we’re infinitely fucked.” Azrael chimed in, his head hanging off the end of the chaise lounge. The long strands of his ebony hair trailed along the floor, moving subtly as he watched Draco pace. I set my own book down and turned to lay on my side. “Thank you for those encouraging words.” “Any time, little wolf. According to one of those musty books, I can’t remember which one, all of humanity came into existence from the black beast. It creates, while it’s counterpart, the pale one, corrupts and destroys.” Orion pinched the bridge of his nose, “Most of this information seems rooted in legend. We’ll have to keep digging. I haven’t found any record of th
Orion I should have known something was up the moment Azrael and poison went silent. Now that I’d realized the error of my ways in pushing Blakely aside, I could see clearly how well she fit us. She was able to juggle Azrael’s chaos, Draco’s need to protect, and my somewhat capricious nature, with an ease that felt natural. She truly had been made for us. Whether she was a gift from Lunette herself, or a miracle created by pure happenstance, I was more grateful than I’d ever been to have earned her forgiveness. Or, at least, a portion of it. Enough for her to have gifted me the most precious thing of all: her mark. I thought I’d known desire. Genevieve had piqued my interest well enough, but it was nothing compared to this burning, all-consuming thing now writhing within my chest. A simple whiff of her scent or the feel of her eyes grazing my skin was likely to set me aflame. It wasn’t until last night, having her draped across my chest, snoring softly without a care in the world
Blakely One Year Later “They better not be late.” Orion huffed, ever the grump. “I don’t know why you thought it a good idea to let them galivant off together.” I crept up behind him as we passed a copse of trees a mile or so away from the mansion and leapt onto his back. Of course, the man was built like a damn pillar, so it took a harsh burst of my magic to send us toppling over into a nearby field of wildflowers. As we rolled, Orion wrapped his arms around my body, protecting me from harm. No matter how many times I told them I was an all-powerful immortal now, my mates never failed to protect me. I propped my elbows on Orion’s chest and watched as the scowl marring his beautiful face was replaced with a begrudging smile. He never could stay angry when I was around. I craned my head to look at Draco. On his back was a pack full of all our things. “Here seems like as good a spot as any.” His eyes flared with heat as I shifted myself onto Orion’s lap, straddling him. When I mov
Blakely I listened with open ears and a wounded heart as Ulrich went over the casualties on both sides. Mara, Goddess of Wrath, and Rosalind, Goddess of Beauty, had both been taken down in the fight. Even though they fought on Solana’s side, it was still life lost. I couldn’t help but wonder who would step up to take their place. Vasu, God of Serpents, had escaped during the chaos. Ulrich announced that he’d likely lay low for a few decades until the memories of the battle weren’t so raw. Amora broke into tears as Dhara announced Nyssa’s death. She and Casimir had died within seconds of one another. Whilst Nyssa met her end blocking a blow meant for Dhara, Casimir succumbed to his injuries at the hands of a corrupt beast trying to attack the stream of families evacuating the city. I was relieved to see Ozul, a thick bandage wrapped around his head and a dazed sort of smile on his face as he sat next to his father, Cielo. Both regarded Lina and I warmly. Aspen, whose attitude was
BlakelyEven as the hours passed, I didn’t move from Lina’s side.As I went to take her hand, I realized there was something tucked within it. Prying her fingers away, I found our dad’s compass resting in her palm. Agony consumed me as I cried until my voice gave out.That was how Lina had found me. The compass that was meant to always point towards home led her right to me.To her, I must have been home.I could feel the other Gods and Goddesses approaching, entering the courtyard whilst the wolves—my people—remained a comfortable distance away. I could feel them mourning for me and knew that somewhere deep down they and their wolves felt a whisper of my pain.Orion knelt at my side and quietly explained that Sirona had arrived to heal my injuries. It killed me not to let my mates pull me away, to console me like I knew they wanted, but I simply couldn’t leave Lina’s side.I had failed her. It didn’t matter that I needed to defeat Solana. I was a Goddess, for fucks sake, and I couldn
Blakely I turned my attention to Solana and lunged. Shifting mid-air, I managed to rake my claws across her shoulders before she swung her staff, nailing me in the side. I had severely underestimated the force of her blow, because it sent me skittering across the throne room floor. As I rolled, I shifted back into my human form and unsheathed the sword at my hip. Power cascaded through me, turning the blade black as night. I swung it at Solana and watched as the metal glittered with flecks of stars. The Sun Goddess stepped to the side and caught my blow with the middle of her staff. Sparks of silver and gold flew and the world around me blurred as I met Solana’s movements. Lunging and dodging, gritting my teeth when she managed to land a blow that seared straight through my armor. I could tell she was toying with me, pinning me beneath her paws like a cat having caught its dinner. She had thousands of years’ experience on me, but I had so much more to lose. It was sheer desperati
Blakely I was in the middle of beheading a sentry, their pale blood splattering across my face and slicking the blade of my sword, when Azrael returned to my side. Orion quickly followed, finishing off the last few enemies surrounding him. More and more sentries were pouring in from the adjoining streets. Fear claimed me because I knew sooner or later our forces would be overwhelmed. One look into Orion’s eyes told me he knew this already, but we had no choice but to press forward. The four of us took off down the street, leaping over craters blasted into the stone by Cielo’s lightning. As we ran, the sound of fighting slipped into the distance. Here and there sentries would pop out at us. Only a select few had magic, but that didn’t make those with weapons any less dangerous. I hissed in pain as sentry hurled a small, skinny dagger at me. It clipped my shoulder, carving a slice deep enough to make me wince. Flinging out my hands I morphed the moonlight into razor sharp threads. T
Blakely Ulrich led the way down the tunnel. Within the hour we saw glimmers of light streaming through the darkness. A set of stairs carried us up into the basement of a vacant home. The walls were made from smooth stone, illuminated only by Orion’s cerulean flame. Pushed against the wall were bits of furniture, each one covered in thin white sheets. My mates crept up the stairs, scoping out the place to ensure no one was inside. As they waved us forward, ushering us into a living room, I couldn’t help but drink in our surroundings. It took some time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did I realized the furnishings weren’t too different from what one might see in the mortal realm, only sans technology. I made it a point not to look at the framed pictures hanging on the walls. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stomach seeing what family might have lived here in the past. It would only make me wonder where they were now. Two large windows made up the front of the house
Blakely When I awoke, it was to the gentle rustling of the curtains blocking off our alcove. Rubbing my eyes, I twisted around in Draco’s arms, nearly mashing my face into Azrael’s chest in the process. I yelped when Amora’s face appeared from in between the slats of the fabric. The others awoke at the sound of my surprise. Her mahogany hair was braided over her shoulder. As she spotted us her heart-shaped lips tipped up into a smile. “Oh, you four are just the sweetest.” She cooed, “Look at you all cozied up and in lo—” Orion’s snarl cracked across the room, “Amora, out.” With a dreamy sigh she set a stack of clothing down on the floor and gave us all another dazzling smile, “Ulrich wants me to let you all know we head out in one hour.” The second she left I scrambled to my feet. I dressed so quickly that the others were still half-naked by the time I finished. None of them commented, which I knew they wouldn’t. My mates understood that this time I had with Lina was precious, an
Blakely Draco brushed my hair over my shoulder with gentle fingers, his lips coasting along my neck. My eyes fell shut as a shudder worked its way down my spine, and my body came alive. Even after all we’d been through, I still couldn’t believe these men—these Gods—were mine. Draco with his never-ending support, Orion with his cold fire, and Azrael with his playfulness. They were each a part of me now, and while I still knew so little about their long lives, I was determined to spend the next century learning. “Amora was very insistent we spend what might be our last night together.” His chest rumbled with a growl. “Elias threw out a few ideas, of course.” Azrael’s lips tipped up as he dragged his eyes down my body. I returned the favor, my core clenching when I spotted his hard length straining against the seam of his breeches, “She was nice enough to conjure these blankets for us.” “Did we mention Elias placed a silencing spell over this room?” Orion chimed in with a husky purr.
Blakely My mates and I met up with Shax, who was standing in a group with those accompanying us into the city. Dhara had already started working on the evacuation tunnels, and while her magic would’ve been useful in tunneling to the tavern for us to grab provisions, we couldn’t risk draining her. What mattered most were getting these people out of the city. I had studied the map time and time again, memorizing our route. Katya’s friend, who happened to be a Sphinx, knew the owner of the tavern personally. They had been corresponding with letters, slipping them past Solana’s sentries. He knew we were to arrive tonight and had several crates of food prepared. “Alright, kid. You ready for this?” Ulrich clapped me on the shoulder with so much force I nearly toppled over. Of course, that led to Orion snarling in his face. Azrael had crept around his back, his claws lengthened and poised at his throat. Even Draco hovered nearby, ready to remove the God of War from this world. I waved al