Hello dear readers! The next few chapters are a little longer, but hopefully you will find them well worth it! Please feel free to leave productive feedback - it helps me become a better writer!
Kas's POV Tomorrow is the big day! I'm finally going home. Oh, my Goddess! Thinking about being able to sleep and snuggle up to Bronx every night, being able to get into a routine with the pack, and continuing to hone my abilities, it all sounds perfect. For the first time in my life, I am truly looking forward to my future. I have hope in my heart. Lex is excited because she will have more opportunities to run on the Blood River pack territory. She is looking forward to the additional freedom. I can't blame her. As she has become stronger, she has more energy to burn. Some days I feel like I am vibrating from the inside out because she has trouble containing her energy. I'm also really excited that Delilah and James get to stay together. They are so in love. It is adorable to watch them together. Who knew such a ferocious warrior could turn into such a mushy little pup when he is around his mate? She is going to fit in perfectly with the pack. Marco has been a trooper throughout th
My heart sinks. No no no no. This is not happening. This is NOT happening! Okay, calm down, Kas. Meditate. Find him through our connection. You're a Goddess, damn it. “Alright, if I have to be on lockdown, can it be in the meditation room, please?" I ask Lady Camille. “Of course, Luna Iokaste. Please be careful in your search. Sister Delilah, please accompany your Luna. Should she need anything, you are to assist in any way you can." Lady Camille says in a comforting manner. “Thank you, Lady Camille." I sigh with my hands over my heart. Marco gently takes me by the elbow and leads me to the meditation room with James and Delilah right behind us. Marco and James have never really needed to protect me from a threat. It is shocking to see how their demeanor has changed from being watchful to being protective. There's no windows or other doors in the meditation room. It is dimly lit with mats and cushions placed on the floor. There is a hint of music playing in the background. One w
Kas's POV As I pull away from my physical body and spread my spirit into the universe, I feel him. His spirit is fading, but he's there. I sense a familiar pain coursing through me. Something tells me his back is wet with blood and there is poison in his veins, but my spirit doesn't understand that physical concept. I focus on him with all my power. His and Saint's souls are in limbo. They are no longer connected to each other, not alive, but not yet dead. I collect their essences, willing them to come toward me, toward life, and follow me back to Bronx's body before it's too late. I push my healing powers out to Bronx and Saint. Giving them the strength to live. "Bronx, come back, Sweetheart." I sense his spirit recognizes mine. He flickers brighter. It's almost indistinguishable, but it's there. The tiniest little spark. "I need you to tell me where you are, Bronx." A vision comes to me of an abandoned house with a human church in the distance. It's a very old stone structure.
Lex's POV I can't feel Kas. For the first time in millennia, our spirits are split from each other. I know I'm a warrior, but I'm scared. Kas and I have worked through our problems together forever. Like she said, forever in the past and forever in the future. Without her, I'm just a wolf. I don't know where I am or how I'm going to get back to her. The last thing I remember, she was reaching out to the universe to find our mate. She didn't realize she reached too far. But I don't blame her. She did the right thing. We needed to find Saint and Bronx. We found them. By the time we got to Bronx, Saint was already edging to Purgatory, moments from death. Kas was amazing. She kept reaching, even after we were stretched too far. I helped but I could feel the strain on her human spirit. I reached out to Saint and made a connection with him. I led him back to Bronx. I don't know if he made it all the way. I hope he did. Saint isn't here now. Neither is Kas or Bronx. I'm so scared. I pray m
I run the water in the huge bathtub. Kas comes in with a sachet full of fragrant herbs and spreads them in the water. As they touch the surface, they sizzle and disappear, turning the water a deep aqua green. I step in first, then help her in. Kas sits behind me and gently pours water down my back, being careful not to touch my wounds with her hands. The initial sting gives way to a cooling feeling. My skin immediately feels relief, causing me to audibly groan. "Now this is some magic I can get into." I sigh. Kas giggles behind me. "These witches know a thing or two about healing, huh?" We adjust our positions so she is sitting in front of me. I move her braided hair out of the way and use the cup to pour the water over her back. The sight of her wounds makes me cringe. "Oh, Baby, this is terrible." I don't even realize I say it out loud. "It was worth it, Bronx. It isn't any worse than what I have experienced before." She turns her head slightly back toward me and says with a sl
Kas's POV An hour later, we are standing at the gates to the coven's realm. Henri is there with blacked-out SUVs to transport us. We don't stop at Lune D'or, but we do stop at a small café in the quaint little human town where the airport is while we wait for our flight time. I am not very hungry, so I only have a small plate of cheeses and meats. At first, Bronx insists I sit on his lap, but he keeps getting pulled away by phone calls, so I sit next to Delilah. I watch my mate pacing on the sidewalk and smoking outside the big window, which reminds me that Marco has my phone. I don't expect any calls or messages. Everyone who has the number knew I was unavailable. I power up the phone and wait a minute as it connects with wifi. Notifications start to ping… dozens of them. Soon my phone is flooded with notifications. I open my texts to find that Bronx messaged me every day. Things to the effect of how much he cares about me and misses me, updates on things going on with the pack, a
After a long day of catching up with everyone, Bronx and I finally get back to our apartment. I'm exhausted, but I need a shower. The problem is, my back is still sore, and not completely healed. I let Bronx lift my shirt to check my wounds. He agrees that the water pressure is probably a bad idea for another day or so. “How about I run a bath for us, Baby?" He offers. He gives me a gentle hug and goes to run the water. When I get into the bathroom, Bronx helps me undress. “I got this, Baby. Let me take care of you." He insists. I blush at the gesture as he carefully removes my clothes for me. With every piece of clothing he removes, he places innocent little kisses on my skin, setting off little sparks with each one. He helps me into the tub, then removes his clothes and joins me. Bronx lets me look at his back first. His wounds are mostly healed, except for the ones that were the deepest. There are scars starting to form across his whole back. Most of his tattoos are ruined. Wh
"Bronx?" I say shyly. I hope he is sleepy enough that he will just say yes to my request. "Yeah, Baby?" He responds sleepily. His voice is almost a whisper. "I want to do something for you, but I need your permission and I'm afraid you'll say no." I try to sound casual and calm. The light of the moon shining through the window is the only light allowing me to see his reaction. He opens his eye, and looks at me with concern, but his voice sounds suspicious of my motives. "Why would I ever tell you no? More importantly, why would you need permission?" "I-I want to heal you." I sit up, facing him. "I don't want you to end up with scars like mine. I know in Blood River having scars is a badge of honor, but this is different." "You're right. I'm going to say no." He rolls gingerly on his back away from me and stares at the ceiling. "It isn't your burden to bear. I don't want you to waste your precious strength on something like that. You're healing yourself. You don't need to heal me,
I sit on the edge of the bed in the silent room. So this is what twenty-five feels like. I wonder if a hundred and twenty-five will feel just as good. What about two hundred and twenty-five? I laugh to myself at the thought as I head into the bathroom. I look in the mirror and run a brush through my white hair. None of the sparkly gray came back when it grew in four and a half years ago. I examine the mirror closer. It looks like there are some more violet flecks in the light gray of my irises, but maybe that’s just me being hopeful. I still don’t have any abilities other than being able to shift and mind linking other pack members. I splash water on my face and brush my teeth. There will be time to shower later before the pack Summer Solstice party and pack run. I pick up some toys that made their way into the closet room and find a dark blue sundress to wear. Once I am changed, I look at myself in the full-length mirror and smile. When I get into the living room, Marco comes up an
The smell of pine needles and lavender fills the room. I keep my eyes closed and hide my smile as the giggles get closer. “Mommy? Are you awake?” Maya’s little voice whispers loudly. I can feel her weight climbing onto the bed. “Shhh, Maya, Mommy gets to sleep, because it’s her birfday,” Andreas giggles at her while he climbs onto the bed as well. I roll over and pretend to yawn with a big growl and stretch my arms out wide, grabbing them both and bringing them toward me. Their happy squeals fill my heart with joy. “Hello, darlings,” I squeeze them tightly in my arms. “Mommy, happy birfday!” Andreas says happily and gives me a wet kiss on the cheek. “Mommy, Auntie Delilah said she’s made a cake for you,” Maya says with big gray eyes. She lays in my arms and plays with my white hair. She gives a sly little smile, “I think she made chocolate.” “Oh, she did, did she?” I smile back. The twins talk excitedly at the same time, telling me about all the things they want to do with me to
Kas’s POV I sit in front of him, even though he doesn’t know I’m there. I’m afraid if I look away, I may never see him again. Elexis’s black snout pushes under my elbow so I will put my arm around her while she sits next to me. I let myself lean heavily against her while we watch our mate realize that my spirit has left my body. “He broke the mate bond, Kas. Our spirits’ journeys are finished,” Lex says quietly, “There are no more lifetimes for us.” “I understand,” I nod slowly as I run my fingers through her silky onyx fur, “Lex, through everything, I forgive him. I’m sure it seems foolish, but I don’t have the desire to hold on to hate or malice when I move on. So, I forgive him.” “Of course you do. You have a good heart, Kas. I know how much you loved him over the centuries.” “I’ve made my peace, and I died knowing I did everything I could do to save my sisters and keep my pups alive. There is nothing else I need to fulfill me.” “It has been a pleasure being your wolf, Kas. I
“She’s pregnant?” I ask out loud, no one in particular. “Twins,” Reggie says dully. “Based on how big she is and comparing her to when Musu was pregnant, we think she’s due any day. Since she hasn’t eaten, her babies are basically using her body for nutrition. For lack of a better term, they’re eating her alive,” Milo says, as he brushes his hand against her cheek. He sits back on his heels and looks at her with tears in his eyes, “We don’t know what happened to Lex. She hasn’t been able to heal her for over three weeks now.” “What did the doctor say?” I gulp hard. I plant my feet to the ground, afraid to move. “You said no fucking doctors,” Reggie hisses at me through gritted teeth, “or have you forgotten?” “LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Saint’s first words in weeks are pure rage against me. He tries to claw his way forward to take control and get to Kas, still protective of her. I take a step forward. A small piece of me, a deep down part that has been hidden awa
Bronx’s POV “Come on, man. It’s been a month. We’re sick of this shit. If this is your order, if this is truly what you want, then man the fuck up and come to the dungeon so you can see your damn handy work,” Milo’s steel-gray eyes bore into me, “Like you said, you don’t give a fuck anymore, so prove it. Come see what you’re doing.” “Watch your tone, Milo,” I stand up, growling at him. “Look, Bronx, you can come with us right now or you can find Blood River another Beta. I have plenty of packs who have already said they would give me asylum. Fuck being a Beta. I’ll take a job as a front gate guard and call it a fucking day. I’ll pack my shit, take Codi, and leave today if that’s how you really want this to go down. Your choice,” he crosses his arms and stares me down. Behind him, Reggie has his hands on his hips, looking at the floor. “What about you, Reggie? You're awfully quiet. Are you part of this ultimatum, too?” I lean forward against the desk, giving him a chance to speak u
Milo’s POV Marco had told us to find her binder before Bronx ordered us to lock him in solitary confinement. He said Kas kept note cards and binders for everything. We just had to find the correct binder to figure out what she was up to. He couldn’t tell us anymore because of some sort of potion he had swallowed. He was right. We rifled through dozens of binders in her office until we found one in her desk drawer that had a sticker labeled ‘Manae Notes’. It detailed everything, complete with cute pictures of rooms and furniture she wanted to use magic to create so her sisters would be comfortable in the home she was building for them. Some of the note cards were actually thin sheets of parchment that looked like they were hundreds of years old. Others were thick handmade papers that were crumbling on the edges. There were at least six different languages among the cards. Musu helped us translate most of them, but a few she said were in dead languages she wasn’t familiar with. Regardl
Kas’s POV I wake up in the morning feeling stiff and sore. I slide out of bed with a groan and look in the mirror. Even more than yesterday, I don’t recognize the reflection I see. Pale skin with dark bags below my eyes. All the violet from my irises is gone, replaced by a gray so light, it could be mistaken for white. I gently run a brush through my brittle, thinning hair. It is no longer gray and glittery. It’s turned into a dull shade of white that matches my eyes. I put on a loose dress and a heavy long cardigan to hide the joints protruding from all my angles before I go out to address my sisters for one last time before escorting them to Kardiá tou Manae. When I first met Lenora, bruises from my nose being broken upset her. What she would think now at my self-imposed deterioration. I turn to the side and admire my growing belly. I let myself smile when I feel the impatient little kicks coming from inside. I spend time with each team of sisters and make sure they are still on
Bronx’s POV Halloween comes and goes. Thanksgiving comes and goes. Winter Solstice is only a couple of weeks away. The frigid Montana winter trudges on. The world keeps turning as if Kas never existed. Last week, I heard Katherine Santoro’s abandoned estate in Greece burned down to the ground. No fatalities and no signs of the other residents and staff who lived there several days prior. A few days later, hunters found Katherine’s naked body, along with an unidentified woman, both mauled by wild animals in a wooded area of Mongolia. The artist's sketch of the other woman is clearly Cora. As soon as they confirmed Katherine was dead, I had my people get to work on acquiring Santoro Enterprises. Within several months, I will be the CEO, absorb the company into MasonCo and create a logistics division. If there are any Manae hiding among Santoro Enterprises staff, I will flush them out and throw them into the dungeon to rot. It’s what they deserve. If Kas ever dares show her face aga
Katherine’s POV The estate is unusually quiet when I get home from work. I don’t notice the usual hustle and bustle, but I chalk it up to coming home later than I normally do. I push open the door to my darkened office, pour myself a glass of scotch, and make my way over to the desk. I turn on the desk lamp and sit down, taking a deep sip of my drink. “Hello, Iokaste,” I lean back in my chair, addressing the woman in the tall wingback seat across the desk, “You look like shit.” “Hello, Katherine. Thank you for the compliment,” she snarks at me and leans forward from the shadow, letting me see her pale skin and sunken eyes be more clearly. Her spindly hand supports her chin. The longer I look at her, the more I realize she is way too thin. “K-Kas. Are-are you alright?” I stammer when I see her true condition. “Don’t worry about me, darling. You never have before. I’m here because I need you to do something for me. I’m going to give you a choice on how you do it,” she says, steepl