As we make our way across the room, people begin to notice Bronx and me. They stop to pay their respects and smile, happy to see us together and holding hands, looking healthy. They look at him longer than usual, as if they are trying to figure out what is different about him. It’s not clear whether they notice it, but no one points out his missing eye patch. As we get to the head table, Lenora is sitting next to Codi, who claps happily in her high chair when she sees us. Lenora is digging through a diaper bag looking for something to keep Codi occupied until the kitchen staff can bring food for her. Bronx conveniently lets go of my hand before Lenora notices us and makes his way in the opposite direction to avoid her. “Au Ka!” Codi squeals and raises her arms up to me, clapping gleefully. Lenora smiles and pulls the toddler from the seat. She gives her a kiss on her chubby cheek and hands her to me. I gladly pull her into my arms and give her raspberries while she giggles and claps.
"What in the Goddess's name are you talking about?" Lenora snarls at Katherine, "Kas, you better get your sister out of here before I do it for you. If she thinks she's taking my baby to be her mate, she's more fucked in the head than I ever imagined." I look at Lenora to see her eyes are solid black as Justice surface. It only takes a flicker of a glance at Delilah for us to intervene. We both step in between Lenora and Katherine, making more space between the women. All the while, Milo is trying to soothe a hysterical, screaming Codi. "Lenora, please don't make me use my Luna voice. You know I hate that," I try to reason with her, but it's too late. My fearless mama-wolf, Beta, is ready to protect her pup, and she has her sights set on Katherine. She tries to push past me, but I grab her arms and hold her solidly. She may be six inches taller than me, but with Lex helping, I'm still stronger. "I said stand down, Lenora," my Luna voice booms from deep inside me. Almost instantly, L
“...fastest dinner ever...” I hear Bronx say, but he sounds like he’s underwater. The high pitch buzzing sound is trying to push its way forward, but I fight against it with all my concentration. Lex is trying to speak to me, but she sounds like she’s miles away. I stand up so I can join Bronx in front of the table, but Milo and Lenora take my hands and pull me into my seat. Codi is in my lap, hugging me tightly. I can feel the warmth of our special connection and hug her back. Pack members cheer and howl silently as Bronx gives his speech. He paces slowly and confidently while his hands add emotion to his words. Our pack looks so happy. That’s how it should be. Happy. A plate of chicken cordon bleu is in front of me. I look at it curiously. My mind can’t seem to remember how eating works. I dip my finger in the sauce and give Codi a taste. She claps her hands, but there is no noise. Lenora gives Bronx a worried look and shakes her head as she pulls her pup from my lap. Red, gold,
Bronx’s POV I feel so fucking helpless. Just like they always do, the doctors say to just let her sleep. I should be able to do more, be able to help my mate. I’m her Guardian, right? They tell me I was made for her. Sitting here holding her hand while she sleeps in a hospital bed is not helping her. There is no way this is what I was made for. This can’t be the type of help they mean. “Come on, Kas. Please wake up, Baby. Please,” I whisper when I brush her sparkly gray bangs out of her face. She looks so still and peaceful, but it is distressing at the same time. I never know what’s going through her head. She hides twice as much as she shares with the world, even me. I know she thinks she is protecting everyone by keeping her emotions locked down. There is so much from her past she holds on to. I try to respect that. I can’t take it away from her, but there is so much future to look forward to if she would just allow it. I look up at the clock, two-thirty a.m. She lost consciousne
I watch from the doorway as Cora sweetly whispers a Greek lullaby to Kas before she leaves. She kisses her forehead and brushes her sister’s cheek before she finally leaves the room. “I will stay for now. I can say goodbye when she wakes up. Then I will make peace with my fate. I must help my Agrios. If their wolves come here, please have kindness,” Cora requests in a soft tone as she watches Kas from the doorway. I hold my hand out to her, palm up, so she can place hers in mine, extending the courtesy of the more primal interaction to make her comfortable. When the sensation of her ambient energy courses through me, I feel Saint howling with happiness. As much as he tries to play it off, it's clear that she is special to him, too. “Thank you for helping me understand, Cora. I have another question,” I look her in the eye. She simply nods with approval to ask, “My guard Marco told me you said you had to be named Persephone. Why is that?” “Because of the Waiting Room,” she looks to
Kas’s POV “Kas, you’re sure about this, right?” Lex asks while I get changed into fresh clothes, “I mean, I agree with your decision, but I just want to make sure this is what you really want to do. We don’t know if it’s going to work.” “I’m sure, Lex. We have to try. I only have to live long enough to give birth to Cora. After that, worst case, you and I meet again in our next lifetime,” I say resolutely, “You have my back, right?” “Yes, I have your back. Jeez, Kas, you’re such a badass, you know that? You're making this lifetime one of my favorites,” she coos at me, "A true warrior child of the Moon Goddess." I roll my eyes at her, “Speaking of lifetimes, hundreds of them. I understand why you couldn’t tell me but you told me we have had like fifteen or twenty lifetimes with Bronx, with all things relative, that isn’t very many.” “Well, there are a couple reasons for that,” she says sheepishly, “Sometimes you die before you meet him. Sometimes you die before I even wake up.” “W
“So, she’s just gonna go...prepare to die?” Tyree asks, looking down the hall after Cora. “Essentially, yeah,” I frown, “Then I give birth to her.” All he can do is shake his head in disbelief. I leave him and go to Amari’s door. We greet each other with a smile when she opens it. “Kas! A-are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying,” she pulls me into her room. “I just said goodbye to Cora,” I feel my lip tremble but remind myself what Cora said. It is temporary. I swallow back the lump in my throat, “Amari, I have a question about something you said to me.” “Of course, darling. What is it?” She pulls two chairs and we sit down at the kitchenette table. “The other day, you said I was an energy vampire. Lex said it's a slur, but what is it exactly? I have never heard of it before,” I ask calmly. “Oh, that. Well, yes, Elexis is right. It is a slur these days. I shouldn’t have said it. The more politically correct term is energy empath,” she places her hands on the table as she
I wake up in the morning in my bed next to Kas, who has herself wrapped around me. Her light snores tell me she is comfortable, so I try not to interrupt her. The last thing I remember is Saint blocking me out after we shifted, so he could spend some alone time with Lex. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and realize I have sap stuck to the side of my face with pine needles embedded in the sap. My hands are filthy and I smell like I may have gotten sprayed by a wild animal. I carefully unwrap Kas from around me, so she doesn’t wake up. She has fared no better. Her hair is full of dry, caked mud with little twigs and bits of leaves sticking out. There are streaks of dirt on her face and dried blood on her chin. Looks like Lex must have been hunting rabbits. Kas lets out a content sigh as I get out of bed and pull the covers over her. I stop short when I realize she has bite marks all over the scarred part of her back. Saint knows Lex can’t heal Kas’s scars quickly. Why would he do that
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