Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

A riana’s heart was a storm of emotion, a maelstrom of grief and unwilling acceptance. The battlefield, once a whirlwind of clashing elements and dark power, had quieted to an eerie, almost reverent silence. She could still smell the pungent scent of sulfur mixed with burning timber, feel the residual tremors that echoed in her bones. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at the ash where Hannah had stood moments before, the flames of sacrifice still imprinted on her mind’s eye.

Colt’s presence beside her was both solid and grounding, but even his nearness couldn’t dull the sharp edge of loss that clung to her. They moved like phantoms through the haunting remains of the fight, their bodies aching with a weariness that ran deeper than physical pain.

As she looked around, the remnants of battle played in slow motion: Vilkas stood panting. His shoulders heaved with the exertion of his struggle, no longer feral but weary. Jaxon, his arm bleeding, leaned against a tree, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any remaining threats. The pack was safe for now, but Hannah was gone.

A sob caught in her throat, and she turned to Colt. “Hannah... she gave everything.”

His blue eyes, filled with shared grief and steely resolve, met hers. “We need to honor her by staying strong. Together, we’ll ensure her sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

Before Ariana could respond, the air shimmered with an unearthly glow. A figure materialized before them, tall and imposing, draped in robes of deep midnight blue. It was Thoth, the god of wisdom.

Thoth’s presence was commanding, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield with a solemnity that spoke of ancient wisdom. He walked toward the inert blade, the weapon that had been the focal point of so much suffering.

“I am here to reclaim the blade,” he announced, his voice like a serene yet stern tide over the fractured silence.

Ariana’s heart pounded in her chest. “Why? Why now, after everything that’s happened?”

Thoth regarded her with eyes that seemed to hold the weight of centuries. “This blade was never meant to corrupt nor be a weapon of darkness. It was a relic, a tool of balance, tainted and twisted by the depths of human anguish and betrayal. The gods assigned it a purpose—one that was derailed. It must now be hidden in a new location, away from hands unworthy of its power, so it may await the awakening of the ancient evil it was created to contain.”

As Thoth’s words hung in the air like the last notes of a haunting melody, a ripple of unease coursed through Ariana. For every piece of wisdom imparted, there loomed the shadow of Hannah’s absence, a stark reminder of what they had lost in the chaos. Before she could fully process his statement, the sky above them darkened, and the flickering embers of twilight transformed into a tempest of energy. Seth and Kaitlyn emerged from the swirling shadows, their expressions marked by fear and urgency.

“Seth! Kaitlyn!” Ariana called, rushing toward them as Colt stood frozen.

Kaitlyn, her auburn hair flowing like fire, looked between the group with panic-stricken eyes. “We felt her! Hannah… we sensed her departure!” She reached for Ariana, pulling her into a fierce embrace. “I can feel her, even now. She’s not gone forever.”

Ariana, still choking on sorrow, pulled back. “She sacrificed herself for us.”

But Kaitlyn’s face softened with a maternal glow that seemed to come from deep within her fiery essence. “Hannah is part of something greater. As a phoenix—a being of rebirth and regeneration—her spirit is woven into the fabric of the universe. In death comes the potential for life renewed. Trust that she will come back to us.”

Seth stepped forward, the weight of his fatherly concern clear on his rugged features. “While my heart breaks at the thought of my sweet Hannah no longer among us, she was a guardian through and through and did what any of us would have done.” He touched her cheek. “Including you.”

Thoth nodded, the echo of his presence issuing an air of authority. “Even as we reclaim what was lost, we must not forget the ties that bind us to the fallen. Handle her memory with care. It shall guide you in the darkness yet to come.”

Ariana looked up at Thoth, her resolve flickering like a candle caught in a windstorm. “Then we shall erect a memorial here, in her honor.”

Colt stepped beside her and slipped his arm around her waist. “I love that idea.”

Colt stood among the gathered pack. The weight of their collective grief pressed down like an unyielding fog. They had worked tirelessly, side by side, to erect a solemn memorial in Hannah’s honor—a breathtaking structure built of smooth river stones, each one carefully selected and placed as a testament to her life and sacrifice. At its center, a fiery flame danced in a meticulously crafted bowl, flickering brilliantly against the backdrop of dusk, illuminating the faces of those who had gathered to pay tribute.

The flame was not merely a fire; it shimmered with an ethereal quality, casting hues of orange and gold that twisted among the shadows. It breathed and pulsed with a life of its own, as if Hannah herself inhabited it, a reminder of the phoenix she was destined to become. Surrounding the flame were sprigs of winterberry and evergreen, handpicked and arranged by the pack members who honored her unwavering bravery.

As the last of the twilight dimmed, Colt felt a sense of finality wash over him. The memorial was complete, a perfect blend of nature’s beauty and their collective grief, and it would forever serve as a beacon of hope and love in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Pack members listened as Ariana’s and Hannah’s parents shared stories, punctuated by tears, of the goddess’s life. Colt found solace in each recollection. Yet, even within the shared fondness for Hannah, he felt the distinct pull of Ariana beside him—a tether that grounded his stormy thoughts.

Eventually, the pack drifted away, their voices fading into the night as they returned to their respective duties, some still mourning, others seeking healing in the bustle of everyday life. As the last of them stepped away, Colt turned to Ariana, feeling the weight of the moment settle firmly between them.

“She would have loved this,” Ariana said softly, her eyes reflecting the flickering flame.

Colt nodded, his heart aching for the loss his mate felt, yet he was filled with a bittersweet gratitude for Hannah. “And she’ll always be with us, no matter what happens.”

Ariana looked up at him, uncertainty mingled with strength in her gaze. “Do you think we’ll be okay? After everything? I can feel the darkness still lingering in the air. Will we be enough?”

He reached out and wrapped his fingers around hers, feeling the spark of their connection solidify within the uncertainty. “We faced the darkness before, and we emerged stronger. We will do it again. Together.”

Her fingers tightened around his, and the warmth of her grasp sent a rush of comfort through him. Even in the lingering shadow of loss, he saw the flame of determination ignite within her.

“Colt,” she began, her voice laced with vulnerability, “what if something like this happens again? What if we can’t protect the pack?”

He studied her face, the way her burdens carved small lines of worry around her eyes and felt the fierce urge to shield her from that pain. “We’ll always be ready,” he reassured her. “No matter the threat, we’ll face it head-on. We have one another—your gift, our bond, our connection to the pack—it all strengthens us.” The sincerity of his words rang in the dimming air.

Her expression softened, though traces of grief still haunted her features. “I don’t want to lose anyone else. Not again.”

The thought of their losses weighed heavily on his heart, but he maintained steady eye contact, ensuring she felt the unwavering reassurance in his gaze. “We’ll honor Hannah by living fully and cherishing every moment with those we love. Promise me that through every night, we will seek the dawn together.”

She swallowed hard, and for a fleeting moment, a glimmer of hope lit her eyes. “I promise, Colt.”

With the gentle breeze whispering through the trees, he took a step closer to her, a magnetic pull guiding him deeper into her orbit. “Come on, let’s break away from the weight for a little while. Just us,” he murmured.

His mate offered a small smile and nodded.

As they journeyed back to their new cabin—a sanctuary amidst the wilderness—Colt closed the door behind them, sealing the outside world away. In the warm glow of the dim fireplace, they found themselves intertwined. The palpable tension between them flickered like the flame they had just left. The silence bore witness to a tumultuous storm of feeling—grief interwoven with a desire to rebuild what was lost.

Ariana stepped into his embrace. The softness of her body fit perfectly against his, and he inhaled the comforting scent of her hair. “I’ve never felt so lost and yet so found,” she confessed, her voice muffled in the fabric of his shirt.

His heart swelled, a heady warmth flooding his chest. “You’re not lost, Ariana. You’re right here with me,” he whispered, tilting her chin to meet his gaze. “I will always be here for you, through every storm and every scar we carry. We’ll rebuild, we’ll heal, together.” His words were a vow, sealing the promise he felt in his bones.

Ariana’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but there was a spark of determination there as well. “Together,” she echoed, a resilient whisper filled with hope.

With each breath they took, the weight of their loss lightened. Colt leaned in, capturing her lips, brushing against the lingering heaviness that had brought them together in grief. The kiss grew deeper, filled with the warmth of shared struggles and unyielding love—the promise of beginnings intertwined with endings. When they finally broke apart, the space between them throbbed with the electricity of unspoken emotions, and with a tender smile, Ariana moved to the side of the cabin, pulling him toward the window. The moon hung high above, casting silver beams that illuminated the remnants of their world outside, transformed by the night’s events.

“Do you feel the pull of the moon?” she whispered.

“Yes. It calls to me, but my desire for you outweighs the need to shift.” He grabbed her and spun her to face him.

Ariana gasped as he gripped her hips, pulling her flush against him. He claimed her mouth in a searing kiss, hungry and demanding. He wanted to devour every part of her. It was a desperate kiss, filled with the weight of their shared pain and the need for comfort, for connection.

Colt groaned against her mouth. “You drive me crazy, you know that?” His voice was rough with emotion.

She moaned, arching into him as he kissed a trail down her body. “Colt, please, I need you.” The desperation in her voice was clear, a plea for him to claim her, to fill her with his presence, to take away the haunting images of the battle and death.

He tugged at her shirt, impatient to feel her soft skin against his fingers. As soon as her shirt landed on the floor, he cupped her breasts in his palms, kneading and caressing, tweaking her nipples until she cried out.

Sucking her nipple into his mouth, he flicked his tongue over the sensitive bud. Swirling and nibbling until she writhed with desire. He then shifted his attention to her other breast, giving it the same treatment, leaving her panting.

His own body was aflame with desire, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat, echoing the primal need that surged within him and his wolf. He could feel Ariana’s heart racing in tandem with his, her breath hitching as he lavished attention on her breasts, drawing out a gasp from deep within her. He wanted to consume her, to lose himself in her, to reaffirm their bond in the most carnal and profound way.

With trembling hands, he unfastened her jeans, pushing them down along with her underwear, fully exposing her to his hungry gaze. She kicked the clothing aside; her body now bare and glistening in the moonlight filtering through the window. He took a moment to drink in the sight of her, his mate, his love, her curves bathed in silver light, her eyes dark with desire.

He removed his own clothing, his body aching with the need to feel her skin against his. Ariana reached for him, her hands tracing the lines of his muscles, her fingers dancing over his heated flesh. He captured her mouth again, their tongues clashing in a dance of desperation and longing.

He backed her up against the wall, lifted her, and Ariana wrapped her legs around his waist, fully surrendering herself to him. He could feel the slick heat of her arousal against his cock, and it sent a surge of pure, primal lust coursing through him.

“Colt,” she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders, her eyes locked onto his. “Please, don’t make me wait any longer.”

With a groan that sounded like it had been torn from the very depths of his soul, he sheathed himself completely in her tight, wet heat, thrusting into her. Ariana cried out, her head falling back against the wall, her body arching into his. He moved, his hips pistoned against hers, each thrust a claim, a promise, a testament to their shared passion and pain.

The room filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, the raw, primal symphony of flesh against flesh, of gasps and moans and whispered pleas. The tension built within him, the coil of pleasure tightened in his lower abdomen, but he wanted to draw this out, to make this moment last. He wanted to lose himself in his mate, to drown in her scent, her touch, her taste.

Slowing down, his movements became more deliberate with deeper thrusts. Ariana whimpered in protest, her hips bucking against his, urging him to move faster. But Colt held firm, his grip on her hips tightening as he controlled the tempo, drawing out their pleasure.

Capturing her mouth, his tongue mimicking the slow, sensual movements of his hips. Ariana moaned into his mouth, her body trembling with need and frustration. Her inner muscles clenched around him, trying to draw him deeper, to push him over the edge. But Colt held strong, his body slick with sweat, his muscles trembling with the effort of restraint. He wanted to bring Ariana to the brink, to push her to the edge of ecstasy and hold her there, suspended in a state of pure, aching desire.

He broke the kiss and licked down her neck, his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin. Ariana gasped. Her body shuddered as he sucked and licked at the spot where her pulse raced. Her heart pounded against his lips, and he could taste the salt of her sweat, the sweetness of her skin.

“Colt, please,” she begged, her voice a ragged whisper. “I can’t take anymore. I need...”

He knew what she needed. He could tell by how her body shook, by her desperate pleas, and by how she held onto him. She needed release, needed the explosive, shattering orgasm that would consume her, body and soul. And he needed it, too. Needed to feel her come apart in his arms, needed to know that he had brought her to that place of sheer, overwhelming pleasure. Needed to share that moment with her, to join her in that state of pure, unadulterated bliss.

With a growl that seemed to rumble up from the very depths of his being, Colt moved again, his hips driving against hers with a renewed urgency. Each thrust was deliberate, powerful, pushing Ariana closer to the edge. Her body tensed, her breath came in sharp gasps, her nails dug into his flesh as she clung to him.

The room filled with the raw, primal sounds of their passion—the wet slap of flesh against flesh, the ragged symphony of their breaths, the moans, and gasps that escaped their lips. Their passion heightened every sensation, made every touch electric, and transformed every movement into a dance of pure, unadulterated need.

Colt’s heart pounded in his chest, his pulse racing as heat surged through his veins. He could feel the coil of pleasure tightening within him once more, the pressure building to an almost unbearable level. But he held on, his focus solely on Ariana, on when she would shatter in his arms.

Her eyes locked onto his, her gaze filled with a wild, desperate intensity. “Colt, I’m so close,” she whispered, her voice hoarse with desire. Her body trembled, her muscles clenching around him with an almost unbearable tightness. He leaned in, his lips grazing her ear, his breath hot against her skin. “Let go, Ariana,” he growled, his voice low and commanding. “Come for me.”

And with those words, she did. Her body convulsed, her muscles clamping down on him like a vise as she cried out his name. The sound echoed through the room, a raw, primal scream that sent a shockwave of pleasure coursing through him.

His mate’s orgasm was a force to be reckoned with, a wave of pure ecstasy that left her gasping for breath, her body shuddering, and arching against his. Colt felt every ripple of her pleasure, every clench of her muscles, and it pushed him to the very brink. Even so, he held on, his hips moving with a fierce rhythm, drawing out her orgasm, pushing her further and further into the abyss of pleasure. His own release built, the pressure becoming almost unbearable, a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Ariana’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze locking onto his, her lips parted as she panted for breath. “Colt, come with me,” she whispered, her voice a sultry, desperate plea.

And with those words, he let go. His orgasm tore through him like a wildfire, consuming him, body and soul. He thrust deep into her, his body convulsing as waves of pleasure crashed over him, drowning him in a sea of raw, primal ecstasy.

His hips jerked against hers, his body shaking as he poured himself into her, claiming her, marking her as his own all over again.

Ariana clung to him, her body trembling as she rode out the aftershocks of her own orgasm, her muscles clenching around him, drawing out every drop of his pleasure. They stayed like that for a moment, their bodies entwined, their hearts pounding in sync, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

The world gradually came back into focus, the haze of pleasure faded, leaving behind a warm, languid glow. Colt pressed his forehead against Ariana’s, his eyes locked onto hers, his breath mingling with hers.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I love you so damn much, Ariana.”

A soft smile played at the corners of her lips, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I love you too, Colt,” she replied, her voice filled with a profound, unwavering certainty. “More than anything. Through every storm, every battle, every moment of joy and sorrow, I love you.”