Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

ORION

A dizzy rush bent my knees. I stopped myself from tumbling forward, Miko's hands on me for extra support.

This wasn't right. Where had the bee queen gone?

Wendy's insistent beeping seemed to be a directive to look at the screen.

I did, shaking, struggling with yet another twist in this tale.

Don't cry. Hold it together. There must be a good reason for this…

Words moved across the screen as if being typed:

Dear Orion,

I'm a virtual pet again. My queenly privileges have been revoked. I'm not sure why, but I think it means I don't get to go back to making more honey. This must be enough. Fate has provided the tools, but no more than this.

Make it count.

Tears blurred my vision. I blinked them free. "Are… Are you…" Crap. Words failed me.

More text appeared:

I'm hoping we can stay like this. Friends. Forever.

I prefer this, to be honest.

I whimpered, Miko's hold on me tightening.

"Wendy…"

"It's alright," Miko whispered.

His voice held the power to stop me from sobbing. Wendy was right. We'd been handed enough tools to save this world. We had to make them work for us now.

The screen changed, Wendy a bee, not a blob like before. Wings buzzing in a digital way, her happiness bar full, her hunger one-half empty.

"I'll feed you later," I said.

Beep, beep.

Pocketing her, I did the same with my emotions. At least she got to live. At least we weren't going to separate with her sudden death.

Stars! Don't even think it!

"I really wanted you to meet her as a bee," I muttered to Miko.

"I'm sorry, Ori." He took a honey ball, holding it up to his face. "I eat this, right?"

"Yes." Replicating honey worked either by eating it directly or by spreading it on bread or something.

"I'll eat them all now in case we lose any after we go inside." He nodded at the stairs.

My mate swallowed the ball whole. His body shimmered with honeyed light, a rippling glow moving up him from toes to crown.

"Do you feel different?" James asked.

"Tingly. Wait. There's?—"

Another Miko sidestepped out of him, a prefect replica, every detail exact. Even his scent.

I rubbed my eyes to be sure this wasn't a dream. "Wow…"

"It worked." Miko circled the replica, the fake him standing with his arms by his sides, staring out at the view.

I approached, amazed by it, the rest of the pack close behind me.

"Freaky," Paige said. "And super cool."

Miko prodded his replica. "Solid." He took another ball, made another.

My head spun. Yes, I'd been expecting this, but the reality was no less than bizarre.

Bizarre yet crucial. These replicas would save his life.

Miko finished all the honey, surrounded by his army of Mikos. To anyone else, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But I could. And, well, maybe his pack. Only the true Miko's heart cast its special energy to me, forever coiled around my soul with bonding threads.

Real Miko looked straight at me. "Let's do this."

The other Mikos turned to face him, at his command.

"Not creepy at all," James said to me.

I swallowed a giggle.

Miko moved to the head of his replicas, ordering them to be ready. They all saluted him.

"Weapons before we go in," Cate said, opening her sports bag. "I found these when we came after you, sir."

Real Miko nodded. "A lucky find."

"By a likeminded individual," she said, handing me an axe.

My insides lit up with violent glee. "You know me so well."

The pack weapons expert winked at me, also giving me a screwdriver—another trusted favorite for zombie slaying.

"Bag of wonders from my wife," James intoned theatrically.

There. Everyone was armed and ready to face the end. I tightened my grip on my axe as I turned to the stairs.

Trev, Basil, and the Gilmores showed up minutes later, Andrew in his lion form with Tilda on his back.

Wow. He was big, his mane thick, his stature very much radiating king of the jungle energy.

"Nothing followed us," Arlo said, pulling at his soaked jumper. "Fuck me. Look at all the Mikos!"

I couldn't help but chortle.

Tilda joined in with a laugh of her own.

Malorie slowly approached the stairs. "Our fate lies within."

"Yeah," Miko answered.

Arlo cracked his knuckles. "We'll keep watch here, stop any wankstains from getting too close. I sensed a few blood magi around here. Hiding, lurking. We'll kill any who try to get inside."

"Good," I growled. Not like a wolfy growl, but definitely one befitting of my status as an alpha's mate.

Miko's attention remained on the stairs.

Cate handed out more weapons to the others from her apparently bottomless bag. "And before anyone suggests it, I'm not waiting here."

"No one would dare to, my darling heart." James kissed her cheek.

She glowered at the sky. "Good to know. As you said, this is our fight. I want to see this right to the end."

James bent to speak at her stomach. "I hope you can hear how awesome your warrior mother is."

"Let's do this," Miko said, bringing the chat to an end. "Ready?"

"More than ready," I answered for all of us, and followed the Mikos into the darkness.