Chapter One

I'll Find Another Way. I Swear It.

"If I never hear the word ‘sacrifice' again, it would still be too soon." ~ Gage

"Have you lost your ever-loving mind?" Katy practically shouted into the phone. "Don't answer that question," she quickly added. "I already know the answer because only a crazy person would kill a part of themself that they only just discovered."

"So only you get to decide to sacrifice yourself?" Lola's voice came through so loudly that Katy pulled the phone away from her ear. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Katy. There are other people who are going to be affected by your choice."

Katy stood from where she sat on the bed and paced. She forced herself to remember that she loved the person on the other end of the call. Finally, after biting her tongue several times, she responded. "You don't think I know that?" The words were growled so low that Katy couldn't believe the sound had come from her. "Don't you think that I've thought this decision through from every angle? That I haven't agonized over what it will do to my dad, or you and Maddie, Gage, or Otto?"

"I'm trying to prevent you from having to do that," Lola pleaded. "This way we both live, and so do those women. Why can't you see that this is a better solution?"

"Because any solution that requires you to give up a part of your soul is never a solution." Katy's tone softened. "I would never in a million years allow you to do such a thing, and I won't allow it now. And I swear on all that is holy, Lola Katz, if you do this behind my back, I will never forgive you."

"Katy," Gage's deep voice rumbled into the room, laced with warning. "Be careful what you promise."

She turned to look at him and wished she hadn't. His face was partially shadowed by the lack of light in the hall behind him, and what she could see were sharp lines and cold eyes. Katy pressed her lips together, barely reigning in the furious words that begged for release. She was tempted to tell Gage exactly where he could shove his warning, but the thunderous look on his handsome face gave her pause.

Shooting him a quelling glare, she ground out, "Lola, give me a sec." Before her friend could argue, Katy hit mute and rounded on her mate.

"Don't you dare try to police what I say to my best friend," she snapped, jabbing a finger at his chest. Her earlier sympathy vanished in a flash of temper. "You don't get to control me or my choices, Gage. Back the hell off."

His eyes turned flinty, a muscle in his jaw ticking. But instead of rising to the bait, he drew in a slow breath and said in a lethally calm voice, "I will do anything to keep you safe. Even if it earns your hatred."

The quiet declaration took some of the wind out of her sails. Katy searched his stoic face and saw the maelstrom of emotions he was barely keeping leashed. Fear for her warred with desperation to protect her, even from herself.

Katy's anger deflated, leaving her tired down to her bones. She understood his terror of losing her all too well. Because the thought of losing him after just finding each other gutted her as well.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, she said wearily, "I get why you're scared. But you can't ask me to trade innocent lives for my own, Gage. Either choice ends in a pain I can't bear." Her voice broke on the admission.

"This path Lola suggests might break the spell, or it might fail and cost you both your lives. Magic this twisted is unpredictable." His eyes flashed. "We will find another way that doesn't put Lola or you at risk. You must trust me in this." Gage's severe expression softened. Reaching out, he gently drew her into the shelter of his powerful body. His large hand cupped her jaw, tilting her face up to meet his intense stare. "You bear a heavy burden, Little Wolf. Do not add guilt to it needlessly." His thumb brushed away an errant tear. "We cannot control what others choose to offer, only what we accept. Your friend acts from love, even if it is misguided."

Katy nodded, drawing comfort from his nearness. If only she could stay here in the shelter of his strength and forget about vindictive snake kings and impossible choices. She sagged against him, soaking up his warmth and strength. Then she buried her face in his neck, breathing in the scent of cloves and pine.

"Forgive my harsh words earlier," Gage rumbled, regret lacing his gravelly voice. "Watching you in such torment, I just…" He shook his head helplessly.

Katy lifted her head to meet his pained, green eyes. "I know," she whispered. "But we have to trust there's a way where everyone wins. We can't lose hope."

"Whatever comes, we will face it together. You won't carry this alone." He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. "But I swear to you now, I will not allow your life to be traded, come hell or high water. We will find another way, even if I must tear apart the veil between realms. Your fate is with me, Katy Dire. Never doubt it."

His fierce conviction, the glint of violence in his eyes, should frighten her. Instead, it fortified her flagging spirit. Gage would move heaven and earth before losing her. For the first time, she truly understood the intensity of having a wolf for her mate.

Katy traced the hard line of his jaw tenderly. "We're in this together then, Gage No-Last-Name." She echoed his words back to him. A watery smile broke through her turmoil. "I guess I won't be checking out permanently after all. You'll just have to put up with me a little longer."

Emotion clogged her throat. Standing on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips over his in a feather-soft kiss. His arms tightened, keeping her close as the kiss lingered, speaking what they could not—that they would face whatever came side by side and somehow find a way through the shadows, together.

When she pulled back, blinking away tears, Katy managed a tremulous smile. "Can you give me a few minutes to finish talking to Lola? I need her to understand."

Gage nodded and stepped back reluctantly. His hand lingered a moment, squeezing hers. "I'll prepare us some lunch. You need to keep your strength up."

His protectiveness made her heart twist even as it warmed her. She watched him disappear down the hall before taking a bracing breath and unmuting the phone.

"Still with me, Lo?"

"I'm here," Lola said softly. Katy could hear her friend's remorse and knew her anger had faded. "I'm sorry. I'm just desperate not to lose you."

"No more reckless talk about sacrificing yourself," Katy said sternly. Then her voice gentled. "We're in this mess because of Azure's selfishness. More sacrifice just adds to the pain."

"You're right. I hate feeling so useless." Lola huffed a weak laugh. "This mate bond is turning me into a crazy lioness."

Katy smiled sadly. "Love makes us all a little crazy sometimes. We'll figure this out, but the right way."

She heard Lola take a shaky breath. "I trust you, Kat. Just don't give up, okay? We're going to find a way to save you all."

The fierceness in her friend's voice brought tears to Katy's eyes. But she blinked them back, clinging to Lola's faith.

They'd walk through this valley yet. Katy just prayed that when they reached the other side, no one else would have to be lost along the way. What she didn't tell Lola or Gage was that she was still prepared to give up her life, if that's what it took to save the innocent women who'd been forced into this life.

Gage stared out the window of the cabin he'd called home for nearly a century, but his focus was far from the beautiful landscape beyond. His mind kept replaying the moment Otto told him Katy had to sacrifice herself. Then the resolve he saw on her face when he'd confronted her about it. The despair and acceptance in her voice tore at his soul. She would willingly give up the precious gift of life because her heart was too damn big. And though she didn't know it, because he hadn't bothered to mention it, as her mate, he could feel her emotions. So while she told him she trusted him to find another way, he still felt her resolve to give up her life if it came to it.

And he, the mighty Dire Wolf, the last of his kind, could do nothing to stop her. Never had he felt so powerless. Gage was a protector, a warrior. Fighting impossible battles was in his blood. It's what Dire Wolves did—they laid down their lives for the ones they protect without hesitation. But how did you fight for someone determined to become a martyr?

"I know you're hurting. I can feel it. Why can I feel what you're feeling?"

Gage turned at the sound of her voice. Katy stood just inside the bedroom door, outlined in soft, fading light. After they'd eaten, she'd taken a nap on the couch in the living room. Gage hadn't wanted to disturb her, so he'd come to the bedroom to brood.

"The same way I can feel what you're feeling," he said gruffly.

Surprise and embarrassment flashed in her eyes before changing to the sorrowful resolve he'd come to know too well on her beloved face, making his heart seize. Gage crossed the room in an instant and pulled her fiercely into his arms. This was so new to him. The miracle of a mate. Something he never thought he would deserve or want. To have her in his arms was beyond words. He found that when he was in her vicinity, he just couldn't help himself. He needed to touch her.

"We're mates, destined by Visata," he told her, even though she already knew that part. "Not to mention I'm a Dire Wolf, which changes things for us. I have always been able to morph into my beast. A blessing from our Creator because my kind protected the shaman. But that doesn't mean our mating won't give me other abilities. I just don't know what those might be." He ran a hand down her back and felt her shiver at his touch. "For the moment, we can add ‘feels each other's emotions' to that list. And it means that we will most likely have supernatural abilities that others do not."

She pulled back a tad, putting space between them he didn't want, but he wouldn't force her to be in his arms if that's not where she wanted to be.

"I feel that." She poked him in the chest. "Frustration. Why are you frustrated?"

Gage inwardly groaned. "Don't obsess over everything you feel from me, Little Wolf. It will drive you mad."

She simply stared at him, her brows raised. Waiting.

He sighed. "I'm frustrated because you're still determined to be a martyr if you must. I can't help but feel a little rejected."

"You think my heart doesn't shatter into a million pieces at the thought of losing you?" Katy's breath hitched. She wound her arms around his neck, pressing close like she was trying to melt into him. "I never even knew I wanted something like this until I met you. I never knew I had it in me to be a romantic and want the fairytale ending. But there it is. And now it could all be gone in an instant."

Gage squeezed his eyes shut, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He had to be strong for her, to give her whatever comfort he could in this nightmare.

"Katy, my mate," he rasped, cupping her face in one big hand. Her eyes were bright with tears, wide and luminous like the moon. Gage brushed away the moisture from her cheeks with aching tenderness. "I cannot stand by and watch you sacrifice yourself. You have no idea what agony it would bring me." The words were raw, stripped bare of his usual stoic fa?ade.

Katy placed a gentle hand over his heart. Her touch scorched him, reminding his wolf how very fragile their bond still was. "I know," she whispered. "Believe me, if there's another way…" Her voice broke on a sob.

Gage crushed her to him again, inhaling her sweet scent as though to imprint it on his very soul. The rich aroma of cinnamon and honeysuckle enveloped him. It was the smell of mate, of home. An invisible cord wrapped around his heart and pulled taut. The urge to protect, to claim, to never let go, nearly overwhelmed him. His beast was ravenous to fight and kill a foe, but the one that deserved killing had gone into hiding, and the foe before him, the reality of their situation, wasn't something his wolf could fight. He'd never felt so damn helpless in his life.

"I'll find another way," he vowed again fiercely. "I swear on my life." If Katy Dire left this world, then Gage would follow her into the next life.

Katy leaned back to meet his eyes, determination shining beneath her sorrow. "I have to face this. But knowing you're beside me makes it bearable." She cradled his jaw, tenderness radiating from her moonlit gaze.

Gage turned his head, brushing his lips against her palm. The aching need to taste her, to consume his mate until she was permanently seared into his soul, threatened to shatter his control. He shuddered out a breath. There would be time for claiming later after this crisis had passed.

If she lived. Gage shoved the dark thought away. She would live. The Dire Wolf was not so easily defeated. He hadn't survived alone for centuries just to lose his mate after one stolen day together. Call it stubbornness, fate, or the will of Visata. Gage would save his female or die trying. Failure wasn't an option. He had been alone too long and fought too many battles, with no real reason to survive. For the first time in centuries, the soul of his wolf knew peace. The emptiness inside was filled by Katy's presence. She was the missing piece they'd unknowingly craved. No. He could not lose that now. Would not.

"Stay with me." Gage lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the large bed in the center of the room. Everything in the cabin was sized for a male of his proportions. But in his arms, Katy felt so small, so fragile. An overwhelming need to shelter and protect her from the world and everyone in it rose inside of him.

Gage laid her gently atop the plush blankets and nestled in behind her. Her slim body contoured to him as though made to fit at his side. Gage buried his face in her riot of brunette waves, breathing her in, clinging as though to keep her tethered to this world through the force of his will alone. This was right. She was his balance, his missing half, the light to his darkness. He had found her finally. Surely fate could not be so cruel as to snatch her away again so soon. Gage held her tighter. He would protect what was his, no matter the cost. Katy was his mate, his to guard and cherish. And the Dire Wolf would rip the very stars from the heavens before he let anyone take her from him and leave him in the dark of this cruel world.

They lay together in silence as the first rays of dawn crept across the sky. Gage kept his arms locked around Katy, her back pressed to his chest. She relaxed into him with a sigh, her warmth and soft curves molded against his larger frame. He nuzzled into her hair, breathing her in, memorizing every detail. The steady thrum of her heart soothed his own.

Gage had almost lost himself to the mindless rage of his wolf many times over the centuries alone. The Dire beast within rattled at its chains even now, ready to slaughter any who dared threaten its mate. But Katy's nearness settled his other half in a way nothing else could. With her, the man and wolf were finally at peace. She kept the demons of his past at bay. With her, the present was brighter and the future held promise.

If he could just save her somehow…

He sensed when Katy drifted to sleep, her body going lax. He continued trailing his fingers idly along her arm. Even resting, she looked weary, the toll of the past days etched in the smudges beneath her eyes. His brave mate had endured so much: the shock of discovering a whole hidden supernatural world, the cruelty of the serpent king, the terrible burden fate had placed upon her shoulders.

Gage's arms tightened reflexively. He would rip apart the very fabric of the universe before allowing her to be taken from him. There had to be another way to save those girls without Katy's sacrifice.

In the stillness, Gage sent up a fervent prayer to Visata. The Creator had said Katy possessed a generous heart. Protecting the innocent was part of her very nature. Gage knew he could not dissuade his mate from that righteous path.

But there must be some other means of saving the human captives without robbing the world of Katy's light. She was meant for so much more. He had to believe that or go mad with grief for what they might have shared.

"Please," he rasped into the quiet room, a single tear slipping free. "There must be another way. Tell me how to save her."

The last vestiges of night slowly succumbed to the morning's rosy touch. Still, no answer came. Katy slept on, her mate a silent sentinel standing guard against the darkness waiting to claim her.

Finally, as the first birdsong heralded the new day, Gage, too, slipped into sleep, his body curled protectively around hers. One arm stayed locked over her, anchoring them together.

Then the dream came.

Gage found himself in a lush forest, sunlight dappling the verdant ground. A figure stood at the edge of the glade up ahead, rays of light radiating from his form so bright that Gage had to drop his gaze. His breath left him in a rush. He would know this being anywhere—the aura of infinite power and grace. His knees hit the soft earth.

"Visata," he gasped. "I need your guidance."

"Come closer, but keep your eyes down." The Creator beckoned.

The Dire rose and moved into the light, emotions choking him.

Visata's voice surrounded him, at once vast as the cosmos, yet intimate as a father speaking to his child. "I have heard you, my son. Your mate hears the cry of innocent blood, and she would answer it nobly. Soon it will be time for you to move. You will wait for my words to come to you when the hour is right. Hope is not lost."

The vision faded, leaving Gage breathless with emotions. Clinging to this new chance, whatever that might be, Gage jolted awake. He stared down at his sleeping mate, resolve hardening within him.

Katy had given him hope again after endless years adrift in solitude. Now Gage would fight with his last breath to ensure the Dire Wolves' legacy lived on through her.

Their story was only just beginning, and Visata willing, they had centuries yet to write it together.