Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

M agic surges inside me like a wave lapping the shore. Saliva floods my mouth and my stomach rolls.

Coldness sweeps over me, and my teeth chatter.

"Ylva?"

"Stop the car."

I rip off the seatbelt and escape the confining interior of the car. I take off in a run as the strange feeling builds inside me.

Desperate to find a safe space to unleash everything I'm holding back, I hurry between trees, leap over logs, and let the nagging feeling in my gut guide me.

The ticking bomb detonates inside of me. Back arched, I lift off the ground. A brilliant streak of light bursts from my chest.

My bones shift violently. My muscles rearrange themselves in a way that's foreign to me. My hand becomes a massive paw.

I try to stop the shift, becoming stuck in a half form. Pain runs through my body and I twitch as I phase from human to wolf.

My she-wolf rushes to the surface, shoving me into the backseat. I fall onto all fours, caught in the thrall of primal energy. Throwing my head back, I howl.

The haunting sound bounces off the tall trees surrounding me. My mates arrive, rubbing against me to offer comfort. I realize how much I've grown.

Twice my normal size, I'm proportionate to the four behemoths staring at the oval circle that pulses in the thick tree of the oak.

I immediately recognize Fenrir's energy. Whining, I gesture toward the portal with my head. Cadoc barks. The others yip in response, allowing him to take the lead. A tall, curved wooden doorway appears in the forest ahead. It opens, revealing a glimpse of the island I'm coming to know well.

I speed up, nudging Cadoc toward the portal. He growls. I bump his body with mine.

It's finally time for them to join me on Lyngvi . Taking off, I leap through the strange opening, knowing they'll follow.

I'm sucked through a restrictive, dark space that smells of death and beings older than time. Dumped out onto the volcanic rock, I land on my side. Rising, I shake my head, to clear it as the others arrive.

Staggering like drunkards, they struggle to stabilize themselves. Despite the dire situation, the she-wolf and I share amusement. Awake and active, we share goals. We've found a space where woman and wolf can co-exist peacefully.

Until now, I never understood what I missed out on during her silence. I wanted a life removed from who I was, and in return, she gave me the cold shoulder.

The clanks of metal can be heard in the background. Lightning streaks across the sky, illuminating heavy clouds.

A cold breeze ruffles my fur. Heat radiates from the stones below. Steam drifts up in warning. I dance away from the wispy streams.

"You have a debt to make good on." The gruff voice vibrates with dark power.

Fenrir appears out of nothingness. Eyes blazing, he blows steam from his nostrils. His barely-controlled rage is profound. Heat kisses my skin. His breath ruffles my fur.

A wave of power forces our bodies to morph. Seconds later, we're seated for an audience with the great wolf. None of my mates look surprised.

I turn to Cadoc. "What did you do?"

"They invoked my name and asked me to help rescue you. I agreed for a fair exchange." His massive head turns toward my mates. "Did you think to deceive me? To escape without upholding your end of the bargain."

I can't blame the wolf for having trust issues.

"No." Cadoc drops down and bows his head. "Forgive us. We didn't mean to offend you. Our only thought was our mate's safety."

"Good. You must always be willing to sacrifice everything for the keeper of the amulet."

"We don't even have the damn thing."

"That must change. Kneel." Fenrir's words are a command.

Moving together, we bend the knee to join Cadoc.

"Today you became a team dedicated to the protection of the one meant to keep the amulet."

Fenrir's hot breath washes over us. He stomps his foot. The earth quakes. Metal chains shoot from the craggy rock and wrap around our wrists.

They pull tight and I lurch forward, fighting to keep from slamming my face onto the ground. Sweat drips down my body. The metal heats.

"Everything has a cost. From the fire we are reborn."

Hot metal sears my flesh. Intense pain consumes me. Something shifts deep in my core. Knowledge pours into my brain, and a connection snaps into place.

The others are present in a newly formed link. They're all present with every breath. Cadoc's steady observant energy. Kirk's quiet intensity. Bo's infuriating mix of mischief and deadliness when provoked. Fell is there too, a muddled, emotional bundle of happiness, fear, and determination.

"Become who you must be."

Bo and Fell convulse like erratic marionettes. Their limbs fling about wildly and their backs arch off the ground. Triangles appear on their chests, flickering like a light switch being turned off and on.

"Please," I plead with Fenrir, unable to abide their suffering. Their cries chip away at the wall around my heart that I erected to keep others out.

"You hold the power to end their pain. They feel the disconnect in your bond. The mark won't hold until you embrace them as yours."

"I can't." Fear wraps a hand around my throat, stealing my ability to speak.

Bo grits his teeth, fighting to calm the tremors tearing through his body.

"We d-deserve this," Fell forces the words out. The sentence is a dagger to my heart.

"No." The world pauses. The men still beside me.

"Are you ready to accept that all of you need each other?" Fenrir's voice comes from everywhere at once.

"Yes." I spit the words out. Stolen from me, I've been deprived of deciding when and where I share my epiphanies.

"Save the anger for a worthy cause. You're going to need it."

Chastised, I give a curt nod. Shoulders slumped, I lower my walls, damming myself to a life with two men I don't fully trust. The bond will take time to grow properly, but my future is now set in stone.

Why does the greater good require so much damn sacrifice? I rub my freed wrist. Sitting before him, we find triangles on all of us.

"Your time grows short. You'll leave tonight to seek the amulet."

I'm careful to show respect this time. "How?"

"The sundial will lead the way," Fenrir assures us.

"What about the Alpha?" Cadoc asks. "We are still beholden to his rules."

"Let him believe he's in charge for now. Allow him to bond you in the way of your people, but never forget where your loyalty truly lies." Fenrir's eyes glow red at the end of his speech.

I'd face Alpha with a dull pencil before I went toe to toe with the great wolf.

"Time grows short. Make haste."

Fenrir opens a portal behind us and we move quickly, leaving behind the angry wolf king born of a god, we admire and respect as much as we fear.

Two hours later, I'm freshly scrubbed and wearing a thin white shift under the moonlight.

The runes Wunjo , Gebo , and Ehwaz are painted our arms for joy, generosity, and trust. Multi-colored ribbons join me to each member of my clan.

Blue for fidelity, gold for wisdom, purple for power, and black for success and strength. Alpha places his hand over ours.

"May the pack grow strong for the joining of these great families. Their paths are forever twined, their hearts shall be as one, and their clan shall be fierce. Bestow upon them the power of their lineage. Their wolves shall never again walk alone should they prove their worth."

A brief burning sensation on my wrists shows the filled-in triangles that denote our bond.

It dances like an animated character, and golden light bursts forth, weaving back and forth with theirs.

Gasping, I stare in wonder at the feel of their magic, the very essence of who they are moving inside of me.

Is it only me? "Can you feel that?"

"I do," they whisper sounds of agreement. Our inner wolves brush against each other, growing acquainted.

Despite the horrors of tonight, I feel restored and cared for. Don't forget this has all been arranged.

Berating myself for confusing duty with genuine caring, I pull back.

"I upheld my end of the bargain. It's time you do the same." Alpha steps back.

"We will do everything possible to keep the pack safe." Cadoc's vow sounds sincere. But I know it's because what's best for the pack very likely doesn't' include its current leader. The Alpha unties the ribbons and hands them to me.

"There have been many rebellious sects over the years. Upstarts always have grand plans and big dreams about how they'll rule far better. It's par for the course. The danger comes when the leader of the movement has enough charisma and political influence to gain traction. I'm very familiar with the people who took you. The Harbingers of the Moon were spoken about in hushed conversation for years. They were an idea with no real shape or proof of existence."

"What changed?" Cadoc continues to ply the Alpha with as many questions as he'll answer.

"They came out of the ether and asked for you, Ylva. When I looked into why, everything changed. They're seeking Fenrir's amulet too. I don't need to explain to you why that can't happen."

I think back to the burned man's words. "He wanted to steal my power."

"Why?" Alpha is instantly on edge. Eyes wide, back stiff, and mouth in a grimace, Alpha is instantly on edge.

"I don't know?—"

"They fear her," Bo says.

"Me?" My voice is higher than it should be. "Why? They knew enough about me to know I never had any real power."

"And yet look at you now." Kirk gestures to me.

Fell's eyes turn glossy. "You have Fenrir's favor and that means something,"

"Fell?" I reach out and touch his arm.

Fell continues. "Every father has a favorite and each person a destiny. Those two things want to align. You just need to believe it."

The wisdom in the depth of his green gaze feels like gospel.

"Tomorrow, you leave to start the search. Take whatever you need. My resources are yours. We

can't let the Harbingers get their hands on that kind of power."

Alpha's description of me as a thing to be controlled instead of a person, doesn't escape my notice.

Bo clears his throat. "You aren't the only one we've made promises to."

Cadoc hums his agreement. "Mmm Hmm. And he'll be very upset if we're hindered in our task."

"Fenrir?" Alpha's voice sounds nervous.

We all nod, and he swallows, hard. Not even he can stand against the direct descendant of a god.

"Fortunately, our goals align," Alpha's voice shakes just so.

"For now." Kirk's words are poignant.

"I'll leave you to prepare to travel." Alpha heads inside, leaving us alone with our thoughts and the new information.

Bo jerks his head toward the Alpha's retreating back. "We'll have to watch our back and front with him."

"Nothing we didn't already know." Cadoc shrugs.

Kirk rolls his shoulders. "We should leave tonight. I don't want to give him time to regroup or plot on us."

"Time to get packed and get the hell out of dodge, Princess," Bo wraps an arm around my shoulders.

A shadow crosses over the moon and I peer up. Streaks of red coat the glowing orb.

"Guys," I point at the moon.

"Blood moon," Fell observes. The prophecy has come to pass, just as the Volva said, but the journey is only just beginning.