Chapter 2

Two

"Suffering is never pointless. There is always a lesson to be learned, growth to be had, and wisdom to be passed on. Pain is the necessary pruning to bring the blossom of character. Hardship is often borne of a person's own flawed nature, and the suffering reminds them of their flaws. This, too, is necessary so that pride will not take root. Pride comes before the fall, but it's not only the proud that suffer. Anyone near also becomes collateral damage." ~The Great Luna

"P erizada, open your eyes." The Great Luna's voice was firm, yet gentle.

Peri obeyed and found herself back in the present. She stood on the cliff with Serapha and Nissa. Peri looked at Nissa and saw tears running down her friend's face. She reached over, took Nissa's hand, and gave it a tight squeeze. When she felt the tremor run down Nissa's arm, Peri understood the other fae's emotions completely and continued holding Nissa's hand. For the second time, they'd witnessed their mothers' murders. The memory had been blocked for a long time, but now it had been returned, and they'd each had to experience it all over again.

Lucian took Peri's free hand in his much larger one and sent his reassuring love through their bond. Over and over, he proved himself to be faithful to his word. He was in this with her, for better or worse. It didn't matter if she was crazy, an emotional mess, a little too outspoken at times, or even when she was just a plain brat. But he did put her in her place when that last one became a problem.

"Your questions have been answered," the goddess said. "What should you do with the information you've received?"

Peri frowned as the words confused her. They probably shouldn't. It wasn't a difficult question. Yet the fae didn't have an immediate answer. What should they do? Alston was already dead. Their mothers were dead. There was no chance at revenge.

The Great Luna, who seemed to be containing the glory of her presence so as to appear as if she was just one of them, lifted her chin. It seemed to Peri she was silently saying, "I'm waiting."

"We mourn." It was Nissa who answered. Her hand still shook in Peri's grip, and Peri could tell her friend was trying hard to hold it together. It reminded Peri of how she had felt when Alina had died. They'd all been fighting the urge to fall apart. But they'd had to wait for mourning until the appropriate time, when it was safe to let themselves hurt, be angry, and find some sort of peace in the outcome. "We find a way to forgive those who have wronged us."

Peri snorted and gave Nissa a sharp glance before turning back to the goddess. "Why were the memories blocked?"

The Great Luna raised her eyebrows.

Peri lowered her eyes out of respect, reminding herself that the Creator did not owe them an explanation. She didn't owe them anything. They were the clay while she was the potter. The Great Luna loved her creation, and for that reason, she gave them her attention, her time, and the words that they needed in order to understand the things that they didn't.

"If the memories had been left unchecked in your mind, your juvenile thinking would have clouded your ability to do anything other than take revenge. At that time, you were not strong enough to take on your enemy. You didn't have the ability to set aside the grief and consider the situation rationally. You wouldn't have known that sometimes justice requires patience. I see the whole picture. All of eternity is laid out before me." She stretched out her arms, emphasizing her words. "Mortals see only the immediate. You don't even know what will happen minutes from now. You had no idea the consequences if you had taken on Alston and he would have killed you. The ripple effect of your death would have moved through time like a devastating hurricane. It only takes a spark to start a fire. It takes one small breeze for the fire to grow. Then it begins moving, engulfing everything in its path. Your death, and Nissa's, would have been that spark.

"One day, this world will come to an end. Then all those who are mine, those who have remained faithful, will return to me. Those who have chosen the path of evil will be left in solitude, separated from my love and my glory for eternity. But that day is not yet at hand. Now, you will mourn, as Nissa has said. You will forgive. You will lean on me, and the ones I have given you for support, and then you will continue to run the race set before you. Put one foot in front of the other, Peri, looking neither left nor right. Trust that I will keep your feet steady on the narrow way, all the while calling those back to the fold who have strayed.

"You and Nissa have chosen time and time again to resist evil. Are you perfect? Of course not. You have, at times, given into temptation, allowing your own will to rule your life. But you have repented, and you have learned from your mistakes. The right thing is almost always the hard thing." The Great Luna pointed at Lucian. "It is easy to walk away from a relationship when it gets hard or does not give you the fulfillment that you think it should. While it is difficult to humble yourself and remind yourself of the commitment you made, it is hard to accept your own responsibility in the conflict. To set yourself at the feet of the person who has hurt you and say, ‘Because I chose you at the beginning, I will continue to choose you over and over. I will serve you as the precious gift that you are.'"

Lucian held tighter to her hand, and Peri clung to him.

Then the goddess looked at Nissa. "It's easy to run from a battle that could cause you pain and even death. Fighting the good fight is always harder. Taking responsibility can be humiliating. It is humbling and, to some, seen as a weakness. But, in truth, it is cleansing and beautiful."

Peri knew the things the goddess was saying were true because she'd experienced them. But that didn't make the right choice any easier.

"The lesson here is simple," the goddess continued. "There are things in the past that are painful. They cannot be changed. You must accept them, and you must let go of any bitterness, animosity, anger, and resentment so you can move forward with clean hands and a pure heart."

Peri's eyes fluttered shut as she basked in the loving presence of their Creator. The words spoken soothed the pain and hurt that the memories had carved into her heart. When she opened her eyes again, the Great Luna was gone.

"Now you know," Serapha said gently.

Nissa gave Peri's hand a squeeze and then released it. When her eyes met Peri's, they were filled with unshed tears. But Peri didn't see any anger or bitterness. She saw acceptance of exactly what the goddess had said—a past they couldn't change, one they would have to learn to accept. "Let me know when you're ready to start looking for Celise," Nissa said, then she looked at the draheim. "Thank you."

"I am sorry for the pain this is causing you," Serapha said. "But I am glad that you can now heal from it."

Nissa nodded and then flashed.

Peri turned to look at Serapha. "I know you were doing what the Great Luna commanded, and I want to be angry with you, but I'm not. Two thousand years ago, I would have thrown a fit, but I hope I've grown since then. And through this, I hope I continue to grow. So thank you."

Serapha leaned in close and gently nudged Peri's hand affectionately. "You are not draheim, but since the day that your mother came to me and asked for me to be ready for her call to protect you, I have claimed you as mine."

Peri swallowed hard as a surge of emotions gathered from deep inside of her.

"You lost your mother that day, but I took you as my daughter. Over the centuries, I have watched over you. And I will continue to do so. You have never been alone, Perizada, even when you felt it down to your marrow. You have been loved deeply."

What could she say to that? How many beings had invested in her life without her knowledge? Warmth filled Peri as she considered the Great Luna's words from previous meetings. The goddess had made sure that Peri had had a support system, even though she'd not always recognized it. "I am forever grateful, Serapha," and she meant the words with every fiber of her being.

"I am here anytime you need me."

Peri looked at her mate, and the love in his eyes was the final straw. She'd held it together for as long as she could. She flashed them to their place in her own realm, next to the river. Their spot . Then she fell into Lucian's arms, letting the tears flow freely.

He ran his hand down her back as he made soothing sounds. "Let it out, Beloved. Let me bear it with you and for you."

D alton watched his mate as she quietly dressed, put her strawberry hair up in a ponytail, and then slipped on her shoes. He tried to pinpoint when things had changed between them and couldn't. There'd been so much going on with the hunting of Alston, Ludcarab, Cain, and the vampires. He'd missed the crack in their relationship, and now it felt like there was a chasm.

He had asked her repeatedly to talk to him. Jewel had simply told him it was witchy stuff. He'd come to understand witchy stuff to mean that she was struggling with the darkness that Volcan's spell had left inside of her. Though the Great Luna had made a sacrifice on behalf of the healers, she'd told them that because evil was in the world, there would always be darkness to face. She'd said they had to choose light. Dalton couldn't begin to imagine what was going on inside his mate. He wondered if she even understood it herself. Had the darkness returned in earnest to snuff out the goodness of the gypsy healer within? He wished she'd talk to him. Dalton had tried over and over to get her to open up, but she continually pushed him away. He didn't know what to do, short of tying her to a chair and demanding answers. Not that he could contain her. His mate was powerful.

"Where are we going this time?" He kept his voice calm, though he wanted to growl and snarl at her. His wolf hated the rift between them. It longed to hold her, connect with her, and love her in a way that only he could.

"I'd rather you not go," Jewel's words felt like a slap across the face.

"You know that's not happening." Dalton folded his arms across his chest. He was so damn frustrated. "It's not safe out there."

"It's never safe, Dalton." She stood up and looked at him. Her eyes only met his briefly before darting away. "It never will be for someone like me."

In addition to shutting him out physically and emotionally, she'd also shut the bond down tight. Even in her sleep, he couldn't get past her walls. Dalton was getting desperate, and he was very close to calling in the other healers for help. Maybe they would tell him what the hell was going on.

He followed her from their room and then through the mansion until she reached the garage. She grabbed a key from the rows that hung on the wall, then headed to one of the smaller sports cars, which he was convinced she did on purpose because it was difficult for him to fold his much larger frame into the little box. Still, he managed it—barely.

This wasn't their first field trip. They'd visited a half a dozen different places in recent weeks, always some sort of supernatural hangout contained within some ramshackle old building. Some were close by, but others were a few hours away. Jewel refused to explain how she knew about these places. The first couple of times, Dalton had attempted to get the information out of her, but Jewel was stubborn. Once she'd made her mind up about something, that was it. She was one of the strongest, most determined people he knew. The only thing she'd tell him was that she was getting help to deal with the darkness, but she refused to say how. Eventually, he'd given up, and they rode in silence.

But his mate's stonewalling wasn't the worst part of the whole situation. The worst part was that he couldn't enter any of the damn supernatural places they visited. There was some sort of ward that kept him out. Jewel had said it had something to do with her witch blood. And she hadn't prepared him for this little fact before their first visit. They'd come to a dilapidated shack somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The sight of the rotting boards holding the place together, combined with the eerie stillness in the air, immediately put Dalton on edge. They reached the front door, and Dalton opened it for Jewel. She passed through quickly, but when Dalton tried to follow, he hit a barrier and bounced off it. Jewel hadn't even turned around to give him a reassuring glance before disappearing into the darkness within.

Both Dalton and his wolf went berserk, attacking the shack, trying to rip the place apart. Normally, his beast could have easily accomplished the task, but the rickety shack must have been supernaturally protected. His claws didn't so much as scratch the wood. Dalton's alpha, Dillon, had sensed his emotions through the pack bond. He'd reached out and offered to have a fae bring him to help. Dalton had told him no, mostly because he didn't want to admit that there was some sort of problem in his relationship. Why? Because Dalton felt like a failure. He was scared to death that she regretted jumping into this relationship with him, and now she was simply trying to cope with it. Dalton didn't want her to just cope. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her.

An hour passed before Jewel emerged. Dalton was so angry he didn't even yell. He was afraid he might say something he couldn't take back. Instead, he simply held out his hands for the keys. When she hesitated, his wolf snarled at her. Jewel's eyes widened, and she immediately dropped them in his hand. When they finally arrived back at the mansion, the steering wheel bore ragged claw marks.

But on this particular outing, some sort of magic had happened while they were driving. It felt as if they'd passed through a portal to another dimension along the way and that they'd gone much farther than they'd actually traveled on the road.

Like all the other places, this was a ramshackle structure that looked like a strong breeze would send it crashing to the ground. Dalton knew better.

"I don't suppose I will actually be able to come inside of this one," Dalton grumbled at her.

"You know the answer." Her tone was soft, and Dalton thought he heard a hint of regret in her voice, though it might have simply been wishful thinking.

They climbed out of the car. "Why?" He slammed the door, shaking the entire vehicle, his emotions getting the better of his control. They'd been through so much. Why the hell didn't she trust him to handle this with her?

"Because there is no darkness in you." Jewel walked toward the door.

It was the closest thing to an actual answer she'd given him. Dalton lunged and grabbed her, wrapping his arm around her bicep, turning her to face him. "What the hell does that mean?"

She looked up at him, appearing so small and vulnerable. "Exactly what I said, Dalton. Our bond pushes the darkness from you, but the witch blood in me does the opposite. I may have been good at one time, but the Great Luna was right. The evil in the world can continue to taint us." Jewel bit her lip and shook her head. "I thought it would go away, but it didn't. Not even your love can take it away."

The words were a knife in Dalton's heart. "Why would you want to enter such a place? A place that allows only darkness?" he choked out.

She clenched her lips tightly together.

"How long are you going to do this? Do you want out of our relationship? Is that what this is about? Do you regret becoming my mate?" He needed to stop talking because he didn't know if he really wanted the answers to his questions. But the words kept flowing against his will. Dalton hated feeling so vulnerable. Whether she meant to or not, Jewel was tearing him apart, and she'd been doing it for some time. "Is there someone else that you think understands you better?" He'd never heard of a true mate leaving their mate for someone else, but, lately, it seemed like anything was possible.

"What?" Jewel's face scrunched with confusion. "Why would you think that?"

Dalton laughed, a dark, bitter sound. "Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious."

"Okay." He nodded then shrugged. "Let me see if I can put it in a way that even your ridiculous brain can understand. Tomorrow, I'm going to get in the car and drive somewhere. I'm not going to tell you where I'm going or why. I'm going to drive to some skeevy place and go inside, but you won't be able to go in with me. You will be forced to remain outside and wonder what the hell I'm doing and who the hell I'm doing it with. You will ask me what I did, but I will refuse to answer any of your questions. We will drive home in silence. When we get home, I'm going to eat, shower, and go to bed without a word, without touching you, or allowing you to touch me. I will show you no affection. I will live with you as a roommate, and one that I do not respect, which will be obvious in the way that I barely speak to you."

He slammed his fist down on his thigh. "Maybe, just maybe, after you have endured all that, you will understand what I'm going through." He released her and stepped aside to keep from throwing her over his shoulder and cramming her back into the car. The only reason he didn't was because he would never take away her right to choose what she wanted. She'd been forced to do horrible things by Volcan. Dalton refused to deprive her of free will. If she wanted to walk away, he would force himself to let her.

She took a step backward, but her face was no longer emotionless. It was full of horror, pain, and guilt. Her mouth kept opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Jewel's steps continued until her butt hit the door of the building. She reached behind her and grabbed the handle. Then she whipped around, pulled it open, and disappeared inside. The door slammed shut hard enough to shake the surrounding trees.

Dalton lifted his arms and rested his entwined fingers on top of his head as he closed his eyes, clenching his teeth to keep from roaring like a damn lion. He wanted to kill something. But he wouldn't leave Jewel. Like a puppy, he'd sit outside and wait for her again.

"Why do you let her treat you like that?" a voice said from behind him.

Dalton moved fast, crouching down and baring his teeth at the intruder.

The man who'd snuck up on him held up his hands. "I mean no harm." He was skinny. His jeans and shirt hung on his lanky frame. His brown hair looked greasy and was unkempt. And there was something about his eyes, glowing red and vivid, that Dalton knew was unnatural. Dalton blinked and squinted, attempting to clear his vision, thinking that perhaps his rage was causing him to see things. Nope, the red eyes were still there.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing." The man shrugged. "Just waiting on my mistress. Same as you."

"That is my mate," Dalton snapped. "Not my mistress."

"She appears to be your keeper. Do you have a collar and leash?" The man chuckled, and the sound grated across Dalton's nerves.

Dalton turned away and walked to the car. Why had he bothered to even respond to this fool? The wolf leaned back against the car and let his eyes settle on the door, waiting for Jewel to emerge.

"It's a weird dynamic between true mates," the male continued, as if Dalton hadn't just ignored him. "I thought the males of your race were quite protective of their mates."

"That doesn't mean we control their every movement." Dalton was unable to keep from defending himself to the idiot.

"Of course not. And I assume it must also be commonplace for one of your kind to let his mate go sauntering unattended into a supernatural brothel?"

The words knocked the breath out of Dalton so hard that he actually stumbled forward. His eyes snapped from the door over to the strange interloper. The scrawny man's hands were in his pockets, and his shoulders were relaxed. He tilted his head to the side, as though studying Dalton. "Oh, you didn't know?"

Dalton didn't respond. A brothel? His mate had been visiting places where supernatural beings … hooked up . What the actual hell? "Who are you?" Why on earth should he believe this stranger's words? Would his little dove really go into such a place?

"I'm someone who knows exactly what goes on in there." He motioned toward the building. "My mistress visits often."

Dalton narrowed his eyes. "Why aren't you inside with her?"

The man chuckled. For a moment, Dalton swore the man's face morphed into something hideous, something not of this world. "Sometimes a man needs a break."

"Maybe, but are you truly a man?"

The stranger touched the side of his nose and grinned. His teeth were pointy and sharp. "You're smarter than you look."

Dalton's wolf pushed at his skin, fighting to come out and tear the strange man to pieces. As he stepped closer and took in a deep breath through his nose, he caught the scent of sulfur—a foul and evil smell. What is this thing?

The door to the shack opened, drawing Dalton's attention away from this creature masquerading as a man. Jewel walked out, her eyes widening as she saw the man to whom Dalton was speaking. Her eyes bounced to Dalton and then back to?—

"Mal, your mistress is asking for you," she said simply before turning and walking to the car.

"Always a pleasure to see you, little dove," Mal replied.

That was all Dalton's wolf could take. The beast took over. Dalton didn't phase, but the wolf gave him its supernatural speed and strength. One second, he was feet away from the disgusting creature, and the next, Dalton's fist connected with his face. The man flew backward and landed on the ground. Dalton's wolf snarled, and his words sounded rough coming from his mouth. "Never call her that again. Better yet, never speak to her again."

Dalton wasn't sure the man had heard, as he wasn't moving on the ground. Dalton didn't care. The wolf wanted to tear his head from his body, but the man wanted to check on Jewel more. Dalton stalked back to the vehicle. As he passed Jewel, he took her elbow in his hand and guided her to the passenger door. He opened it and waited until she was seated inside. His self-control was hanging by a thread. He forced his movements to be slow and gentle as he shut the door, instead of ripping it from its hinges like he wanted.

Once he was inside the car and they were on the road again, he managed to get his beast under control. After some time, he was able to speak calmly. "We have much to talk about, mate."