20

ELIAS

MY heart pounded as I helped Ivy stand. Her skin glistened with sweat, and her eyes—shadowed and tired—were dark with desire. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, too afraid that if I blinked, she might disappear.

“You have no idea how worried I was,” I said, my voice hoarse. “When you ran off, I thought I’d lost you.”

Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away before slipping her arms around me in a tight embrace. “I’m sorry.” Her rough voice grated on the wolf. The beast wanted out, to make it better for her. Leaving her with her sisters had been a mistake I would own. I should have stayed with her. I should have remained at her side and not left her so vulnerable. I shouldn’t even be surprised by the power surge. The emotions surrounding her mother were raw and heavy, and to believe Ivy wouldn’t break under the pressure of what happened today...

My girl was strong, far stronger than she gave herself credit for. But she still lost her mother.

I dragged a hand through her hair and finally lifted my eyes from her trembling body. Kingsley watched us with a worried expression. He stood stiffly, his hands curled into fists, almost like he wasn’t sure what to do now that Ivy could speak again and wasn’t in the middle of the surge. His eyes found mine, and he sighed. I could almost read the question in his eyes: what now?

But I wasn’t sure what had to happen now. The magic was no longer consuming her, sure. Her eyes weren’t glowing and unseeing, and the marks that had once lined her flesh were gone. I could feel the hollowness within her thanks to the bond and the lingering desire that remained.

If anyone knew what to do, it would be the prince since he grew up with potential power surges. At one point, wouldn’t he have experienced this? Or had his mother found complete control by then?

She probably needs to be anchored, I thought. That was the most reasonable answer. She needed to take her third mate to finally be in control. Though rational, the wolf—and a small part of me—hated the idea of handing her over to him in this state.

A lump formed in my throat as I dropped his stare and gazed down at my mate. “What do you need, my love?” I asked gently, brushing my hand over her hair again.

She shivered, and as I breathed in, I caught the sweet scent of her arousal. But I knew she wouldn’t say it aloud. Not right now, not with everything that happened. She wouldn’t be able to bring herself to ask anyone for that.

She still believed that she had to be the one to take care of herself. Though I knew she was fully capable of doing so, I still needed her to learn that she could trust me—trust us—with that.

“You won’t say it,” I said, “but I know what you need. Do you trust your mates to take care of you?”

Ivy sucked in a sharp breath, pulling back so that she could look me in the eye. Her dark eyes widened with uncertainty, so I took her lips with mine, keeping the kiss gentle, enough to ease her into feeling comfortable again, giving her permission to pull away if she needed to.

But my little mate deepened the kiss with a swipe of her tongue. She moaned into my mouth as I gave her entrance, and we battled one another for dominance. The once-sweet kiss turned heavy, eliciting a groan from me as her hand skimmed down my back.

The mage cleared his throat, and Ivy pulled back. Her swollen lips formed an ‘o’ as she looked from me to Kingsley standing behind her. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry.”

I nuzzled the crook of her neck, peppering the soft skin with gentle kisses. “We’re your mates, Angel. No need to apologise.”

She stiffened in my hold; slowly, I untangled myself from her, giving her enough space to hold onto me if she needed to. Her eyes turned glassy as she averted her eyes from the prince and stared down at the forest floor. “I almost blew up,” she whispered. “Right there, near the kids.”

Kingsley took a step towards her, caging her between us. “You recognised the surge, and removed yourself from them, Ivy. You did everything right.”

“Except for running from us,” I said, giving him a look. “You should never run from us.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, but she didn’t look up. “It was so much,” she whispered. “The magic, the memories. The death.” She stopped, her eyes fluttering closed as she breathed deeply. “I just feel so...empty now.”

The prince and I shared a look. A feeling of uselessness washed over me. Like there was nothing I could really do for her.

You don’t have to carry this alone, I offered, meeting her stare again. We’re here. Lean on us.

Again, her eyes watered. Indecision warred within the darkness of her irises as she battled her basic instincts. She wanted to hide, to brave her darkness alone. She might have felt a little more comfortable with Thea, and I wouldn’t blame her for leaning on her best friend. But she searched my stare, and I felt her prod the bond like she was testing if my words were true.

No matter how many times I have to make myself clear, I sent her, reaching down to cup her cheek. I will never leave you. You are my heart, my soul, the other piece of me. You are the tether that holds me to this world. I will be by your side no matter what happens. You will never lose me.

Ivy sucked in a sharp breath, and finally, the first tear fell. Then another, until they were streaming down her face. Her body shook with sobs as she finally crumpled into my arms, held up by both me and the prince standing behind her. His arms moved around her middle, and he pressed himself into her back while I gently held her up between us, wiping away each tear until there were none, and her sobs turned quiet.

When exhaustion finally took her, Ivy’s body slumped, and I carefully pulled her into my arms bridal style. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, her breaths evening out. The bond was finally quiet, the ache in my chest—that need to be with her—at ease.

Kingsley kept his eyes focused on her peaceful face as he spoke. “What now?”

My arms instinctively tightened around her frame. “We take her back to the house. We offer her whatever peace we can. And then we find her bastard of a mate because he has a hell of a lot to answer for.”

~

As the sun broke through the trees, I untangled myself from Ivy. She made a soft sound as I removed myself from her embrace, and sought out the prince sleepily.

“Where are you going?” Kingsley asked, his voice soft so as not to wake Ivy.

I quietly pulled on my boots, sparing him only a quick glance. “I’m going to make a call. See if I can find this third mate of hers.”

“You think you can find him? He’s been hiding for eight years now.”

I climbed to my feet and stared down at our sleeping mate. She’d rolled over into Kingsley’s arms, nuzzling her face into his bare chest, her breaths still even. “I’m going to have some old colleagues keep an eye out for any Fae exhibiting increased power that claim to be unmated. There are a couple of favours I can call in.”

Kingsley dragged a hand over his face, his eyes tired. “You think you can trust these people?”

“I trust them enough to get me the information we need.” That bastard wouldn’t be able to hide for much longer. I had a feeling Ivy’s power surge could have been avoided if he was here and not off doing as he pleased, running around with his own increased magic.

The prince watched me for a long moment before nodding. “I hope you find him.”

I bowed my head once before stalking out of the quiet bedroom. The rest of the house was asleep, save for the two preparing for their boundary shifts. I’d have to thank Grey later for pulling me out so I could stay with Ivy.

I took to the halls and slipped down to the basement; the eerily quiet space dark. Lights flickered on automatically as I entered, their buzzing a low hum that made me frown. I couldn’t wait to take Ivy home to Avalon, to show her the beauty of the island, of my home. Soon, I thought, a smile forming on my lips.

The lights of the small gym flickered on, and I stopped in the doorway. I spared a look over my shoulder, searching the underground garage for any sign of listening ears. I strained, waiting for a stray breath or a heartbeat that was too loud, but I heard nothing. Not even a new scent.

I released a breath and reached for my cell. The enchanted phone from Sir Ya’Dahir weighed heavily in my hands. I dialled a number I knew by heart and waited for it to ring, the sound almost too loud in the too quiet basement. My own heart joined the sound, crashing against my ribcage.

After the fourth ring, the line connected, and a rough and hard voice spoke. “What?”

“It’s Beckham.”

There was a silence on the other end that lasted what felt like an eternity. Then, the old man spoke again. “What do you want?”

“I found my mate,” I started. He made a huffing sound, one I recognised from childhood as his way of sharing his surprise or pride. “Only problem is, she’s mated to another.”

“That wolf of yours jealous?” Cyrus chuckled darkly before coughing.

In my mind, he hadn’t aged a day, but by now, he’d be one of the longest-living shifters—save for the Queen’s own mates. Cyrus had been a soldier, a general, and once, a mentor. He’d been my teacher back when I’d lived at the orphanage, someone I would consider a true mentor and someone I trusted. He was still as strong as the bear he shifted into and just as large in my mind—the mind of the child I was when I met him for the first time. But it’d been years since I’d seen him.

“Not in the way you might be thinking,” I finally replied, shifting on my feet. I kept an eye out for anyone approaching as I continued, “Thing is, the other mate is Fae. When they met, he glamoured her and made her promise not to speak about him. Now, she doesn’t fully remember who he was.”

Cyrus made a sound of discontent on the other end. I could almost see the shift in his eyes as he considered my words and realised the implications. “They completed the bond?”

“Yes.” I could feel my anger rising within me as I thought about the bastard. “She had no idea they had until recently. Now, he’s out there and has someone close to him blocking their bond.”

It was hard keeping the specifics under wraps, but there were details he’d need if he wanted to fully understand the gravity of this situation.

“What do you want from me?” he asked. “What can an old man like me do for an agent like you?”

I snorted, shaking my head. “Your connections would help.” The last thing I wanted to do was drag him into the middle of all this, but if I wanted to help Ivy—if I wanted to protect her—then I would do anything to ensure she was safe. “Full-blooded Fae. He would be experiencing an increase in power, especially in the last month. I don’t want anyone approaching him, just a name.”

Cyrus grunted his understanding. “Power increases after bonding are a rarity, you know.”

I couldn’t bring myself to respond for a long moment. Cyrus wasn’t stupid. Soon, he’d know if his suspicions were true. But for now, I wouldn’t confirm his beliefs, but I wouldn’t lie to him.

“Ah,” he hummed, moving around what I assumed was his hidden cabin outside the city. “I’ll let a few trustworthy friends know to look out for a Fae male with increased power. No approaching, just a name.”

I sighed a breath of relief and rubbed my eyes tiredly. “Appreciate it.”

He hung up and the phone went completely silent. I took a small amount of comfort in knowing he wouldn’t treat me differently. He didn’t have it in him.

If he found nothing, I wasn’t sure what I would do. Cyrus had connections worldwide; in his work, he had to have friends everywhere. But if they found nothing...

Sooner or later, the Fae would reveal himself. And when he did, I’d make damn sure he never forgot the pain he put Ivy through with his actions.

When I was done, he’d wish for death.