CHAPTER 18

LUCA

Turning from where we’d been jumping in and out of the lake, enjoying the slight breeze from the heat of the day. A smile broke over my face at seeing Hannah and Cassie fast asleep in the shade, heads resting against each other.

Cassie had been concerned about Hannah, but as she slowly got stronger with each purge of the poison in her body, the better we all felt. There was no doubt about it, the tea was working. Anton had gone back to being in control of his animal with how sick Hannah had been, but I had a feeling that by the time we got back home, she’d be strong enough to change voluntarily.

Anton pulled himself out of the water and came to stand next to me, face turned towards where my gaze was centred. When he realised what I was looking at, his face softened. Our animals letting out a rumbling roar of protective possessiveness at seeing them sleeping peacefully together.

Anton gripped the back of my neck, turning and lifting my hand to grip him in the same hold, foreheads pressed against each other’s. A hold that we had done many times over the years when we’d needed comfort.

It settled something in both of us.

“Love you, brother,” Anton said softly. “Same,” I answered.

We’d all been through a lot of changes in the last few months. It felt good to be back on an even keel with my brother. It was time to get on with our lives and start living instead of just existing. I was looking forward to the changes that the next few months were going to bring. It made me happy to know that both Anton and I’d found our mates at nearly the same time and that our young would be growing up together. I hoped that they’d be as close as Anton and I were.

They would certainly only know love and family. I was looking forward to teaching them everything that Anton and I’d been taught by our parents and letting them have the same wild childhood we’d had.

Tomorrow, we’d start our journey towards home, and I couldn’t wait.