Chapter 14

" H ang on, how come you get to walk around looking like God's gift to humans and I have to look like this?" Tori's outraged voice brings a smile to my face as I walk through the kitchen to the living room. I'm clutching mugs of coffee in my hands, and pressing a packet of chocolate digestives to my chest as I try not to drop everything.

"Well, I'm a full demon," Eric explains, his face lighting up as I walk into the room. Perched on the end of the dining room table, he tries to teach Tori about her powers, while Jake and Ben watch on silently.

It's been a few days since we found her, and things had been a little…unsettled. Tori had woken up surrounded by her bears and freaked out, demanding that they call me, with no idea as to what was going on. Since then, she's been staying with me in the medical building. I have a spare bedroom, but it's been untouched. The first night she stayed here, she snuck into my bed and has been there every night since. Her bears have been taking it in turns sleeping on the couch downstairs, even though they've been offered lodgings by the alpha, not wanting to be away from their mate.

Looking around the meeting room, I walk over to the small coffee table, place Tori's drink down, and move to the couch. Eric and Tori are standing to my right, but while Eric looks calm, dressed in his usual slacks and white button-down shirt, Tori is pacing the length of the room, her dark, curly hair bouncing as she walks. Her frustration is evident as her power seems to pulse around her in a purple glow, and her hooves make a clacking sound against the wooden floor. I find of all of it—the horns, the power, the glowing mark on her forehead—the hooves are the hardest for me to come to terms with.

Jake and Ben are sitting on the opposite couch and each give me a distracted smile before their gaze is drawn back to Tori. Fighting to suppress my sigh, I lean back in the chair, opening up the biscuits and biting down into the chocolatey goodness. I love having Tori here, but that means her bears are here too. That wouldn't be a problem, but she doesn't seem to want anything to do with them, and they refuse to leave. Eric assures me it's because Tori's had a massive shock and is trying to reject the bond since she doesn't understand it. My gaze lifts to the twins and I hold out the biscuit packet in offering, but they barely look at me as they shake their heads, their eyes following Tori's agitated movements.

They've been staying in the small house Eric's been living in, using it to shower and change in before returning here, never being away from Tori for long. I offered for them to stay with me, seeing as Tori's been in my bed, but Tori refused, saying she needed space. Max seems to be struggling the most with Tori's indifference. As the Long Claw gamma, he's strong and his bear will be demanding that he be with his mate to protect her, especially now that he has a second chance. He'd been called away today on pack business, but I know he's been checking in with the twins via phone.

"And I'm not?" Tori demands, stopping her pacing as she spins and glares at Eric. "I died. I'm not me anymore, I'm a demon." She gestures to herself, then flings her arms out in a frustrated gesture before she resumes her pacing.

Eric pushes away from the table and walks towards her, his voice soft. "Tori, you're still you. You've always been part demon, you just needed your human side to die so your demon half could come through."

"But I don't want this, I didn't ask for this." My heart aches as she speaks, the pain easy for us to hear. The bears shuffle in their seats as they fight against their instincts to comfort their mate. All is quiet for a moment before she narrows her eyes on Eric. "So I am a full demon now then."

Sighing, Eric shakes his head. "No, it doesn't work like that." Tori makes a rude noise before stomping over to me, stealing the biscuit packet, then sitting on the arm of the couch as she shoves several chocolate biscuits into her mouth. "You were born part witch, part demon, and the witch part of you, the human part, died. You've been reborn, but you will always be part demon. Half demons are weaker and have limited powers compared to a full-blooded demon," Eric finishes, running his hand through his neat hair.

"So why can't I wear my human form like I did before? I mean, you look like a human. I look like Mr. Tumnus' love child." I fight back the laugh that threatens to come out as Tori rants, throwing her arms up in the air before shoving more biscuits into her mouth.

"You look beautiful," Jake comments helpfully, but Tori just rolls her eyes.

"Shut it, bear. I have fucking horns. Horns! And look at my feet! I'm never going to get shoes that fit," she laments, then groans and sinks into a chair with her head in her hands. I glance over at Jake to see if he's offended by Tori's words, but there wasn't real heat in her voice, just frustration.

"I like the horns." Ben's words have Tori spinning towards the two of them. She wears a glare that's made all the more uncomfortable by the purple glow that seems to surround her. Neither of the bears appear bothered, in fact, they are leaning forward towards Tori, like they're being pulled towards her. Seeing their expressions, she turns away from them to face Eric again.

"I can't access my magic." Her words are quiet, her body stiff as she waits for Eric's response, as if she's preparing herself for bad news.

"No." A sombre expression crosses Eric's face as he contemplates the young demon before him. "Like I said, your human side died, and with it, so did your magic."

She crumples before my eyes, and I jump to my feet, guiding her to the couch as all the energy seems to leave her body. She collapses into the chair, and my heart breaks as I watch her sorrow. "I'll never be able to use my magic again? That was all I've ever known."

"Not your witch powers, no." The doctor voice is back as Eric takes a step towards us, stopping as the twins growl from their place on the couch. His brow lowers into a frown as he glances over at them before addressing Tori again. "But I can teach you to access your demonic powers."

She seems to sink into the chair, and the bright and bubbly Tori that I knew disappears. I've only ever seen her like this once after she had walked in on her ex messing around with another woman. Taking her hands in one of mine, I use the other to reach out, cup her chin, and raise it to meet my gaze. Her eyes are focused on her hands in my lap as she avoids my eyes.

"Tori, you're alive. I know this is a shock and isn't what you wanted, but I got you back and I'll forever be thankful for that." As I speak, her eyes well, but she raises them, and I smile at the strength I see there. "I love you, horns and all." This makes her laugh and shake her head, her curls bouncing around said horns. I'm not going to say as such, but they are beautiful, curling up in ebony spirals that stand out against her golden skin. They are far more delicate than Eric's horns, and I reach up to touch them, marvelling at the smoothness of them. Tori coughs and shifts in the seat.

"Um, Ari, can you stop touching them please?" Her voice is tight as she leans away from me. Frowning, I pull my hand back swiftly, looking up at Eric, who's trying to hide his grin. Have I just broken some unspoken rule?

"Our horns are very sensitive and are used during mating. You probably don't want to touch another demon's horns, especially not a male's, unless you want to…become intimate with him." I gape up at Eric as he finishes his explanation before turning to Tori, who's still shifting in her seat.

My shock turns to amusement and I grin at my best friend. "Did I just turn you on? You got the hots for me?" I tease, feeling elated as she grins back at me, nudging my shoulder with her own.

"You wish, you big, hairy mutt." Her harsh response is undermined by the grin that spreads across her face and I laugh, used to her calling me this and much worse in the past.

Leaning towards her, I pucker my lips, grab her face, and pull her towards me. "Go on, give us a kiss."

"In your dreams, dog breath." She laughs her signature, full-bellied laugh, and something lights up within me, something I thought had been lost when she died. My throat dries, and I have to fight against the tears that are threatening to spill, my eyes stinging as I blink them back furiously. Seeing the change in my face, Tori's happy expression drops a little. "Ari," she starts, but I shake my head and force a grin.

"Don't make me tickle your horns again," I reply. My voice cracks a little, but I hide it behind some bravado, except she knows me too well and sees right through me, pulling me into a hug. The twins laugh as I untangle myself from Tori's arms, but when I look up at Eric, he has a sympathetic look on his face, and I remember our bond. He's feeling everything I am right now.

Turning away from him, I lean forward to pick up my coffee mug. It's too early for this kind of emotional turbulence. I sip my coffee and let out a contented sigh, then smile when I see Tori is doing the same. Seems even death can't cure Tori's caffeine addiction.

As we sit and drink our coffee, chatting about nonsense and ignoring the issue of Tori and her new powers, I feel a sudden shock of alarm shoot through me. Jumping to my feel, I look around for the threat, my powers surging to the surface as I scan the room. Tori's staring at me like I've lost my mind, while the twins are playing it cool, glancing around the room, but I can see the tension in their muscles as they ready themselves to protect their mate if needed. Eric is still leaning against the table, his posture relaxed, but he's frowning at me, appearing confused.

I can't see any threat, so why do I feel so…alarmed?

I blink dumbly as I realise what's going on. The thought isn't mine.

"Ari, what's up? I can feel your anxiety, but it doesn't feel like you." Eric takes a step towards me, rubbing his chest absentmindedly.

"The bond. Somethings going on with Killian," I announce, feeling stupid that it took me so long to realise what I was feeling.

"What? Is he okay?" Tori asks, pushing up from the sofa so she's facing me. The twins are staring at each other in confusion, but look ready to jump up at a moment's notice.

Frowning, I rub my temple, fighting against the headache that's threatening to form. Blowing out a frustrated breath, I shrug and glance over at Eric. "I don't know. I think so. I can't tell."

Eric walks over and crouches in front of me, placing his hands on my knees as he explains, "Look inside yourself where the bonds sit. Find his and follow it, you should be able to tell if he's okay." My trepidation must show on my face, because he squeezes my leg and smiles softly. "If he was hurt, you would know."

Feeling reassured, I close my eyes and follow Eric's instructions, looking inside myself for the bonds. I've always struggled to understand this concept. Sure, none of this is new, I've had the bond with Killian for a while now, but there is no manual on how this all works. How does one look inside themselves, and how does something like a bond, something that's metaphysical, reside inside me? But they were right—sure enough, I follow my instincts and find the place where my bonds lay. I reach out and grasp them, giving them a tug, but I soon lose my concentration as Eric lets out a grunt. My eyes shoot open, and I see he's rubbing at his chest and smiling wryly at me.

"What happened?" I inquire, confused.

"It felt like you grabbed the bond and yanked." He laughs. "You certainly got my attention."

"Oh shit. Sorry," I apologise, biting down on my lip before taking a deep breath and closing my eyes again.

Finding that place within me once more, I contemplate the bonds. I've felt stuff from Killian previously, and even Eric to an extent before the bond was fully formed, but now I've got two fully formed bonds and it's difficult to make sense of everything. I can understand why the guys were concerned when they found out I had two bonds. They seem to be pulsing and writhing, like they are fighting for space. I gently touch one of the bonds, and I immediately get a sense of Eric, his calming presence but with a little electric spark that hints at his power. Reaching out for the other, I can't help but smile as I sense Killian. This bond feels completely different from the other with a grumpy exterior, but once I push through, I'm enveloped by love and an urge to protect me. Sensing that he's not hurt, I pull away as the bond tugs gently at me, my internal compass telling me that he's on his way over.

"Killian's on his way here," I say, reaching forward for my coffee cup once again. I'm going to need caffeine for this conversation, but before I can even lift my cup to my lips, the door slams open, causing me and the twins to jump to our feet as a frustrated Killian storms in.

"What the hell was that?" Kill demands, marching right up to me.

"Sorry, I—" My explanation is cut short as he reaches me, his hands reaching out to grab my arms as he checks me over for injury.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" His words are muffled as he turns me around, and I know he's not going to believe me until he's fully checked.

"I'm fine! I felt your alarm, and I was checking that you were okay."

His expression softens. "If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was call me," he jokes, his frown turning into a grin as his hand reaches up and cups my cheek. He looks me in the eyes, and I can see the tension he's trying to hide from me. "It felt like someone was tearing my heart out. I was worried." I'm about to accuse Killian of going soft when several sets of footsteps on the wooden porch alert me that others are joining us.

Eric pushes away from the table once more and walks over to the door, and I can hear him greeting someone in the hallway. Glancing over, I see Alpha Mortlock and Alex walking into the room, with Isa following closely behind. I go to stand up to welcome them, but the alpha just smiles and waves his hand.

"Ari, don't worry about formalities, it's just us. Sit down," he says, and I can't help the surge of warmth that fills me, wishing I had grown up under an alpha like him. Leaning back into the seat, Tori shuffles uncomfortably next to me, unsure how to act around the alpha.

Alpha Mortlock turns his attention to her and he smiles gently. "Tori, we were shocked, but also very pleased to hear of your…recovery." The pause only lasts for a couple of seconds and he covers it well, but Tori shifts awkwardly in her seat again. "I know Ari was lost without you," the alpha continues, and a couple of low laughs fill the room.

"Yup, I'm not sure how she survived that long without me, to be honest," she quips, but her tone is off and I know she's still uncomfortable about her rebirth and struggling to come to terms with the idea.

I see a flash of understanding in the alpha's eyes, and he turns to the bears, who jumped to their feet when they realised that the alpha had entered the room. Holding out his hand, he nods his head and firmly shakes their hands.

"You are welcome here as Tori's mates for as long as she wants you here. Please pass on my best wishes to your alpha," Mortlock declares formally, and I realise the significance of what he's saying. By phrasing it this way, he's making Tori pack, which means she will be protected by Moon River just like any other pack member.

Tori, on the other hand, is focused on something else. "Wait, does that mean you can make them go?" Eagerness fills her tone.

"You don't want them here?" Confusion fills the alpha's face, he certainly hadn't expected this reaction from her.

"No! They won't leave me alone!" she cries out, throwing her arms out as she gestures around her.

Frowning, the alpha takes a step towards the bears. "Then you must leave." He sounds genuinely sympathetic but firm in his resolve. If Tori doesn't want them there, then they must leave.

"Tori," I comment softly, but she turns her head and looks at me accusingly.

"I didn't ask for this, Ari, none of it! Especially not coming back from the dead as a fucking demon! I didn't get a choice about that, or losing my magic. It's nice to have a choice about the men that keep hanging around, expecting me to fall into their fucking arms like a damsel in distress!"

My heart breaks for her, and I pull her into my arms, being careful of her horns after what happened earlier, and gently press her face to my shoulder. Looking over at the twins, I can see their expressions are torn. They want to be with their mate, to comfort her, but their presence is also causing her pain, which is abhorrent to them.

"Maybe you guys should just wait outside for a bit?" I suggest gently, knowing that Tori will feel the loss of them once they've gone and that will only make things harder for her. I feel bad for the bears, but Tori is my top concern and she needs me. Their shoulders slump as they walk from the room, and it's not long before I hear the roar of a bear in the woods behind the house. I wonder if this is how Killian and Eric felt when I denied our bonds and kept walking away? I would have to call Garett later and make sure he comes around to speak with his brothers. My bear had also been called away to the same business as his older brother Max, and I was feeling his absence keenly. We don't have the same metaphysical bond I share with Killian and Eric, but it is just as special, a bond made of love and not forced on me like the fated mate bonds. Seb and Alex also.

Tori abruptly pulls away from me now that the bears have gone and scowls at me. I'd expected to see her face red and streaked with tears, but it looks just as perfect as it did before.

"I can't even fucking cry now!" Her frustration is easy to hear as she jumps up from the couch and paces across the living room, her hooves clopping against the wooden floor.

"Demons don't cry," Eric responds with a twitch of his upper lip. "It would wreak havoc on our reputation." Tori lets out a startled laugh in reply and shakes her head before letting out a deep breath.

"I'm going to need to talk to them, aren't I?" Her voice sounds resigned, and Tori avoids eye contact as she braces for the answer.

Pushing up from the couch, I walk over to her, making sure I don't touch her. I know she needs space, but she also needs to hear this. "Yes, but that doesn't have to be today."

The room is silent for a moment until the alpha clears his throat, bringing our attention back to him. Facing the alpha, I frown as I realise Alex and Isa are standing formally just behind him, enacting their roles as beta and gamma. Usually, Alex would be by my side, and I raise an enquiring brow to him, opening my mouth to ask what's going on, but he just shakes his head. Closing my mouth, I frown once again, looking at Killian, who has gravitated to my side, his eyes locked on me.

"Why don't we all sit down," Alpha Mortlock suggests as apprehension and dread rises within me. Something has happened, that's the only explanation for the formalities.

I take a seat back on the couch and look up at Tori expectantly, but she hovers in the centre of the room, glancing between the alpha and me. "Do you need me to leave the room?" Seeing the alpha shake his head, she frowns and presses, "But isn't this pack business?"

The alpha's formal fa?ade drops as he gives her a welcoming smile. "Tori, for as long as you need us, you are pack. Besides, this will affect you too." Although he had implied it earlier, he's now formally announcing it. Something about her must have impressed him, and I can see the surprise and gratitude written across her face. Nodding her head, she walks over and sits next to me silently, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it once.Something inside me settles. We'll be okay, we'll get through this.

Looking up expectantly at the alpha, I smother a smile as the alpha sits in the centre of the room, Alex and Isa standing just behind him. I must not smother it quickly enough though, as Alex meets my gaze and narrows his eyes slightly. Uh-oh, I'll pay for that later. I have to hide another grin as the various ways I can make it up to him flash through my mind.

Clearing his throat, the alpha begins, "We have just learned of an attack on a group of shifters." He pauses as we absorb this, my stomach dropping. Not again.

"Who was attacked?" My voice croaks as I struggle to get the words out, almost as though if I can't voice the question, then I don't have to know the answer. But I have to know.

Mortlock's sombre eyes meet mine. "The lions." The room falls silent as the implications run through our minds. I can see now why Killian was shocked enough that I felt it through the bond. The local lion pride attended the meeting that ASP stormed, the meeting where Tori was killed, but they did so with extreme reluctance. They made it clear that they weren't going to take sides, that their feelings towards ASP were neutral, and the only reason they had attended was to listen to what we had to say.

"Wait, the lions? Why would they be attacked?" Eric's astounded tone fills the room, but I only have one question.

"Who was the target?"

The silence lasts long enough that I know the answer is bad, not to mention the tight expression Isa is wearing as she shifts from foot to foot, as if she's wanting to take action. Alex keeps his gaze trained on me, as if he's unsure what my reaction is going to be. Turning my attention back to Alpha Mortlock, I can see anger simmering in his eyes, along with a deep sorrow, and that alone tells me the answer before he's even said the words.

"The whole pride. They were eradicated." His tone is even, as if he's telling me the cricket scores, but I can tell from his formality and stiffness that this is hurting him. He wants action, but he has to keep his cool, not wanting to risk his pack.

"There were no survivors," Isa bites out in clipped tones, her German accent stronger than usual with her anger. "Even the cubs were murdered." The room falls quiet as the news sinks in.

"Who did this?" I inquire, a deadly calm running through me, the darkness that resides within me threatening to envelop me as I wait to see if my suspicions are confirmed. Shadows appear on my skin, flickering along my arm like a living animal until my whole body seems to be embraced by the darkness.

"We believe it was the Shadow Pack, but disturbingly, we suspect ASP's involvement," Alex finally speaks up, and my power flares at the mention of Shadow Pack, the shadows rippling around my body. Tori leans back on the couch, watching my shadows warily as they seem to try and stroke against her.

Alpha Mortlock nods in agreement, explaining his reasoning. "The lion pride's exact location was a secret, one that they guarded very closely, the only people that knew its location was ASP and the members of the pride."

What he says makes sense, but that doesn't prove that ASP was involved. I'm sure ASP participated, but we can't do anything without proof. "That doesn't mean ASP was involved," I begrudgingly admit, then voice a question that's been bugging me since I heard who the target was. "Why would they attack the lions? They wanted to trust ASP."

"It could be a message?" Isa muses. "To show that no one is safe from them."

Mortlock shakes his head. "There were other signs too. Not to mention this attack was the same as all the other murders and disappearances. It was reported to them, and they've done nothing ." His voice cracks, and I realise he's mourning, remembering that he had a contact, a friend, in the lion pride.

"What do we do now?" My question breaks the heavy silence that's fallen over us, but I've had enough, now is the time for action.

"This can't go on," Killian chimes in, adding his piece for the first time. He's addressing the room, but his eyes are locked on me.

"What I don't understand is why Shadow Pack is working with ASP. ASP seems to hate shifters, so why work with them?" Eric ponders, his brow lowered in confusion, and the others share similar looks.

"To get what they want." Everyone turns to look at me in question. They don't know Shadow Pack like I do. "They want to cause as much disruption and chaos within the shifter population as possible. Shadow Pack will happily kill and maim if it means they prove their superiority. They're trying to harm me by harming others. ASP hates shifters. This way, shifters are dying, but they can blame it on someone else, and not just that, the killers are shifters, thereby proving their point about us and causing distrust between us at the same time."

"So, we attack them," Isa announces, and I turn to her in alarm and dismay.

Shaking my head, I meet her fierce gaze. "No, not until we know for sure that ASP is involved. Just rushing in will get us killed," I reason, but I can feel the anger building in the room and I know I need to try and calm everyone down.

"We can't just keep sitting here doing nothing while they are killing children!" Isa shouts, her eyes rimmed with tears, and this is when I realise they're winning. If we run in and attack them, we're doing exactly what they want us to. If we attack Shadow Pack, then we're just ridding them of another shifter pack.

I explain this to the others, and they sit back and contemplate my words, even Isa seems to have accepted what I'm saying, although she doesn't look happy, her simmering anger clear to see in her rigid posture.

"What do we do then?" Eric asks again, and my stomach drops as everyone turns to me.

"Don't look at me! Ask the alpha!" I exclaim, throwing my hand in his direction. No way, no way am I making a decision this monumental, not when it involves people's lives, that's a job for the alpha.

"Ari—" he starts, his voice cajoling as he takes a step towards me, but he stops when I hold up my hand.

"No. Sorry, bossman, but I'm not making that decision." Tori raises her eyebrows at my audacity, but I refuse to have that responsibility on my shoulders.

He meets my gaze and contemplates me for a moment before dipping his head in acknowledgement. "I'm not asking you to make the decision. I'm asking you what you think we should do." Silence fills the room as everyone turns from the alpha to look at me, and if the situation wasn't so important, I'd be laughing at their yo-yoing between us. I lean back against couch and contemplate what he said, running the options through my mind.

"I think we need to speak to the splinter group and accept their help. We need to know what's going on inside ASP, we can't risk attacking until we know more," I suggest, hoping they understand the risks of attacking an agency like ASP, especially if we're wrong. We would be wiped out as an example to the rest of the shifters. "I don't like it, but I think it's our only viable option. Isa's right—we can't just sit back and let more shifters die."

Looking at said shifter, I watch as she nods her head at me in thanks, while the alpha considers what I've said before letting out a big sigh. "Can we trust this splinter group?"

I almost laugh out loud. I'm the last person to ask about trusting people. I trust no one , I think before frowning as I look up at the people around me and realise that's not true. It might have been true once upon a time, but now I have a family, a pack, friends, and even mates. I never thought this was a life I could have.

I consider his question again, and decide to trust my instincts, they haven't lead me astray so far. Nodding my head once, I reply, "Yes."

Alpha Mortlock holds my gaze, and I feel the weight of his alpha power on me as he contemplates my answer. Frowning, he lets out a long breath. "Okay, let's get in touch with them." He glances at Alex, who nods and leaves the room, with Isa following after him. Pushing to his feet, Mortlock looks at me once more. "I really hope you're right about this."

As I watch him leave the room, a sense of foreboding fills me.

"So do I."