Chapter 12

Twelve

“It’s too soon for you to come here.”

Kris?

I spin around, my eyes widening when I see her sitting on a grass hill in an elegant purple dress. A dress she would have only dreamed of wearing when she was alive. I never, ever thought I’d see her again or hear her sweet voice. See her smile. Kris is the picture of childhood innocence, of everything good and pure. Her long hair hangs down in perfect curls, her body filled out and not anywhere near as thin as she was the last time I saw her. There is no cut on her neck, no blood, and her clear eyes stare kindly at me. She looks like she did the morning before her death, only healthier. What she should have looked like.

Kris is here. She’s home! But in the back of my consciousness, I sense she is not. My voice cracks like broken glass. “Kris, is that really you?”

She laughs, young and joyful, before patting the grass next to her. “Come closer, but you must not touch me. I am dead, and where I am... I must not feel the real world anymore.”

Tears fall down my cheeks as I walk towards her. My own white dress moves softly in the breeze, sparkling with every step. Kris holds two orbs in her hands, both made of crystal-clear glass. One has a crescent moon floating inside it, the other a massive gold star. She follows my gaze.

“Both of the gods in the sky gave me these, and us, for this short time. It is a gift from them, for your part in the war and for my sacrifice. Our life has never been easy, Verena, and we lost so much. But you… you never gave up on the world. You fought for the innocent. You did everything we dreamed of.” Her own tears race down her cheeks, glowing like pure starlight. “We only have a minute or two now.”

“I love you.” No other words seem right. “And I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t be sorry for something you didn’t do. I’m okay. Really, I am. I can finally spread my wings again and fly.” She looks up at the endless blue sky. “I’m free.” Kris lowers her gaze to me. Her eyes flicker to my stomach before returning to my eyes again. I hope she sees how much I miss her; how much I wish more than anything things could be different. I wanted her to live, to see the world at my side and know what true love is. I want to say all these things and yet I can’t seem to part my lips. “I see your future, and all the years of happiness you will have. I’m excited to watch you live it,” she breathes, “until you meet me here, in the stars, with the moon watching.”

My hands itch to reach for her, to hold her one last time. I don’t know if this is real or a dream. I just look at her and softly whisper. “Goodbye, Kris. I’ll see you again soon.”

She smiles at me. The beautiful smile that always made me smile back even when I was mad at her. “Not for a long time yet, sis. I love you.”

Chimes echo lightly in the breeze as I wake up, gasping for hair. My hands immediately shoot to my ribs, to my stomach, but there’s nothing there. No dagger lodged in my side, just healed skin. I pull in a deep breath, trying to calm my breathing. It’s okay. I’m safe. But that dream! A part of me feels it wasn’t a dream at all, but my ultimate moments with Kris.

A gift from the gods—an apology for all the times they remained silent to my suffering.

Kris is with them, and she’s okay. I smile through my tears filling my eyes. She’s not only okay, but she’s free again. Free from suffering. Free from torment. Free from the chrysalis that tried to keep her trapped and break her beautiful wings.

Now the chrysalis phase is over, she can fly again.

We all can—because of her.

I turn around and breathe a huge sigh of relief and acceptance. I’m in Lazuri’s apartment, on his bed, curled up in our nest with a sheet hanging over the top of me and Elias who’s wrapped around my back. His arms are tight around my waist, even as he breathes deep enough, I know he’s asleep. Rune is at the end of the huge bed, his head bowed and his shoulders straining the fabric of his clean black shirt. There is still a scent of blood in the room, but I think that will linger around us for a long time to come. My mates seem to love it.

Where is Lazuri?

I have to lift my head above the ropes of bedding to see him slouched in a chair pushed against the wall by the bed. He has a half-opened book on his bent knee and he’s frowning at it.

“What are you reading?”

Lazuri turns to me, his book falling to the ground. His eyes are wide with love and relief, everything I feel and more. He is at my side in a second, cupping my face. “You’re awake. Does anything hurt? Do you want a drink?”

“A drink would be nice,” I admit, feeling my throat dry and raw from all the screaming.

Rune raises his head to look at me, his dark green eyes softening, just as Elias wakes up and also lifts his head. He kisses my shoulder, over and over, until Lazuri comes back. I drink the glass of water he gives me while he climbs into the bed on my left. Rune moves over to lie his head on my stomach, his ear pressed to my skin as if listening. I simply wrap my arms around all of them, needing to hold them close, needing to know we have each other.

We lie like this for hours, neither of us saying a word, for words are inconsequential in this moment. We don’t need words to describe how we’re feeling right now. We just need each other.

My stomach rumbles loud enough for all three of them to lift their heads. I grin. “I might be a little hungry, but first, is the pack safe?”

“The battle is well and truly over,” Rune states. He looks over his shoulder at his father’s crown resting on the side table. “I put the crown on and commanded them all to stop. They did. Without my father, I’m their king now, and to disobey me... well, the ones who were stupid enough to do that had a quick end.”

“Did we lose many?” I ask, fearful of the answer.

Their faces say enough. Elias clears his throat. “The little girl you had with you. Did she know she was a healer as well as half fae?”

“I only knew the last part,” I say. “I realised when I shifted.”

Elias raises an eyebrow. “The star gods must have known you’d need her by the end. Her power ripped out of her wolf and healed you. You would have died otherwise. We moved her in here to say thank you and we knew you’d want to see her. Although she’s been more of some help to us than we’ve been to her.”

“Speak for yourself,” Laz grumbles. “The kid keeps bringing cakes and brownies or whatever the fuck else she’s been baking that day, and let’s just say, when a six-year-old brings you something they made for you to eat, with those sticky little hands of theirs, it’s not usually the most fucking appetising thing, now is it?” He laughs though. “Cute kid. Hasn’t left your side for three days. She wanted to be here when you woke up.”

I laugh too, imagining them eating cupcakes covered in who knows what. But out of all the children, of all the fates that led to her breaking her leg and needing my help… it must have been the gods that brought us together. How else could we have gotten so lucky? After my dream of Kris, I know they played a part in the war. I know they helped us all. I must thank Elemence for saving my life when I see her next.

“Three days?” I can scarcely believe my own words. “I can’t believe it’s already been three days since I passed out.”

The guys each look at each other and nod in some form of agreement.

“It’s quite normal for a long recovery when you’ve been injured,” Elias says, “and especially so when you’re with child.” His nostrils flare and pupils widen, lust coursing through his body. “Your scent changed yesterday, and we can smell the babe now.”

“What?” I whisper, more to myself as the news I’m pregnant sinks in.

I had hoped… but I was so frightened I was wrong. Kris definitely knew I was pregnant. She had looked at my stomach and I knew that was her blessing. I let my tears fall as I wrap my arms around myself, hugging my stomach. This baby is going to be so protected, so loved, and I cannot wait to meet her or him.

Instead of fear, or worry... I feel pure and utter joy inside. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel knowing for certain I was pregnant, but there isn’t anything, anything other than that pure joy. Elias lays his hand over mine, followed by Rune next, and then Lazuri. There, we pray together for our child and the future we will build for them. For us.

After a few minutes, my stomach rumbles again and my mates get to work making sure their pregnant mate is fed. Their words—which only make me chuckle. Once I’ve eaten enough to feed a small army, I climb out of bed and stretch my arms in the air. My body still aches and I’m going to take it easy for a few days. Let my baby get all the strength it wants from me.

Rune leans against the door. “You woke up just in time. The half wolves and fae are returning to their lands after we make a peace agreement today between our races. We agree in blood, against our lives, to open all borders. We are choosing a new ruling council with two from each race. They will meet once a month. We are also sending teams out to spread the word far and wide about the new ruling pack of the world. Two alphas, one king, and their alpha female omega.”

I like the sound of that. “I’m sure my father would...”

They look at each other, and I know. They don’t need to say it. I know he’s gone. I felt it in my heart when his soul left this world. My heart drops and I close my eyes for a moment. We didn’t get hardly enough time to know each other, but I know he just wanted the half wolves to be free, for me to be free, and he would have happily died for that.

“How did he die?”

“Protecting us from a powerful general,” Laz softly replies. “I tried to save him. We all did, but none of us were quick enough. Your father came when no one else did though.”

“A warrior right to the very end,” Elias adds.

For that, I will love him forever. “Can we bury him somewhere I can regularly visit? I’d like to talk to him, even if he isn’t here.”

Elias wraps his hand around my waist, letting my silent tears fall. “Remember that he is with your mum. He loved her and wanted to be back with her. I’d welcome death if it meant being with you again. His people have buried him, along with the rest of their dead, in the forest where their base was hidden. There has been many, many of them to bury, but I’ll take you to his grave whenever you wish.”

I rest my head on his shoulder, my tears splashing against him. I’m sad about my father, but I’m also hopeful of the future ahead of us. It feels like we could have a family that would be safe now. We’ll work hard to rebuild this world—to make it less vicious. In nine months or however long I have left, our baby will be born into a world of peace. That I am sure of.

Elias sniffs me. “As much as I love my mate’s scent, we should get you in the shower.”

Frowning, I smell myself and cringe. “I don’t really smell that bad.”

“We all smell awful, so we can join you,” Rune offers, taking off his shirt and walking to the bathroom. Lazuri is already naked as he picks me up, making me laugh as he carries me into the bathroom after them. There is never a need to ask Lazuri a second time when it involves getting naked.

After showering with their help—their very useful and talented hands—we get dressed and go out to the main area. Elemence is sitting in the lounge, curled up, reading one of Laz’ books on plants. She squeals in joy when she sees me, and I hug her tightly. Her hands glow softly with green light.

“Are you okay now?” I ask her. “Thank you for saving my life.”

She beams up at me. “You saved me first! The orphanage was attacked and if I was alone... Thank you for saving me! And look…” She lifts her hands. “I have power now!”

I smile back at her. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Elemence, and wow, that is amazing!”

Lazuri drapes an arm over my shoulder and gently ruffles her hair. “Now, kid, we are going down to do some work. You’ll be alright up here alone?”

The room is darker than it should be because of the boards on the windows. I dread to see my favourite bedroom with what will be left of the skylight.

She nods once with a big smile, only to frown slightly. “Yes, but I can move out… I can find somewhere.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Laz tells her, and we share a look. We both know damn well she’s not going anywhere. This is her home now.

We head down the stairs together and find Mera watering plants, of all things, in the hallway. All the glass of windows has been shattered down here too, but someone’s filled them up with boards. She smiles brightly when she spots me, too. She’s completely covered in dirt, and dust, like she has been non-stop helping the pack even after fighting for us too. It makes a change from seeing her covered in blood or herbal remedies.

Wiping her hands on her jeans, she walks over and wraps me in a tight hug. “My dear girl, I thought I’d lost you! Glad to see you’re okay. It was chaos when we went through the evacuation tunnels, and I couldn’t risk leaving them to come back for you. The fae were waiting for us on the other side and just...” I don’t need to hear the end of that sentence to imagine the horrors. “There were so many children and women there, so many elders. I—we—had to fight. We held them off long enough to reach the ships, but it was brutal until help arrived. It did take me back to my beta days though and confirmed that those days are well and truly behind me now.”

“That move was cowardly.” Elias growls under his breath. I know it will be a horror of the war we won’t forget anytime soon.

“How many did we lose in the end?” I ask quietly, already feeling sick to my stomach waiting for the answer.

Laz tightly answers. “Six thousand, three hundred and two people. We are still missing a thousand more though and it is likely we won’t find them alive. The forest is for the funerals and graves, a place for them to all rest together. We’ll keep holding funerals each day until every single one of them is buried. Elias’ people arrived yesterday and helped considerably with the rebuilding of the pack and helping anyone they can. Good wolves.”

I know he takes every death personally. “I’m sorry, Laz. I’m sorry to all of you. Let’s make today important. When we stand in front of everybody, let’s make sure they know that from now on, we’re going to have peace. We’re going to open our borders for everyone.” I take hold of my mates’ hands, both Rune and Lazuri’s, while Elias walks in front and opens the door for us.

When I step out, it truly feels like we’re stepping into a completely new world.

A world that can be rebuilt in the name of peace.

A world that is not vicious.