Chapter 40

SWYN

My heart pounds, echoing the deafening silence that follows the fall of the Cerberus. Dust hangs in the air like a heavy mist, and all I can hear is the rushing of my own blood, the wild rhythm of panic pulsing through me.

"Ri! Kel! Sol!" I scream their names, but there's no response.

My feet move before I can even think, and I'm running—desperate—towards where they fell, to the massive form of the Cerberus crumpled on the ground.

The great beast, my mates, lies unnaturally still, their once-mighty form now broken.

Mavis and Oland are shouting behind me, telling me to wait, to be careful. But I can't stop. I can't breathe. I can't think beyond the sight of them collapsed in the dirt.

I skid to a stop next to their massive body, my hands trembling as I reach out to touch the fur of their flank. It's warm, but there's no movement—no rise and fall of breath.

"No," I whisper, my voice breaking. "No, please…"

I kneel beside them, my hands shaking, heart in my throat as I press my palms against the cold floor. The Cerberus lies sprawled, motionless. A beast brought to its knees, and with it, three of the men I love more than life itself.

It's taken losing them to realise.

Too little, too late, Swyn.

Blood stains their fur, and I can barely breathe as I lean closer, searching for any sign of life.

The world feels like it's spinning out of control, the adrenaline from the battle still pounding in my veins. Morfran is gone, defeated, but at what cost?

The air is heavy with the scent of burnt magic, the remnants of our final clash hanging thick around me. But I can't focus on any of that. I can't think about victory or curses or Aether magic.

All I can think about is them.

My vision blurs with unshed tears, and I force myself to look up at the three heads of the Cerberus. They're all frozen in place, their expressions locked in death. But I refuse to believe it.

They can't be gone. Not after everything. Not now.

Ri's fur is matted with blood, his powerful form unnervingly still. Kel, usually so full of energy and life, lies in a heap, his fur darkened with soot. And Sol—light-hearted, always the one to bring warmth and levity—his chest barely rises and falls, his breathing shallow.

I press a trembling hand against Sol's chest, needing to feel something, anything to tell me he's still alive.

"Please," I whisper, the word barely audible, more to myself than to anyone else. "Please, don't leave me."

I close my eyes, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. This wasn't supposed to happen. We broke the curse, we defeated Morfran—this was supposed to be the moment we won, the moment we could finally be free.

But instead, I'm kneeling here, terrified I've lost everything.

I can't lose them. Not now. Not after everything.

Mavis and Oland stand nearby, their faces grim, but I can't focus on them either. Mavis is chanting, trying to weave together the remnants of her magic to help, but I know she's nearly spent.

We all are.

Then she quiets.

The silence stretches, and I'm drowning in it. My hands shake as I reach for Ri's massive paw, clutching it like it's my only lifeline. His form is the most unnerving. He always seemed so invincible. If he—no, I can't even let the thought cross my mind.

"I love you," I whisper, my voice breaking. "All of you."

The words tumble out before I can stop them, my chest tightening with the weight of it. I should've said it sooner. Maybe I should've told them how much they mean to me before it got to this point. But now, it feels like it's too late.

I wipe angrily at my eyes. This can't be it. This can't be how it ends.

I reach out, touching Kel's side, feeling the warmth of his body even though he's too still. "Kel," I whisper. "Please wake up. You said we'd see this through. That I wouldn't have to face it alone. You promised."

My voice cracks again, and the tears fall despite myself. I don't know what to do. I'm supposed to be strong, supposed to lead us through this, but all I can do is hold onto them and hope—hope for some miracle.

"Ri, Sol… you can't leave me. I need you. I need all of you."

The silence that follows is deafening, the weight of it crushing me. There's magic in the air, but it's fading, dissipating like smoke after a fire.

Mavis steps forward, her voice softer than I've ever heard it. "Swyn… we'll do everything we can. But sometimes, the Aether?—"

"No," I cut her off, my voice firm, even though my hands are still trembling. "No. We've come too far. We've fought too hard."

I bow my head, closing my eyes as a sob escapes my throat. The words come unbidden, a prayer to whatever forces are out there listening.

This is not balance. Morfran's evil for their good? It's a price I refuse to pay.

"I love you," I whisper again, louder this time, as if they can hear me wherever they are. "Please. Come back to me."

For a heartbeat, there's nothing. Just the heavy silence, the weight of my grief, and the crushing realisation that maybe, just maybe, I'm too late.

I press my hand to the fur again, searching for something—anything—a sign that they're still alive.

But then… I feel it.

A shift. A stirring.

It's faint at first, but I swear I feel Kel's chest rise beneath my hand. My breath catches, my heart pounding in my ears as I lift my head, hope blooming like a fragile flower in my chest.

A faint pulse. Too faint.

I reach deep, pulling on the threads of my magic, summoning every ounce of power I have left. The Aether stirs within me, hot and wild, and I push it into them, willing them to come back, to breathe, to open their eyes.

Please. Please, I'll do anything. Give anything. Just save them.

"You can't leave me," I whisper, my voice cracking as I close my eyes, trying to focus through the blinding panic. "You promised. We're not done yet."

For a moment, there's nothing but silence. I think maybe I've failed, that I've lost them for good.

And then, faintly, I feel it.

Another little flicker of life. A tiny spark.

I open my eyes, my breath catching as I watch their massive form tremble, the bond between us pulsing faintly. It's weak, but it's there—fighting, just like we always do.

Sol stirs next, a low groan escaping him as his eyes flutter, but don't open. And then, Ri's paw twitches beneath my grip.

"That's it," I murmur, tears slipping down my cheeks as I focus harder, pouring more magic into them. "Come back to me."

I don't stop. I won't stop. Not until they wake up. The Aether swirls within me, a torrent of raw, untamed power, and I let it all go, let it flow into them, into the bond we share, binding us closer, for all eternity.

I let out a shaky breath, tears spilling over uncontrollably now, but this time, they're tears of relief.

They're alive. They're alive.

Mavis lets out a small laugh, though I can hear the exhaustion in it.

"Stubborn, stubborn men," she mutters, wiping at her own eyes.

Oland steps closer, his face a mix of relief and awe. "They'll be alright. They just need time to heal."

I laugh, though it comes out as more of a sob, and I press my forehead to Ri's massive paw, overwhelmed with gratitude. "You idiots," I whisper, my voice shaking with emotion. "You scared the hell out of me."

Kel, still in his Cerberus form, lets out a low, rumbling groan, and I can almost imagine the smirk on his face.

They're still too weak to shift back, but that's okay. They're alive. They're going to be okay.

I stay there for what feels like hours, my hands tangled in their fur, my heart slowly starting to steady as the weight of the battle lifts. The storm may or may not be over, but for the first time, I feel like we've made it through the worst of it.

I stare at their chests so long, I go into a trance, only coming round when Oland shakes me gently.

"Swyn! Look!"

Slowly—agonisingly slowly—the Cerberus shifts. A low rumble, almost a growl, rises from Ri's throat, and my heart leaps in my chest.

"Yes," I breathe. "Come on."

Kel's head moves next, his eyes fluttering open, dazed but alive. And then Sol—his intense, familiar gaze locking with mine, the weight of his stare anchoring me to the earth.

They're alive.

The Cerberus dissolves into a shimmer of weak light, and before I know it, they're there — my mates, my loves — back in their human forms, bruised, battered, but breathing.

I collapse into them, my strength giving out as I pull them all into my arms, my tears soaking into their skin.

"We did it," I whisper, my voice thick with relief. "You're okay."

Kel, ever the first to speak, lets out a low chuckle, though it's laced with pain. "You couldn't get rid of us that easily, love."

Sol's hand finds mine, squeezing it gently as his warm smile reaches his eyes. "Not a chance."

Ri doesn't say anything, but his arms tighten around me, his silent strength all the reassurance I need. Then Oland joins us and I feel complete.

For a long moment, we just hold each other, the five of us bound together by something deeper than magic—deeper than the curse that once threatened to tear us apart.

We've survived. We've won.

But as the dust begins to settle, I can still feel the weight of everything that's happened—the destruction, the pain, the cost. Morfran is gone, but I get the feeling that the battle isn't over yet. Not completely.

I pull back slightly, my eyes scanning the horizon, where the dark energy that had once surrounded Morfran still lingers in the air, dissipating slowly. The land itself is scarred, as if the world will need time to heal just as we will.

"We need to rebuild," I say softly, wiping the tears from my face. "The damage to the house…There's so much to do."

Kel leans back on his elbows, wincing slightly as he stretches. "Yeah, well, maybe we could take a break first. I'm all for saving the world, but I'm also all for a nap."

Sol laughs, though the sound is tired, and even Ri smirks a little at Kel's comment.

"We'll rest," I promise, threading my fingers through theirs. "But we'll rebuild. Together."

Mavis approaches us then, her expression a mix of relief and exhaustion. Her sharp eyes sweep over the battlefield before she nods, her voice steady but tired.

"It's over. Morfran is gone for good."

I let out a long, relieved breath, the finality of her words sinking in. We've done it. We've won. And nothing—not curses, not ancient magic, not even Morfran—can take this away from us.

Not anymore.

As I look at my mates, the bond between us stronger than ever, I know that whatever comes next, we'll face it together. My biggest fear is going to be telling my family that I'm in love with four guys: my husband and his triplet brothers.

Oh, that, and, I'm not going home.

But that's a bombshell to share another day.

We rise slowly, leaning on each other for support as we take in the destruction left in the wake of the battle. The storm has passed, but the calm that follows is filled with a quiet, steady resolve.

"We survived," I whisper, my voice barely audible but filled with conviction. "And now…we live. In love. Together."

And with that, we turn, walking away from the ruins of what once was, towards the future we've fought so hard to claim.

Together.