by Juniper Hart
To her relief, Aaron was still asleep when she crept out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Quietly, she slipped back into the bed with him, drawing her body around his long frame and relishing the warmth of his skin.
What have you done? You have further endangered Aaron, your life is at risk, and even the prince is not guaranteed to be safe. Is this worth everything you have sacrificed?
She propped her head on her arm and stared at Aaron’s peaceful face, a feel of serenity overcoming her. He stirred slightly, as if he could feel her staring at him, and seemed to mouth a word in his sleep. Berlin squinted and tried to decipher the movement in his lips. She realized that he was silently saying her name. Berlin felt a gentle tug in her chest as she welled up with adulation for him.
I do not know how this happened or what brought us together, but yes, it is, she decided. It is worth it now, and it will be worth it more so when I figure out a way to get us free from the underworld. Gently, she shook Aaron’s shoulder with designs to wake him. He moaned slightly, blinking with confusion.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, blinking sleep from his eyes. He immediately sat up, noticing the darkness in which they were surrounded.
“We have to go,” she told him softly.
“Go where?” he demanded, looking about like he expected danger in the room before them. He seemed to relax when he recognized they were alone.
“It does not matter where,” she said, touching his forehead with cool fingers. She delicately traced the lines of his face with their tips, scanning his features to memory.
“Berlin, what do you mean?” Aaron demanded again, sitting up in bed. “Where are we going?”
“Far away from here.”
A warm breeze teased her short strands, and Berlin inhaled the fresh sea air, closing her eyes. Aaron was almost reluctant to interrupt her peacefulness, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“Are you all right?” he whispered in her ear. She nodded, turning to face him. They looked into each other’s eyes, and he leaned forward to kiss her sweetly upon the lips. “Are you sure? You look a little pale,” he said, drawing back, a concerned look on his face. Berlin suddenly found she was feeling lightheaded, and she stumbled forward slightly.
“Maybe I am tired?” she suggested, swallowing to overcome the onset of nausea she was feeling. Aaron nodded understandingly.
“You’re getting seasick,” he told her. “It happens all the time on open water, but it’s probably been a while since you’ve been on it. Let’s get you back to the cabin.”
They were on a week-long journey across the Atlantic, headed toward the United Kingdom on a beautiful cruise liner called the Princess Sol.
When Berlin had first brought up the idea of leaving the country, Aaron had been taken aback, but the more he thought about it, the more he was turned on by the concept of starting anew. He had not contacted Averson since the catastrophe back at the apartment, not sure how he should approach the force after the mess he had left behind. He knew that his career as a cop was finished. He had essentially murdered three people out of vengeance.
You acted out of love, not revenge, he corrected himself, though it did not matter. He knew how it would be regarded. He had waited far too long to explain his situation, and honestly, the realization did not bother him nearly as much as he thought it would. He also knew that he and Berlin were not safe while they stayed in the Boston area. If Demir and his associates ever found them… Really, what could they do to either of us? Berlin is already dead, and I’m a demon. Killing me will be almost impossible.
Aaron reasoned that the bigger threat was the king’s team undoubtedly looking for Alaric and probably Berlin, too.
“Have you ever been to England?” he asked Berlin. She shook her head. “Me neither, but they speak English, so we’re already off to a good start, right?”
As Berlin allowed Aaron to lead her back to their stylish cabin on B deck, she was overcome by another wave of dizziness and grabbed onto the railing to steady herself. Aaron was immediately at her side, holding her up.
“Oh, yeah, you’re green,” he confirmed. “Can you hang in there, or are you going to throw up?”
He looked about for a place for her to potentially vomit, but Berlin shook her head and offered him a weak smile. She found it hard to believe she was experiencing what was known as sea sickness. She was a seasoned warrior and had dealt with climates and situations thousands of times worse than choppy waters. Still, she could not stop the bile from rising to her throat.
“I am fine,” she murmured, and they continued inside toward the elevators. Once away from the salty air, Berlin began to feel slightly better, but she leaned up against the wall as they waited for the crank elevator to reach their level.
“You can go have a rest, and when you wake up, we’ll go for dinner. You like seafood, right? They boast the best on any cruise line here,” Aaron was saying. The mere mention of food made Berlin’s head swim again.
The lift dinged, announcing its arrival, and she stepped back to allow for the doors to open. As they did, Aaron’s mouth dropped open. Elle and Alaric stepped out of the cage, their faces an identical mask of shock.
“What are you doing here?” Aaron and Elle choked in unison. Berlin and Alaric nodded at one another, a secret smile passing between the two.
“Are— we— did you plan this?” Elle asked Alaric accusingly. His eyes widened, and he shook his head in denial.
“Not in the least,” he replied truthfully. “But fate works in mysterious ways sometimes, doesn’t it?”
“Are you guys going to England?” Aaron asked Elle. She bobbed her head, not entirely believing the odds of the four being on the same trip coincidentally.
“Yes… Dane thought we could use a little change,” Elle answered slowly. “A little epiphany he had just after you left that night.”
Aaron smiled to himself, realizing that she was still calling him Dane. It’s probably a little hard to take, learning that your mate not only has a different name, but is also Alaric Aldwin back from the dead.
“Interesting,” Aaron said, arching a dark eyebrow. He peered at Berlin, but she was still locked in gaze with Alaric.
“You don’t need to run anymore,” Alaric said quietly to her. “I have decided to negotiate with my father and the Council of Seven and call off the hounds.”
Berlin’s eyebrows shot up skeptically.
“Just like that?” she snickered mirthlessly. “I have a feeling it’s going to take a little more than that to make this all go away.”
Alaric’s smile broadened, and he nodded.
“Yes,” he agreed. “It probably will, but you’re talking to the being who singlehandedly created the Enchanted. I’m thinking some diplomatic negotiations won’t take much work.”
Aaron could read the hope in Berlin’s face, but before she could speak, she abruptly started to gag. She swallowed heavily as the other three stepped back, their faces aghast.
“Okay, easy there. We have to get Berlin to bed. She doesn’t have her sea legs yet. Can we meet you guys for dinner—assuming that she’s feeling up to it?”
Elle nodded, stepping back to allow for them to board the elevator. “Sure. Say, seven at the restaurant on D deck?”
Aaron nodded and helped Berlin into the lift.
“Feel better, Berlin!” Elle called after them. Berlin leaned heavily against Aaron, all her energy depleted.
“Do you think this will all work out like that?” she asked, swallowing the bile in her throat. Aaron squeezed her shoulders gently and nodded.
“I’m sure it will,” he said with confidence he didn’t have. They stopped on their floor, and he helped her out of the elevator. “Did you know they would be here?” Aaron asked after they had returned to the cabin. Berlin lay on the bed while he gathered a cold compress for her face and neck. She shook her head, even though the movement seemed to take a lot of effort on her part.
“No,” she answered.
<
br /> “It’s kind of neat, though, right? I mean, what are the chances of that happening? Old friends reuniting on a trip across the world.” Berlin smiled at the words.
Truer words have never been spoken, she thought to herself. Aaron’s dark eyes shone as he wiped her face tenderly.
“Hey, Berlin,” he asked pensively.
“Yes?”
“Do you believe in fate?”
She opened her half-closed eyes and stared into Aaron’s attentive features. One month ago, she would have laughed in his face for such a ridiculous question. Now, she slowly sat up and drew toward him, gently touching his face with her open palms.
How can I not believe in fate when this is what’s sitting in front of me?
“I did not,” she answered lovingly. “But I do now.”
“You’re my mate,” he told her gruffly. “And I’m never going to let you go.”
“The four horsemen couldn’t drag me back,” she assured him, and suddenly, she knew that Alaric would come through for all of them.
After all, love always prevailed in the end.
Enchanted Foxes Series Epilogue
Prologue
One Thousand Years Ago
There was a crash, overwhelming Alaric’s already delicate sense of hearing, followed by the bitter smell of brimstone assaulting his nostrils. When he finally managed to open his eyes, a sweeping feeling of dread overcame him. He knew where he was, and that was not a good thing.
“Well, well, well,” a too-familiar voice drawled. “Look who has returned to us.”
Ambling to his feet with great effort, Alaric turned to look at his father, shaking his head in dismay.
“What? No embrace for your father?” His Highness demanded. Alaric scowled, steadying himself as he squared his shoulders and eyed the ancient lord of the underworld warily.
“Did you arrange for my death?” he questioned without closing the distance between them. His Highness, King Onyx, snickered at the question, almost rolling his icy eyes.
“How quickly you forget your mortality,” he chided his only son. “I warned you that you weren’t indestructible.”
Alaric said nothing, the memory of his leaving the underworld still very fresh in his mind, despite the thousands of years it had been.
“I want to go back,” he told King Onyx flatly. “Send me back.”
His Highness howled with laughter, looking to his minions as if to confirm he’d heard the words properly. The others joined his laughter, albeit nervously, knowing that their unstable king’s amusement was likely fleeting.
“Why would I ever make the same mistake twice?” he snapped, abruptly ceasing his chortle. “Look what you did the last time I sent you there!”
Alaric stifled a groan, gnawing on the insides of his cheeks and darting his eyes away.
“Father,” he started to say, but Onyx raised a hand to silence him at once.
“I do not wish to hear your pleas. I gave you the ultimate gift among the mortals, and you squandered it ruthlessly!”
“I did not squander it!” Alaric protested. “I shared it!”
“It was not yours to share! And not only did you share, you created new species, ones that defy the very laws of nature!”
Alaric could not deny his father’s words, for he knew them to be true. He had created the Enchanted beings after roaming the Earth alone for a thousand years. His loneliness had inspired him to turn some mortals into creatures not unlike himself, knowing that his father would not approve. Of course, Alaric had never expected to see his father again.
“That is no excuse!” Onyx barked, reading his son’s thoughts. “You are no better than a child, hoping to escape reprimand!”
Alaric knew that hope was long lost now.
“Father,” he began again, forcing a plaintive note into his words. “I must return. The Enchanted beings need me.”
“That is not what I have heard,” Onyx jeered. “I hear this Council of Seven is doing quite well without your guidance.”
Reluctantly, Alaric swallowed the acrid taste in his mouth, knowing again that his father spoke the truth. Just as quickly, his eyes narrowed.
“How do you know what is happening on Earth?” he asked, slowly raising his head. For the first time that Alaric could remember, he saw his father’s expression turn embarrassed.
“You do not need to worry about how I know,” Onyx mumbled, but Alaric did not let it pass.
“You are defying the rules of nature yourself if you have minions on Earth, Father,” he reminded the king. Onyx refused to be shamed.
“When my only son wreaks havoc on the mortals, I have a duty to oversee what is happening,” he insisted. “I do not owe you an explanation.” The king spun on his heel, robes flowing freely around his ankles as though to end the conversation. He was determined to walk away with the last word, like always, but Alaric would not let him go so easily.
“How would you know I had done anything if you had not sent the dead to look?” he pressed. “You could not have known—”
“ENOUGH!” Onyx howled, whirling about. Fiery rays of light sparked from his eyes as he met his son’s gaze steadily. “If I had known what you were going to do, I would never have allowed you to go. I went against the laws of nature permitting you to go to Earth in the first place, or have you forgotten? How could I have foreseen that you would do such a terrible deed?”
Alaric gulped back another biting response. He knew there would be no resolution to this argument. His father had committed an atrocity by letting him leave the underworld. He had committed another by turning the mortals into the Enchanted. Who could say who had enacted the bigger sin here?
“Please, Father,” he tried again. “Please, let me return.”
Onyx snorted contemptuously.
“I will never allow that to happen again,” he replied with so much confidence, Alaric knew the matter was closed. “You are bound here for eternity, where I should have kept you. Going forward, you are mine to punish as I see fit.”
Apprehension swam through Alaric, realizing that his father’s words were not idle. Whatever Onyx had planned would not be kind nor bearable, but what choice did Alaric have except to endure? He watched in dismay as his father left him alone on the filthy floor, the terrible smell of singe overcoming all of Alaric’s other senses.
For a long moment, he could do nothing but try to get his bearings, understanding that his afterlife was about to be much different than the one he had lived for thousands of years. Onyx would make good on his threat to ensure he suffered for his disobedience.
Mournfully, he wondered if there was anything he could do to change his father’s mind, if there was any way to see himself back to the life he’d made on Earth. Alaric was no fool, though. Reasoning was not one of Onyx’s strong points, and there would be no end to his grievance. There was no death for the already dead, after all. As his father had said, his punishment would be eternal and unrelenting.
No, Alaric thought, hanging his head. He shuffled forward, his feet bare against the hot ground. My hope does not lie in the mercy of my father.
He had only one aspiration for resurrection now, but even that was a long shot. They were too new, too unexplored. Even Alaric was not sure of what they were capable. He had carefully honed the wolves, bears, and demons. The fairies and dragons were self-sufficient. Even the vampires were properly vetted.
But the Vulpes… They had been an afterthought, a creation of fun, and ones that Alaric did not fully understand himself. They were supposed to have been a work in progress, but now they ran amok without any real direction. They do not even have a seat on the Council of Seven. The other Enchanted barely know of their existence.
Yet even as he dismissed the idea that the elusive and unknown genus might see him out of the hell in which he found himself, Alaric couldn’t ignore the slight flame of hope that flickered in his gut. After all, he had yet to meet his mate.
1
“Is this a jok
e?” Lane demanded with little amusement in her tone. She and the rest of the Council of Seven stared at the couple before them with baleful eyes.
“It isn’t,” Elle sighed. “It’s true. This is Alaric Aldwin.”
“And we’re supposed to believe that?” Raven barked, though Dane could read the uncertainty in her eyes.
“You remember me, don’t you, Raven?” he asked gently. “Look into my eyes.”
The demon snorted and refused to meet his gaze, instead turning her attention toward Landon, who met her skepticism with his own.
“That’s not possible. Alaric died, and there is no returning from the dead,” he muttered.
“Isn’t there?” Elle insisted. “Didn’t the brother of Kendra’s mate return from the dead?”
There was a low din of excited chattering as the Enchanted leaders looked at one another.
“The Vulpes,” Lane breathed, eyeing the toddler crawling around the floor. “Always the damned foxes.”
“Don’t talk about them that way,” Dane snapped defensively. “If it wasn’t for Kendra, I wouldn’t be here.”
“They have brought nothing but strife since they surfaced!” Lane insisted. “Nothing is natural about them! Why did you create them in the first place?”
Dane exhaled with some relief, realizing that at least his descendant understood the truth about him.
“They were an experiment,” he told her. “But I was taken away before I could hone them.”
“What can they do? They fertilize the infertile, they raise the dead, I hear they have telepathic powers!” Laurel, the Council fairy, screeched, her dark eyes flashing as she leaned over the table to glower at the duo on the floor before them. “You created monsters!”
“Laurel, they are not monsters,” Dane growled, losing his patience with the generalization about his mate and her sisters. “They have abilities, just like you and the others.”
“Abilities that no one knows anything about!” Raven retorted. “They need to be reined in.”