Triumph

by A L Fogerty

  He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. He smiled and blew her a kiss, a gesture that Felix would never have thought to give before they'd been bonded. Now that they were together, not only was he an encyclopedic genius, but he was also full of love and understanding. She took a deep breath, her heart joyful.

  "They're here," Sid said, placing his big hand on her shoulder.

  She covered his with her own and looked up at him, smiling. "Oh, I can't wait to see them." She walked with Sid through the village to the pack lodge and through the door.

  Willa turned to Kayla, excited, and enveloped her in a big hug. "So good to see you." She looked down at Kayla's rounding stomach and stood back with a gasp.

  "You've got another pup on the way," Mackenzie said, finishing Willa's thought.

  "Why didn't we hear about it until now?" Willa asked.

  "There's so much to think about after you save the world. All the details. I guess it slipped my mind."

  "I suppose it's a good thing we haven't had to visit you until now," Mackenzie said, squeezing Kayla's hands.

  "It's good to see you too," Kayla said, hugging the necromancer.

  Malik and Gloria stepped through the portal a moment later, and hugs and greetings were given all around.

  "Come. Tell us the news from Dark Haven," Kayla said.

  "Since the human liberation, which many have come to call day one, it has been a challenge to reincorporate the free human citizens of Dark Haven, as it's been for most of the cities around the world," Mackenzie said. "But our combined resources, and the absence of darkness in the world, make it a much safer place for everyone. We have come to understand that free humans have been a boon to our economy. They are industrious and creative. Many remained in Dark Haven, but we have expanded our settlements beyond the borders of the shields, while new industries are popping up everywhere. We are using multiple monetary systems for now—gold, jewels, and silver tend to be the favorites, but there is also a great deal of barter. With magic and human innovation, we have found a way to reopen a power plant outside the city. But I'm afraid that it is not fully stabilized and will not generate power for more than a year."

  "After the harvest, I'll send Felix to you," Kayla said. "He needs more stimulation for his brain than calculating crop rotations, and I'm sure that with his help, you can innovate a new form of energy that can be shared with the rest of the world.” She turned to Malik. “And how are things on the rift?"

  "The rift is silent. Every now and then, there's a minor hiccup, but our spell has been airtight since the closure."

  "Have you had any insight into the workings of hell? Has the dark lord been reborn?"

  "There is no way of knowing. But as it stands now, the world is safe. We continue to monitor the rift closely and will be prepared if there are any major rumblings."

  That night, Kayla had a quiet meal alone with Felix. She knew that the work with the witches would take him far and wide and he might not return until after the baby was born.

  "The witches have provided me with these schematics of their current projects," she said, handing them to him over the dinner table.

  "This is very interesting." He tapped his lip. "But I see that there's an error here," he said, pointing at the schematics. "It won't be possible to continue to generate energy while these calculations are incorrect."

  "Now I know that I'm doing the right thing in letting you go," Kayla said, "even though I don't want to."

  "I don't want to leave you either," Felix said with a sigh, looking back down at the schematics.

  "But you have to go." She laughed, and he joined her. "Will you come upstairs with me? I want to make love to you before you go."

  "There's no way I would leave without making love to you," he said, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

  He led her upstairs and they closed the door, leaving the two of them alone in the flickering candlelight. He ran his knuckles over her cheek and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. Her love for him throbbed like her heartbeat. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, the hot liquid fire of passion burning in her chest.

  Felix made love to her passionately, hungrily, and lovingly as they came together like a firestorm raging across the earth. At the very last instant, she let her wings push out from her back and envelop them both in their white glow.

  Kayla woke the next morning with Felix holding her. He stirred and yawned.

  "I should pack,” he said, climbing out of the bed. “Now, what books should I bring?"

  Kayla laughed to herself. One thing that never changed was Felix's obsession with books. She joined him in his bedroom, which was so crowded with books that it might as well have been called the library.

  "Are you sure you’re going to need all of these?" she asked, looking at a stack of books he’d assembled that was as tall as she was.

  "I may need more," he said. "It's a big problem.”

  "It's a good reason to come home," she said, hugging him from behind.

  "It is," he said patting her hands affectionately. "I'll go check to see when the witches will be prepared to leave." She held the door handle of Felix's bedroom and felt a pang of sadness.

  Downstairs, the family had already gathered for breakfast. Riddick was feeding Oksana in her high chair while Willa and Malik discussed the power plant with Jagger.

  "Felix should be down in a few minutes," Kayla said, trying to disguise her sadness.

  "We'll get him back to you as soon as we can, Kayla," Willa said as Kayla took her place at the table.

  "We'll be leaving right after breakfast," Mackenzie said. "We really do need to get back."

  "I'm all set," Felix said, stepping down the stairs with a pile of books so high it blocked his face. "I'm afraid I'll need some help transporting my texts."

  They ate the meal prepared by Sid, and afterward, Gloria prepared to open a portal. Sid had carried all of Felix's books downstairs, and they sat in a huge pile on the living room floor. Once the portal was open, Sid and the others began to carry the books through to Dark Haven.

  Felix turned to Kayla. "Don't worry, my darling," he said, holding her tightly. "I'm only a portal away."

  "I know." She returned his embrace.

  Malik, Gloria, Mackenzie, and Willa stepped through the portal after saying their final goodbyes to Kayla and the Blackfangs. With one last wave and a smile, Felix stepped through the portal and disappeared. Kayla let out a deep sigh.

  "You'll have to make do with us for now," Sid said, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulder.

  "I'm sure I'll manage." She looked up at the biggest Blackfang brother. “Felix has important work to do.”

  "And so do you," Sid said, rubbing her belly. "Bringing the next Blackfang into the world."

  "Indeed, I do." Kayla gave a soft laugh. "Indeed, I do.”

  Chapter 53

  “It's time," she said, gripping Sid's hand.

  "Time?" he said.

  "The baby's coming. Get Quinn."

  Sid jumped from his chair by the fire and ran outside into the cool spring morning. He hurried up the path toward his brother's cave and found the shaman deep in meditation. Before Sid could say a word, Quinn opened his eyes. "It's time."

  "How did you know?"

  "Wolf Mother told me. We are to have a son," Quinn said, slowly standing from his place by the fire, muttering words of prayer to the mother and father. "Grab the willow-bark tincture from my chest, would you? And someone had better get Felix. Kayla will want him here."

  "Hurry," Sid said. He'd left Kayla alone in his rush to fetch his brother, and he was eager to return.

  "Don't worry. Everything will be fine," Quinn said.

  Sid squinted at his brother. The man was so calm, having delivered many pups in Mist Valley, including their first child. But Quinn's calmness and experience didn't alleviate Sid's anxiety. In fact, they made it worse.

  "Quinn, Kayla is alone."


  "Our queen will be just fine while we gather the supplies. Have you forgotten that she is the woman who defeated the dark king?" Quinn laughed.

  "Of course not, but…" Sid's heart was racing, and he didn't know what else to say to his brother. "Just hurry."

  Sid and Quinn grabbed the rest of the supplies and hurried down the ridge trail toward the village. Inside, they found Kayla carefully taking long, steady breaths while Jagger held her hand and Riddick played with Oksana on the floor.

  "Will you get Felix for me?" Kayla asked between breaths.

  "I'm on my way," Sid said.

  There was an open portal to Dark Haven from the pack lodge. His brother had been working all around the world since he left six months before. Sometimes he was in Dark Haven, and sometimes he wasn't. Sid hoped that this would be one occasion where his brother would be there.

  Sid stepped through the portal with the shiver of magic that always accompanied walking between worlds and found himself in the Dark Haven portal hub. Humans, shifters, witches, and vampires were milling about and walking in and out of portals. The place was like an old-world subway station.

  He hurried to the stairs that led down into the main city. Felix had an apartment where he stayed when he was stationed in Dark Haven. As Sid ran down the streets and saw evidence of his brother's work with the witches, he couldn't help but know how far things had come since day one, when the humans were freed. There were no more human slaves in Dark Haven, and instead of hurting the economy, the changes had improved it a hundredfold.

  Trade between factions had helped create a burgeoning abundant society, and his brother's work with emerging technology and magic had helped usher in an era of free energy for all. Cars sped past, powered by the same energy source. It seemed as if the world had progressed a hundred years in Dark Haven. But back in Mist Valley, things were the same as ever, and that was the way Sid liked it.

  He hurried up the streets to Felix's apartment, taking the steps two at a time. He was just about to knock on the door when Felix opened it. "Sid, what are you doing here?"

  "I was coming to get you.”

  "I was just on my way to Mist Valley. Malik told me it's time."

  "Yes, it's time. Let's hurry."

  The brothers hurried down the street back to the portal hub and hopped through the portal to Mist Valley. Unlike portals to major cities, the ones to smaller villages required a pass, which prevented unwelcome guests from bombarding the queen of shifters with too many fans. The pass system had been implemented soon after the portal was opened to the public, when far too many people were beginning to crowd through to see Kayla.

  Sid and Felix hurried out of the pack lodge and back to their house. Kayla was no longer in the living room. A soft scream came from upstairs, and Sid's heart jumped.

  "Don't look so worried. You're scaring Oksana. Besides, Kayla knows what she's doing, doesn't she, sweetheart?" Riddick cooed to his daughter. "Mom is the biggest, bravest mommy in the whole world, isn't she?"

  "You're here," Jagger said upon seeing Felix. "She's been asking for you."

  Sid and Felix hurried upstairs and found Kayla in her bed, deep in the throes of childbirth. Her face was red and sweaty and her breathing labored as the contractions swept over her. Sid thought she had never looked so beautiful.

  "Felix," she said, reaching out to him. "I'm so glad you're here."

  Felix went to her, knelt by the bed, and took her hand. Quinn wove spells to alleviate the pain as the pangs of their mate’s childbirth descended on them all. It was impossible not to feel what Kayla was feeling through the thread of their mate bond—happiness, pain, anxiety, joy, and even small threads of sadness and regret that Sid knew were her feelings about the birth of Oksana. Everything was different this time. There was no threat—no darkness to fight—just a family together bringing a new life into the world.

  As Kayla bore down and made the final push, Quinn stood at the end of the bed and caught the new member of the pack. The baby writhed and screamed, naked and wet, as he came into the world.

  "A new Blackfang son of Mist Valley." The pride in Jagger's voice could not be denied.

  Jagger held the child while Quinn cut the cord and Sid and Felix attended to Kayla, holding her hand.

  "You did so well, my beloved," Sid said.

  Quinn laid the baby in her arms as Riddick walked into the room with Oksana.

  "Look, Oksana. It's your baby brother," Riddick said. "What will we call him, Mommy?"

  "I want to name him Azrael in honor of his grandfather," Kayla said.

  There was a murmur of agreement among the brothers. None had ever known Kayla's father's name until that moment.

  "Azrael Blackfang," Jagger said, caressing the boy's forehead.

  "We can call him Azzy," Riddick said.

  "That works," Kayla said with a smile, gazing down at her son. "Oh, my beautiful baby boy."

  Sid could feel her happiness radiating through him. Her love for her son, for her family, and for her men filled the room and the world with light. After Kayla had rested and fed her son, Sid visited her alone in private.

  "You want to hold him?" she asked. Kayla held out the child to him. "Remember to hold his head."

  Sid remembered that from when Oksana was a baby. He gingerly took the tiny child in his arms, carefully holding him. "He’s so beautiful," Sid said, marveling at the child.

  "I truly don't know whose child he is this time."

  "You should ask Quinn. He seems to know all kinds of things."

  "I don't want to know," she said. "I want Azzy to be all of ours. I want you all to get a chance to love him the way Riddick loves Oksana."

  "I already do." Rocking his beautiful baby in his arms as his mate gazed on, Sid felt that his beautiful, simple life had just begun.

  Chapter 54

  Kayla nestled by the fire with her month-old son in her arms and Oksana by her side. Her mates had gathered all around, and everyone was there together, safe and secure. Her beautiful baby cooed, and her toddler nestled beside her.

  "So cute, Mommy," Oksana said. "Love baby."

  "I know you do, my darling." She kissed her daughter.

  Kayla looked up and met the eyes of her mates, who were smiling and happy. "We've come so far and learned so much. It's hard to believe that it's finally over."

  "Do you miss the adventure?" Riddick asked.

  "Not at all," Kayla said. "I finally have what I've been waiting for—a family, a safe, simple home, and the love of my mates. I wouldn't trade this for anything."

  "Neither would any of us," Sid said.

  "There is one thing that I do miss," Kayla said, glancing over at Bane. Her bow hung on the far wall near the door with her quiver. "I haven't been hunting in what seems like an age."

  "It's a perfect time for boar or wild turkey," Quinn suggested.

  "We'll watch the children, Kayla. You don't have to worry," Riddick said.

  Kayla smiled at her mates, feeling their love and warmth and support radiating through her like the warmest fire. "I think I might go have a hunt, if no one minds."

  "We'll all be here when you get back," Quinn said.

  Kayla rose from her chair, grabbed her bow and quiver, and whistling to Bane, stepped out into the warm summer morning. With one last glance behind her at her mates and her babies, she walked outside and headed toward the forest.

  As she stepped into the shadow of the birch trees, her memory instantly transported her to her youth. She was just a girl with her wolf and her bow, hunting for her pack. Kayla took a deep breath of the rich, loamy earth and smiled. Bane bent and inspected a deer trace, panting in recognition of the scent. She nodded at her wolf, and they started down the trail in search of a twelve-point buck.

  Click the image above to download.

  In the heat of the desert sun, the feline Sho’kin toil as garbage pickers under the watchful eye of the Landlords and their goons. When Mango Mew begins to hear the whispers of an unknown voice
in her mind telling her she is a dragon summoner, she thinks she’s suffering from sun exposure.

  All Mango wants is to win a hoverbike race for the prize money she needs to fix her pappi's eyes and take him home to Sho’kin forest. Despite the lack of support from those around her, Mango won’t give up on herself, her people, or her pappi.

  In the midst of chaos in the junkyard, a man steps out of a portal and tells her to come with him if she wants to save her father. Mango hopes curiosity doesn’t, in fact, kill the cat when she takes his hand and follows him into her destiny.

  Also by A. L. Fogerty

  The Last Alpha Queen Trilogy

  Rescue

  Conquest

  Triumph

  About the Author

  A. L. Fogerty the epic and urban fantasy pen name of a USA Today bestselling paranormal romance author.

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