by Alice Shaw
I look upward and notice that the ceiling is shaking. Soon, it goes flying into a dark void. Slowly, the bed drags across the floor and goes flying with it.
“It’s a trap,” I whisper. “Oh, frick. Logan! I think I understand now!”
“Omega, tell me what you know. I’m afraid the answers weren’t fully given to me. I’ve let you all down,” he says.
“Stop with the self pity for a second. Genesis. Your father! He told me it in a dream. Remember when I saw him after the arrowhead was put in place? It’s a trap! That’s what he told me,” I say.
“Yes, but I thought he said that because the room was a trap in and of itself,” Logan says.
The bedside table scoots past us. Soon, that too is sucked up into the void.
The truth dawns on us all at once. It happens so fast.
I scream, “This whole thing. It was all a trap. We’ve been led to our deaths!”
“What do you mean?” Freddie asks.
The void is starting to lift everything into it. The pressure builds. We grab the windowsill in order not to get sucked into it.
“I mean, I think someone is after us,” I say.
Logan grabs the phoenix. His feathers rustle under the pressure of his grip. “Huma, what’s going on?”
Huma is speechless. The window comes apart, alongside the whole hotel. Within seconds, we are all sucked into the void.
Chapter 12
Logan
“You!” I point toward the red phoenix. “What have you done?”
A croaky laughter forms in the back of the bird’s throat. It grows in intensity, shifting lower in octaves. “I thought fooling the chosen-one might prove difficult. It turns out, it was much easier than expected,” she says.
“What the fuck? I don’t understand,” Jonas says.
“I’ve been giving you false memories since the hotel,” she says.
Her wings cover her face. A horrific wind bursts around us. The darkness turns into a purple hue. Huma’s image has distorted. I can’t believe my eyes. “Who are you?” Logan asks.
I remember the bird from the ceremony. It turned into a ring of peace and prosperity. It became a symbol. “The shaman said that the phoenix would come to life much later. Who are you?”
Smoke forms around the bright red phoenix. Huma grows in size, until the feathers turn into an ancient headband, worn by a man. In front of us stands a man Jackson knows very well. “I am shaman of your people. Don’t you recognize me?”
“No. It can’t be,” Jackson says. I look down to make sure the twins are okay. Somehow, his belly is lit up pink.
“I’m surprised you didn’t guess it from the start,” the shaman says.
Quite triumphantly, Freddie jumps onto his back and bites down as hard as he can, drawing his blood. “Take that!”
The shaman swings his fist and punches Freddie directly in the jaw. He goes flying in the other direction, slamming into the ground.
“What do you want, shaman? Enough of your games,” I say.
He laughs wildly. His whole tongue extends out from his jaw. It’s a horrifying sight to see. I cover my omega’s eyes.
“What do I want? It’s not about what I want. Rather, it’s about what I need and crave,” he says. “And what I crave is your blessed twins.”
Jackson grits his teeth and clenches his fists in rage. “You’ll perish before you touch them.”
He takes his large, magical scepter and swings it toward the heavens. “The shamans were given a choice. We are tied to the goddesses, the most ancient lineage of them all. But we are given nothing in return. Even the betas have more than we do!”
“You’re seriously doing this out of jealousy?” Freddie asks.
“Jealous? Why would a shaman be jealous of you? I have no intentions of getting rid of you,” the shaman says.
I get my claws ready. I swear, I’m going to pounce on this idiot. I’m going to slash him to bits. “What is your plan, then? Steal our children and raise them as your own?”
The shaman laughs menacingly. He has become completely unhinged. Stepping forward, he extends his hands toward Jackson and our twins. “Imagine all the power that rests in this womb. If I could just hone it, I could re-make this whole planet. I could be the most powerful shaman in the world.”
In this moment, it dawns on me. We’re not getting out of this through talking. I’m going to have to make sure this guy never gets out of here alive.
Jackson lowers his eyes with malice. “We trusted you! The whole neighborhood waited for your revelations every single year. You have betrayed our entire group. You don’t deserve the spots you currently wear with pride.”
Freddie stands in fighting form. “And the brotherhood was created to stop morons like you. Submit to us or die!”
The brotherhood. He keeps mentioning that name. I’ve heard stories, but I always thought it was fake. There are no time for questions, though. As soon as Freddie extends his claws, magic shoots out from the shaman’s scepter. Freddie is knocked back with great force.
We all shift into our animal forms. This is the first time in a long while that I’ve actually seen Jackson in his beautiful fur. Uh, yah. Meow.
The shaman grows in height and strength. His screaming turns piercing. His laugh is louder and more intense than ever. “You can’t defeat me. I’ve been training for decades.”
I dive in front of Jackson. No one is going to hurt my omega and our babies. “Stay behind me. I got us into this mess. Now, I need to protect you,” I say.
Jackson looks down anxiously. A puddle of water has formed underneath him. Oh, shit. “Logan, what’re we going to do? My water just broke! The babies are coming!”
Something inside of me kicks in. I close my eyes and feel the visions start to pour in my mind’s eye. I can see everything so clearly. There are memories from the future. I can see my twins staring back at me in the hospital room. I can see them playing in our yard together. I see them grow up. All in a flash, I see it. Our future is in tact.
“Take my hand,” I whisper to Jackson.
He squeezes around my paw. Freddie is in pain from the magical blast, but he has come up behind us and put his hands on our shoulders. Jonas somehow knows to do the same. We were all just given our own visions and it is more real than wherever we are right now. The shaman can try his best, but he’s ultimately powerless against us.
“We are the brotherhood? Is that right, Freddie?” I stare at the shaman directly. Fear floods his purple eyes.
“That’s right,” Freddie says.
I smile because I know what’s coming. “We have come to sew the rift that you have created in our realm. It was you who started the fires. You brought the idea of darkness back into our world. Now it’s time we snuff you the fuck out.”
“Yeah, bitch!” Jonas yells.
I feel true and powerful energy between us. It surges within me. I close my eyes and see the goddess in front of me, Astra. Her ankles are bound by magic. This time, she looks at me with pleading eyes. “Please. Fulfill your destiny. Free me from these chains!”
Now, I understand what Astra was trying to tell me! She told me to feel the pulse within me. I feel it now. I finally feel it. It’s pure strength, and it somehow comes from our connection with each other.
I let go of Jackson’s paws. A huge roar escapes me, echoing off the walls. Freddie jumps back, frightened. I hunch my back forward. I get into that running position. I focus all of my strength and abilities on the shaman.
“This is your end,” I growl.
In the moment, I barely feel like myself. The winds of the goddesses are pushing me toward him now. I extend my arm and slash his chest. He falls to the floor, raising his scepter. “No magic can protect you against fate,” I roar.
I slash again and hear his fatal cries ring out. One more time, for good measure, I feel my claws rip into his flesh. I pull back and bite into his neck.
“Whoa,” Freddie says. “So… that just happened.”
When I look down at the bleeding shaman, the man is clinging to his last breath. He lets out one more laugh, before letting out two last words: “thank you.”
His skin turns into a small pillar of sand, beneath me. The feathers around his ear lay on top of the pile.
I feel my blood rush with adrenaline, but a different weight is released from inside of me. I close my eyes and see her, Astra. Her shackles have been lifted. She kisses the top of my head and whispers, “You have done more than you will ever know. Now, go and live your life. Be free. Frisky Pines is now free from worry.”
“It’s over,” I whisper. A tear of relief forms in my eyes.
But the fates surround us, laughing around their pit of fumes. There are no words expressed. We are all at odds with the fates at one time or another. I can only pray that the goddesses will be strong enough to escape them for enough time.
The dark realm around us dissipates. We are back in the caves. Only, this time, both of my fathers are standing in front of us. The rest of my race is behind him. They look more proud than I have ever seen them before.
I fall to my knees, ashamed of leaving the pack. I know what they thought of me when I drove out of the neighborhood. “Dad? I thought you were…” A tear forms in my eye. I break down.
“I know. There’s no time. We need to get your omega to the local hospital. I’ll explain everything later,” Genesis says.
Jackson’s anguished cries ring out around me. I quickly turn around and run back to my omega. “You hear that? It’s going to be okay, kitten. Just breathe. I’m going to get you to a doctor.”
Jackson’s face is completely red. His teeth are gnashed together in pain. His eyes are bigger than I’ve ever seen them before. He’s going through some pretty awful labor pains. “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO! JUST FIX THIS SHIT!”
I pick his heavy butt up from the ground. All of us run outside of the caves, toward the hospital. A car pulls up, right as we reach the path. “Need a lift?” Inside is Alste, Jergen, and Uncle Dale.
“Heck yes!” Freddie says.
We pile in that big suburban and head toward the hospital. Even though Jackson is screaming bloody murder next to me, I definitely have the biggest smile on my face. What I saw in those visions was beautiful. It was everything I’ve ever wanted: A real future. A family.
Now, I’m going to get that. I’m going to get everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
Chapter 13
Jackson
The doctor stands in front of me. A large curtain has separated us. “Just breathe!”
Everyone keeps telling me to ‘just breathe.’ That’s their go-to response. Just breathe? “WHY DON’T YOU JUST BREATHE, DAMMIT!”
Logan looks over at my dads and shrugs. “He’s usually more calm,” he says, laughing.
“Oh, you bastard! I’m never letting you get me pregnant ever again!” I scream.
I’ve never felt so much pressure inside of me before. I swear, I’m going to burst wide open. At first, it was just small contractions. They sucked, but they at least went away. Now, it’s non-fucking-stop. What’s worse is that I can’t control what is coming out of my mouth right now. I’m screaming at everyone in the family.
“It’s okay, kitten. Let it all out,” Logan says.
Dr. Phillip nods at him, urging him forward. “The first cub is coming. Get ready to cut the chord, papa.”
Papa. Yeah, that one brought tears to my eyes.
Streams of tears roll down my face. I wince from the pain, hoping it’ll just be over soon.
“Push!” All eyes are on me, but I really wish they weren’t. “Good job! Just one more push!”
I close my eyes and lean back against the chair. The pressure releases, and I feel a slight rush of euphoria. I hear a sharp cry, but it’s not from me. I open my eyes to see Logan screaming with tears in his eyes. “Do you see him?!” His smiles is bigger than I’ve ever seen it.
The gorgeous babe winks at me. He actually winks at me. I can already tell that he has the most unique eyes in the world.
I start bawling when I see my baby. Dr. Phillip holds him in the air. He hands Logan a pair of scissors. Logan, still crying like a total wuss, cuts the chord. Everyone cheers.
Logan holds our baby in his arms. He is speechless. “I… I… This is the best day of my life! Just one more, kitten. Are you feeling okay?”
“Does it look like I’m feeling okay?” I grunt. Sweat has covered my body. I can barely see straight. I probably look absolutely insane!
I feel it again. The push comes from inside me and the pain comes back. “FUCK!” I scream. Even the doctor jumps back, startled.
“Push!”
Logan is grinning in front of me. He can barely hold back his giddiness. The second cub comes out. He stares at his papa, looking ferociously cute. Logan hands the scissors to Jergen and motions him forward. “I think you should do the honors.”
Jergen smiles, proudly. “After what you guys did to my car? Just kidding. I’d be honored. Here I go!”
I close my eyes for a brief moment, because all of the pain that I once felt has now turned into pure love. I honestly have no words to describe the feeling. It’s just bliss upon bliss. I’m completely exhausted and overwhelmed, but it was all worth it in the end.
As my eyes close, two names come to mind. “Lucas,” I say. “And Dodge. That’s their names.”
Genesis smiles in good health. “Those are wonderful names,” he says. Chip kisses his cheek and agrees.
Jonas walks in with Freddie, holding a large cradle. Logan brings our beautiful darlings toward me. He delicately places them on my chest, and kneels down to my level. “Aren’t they incredible?”
I nod, feeling the waterworks coming on again. “They’re heavenly,” I say.
Logan slowly slips into the hospital bed with me. He cuddles up with the three of us, curling his chin into the crook of my neck. “I’m so fucking happy, alpha,” I say.
“Can you believe it? After everything that has happened, we’re now fathers,” I say.
He laughs and shakes his head with astonishment. Freddie and Jonas stand by the bed, in awe. I can hear Jonas whisper, “Look, I want children, but that looked insane.”
“It was insane!” I laugh. “But it was all worth it. All of the pain. All of the craziness. Back in the day, we lost a lot during those fires. But now we can rebuild our neighborhoods together again. These twins are the biggest blessing.”
Logan squeezes my shoulders. “You deserve a medal. I can’t believe you went through all of that so fast. The goddesses are wonderful and all, but damn. Sometimes, they’re just downright cruel.”
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Jergen says, taking Alste’s hand.
When everyone leaves, I’m left with my fated mate and our cubs. The little twins have their teeny-tiny eyes closed, but they have extended their arms toward each other. “Oh my goddess,” I whisper. “Look, Logan.”
The two twins place their arms around each other. Logan can barely keep his excitement back. “Are they hugging? Oh, I need to get a picture of this!”
He grabs his phone and snaps a few pictures. “I need to tell everyone what just happened!” Running outside, I hear him announce to the world, “My sons are hugging! Quick, look! My sons are hugging!”
I just look down at my two babes. I’m just so glad to be back with our family. Our little adventure was necessary, no doubt. But, damn this feels good.
Nothing can stand in our way now. Nothing.
Chapter 14
Logan
“So you’re telling me you’re all part of some ancient brotherhood?” Uncle Dale asks. “Well, I’ll be damned. Where do I fit into all of this cool stuff?”
Jackson laughs anxiously, while giving the cubs their bottle. “Well, I don’t know, Dale. They didn’t really say anything about you.”
“Aw, c’mon! You’re making some bullshit up.” Feeling left out, he walks into the kitchen to swirl his world f
amous stew.
“How are you holding up, papa?” I feel my father’s hand against my shoulder. He ruffles my hair before I can answer.
Jackson’s eyes rest on the two twins. “I just can’t believe you’re actually alive,” I say. “I saw you, dad. You were on your deathbed.”
Chip is sitting across the room and his face looks grim. “The shaman’s magic was powerful. I thought we were going to lose him. I mean, we all did, right? It was you who broke the spell.”
“I knew you’d come. Even when I was trapped, I knew my son was coming,” Genesis says.
I share a glance with Jackson. He smiles and looks over at Jonas and Freddie, who have formed an obvious bond together. “It wasn’t just me. It was everyone. Without their help, we wouldn’t be alive.”
“I’m still confused,” Chip says. “What is the brotherhood, exactly? I don’t remember it being in any of the literature.”
We all turn to Freddie, since he’s the one who seems to know everything about it. He tells us what we can. “I was visited in a dream by a bright light. And then a goddess was directly in front of me. She knelt down and told me that we are all connected through an ancient thread called the Brotherhood. We are from different groups of people, yet we all have special abilities that lend aid to the whole of this realm. Shit, I barely could believe it myself. But I stood in front of that stupid cave for a whole month. I almost froze to death!”
“Oh my goddess!” Jackson exclaims. “You waited there for a whole month?”
Freddie shakes his head, vigorously. “You know it. The dream was more than a dream, you know? It felt like the fate of the world rested on my shoulders. I had to know if what I saw was real. Turns out, it was.”
Chip takes a deep breath. “I’m just glad you’re all back in once piece. I’ve been a wreck for a long time. It really seems like everything is back in order. They’ve already started to rebuild the roads again. I even heard some of the bears are moving back to the original neighborhood.”