by L. P. Dover
"I love you too. Make sure to tell Ariella that I miss her. And tell Beck thank you for me. As much as I love him, I was rooting for Cedric."
We both laugh, and I clutch her tighter. "I'll tell them."
"Are you ready?" Ella asks.
I can't leave Cedric to suffer any longer than he already has. "Yes," I say, letting go of my mother. I squeeze the rock she gave me in my hand and hold it over my heart. "Goodbye, Mom. We'll see each other again."
She nods. "Yes, we will."
Ella guides me over to my body, where Cedric still holds onto me. "I'm coming, Cedric," I whisper, wishing he could hear me.
Ella takes my hand and reaches her other one out to place it on my physical form. I take one last look at my mother and smile before everything disappears. All that's left is a bright light and the beating of my heart. I know what I have to do.
I don't know how long it took from being in the Hereafter to waking up in my body, but the second I'm connected, I gasp and open my eyes. In the same spot, I'm on the ground when I viewed everyone from the other side. Cedric jumps back in shock, but then he lifts me in his arms. My body is weak, but I hold onto him as hard as I can. Amelie and Faith burst out crying, and everyone cheers. Some of them shift and take off into the woods. I'm itching to turn and run under the full moon. I've never had that strong of an urge before. Beck holds a hand over his heart, and I smile at him.
"I'm back," I cry, snuggling into his chest and breathing him in. "I'm not going to leave you ever again."
"Laila! Holy fucking shit." He pulls me back and kisses me, his lips desperate against mine. "You died. How did you come back?"
Cupping his face, I wipe away his tears. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. Right now, I'm just happy to be here with you." A few seconds later, Ella appears out of thin air beside him. Beck and Ariella surround her, and she nods at them. "Did she go?" I ask her.
She turns to me and smiles. "She's where she belongs."
Cedric helps me to my feet. "Who?"
Tears fill my eyes again. "My mother. I got to see her." And just like that, I remember the green stone. I open my hand, and there it is. Amelie and Faith rush up to me and crush me between them.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again?" Amelie demands.
"I won't," I promise. "You're stuck with me for a long time."
Micah joins us and hugs me, along with Sebastian, Bailey, and Tyla. Ryker throws an arm around Cedric, and it feels good to see him smile.
"How about we go for a run?" Ryker shouts to the pack.
Faith nudges me with her elbow. "I think that's everyone's cue to leave you and Cedric alone."
I hug her. "Probably. I'm dying to run too, though. We'll be out there shortly."
It's a magical thing to watch everyone shift into their wolves and race out into the forest. I can't wait to do it myself. My body feels different, more alive. Once everyone is gone, the only people left are Beck and my father. My father slowly walks toward me, but I run up to him and fling my arms around his shoulders.
He breaks down, and I do the same. "I thought I lost you."
"You did," I say. "Luckily, I was able to come back." I let him go and look right into his stark blue eyes. "There's something I have to give you." Holding out my hand, I open it to reveal the green stone. "I wasn't alone on the other side. Mom was there, and she was so beautiful. She wanted me to tell you that she's happy now and that you need to find happiness as well."
His eyes widen. "You saw her?"
I nod. "She's been watching us all these years. She told me this stone would help you find your way and that she hates she won't be able to see how your story unfolds."
"Why not?"
"Because she moved on to the Hereafter. She doesn't need to watch over us anymore."
Lips trembling, I hold the stone out to him. I don't know what my mother did to it, and I can't sense the magic on it. It's one of the things I'll miss about giving up the fae part of myself. My father reaches for the stone, and when he touches it, he sucks in a breath and falls to his knees. He grabs his chest as if he just ran fifty miles.
I drop to my knees. "Dad, what happened?"
Clutching the stone in his firm grip, he shakes his head and looks around quickly. "Nothing. It was nothing. I have to go." He hugs me one more time and then shifts midair as he heads the opposite way into the woods from the rest of the pack.
Cedric squeezes my shoulders from behind. "What was that all about?"
I shrug. "I wish I knew."
"I'm glad you got to see your mother," Beck calls out. "I wondered if you would or not." He closes the distance between us, and Cedric lets me go so I can hug him.
"She wanted me to tell you that even though she loves you, she was pulling for Cedric."
Cedric belts out with laughter behind me, and Beck rolls his eyes. "That's because she has a soft spot for wolves."
I step back toward Cedric and lean against him. "Thank you for everything, Beck."
He shakes his head. "I couldn't save you, Laila. It's the one thing that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's because of me you were brought into this."
"We don't have to worry about that anymore," I murmur sadly.
Averting his gaze, he nods. "I know, and I'm sorry. I hate it came to that."
"Came to what?" Cedric asks.
Beck steps back and glances at us both. "I'm sure Laila will tell you everything. Right now, I know you two need to be alone. It's not every day you come back to life."
He turns, and the air starts to shimmer. "Beck, wait," I call out. "Will we see you again?"
Grinning slyly, he glances at us over his shoulder. "Of course. I wouldn't miss our Friday night card games for anything." He disappears through the portal, and I smile.
Cedric slides his hands to my waist and turns me around. "How did you come back, Laila? Something tells me it wasn't easy."
Stepping closer to him, I place my hands on his chest to feel his heartbeat; it's strong. "Actually, it was easy," I say in all honesty. "I had a choice to make, and I didn't think twice about it."
Cedric tenses. "What was it?"
I lean up on my toes and kiss him. "Your blood helped save me, Cedric. That, combined with the shifter part of me, is the only reason why I'm standing here."
"What happened to the other part?"
I shake my head. "It's gone. That's what I had to give up." His eyes flash with despair, and he turns away, but I grab his face. "It was the only way, Cedric. The iron had killed that part of me. That's why I died. I didn't want to let that side of me go, so it kept me in that state of both alive and dead. When I found out the only way to get back to you was to let my wolf take over, I didn't think twice. Being with you is all I want."
"But your magic? It's gone. That's who you are."
"No," I say more adamantly. "This is who I am. I don't care what kind of blood flows through my veins just as long as I have you."
Cedric blows out a sigh and lifts me into his arms. "I love you, Laila. I was lost without you."
"I love you too. I saw you on the other side when I died. It's something I don't ever want to put you through again."
Gently, he rubs his hands up and down my back. "Are you ready to go home? I know it has to be exhausting coming back from the dead."
A laugh escapes my lips. "Yes, I want to go home, but not to rest. There's something else I'd like to do more." My wolf stirs inside of me, and I smile. "I'll race you." I run straight for the woods and shift into my wolf, laughing inside when I hear Cedric scrambling to catch up to me. This is where I belong.
Twenty-Six
Laila
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Summer has come to Wyoming, and with it, an abundance of life. The trees are green, the animals are all out of hibernation, and the fields are full of flowers. I may not have my affinity to the earth anymore, but I still feel its beauty. Now that I can shift, I'm able to enjoy the world in a completely different way. The m
agic of the moon is enough for me.
"That one looks like a dragon," Cedric says, pointing up at the sky.
The grass is warm and soft against my back, and I can hear the lake water rippling and dancing as the wind blows across it. I don't want to open my eyes, but I do so I can see what he's talking about. When I find that specific cloud he's talking about, I have to agree. "Yes, it does. Beck told me the other day that his aunt and uncle, who are the king and queen of the summer court, can shapeshift into dragons."
Cedric jerks his head my way. "Seriously?"
I look over at him and laugh. "Yep. His cousins can too. You wouldn't believe all the stories he's told me."
His gaze saddens. "Do you regret not going to the Land of the Fae when you had the chance?"
"No," I reply in all honesty. "This is where I belong. I do like hearing stories about it, though. We'll have to get Beck to tell our little one all about when he or she is born."
Lifting on his elbow, Cedric places a hand over my baby bump. "They will literally be fairy tales," he teases. I'm only about three months along. Our pack is growing with all the new babies, especially now that Bailey and Tyla had theirs.
I roll my eyes and laugh. "If only Beck could hear you say that."
Beck has become more like family in the last four months. He even introduced us to some of his warriors. Having him around still keeps me connected to my fae heritage, even if it's not in my blood anymore.
"Have you talked to your father today?" Cedric asks.
"I did for a few minutes this morning on the phone." I turn my gaze back to the sky. "Ever since I gave him that stone, he's been acting strange. He doesn't want to get anywhere near the rest of the pack."
I look over at Cedric, and he nods. "I noticed that too. It's like he's avoiding someone."
I gasp. "You don't think he felt the bond with one of the females, do you? My mother said the stone would lead him down the right path. Finding his true mate is the only right path I can think of."
Cedric's lips pull back into a mischievous smile. "Well, I'll be damned. It's going to take a hard ass female to break through his walls."
We both laugh, and I have to agree with him. "Yes, it will. He deserves happiness, nonetheless."
"He'll find it; I have no doubt." He slides his hands around my waist and pulls me on top of him.
I straddle his waist and smile down at him. "Are you trying to seduce me out here?"
He smirks. "Maybe. There's no one around for miles and miles. I'm sure we can get a quickie in. We do it at work all the time."
"And that's probably how this one came along," I laugh, rubbing a hand over my belly.
"Probably," Cedric says, laughing along with me. Now that tourist season has come to the Grand Teton National Park, we've been busy. I love working with him, and in about three more years, I'll be a full-fledged park ranger after all my training. That hasn't stopped me from my interior design duties though. I don't want to stop because working with my father helps me stay close to him. And with his recent mood change, I have to know what's going on with him.
Cedric slides his hands up my thighs. "Besides making love to me, what's one thing you wish you could do right now?"
That's an easy question. I breathe in the warm mountain air and sigh. "I would love to feel my magic again, just once." His eyes sadden, and it breaks my heart. He still blames himself for my death. I press a finger to his lips, halting him from what I know he's about to say. He's apologized to me countless times despite the fact that I told him none of it was his fault. "I'm happy, Cedric. This is who I am now, and I'm about to be a mother. Think of all the wonderful adventures we're going to experience together."
His smile returns. "What are you talking about? The adventures have already begun."
We both laugh, and I press my hands down on the ground to hold myself up. A tingling sensation shoots up my arms, and it sends a warmth through my blood that I never thought I'd feel again. Gasping, I lift my hands and freeze.
Cedric sits up and holds me in his arms. "What's wrong?"
I look down at my hands. "I felt something when I touched the ground." My fingers still tingle. "It's what I used to feel when I had my magic."
His eyes widen, and he helps me up. "What does it mean?"
Facing the lake, I'm itching to touch the ground again. The temptation magnifies as it pulls me toward the water. "I have to follow it."
Cedric follows alongside me as I walk into the lake, his expression concerned. I don't know what it all means. I'm only about calf-deep in the water when the pull grows more substantial, signaling something below me. A spark ignites when my fingers touch something hard and smooth just underneath the muddy soil. A blast of warmth flows through my body. It's so strong it almost knocks me off my feet. Cedric grips my arm to keep me steady.
"Whoa, what was that?"
I suck in a breath. "I don't know, but it felt amazing." When I pull the stone and wash off the mud, the colors shimmer in the sun. "It's a rainbow moonstone," I say in awe. "A symbol of the Goddess of the Moon." As far as I know, there aren't many of them in the world. Moonstones, yes, but not rainbow ones.
"How are you able to sense magic?" he asks. Shrugging, I hand him the stone, and he gasps as soon as it touches his skin. "It's so warm. I can feel the love in it." His brows furrow, and his eyes meet mine. "But it doesn't feel like your kind of love. It's something else."
And that's when I feel the baby kick. I suck in a breath and hold a hand over my belly. Tears fill my eyes, and I smile. "It's the baby. That's where the magic is coming from."
Cedric's mouth drops. "You have got to be kidding me." He drops to his knees and presses the side of his cheek against my stomach. "Was that your doing, Sera?" he murmurs.
"Sera?" I say curiously. "We haven't even mentioned names yet."
He smiles and narrows his eyes as if he's trying to listen to the baby inside my womb. "It's short for Seraphina. I think it's a good name." It's a beautiful name. The baby moves around in my stomach, and he laughs when he feels it against his cheek. "Yep, she likes it." He stands and gives me back the stone. "Feel it. When I said Sera, the feelings grew warmer."
Once it's in my hand, the magic intensifies. It's pure and innocent, just like a child's love. "Sera it is then," I whisper, holding the stone over my heart.
Cedric pulls me into his arms and chuckles. "I have a feeling we're going to have our hands full with this one. Especially if she's anything like you."
Laying my head on his chest, I smile. "She will be the least of our worries. What about when we have a boy? Can you imagine a little Cedric running around?"
Cedric bursts out laughing. "He'll be a hellion, that's for sure. "Me too," I whisper. "I'm going to love every minute of it."
He cups my cheek. "So am I."
THE END
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything's sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it's with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that's why she's seriously addicted to chocolate.
Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she's also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you'll never see her without a smile on her face.
You can find L.P. Dover at www.lpdover.com
Email: [email protected]
Also by L.P. Dover
SECOND CHANCES SERIES
Love’s Second Chance
Trusting You
What He Wants
(Trusting You Prequel)
Meant for Me
Fighting for Love
Intercepting Love
Catching Summer
Defending Hayden
Last Chance
Intended for Bristol
ARMED & DANGEROUS SERIES
No Limit
Roped In
High-Sided
CIRCLE OF JUSTICE SERIES
Trigger
Target
Aim
In the Crossfire
ARMED & DANGEROUS/CIRCLE OF JUSTICE CROSSOVER SERIES
Dangerous Game
Dangerous Betrayals
Book 3 - TBD
Book 4 – TBD
GLOVES OFF SERIES
A Fighter’s Desire
Part One
A Fighter’s Desire
Part Two
Tyler’s Undoing
Ryley’s Revenge
Winter Kiss: Ryley and Ash
Paxton’s Promise
Camden’s Redemption
Kyle’s Return
SOCIETY X SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN
Dark Room
Viewing Room
Play Room
FOREVER FAE SERIES
Forever Fae
Betrayals of Spring
Summer of Frost
Reign of Ice
ROYAL SHIFTERS SERIES
Turn of the Moon
Resisting the Moon
Rise of the Moon
BREAKAWAY SERIES
Hard Stick
Blocked
Playmaker
Off the Ice
STANDALONE NOVELS
Easy Revenge
Love, Lies & Deception
Going for the Hole
Anonymous
Love, Again
Fairytale Confessions
THE DATING SERIES W/HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN
A Date for Midnight
A Date with an Admirer
A Date for Good Luck
A Date for the Hunt