by Sara Snow
Father didn’t reply, and we sat in silence for a long time. He didn’t look upset . . . but he didn’t look okay, either. A part of me felt bad for doing this to him. I was his only daughter, his firstborn, and I understood how important it was to him for me to find my mate and become a Luna. But it was clear that even the Goddess didn’t see that life for me.
I was her white wolf—her chosen one.
“I can see that you love him as much as you say he loves you,” he said, seeming to relent, though his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “He’s wounded and missing, and I can see the toll it’s taking on you. I’d react the same way if it was you, your mother, or Jackson. I know a person doesn’t have to be your mate for you to love them deeply. With werewolves, finding our mates does create a bond—a bond you’ll never feel with another, even with Will. But it doesn’t make what you feel for him any less deep or real.”
He closed his eyes when Mom entered the room, Jackson hot on her heels, but continued to speak. “I can’t stop you from loving whoever you want to love. We’re finally at a good place again, and I’d rather not ruin that just because you fell in love with someone I wouldn’t have picked for you.” His eyes cracked open, momentarily turning black. “That being said, a part of me might never accept Will. There have been generations of war between our species that I can’t let go as easily as some. Have you thought about what might happen if you meet your mate?”
I folded my lips, and my mother caressed Jackson’s hair. Even he was staring at me, waiting.
I had thought of that—many, many times. But I would not let go of the love I had now just because one day my mate might turn up. Even though our species had mates—someone created for every wolf—many wolves went through their lives never meeting that one person.
“If I meet my mate while I’m traveling with Will . . .” I swallowed hard before voicing the one thing I hoped would never happen. “I’ll reject him.”
Father glanced at Mother and sighed, and I finished my thought before either interrupted.
“I know that’ll be painful for both of us, but once the mating bond is sealed, the longer mates spend together, the more painful death or rejection hurts. I’d reject him quickly, so the damage wouldn’t be so great. Besides, look how hard you’ve tried to find me my mate. For all we know, maybe I don’t have one. That would be too normal of me.” I chuckled, but neither of them joined in.
“I just want you to be happy,” my mother said with a sad smile. “You know that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. This will take some getting used to, but we won’t fight you on it. You’ve made your decision, and I love you. But I hope, for your sake and Will’s, that you never meet your mate.”
“I love you, too,” Jackson blurted out, and Mother chuckled, ruffling his dark curls.
“Do you even know what we’re talking about?” I asked him, leaning forward.
“Yes,” Jackson answered, suddenly seeming all grown up. “You’re talking about the vampire who saved me when our pack was attacked.”
My mouth curved, and I nodded. “So you’re a smart guy now, huh?”
Jackson answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
We all laughed at his innocence, and a part of me wished I could return to being like that. I held my palm out and electricity danced between my fingers. My parents fell silent as Jackson rushed forward to watch. I concentrated, trying to shape the bolts into the image of a rose.
“Wow!” Jackson reached a finger out but stopped when I pulled my hand away. “Will it hurt if I touch it?”
“It will.” I closed my fist, and the rose vanished.
“You’re so cool,” Jackson murmured, and my heart constricted with love for my little brother. “Skye has daggers now, too.”
“I know,” I told him. “They turn blue and glow when danger’s close.”
He turned to our father, and I knew exactly what was coming. “I want one, Father.”
“Your mother wouldn’t like that,” my father told him. So Jackson immediately looked toward our mother, who also told him no.
They bickered back and forth while Father smiled, and I wondered if I’d ever have a family like this of my own. I placed my hand on my stomach at the stray thought, and an image of me being pregnant with Will’s child came to mind.
“Elinor, are you okay?”
I found my father staring at my hand on my stomach. “I’m fine. Just hungry.”
“Let’s go get you something to eat. While we’re at it, you can tell me what it was like training with the Sisters and how you got that white hair. Come on.”
“Wait, there’s something else.” I stood up, and my mother put Jackson down, then turned to face me. “After this war, I’ll only be with the pack for a while,” I said, laying my cards on the table. My parents might as well know everything. “I have the ability to heal. I want to travel the world and use that gift.”
“Are you sure this isn’t just a way to be with Will?” my mother teased.
I took that as a good sign. “He’ll be around.” I glanced at my father, who looked a little uncomfortable. “But this is what I want. I have the chance to do something incredible—literally heal the world.”
My mother walked forward and took my hands in hers. “Just let us know when you’re leaving this time, instead of running off like you always do.”
I sighed with relief. I’d spent so much time worrying about this very conversation and how it might go. If it hadn’t been for the war, it probably would have gone as horribly as I’d imagined.
Maybe one good thing had come from this war.
“You’re free to do as you please,” my father said as he got to his feet. “But if you leave, you’ll still be a member of this pack. I won’t have you going rogue. There’s no need for it. But I know I have to let you go and . . . I have.”
“Thanks, Father.”
“It’s clear your path was decided long ago, and it was never the one I chose for you.” He squeezed my shoulder gently before walking away. My mother and I watched him leave, his shoulders a little too slumped for my liking.
“He loves you,” my mother whispered. “Deeply.”
“I know,” I told her. “I know he does.”
“You’ve changed.” She reached out to touch a strand of my white hair. “You’ve grown.”
“I was away for three years, although it was only days here.”
Her hand fell to her side, and she shook her head. “I still can’t wrap my head around that.”
“I’d love to do that and come back as strong as Father,” Jackson chimed in.
I bent down in front of Jackson and ruffled his hair. He would be so grown up if I had truly been gone for three years. Then again, if I had been gone three years, the war might already be over.
“You won’t have to go through what I did to grow stronger,” I said, standing up straight again. “I couldn’t wrap my head around it at first, either. But the Sisters are amazing. It’s just unfair that they’re trapped.” I silently vowed again that I’d return and help them break through the barrier holding them. “But hopefully, once this is all over, I’ll be able to go back and end their imprisonment.”
My mother abruptly spun around to hug me.
“Don’t cry, Mother. Elinor’s back now,” Jackson said.
She pulled away, laughing as she wiped away her tears. Leaving the pack wasn’t going to be easy. But before I considered it, I had to find the man I’d be traveling with . . . if he was still alive.
“I’ll visit often, I promise.”
My mother took a deep breath, her sad eyes lighting up with her smile. “You better. Or I’ll come and get you myself.”
3
Elinor
My hands glided down the trunks of the trees and branches poking out from bushes as I made my way through the forest. I could smell Skye and Cyrus, my nose leading me to them, but I was in no rush.
The calm of the forest was helping to ease my worry over Will. Last ni
ght, after we’d arrived back at the pack, I’d been forced to tap into the power of the earth to feel calm enough to sleep. I was growing sick of this, of sitting and not knowing how, or where, Will was.
The battle in the forest had ended, but I was still fighting.
The tail of my dress caught on a twig and ripped when I tugged on it. I stood there for a moment, staring at the tear, and recalled a time when I would have been worried about facing my mother’s wrath for ruining yet another dress.
Now, a ripped dress was nothing.
Footsteps approached me from the right, and I turned to see two Werewolf Guards. They placed their closed fists over their hearts and bowed. “Elinor,” they said in unison, and I returned the gesture of greeting and respect.
They continued on their way, patrolling the forest, and I did the same, searching for Skye and Cyrus. I found them sitting together in a small clearing in the trees. Cyrus was leaning back, his hands behind him as he stared up at the evening sky.
They, too, had come a long way—and had long ago stopped denying their love for each other. Will and I had wasted so much time hiding and fighting our feelings. Cyrus and Skye were the perfect role models to show me, and others, how to maintain a balanced relationship despite differences.
There were several things that Cyrus and Will even had in common. But I knew better than to say that to Cyrus. He didn’t hate Will anymore, but they weren’t exactly the best of friends, either. And neither enjoyed being compared to the other.
Still, they shared a lot of similarities. Both had been offered a throne they didn’t want—Cyrus had no choice but to take it, but Will was still holding out—and they had both fallen for women who were, in the world’s eyes, totally wrong for them.
“Took you long enough,” Skye called, obviously hearing my footsteps.
“Mother and Father wanted to hear about what happened when we visited the Sisters.” I sat down beside Cyrus, and Skye leaned around to look at me.
“Is Jackson still asking for daggers like mine?”
“Yup,” I laughed. “He’s still at it.”
“Someone should tell him that he’ll grow up to be as strong as his father and won’t need daggers,” she suggested.
“Go ahead,” I laughed. “Maybe he’ll even listen to you.”
“I can’t remember the last time we did this,” Cyrus said, sitting up and cutting into our conversation, his eyes still on the sky.
“Did what?” I asked as I looked up as well.
“Just . . . sit here, the three of us, and have a normal chat.”
He was right. I folded my legs under my dress and reached out to touch the hole where the dress had caught on a branch. “I miss those days where we’d hang out by the cliff or in our spot in the forest.”
“The spot where I was almost ripped to shreds,” Skye sighed.
Cyrus growled. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“Hey, it’s different now.” She patted her daggers. “No Bleeder would dare try that with me now. And even if I ran into trouble, I know you’d save me . . . just like you always have. My hero . . .” She beamed at him, her brown eyes a little lighter than usual because of the sunlight. Cyrus hummed his response, and she turned to look at me. “And I miss watching you sulk, Elinor, whenever your father arranged for you to meet another Alpha.” She snickered, and Cyrus joined in.
“Those were hard times for me,” I said, chuckling. “But it’s nice to be able to laugh about it now.”
“That’s because things are so much worse now.” Skye sobered up, her voice breaking a little.
“One day, we’ll be able to look back on what’s going on, and it won’t be as painful as it is now. But that’s some time away, I’m afraid.” Cyrus picked up Skye’s hand, and I looked away as he squeezed it and kissed her temple.
I didn’t look away out of bitterness. I loved their relationship and was happy that they’d found each other. I just couldn’t help thinking of Will and what he might be enduring while I sat here, waiting.
I cleared my throat. “I told my parents all about me and Will,” I announced. “And that I’ll be leaving the pack when this is all over.”
“I don’t recall hearing the sounds of Alpha Grayson going on a rampage,” Cyrus mumbled sarcastically. “Did you, Skye?”
“I can’t say I did.”
I rolled my eyes. “He didn’t. He said he’d already suspected Will and I might be more than friends. And he told me I could still remain a member of the Blackmoon Pack when I leave to travel with Will.”
“Shocking.” Skye’s dark curls blew in the wind and she swatted at a strand that went into her eye. “But that’s good. I expected your father to flip when he found out. But Will loves you, and there is no doubting that or his loyalty to our cause. I’m sure Alpha Grayson saw that, too, when he helped the pack on the night we were under attack.”
“Yeah,” I drawled, then looked away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cyrus send a look Skye’s way, and she mouthed something back to him. “I’m not going to burst into tears every time Will’s name is mentioned. It’s not like he’s dead.” Neither of them spoke. I looked from one to the other, but they were both doing their best to avoid looking at me. “He’s not dead!” I insisted.
“We know that,” Cyrus answered straight away. “We all know that, Elinor.”
And then, the thing I’d been working so hard to avoid happened—I burst into tears. The pain started in my stomach and spread to my chest. And I felt hollow . . . empty. As the tears streamed down my face, Cyrus placed a hand on my shoulder, and Skye moved closer.
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m just so scared of losing him. It’s hard sitting here, doing nothing. He’s out there with that bastard, Cain, and I can’t do anything to help him! Father said we can’t send spies to the Queen’s territory because Bleeders have overrun the forest surrounding the castle. It would be so much easier if I knew for sure that he’s at the castle, but we can’t risk a spy being caught and revealing our plans.”
“We’ll find him.” Skye moved my hair back, her voice low and soothing. “We just have to wait a little longer. Survivors from nearby packs who’ve been attacked will arrive in a day’s time. It’s a small group, but there’s a full moon coming up. They’ll need protection.”
“You sound like a mother,” I blurted.
She gasped, and her hand fell to her stomach. Maybe she was just realizing what that would mean. Or maybe there was something else.
Her reaction made me wonder. “Are you pregnant?”
“No!” she said, then looked at Cyrus, who had gone pale. “No, I’m not pregnant.”
“Yet,” he grumbled. He cleared his throat, obviously eager to change the subject. “We’ll find him.” Then he got to his feet and began unbuttoning his shirt. Skye and I watched in confusion until his tattooed body was bare from the waist up, and his red wings burst from his back. His gray eyes shifted to black, and his body grew in size to complete the change into his demon form.
“What are you doing?” Skye asked when he flapped his wings, causing us to shield our faces from the wind.
Cyrus held his hand out to me. “Come on. We’re going flying.”
Skye was up on her feet in seconds.
I took Cyrus’s hand and got up, then released it. “I can fly on my own now, remember?”
Skye put her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah, you can, can’t you? I saw what you did in the forest. That tornado you created was badass, and you were floating inside it. Amazing!”
I held my hands out with my palms facing the ground. When I’d trained with the Sisters, it had taken a fair amount of time to learn how to use this ability. Even just awakening it took some effort, but I’d figured it out. It still wasn’t easy, but each time I did it, I got better.
I managed to levitate off the ground, even with so little wind blowing around us.
“Need help?” Cyrus asked and flapped his wings, but I held my hand up.
�
��No. I have to practice using even the weakest breeze to fly, to allow my body to be carried by it.” Soon I was floating above them. “See?”
Cyrus picked Skye up as if she were his bride and took to the air as well.
I closed my eyes as I flew higher. The further up I went, the stronger the wind was. Being above the trees and seeing the vast forest from all angles, I felt a sense of calm for the first time in a while.
I moved back and forth, testing my balance in the air. I’d only ever done this in training, and even then, I hadn’t flown so high. But now, I was getting comfortable soaring above the forest the way Cyrus did.
“So, this is what flying feels like,” I shouted to Cyrus on my left.
“Freeing, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “But wearing a dress wasn’t my best decision.”
We all laughed, and Skye tightened her hold on Cyrus’s neck. “I’m so proud of you both!” Cyrus and I stopped, me hovering in the air while he flapped his wings as if treading air. “It’s true. Especially you, Elinor. You’ve changed. You’ve grown.”
“So have you, Skye, I hope you know that. You’re not the same girl who was afraid of thunder anymore.”
Skye grinned sheepishly. “Actually, thunder still terrifies me.”
We couldn’t go too far from the barrier around the pack, so we flew in circles around it. Looking down at the forest, everything seemed fine. Birds were singing to each other, and the sun was setting beautifully. But nothing was okay.
“I can’t do this for long,” I said, suddenly feeling the strain. Turning around, I began flying back the way we’d come.
A scream echoed through the forest below us, and a flock of birds flew out of the trees, startled by the sound. We all looked at each other before plunging to the earth. The sun hadn’t set yet, but we knew that wouldn’t stop the Resurrected from wreaking havoc.
They wouldn’t be able to get past the barrier around the pack, but the wolves on their way to join our pack would be in trouble. They’d have to stay away—or worse—if we didn’t handle this threat before their arrival.