by Sara Snow
“Hey, Tor,” Skye greeted him. “Cyrus and Darian are with the pack.” Skye looked my way. “Will is elsewhere.”
I changed the subject quickly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Tor.”
Tor pointed towards the house. “I’m here with the leader of my people.”
Sybil pulled me in for a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Elinor. Everyone in the village still speaks of how you saved us all when the vampires attacked. We’ll never be able to repay you for that.”
As the others moved into the house, I said, “I’ll return after we’ve put an end to the Vampire Queen.”
She nodded in agreement, and we walked over to Wilhemina, who was waiting for us by the door. Once we went inside, she closed the door behind us and waved her hand, sealing it.
There were a few supernatural creatures already in the foyer. They fell silent as their eyes landed on me.
“Elinor, this is Kazim,” Tor said, introducing the centaur who’d come over to join them. Like Tor, he had a substantial sword strapped to his side. “He was there the day we met in the forest.”
“I remember.” I placed my fist over my heart and bowed. He did the same, bending one of his legs.
“It’s nice to see you again, White Wolf.”
“Likewise,” I answered.
Several witches, elves, kitsune, and satyrs watched as my father, Circe, and I passed them, following Wilhemina. There weren’t as many supernatural leaders here as I had hoped there’d be. I supposed many of them had opted to remain in hiding, thinking they’d be safer that way.
And they would be safe . . . for a while. But if the Queen won and her army grew, no one would be safe for long.
Although each leader had brought two or three of their people along with them, only the leaders themselves were permitted to attend the meeting. It turned out to be a point of contention. I stepped back, fully intending to withdraw from the group—after all, it was my father’s role to represent the wolves at this meeting, not mine. But Circe had other ideas.
"You're the white wolf and will play a crucial role in this war. You'll need to be present," Circe had insisted as we walked down a plain hall. The house was mostly bare, with only the necessary furnishings and no paintings on the wall.
Sybil had explained that Wilhemina and four other witches lived here permanently to take care of the house; that way, it would always be ready if they needed it for protection. The witches had already used many of their secret locations since the start of the war. Unfortunately, the vampires had still raided covens and had taken many witches before they could move them all to safety.
Loud chatter caught my ear, and ahead of us to the left, I saw an open door with light streaming out from within. We stepped inside, and silence followed. The room was bare except for a long wooden table surrounded by chairs. Beyond it, through a glass window, I could see the thick mist of the forest twisting and changing.
With my father, myself, and Circe, along with three others, there were six of us at the table. Since the Werewolf Council was no more, my father and I would represent the wolves. Father would make sure Faelen knew the outcome of the meeting, and she'd then relay the message to other packs wishing to join the fight.
"The human King and Queen didn't come," I observed, and Circe shook her head.
“They’ve barricaded themself inside their kingdom. They sent their best wishes for our success in the war but don’t think they’ll be of any help.”
“They’re being protected by Werewolf Guards. Of course humans can't help," a man said. His thick accent was unfamiliar to me, and he kept his striking black eyes on me, not hiding his curiosity. I assumed he was the leader of the kitsune, the fox shifters from the East.
"Don't bash them too harshly, Ichiro," the leader of the centaurs said, his voice even more baritone than Tor's. "They're great inventors, but no one expects them to fight alongside us, especially when facing vampires."
The centaur’s amber eyes drifted to my father and me. “Grayson and Elinor Blackwood, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” His hooves echoed through the room as he walked over to us. “I’m Chiron, King of the centaurs. Your pack is well known, even among other species.”
"It’s unfortunate that we're meeting under these circumstances." My father placed his fist over his heart, and I did the same.
Chiron’s long blond hair was curly, with a few braids throughout. There was a white line running down his face, as if splitting his face into two, and under his left eye, he had three white lines going down to his cheek. A golden armband wrapped around the bicep of his entire left upper arm like a snake.
Chiron pointed to the kitsune, whose long black hair was tied behind him. “That’s Ichiro, the seven-tailed Kitsune and leader of his kind. I’m not sure why he’s here.”
Ichiro ignored Chiron and nodded to both my father and me.
“The elf sitting at the head of the table—” Chiron continued, “—in a seat that belongs to Circe, considering this is her home—is Akkar, the self-centered Fae King.”
The coat of Chiron’s lower body was a light-yellow shade, and his tail, which was even lighter than his hair, swished back and forth excitedly as Akkar narrowed his pale blue eyes at him.
“Don't address me, horse."
Indeed, the Elf King was beautiful and dressed the part of a royal. A crown of gold sat atop his head, and his white hair flowed loose around his shoulders and down a closely fitted white and gold cloak.
“Get over yourself, Akkar. You could have left your crown at home.” Chiron turned away. “Ridiculous.” He nodded in the opposite direction. “And that stunning woman is Shelby, High Clan Leader of the Satyrs.”
Shelby pushed her chair back and stood up. She was taller than most satyrs I'd seen, and her beauty was undeniable.
"It's a pleasure, Alpha Grayson and White Wolf." Her voice was soft, almost delicate.
Her strawberry-blond hair that fell to her bottom somewhat covered her large goat-like ears. Her lower half, the part that resembled a goat, was a lighter shade of red than her hair.
She bowed as satyrs did, and I couldn't help finding the horns on her head beautiful. They grew upward, not twisted like those of other satyrs. Generally, the longer the horns, the older a satyr was.
Blades were strapped to a red fabric that was wrapped around her stomach and throat.
"Now that the introductions are over . . ." Circe waved her hand, causing all the chairs to slide out from under the table and the door to close. "Let's begin."
Elinor
“Satyrs will be the archers. We have no choice but to stay back. We'll join the battle eventually, but my people aren't skilled fighters like elves or werewolves. We’re not equipped to be on the front line,” Shelby argued when Tor suggested the satyrs should be in the thick of it.
"Shelby’s right. My witches can open portals that'll help to cover the distance between them, us, and the castle," Circe said, not appearing to be anywhere near as frustrated as Tor and Akkar.
An hour had passed, maybe more. I’d remained silent the whole time while the leaders worked to devise a plan to breach the castle’s walls. How they intended to defeat the Queen's army after that wasn't my concern. All I needed to know was how to get inside.
Tor and my father had agreed they’d lead the assault, with witches and kitsune in the middle. Kitsune weren’t only fox shifters. There were thirteen clans, each one capable of controlling a unique element, such as darkness, sound, water, fire, mountain, etc.
“Why should we put our faith in this child to kill the Queen?”
Everyone fell silent at Akkar’s question. My father leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. A vein appeared on his neck, and he was about to argue, but Circe spoke up first.
"She's not just any wolf, Akkar. You know that. She has the divinity of the Goddess flowing through her. Not even you, who have lived a millennium, can accomplish the job she must.”
Though Circe spoke the words cal
mly, Akkar obviously felt stung by them. “Shouldn’t the Werewolf Council be a part of any discussion to send a werewolf child to war? Oh, wait, that’s right, the entire Council was murdered. Have any of you stopped to think that maybe these wolves aren’t as strong as they pretend to be?”
Circe's lips parted, but I spoke before her. “Our Goddess killed the Council.” My voice was calm. Akkar’s reservations did not bother me. I knew who I was. “They had turned their backs on the wolves they were meant to protect.”
“Why do you think werewolves are being targeted so ruthlessly?” my father asked him. “We’ve been the protectors of this earth for centuries, safeguarding the species seated around this table. We’ve proven our strength repeatedly. And we are the vampire's greatest enemy.”
"Indeed," Tor grumbled, his hooves clunking on the ground.
“I might be young, but I didn’t choose this,” I added. “I didn’t ask to be the one charged with facing the Vampire Queen, but it’s my destiny, and I’ll see it through. Everyone here has a role to play if we’re going to put an end to this war. No one's job is lesser or greater than anyone else’s. And I need you all to clear the way for me. Because if I can't get to the Queen, we’re all lost."
Akkar said nothing in response, his face emotionless, but I noted a glimpse of irritation in his eyes.
"What's your plan? You must have one.” Ichiro inquired.
“I have one, yes. I don’t intend to face the Queen alone. There are two others—two strong supernatural beings—who will back me up. The three of us will stop her.”
Loud shouting echoed outside the room, and the door flew open. Everyone around the table jumped to their feet. The air sizzled with magic as Will stepped inside.
“Wait! He’s with me!” I ran to Will’s side, putting my arms out to stop the leaders from attacking.
"How did you find us, Vampire!" Ichiro's eyes turned red, and a shadow of a large fox with seven tails appeared on the wall.
“He’s with me!” I shouted, bolts of lightning escaping my body to strike the floor between me and the others.
"This is Will?" Circe tilted her head to get a better look at Will, who stood behind me. She held a hand out to Ichiro, motioning him to stand down. “Sybil had mentioned there was a vampire among your ranks. A general.”
My arms fell to my sides. “Yes.” I swallowed hard, my heart doing backflips inside my chest as I turned to look up at Will. His red eyes faded to blue, and I bit down on my lips to hold back the tears. “He’s General Will. He is one of the supernaturals who’ll be fighting with me to defeat the Queen.”
“This is absurd!” Akkar yelled. “You knew about this, Circe? How can any of you trust a vampire?”
“So, Tor was right,” Chiron grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re the vampire that walks in the sun.”
“Excuse me?” Shelby looked from Chiron to Will and then back again. “Walks in the sun?”
"You're the youngest among us, Shelby, but yes." Chiron's eyes narrowed at Will, but I didn’t care.
I was desperately trying to contain my emotions. He was here! I was seeing him, smelling him.
“Long ago—during Akkar’s younger years, so you know it was centuries ago—a ruthless general served the Queen,” Chiron continued. “It was rumored that he could walk in the sun, but to many, he was just the main character in a horror story for children.”
“I’m not that vampire anymore,” Will said. But he wore an old cloak that reeked of blood, and Akkar hissed.
“Are vampires now capable of changing from being bloodthirsty beasts to something else?” Akkar demanded.
“Yes. Just as the fae no longer target humans for rituals and for entertainment,” Will countered. “Or is that still being done?”
Akkar’s fists clenched. “Do you know who you’re speaking to?”
“Akkar, King of the Fae; Chiron, King of the centaurs; Shelby, High Clan Leader of the satyrs; Ichiro, leader of the kitsune; High Priestess Circe; and Alpha Grayson." Will took a deep breath, and Akkar’s eyes widened, no doubt at the sound of Will's beating heart. "I know who you all are, and I have no intention of proving anything to any of you. My loyalty is to Elinor Blackwood and her pack. And my only goal is to stop my mother."
The silence in the room was deafening. This meeting was turning sideways, fast. I looked around the room: Akkar’s hatred and judgment were apparent, Shelby looked confused but intrigued, Circe had the slightest smile on her face, and Ichiro appeared tense, ready to attack at any moment.
“How did you find us?” Circe interlocked her fingers before her, and Will looked at me.
“I have my ways.”
My father walked forward, and I grew tense. Despite the conversation I’d had with him back when we were with the pack, I wasn’t sure what was about to happen. The purpose of this gathering was to unite the supernaturals against a common enemy—not ruin the name of the Blackmoon Pack and create enmity with other species. But once the others discovered what Will and I were to each other, it could go either way.
As my father stared at Will, I looked around the room and I realized I didn’t really care what any of the rest of them thought. What I did with my life had nothing to do with the pack, and it was nobody’s business who I loved.
“Will has saved Elinor at least twice that I am aware of, probably more.” My father turned to face the other supernaturals. “He saved Skye, the other she-wolf here with us, when she was abducted by the Resurrected and protected my son when they attacked our pack. None in this room can judge him for things he's done in the past. We've all done our fair share of wrong.”
"He might be a vampire,” I added, as all eyes turned to me, “but listen to his heart. He has a soul, just like the rest of us. And we're going to need him." I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. “I need him.”
No one spoke for a moment, obviously soaking in this new turn of events. Finally, Shelby waved a hand. “Can you really walk in the sun?” she asked, eyeing Will with curiosity.
“I can,” Will answered.
Circe clapped her hands, amplifying the sound throughout the room to draw everyone’s attention. “We all know what role we’ll play. With the help of the Enchanteds, messages will be relayed as necessary. There will be a full moon in two days, so we'll put an end to Amythia’s existence the day after. Be ready.”
Shelby and Chiron left the room, followed by Circe and my father. As Akkar passed Will and me by the door, he stopped.
“Who else will help you defeat the Queen, White Wolf?”
"The Demon King's son," I answered casually.
He laughed, then stopped when he realized I wasn't kidding. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," I answered. "He's my best friend, and Will's my mate. Times are changing, King of the Elves. Keep up, or you'll be left behind."
7
Elinor
I wasn’t sure how long I stayed in Will’s arms after everyone left, but he didn't release me, and I couldn’t bear for there to be any space between us. I lost myself in the sound of his beating heart and listened quietly while he told me what had happened to him and about the witch who’d helped him heal.
I was tempted to seek her out and thank her myself.
“You should know,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head, “I’m never going anywhere. Not without you.”
“You better keep that promise,” I said, and tightened my hold around his waist. “You have no idea, no idea, how scared I was. Do you know what happened to Cain?”
"If we’re lucky, the portal ripped him to shreds. But if he's not dead yet, I'll kill him." He dropped his arms, and we untangled ourselves from each other. "Too many times now, I should have put an end to him, and I didn't. But that won’t happen again."
I wondered, for a moment, if there was a part of Will that cared about Cain. In the past, Will had said he’d spared Cain simply to prevent the Queen from taking revenge. But maybe there was a part of Will t
hat didn’t want to kill his brother.
As for how Cain felt . . . I’d seen the hatred in his eyes. He’d gladly kill Will if given the chance. There was no caring in him at all. His envy and anger were too raw and powerful for there to be an ounce of anything else in him.
“Your father stuck up for me. What have I missed?”
"I finally told him everything. And while I wouldn’t try calling him ‘Father’ or anything, he’s accepted our romantic relationship. "
“I wouldn’t have called him that, even if it were okay with him. I could be his great, great, great, great-grandfather.”
My nose scrunched up. “Let’s not talk about age.”
“Did you tell him you plan on leaving the pack?” He sat down, and I climbed onto his lap.
I nodded, snuggling closer to absorb his body heat. He snaked an arm around my back, holding me in place. "I did." I opened my hands and stared at my palms. "I can do so much good now that I have the ability to heal others. He realized that, too, and said he knew I couldn’t stay."
“All I could think about was getting back to you.” Will twirled a few white strands of my hair around his finger. He tugged on them gently, making me smile, and I pressed my forehead to his. He inhaled deeply, then released my hair and kissed me on the lips.
We pulled back to gaze into each other’s eyes for a few moments before he claimed my lips once more, this time more hungrily. I matched his fire with a blaze of my own.
Maybe continuing to love him so deeply after all I’d suffered in his absence was just asking for more pain and heartache. While he’d been gone, my heart had felt as if it had been dying inside me.
I’d hated that feeling, but the way I felt now, with his lips pressed to my cheek, jaw, and then neck . . . How could I ever live without him again?
I pulled back, my eyes dancing across his face, and his blue eyes flashed red.
I couldn’t stop staring at him, worried that he might vanish from before my eyes. Before Amythia had plunged the world into chaos, the idea of finding a mate, of falling in love, and losing myself and my dreams, had terrified me. Then I’d found Will, someone who was happy to take the same path as me in life. He encouraged me, accepted me, and loved me for who I was.