by Emma Dean
Finally the power started leaving her body and Kenzie could see the glow lessen ever so slightly.
“Good,” Eisheth murmured. “Keep it up.”
“Kenzie!”
Her head snapped up at the sound of that familiar voice and the pain flared.
Even Eisheth looked surprised to see Ash and Hunter running toward them with Finnick in his fox form at the head of their small pack.
She didn’t know what to say or do, so Kenzie just refocused – praying to the Fates, to Artemis, that she would be able to get rid of this power before she exploded.
“I’ll shield them if I need to,” Eisheth muttered. “Stubborn bastards.”
“Even if it makes the future murky?” she asked, laughing breathlessly. Kenzie was exhausted – so very tired, but she couldn’t give up yet, not when the power was slowly but surely leaving her body one drop at a time.
Eisheth shrugged and watched as the foxes approached.
“Don’t ever do that again,” Hunter snapped at the demon as he reached them. “Don’t ever make choices for us.”
“It’s our right to die or not,” Ash told him, crossing his arms over his chest.
“How did you even get here?” She glanced at Finnick as he sat on his haunches next to her.
“Your sister still has the portal,” Hunter explained.
“Please shut up,” Eisheth snapped. “I don’t think you realize how precarious this is. Now, focus Kenzie. We’re almost there.”
She could feel it digging in, but with her mates there Kenzie felt a little less tired than before.
Unfolding the power and shoving it through her fingers left her panting. It took everything she had to control it – to keep it from weaving its way through her very existence until they were one and the same and her choice was no longer hers.
Finally when the last drop left her, Kenzie collapsed.
Finnick licked her face in his fox form, checking to make sure she was okay. Then Hunter was there, looking her over.
“Are you going to explode?” Ash asked, brushing her messy hair out of her face.
“Nah, our little forest fire did excellent.” Kenzie looked up and Eisheth was beaming down at her. “She took out a god in her first week of training. I don’t think anyone else will be coming after her.”
Then Finnick was naked again and kneeling next to her. “Thank fuck. Dying wasn’t on my to do list today.”
Kenzie couldn’t help but laugh as she leaned into him. Tears of relief streamed down her face as she looked at Hunter and then Ash. “You guys came to hell for me.”
“It’s not that bad,” Hunter said. “The stigma makes hell sound like a terrible place, but it’s not.”
Ash grimaced. “Says the guy who hates people. I on the other hand am not a fan of all the sand and goblins.”
Finnick just licked her face again.
“You’re so gross.” She couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s not cute unless you’re a fox.”
“Disagree.” Finnick licked her face again. “Now let’s get out of here before my ass burns.”
Kenzie stood and wrapped her arms around Eisheth before he could resist. “Thank you for being there for me when I needed you.”
“Always.” Eisheth hugged her back and then stepped away. “You have a break from training until next Sunday as your reward for not going nuclear today. Try not to get into any trouble in the meantime.”
A quick little sketch and Eisheth opened a portal. Kenzie could see her sister and Edith…waiting outside the foxes’ van.
Finnick shifted and then jumped through.
Ash went next.
For some reason Kenzie hesitated and looked back at Eisheth.
“Go,” he said. “You’ll have plenty of time to visit me here in the future.”
She nodded and took Hunter’s hand.
They walked through the portal together, back to earth.
Despite everything, they’d made it out together.
Kenzie looked around the estate. It was still beautiful in the dawn light despite all the bodies littering the place. “Where are the raccoons?”
“Are we just going to ignore how you nearly died?” Selene demanded with her arms crossed over her chest.
She glanced at her mates and shrugged. “You all would have done the same for me, and nearly did.”
No one could argue with that.
“I still don’t like that you left us here so you could die alone,” Hunter said. “That’s not how this works.”
Finnick was naked again. “Nope. You’re stuck with us Kenzie.”
Her grandmother instantly looked away like he’d somehow managed to shock her. But Kenzie caught Edith giving her the thumbs up behind Selene’s back.
Her lips twitched as she tried to keep from laughing.
“I think it’s time for that dinner,” Ash said. “Let’s get back home and get some rest. Then we’ll celebrate not dying.”
“And all this?” Selene asked, waving her hand at the estate with all the dead bodies.
“Burn it to the ground,” Hunter snarled. “I’ll make sure the Council doesn’t come sniffing around.”
Kenzie stared at the fox who had been ready to kill one of the only people he loved for her. The fox who was ready to take his own life without hesitation.
Then she turned to Finnick who, behind his cocky smile, was still broken inside because he thought he’d never see her alive again.
Ash was the one who’d managed to hold it together. The one who’d kept them all from falling apart with the spark of hope she’d felt through the bond – the hope that had helped her squeeze a god’s power back into the universe.
But he’d been willing to die for her – accepting his fate gladly when Hunter had pointed the gun at him.
None of them wanted to live without each other.
It seemed a bit dramatic but when you finally found your place in the world…Kenzie understood. After a lifetime of fighting to belong – it wasn’t something any of them would give up. And protecting what made them feel happy…they would all do anything to keep that.
She couldn’t be mad at them, or even Selene, for putting herself in danger.
Kenzie would have done the same for them.
“I need my beauty rest,” Edith said. “I’m glad everyone made it out alive. The raccoons got a call they couldn’t ignore. They’ll be back as soon as they can. Now let’s go home.”
It was hard not to smile when her grandmother used that word, knowing it meant the den.
“Let’s go home,” she agreed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kenzie
“Where are you taking us?” Gram-Gram asked, peering out the window of the van.
Ash smiled as he turned the corner and pulled into the parking lot. “We’re going to Olive Garden.”
If Kenzie could have taken a picture right then and there she would have. Her grandmother’s face was absolutely priceless.
“You are not,” Edith said in complete disbelief. “That is not a respectable place to eat. I thought perhaps Saison.”
Finnick laughed so hard Edith glared at him. Selene hid her smile behind her hand and Kenzie leaned against Hunter with a happy grin. This was a perfect way to celebrate not dying – and teaching her grandmother how the plebeians ate would be one of her favorite memories.
“A five hundred dollar gift card would barely cover an appetizer at Saison,” Ash snorted. “No, we have six people to feed. Endless salads and breadsticks is the way to go.”
Her grandmother’s eyebrows shot up. “Endless? That seems like a poor business model. There has to be a cut off.”
“There isn’t, I assure you,” Hunter chimed in. “It’s actually quite good considering.”
Edith huffed but left it alone as Ash pulled into a parking space. Finnick practically bounced in his chair as he peered out the window.
She’d been worried about Finnick the most. Hunter had gotten over it pretty quickly as
all the enemies were dead and nothing could be traced back to them. Kenzie was back safe and sound and she was his. Hunter was quite pleased at the outcome despite everything.
Ash was still shaken. She could feel it through the bond. But this dinner had him nearly back to normal. Kenzie knew exactly what he was thinking because she was thinking it too – if they could make it through that, they could make it through anything.
But Finnick…he had slept in her bed as a fox all day as they recuperated. When she’d woken up he’d been human, naked and wrapped around her like he was afraid she might disappear again.
Her feral bastard.
All three of them were officially hers now. And they’d finished Edith’s contract. Selene was safe – and the coven had been purged. When she took over as High Priestess there wouldn’t be any more assassination attempts.
It was a good day even after everything.
Finnick opened the door and helped her out first, and then Selene. He grinned at Hunter and offered him his hand as well. Kenzie laughed when Hunter took it and kissed Finnick’s cheek as he stepped out of the van.
Ash had gone around to open the door for Edith. Her grandmother was such a spoiled princess, heels clacking as they walked toward the warmly lit restaurant together.
“Please tell me we at least have a reservation,” Edith muttered.
The music was soft and the hostess opened the door for them, smiling and nodding as she led them through the crowded restaurant to a private room. Ash had thought of everything it seemed. Kenzie assumed her grandmother might lose it if someone she knew saw her eat cheap pasta.
Selene seemed happy even though she’d initially been pissed – but her sister had always easily forgiven Kenzie. Everything she’d done over the last two months had been for her, but…
Kenzie had gotten so much out of it as well.
Now she had three mates and she felt a thousand times closer to the family she actually cared about.
Hunter pulled out her chair for her, Ash did the same for Gram-Gram, and Finnick for Selene. Such gentlemen, her foxes.
Gram-Gram picked up one of the menus and frowned. “How the hell are we going to spend five hundred dollars here when everything is so cheap?” she asked in disbelief.
“Oh, we’ll manage,” Finnick said with a chuckle. “We’ll start by ordering a few bottles of wine.”
The waiter nodded and ran off, no doubt imagining his tip at the end of this chaos.
“Then there will be dessert,” Selene added in, winking at Kenzie. “We used to come here a lot.”
Their grandmother scoffed. “How barbaric.”
Kenzie couldn’t help but laugh at her high society grandmother simply aghast at the prices and the normal people who came here. Edith Kavanagh had never been in a chain restaurant in her entire life.
“Well, thank you for taking us out Ash,” Selene said quietly. “After everything…it’s nice.”
They were all quiet as the waiter came back with the bottles and set them up. Finnick nudged her. “Reminds me of our date,” he said, swirling the wine around in his glass.
Kenzie watched him and it was difficult to comprehend how much had changed since then. It was strange to think how nervous she’d been and unsure. Now…this was exactly what she wanted.
“So, what did they decide to do with Martha?” Kenzie asked, sipping the wine that Finnick handed her.
The fiery fox poured wine for everyone and then passed out the glasses. The chatter of the restaurant and the warm light was soothing somehow.
“She was sentenced to thirty years without power and cast out of the coven,” Selene said with a sigh. “She’ll be living among humans now. I gave her enough money to get her feet under her for the next few years – and she’ll be going to college. Martha is going to live in one of our rentals.”
It was kinder than anything Kenzie would have done, but her sister had always been nicer than her.
The ire in Edith’s eyes was something she recognized though. Kenzie felt much the same.
“And her parents, our parents?” Kenzie hadn’t wanted to ask, but she was going to have to lose her sister to witch society soon. There was no way she could stay in the den as Matriarch.
Selene shrugged. “None of them knew about it so they stay. Our aunt and uncle are devastated which is understandable. Mom and Dad did ask how you were doing though.”
Well, wasn’t that convenient. Now that she had some kind of ability they showed some small shred of concern. Finnick arched an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. It wasn’t like she felt any differently about them. If anything she was more annoyed.
They all quietly ordered food when the waiter came back, and it was enough to feed twice as many people. Ash had insisted Edith try a little bit of everything since they all knew she would never come back to a place like this.
“On that note, we have a mating gift for you, Kenzie dear,” Edith said, pulling a large manila envelope out of her purse.
“Does this mean we’re officially family, Gram-Gram?” Finnick teased.
Her grandmother chuckled. “You have been for a long while now.”
“Before we open this envelope,” Hunter said, snatching it from Edith’s fingers before Kenzie could. “I wanted to ask your and Selene’s permission to take the Kavanagh name.”
Kenzie’s jaw dropped and she just stared at Hunter. “What did you just say?”
That burgundy hair shone under the lights and Hunter’s eyes glowed. “A mate bond is more binding than a marriage contract,” he said. “But I would like everyone to know we’re a family. And to do that we need to have the same last name. I would like to take yours since you’re a witch. Witches are matriarchal, correct?”
“Yes,” Selene agreed, still staring at the fox like he was insane. “The male always marries into the female’s family and takes her name. Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Hey!” Finnick exclaimed. “If Hunter gets to take your name, I want it too.”
This wasn’t happening.
Kenzie didn’t know whether to hide, laugh, or cry. Never in her life did she think she would be in this situation. Being a witch…well the only reason she was still a part of the family was because Selene and Edith had refused to kick her out.
But shifters never took a witch’s name. They were too human usually. And when a witch was mated she normally had to live with them considering how snotty witch society was.
Her foxes though…they wanted to be tied to her in every way.
“Same here. Obviously, only if it’s all right with Kenzie,” Ash said quietly, taking her hand from across the table.
“Yes, it’s all right,” she said quietly. Laughter spilled out of her and she wrapped her arms around Hunter, kissing his cheek. “You guys are so weirdly romantic.”
“Well, I suppose that’s fitting,” Edith said. “You have my blessing.”
“And mine.” Selene grinned at them and tapped the envelope. “Now open it.”
Kenzie snatched the envelope from Hunter and slid her finger under the flap. She had no idea what her sister and grandmother would get her for a mating gift, but she was curious. “Did you get us a meet and greet with Ryan Reynolds? Or hey! Is it a trip to Japan?”
“Why would I buy you a ticket to a place for you to buy more dolls? Just open it already, Mackenzie.” Edith sighed and sipped at her wine. “This is surprisingly good, by the way.”
“Action figures, Gram-Gram,” Kenzie corrected, pulling out the papers.
She froze when she saw what it was.
Finnick leaned over to read it and his jaw dropped when he got to the same place she did.
“Is this for real?” Kenzie asked, letting Hunter take the papers from her lifeless fingers.
“Of course,” Selene said, grinning in excitement. “It was actually Edith’s idea, and then I expanded on it.”
Gram-Gram eyed Selene with displeasure. “I thought we were going to leave my involvement out of it, dear.”
“A house?” Hunter asked in confusion. “But we already own a house. Several actually.”
Ash took the papers from Hunter to read them and shook his head. “Not just any house, but one right next to the Kavanagh mansion.”
“The architect and contractors are going to connect the two,” Selene explained. “That way you can still have your own place and still live with your family. Edith asked for a floor in yours, if that’s all right.”
Kenzie didn’t know what to say. She was so overwhelmed her hands were shaking. “There are like, six thousand square feet in this house. You and Edith could live there and I wouldn’t even notice.”
Finnick threw an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Gram-Gram just wants to make sure she’ll get to watch our little witch foxes when they’re born,” he teased.
It was a silly thought until Edith actually blushed.
“Really?” she asked her grandmother. “You know that’s going to be a while from now, right?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Finnick whispered in her ear.
And now Kenzie was the one blushing. She pinched Finnick and looked to Ash for help, but he was too busy laughing to do shit.
Pop.
“I’d be offended that I didn’t get a room if I didn’t max out my time on earth already,” Eisheth said, standing behind Ash to read the papers. “Congratulations on your mate bonds, by the way.”
The demon gave Kenzie another envelope with a shit-eating grin. “I think this will go nicely in your new place.”
She shared a look with Hunter and opened up the second envelope – scared what her grandmother and demon godfather could possibly have cooked up together.
“A spell room?”
“One for a void,” Eisheth told her. “I’ve been digging for all the books I could find in this plane and others. They’re already there waiting for you. Oh, and demon-level wards on your new workroom and house. Jess apologized for not making it to your kidnapping in time, but she said she’d ward this house too to make up for it.”
“It comes with another room for all the manga, action figures, and video games you could want,” Gram-Gram said with a wink, sipping at her wine. “I know what they’re called, I just like giving you grief.”