by Anya Byrne
And Remy at last understood what he had to do.
She knew him, knew who he was and that he was no warrior. She didn't feel threatened by him, and had in fact, turned her back on him to focus on Baqir. It was not a good idea.
No werewolf was harmless. In fact, no person who had something to protect could be discounted as irrelevant. For whatever reason, she did not realize this, and that was her downfall.
A few steps forward had him right behind her. He extended his hand—or rather, punched, straight forward, with all of his might, with all the strength born out of this knowledge.
His fist went straight through her spine and her sternum, crushing her heart along the way. He half-expected her to release some sort of cry, but maybe he'd watched too many Hollywood movies, because it was nothing so dramatic.
Everything just stopped, like Remy hadn't just shoved his hand through a person's body, but rather, pressed a button. The men froze, and Baqir's pain ceased. And the woman... Mere instants after Remy's attack, she was shattering, her body decomposing into nothing but ash.
In that moment, Remy finally remembered what had happened. He remembered V and Maeven, and the plan the two had come up with.
"I'm afraid, young ones, that it is your turn to make a sacrifice. If you are to have a future, you must sacrifice all hope for it," Maeven had said.
It had sounded so ominous, and Baqir had at first been reluctant to even hear anything further. Once Maeven had actually revealed what her idea would imply, he'd been furious and had refused to consider it.
Remy had been terrified as well, not so much for himself, but for his child and his mate. It had only grown worse when V had said that, in order to make the plan work, they would have to suppress Baqir and Remy's memories of what had occurred shortly after their arrival in Paris.
"It's necessary," she had explained. "D will be able to catch glimpses of your surface thoughts and emotions, and she would otherwise realize we have a plan."
"Never mind that," Baqir had protested. "How can you even know this is going to work?"
"Remy is the only one who can do this," Maeven had replied. "I will cast an enchantment to protect your child and try to shield you to some extent, but beyond that, he is the only person who can destroy D. His connection to her makes her more... flesh than she would otherwise be, perhaps more so than she realizes."
"I will also plant a suggestion in Remy's mind so that he'll know what to do when the time comes," V had added. "It will work."
In the end, after a lot of planning—and reassurances that Maeven's forces would be as close as possible—Remy and Baqir had agreed. They truly hadn't seen any other way, and they couldn't live in fear forever. Following V and Maeven's plan, the confrontation would at least be on their own terms.
Against all odds, it had worked.
Remy crumpled to his knees when the weight of what had just happened finally settled in. Baqir soon joined him, holding him close and kissing him lightly. His pain was all gone, it seemed, something which wasn't wholly surprising given what V had revealed about the nature of a succubus's powers. The injuries Baqir had sustained from the battle with his other opponents were already closing, the silver no match for Maeven's magic.
The silencers did not seem inclined to press their luck. Instead of trying to enact revenge for their fallen mistress, they left their dead and rushed out of the cave, practically stumbling over one another in an attempt to make their escape.
"Should we let them do that?" Remy asked, feeling exhausted and not really up to following them.
"It'll be fine," Baqir replied. "Maeven and V will be watching. The stragglers won't get far."
He had clearly remembered the truth as well, something which relieved Remy a great deal. "Good," he said against Baqir's chest. "I think I'm ready to ignore the rest of the world and take a long holiday with you."
Baqir laughed and kissed him, this time on the mouth. "Best idea I've ever heard."
Epilogue
"So... Where does that leave you? What will you do?"
Baqir met his brother's eyes, wondering what Erdi was truly thinking. When he had contacted his brother, he had not expected to have Erdi agree to meet with him. Erdi had come alone, presumably because his mate was in the late stages of his pregnancy and couldn't make the drive. Still, he was here, and had been willing to listen to Baqir's long tale.
It was disconcerting, and Baqir was almost hesitant to trust it. But he was not a silencer anymore. He could afford to trust, to hope, to open his heart. And to be fair, he suspected Maeven must have had something to do with Erdi's agreement to see him, since Maeven's beloved grandson belonged to Erdi's pack.
That was a moot point. The important thing was that they were both here, now. Throwing all caution to the wind, Baqir smiled at his younger sibling. "We're not sure. Remy and I... We want some time to ourselves."
"We'll probably stay on my brother's pack lands eventually, since it will be safer for a growing pup," Remy offered. "Even if we took out the head of the conspiracy, there are still a lot of silencers and human assassins out there, and we can't expect them to be harmless."
"So you'll want to go after them eventually?" Erdi asked.
"Everything is up to the Alpha Gathering in that regard. I'm done being a leader. Right now, my priority is Remy."
At that Erdi smiled back, and the expression softened the sharpness of his face, made harsher still by the scar Baqir himself had put there. It had been necessary at the time, but Baqir still wished he could have protected Erdi from it. "I can understand that," Erdi said. "I feel the same about Jensen."
Silence fell for a few moments. It was peaceful, especially given the fact that there was no one other them around, for miles and miles. They'd deliberately met in remote location, a forest that had once held one of the many hideouts of Baqir's now-shattered guild. It might have seemed counterproductive since he was making a point that he'd changed his life, but it was not actually so. He and Erdi had lived through too much to just forget. They had to remember the past and rebuild from its ashes.
Erdi seemed to feel the same, because he finally broke the silence to ask, "And the rest of the guild?"
It was not a question Baqir found easy to answer. Even those silencers who had been loyal to Baqir had never quite gotten along with Erdi, perhaps sensing the fact that he was their leader's one weakness. In the end, he chose a vague response, hoping it would be enough.
"Many died in France, while we were investigating the conspiracy—some belonging to our guild, others not. Out of the ones who are left, I believe most have joined packs or gone to the Gathering for guidance." Baqir had done his best to coordinate with Sasha Maximoff when it came to that, but sometimes, he did ask himself if he should have gotten more involved. Then he looked at Remy, and that feeling faded away. His heart and his emotions were no longer silenced. He didn't belong to that world anymore. Perhaps he never had.
Erdi must have realized that too, because his smile widened. "You should drop by the Lone Wolf Pack," he offered. "Everyone's heard all about what you and Remy did and they're very eager to meet you, properly."
Baqir had met many members of the Lone Wolf Pack before, but those had been very different circumstances. Still, he didn't want to inconvenience Erdi and his pack.
"Perhaps later, when things settle down a bit."
Erdi gave him a knowing look. "After Jensen gives birth. I'll talk to my Alpha, and we'll make arrangements."
That sounded promising, especially since part of the reason for Baqir's refusal was his reluctance to meet with his brother's mate. Jensen undoubtedly and understandably still resented Baqir for what had happened, and the last thing Baqir wanted was to upset the human at such a delicate time.
Further, he still needed to talk to Maeven about what exactly she had told Mathias. The news had spread of the death of the leader of the conspiracy, but Baqir was uncertain whether Maeven's grandson actually realized D had been the culprit behind his p
arents' murder.
Even with all those problems pending, the meeting with Erdi left Baqir in an optimistic mood. Despite everything that had happened between him and his sibling, they were mending their relationship. As they went their separate ways—with Erdi rushing back to his concerned human mate—Baqir found his previous apprehension fading.
There was just one thing that still weighed heavily on his heart, a deep dissatisfaction which had returned to the forefront of his mind after seeing his brother. It obviously showed, because as soon as Erdi disappeared into the distance, Remy pulled him aside, back into the shade of the trees.
"What is it, Qiri? You look upset."
"Not upset," Baqir replied, trying to reassure his mate. When Remy gave him a look that somehow managed to be both skeptical and chastising, he resigned himself to the unavoidable. "I just wish... Even now, I'm not truly a.... complete person. I don't even have a last name, and as long as that's the case..."
He trailed off, unable to finish the phrase. He suspected a part of him would always have trouble believing he deserved Remy, but he didn't want to say it out loud, not again.
For a few seconds, Remy stared at him, and then proceeded to punch him in the shoulder—hard. "Don't be an idiot. The fact that you don't have a last name doesn't make you any less of a person." His scowl melted into a soft, gentle smile. "Besides, I hear there's a nice human ceremony during which one person acquires the family name of their partner."
It was Baqir's turn to stare. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
Remy's face went red in a charming blush. "Maybe? I didn't exactly want to say it this way—I had another plan—but it sort of just... came out."
He was pouting prettily, as if put out that Baqir had somehow coaxed the proposal out of him. He was more beautiful than ever before, and Baqir couldn't help but lean in and kiss him. He suspected that if he hadn't recovered from his magical mishap, his now non-existent tail would have been wagging like crazy.
"Well," he whispered against Remy's lips, "I'm honored to say yes."
Remy beamed at him and melted into his embrace. In the process, he pressed his belly against Baqir, and Baqir felt the gentle swell, barely there and only perceptible because Baqir knew to look for it.
In that moment, Baqir's heart truly felt at ease and complete. Yes, they still had enemies out there, and it was too soon to tell what would happen and what the Alpha Gathering would next decide for their world. But Baqir was happy enough to take everything that happened one step at a time. He had a mate, a family, and hope—and beyond that... Well, who could say what the future had in store for them?
THE END
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About the Author
Anya Byrne is first and foremost a longtime fan of erotic romance. Starting to write her own stories was a natural progression of her devotion for the genre. Years after she put pen to paper in that very first book, she is just as enthusiastic and, let’s face it, somewhat obsessive about erotic romance and all that it entails. She is steadfast in the belief that there’s nothing quite as hot as an amazing hero—except more amazing heroes engaged in heroic hot lovin’, and has branched out into the field of self-publishing to convince even more readers of this fact. Hopefully, she will succeed.
For the latest news and upcoming releases please visit Anya at:
http://anyabyrneromance.wordpress.com/
Other Books by Anya Byrne
Hachti Warriors
Book 1. Sold to the Man in the Purple Fur
Book 2. Claimed by His Hachti Mates
Book 3. Fighting for His Hachti Family
Lone Wolf Pack
Book 1. Pregnant with His Werewolf Baby
Book 2. Knocked Up by His Werewolf Dom
Book 3. Expecting His Alpha's Child
Book 4. A Family With His Werewolf Mate
Book 4.1. Bonded to His Werewolf Lover: A Hot Spark Short Story
Book 4.2. Reunited With His Werewolf Beloved: A Hot Spark Short Story
Book 5. A Baby Daddy for a Werewolf Silencer
Book 5.1. Rescued by His Lone Wolf Mate: A Hot Spark Short Story
Book 6. A Future for His Werewolf Warrior
Book 6.1. A Tiny Matchmaker for Two Star-Crossed Mates: A Hot Spark Short Story
Mate Wooing
Book 101. The Werewolf's Roomie
Book 102. The Beta's Kitty Cat: A Hot Spark Short Story
Alpha Gathering
Book 1. Alphas, Secrets and Surprises
Lone Wolf Pack Ripples
Book 1. Anger Management for Alphas: A Lone Wolf Pack Ripples Short Story
Book 2. Love Letters from an Alpha: A Lone Wolf Pack Ripples Short Story
Book 3. The Fire of a Lone Wolf's Heart: A Lone Wolf Pack Ripples Short Story
Shifter Tales
Book 1. Mate of the Cursed Wolf Prince
Book 2. Storyteller for a Sorrowful Beast
Book 3. Lion of the Lost Snow Lotus
Mate Meet Online
Book 1. river_wolf51 and the_pouty_leprechaun
Book 2. not.a.raindeer and lupus_sapiens
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Copyright 2015 Anya Byrne
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, digital or otherwise, without the copyright holder’s express, written permission (except in the case of brief quotes marked as such and embodied in reviews). Unauthorized duplication and/or distribution, with or without monetary gain, are violations of US and international Copyright Laws and are subject to criminal prosecution.