by R. E. Butler
* * *
The next few weeks passed quickly as they waited anxiously for September’s full moon. He’d been concerned that Hope would be consumed with the coming event and worry like crazy, but instead she’d focused on the start of the school year. He and his brothers had helped her set up her classroom, decorating the walls with colorful shapes, letters, and numbers and getting her desk set up. The school didn’t have much of a budget for new supplies, so the three of them had secretly reached out to the pride and asked for donations. They’d come through with flying colors, giving her gift cards, supplies, and everything on her wish list. The best part for him had been seeing her surprise and her happy tears at the gestures from their friends and family.
Business-wise, ONB Landscaping was winding down the summer projects and beginning what they called ‘fall clean-up,’ where they prepared flower beds, trimmed trees and shrubs, and treated grass to prep for winter. While he was busy with his brothers and their business, he kept an eye on the calendar. The days ticked by quickly, until before he knew it, the day of the full moon had arrived.
Hope had taken the next day off from work, just in case they had a late night in the fae realm and didn’t get back in time. He and his brothers had finished some projects up early so they had a few days free. Although he was positive that the night would have a good outcome – that she’d be able to contact the goddess and break the curse – he was still nervous. They were taking their sweetheart into a place they’d never been, where they’d be trapped without a fairy to open a portal back home. Thankfully Jenna and Crimson were on their side, but he secretly wished that Treasure could come with them. Despite her occasional goofiness, she was a fierce defender and they would’ve been lucky to have her there.
They were standing in Callie’s backyard. Callie and her mates were with them, along with Jilly and her mates, and Melody with hers. Treasure, Brian, and Kevin were there as well. Treasure was going to stay at Callie’s and wait for their return. Because she couldn’t go on the journey, she’d asked Brian and Kevin to go in her place, even though she’d confessed to Hope that she was nervous for their safety. Hope promised to do her best to bring everyone back in one piece.
Aside from Hope, Jilly and Melody were the only female mountain lions in the pride, and they’d wanted to go with them to the fae realm to stand with Hope. While Melody had never been poisoned by the females, Jilly had been fully poisoned, and wanted a chance to share her story with the goddess. Assuming they were able to talk to her. He had zero idea what the night was going to be like, but he was glad that so many males and females were going along.
He let out a sigh. He thought he’d kept it fairly quiet, but Hope shot him a curious look.
“You’re not worried, are you?” she asked, moving to him and linking her fingers with his.
“Of course not.”
“Liar,” she whispered, looking up at him through the veil of her lashes. Although she was teasing, he could see concern in her beautiful blue eyes.
Cupping her face, he brushed his lips over hers and said, “I can’t help that my cat is on edge. We’re going to a place we can’t return from without a fairy to open a portal. Not to mention that no one knows what meeting with a goddess is going to be like. I’d be an idiot not to be worried on some level.”
“I’m anxious myself. My cat is pacing in my head, and I can’t stop reliving what happened during the August full moon. I don’t want this to fail.” She spoke earnestly, her eyes taking on a determined gleam.
His brothers joined them. Ben put his hand on her back and said, “You’re carrying the weight of this on your shoulders, sweetheart. Whether this succeeds or fails, you tried your best and that’s all anyone can ask. The curse isn’t your fault; it’s the goddess’s, or the females who tried to have her killed eons ago.”
“We love you for wanting to do this,” Nathan said. “But don’t let yourself carry the burden of the whole of our people on your shoulders. We’re here with you, we’ve got your back. Regardless of what happens, you tried, and that’s more than anyone else can say.”
She blew out a breath, and then kissed Owen and his brothers. “Thank you for standing with me and putting up with me being a train wreck for the last few weeks.”
“You’re not a train wreck,” Owen said. “And we wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
“They’re coming,” Callie said.
Their quartet turned and faced the shimmering portal, holding their collective breath. He gave Hope’s hand another squeeze and let his cat out a little to heighten his senses. No matter what the night brought, whether the curse was broken or remained forever, Hope was the center of his world, and he’d do everything in his power to protect her. As the leader of the mating group, it fell to him to keep everyone safe. He glanced at his younger brothers, and for the first time in his life he truly felt the weight of their safety on his shoulders. But it was a burden he bore gladly, because his family was everything to him.
As the portal cleared, he straightened his spine, ready to face the coming journey.
Chapter Nine
Hope was the most nervous she’d ever been in her life. So much was riding on the success of this trip to the fae realm. Sure, she was freed from the curse, but there were so many females who weren’t. She’d even asked if anyone knew exactly how many females there were, but no one did. In the past, females had defected from the original King Pride and started all-female prides of their own. Her mother knew of one in Ohio somewhere, but there wasn’t any information on whether they were still actually there or how many females were members. And the Canada pride, where her mother had been, could have changed in size as well since she left. Hope hated that things were so disjointed for their people.
Shaking her thoughts back to the present, she watched as a portal opened, connecting Ashland and Allen, Kentucky. Jenna and Logan stepped through first, followed by Crimson, a young boy, and the alpha wolf couple, Jason and Cadence.
Crimson gestured to the boy. “This is my son, Desmin. My parents are meeting us at our house and Dez is going to spend time with them.”
The young boy smiled as he greeted everyone.
“I thought you lived in Tinkucky,” Treasure said with a frown.
“Where?” Crimson asked.
Hope hid her chuckle and explained, “She meant Kentucky.”
“Oh, right,” Crimson said. “We do. But my mate Lindy and our family also have a home in Homelna Glen.”
“What’s a glen?” Hope asked.
“It’s the fae version of a city,” he explained. He clapped his hands together and exhaled, majestic white feathered wings easing from his back through folds in his shirt.
“Holy crap, you look like an angel,” Hope said. Then she blushed at her outburst.
Her mates chuckled as Crimson explained that male warriors had feathered wings. “They allow us to fly.” He looked at Treasure. “Can you fly with your dragon wings in your human form?”
She nodded. “I’m still practicing. I can throw my fire in my human form, though.”
He nodded appreciatively. “I wish you could come with us. You’d be very helpful if we ran into trouble.”
“Hold on,” Callie said. “Trouble? I thought this was going to be simple and safe.”
Hope understood Callie’s concern, her mates were coming with them on the trip. She’d rather her own mates not even go just so she could be sure they wouldn’t be in danger. Not that they’d ever let her go anywhere like this without coming.
“It is,” Jenna said, stepping into the conversation. “Please don’t worry. What Crimson means is that having a hybrid like Treasure, who appears to be fae but has dragon powers, would be helpful, on the off chance that we run into trouble. But I promise that the trip to Skyye isn’t going to be treacherous.”
“Right, right,” Crimson said. “I’ll open a portal outside my house, and then we’ll open another portal at the base of the Yzharl Mountains. Skyye is at the top of th
e mountain.”
“Okay,” Callie said, still looking skeptical. She looked at Ethan and Eryx and hugged them both. “Promise to come back in one piece. Both of you.”
Hope smiled at the trio, who were always so sweet with each other. Turning to look at her own mates, she whispered, “Let’s all promise to come back in one piece, too. Together.”
“You better believe it, sweetness,” Ben said.
“Ready?” Crimson asked.
“Wait,” Treasure said. She gave Hope a hug, her dragon trilling. “Good luck, bestie. I wish I could go with you. I’m devious that I can’t go.”
Hope blinked for a second and then gently corrected her. “I’m devastated, too. Without you I wouldn’t have this opportunity, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Treasure hugged her tightly a second time, and Hope blinked at the tears that stung her eyes.
Hope pushed away her emotions and grasped the straps of the backpack which contained the handwritten spell and casting ingredients. Turning to face Crimson, she said, “We’re ready.”
Crimson opened a portal and walked through it with his son. Logan, Jenna, and Jason followed. Ethan and Eryx finished saying goodbye to Callie as Cadence joined her on the patio for a visit. Jilly, Wyked, and Fate were next, along with Melody, Ray, and Wesley. Once Kevin and Brian had said goodbye to Treasure, Hope and her mates followed them into the fae realm. Crimson closed the portal, and Hope waved at Treasure through the opening until it sealed and disappeared.
She turned in a slow circle and found herself in a wooded area. The trees were thick and tall, with white-and-gray striped bark. She was most surprised by the lack of modern noises: no cars or planes, no TVs or stereos booming, just the natural noises of the woods. It was peaceful in a way she hadn’t expected.
And it was also getting freaking dark, with the sun setting and the lack of electric lights.
Crimson introduced his parents, Desmin and Thalia.
“I have some bad news,” Desmin said.
Hope’s heart immediately clenched, and she held her breath.
“What’s up?” Crimson asked.
“I was in town talking to a few of the males I served with, and it looks like a nest of greklars is traveling through the mountains. It appears they’re on the southern face, but it’s possible that some have strayed from the main group.”
Crimson frowned as he nodded. “We’ll be careful.”
“What are greklars?” Eryx asked.
“They’re like furry dragons about the size of a pony,” Desmin said. “They generally avoid people, but they will attack if they feel threatened. They’ve got razor-sharp teeth, and when they bite prey they lock down hard and can shatter bones. It’s best to avoid them.”
“Are we going to be where they are?” Hope asked.
Crimson shook his head. “We’ll get to Skyye by going up the northern face. It’s a little rockier and might add an hour to the trek, but otherwise it should be fine. I’ll run point, so if we happen to cross one, I can divert us safely away.”
“You weren’t going to leave without me, were you?” A male with white feathered wings walked around the side of the house.
Crimson shook the male’s hand and turned to the group. “This is my best friend Riyad. He’s in the fae military, and agreed to come along for support. We can always use another experienced male with a sword.”
Jilly leaned over to Hope and whispered, “Do you feel really out of your element here?”
“Yeah,” Hope said. “It’s all so different.”
“I’m glad I’m here, though. I’d like to give the goddess a punch in the nose for the curse. It hurt like hell when it was lifted for me.”
“Hey, don’t punch the goddess,” Jenna said. “Or at least wait until she removes the curse, anyway. They can be temperamental, and the last thing you want to do after going to all this trouble is insult her and have her refuse to do it.”
“Okay,” Melody said with a smile. “First she removes the curse, then we all punch her in the nose.”
“Who goes first?” Hope asked.
“No punching!” Jenna said.
“You said we could later,” Jilly reminded her. “I’ve got some choice words for her.”
“We’ll be good,” Hope said. “Until the curse is lifted, and then all the bets are off.”
After some discussion among Crimson, Jenna, Desmin, and Riyad about the best place to open the portal, Jenna strode over to Hope.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked.
“Definitely. I feel like my whole life has been leading up to this point.”
“That’s so resh.”
“What?” Hope asked.
“‘Resh’ means awesome in the fae realm,” she said. “I’m wishing you the best of luck with this. We’re rooting for the goddess to break the curse and free the mountain lion females.”
“Thanks for everything,” Hope said. “You don’t even know me or any of the females, but you’re still willing to do this. I’m humbled.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Jenna said. “When someone is in trouble, you help. Case closed.”
Logan made a gruff wolfy sound and pulled Jenna against his huge, muscular frame. “You’re so resh, sweetheart.”
Jenna smiled sweetly at her mate. “He’s a little biased.”
“Nope, we totally agree,” Nathan said. “Thank you for everything.”
“Thank me when the curse is broken.”
“And don’t forget to thank us, too,” Crimson called. “I love Reese’s cups.”
“I’ll take cash,” Riyad said.
Hope chuckled at the banter. As Crimson opened the portal, Hope’s mates all settled hands on her. Nathan held one hand, Owen the other, and Ben rubbed his thumb along one of her mating marks.
“Keep an eye out for anything and everything,” Owen said.
“And on each other,” Ben added.
The portal opened, and Jenna said, “We’re at the base of the Yzharl mountain.”
“Why can’t we portal right to the top where Skyye is?” Ben asked.
“Because it’s magically protected, by old spells cast by the fae who worshipped the gods and goddesses there. The safest way to get to the top is by hiking up one of the trails, which should take us around three hours.”
“That’s a lot of hiking,” Hope said. “But worth it if the curse is broken.”
“When it’s broken,” Ben emphasized.
She nodded and waited for her turn to walk through the portal. The air was cooler at the base of the mountain, which was slowly being shadowed by the darkness as the sun set.
Crimson turned to face everyone and raised his hand for silence. “I don’t scent anything out of the ordinary, so I don’t believe we’ll be crossing paths with any greklars. But that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down.”
Nathan let out a grumbling sigh. “I wish we could have video-chatted the damn goddess.”
“Me too,” Hope said.
Their group formed up behind Crimson, with Hope and her mates directly behind him. Riyad and Desmin, wings unfurled like angels, walked on either side of the group with swords drawn. Although Hope wanted to believe that things were going to be easy and fine, her gut was tight with worry. So many people had come to support her. If anyone was hurt, she’d never forgive herself.
Chapter Ten
Ben felt the portal close as the last person in their party walked through. It was a strange, cold gust, as if a door had sealed shut, except in this crazy realm the door disappeared and couldn’t be opened by anyone except a fae. Which made the four fae with them very important. He was nervous, but trying his best to appear calm and collected like his brothers. The problem was that he was anything but. He’d always been fairly laid-back, but being in a strange realm on a trip to meet with a goddess, a fabled person who had who-the-hell-knows what kind of power, was messing with his ability to do anything but worry over his mate and brothers. Throug
h their connection as mates he could feel that Hope was equally concerned, but whether she was worried about her safety, or those in their party, or the actual meeting with Hrixalda he didn’t know.
As if sensing that he was thinking about her, Hope glanced at him. “I’m nervous,” she whispered.
“Yeah, me too.”
It was maybe the most truthful thing he’d ever said, next to how much he loved and adored his wife and mate. “It’ll all work out, sweetness.”
She gave him a smile, but it was weak and didn’t reach her eyes.
He honestly couldn’t wait to be back in their realm and in the safety of their own home. Hopefully with the curse fully broken and the females set free, but at this point he’d just be thrilled if they returned home with no one injured. Tilting his head back, he looked up the mountain. It reminded him of the Smoky Mountains. His family had stayed in a cabin there when he was young, and he’d found the cloud-covered mountain to be both treacherous-looking and awe-inspiring. Like the Smokies, the top of this mountain was obscured by clouds.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Crimson said as they began their trek up the slope.
They hiked as quickly as possible along a trail that wove around large, rocky outcroppings. He kept Hope between himself and Nathan, with Owen in front of them. As the sky darkened with the coming night and the moon slowly rose, they lit lanterns to ensure they stayed on the trail. No one talked or joked as they steadily climbed toward the ancient city of Skyye; the tension among all the members of their party was palpable. He wanted to say something to ease it, but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t make him sound like a jackass, so he stayed quiet.
As they climbed the air got a little cooler, and he was thankful they were wearing jackets. The cloud cover was so thick that he couldn’t see very far in front of him. Their steps slowed. Suddenly flames shot out ahead of them, appearing to come from the swords that the fae held aloft. The clouds burned away with a sizzle, clearing the path around them so they could see.