by Selina Woods
The big SUV leaped forward, charging as the enforcers lifted their rifles and began to fire. Bullets struck the vehicle, and I ducked low as one shattered the windshield. Though they weren’t quite close enough to do any damage, the thrown grenades forced the enemy down as the bombs exploded, fire sweeping across the road.
I plowed through the flames even as Pierce, Hyde, and Kincaid threw another round, and these struck the roadblock in a direct hit. I screamed in triumph as the enforcers bolted in all directions, trying to escape the infernos as their cars and trucks blew up. There were others to the side who aimed to shoot us still, but rifle fire burst from trucks just behind us. Those enforcers not cut down were forced to hide or be shot.
I rammed the SUV through the flaming cars and trucks, sending them rocketing to the sides and making room for the others behind us. Iliana fired her gun even as more grenades blasted the enforcers who tried to stop us, blowing up bodies and vehicles alike. Fire lit the darkness as the detonations ripped through the early morning, and then I drove us through the death zone and into the clear.
“We’re out,” I yelled and whooped. “Everybody okay?”
“Yeah,” I heard as I watched in the mirrors as my guys continued to fire their rifles into the burning vehicles to keep any surviving enforcers from shooting at them. One by one, they blasted through the flames, speeding in my wake.
Iliana turned to look in the rear seat, even as I flashed a quick glance to make sure none of the occupants were hurt. “Dad? You okay?”
“I’m great,” Hyde answered with a laugh.
“That was exciting,” Kincaid declared as he dropped back into his seat. “Didja see them run? Damn, I bet they never try that shit again.”
I turned on my headlights as we cleared the city, observing behind us as all the others did the same. “I don’t think we lost anyone,” I said. I turned my head to grin at Iliana. “We made it.”
She tilted her head back and screamed in triumph as much as I had. “We made it. We’re free!”
Epilogue
“Will you look at this place.”
Like Hyde, who had spoken in wonder, I stared in disbelief at the big city of Denver as we drove slowly through it. Nowhere did I see a rifle, a burned-out, rusted hulk, or a single enforcer. No trash littered the streets, and people greeted one another with smiles. Not one face displayed fear, even as many gaped at the long line of vehicles that passed them by.
“This is incredible,” Iliana said, her tone awed. “They look so—happy.”
“Your mother is waiting for you,” Pierce said. “Can you feel it, Griffin?”
Iliana eyed me askance at the question, but how he knew that I did confounded me. “Yeah,” I said. “I can feel her.”
And I did. How I knew what I knew, I hadn’t a clue. I followed the surging in my blood; the call that came from her had me making left and right turns without knowing why I made them. The long column followed behind, and I spared a hope that my guys would find here the peace and prosperity I had promised them.
There. I pulled the battered SUV to the curb in front of a food market, the pull on my soul emanating from it. My heart in my throat, I stared at the place for a long moment. As I got out, Iliana and the others with me, the cars and trucks found parking spots on the street. I took Iliana’s hand as a woman with gray in her red-gold hair walked from the store.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as she smiled, and together, Iliana and I stepped forward. Beautiful, she owned luminous green eyes that seemed to look into me and know my every thought. Not quite knowing what to say, I cleared my throat. “I’m Griffin. This is my mate, Iliana.”
“My son.”
She swept me into her arms, and for the first time in my life, tears ran down my cheeks. “Mom.” I breathed in the scent of her, tickling a memory of her I never knew I had. “Mom.”
“You came home,” she whispered into my ear. “You heard my call, and you came.”
More people emerged from the market and stood on the sidewalk, watching. My mother released me to hug Iliana as I hastily wiped the wetness from my face, then she turned and gestured toward the group of males behind her.
“I’m Cady,” my mother told me, taking me by the hand. “I want you to meet my mate and your brothers.”
My brothers?
A tall shifter with silver in his black hair stepped forward to shake my hand. “I’m Axel,” he said, smiling.
My mother beckoned the others forward. A tall shifter, who oddly looked like me, grasped my hand and pulled me into a tight embrace. “I’m Ragnor,” he told me, grinning. “Welcome home, brother.”
A smaller fellow with hair with the same color as our mother’s did the same, saying, “I’m Declan. You look just like Ragnor.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed that.”
“I’m Logan,” said the last one, who again looked eerily like me. “Now our family is complete.”
“Um,” I said, hesitating as I glanced at Axel. “You’re not my father?”
My mother shook her head. “Your father died when you were taken from me. Axel has been my mate for almost twenty years now.”
“I see,” I replied, glad that Cady actually hadn’t given me up after all. I, and maybe my brothers, had been taken from her, I guessed.
Turning, I gestured toward Hyde. “This is Iliana’s father, Hyde. And I expect you already know Pierce and Kincaid.”
Cady chuckled. “Yeah. Thank you both for bringing him here.”
The two bowed, and I recalled my royal blood, now convinced it stemmed from her. I shared a quick glance with Iliana before I gestured toward the forty plus shifters who leaned against the cars and trucks, watching and talking in low voices.
“These guys are my friends,” I said, gesturing toward them. “I hope they will be made welcome here. They helped keep me alive.”
My mother slipped her arm through mine. “Of course, they are, my son,” she told me. “Now that we are all together, all your questions will be answered. Then we will make our plans to spread peace and hope throughout all the lands of the world.”
Taken aback by that statement, I gazed at Axel, at my brothers who watched, and then back at my mother. “How?”
Cady met my eyes. “With magic.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Selina Woods lives in Denver with her two cats. She began writing at a young age, and has continued to pursue her passion. Her imagination and creativity come to life on paper as she writes her Paranormal Romances from her home. She writes all types of paranormal romance stories but writing about sexy steamy alpha shifters is her passion. Her books are adventurous, from the heart and full of romance. On her downtime she enjoys an evening curled up buried in a good book or spending time with good friends.
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Selina Woods