56. Epilogue - Aspyn
Chapter fifty-six
Epilogue - Aspyn
A spyn Aged 23
This morning is one of the brightest and most beautiful mornings I’ve ever seen. The sky shines so bright a blue it doesn’t look real. And the ocean is like a gemstone, flashing glittering shimmers back at me. The sand is white, and even the world sings sounds of peace.
I live in paradise. I’ve accepted that this is my prison now.
On days like today, I could almost love it.
I inhale and decide to go for a walk on the beach. It’s rare for me to get so close to the water.
I don’t like the waves.
I just need to think for a couple of minutes, away from the watchful eyes of the pack.
I’m walking along, lost in my thoughts of how wonderful they are, when I see a child, just a little one, and I see the wave behind her. I know how bad the rips can be. Everyone who lives here knows about them. The kid would never survive.
I throw myself into a stumbling, limping jog, making my way as quickly as I can.
I don’t know if I will reach her in time.
The girl has her back to the water. She hasn’t seen the danger. But I can see it, and, already, my panic is turning my thoughts into static, and it’s getting harder to force myself towards the little girl. My cane gets stuck in the sand, and I lose it, but I don’t have time to go back.
Where are the parents?
I shout out, and the people around us turn. My heart is pounding. I reach the girl, lifting her up and out of the water just as it rushes up. I let out a terrified scream as I watch it swirl straight up to my thighs.
There are moments when you know you’re fucked. This is one of those moments. The water sucks at my legs, pulling. It’s so strong, stronger than I anticipated.
I look up, terrified, into the face of the first person I see.
Shale.
He’s so damn beautiful, and he’s racing to my rescue, but I think, this time, I really fucked up.
I throw him the kid, watching as she goes flying through the air and slams into his waiting arms.
“Aspyn!” he screams.
My aching leg collapses under the pressure from the water. Before I can do anything, I’m sucked several feet out. I scream but get a mouthful of salt water.
The water seizes me into a terrifying hold and simply pulls me out. There’s no chance for me to fight. I don’t want to die like this.
I see a flash of gold.
Keagan screams my name.
I catch a glimpse of Beau.
There’s a man, a beautiful man I think I should know, running towards me.
And another with brown skin who is so gorgeous I’m sure they write songs about him.
They’re angels. All angels that have fallen. My demons. It doesn’t matter to me, just that their beauty is painfully poignant. What a last view to see.
I go under and manage to kick back up, breaking the surface. I’m going to drown. But the inside me is tired. I hurt body and soul. I’m just so damn tired all the time. Maybe I will drown my sorrow. Maybe I’ll float away.
I let out a cry, part fear, part defiance.
A hand captures my upper arm and tows me into a body much bigger and stronger than mine. I look up and up. The relief of having something solid to cling to as the ocean tries to suck me out has me trembling.
The universe comes to a standstill the minute I lay eyes on him. All the fear and hope and everything that broke me all those years ago comes back. This time, there’s no sick smile, no laughter, there is only terror on his face.
He’s coming for me.
My scent match.
Kelly Raines.
He’s here.
Finally.
Am I ready for this?
P resent Day
I finish putting the final touches on the drawing and wonder what the two male hands are with matching scars, but I don’t let my mind wander too much. The answer will come or it won’t.
I set the cards aside.
Eben left two days ago. The tense reconciliation with the pack and his brother Shale took all of my skills of negotiation and bribery to smooth things over.
Which means we are now on good terms with all the family. He was the last bump on the road.
I exhale and strip off my clothes, pausing only to pull on the new outfit I bought. It’s white with huge yellow and white frangipani flowers printed on it.
It’s also a bathing suit.
A few weeks ago, I sat with Shale in the rain, trying to ignore the fear that kept jumping at me. I’ve decided I don’t want to be afraid anymore. So, today, I’m going to step past my fear.
“Are you ready for this?”
“Can I say no?”
“You can always say no or stop. Your safe word is Daane,” Gael says, winking at me.
I growl at him but let him guide me down to the beach.
“Seriously, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes!” I say firmly.
He holds my hand while we get into the water. It laps and pulls lightly on my ankles. When I’m knee deep, Beau runs over, splashing and laughing and kisses me hard, making me forget where we are.
Gael runs back to the beach but returns with two surfboards, one of which he hands to Beau.
I keep walking, ignoring the fear and concentrating on the cold and the waves.
Keagan and Ezy paddle over to me on their boards, circling around us, but it’s when Kelly and Shale come in close that the nerves hit me.
“Ready?” Shale asks.
I nod my head and look up into Kelly’s blue green Raines' eyes, the same eyes I met when I was sixteen years old. He holds out his hand in a way I always dreamed about.
“Get up here, then.”
I glance around at my pack. A pack I never dreamed of helping me conquer fears I thought would crush me forever. That day we met again, when I almost drowned, was life changing for me, but I don’t want to experience that again. I want to be able to save myself.
“Omega, come spread those golden wings and learn how to fly with us.”
Once I thought I’d drown under the weight of my sorrow. But that was a different life with a different omega.
I’ve changed.
I’ve healed.
Nat howls with laughter and waves at me from where she and her boyfriend are splashing around.
I lift my hand and wave back. I’m so glad she’s here.
I’m not the same person, and I’ve closed that chapter. These are our golden years, our green years. There is no room for sorrow, and I’m not going to drown.
I’m going to fucking swim.
Happiness is mine if I just have the courage to take it. I swing up onto the surfboard, letting out a wild whoop when Kelly turns and paddles us out to sea. It’s beautiful. It’s a whole new world. The pack follows us out.
I have the courage. I found it when I found them. When I found myself.
Because we are Daane.