2. Gracie #2
“You’re my wolf? My magic?”
The orb-now-wolf gave a woof of agreement. I really needed to strengthen my bond with her—I should have been able to recognize my magic instantly, no matter what form it took.
“I should have known that,” I admitted, crouching down as the ghostly wolf pressed her nose against me. Emotion clogged my throat. “It’s been a bit since we were able to connect properly. First the compound and then all of this with the gods.”
My wolf made a small sad rumble as I ran my hands through her fur and sat down.
I knew we probably had places to be, but I didn’t know if I’d get another chance to truly talk to my wolf.
As I sat there, running my fingers through her soft fur, she seemed to grow more solid.
In this form she had a mix of black and red fur, the latter like my original coloring before any gods’ interference.
“After all this god stuff,” I murmured, “if we survive, we need to shift more. We need to spend more time together. Like when Mom and Dad were around.”
A whine of discontent left her as tears crowded my eyes. It was ridiculous, silly even, to be sitting here with a ghostly representation of my wolf and crying—but it also felt good. I buried my nose in her fur and let out a shaky sigh.
When a wind brushed through the space and thunder boomed in the distance, I knew it was time to move on. As I stood, my wolf moved closer, not shifting back into the orb but standing right by my side. I felt a tiny surge of pride at that.
The walk through the wildlife-filled acreage was peaceful, and it wasn’t until I began to smell smoke in the distance that I was aware of an impending change.
My wolf tensed and let out a deep growl as we reached what could only be described as a cliff.
Except instead of dropping into an ocean or abyss, there was another piece of land, only feet away but fractured from this realm.
It smelled of ash, the sky cracking with lightning and filled with cries of agony in the distance.
My skin broke out into chills as I leaned back, reaching down to keep my wolf close.
Even Vaelithra’s realm tried to warn me, greenery reaching up and crawling around my ankles, as if trying to keep me secure.
Not letting me move forward.
My eyes closed as the smoke made me dizzy and the sound of war echoed through my ears. Violently. Cruelly. Kaevorak. It was obvious that this was his realm. Fractured and removed from Vaelithra’s, but close enough that he clearly hadn’t let go of their connection.
“Horrible, isn’t it?”
Nyxarra’s familiar voice had my knees nearly buckling with relief. I turned to find her standing in Vaelithra’s realm, approaching us from behind.
“Oh no, can’t have that,” she murmured as she spotted the panic in my expression. A chair appeared underneath me as Nyxarra approached, my wolf sitting comfortably at my side as I watched her progress with wide eyes.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she mused. “And I know Yvelis didn’t show themselves.”
I couldn’t smile, instead blurting, “Am I dead?”
“Dead?” Nyxarra’s eyes flashed with surprise. “You can’t be dead. You still have a lot to do, Gracie.”
Tears filled my eyes as I let out a shuddering breath of relief.
Not dead. I was not dead. Thank The Eight.
I hadn’t allowed myself to realize how worried I’d been, but her words were exactly what I needed to hear.
Silent tears dripped down my cheeks as I continued to run my fingers through my wolf’s fur.
“You were very worried,” Nyxarra observed softly. “For your mates?”
“Yes,” I whispered, my eyes hot as I held her gaze. “Are they okay?”
Her face turned more solemn. “They were not harmed in the incident.”
There was more she wasn’t telling me though.
“But?” I asked softly.
“They’re enraged at your state. Your would-be assassin was the first to suffer their wrath.”
Shit. I needed to get back to my mates. They needed to know I was okay.
“I’ll send you back,” she assured me. “But you must know something before you go. The sacrifice you made for your mate has strengthened your bond, but it’s also reconnected you fully with your wolf.
There will be a process of reacclimatizing to that.
You’ll wake up more powerful than when you fell, Gracie. ”
“More powerful?”
“You have passed through the realms of the gods,” she explained. “That mark will not go unnoticed. The target on you will increase in tandem with your ability to fight.”
“Far stronger and worse enemies,” I murmured as she nodded sharply. “I would like to go back. I understand what you’re saying,” I confirmed. Nyxarra extended a hand, but before I took it I looked down at my wolf and petted her head once more.
“Thank you for being here with me.” For always being here for me and never disappearing.
She offered a bark and nuzzled my hand before fading into a shimmering form that melted against my skin as she merged back with me. A surge of power spiked my pulse, and I looked at Nyxarra as I reached out to meet her hand.
Our fingers grazed and my body was thrown into liminal space. For one pure second of awe-inspiring fear, I felt weightless.
Then I woke up.
I flung upright in bed and gasped as my eyes snapped open and a million sensations hit me at once.
The scent of my mates. The feeling of my magic, my wolf, surging through me.
My own steady heartbeat in my ears. The touch of warm hands around me.
Then the emotions—my bond was flooded with them.
I could tell my other mates were not in the room, so it was only Basir and me…
and he was the only thing I could focus on.
Kneeling at the side of my bed, his head having snapped up, tears leaking down his cheek. Tears for me.